Animal Cruelty

I discovered this picture on Tumblr yesterday. I was so disturbed by it that I downloaded it so I could study it more closely. I know that mice and rats are intelligent, but I have to ask: is this real? And, if it is real, who taught the mouse how to hold onto the swing? And, is this the right thing to do?

I am a regular donor to the Humane Society of the United States because they fight animal cruelty on so many levels. I came to HSUS because of the Canadian seal slaughter each spring ... an issue that HSUS has worked diligently to end. Then, I learned about the other work that they do. Rescuing animals from hoarding situations (dogs, cats, birds, exotics, etc.) and finding them new homes. Lobbying for legislation to put regulations in place for puppy mills, as puppy mill owners are among the worst abusers of animals I have heard about, breeding dogs to make money, with no regard for humane treatment of the animals. There's the dog fighting and cock fighting ~ issues that HSUS has achieved success with recently. And, the treatment of farm animals ... chickens, pigs and cows ... working with professional farmers and legislators to bring about compromise for the humane treatment of animals that we use for food.

So, back to the mouse in the swing ... is this cruel?

I cannot say for sure. There's no question that it is a startling and adorable photograph, but I wonder about the little mouse. His eyes are dilated and his ears are tucked down. In most animals, this is a sign of distress. So, I ask you: is this a good thing?

I say, "Poor little mouse." And, I wonder what is wrong with the person who took the picture ...

One Picture = 1,000 Words

Now, looking at this just makes you smile, doesn't it?

And, this one? Makes you smile. Right?

What would YOU think if you found a baby deer on your bed?

There's nothing cuter than baby ducks. And, when you're working so hard
to get your ducks in a row, an image like this can be a visual inspiration.

I have been social networking the past month or so, and not much blogging. Work's sort of had me in a vise grip, too, what with Earth Day and me being an environmental educator.

So, while I'm still musing on what to write about here, I'll leave you with some pleasant images to evoke a smile. I read somewhere that just looking at pictures of kittens can lower your blood pressure. I don't know if it's true, but it's a terrific idea!

The Art of Pinterest ...

When I first wrote about my growing obsession with Pinterest, I thought that the act of writing would change the dynamic. And, it did. But, it took a while for the changes to take.

Since I discovered it in late January, I've curated my Pinterest boards as though they were bookshelves in my office, visible for everyone to see. And, of course, I think that people will look at a board where you have collected this amazing set of images and think, "Wow! I like what this person sees!"

Of course, that's NOT how it happens. I know that, silly!

I don't think I'm "addicted" anymore, though. Oh, I still go there. But, not every day.

Now that I've established my presence there, I don't feel the need to create my presence. It's done. And, that may very well be the driving force for me over on Pinterest: the need to create something.

Along the way, I've come to recognize why I like Pinterest so much. I went through this same process with Flickr, Facebook and tumblr ... I was obsessed to learn how it works, what I can do with it and where it goes for me as a creative spirit. Once I figured that out, the obsession seemed to dissipate.  

Today, I use Pinterest to collect things all in one place where I can go back and enjoy them again ... and where I can add to them over time.  Much like my Barbie room at home!  It has evolved into a real creative outlet for me as well. Not only do I collect images, but also links to such things as galleries, crochet patterns, how-to's for arts and crafts projects, and recipes for salads. THAT is pretty cool, if you ask me!

So, here's a little sample of the collection I'm currently "curating" under my newest board "Think Green" ~

I suspect that, like Facebook and Twitter and the myriad of social networking sites available, Pinterest has the potential to be whatever we want it to be, meeting each person's need to bookmark, share and collect all sorts of things. It definitely serves a purpose that the other sites don't. So, thanks to Ben Silbermann and all the folks that run Pinterest. I'm glad you did this! I'm having a good time with it!   HAPPY SPRING!

Pinterest ~ the learning curve

I last posted about my newest "addiction" to Pinterest and, since then, I have forced myself to limit the amount of time I spend on the site. It's really difficult, though. I see the e-mail messages in my "in box" and am drawn to see who is re-pinning from my boards. Then, I visit their boards and, BOOM!  I'm off pinning again.   {{big sigh}}

For me, pinning has been all about collecting. There. I said it. I am a "collector." I collect fashion dolls in real life. I have an entire room dedicated to them. I created an exhibition of fashion dolls last summer at a local museum and, if you're on Facebook, you can see some of what we did here. I also collect ephemera, which I think stems from my love for the written word. But, back to my collections ... my "boards" on Pinterest.

In the beginning, it was all about the "eye candy." So many beautiful images and I could put them all in one place and revisit them anytime I wanted. "So, what!" you might say. "What good does that do a person?" And, you would be right. For someone like me, pinning images has no socially redeeming value whatsoever. Except, it allows me to organize what I like, and that's important to me!

