The Artic Tern and the Penguin

The tern regarded the penguin
Admiring his handsome suit,
But when it came to walking,
He seemed a clumsy brute.

“In these brutally cold climes,
He has the right amount of blubber,
But those dangling things at his side,
Appear to be made of rubber!

“What a shame that bird can’t fly,”
Said the tern with a superior air,
And his white wings lifted him up
With ease and graceful flair.

The penguin regarded the tern,
And thought he’d never seen,
Such strange and useless feathers,
And legs so awfully lean.

“How does the tern stay warm?
How does he stand upright?
His wings are sort of scrappy,
And never meant for flight.

“What a shame that bird can’t fly,”
Said the penguin to his daughters,
As he jumped into the sea
And flew through the ice cold waters.

My penguin post got me thinking about a poem involving penguins flying, and after some cogitation, this is what I came up with. The photos are lovely and I wish I could give credit where credit is due, but all I can tell you is that I found them on the internet.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning. Have a great weekend!

Have you ever wondered whether or not a constellation could be discovered in a place where there were no stars? Like, say, on an article of clothing? As absurd as that question is, the real wonderment is that it turns out to be a valid question.

When my husband and I were investigating apps to follow the phases of the moon, we also happened upon an app called “SkyView Lite.” Write that down – you’re going to want it. The app is designed to use the camera function of your phone. You point it at the sky, and voila! It figures out what constellations of stars are in your sky. Astronomy for dummies. What a marvelous piece of technology!

Hubby opened the app while sitting in the living room and the machine began looking to and fro for possible constellations, just as it was designed to do. To our delight, it found one on my husband’s pants.

And there you have it: Virgo, looking very fetching, I must say. The app even thoughtfully inserted a little moon above her head. All in all, it was very educational and enlightening. And you don’t even have to go outside on a brittle cold night. And the app is FREE. Need I say more?

I’ll probably delete this in the morning.

Update: Since publishing this blog post, my fanciful interpretation of the machinations of the app have been discredited. The app is way smarter than I thought. It was using all of its powers to determine what constellation was at that angle below the earth from where my husband was sitting. I tip my hat. Well played, SkyView Lite. Well played.

Please forgive this interruption to my regular blog. I’ve been doing some research on how to use these newfangled Gutenberg Blocks and am trying to decide whether or not to stay with Word Press or find another free blog host. Either option will require some amount of learning. None of the tutorials for GBs address how to use them on the app – they’re all web-based – so I’m on my own. What you see below constitutes the class “Gutenberg Blocks 101” as I navigate through all the block possibilities.

(Heading block) Gutenberg is not pleased.

“Many people dislike Gutenberg blocks!”

This is a quote block. This spot is supposed to be for the citation. I made this quote up, but I’ll be surprised if it’s not on the internet somewhere.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• The list block
• I like lists.
• I like bullet points, but you can also get the list numbered.
• Isn’t this boring?
• Remember, this is important classroom experience.
• End of list.

I guess I could probably make this work, but I might start looking around for other options. Got any suggestions? The best way to use these blocks is probably by creating blog posts on the website versus the app, so I might have to try that next. I’ll return to my previously scheduled blog writing tomorrow!

I’ll probably delete this in the morning.  (This is called a “pre-formatted block.”  Hmmmm.....)

This was my mental landscape this morning:

I have days like this sometimes, when things seem unclear, and the future looks murky and dark. I struggle at those times with a loss of confidence and a sense of dread. Aging has a lot to do with it, I think. It’s all well and good to say “Getting old isn’t for sissies,” until you realize that you are, in fact, a sissy. But these are the very moments that call out most strongly for walking by faith and not by sight. I grab for the comfort of old friends like Hebrews 11:1, which says “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The very point of faith is that we can be sure of what we hope for in Christ. The things that I only see dimly now will one day be made clear. Until then, I will say with the psalmist: “I have set the Lord continually before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Yes, and amen.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning.

Disaster! WordPress changed their entire formatting system to something called “Gutenberg Blocks,” which is supposed to be far superior to the old Classic Editor. I did some research and found out that I could just install the old Classic Editor if I wanted to. False. Fake news. You have to be a PAID subscriber in order to get the old formatting back. Sigh… I guess it’s not a complete disaster, but it’s going to take me some time to get used to the new features. (Update: it turns out it wasn’t fake news, but I didn’t figure that out until later.)

