d = s x t

You can use this equation to solve for the lightning strike distance.  Not sure how the variables break down, but it's kind of neat to think that we could use mathematics to figure stuff out if we wanted to.  I guess that's something I'm learning from this challenge.  There's a whole world out there people, and math is a key to that world.  Physics too probably.  As well as other sciences.  All the stuff I didn't study in school.

Basically, I can't figure out jack squat with the stuff I've learned and know.  It's frustrating as all get out.  Not going to lie.

RH = Pw/Pws · 100%

This is called Love in the Mist.  Catchy, right?

This equation has something to do with humidity.  I have no idea what it means, but I do know it's humid right now and I am sweating.  That's just how it goes sometimes.  Summer in Indiana, you're going to be sweating, so just try to deal with it.

On the good side, #1 Son mowed the lawn today and I love when the lawn is just newly mown.
And on another good side, I sat outside Good Friend KVS's house this afternoon and watched her kids climb a tree.  I used to be awesome at climbing trees.  Seriously, champion level stuff.  No lie.

Before the tree climbing got going, her sweet son asked me, "Do you want to see me run around the house really fast?"  Of course I did, but I asked him to wait until I could get the stopwatch on my phone ready to time him.  He acquiesced and then took off.  20 seconds.  His big sister really gave him some kudos.  "20 seconds?  That's faster than last time."  I really love these 2 kiddos.  They were heading to St. Louis for some family fun so I asked them to pick me up a postcard.  They said they would.

.42CD= Cats

42% of Coyote Diet in Tucson = cats.

We had a fun evening on Mitzker's Deck tonight.  We chatted, ate great food, laughed a lot. Thanks for hosting us Mitz.  The sky had such a beautiful color to it this evening.

On a serious note, I was happy Mitz brought the cats in the house this evening.  There are some coyotes lurking about the neighborhood.  And come to find out, coyotes will eat cats if they get the chance.

Thursday + Creativity = Thursday Creativity SHARE!

I was visiting Creative One Woman last night and also Good Friend Marion.  It's always fun to check out the creativity at One Woman's House. Out in her stunning garden, her husby's limestone carvings are placed among the flowers.  I wish limestone weren't so heavy because I always want to borrow a few of these carvings but popping them into my trunk would be nearly impossible.

One Woman doesn't blog as often as I would like her to, but she does just about everything else in Creativity Land, so we're going to cut her some slack.  Last night, she made champagne cocktails for us and here's the recipe.  She also made a delicious spicy peach pie.  She loves this pie cook book and is baking pies like they're going out of style this summer.   I wish everyone in the world could have a slice of her spicy peach pie because I can't even describe how awesome it was. Best pie ever. Check out these cool creative doors she painted in her kitchen. She can draw on these doors whenever she feels like it. I wish I had these doors.

Yesterday I picked up some books to read about creativity.  I'm not sure if I'll read them all or not, but at least I checked them out of the library and they're here in my home.

• Finding Water:  The Art of Perseverance by Julia Cameron
• Out of Our Minds:  Learning to be Creative by Sir Ken Robinson
• Kick-Ass Creativity:  An Energy Makeover for Artists, Explorers and Creative Professionals by Mary Beth Maziarz

That's it for Thursday Creativity Share.  A day late and a dollar short.  Recipes, Book Recommendations, Cool Drawing Doors.  What else could anyone ask for?  Brilliant!

luciferyl adenylate + O2 -------------> oxyluciferin +AMP + light

This handy equation has to do with how fireflies light up.  The fireflies are in good form right now.  Floating around the backyard, glowing into the darkness.  And speaking of glowing, I was really looking forward to seeing some lightning yesterday.  Though we had some fine raininess, no lightning. No thunder.  Come on midwestern summer.  Get the lightning going.

4 x 2 = 8

We visited the wine bar on the square last night.  I had a flight of white wine.  4 glasses with 2 ounces each. All very tasty.  Husbandman had some pie and port.

2 good pals walked by, saw us there, and came in to sit with us and chat.  That's the great part of living in our town. The slightly bad part is that there aren't too many opportunities to do things that are new or different.  So I'm going to have to put a wee bit of effort into that goal. We had never been to the wine bar before so I found that to be satisfying.  We will return there, even though it will no longer be new or different to us.  Same old same old can be good too. But let's remember not to get stuck in our ways.

On Sunday, we went to campus and watched a violent, but good, movie called Cold In July.  Right in the middle, a viewer behind us exclaimed, "Man this is dark."  True that, Buddy Boy, but please keep your comments to yourself.  This isn't Israel where talking through movies is accepted and encouraged.  Keeping quiet during movies is one of my favorite social norms.  If you want to see this movie, you should. Don Johnson is in it. He looks great. Great job on the aging process, Don Johnson! Good performances from Sam Shepard and Michael C. Hall as well.

