This Friday, I have an appointment with the career office at school. I'm very hopeful, but a little wary. I'm 27 years old and I've never had a real job before. It's not that I haven't tried -- all I wanted for a long time was to be able to have a real job and support myself. I got close when I was getting my first master's degree (in chemistry) and they paid me for working as a TA. Of course, eventually, I had to graduate and move on. Now, I'm almost done with my second master's degree (biotechnology) and I have to face the job search nightmare once again.
I've always made use of the career offices at my undergrad college and the college where I got my first master's degree, and the advice they gave seemed sound as far as my resume went, but for the most part they just told me to network with people and do informational interviews. My mother had pretty much the same advice. Unfortunately, for a person who needs to remember that looking at the other person while talking is a good thing, this advice is probably the worst I could get. I don't really know how to have a lunch conversation and I don't have clue one about how to go about an informational interview. I need help with real interviews, and for me, informality doesn't help. At all. At least I can do a lot of stuff online, but there's always that stupid interview.
I chose a profession where personal interactions are at a minimum on purpose. It has nothing to do with my job. Now, I am perfectly capable of doing presentations on research and presenting data to a group. I am also capable of writing reports clearly and concisely. What I can't do is one-on-one interview.
Now, I'm not completely deficient in those skills, and I have worked incredibly hard through most of my life to get to where I am, and I am extremely proud of the progress I've made. I can maintain eye contact for more than ten minutes. I can follow a conversation. I even have real friends who I love and who love me back. None of this was really possible when I was 12. I worked really hard and continue to work hard to improve every day. However, I know that no matter how hard I work or what I do, I will never have the same level of skill as someone who was born with it.
A while ago, my mom actually suggested that if I couldn't get a job in a laboratory, I should try pharmaceutical sales. Are you kidding? That was probably the single worst idea I had ever heard. I'd be fired in two weeks, if it took that long. This is the reason I never really had a job before. In college, I worked briefly in the library working on cataloguing slides for lectures, and I also occasionally was a model for art classes. I liked both very much. Anything else, like waitressing or working in the mall or something generally included talking to customers and as such, not something I would be remotely good at, and in high school, something of which I was completely terrified. People still scare me, but not to the degree they once did.
So, in summation, I really hope I can learn how to convince someone to give me a job. I know I can do the actual job, and I am qualified. It's not like I'm applying to be a spy or anything. I just want to work in a lab, and I find it extremely annoying that I have to run this gauntlet using skills I barely have that have nothing to do with the actual job I want to do.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
History is Fun
Last week, I ordered and received some lecture DVDs from one of my favorite places, the Teaching Company (www.teach12.com). They have the best professors in their fields do lecture courses on their favorite subjects, then they tape the lectures, and you can listen in your car or watch it on your tv or computer. My dad's favorite are the physics and math lectures, which are fun. I enjoy physics and math, but I also enjoy wider interests, like history, religion, arts, and philosophy. I find it interesting that the more one studies quantum physics and Zen Buddhism, the more they resemble each other.
My new lectures are on the Middle Ages. They started with the late Roman Empire and its transition from Paganism to Christianity, then came the Goths and the Franks and so on. Right now, I'm up to the Carolingian Renaissance, when people started to realize that the Bibles they had were more or less garbled because they were all handwritten, and most at this point were the copy of a copy of a copy, and people began to realize that they were no longer actually speaking Latin, but the beginnings of French, Spanish, and Italian, and the only people who REALLY spoke Latin were the Anglo-Saxon monks, whose native language was not based on Latin, so they had to study hard to learn it. Charlemagne was disturbed at these realizations, because he thought that God could only understand Latin, and if the Bibles, chants and prayer books had all become garbled translations, that Gods could not hear the prayers of the people. So, he ordered all the monks and scholars to re-learn Latin from original sources: Cicero, Ovid, etc. Then, once they had learned Latin properly, they would find the oldest Bible they could, and transcribe from that. In this period, the original Latin works weren't appreciated for their own merits, like they were in the Italian Renaissance, but as a means to an end, to learn proper Latin so God could hear you. Interesting stuff.
