Language Learning.

I'm thinking of learning a language.  I'm torn between which one I want to learn.  I figure re-learning French shouldn't be that difficult - at least not on a conversational level.  I used to be almost fluent in French - maybe not in writing literature/term paper quality, but I was able to read, write, speak, understand, watch TV & movies in the language.  It was one of those things that sat in the back of my brain somewhere and (usually on a vacation to Canada) when I started hearing it spoken or on the radio and seeing the signs, a decent working ability would come back.  Now, there are scraps and pieces, but not a full conversation left in my head.  I started trying to "brush up" on it using an app on my phone a couple of years ago - but I would get all gung ho remembering things, then I would get to the next section and be completely lost.  I thought about turning on the French audio on some movies and see if that helps me remember any of it... maybe if I could figure out where the French shows are on cable, I could do that too - but movies might be easier - especially if I've already seen them in English.. ( I think my Muppet Movies have French soundtracks) 

Then there's Italian.  I've always thought it would be cool to learn Italian. But, while I used to work with a few people that were native Italian speakers, I don't anymore- and if I never converse with anyone, I don't think I would retain it for very long.  The last language I would love to learn is Gaelic.  I can just picture (ok first I'd have to picture winning the lottery) spending a summer in a thatch roof cottage in the Irish countryside.....  Once again - the issue would be having no one to talk to, and from what a few people have told me - they pretty much speak English, with an Irish accent with a few Irish words here and there in Ireland anyway.

In the class I took, there was a bonus video with Benny Lewis "the Irish Polyglot"  He had  a lot of trouble when learning language in school, but after he left school, he became fluent in 7 languages, and can converse in 4 more.  He wrote a book ( I have a request out for it from the library - so when I get it there will be a review) Fluent in 3 Months.. and he has a website with a free 7 day starter  When I figure out what language I'm going to try the 7 day thing and let you know how that goes.   There was another bonus video with Scott Young - who took a year off and went to 4 different countries to totally immerse himself in 4 different languages.  I'll be writing more about him in the future - his "The Goal of Learning Everything" and his Holistic Learning concept fascinate and intrigue me.

Way Too Hot - so read 3 by the AC

Sam and Izzy are having a baby, Izzy keeps getting weird premonitions over an abandoned baby car seat.  Aunt Nell is in hovering overdrive, a 19 year old ne'er do well and a blind old fisherman get murdered, there's pot being grown in the roof of a building in town.  All these must be solved a nd wrapped for Izzy's baby to come into a peaceful world.  If you must go to Sea harbor - go as a tourist, it only seems to be people connected to the town that keep getting murdered!  Good quick summer read - I had the killer's spouse not the killer in my sights.

Several people suggested Maggie Sefton to me, so I read the first in her Knitting Mystery series.  I almost gave up on it several times - but as it was the only book I had in my car at lunch times, and my phone didn't charge properly one night, so I stuck it out.  Ms Sefton doesn't build her characters or suck you into their lives as quickly as other authors seem to do. At about 25% of the way through the book, my favorite character was Carl, the Rottweiller.  Just over 1/3 of the way through, I started to want to know who did it, and by the last 1/4  I read straight through until I got to the end.

I've requested the next book in the series for both series, but dated them for August.  I've gotten to want to know whats up with Goldenbaum's Seaside Knitters and I'm going to see if the character  build in Sefton's next book is any faster (after all I already know the key players) 

Quick update - I've read 41 books so far this year for the Goodreads reading challenge. 
 

I've created a Monster

Those of you that know me in real life, may know I can be a little bit neurotic about some things. (OK - when it comes to Braun's a lot neurotic) One of my "things" is my bras have to match my shirt. (usually my socks do as well as my underwear - except when I'm wearing what Curt calls my Underoos - yes I have 4 pairs of Wonder Woman panties, Iron Man, Thor, Olaf, Cookie Monster, Animal, several with Oscar the Grouch.....yeah a lot) So when the underwire in my green bra poked through and I had to get rid of it I needed another green bra. All I could find were lime green almost yellow bras. That wouldn't work. I was in search of an emerald or grass or just plain old crayola green!  No luck. 

Then I clicked on a Zulilly ad (guess they do work huh?) and ended up buying 12 bras -  2 black, 2 beige,  gray, brown, 2 red, blue, yellow, orange, pink.  Even with shipping it came to $60!! Would you know that the very next day I finally found my green bra in Target?? Yeah it wasn't there before.

So I told Curt about my purchase and how Zulilly works.  Stuff is on sale for really huge (bras were like 65% off) discounts but for only a few days.  SO if you want it, they kind of make you act right away - it's not just selling out you have to worry about - it's the sale going away altogether, and there isn't any "regular price" merchandise on the site.  There's men's stuff, women's kids, stuff for your house etc.  

So Curt looks at the site.  He looks on his laptop.  He then just orders two pairs of shoes!!!!!  By setting up his own account!!!!!!!  I could have gotten $20 for recommending him if he told me he was going to buy something!!!!!!!!!  WTF?!?!?!?!?!

So he gets his shoes at the end of last week.  Yesterday, there is another package,  he bought a watch.  His answer? they sent an email and the watch was a steal.....

yup, I have created an online shopping monster....

weekend's balcony bounty

Sunday's picking - not a good shot- just to annoy my father in law

Seriously, the rainbow chard just keeps growing back after I cut it! I love chard, Curt probably not as thrilled - but I love it in my breakfast eggs so that's where the extra goes.

Bunch of tomatoes - the tiny yellow ones are coyotes.. OMG so perfectly sweet! A few mini red bells made their way to this bowl.

Early wonders, an overripe kermit and cukes.

