Pinterest: Happiness Project

I love Pinterest! If you are on the site, please follow me! If I had two wishes for Pinterest, I would want to be able to pin pages without images using a customizable default image and to be able to group boards into collections. Alas, I do not work for Pinterest nor do I have programming skills.

As of today, I have 118 boards with more than 9,000 pins. My boards are well-organized, and you can pick certain boards to follow or select "Follow All." Currently, my most pinned item is "Pit Bulls Are Just About the Nicest Dogs There Are." My favorite of my boards is "Happiness Project" with quotes, strategies, and images related to happiness, meaningfulness, compassion, empathy, and positive psychology.

You can also search the millions of pins (over 30 million as of March 2014) for your personal interests. Once you've entered a search term, Pinterest gives you suggestions for limiting the search. You can also look for pins, boards, or pinners that include the search term as indicated in the figure below.

Metaphorical Death = Metaphorical Fertilizer

I have read and enjoyed "Free Will Astrology" since I was a college student in Chicago. Rob Brezny's horoscope for me for this week, beginning May 29, once again reflects my current circumstances. While the prediction may seem bleak, I am comforted by the thought of future growth.

I am going to try to concentrate on the flowers, not the cowpie.

Home Composting in Roubaix (Nord, France) by F Moreau Lille3

Misadventures at Target

Check out my teaching blog, Real World OB, for a story about my misadventures while recently shopping at Target!

Target Bingo Blog Entry

Something Is Wrong with this Picture

I was so pleased with the sunglasses I bought in downtown Indianapolis and wore while walking around on a sunny day that when I was heading into the Eiteljorg Museum (just to get postcards - no time to see actual art!) I stopped for a selfie. Only after I returned to my hotel did I realize I'd left the UV notice sticker on the lens. Here I was thinking I was so cool...

ten years

George and I met in August, 2003...

First Birthday

I received my first birthday card (for my July 10th birthday) today from my tribe, the Choctaw Nation. I appreciate receiving personal mail from the tribe. (We also get Christmas ornaments and calendars.) Often, I will get postcards about special events, and I'm almost always impressed with the designs!

Fraud Alert

My debit card information was stolen and used for unauthorized activity, and not for the first time. The bank flagged the account for suspicious activity, reversed one charge, and then put a hold on the account. What amazes me is NOT that the information was stolen but that the bank's monitoring software is so accurate that it is able to tell what charges I legitimately make and which are suspicious. On the one hand, I am frightened that my purchasing behavior is the source of so much data. On the other, I am glad that the monitoring software is so effective that it is able to detect suspicious activity so quickly and accurately. In fact, I am fascinated by it. I'd love to know more about what types of variables go into the logarithm.

I should probably be more concerned about the stolen data that I am. This has happened before, and, undoubtedly, it will happen again. The biggest inconvenience is dealing with organizations and companies with whom I have recurring payments. However, I know that I need to be more careful and mindful of fraud and identity theft. If you want to know what you can do to protect yourself, read this article in the Wall Street Journal.

Forgotten Phone

Often, I run late. I miscalculate how long it will take to finish a task or to park or walk from A to B. Today was no different. Though I'd started the morning with plenty of time to make it to my afternoon meeting, when I needed to leave the house, I was rushing to get my material together, find a quick snack for the car, and secure a Diet Coke. 

Alas, once I got to campus, my phone wasn't in my purse, and I realized I'd left it on top of some boxes in the living room where I'd carefully placed it to remind me to put it in my purse. At first, I had a bit of panic. What if I needed to call someone? (Note: I call grandma every few weeks, and that is it.) More importantly, how would I take pictures? How would I check my email? What if something was required of me? Normally, I have my phone near me at all times. I remember a line from Dare Me, which you should read if you haven't, about the rivalries among the girls in a cheerleading squad, about the omnipresent cell phones, their hearts in their hands. 

I know that many of my students have a real addiction to their cell phones (and they should read this article in Psychology Today.) Maybe my relationship with my iPhone is a simple as that. Not having my phone today, though, relieved me of a burden. I know that the recommendation to turn off electronics is not new or revolutionary, but, after the initial anxiety, knowing that I absolutely could not check my email, at least for the afternoon, allowed me a nice respite from responsibility.