Prior to joining Pinterest, I collected images from the Internet on my computer. If I saw something I  liked, it was as easy as a right-click and "save image as." I have folders titled "Pink" and "Blue" and "Type and Art" and they are full of things I've seen, liked and wanted to return to without having to, again, search for them. Now, I don't have to right-click! I just pin those little babies to one of my boards and enjoy visiting them!

Yesterday, after breaking my own rule about how much time I had spent on Pinterest, I took a closer look at what I was doing. I have 19 boards and they contain 2,787 pins. And, there are 274 "LIKES," which are completely separate from my boards. Now, I'm not quite sure what the logic is behind "liking" something if you can pin it. I'm thinking it's to track those things that don't belong to one of my boards. Of course, there could be some other reason for it, but I haven't a clue what it might be.

My favorite boards at the present moment are "All Things Pink!" and "beige to white and back again." I guess I'm on a color trip here lately. But, I also like my "Type & Art, plain and simple" board a lot, too, and that board has 132 followers after just a few weeks, so I must be doing something right if people are watching what I pin.

And, that's really what it's all about, if  you ask me. People have a chance to see how I see things. Why did I include this "blue" image and not that one? What criteria do I follow for "All Things Pink?" These are the questions I ponder when I consider this addiction of mine. And, as the number of my followers grows, I find I am even more critical of my boards. I check them to be sure I haven't pinned the same image twice. If it's pinned to the "Blue" board, it must be all about that particular shade of blue; no pink background; no green or yellow anywhere. It's about pure color and how the image conveys it.

I have become aware of legal issues with Pinterest this week. I was reading on other pinners' blogs about how they use Pinterest, good etiquette on Pinterest and discussions about the impact pinning might have on artists and internet businesses and I stumbled on this. So, now I'm not sure how much longer I'll be doing this. I may have to return to the right-click, "save image as" to keep up my collection madness. We'll see.

In the meantime, happy pinning! I'm going to balance my checkbook now!

Pinterest: artistic expression or addiction?

I discovered Pinterest sometime last year and found myself fascinated by the collection of images housed there. I desperately wanted to be a part of it, but you had to be "invited," and, in spite of repeated requests, no invitation was forthcoming. Then, on the first day of February (a Wednesday), I stopped by for a look-see (and, to place another request) and, lo, and behold! I discovered I could log in through my facebook ID. Joy of joys!

Right.

Ask me what I did on the second and third days of February. Did I work? (Not unless I had to.) Did I write? (Tag lines and descriptions, maybe.) Was I productive in any meaningful way?

Nope. I was just pinning away over there on Pinterest! For three solid days. Whatsa matta with me?

The second week of February I promised myself I would reduce the time I spent there. I had created some "boards" of my own and pinned things I liked and I could go on it for a little while, add a few things to my boards and be off. Yeah. Right.

I was busy with real work most of the time that second week of February, so there wasn't a lot of time to peruse images and add them to my collections. Until Friday morning (2/10) when I discovered I could "pin" on my brand new Android phone I received for my birthday a few days earlier! OMG! I could pin while having coffee, waiting at the vet's office, waiting on hubby to pump gas. I was really in trouble now!

There's no "app" for Android phones. Yet. There IS one for the iPhone. So, fine. I can pin without an app! Ha! Take that, iPeople!

Last week I was out and about doing what my boss pays me to do -- teaching elementary school kids about living in the Everglades. I managed to stay off Pinterest until late in the day when I only had a few minutes left in the day, limiting the time I was visiting. I also persuaded myself that I didn't NEED to be doing it so much. I liked Facebook, but I wasn't on it all the time. I use Twitter to share information. And, Google is a lot of fun even when you're looking up something related to work. But, this Pinterest thing is insidious. It steals your time in ways I've never experienced before and, honestly ... it bothers me.

I don't consider myself an addictive personality. I like what I like, and I've long lived with the motto "everything in moderation." But, Pinterest? I like it. A lot. I like doing it. I like looking at my "boards" and reviewing my collections. And, I have "followers!" But, I haven't figured out how to use it in moderations.

Followers on a blog are different from followers on Pinterest. It's, like, I know the people I follow over there. We have similar interests, similar styles, similar passions. And, I'm sure if I ever met any of the people I follow or that follow me ... why, I'm quite sure we would be great friends with many things to talk about.

So, I came over here to my blog and I'm actually WRITING! I've learned that if I write about a thing, often times, the solution will present itself as I'm writing.

Only, it hasn't happened yet. And, I find I'm hurrying up so I can go back over there and pin some more. Oh, dear. What's a girl to do?

I've got 20 minutes left at my desk.
I could catch up on filing.
I could update my calendar.
I could ...

GO PIN! ~~~~~



Where'd she go?

Politics

I spent a lot of time on the phone today. Holding. Holding. Holding. So, while "holding" I made this. I didn't set out to make this. It just evolved ...

I like politics. So, does that mean I'm demented?

What's worse, I'm a republican. A "moderate" republican. But, I am often embarrassed by my fellow republicans. Especially the ones in Congress. They don't seem to have "the will of the people" on their agenda. It seems to be all about beating Obama. Why can't it be about doing what's best for the American people?