Mini sweet bells - these seem to cycle one color at a time, had purples early last week, yellows a few days later, now reds.. although some more purples aren't far behind.  Grace these are the mini bells, my goldens, purple and chocolate full size peppers are still most definitely green.

Squirrels seem to like boobies

I lost a bet a few months ago - and the end result was I made my flooring expeditor 2 bikini clad boobie coozies and put a bottle of his favorite brew, Unibroue's Trois Pistoles in each one. They do have nipples, I didn't put a picture here - but you can check out my Ravelry project page for the Met's colored one if you are so inclined.

My favorite astronomer.

Yes, I have a list.  Mike Brown is on the top of the list. (I will admit, I spent quite a few years despising him)  I took his Coursera class, and in the class, he did convince me that Pluto shouldn't be classified as a planet - never should have.   That alone impressed Curt.  For a science guy, he is very articulate - and I really wish more science teachers/professors had his speaking skills.  I finally got around to reading his book, How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming.

Even if you don't have an opinion on Pluto, it's a great read. Superimposed on the planetary quest Dr Brown was on , his personal life, meeting his wife, marrying her and having his daughter (total doting dad - a large percentage of his tweets are about his daughter - yes I  am a stalker) the excitment of discovery, the treachery of a Spanish astronomer, the politics behind the International Astronomical community.

For those of you wanting to see what I mean - here is a 2011 talk he gave:

 

My media is pissing me off.

Don't know what happened- but apparently my phone doesn't want to upload my pictures to flickr or my flickr won't take an upload from my phone.  Trying to use the Google photos app is just as frustrating.  AND my Blogger app is completely useless.  I can do one picture, not two and I have to start at the picture not on the app.  I finally did a screen shot to get this picture - from the Angie's cruise she is taking with my sister in law. 

 

Blame it on Pinterest

Yes, with all the non-knitting time on my hands/elbows, I have explored another time suck... Pinterest.  I think I accidentally started 2 accounts.  Not sure.  Seems my computer thinks I have a different account than my phone does.  I use my phone. Discovered that following a person is deadly, should rather follow one of their boards or you get screenfuls of weirdness.  Pretty sure my boards don't make sense - and I should probably break them up to more boards to ever having a shot at finding anything.

I've learned a few things.  There are several things I want to make now (yes a longer want to make list EXACTLY what I need in my life...NOT).  I've been looking at houseplans - not sure why, not planning on building a house any time soon.  But one day I may remember to buy a lottery ticket and then after buying my motor coach and hiring C to drive it to the sporting events I want to go to, I may have the urge to have a house.  Next to a lake. With a dock.  I decided that his and hers walk in closets are a must.  Also a separate shower stall from tub (not sure I even want a tub) and definitely a separate toilet, with a swing door - can't deal with a doorknob before washing hands.  A room with a ton of built-ins to barricade Curt in.  A room with a ton of windows with built-ins below for a craft room. A walk in pantry with a freezer. And a porch deep enough to hang out on as well as a outdoor kitchen on the deck. 

But I digress.  I have followed some of my friend Min's boards.  She recently posted a recipe for  Fettucine with Lemon Ricotta and Zucchini.  Who doesn't need more zucchini recipes?  The only thing is I think my handful of parsley was too big.  And I would use more lemon.  But super yummy to go next to leftover Italian sausage meatballs.

 
 

No knitting/crochet to show - but I have a question?

When I craft, I have several (ok - right now 8 active) projects going at once.  I kind of bounce from one to another, sometimes focusing on one or alternating a few rows of several.  Startitis is always an issue, sometimes I use the promise of starting a new project as impetus to finish an older one.

I also read this way, usually have 4 or 5 books going at once.  Sometimes I hit the "sweet spot" in a book and then read it straight to the end, stopping for nothing but bathroom breaks.  A few of my friends find this bizarre.  I think this is no more bizarre than following 4 or 5 tv shows at once, you pick up where you left off and then when the episode is over you move on to the next one.  Back during the heyday of soap operas, a lot of my friends' moms and grans followed all of the soaps on one channel , one after another.  Some were more adventurous and switched channels to a different soap.  We would never have eaten if they had DVRs.

So reading, one book at a time or bouncing through several??

The Back of The Napkin

Everyone should read this book (ok maybe not kindergarteners or little kids who haven't lost their visual skills yet) aimed at problem solving and solution sharing in business settings - I think it will help anyone who needs to see a problem, solve the problem and show the solution in any setting. (ok maybe not calculus)  I have to say, as much as I loved the Doodle Revolution - this book is much better.  

By the end of the book - you will have a "swiss army knife" of easy to remember tools.  From built in tools - eyes, minds eye, hand to eye, steps to use - look, see, imagine, show. The sqvid technique to figure out how to look at the different aspects (simple vs complex, quality vs quantity etc) and how to set up visual axis based on who/what, how much, where, when, how, why and which is the important factors to focus on.  Totally worth the read.

Happy 4th

Enjoy the holiday, but be safe about it.

Giraffes Should Dance!!

I finished something!!  I have been working on a series of gifts for my nephew, that comprise a board book and a stuffie that goes with it.  I did an owl, fox for Fox with Socks, and now a giraffe for Giraffes Can't Dance. My sister doesn't want him "ruining books"  so I want him to have some he can truly enjoy and hopefully develop a love of books despite her.

Here's the giraffe checking out the garden:

I Am Winning!!!!

A handful of micro-toms and one coyote are ripe and picked!!! Need one or two more sunny days and will have a lot more turn!!



this sweet yellow mini bell is almost there!

Castaway Cove

quick easy summer read... wonder if there are going to be any non-vets in town by the time Ross is finished..stuck with the theme of the man wants a commitment and has to convince the woman she does do.. although Mac does fight it at first...