Apropos of Nothing v.3

I missed the pink toenails. That seems like a perfectly delightful color for elephant toenails. At least, if I were an elephant, I'd want pink toenails.....

I really hope that lefty kids have fewer issues these days-and that their scissors are better now-they were always stiff and hard to use. ;)

Actually, to me, right-handed mousing is an advantage. I've got my dominant hand for typing and more fine-motor activities.... However, I mouse with either hand, and I don't switch buttons, or I can use the keyboard and mouse together if I mouse right-handed. Hand-held can openers are one of my personal lefty pet peeves....so awkward!

Some brands of school scissors these days are made to work with either hand. A few brands though are just plain miserable and don't work for anybody. Fiskars are pretty dependable. That's the kind I get because they work and they last. Someone a long time ago bought a whole bunch of the old metal childrens scissors for left handers and they are sometimes the only scissors available in the supply room when I am in there working (because people walk off with the adult scissors). I have learned to cut with my left hand when this situation presents itself.

Pink toenails! Love it!
But, in all seriousness, it amazes me how some unthinking teachers can demoralize a child with a criticisn like that one. My second grade teacher told me horses did not have "pointy feet" which traumatized me so badly I mis-pronounced "horse" as "hearse" for weeks...which made her criticize me even worse!
I did substitute teaching in Texas for awhile when I lived there and ended up in a grade 1 art class. It was just before Christmas so I told the kids that Santa's reindeer had all gotten sick and they should draw pictures of something else Santa could use to pull his sleigh. There were jets and rockets and horses. One little boy drew the most elaborate sleigh complete with harness but I could not see anything attached to the harness and neither could any of the kids. So I asked him just WHAT was pulling the sleigh and he very proudly said, "A molecule!" He was immediately challenged by another boy who claimed there was no such thing as a molecule. He very rightfully answered, "There is, too. Molecules are too small for anyone to see just with their eyes!" I confirmed that and have loved that memory ever since. That was 20 + years ago and I always wonder where he is now!

You guys do talk about the most interesting things. "a molecule" pulling a sleigh.
Yes the water is only about 34 to 50 degrees from winter to summer so Dry suit surfing only there with a insulated hood, gloves and long johns. Kind of hard getting the wave with all that on.

If I have to dry suit to get in the water, then that means it's wayyy toooo cold for me.

I love the idea of a molecule pulling a sleigh! And I love art teachers that ask a child to tap into their natural imaginations! Sniff** I wish I'd had you all as a first grade teacher. And horses do SO have poiny feet!
Know what you mean about left handedness, Sue. I'm left handed and so is my husband, although I am more ambidextrous than he is. He still cannot cut anything, even with left handed scissors. Probably never learned due to the lack of said scissors at school. I cut right handed and always have, so I got a break on that. But my handwriting always ran down the page, frustrating my teachers no end.

Because I somehow got it into my little Montana-bred brain that I would grow up to be a spy, I practiced all sorts of little spy-like skills -- how to run really fast on train rails, for instance. And how to do everything with my left hand that I could with my right.

To me, it makes sense for right-handers to mouse with the left hand, leaving your dominant hand free for the numeric key pad. Also, it takes a lot of work away from your right wrist, lessening the risk of carpal tunnel.

Besides.... left-handers are the ONLY ones in their 'right' minds. ^_^

Actually, that's not quite true. Left-handers use more of both hemispheres. Leftys have a higher density of neuron connections across hemispheres than right-handers do. (women tend to use more of both hemispheres also, I think.) That probably explains why so many leftys are so creative.

So, Sk, should I just start calling you "Harriet"? (As in "Harriet the Spy" (lol))

I'm somewhat ambidextrous as well-also somewhat more inevitable for a lefty as we're often forced to do things with our non-dominant hand, unlike you right-handers.
I can manage to write with both hands, though writing with my right hand looks like a third grader did it-a drunken third grader, at that...

I'm also right-handed but do things with both hands. Sometimes I do crosswords puzzles left-handed because Amber is laying on my right hand.