There was also a part about missionaries going into Saxony to try and convert the Saxons, as they were still largely Pagan at this time. At this point, the Heliand was written, which is essentially a version of the Bible written in Saxon in the style of the Epic Sagas. So, if you try to imagine the story of Christ written so as to appeal to people who worshipped Thor and Odin, you can get an idea of what a strange narrative it was. Bits of it were read in the lecture. It was strange to see Jesus depicted as a warrior chieftain with graphic depictions of a head wound that went on for at least a paragraph. To us, it doesn't make much sense to depict Jesus this way, as he's generally regarded as a peaceful figure, and much if not all of his message generally consists of "love thy neighbor" and "turn the other cheek" and generally advocating peace and humility before God. To the Saxons, it would have been difficult to imagine such a peaceful figure as being in any way divine or worthy of worship. The whole Christian conversion of the Saxons didn't really go well until Charlemagne conquered them and threatened to cut their heads off if they refused to convert.
History is interesting.
My new lectures are on the Middle Ages. They started with the late Roman Empire and its transition from Paganism to Christianity, then came the Goths and the Franks and so on. Right now, I'm up to the Carolingian Renaissance, when people started to realize that the Bibles they had were more or less garbled because they were all handwritten, and most at this point were the copy of a copy of a copy, and people began to realize that they were no longer actually speaking Latin, but the beginnings of French, Spanish, and Italian, and the only people who REALLY spoke Latin were the Anglo-Saxon monks, whose native language was not based on Latin, so they had to study hard to learn it. Charlemagne was disturbed at these realizations, because he thought that God could only understand Latin, and if the Bibles, chants and prayer books had all become garbled translations, that Gods could not hear the prayers of the people. So, he ordered all the monks and scholars to re-learn Latin from original sources: Cicero, Ovid, etc. Then, once they had learned Latin properly, they would find the oldest Bible they could, and transcribe from that. In this period, the original Latin works weren't appreciated for their own merits, like they were in the Italian Renaissance, but as a means to an end, to learn proper Latin so God could hear you. Interesting stuff.
There was also a part about missionaries going into Saxony to try and convert the Saxons, as they were still largely Pagan at this time. At this point, the Heliand was written, which is essentially a version of the Bible written in Saxon in the style of the Epic Sagas. So, if you try to imagine the story of Christ written so as to appeal to people who worshipped Thor and Odin, you can get an idea of what a strange narrative it was. Bits of it were read in the lecture. It was strange to see Jesus depicted as a warrior chieftain with graphic depictions of a head wound that went on for at least a paragraph. To us, it doesn't make much sense to depict Jesus this way, as he's generally regarded as a peaceful figure, and much if not all of his message generally consists of "love thy neighbor" and "turn the other cheek" and generally advocating peace and humility before God. To the Saxons, it would have been difficult to imagine such a peaceful figure as being in any way divine or worthy of worship. The whole Christian conversion of the Saxons didn't really go well until Charlemagne conquered them and threatened to cut their heads off if they refused to convert.
History is interesting.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Creativity
I used to write stories. I used to write stories a lot, and I was pretty good at it. One of my stories was published in the school literary magazine in college, and one of my friends enjoyed it so much, she asked me to sign it. I like my stories. I like writing, too. I keep hoping to finally land that 9-5 job and not have real homework anymore so I can get back to doing what I really love, which are my creative endeavors. Labs are cool and science is fun, but something in me just hurts when I'm not making something. It could be a story, a painting, or a complete historical wardrobe, but I have do do it, and I have to make more than one thing, and more than one type of thing at a time. Left entirely to myself, I think I'd still have a laboratory. I'd want to make Christmas trees that glow by themselves, and fantastic new flowers and fruits, but I'd also write and paint and knit and embroider, and make jewelry, and any other craft I can get my hands on.