I’ve been reading a book called Out of the Ashes – Rebuilding American Culture by Anthony Esolen. One of the things that he bemoans that we’ve largely lost as a culture is the ability to play. “Americans have a strange relationship with sport. It is a new thing in the world. It is sport that is governed not by the spirit of play, which is also the spirit of mirth and celebration, but by the spirit of work.” He goes on to say that most neighborhoods, except possibly the poorest ones, do not have children playing outside in spontaneous fun pick-up games or other types of play. Children are either inside with their devices, or they are involved in organized sports that leave little room for spontaneity and the type of special “rule-making” that goes on when kids just get together to have fun.

I thought of that the other day when I was exploring the empty lot again across the street. The city has been using it to dump excess snow and this has created wonderfully huge snow mountains. When our kids were young, this would have become a favorite haunt of theirs – up and down the mountains, digging tunnels, building forts, having snowball fights, creating interesting edifices out of all that snow. I’ve never seen anyone else there and it seems a shame. It’s always been just me and the cardinals…and of course the deer which stay hidden. Well, I’m not too old to play, so I made a snowman. It’s a start.

When was the last time you played in the snow?

I’ll probably delete this in the morning. But first, I guess I’d better bone up on the new rules in town for this blog. It definitely won’t be a time filled with the spirit of play!

So, since it’s Valentine’s Day, I’ll tell you a love story. When I started swimming laps nearly 20 years ago, I almost always swam in the lane next to an older woman, whom I secretly referred to as “The Queen of the Pool.” She swam with beautiful, graceful strokes and although she appeared to be swimming slowly, I found out that it was only an appearance; it was a long time before I was able to keep up with her. She inspired me to improve my swimming technique. I watched her covertly to see how she swam and then tried to do likewise. Her husband swam laps at the same time, but over in the deep end of the pool. He always waited for her afterward by the front door; he held the door open for her and they would go out to the parking lot side by side.

One day, the Queen stopped coming. Her husband also stopped for a time, but then he returned without her. I feared the worst, but didn’t know him and didn’t want to ask. After a few months, she returned, and it was immediately clear that she’d suffered some sort of accident. She was weak and unsteady on her feet. Her husband not only walked in beside her, helping her stay upright, he also got into the pool and swam right next to her, always ready to come to her aid if she should need it. As long as she needed him there, he was there. She gradually recovered her former strength and grace and he went back to his side of the pool. When they were done, he always held the door for her, and they walked together to their car. It was so sweet to see his loving care and protection of his wife, and the beauty and strength that it gave her. She truly was his Queen.

The best part was that I knew I was married to the same kind of man – the kind who would go the extra mile and demonstrate sacrificial love, even when that meant changing my bedpans when I was in the hospital. He has consistently loved me and prayed for me, even when I am cranky, overemotional and unlovable. How thankful I am that the Lord loves me and gave me a husband who knows how to transmit the steadfast love of Christ to me when I am at my worst, and who encourages me and takes care of me when I am weak and in need. And you know what? He always holds the door open for me. Bless the man! Happy Valentine’s Day, my darling! Thank you for making me feel like your Queen.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning…or not.

Sometimes the best words are the ones that aren’t spoken. If you’ve ever wondered what the maple seed has to say mid-winter when the sun is low, I tell you that you need wonder no longer. Listen carefully.

It tells you about the hand of God. Don’t forget what you’ve heard.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning.

I think it’s time for the Penguin Post. As you may recall, I decided to try to learn how to draw animals by looking at photos of them in library books and endeavoring to copy them. It’s time consuming, but then I’ve got time to be consumed. Plus it’s educational. I’m going to have to draw the line at assigning myself a five-paragraph essay, though – that’s a perfect way to take the fun out of something.

Penguins recently enjoyed a surge of popularity when Benedict Cumberbatch narrated a documentary about them but didn’t actually know how to pronounce the word “penguin.” Nobody bothered to correct him as he improvised with “peng-wing.” Check it out on YouTube – hilarious!

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the Emperor penguin, which cradles its young upon its feet until the little fluff balls are ready to go out on their own. But the adelies are awfully cute, too.