I went into Shelton to buy groceries today and thought I would stop at the furniture store and see if they had a chair I liked. Well they did. It will be coming tomorrow afternoon. A big soft fluffy recliner. Blue of course. My wing chair needs to be recovered and the footstool also. Plus it isn't wide enough for me and all three animals. Amber has been left in a tight spot and she doesn't like it. This one will be just right and take up less space. I'm excited.

Willow, i hope you'll be able to get out of your new recliner when all the animals have quite comfortably settled in with you - it could require some stealth gymnastic moves. Be careful when you activate the hand lever!

LOL we'll see you goes flying first.

Susy I agree that many lefties are creative. My architecture firm was full of lefties. Very creative lefties.

Willow have fun with your new chair, if the animals let you sit in it. LOL

What a great story about the sled-pulling molecule. I wonder if that kid remembers what he drew and said?

Wow, I just finished voting on the pictures. What a trip. Next yearI will know what to do about entering.

My favorites never win. I sort of feel as if the most sentimental photos are more likely to be crowd choices.

I'm boggled by the number of purely amazing photos in the contest. I allowed myself a little hope when I was submitting mine, but now I've seen the others... woah. No way.

I did see and vote for some familiar shots from folks here in this forum. ;)

My new chair was delivered today. It is just perfect. And amazingly I cleaned my living room thourghly. Washing all afghans, doilies, and rugs. Now if I can keep going I may get it all done. Then I can put up the shelves in the attic for all the books.

Nice. Now you need to get your DH to get a picture of you in your new chair with the pups so we can see how happy Amber is . . .

Gaaaa! I need to pick out a new king-size mattress in the next hour or my b'friend is going to pick it FOR me. He's giving me $2,000 for a new bed, and the frame I like is only $600 but mattresses seem to go for around many thousand, give or take. I get to spend whatever's left over on something else (plants?), so I'm trying hard to find a reasonably affordable mattress.

Anyone here bought one recently & have an opinion?!

Spend as much of it as you can on the mattress. It makes a huge difference. I've had my Simmons Beautyrest for 3 years now and I still remark on how comfortable it is every time I get into bed. It's firm but plush . . .

I looked at those. $1,200 for the one I like.

Spelling lesson for me today--thoroughly--. That's been bothering me since I typed it.

If I had to buy a mattress I would get a numbers bed or one of those adjustable ones. We've had a water-bed since we met in 1980. First the big bag type and then the one that looks like a regular mattress with tubes. I like a soft warm, flannel sheets and down comforter, foam pillows piled up with puppies.

Costco? I think it's Sealy that they have, there's one that's $949 including shipping, but how can you choose a mattress without seeing how it feels? Especially with back issues?

I hear a lot of good things about those Simmons Beautyrests. Never heard a complaint yet.

I don't have any back issues & know that I like Jack's memory foam mattress.

Jack says I'm too late, that he ordered the styrofoam special!!! He's joking, right? There's no such thing as a styrofoam mattress, is there?

Eep! I don't think there is such a thing. Unless it's sold out of the back of a van down by the river...

Whew, it was a joke. But I very quickly picked out my new memory-foam mattress after that, quit dithering.

Seedaholics, check out the Summerhill Co op. It's up to 35% discount, only 2.99 shipping direct from Summerhill, any size order. There is a huge variety. If any of you want to "split" an order, I am game.

Oh no you didn't. You just HAD to tell me about that. Gaaaaaaaah! I don't have roooooom! (but of course I'm ordering anyway! LOL!)

Just went to look and it is closed.

Today would have been my mom's 92nd birthday. Would really like to see mine.^_^

This is a picture of my mom when she was in her early forties.

This is a picture of her mother and father probably taken in the 1890's

Nice pictures, Willow.

No, the co op is still open. She just posted to tell everyone about it, so we might make another discount level.

OK

Great pictures. You have a handsome family. So your mother was a Scorpio, huh?

Yep, just like me. Nine days apart. And 22 Years.

Well Happy Birthday to you both!

Thanks. I'm finishing 71 years. I have to stop saying " 20 years from now". Weird!

This message was edited Nov 11, 2009 9:57 AM

I dunno, why not still say "20 years from now"? 72 isn't that old these days. Be optimistic-it's better for your health! :)

And you seem like a pretty young 71 to me.