I have a few ideas for stories and other fun things. The ideas are written down, waiting for me. Every so often, I get an image in my head and I write it down. Stories are movies in my head. I see exactly what's going on, hear the character's voices, then I try to describe my little movie. Maybe I should try my hand at writing scripts.
One idea I had that I thought was fun was to have a story written essentially by tarot cards. I would do a reading for each character and for each scene and act. The storyline would follow the readings, and I'd just fill in the blanks. That would be fun to do. I plan to start that one when I have all my work turned in and my resume sent out, so maybe September!
I have a few ideas for stories and other fun things. The ideas are written down, waiting for me. Every so often, I get an image in my head and I write it down. Stories are movies in my head. I see exactly what's going on, hear the character's voices, then I try to describe my little movie. Maybe I should try my hand at writing scripts.
One idea I had that I thought was fun was to have a story written essentially by tarot cards. I would do a reading for each character and for each scene and act. The storyline would follow the readings, and I'd just fill in the blanks. That would be fun to do. I plan to start that one when I have all my work turned in and my resume sent out, so maybe September!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Litha
What to do about Litha this year? This year, Litha falls on a Tuesday according to my calendar, which is annoying as Tuesday is one of those days when I am at work from 9-5 and then in class from 5-8, so I end up getting home about 9. I'm sure I will end up celebrating it on Wednesday. I don't have both the blue and green outfits finished. I still need to make the green hood and both sets of stockings.
I've always sort of struggled with the meaning of Litha. I know it's the summer solstice and all that, but as far as its spiritual meaning, I've always been a bit fuzzy. It isn't really a day of planting things or harvest like most of the other Sabbats. It's like the opposite of Yule, when we celebrate the birth of the God and wait for his power to come, now we celebrate the end of the first half of His life and bask in the power that is here, and will last until His death.
Last summer, I was reading and I found that, as well as honoring the day that the sun rides at its peak, it's also the day that the faeries come out. Thinking about the meaning of faeries, that makes more sense. Faeries are earth spirits, and are concerned with the welfare of the Earth. So, it's a good day to appeal to these energies if you want to start an earth-friendly project. Also, simply thank them for taking care of things as they already have.
Also, it's good to bathe under the sun on Litha. I guess I'll have to settle for dew picked up on the way to the car and putting my hand in the fountain outside the library. I think one of my Litha prayers will be that, in my next situation, I'll have the time and freedom to celebrate things properly.
I've always sort of struggled with the meaning of Litha. I know it's the summer solstice and all that, but as far as its spiritual meaning, I've always been a bit fuzzy. It isn't really a day of planting things or harvest like most of the other Sabbats. It's like the opposite of Yule, when we celebrate the birth of the God and wait for his power to come, now we celebrate the end of the first half of His life and bask in the power that is here, and will last until His death.
Last summer, I was reading and I found that, as well as honoring the day that the sun rides at its peak, it's also the day that the faeries come out. Thinking about the meaning of faeries, that makes more sense. Faeries are earth spirits, and are concerned with the welfare of the Earth. So, it's a good day to appeal to these energies if you want to start an earth-friendly project. Also, simply thank them for taking care of things as they already have.
Also, it's good to bathe under the sun on Litha. I guess I'll have to settle for dew picked up on the way to the car and putting my hand in the fountain outside the library. I think one of my Litha prayers will be that, in my next situation, I'll have the time and freedom to celebrate things properly.
Modern Thoughts
What a strange life we live. It occasionally occurs to me how far we have come from the way we have lived for millennia. Even a century ago, our machines were still simple, at least simple enough that it could be easily discerned exactly how each one worked, and it could come from the earth to a hand and be created in relatively few simple steps. I type this on my iPad and I have no idea how it translates my touch into words. I know that there are circuits and the basics of physics and programming, but I've never understood how what someone types as code becomes the motion of a machine.
