Word of the Day–Another good learning site

dictionary    As promised, I’ll keep sharing fun, interesting, and educational sites.  As a word lover, I do like this one, Webster Word of the Day.

Webster Word of the Day site is a fun and informational site.  In addition to having a new “word of the day” delivered to your email inbox, you can also  play

Typeshift / Anagram puzzles meet word search. A new, more difficult puzzle every day of the week.

In addition, you can sign up for these sites:Sign up for Britannica’s On This Day (daily) or Inside Britannica (monthly) newsletter for facts about history, science, and the arts!

Not only can you have fun with and learn new words, you can learn more about history, science, and art.

Have to love a “fiercely debated” punctuation mark, the Oxford Comma

set of funny smiley punctuation   The informative and often fun site, ThoughCo.com published an article about the Oxford of serial comma here: ThoughtCo.com Article on the Oxford Comma .

This comma is known as the Oxford Comma, the Harvard Comma, and more commonly, the serial comma.

But what is this hot topic punctuation mark?  As the author Richard Nordquist writes,

The Oxford comma is the comma that precedes the conjunction before the final item in a list of three or more items:

  • This song was composed by Moe, Larry, and Curly.
  • This website is devoted to Moe, Larry, Curly, Shemp, Joe, and Curly Joe.
  • This book is dedicated to my roommates, Beyoncé, and God.

 

I just love those examples!

ThoughtCo.com believes the serial comma should be used unless the style manual a writer is using advises against it.

I have to love a “fiercely debated” punctuation mark! What do you think?  Where do you stand on this hot topic?

Laura Lee

 

Some (not so?) random thoughts

thinking    A kinder atmosphere in my world with the teachers out for summer.  It’s just nice to know good people are out there. And I know such good teacher colleagues and friends.

*~*~*~

I would have returned the email, even between terms.  Yes, I judge her for not replying.  Yes, I know she wasn’t being paid to check emails between terms.

But I would have. And I always did.

Because of being like that, so hyper-vigilant, I will never relax.  I have never relaxed.  Always on.  Retirement would kill me.

*~*~*~

Some people are multi-talented in music and art and writing.  It’s amazing.  It’s great to see.

 

*~*~*~

I wish I’d thanked my parents for moving us from a middle-class existence in a high-crime area to a poor existence in a much safer one.  I never thanked them, but rather blamed them for making us poor by moving.  I am ashamed I didn’t appreciate how much better a safe life would be for all of us, and especially for someone as sensitive as I am.  I am decades too late for they have died, but I wish I could tell them: “Thank you for this sacrifice.”

*~*~*~

One of the joys of being a highly sensitive person is that I can find great joy in simple beauties, actions, sounds, smells, sights. To me, nothing is simple, and I am grateful for all beauty of person or nature.

Because I am off-the-chart highly sensitive, I also find life to be greatly complicated and difficult at times, exhausting often.

A gift and a curse, but I don’t know how to be otherwise.

Someone laughed at me chuckling over ducks recently, but that’s all right.  It was delightful to hear them quacking and see them flying overhead on an otherwise cool and quiet spring afternoon.

That’s me, sometimes flying, often quacking. Never graceful, but often feeling grace.

*~*~*~

This aging is a hoot.  I remember things so clearly that turn out to be decades ago.

 

*~*~*~

Kindness matters.  I would advise against ambition over compassion.  In the long run, if we are human, we need each other more than another thing.  Yes, that’s a privileged point of view, for many struggle to survive, and I’ve been there.  When I was struggling so hard just to keep a roof over my head, I was all ambition.

But after survival, and during survival, I do believe compassion is paramount.

 

*~*~*~

What’s with so few people reading poetry? Language is so magical and poetry the most possessed!

*~*~*

I like the free photo/ image I found from pexels.com more than anything I have created.  Talk about evocative!

*~*~*~

In my dreams, I can paint.  And sing.  And dance.  Also in my dreams, I awaken and realize I cannot do any of those.

*~*~*~

Just some random (or not) thoughts on a lovely quiet and cool late spring evening before the riot of summer heat sets in.