Penguin wings are designed to make them “fly through the water.” There’s something very poetic about that phrase. Also, I was stunned to read that they rarely come ashore except to breed. What a pelagic life they lead! (Ha ha – just trying out a new word which I’d never heard before until I read this book.)

I’ll probably delete this in the morning while being decidedly un-pelagic.

I went to get our mail the other day and as I stopped at the mailbox across the street, I thought I detected a small movement behind some shrubbery on the property with the burned-down house. I stood still and waited. I was about to turn back, thinking I’d just imagined it, when a deer stood up, well camouflaged, but visible. I stood still and waited some more. I’m not sure what I thought would happen – it’s not like the deer would take stock of things and then decide to step out of its hiding place so I could see it better.

I am surprised at how often my walks turn into standing stills and waitings. Sometimes I close my eyes and listen; other times I am watching for signs of a living creature. I have this naive idea that if I stand still long enough, I’ll become part of the scenery and any critter that’s hiding from me will let down its guard and come forth.

There are a lot of verses in the Bible about waiting, specifically waiting on the Lord, usually followed by a promise of some strengthening, some encouragement, some reward.

Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Psalm 27:14

But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,
They shall mount up with wings like eagles;
They shall run and not be weary;
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Waiting on the Lord is not an exercise in futility. The waiting will always be met with some supply for our need, a strengthening, fresh courage, the stamina to take that next step and not faint from weariness. Wait, I say, on the Lord!

I stood out by the mailbox growing colder and wishing I’d brought my camera out with me. It occurred to me that the deer could probably wait indefinitely and not suffer any real discomfort. I moved slightly and realized I couldn’t even see it anymore. Had it gotten away? I peered into the thicket, losing heart for this contest of wills. In that moment, not one, but two deer turned and began bouncing away, their white tails waving in farewell. This was indeed a reward.

I have no photos, but can share instead a few I took yesterday after our glorious snowfall on Sunday. The first one is of the same tree top that is featured at the top of my blog.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning.

I woke up early on Saturday morning and looked out the front door to see what the moon was up to. It was as nearly full and the night sky was clear – what a beautiful sight! I ran to get my camera and went out in my slippers on that cold morning to get a photo of the setting moon, sure it was going to be a photographic masterpiece. Think National Geographic. Here’s what I actually got:

It literally looks like a circle of white paper fell on a piece of black paper. That really cracked me up. My eyes could see the coloration markings of the moon, but the camera could not. I fiddled around with the shutter speed and came up with these:

I like them better, but don’t think I’m ready to submit my work to National Geographic yet.

My enthusiasm for the moon led me to put an app on my phone called Moon Calendar Pro. Now at my fingertips, I can look at any day of the year and see what time the moon rises and sets, when the sun rises and sets, the phase of the moon every day, and if that weren’t enough, it also tells me at every minute of the day what the azimuth and the elevation of both the sun and moon are. Truly exciting stuff, even though I had no idea what those two terms meant. They were accompanied with a cool graphic, which also meant nothing to me. Ah, technology. Gotta love it. Fortunately, I know my way around the interwebs and quickly found out just what kind of rich descriptive words I had been granted upon getting that app.

I’m not going to tell you. Look it up – I had to! And when you’ve looked it up, you and I can have very advanced erudite conversation together. I’m looking forward to it.

I’ll probably delete this in the morning, when the moon’s azimuth is 259.1 degrees and its elevation is 21.1 degrees. Brownie points to the person who can figure out when that is. Ready, set…go!

I cheated a little with the photos below. It’s nice to think that the sky was all pink and blue, but in reality, it was gray. The whole scene was gray with black highlights. What really captured my attention was this flock of birds up in the top of the tree. They look like little plump raisins, don’t they? There were two trees quite close together that were filled with these plump raisins, chirping away like mad. I darkened the photo a little to give it more of a silhouette look and then I just had to give some color to the background. I had to.

And in the category of “Interesting Yard Art,” I submit the following:

Those were close together in the same yard. I wondered, briefly, if it looked like I was doing some creepy stalking by taking photos of someone’s yard art. What would you think if you saw me out on the street taking photos of your yard? Would you call the police? Invite me in for coffee? Chase me down the street?

I’ll probably delete this in the morning. Don’t forget about the full moon on Sunday!!