Please bear in mind, I do not necessarily think this is a bad thing. Obviously, I enjoy using technology for work and entertainment, I just occasionally get this weird feeling of being out of place. Generally speaking, I like to know where a thing comes from, and even better if I can make it myself, like being able to grow my own vegetables or sew my own clothing. I have the knowledge of how to spin thread and weave cloth even if I haven't perfected my technical proficiency in those areas.
I guess I feel like if I can't picture in my head how a thing works, it doesn't feel real to me. All things considered, I might as well be on Star Trek. All I need now is a transporter and warp drive.
Please bear in mind, I do not necessarily think this is a bad thing. Obviously, I enjoy using technology for work and entertainment, I just occasionally get this weird feeling of being out of place. Generally speaking, I like to know where a thing comes from, and even better if I can make it myself, like being able to grow my own vegetables or sew my own clothing. I have the knowledge of how to spin thread and weave cloth even if I haven't perfected my technical proficiency in those areas.
I guess I feel like if I can't picture in my head how a thing works, it doesn't feel real to me. All things considered, I might as well be on Star Trek. All I need now is a transporter and warp drive.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Graduation Thoughts
This week has gone by very quickly for me. This past weekend, I went to New York City. My boyfriend and I drove down Sunday morning and we got there about noon, when we met up with my brother for lunch. I always enjoy catching up with my brother. He's my only sibling, and we've always been very close. I never understood siblings who fought all the time.
After that, we went to my friend Carri's ordination ceremony at the Riverside Church. The ordination was the reason that we had gone to New York in the first place. It was actually the most interesting graduation ceremony I have ever attended. Normally, graduation ceremonies are so boring you're spending most of the time trying to figure out how to play with your iPad or whatever device you happen to have without being too obvious to everyone else. At my own college graduation, my aunts and uncles were passing notes and laughing during the convocation, and three of the graduates in my row were listening to music with the ear bud hidden by well-styled hair.
Perhaps the ordination was more interesting to me because it was an Interfaith ordination, and as such there were readings and speeches based in all faiths, and I've always been interested in the religions of the world, and the different ways people view divinity. I also liked how the graduates all had different robes, expressing their individual faith in their own way. They all had their own unique stoles as well. I had made Carri's stole, with ten religious symbols sewn into leaves, all connected by the same vine. I thought it was poetic, and I particularly enjoyed appealing to the energies inherent in each symbol as I sewed them.
After the ordination, we all wen out to dinner, all family and friends, some of whom I hadn't seen since college. Dinner was delicious, and fun is always had when with this particular group of friends.
On Wednesday, I went to another graduation. Unfortunately, this one was the boring kind. My boyfriend's younger sister was graduating from high school. I think it was weird to have it on a Wednesday in the first place. Most people work on weekdays. My cousin is graduating high school this coming weekend- on a SATURDAY! Wednesday graduations, I think, show a view of a very limited world, where everyone you know or would wish to attend your graduation lives close by and gets off work at a predictable time. Granted, some people work Saturdays and such, but the percentage of the population that works during the week as opposed to the weekend, and whose commute takes more than fifteen minutes (I spend up to 40 minutes on a train one way, and the train is usually late) is probably higher than the percentage of the population that couldn't make it to a Saturday event.
However, dinner was nice. My boyfriend's family is interesting and fun. They don't have long conversations about particle physics or other scientific subjects like my family tends to, but they can be interesting, too, and later in the evening, we had a discussion about medieval history, which is a budding interest of mine.
Europe spent over a millennium as the most superstitious, backwards area in the world, and much of who we are today, as people of European descent was formed during that period, and yet relatively few people study it in depth. I think I'm going to buy some lectures while they are still on sale. (A great website I highly recommend to anyone is www.teach12.com . They have lectures on any subject you wish to explore, and they always have sales on interesting things!)
Grammar rule of the day:
There, their, and they're.
"There" is a place that is not "here." You can remember this because "there" is just "here" with a t.
"They're" is a contraction of "they are." If you could just as easily say "they are," then this is the word to use. The apostrophe takes the place of the a in "are."