Somewhat good news about the pipes under our sink.  A plumber came to check out the leak yesterday morn.  Every 20 minutes or so he would say to me, "I'm tryin' all I can to keep from cutting into this back wall."  We assured him we appreciated his efforts.  "That's gonna be more expensive, if I have to cut the wall."  Yikes.  After a few hours of work he told me, "I'm done."  I told him I was really happy that he didn't have to cut into the wall. "I've got skills and tricks others don't have.  Anyone else woulda cut into that wall first thing."  I thanked him profusely and asked for his card.  On his way out the door I said to him, "So you think it's okay now?"  He said, "I can't really say.  It's old and I might have to come back and cut out that wall."  For now, the pipes are not leaking.  We'll take what we can get.

12 cups H20 + 7 scoops of coffee beans = Start to a Good Morning

Photo Credit = Phil Hill

We're back home with all our peeps and all our stuff and all our beautiful Bloomington ways and means.  Summer mornings have a feel to them here and so do summer evenings.  Right now it's raining.  I love the rain.  Birds have been chirping away since about 4am and I do love the birds.  #1 Son is awake and soon I'll grill him about all the stuff he did last night. He loves it when I do that.   We broke down his jam session room yesterday so now it is our dining room again.  Our return has been a bit of a game changer for him, but he has handled it well and welcomed us with open arms.  The place was a bit dusty, but all our plants are thriving, the lawn is mowed, our furniture is in good shape and all our knick knacks and paddy whacks are just as we left them. Thank you #1 Son, for being the Keeper of the Homefront.
       Re-entry has been pleasant as can be.  I highly recommend the sabbatical leave to one and all.

9 + 1 = 10

We were 9 months in Israel and 5 weeks in Toronto.  Tomorrow we're heading home.  I'm having my Packing Anxiety Syndrome, but it's not severe, at this point in time.  Mostly, I'm feeling happy.  Anyway you spin it, we've had an exceptionally wonderful 10 months.  And any way you spin it, home is where I want to be.  I'm even singing my favorite Talking Heads song in celebration.....

Home is where I want to be

Pick me up and turn me around

I feel numb, burn with a weak heart

Guess I must be having fun

The less we say about it the better

Make it up as we go along

Feet on the ground, head in the sky

It's okay, I know nothing's wrong, nothing

3 x 365 = 1095

I decided that others might want to know about the important documentary film I blogged about yesterday so I put my blog link on facebook. I do that sometimes.  No big deal.

 My friend Fiona posted a link to an article about another woman who dropped off the grid. Joyce Carol Vincent died on her couch in London when she was 38.  Her body was found 3 years later.  Her TV was still on.  There were unwrapped Christmas gifts in her apartment.

Her body was found when someone went to investigate lack of rent payment.  It took 3 years to check into her failure to pay rent. The electricity company seemed to be dozing off as well, since her TV played for 3 years straight.  Makes you wonder why we pay our bills.

 The author of this article went searching for info about Joyce.  She interviewed many of Joyce's former friends and made a movie about her called Dreams of a Life, which I now want to see.

Peeps, if at some point, you notice I'm suddenly off the grid, it's probably not intentional on my part. If you see I haven't blogged for awhile, look into it.  Something's amiss.

Story ≠ Truth

Photo Credit:  Nance.  Thanks, Nance!

We just finished watching a documentary called The Woman Who Wasn't There.

It's about a gal who pretended she was a 9/11 Survivor and got very involved with the 9/11 Survivor support groups.  She got a little bit famous, but come to find out, she made up the whole story.  I'm figuring she had some mental or emotional problems.  She wanted to stand out and be part of something important.  I guess we all do. Let's try to cut her some slack.

So many people believed her and cared about her.  Now her life is probably a total train wreck.  She's off the grid right now, so I'm not sure what's going on with her at present. I've googled her, but no luck.  That gal is gone baby gone.

I feel a lot of compassion for this woman, even though she screwed up royally.  I hope she's somehow able to do her best and forget the rest.

It doesn't matter if you know that her story ≠ the truth when you watch this documentary, so I suggest you watch it if you feel like it.

RW + X = S

Skip.  He leaped into my lap, in a gesture of friendship.

I miss Skip a lot.  I miss his family too.  

Bloomington Blue Jays had another win today.  The lid was off the stadium, and we soaked in some significant sun.  Edwin Encarnacion hit another homer.  The game was glorious.

After the game, we ventured to a beautiful little art cafe with our Canadian friends.  We sat in a garden and ordered sangria.  It really hit the spot.  Then we got to wondering about sangria.  Why are we not drinking sangria more regularly?  Besides the wine, what else should go in a sangria?  Should we order more sangria at this very moment?

We didn't order more because it was time for the fun party to break up, but I'm very curious about sangria now and I plan on getting to the bottom of these inquiries upon my return to Bloomington. I predict that by summer's end we'll be making the most excellent sangria in North America.