I'm worried about the economy. My dollars don't go as far as they once did. I'm worried about jobs. My brother was unemployed for more than two years and only recently found temporary construction work for minimum wage of $7.67 an hour. Good thing he gets food stamps or he wouldn't be able to afford to eat.
And, the "national debt." I'm worried about that, too. Not for me so much, but for my daughter and granddaughter, since they will be the ones burdened with paying that debt. What's wrong with doing what's right? Does doing the right thing mean you're a democrat or a republican? Or, could it be ...

Wait! Wait! Doing the right thing! It's the American Way! That's what it is! So, let's get rid of all the UN-American people in Congress. Let's NOT elect republicans or democrats! Let's vote for the Americans who are interested in doing the will of the people! Maybe then we could get it right.

 

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."

                                                                                           ~ Mark Twain

Reading Glasses

My fifth grade class picture (1962)

I have worn eyeglasses since I was in fifth grade. I have vivid memories of my first pair of glasses. They were horn rimmed glasses, slightly rounded, and I was amazed at what I could see. I saw individual blades of grass for the first time. I could read the writing on the chalkboard at school for the first time. And, I felt like glasses made me smarter. Remember, now ... I was 10-years-old and hadn't yet figured out that I'd already missed a lot of things by being myopic.  

I was required by law to wear by glasses when driving. And, of course, I had to wear them when watching a movie or the TV. I could see close up just fine. But, if something was more than a foot from my face, it was blurry.  And, so, I moved through life as a nearsighted nerd, always with my face stuck in a book. (I loved reading and it had absolutely nothing to do with wearing glasses! I still love reading! On my Kindle! And, thanks to technology, I can do it without glasses! But, that's a story for another day!)

In 1990 I returned to school. I had completed two years of college nearly 20 years earlier, so I was grateful to have a chance to return to the wonderful world of academia to complete my degree. Along about the second semester of classes, I began to notice that I had to lift my glasses off my nose to see what I was reading or writing. I spent the better part of a year practicing this technique and, finally, at the urging of a fellow student, went for an eye exam. I was old enough for bifocals!

In 2001, the year the first Harry Potter film came out, I started struggling with my bifocals. Seeing things closeup was becoming more troublesome. And, as someone who loves doing needlework, this became a real problem. One day around this time I was in a Walgreens waiting on a friend and browsing the "reading glasses." I found a cute pair of oval shaped horn rimmed glasses with +1.25 lenses that seemed to do the trick for me, so I bought them. I remember that they cost $8.99 and I coveted those glasses as though they were Harry's glasses!

In 2007, my youngest daughter was home from college for Happy Thanksgiving and she commented that my glasses were all over the place. By now, I had acquired numerous pairs. A pair by my chair for reading and needlework (now a +2.0), a pair on my desk with the computer, a pair in the bathroom for plucking eyebrows, a pair on the dresser so I could see the clasps on my abundant collection of necklaces, a pair in the doll room so I could see the shoes and accessories for my fashion dolls and a pair in the kitchen. Oh, yeah! There was also a pair that lived on my desk at work and a pair in the car's glovebox, just in case I needed them. I had reading glasses everywhere!

At my darling husband's suggestion, I went to see the optometrist and she said I could get "trifocals" to meet the far-middle-close range of my degenerating vision. I chose beautiful gold rimmed John Lennon frames for these new glasses and waited two days for their delivery.

This was very exciting! Technology was going to make my life easier! How wonderful!

I was quite happy when I first got my "John Lennon" glasses from the Lenscrafters store. 

And, in my enthusiasm, I wore them all the time. 

For three days ... count 'em ... one, two, three ... for 3 days I wore those trifocals. I loved the frames! People commented on them, and, once again I thought they made me smarter. BUT! They made me dizzy. Very, very dizzy. Friends and coworkers said I would get used to them, and I swear to you ... I tried!

After the third day wearing my "trifocals," 

I made my way back to the optometrist 

and told her I wanted 

just regular lenses in the glasses, 

so I could wear them for 

driving and watching movies. 

To hell with trifocals! 

Reading glasses were cheap! 

I didn't need to be dizzy!

I just wanted to see! 

Up close.

Far away.

And, in between.

Why, I bought "Ugly Betty" glasses 

at Target for a buck a pair! Red ones!

Polka dotted ones! 

Leopard ones!

Plaid ones! 

And, camouflage ones! 

I was swimming 

in cheap reading glasses! 

It was heaven!

Today, I welcomed new "old school" reading glasses at strength +2.50

Yep. 

My eyes are getting worse. 

Sad, but true.

My mom had macular degeneration, and I remember what a struggle it was for her. Like me, she, too, enjoyed needlework. The thing is, you have to be able to see what you're doing to thread a needle or wield a crochet hook. So, while I worry about my sight, I continue to see the optometrist and the retina specialist and I enjoy the lastest in boomer fashion accessories!  Cheap, cute reading glasses!