"Their" is a possessive. It is used to show ownership by a group. "The children are playing with their toys." The toys belong to the children.
After that, we went to my friend Carri's ordination ceremony at the Riverside Church. The ordination was the reason that we had gone to New York in the first place. It was actually the most interesting graduation ceremony I have ever attended. Normally, graduation ceremonies are so boring you're spending most of the time trying to figure out how to play with your iPad or whatever device you happen to have without being too obvious to everyone else. At my own college graduation, my aunts and uncles were passing notes and laughing during the convocation, and three of the graduates in my row were listening to music with the ear bud hidden by well-styled hair.
Perhaps the ordination was more interesting to me because it was an Interfaith ordination, and as such there were readings and speeches based in all faiths, and I've always been interested in the religions of the world, and the different ways people view divinity. I also liked how the graduates all had different robes, expressing their individual faith in their own way. They all had their own unique stoles as well. I had made Carri's stole, with ten religious symbols sewn into leaves, all connected by the same vine. I thought it was poetic, and I particularly enjoyed appealing to the energies inherent in each symbol as I sewed them.
After the ordination, we all wen out to dinner, all family and friends, some of whom I hadn't seen since college. Dinner was delicious, and fun is always had when with this particular group of friends.
On Wednesday, I went to another graduation. Unfortunately, this one was the boring kind. My boyfriend's younger sister was graduating from high school. I think it was weird to have it on a Wednesday in the first place. Most people work on weekdays. My cousin is graduating high school this coming weekend- on a SATURDAY! Wednesday graduations, I think, show a view of a very limited world, where everyone you know or would wish to attend your graduation lives close by and gets off work at a predictable time. Granted, some people work Saturdays and such, but the percentage of the population that works during the week as opposed to the weekend, and whose commute takes more than fifteen minutes (I spend up to 40 minutes on a train one way, and the train is usually late) is probably higher than the percentage of the population that couldn't make it to a Saturday event.
However, dinner was nice. My boyfriend's family is interesting and fun. They don't have long conversations about particle physics or other scientific subjects like my family tends to, but they can be interesting, too, and later in the evening, we had a discussion about medieval history, which is a budding interest of mine.
Europe spent over a millennium as the most superstitious, backwards area in the world, and much of who we are today, as people of European descent was formed during that period, and yet relatively few people study it in depth. I think I'm going to buy some lectures while they are still on sale. (A great website I highly recommend to anyone is www.teach12.com . They have lectures on any subject you wish to explore, and they always have sales on interesting things!)
Grammar rule of the day:
There, their, and they're.
"There" is a place that is not "here." You can remember this because "there" is just "here" with a t.
"They're" is a contraction of "they are." If you could just as easily say "they are," then this is the word to use. The apostrophe takes the place of the a in "are."
"Their" is a possessive. It is used to show ownership by a group. "The children are playing with their toys." The toys belong to the children.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Happy thoughts
At this point in my life, I have figured out how to be a happy person at least most of the time. I'm not blindingly happy all the time, more like content. Now, considering the fact that I live in a world that was not built for me filled with people I do not understand, this attitude might not make much sense.
I'm not saying it doesn't take work. It is actually quite tiring when you first start. I did it the same way I learned to look people in the eye whenI talk to them, or to go with the flow of a conversation, as opposed to continuously talking about the same subject when others have moved on. The biggest part of it is being aware. Be aware of your thoughts. Be aware of your actions and your words. Meditation is good for this. Meditation allows you to observe your thoughts and see what they're doing.
Many times, thoughts are like spoiled children. They do whatever they like because no one has ever really corrected them. They must be dealt with the same way. When I was little and I did something wrong, my dad would take me aside (make me stop doing it), asked me if I knew why it was bad, and get me to figure out something better I could be doing. It's the same way with thoughts. You observe them, then you see the thoughts that are not helpful. Thoughts like "This is boring" and "I hate ___" are not particularly helpful. When you think them, realize that these are not helpful, and stop the story. These thoughts will generally develop into a mental tirade if you let them. Stop the tirade. It is hard. The thoughts want to keep going. They're used to doing what they want. They're spoiled, remember? So, you need to be Supernanny. "No, you're not allowed to be over there! Come back over here!"