Laura Lee

 

 

 

 

An Accidental Troll Hunt

35076989_10155572027678499_6537897654326657024_n          I went in search of flowers today, but had a flat tire and could not make it to the Chicago Botanic Garden in time.  Tire fixed, headed to the Morton Arboretum for a quick woodland walk, and found a troll.  There are six altogether, and I saw one.

The Morton Arboretum (look here for more details and more pictures) is sponsoring a “troll hunt” over next year.  Danish sculptor Thomas Dambo (see Thomas Dambo Sculptures) and his team build trolls around the Arboretum using “reclaimed” wood only, wood from trees downed by storms, etc.

I have to wonder WHERE these huge wooden sculptures will go after the summer of 2019.  I cannot imagine anyone having a home large enough for them! Will they go to a new forest?  Where will they go?

These are a few photos I was able to take before the rain started.

Always fun to find a troll.

 

Another fun site for learners, Thoughtco.com

Website      As promised, I’ll keep sharing sites I find interesting. Thoughtco.com

asserts its goal as lifelong learning, and that is why I like it.  If you subscribe to posts, each day you receive some interesting tidbit of information, ranging from science to homework, Monet to gas gauges. (I kid you not–how to fix gas gauges!)

I have no idea who told me about this site, but I like learning something new every day.

Why not give it a try?  And do you have any sites you like for learning something new every day?

Laura Lee

 

A good science news site

sky-earth-galaxy-universe    As I wrote before, I’ll be sharing what I have found to be   interesting, novel, important, or fun websites.

Here is another site worth visiting for science news.  Science affects us all on a personal, societal, and global level.  Interesting and important articles. I’d do some reading there.  If you know of any other good science sites (for a layperson like me!), I’d love to hear about them.  I know very little about science… but know it’s important to keep learning.

Sciencenews.org website

Poem in response to a photo prompt from long ago

IMG_6070

 

This photo was the prompt.  And this is one of the many versions of the poem I wrote, most lost.  I found this on an old document from 1999.   Oh my, so many of those abstract concepts.  But fun to find.  Hmm… maybe another rewrite is in order.

I wonder what the news was of the day that convinced me the cold ones rule? I know it’s sure something I still fee.

The Stranger

Oh, so cold
the stranger is everywhere
the soul? sniveling little pest
we’ve sent away.

Trust us, you can
not trust us
Can’t read us, can you?

Modernity’s muse:
mirthless smiles
We see through you
but we are divine;
you cannot
comprehend us.

The stranger is everywhere,
existential nausea chokes.

It’s just that simpering little pest,
that whiner, that soul.

(c) L. Lee 2000

Some interesting or fun Facebook pages

smilies-funny-emoticon-faces-160760   Some interesting or fun Facebook pages

Some of these are closed groups; if you join, tell them Laura Lee sent you.

Wait, maybe not.

In no particular order:

Silent Book Club
–an active group of book lovers, vibrant civil discussions.

Cloud Enthusiasts
–because clouds are interesting

Cloud appreciation society

–more clouds! And it sounds cool to say you are a memember of the Cloud Appreciation Society.  Doesn’t it?

SoUL TrEEs
–because trees are important

Teachers for Social Justice
–because children and justice are important

Tuck Magazine
–an online political, human rights and arts magazine, because social justice and the arts are important.

Alt National Park Service
–because we love our national parks and care about the environment–plus we admire the pluckiness and courage of the founders of this site!

The Other 98%
–because it’s important to know

The Art Institute of Chicago
–it’s the AIC!

Chicago Symphony Orchestra
–it’s the CSO!

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
–Shakespeare & theater!

Kontras Quartet
–great musicians including the talented cousin Benjamin

Sandcatchers
Such interesting music that transcends genres!  One of sister’s husband’s groups. A warm and wild look into Jewish music over generations plus jazz…plus…. I don’t know how to describe it!

Estats Tonne Music
A modern troubador like nothing you’ve ever seen or heard… amazing history… listen. You won’t be sorry.  Love the incense on the guitar. AMAZING acoustic guitar player.

caFe’ hopeLess
–a closed group for creative writers, some I’ve known since 1999!  Refugees from the old MSN writing groups.