Next, you need to give the thought something else to do. If you are thinking bad thoughts about a person, try to see the world from their perspective. If you don't like your house, remember that it is YOUR house. It keeps you warm and dry. Think of home improvement projects if you like, to make your house better. Maybe that ugly wall would look better if you painted it yellow? If you're unhappy over the amount of things you have to do, remember that you never HAVE to do anything. You just need to do them if you want them done. They will be done in their own time. Breathe and get through them. It's okay to stop and have some tea. Just go back after.
Eventually, with discipline, spoiled thoughts become obedient thoughts. They will never be totally obedient, but it will get easier to get them on track when they stray.
As far as other things, I like to cuddle with my pet bunny. Bunnies absorb negative energy, as do all pets. Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows this. They take away the unhelpful energy and give you love back. This is why some people with anxiety disorders find it helpful to have a small animal with them at all times (usually a small dog or cat). When they feel overwhelmed, they can pet the animal, and the animal takes away the bad energy.
If you don't have a pet, you can still look at pictures of them, real pictures (www.cuteoverload.com is a good place to find these), or just imagine something pleasant. I make it a point to imagine something pleasant every night before I sleep. I think of bunnies, Bermuda, sparkly fabrics, or anything else that makes me happy. It's good to have a nice image in your head when you sleep.
Another thing that helps me be happy is recognizing that I have no control over other people, or the weather, or Septa, or a great many other things. They are what they are. They will do what they do. Having your train be 2 hours late, or randomly decide that it isn't going to go to your station today, forcing you to walk 15 blocks in the rain, is incredibly annoying. No denying that. However, is it more helpful to complain, or start walking? Is it more helpful to curse as you walk, or admire the way the rain splashes on a statue? Is it better to be angry, or view it as a little adventure in your day?
These are thing that help me. If you're still reading this, I hope you find it helpful too.
Grammar rule for the day:
Apostrophes(') are for contractions and possessives, not plurals.
Example:
"I saw 3 ships." In this example, "ships" is plural (more than 1), so there is no apostrophe.
"I saw the ship's bell." In this example, the bell belongs to the ship, so it gets an apostrophe.
"The ship's sailing away." In this example, "ship's" is a comtraction of "ship is" the apostrophe replaces the missing letter, in this case, the i in "is."
"I saw 3 ships' bells" In this example "ships' " is both plural and possessive, so the apostrophe goes after the s.
For plurals that don't gain an s, like "sheep" and "men," the apostrophe goes before the s. "Men's room."
For things that end in s, like the name "Mrs. Jones," the apostrophe goes after the s. "Mrs. Jones' house."
Please enjoy and use grammar!
I'm not saying it doesn't take work. It is actually quite tiring when you first start. I did it the same way I learned to look people in the eye whenI talk to them, or to go with the flow of a conversation, as opposed to continuously talking about the same subject when others have moved on. The biggest part of it is being aware. Be aware of your thoughts. Be aware of your actions and your words. Meditation is good for this. Meditation allows you to observe your thoughts and see what they're doing.
Many times, thoughts are like spoiled children. They do whatever they like because no one has ever really corrected them. They must be dealt with the same way. When I was little and I did something wrong, my dad would take me aside (make me stop doing it), asked me if I knew why it was bad, and get me to figure out something better I could be doing. It's the same way with thoughts. You observe them, then you see the thoughts that are not helpful. Thoughts like "This is boring" and "I hate ___" are not particularly helpful. When you think them, realize that these are not helpful, and stop the story. These thoughts will generally develop into a mental tirade if you let them. Stop the tirade. It is hard. The thoughts want to keep going. They're used to doing what they want. They're spoiled, remember? So, you need to be Supernanny. "No, you're not allowed to be over there! Come back over here!"
Next, you need to give the thought something else to do. If you are thinking bad thoughts about a person, try to see the world from their perspective. If you don't like your house, remember that it is YOUR house. It keeps you warm and dry. Think of home improvement projects if you like, to make your house better. Maybe that ugly wall would look better if you painted it yellow? If you're unhappy over the amount of things you have to do, remember that you never HAVE to do anything. You just need to do them if you want them done. They will be done in their own time. Breathe and get through them. It's okay to stop and have some tea. Just go back after.
Eventually, with discipline, spoiled thoughts become obedient thoughts. They will never be totally obedient, but it will get easier to get them on track when they stray.
As far as other things, I like to cuddle with my pet bunny. Bunnies absorb negative energy, as do all pets. Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows this. They take away the unhelpful energy and give you love back. This is why some people with anxiety disorders find it helpful to have a small animal with them at all times (usually a small dog or cat). When they feel overwhelmed, they can pet the animal, and the animal takes away the bad energy.
If you don't have a pet, you can still look at pictures of them, real pictures (www.cuteoverload.com is a good place to find these), or just imagine something pleasant. I make it a point to imagine something pleasant every night before I sleep. I think of bunnies, Bermuda, sparkly fabrics, or anything else that makes me happy. It's good to have a nice image in your head when you sleep.
Another thing that helps me be happy is recognizing that I have no control over other people, or the weather, or Septa, or a great many other things. They are what they are. They will do what they do. Having your train be 2 hours late, or randomly decide that it isn't going to go to your station today, forcing you to walk 15 blocks in the rain, is incredibly annoying. No denying that. However, is it more helpful to complain, or start walking? Is it more helpful to curse as you walk, or admire the way the rain splashes on a statue? Is it better to be angry, or view it as a little adventure in your day?
These are thing that help me. If you're still reading this, I hope you find it helpful too.
Grammar rule for the day:
Apostrophes(') are for contractions and possessives, not plurals.
Example:
"I saw 3 ships." In this example, "ships" is plural (more than 1), so there is no apostrophe.
"I saw the ship's bell." In this example, the bell belongs to the ship, so it gets an apostrophe.
"The ship's sailing away." In this example, "ship's" is a comtraction of "ship is" the apostrophe replaces the missing letter, in this case, the i in "is."
"I saw 3 ships' bells" In this example "ships' " is both plural and possessive, so the apostrophe goes after the s.
For plurals that don't gain an s, like "sheep" and "men," the apostrophe goes before the s. "Men's room."
For things that end in s, like the name "Mrs. Jones," the apostrophe goes after the s. "Mrs. Jones' house."
Please enjoy and use grammar!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Historical Wardrobe Project
A while ago, I had the idea that it would be really fun to have a wardrobe that I could organize chronologically. On one side, there would be an Ancient Egyptian linen dress, a Minoan skirt and blouse, etc., and on the other side would be more modern clothing. In between would be every historical style that I could either find a pattern for, or figure out to make by myself. I decided to start in the 14th century and work my way forwards, and backwards. For each era, I want to have at least 8 different outfits. I've decided to use Sabbat and other holiday colors so I always have an idea of what I'm doing next. I'm also going to make whatever strikes my fancy in the style of the time. For example, I also plan to have a goth outfit, and I'm currently working on a kirtle that can function as a bathing suit, which brings me to another point: I do not plan to stick to historically accurate materials. I'm not wearing wool in the summer. I may change my mind later, but right now I'm using whatever looks okay, won't kill me when I decide to wear it, and is cheap.
As stated, I started this project a while ago, so I do have a portion of it done. I was hoping to post some pics of what I have, but my camera is currently nonfunctional. I will post pics of my work as soon as I either buy a new camera or fix the old one.
Thus far I have made:
1 set of 14th century underwear - actually made of linen. It looks like a sundress.
3 kirtles- one white (for May Day at Bryn Mawr College), one blue, one green (these two for Litha)
2 sideless surcotes- one May Day white and one blue
1 white veil. I wore this to May Day, but, as I understand it, veils of this period were generally white, so I can wear the white veil with other outfits.
Right now I'm working on the "bathing suit" kirtle, which is taking a while because it needs to be reinforced more than the others. I'm also making hoods of various colors to go with the outfits.
As I said, I will post pics as soon as possible, and then keep up with the project as it develops.
As stated, I started this project a while ago, so I do have a portion of it done. I was hoping to post some pics of what I have, but my camera is currently nonfunctional. I will post pics of my work as soon as I either buy a new camera or fix the old one.
Thus far I have made:
1 set of 14th century underwear - actually made of linen. It looks like a sundress.
3 kirtles- one white (for May Day at Bryn Mawr College), one blue, one green (these two for Litha)
2 sideless surcotes- one May Day white and one blue
1 white veil. I wore this to May Day, but, as I understand it, veils of this period were generally white, so I can wear the white veil with other outfits.
Right now I'm working on the "bathing suit" kirtle, which is taking a while because it needs to be reinforced more than the others. I'm also making hoods of various colors to go with the outfits.
As I said, I will post pics as soon as possible, and then keep up with the project as it develops.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Memorial weekend madness
Why is it I get a 3 day weekend, but have no time to write? Perhaps the answer is that I try to fit everything I have or want to do into 3 days. At first, the plan was to spend all 3 days at the beach in New Jersey with my boyfriend's family. Then, the plan changed to include a reunion of the Bryn Mawr College Rocky Horror cast on Saturday night, which meant either driving back and forth from the beach, or driving up at a later time. My boyfriend was upset because he was looking forward to two nights at the beach, but his parents own the house, so it's not like we won't be back again. Later, my mom said she'd really like to see us at some point, especially as she had a rose bush that needed to be replanted. Also, she has been storing our air conditioner for us during the colder months, and with a heat wave on the way we would need it.
Now, the weekend plan was drive to my parents' house on Saturday morning, do yard work and pick up the air conditioner, drive to Bryn Mawr, see my friends and swim in the fountain, the drive to New Jersey at 1 am, spend Sunday at the beach, and come home on Monday. Much craziness, no? In the midst of all that, I enjoyed myself, and even got some sewing in, but isn't the whole point of a 3 day weekend to relax and slow down a bit? Especially Memorial Day weekend, as the whole reason for its existence is to slow down and reflect on the sacrifices made by soldiers past and present in service to their country.
The pace of daily life doesn't really allow for slowing down and reflecting, even on supposed vacations. At least 2 days a week, I get home 1 hour before I need to go to bed to get up the next day. The problem is compounded if you, like me, happen to live in America, the country that takes the least actual vacation time in the Western world. Perhaps what we need to do is just try to slow down inside the speed. Do what you need to do, but don't be rushed about it. It usually gets done faster if you don't try to rush it anyway. Breathe while you work.
Now, the weekend plan was drive to my parents' house on Saturday morning, do yard work and pick up the air conditioner, drive to Bryn Mawr, see my friends and swim in the fountain, the drive to New Jersey at 1 am, spend Sunday at the beach, and come home on Monday. Much craziness, no? In the midst of all that, I enjoyed myself, and even got some sewing in, but isn't the whole point of a 3 day weekend to relax and slow down a bit? Especially Memorial Day weekend, as the whole reason for its existence is to slow down and reflect on the sacrifices made by soldiers past and present in service to their country.
The pace of daily life doesn't really allow for slowing down and reflecting, even on supposed vacations. At least 2 days a week, I get home 1 hour before I need to go to bed to get up the next day. The problem is compounded if you, like me, happen to live in America, the country that takes the least actual vacation time in the Western world. Perhaps what we need to do is just try to slow down inside the speed. Do what you need to do, but don't be rushed about it. It usually gets done faster if you don't try to rush it anyway. Breathe while you work.
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