Gunshots

I settled into bed last night, late as usual. Before I had even thought about trying to sleep, I heard a noise that sounded like a gunshot. Norman started barking madly, and I thought about getting out of bed to investigate. But, I would have to put on lots of clothes, I might find myself in danger, and it probably wasn't a gunshot anyway. I thought about the Kitty Genovese case, famously (and incorrectly, it turns out, used to illustrate the bystander effect). I wondered if some human or animal was bleeding out in my backyard, condemned to perish without me taking action. I decided very uncharitably that I didn't want to get involved, but I did note that the noise occurred at 2:15 a.m., with a second boom at 2:16. At 2:22, I heard what sounded like large pieces of wood being moved. Even if I wasn't going to get out of bed, I was prepared to answer questions from police if they showed up today (which they did not). Perhaps I watch too much Law and Order and shows on Investigation Discovery.

So far, it looks like the sounds were not associated with bodily harm to any persons or animals. If I learn more, I will update you.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Happy birthday to my dearest grandma!

One Day in November

Hollywood Housewife asked her readers to document their daily lives on November 14, 2012. Here's my day:

My day begins with the dogs, feeding them and taking them outside for a walk.

I do a little work and then read with horror about the latest Mercy for Animals undercover operation in which abuse of turkeys at Butterball factories was documented.

Next, up, some cuddles with the dogs!

Later tonight, I am going to a birthday party, but I won't be home before then, so I make some stitch markers to take as a gift.

Another faculty member and I are giving a workshop on "Hard to Assess Learning Outcomes," so I head to the Center for Faculty Excellence on campus.

Usually, the center displays some student or faculty artwork. Today, they had pieces from the show Turn up the Transparency: 35 mm Slide Art. These were my two favorite pieces.

We didn't have a lot of folks attend the workshop, but it was a good conversation nonetheless. However, we didn't have much time to debrief because my colleague and I both had meetings immediately following the workshop. No time for photos between the two events! By the time I was done with the meeting, it was dark outside.

I headed over to the Clark Lounge in the Campus Center where there was a wine and cheese reception for faculty members. I noticed on my way that the TerraCycle Brigade had put a collection bin in the common area.

Some of our brilliant music students performed at the reception.

After some hurried mingling, I went to celebrate the 90th birthday of one of the women who comes to knit night. 

George had his own dinner tonight, a celebration of the end of the season with his co-workers at the farm, so I hardly saw him today. I ended the day, as I started it, with the dogs.

(That's Survivor on the television.) I also did a little bit of knitting.

Today was fairly atypical - I am usually not running around quite so much! I am glad that Laura chose today for the project, otherwise you'd probably only be getting pictures of the dogs.

Women Swimmin'

What a beautiful day for the swim! When I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to get ready, it was quite chilly outside, but by the time I got to the Yacht Club, the weather had shifted.



A band was playing for the crowd, including many supportive spectators and women waiting for their pod's wave.

 

I'd been swimming 2,000 meters thrice weekly all summer, but the distance looks much different when it's one long, unbroken stretch of water! I was a little nervous on the boat waiting for our pod to get in the water, but once we had jumped in, it was a great feeling! Here I am after I just climbed on the dock after the swim.




My friend, Linda, from work, and I were in the same pod. 

We could see this sign when we walked off the dock.



George was waiting for me.

 

 The crowd was big!

 

Many women received flowers after completing the swim.

 

Not everyone can park at the Yacht Club, so there are shuttles running between there and Cass Park. Here are me and Ryan, my brother-in-law, waiting for the next bus.

 

I'm already excited about next year. Thanks to everyone who sponsored me. This year, the swim raised over $350,000 for HospiCare of Ithaca. I am so proud to have been part of the event.

Final Rest

For the record, I want to be cremated. However, if I were to be buried in a cemetery, I would want a headstone decorated like those in the Granary Burying Ground.

Museum of Fine Art

Here I am with the Dale Chihuly sculpture (I believe installed in conjunction with the 2011 "Through the Looking Glass" Exhibit) at Boston's Museum of Fine Art. This is one of my favorite museums because it has such strong collections across the board, but in particular wonderful pieces in its Modern American and European exhibits.

What color does the sculpture look to you? I think I see it differently than intended. To me, it looks yellow. It is supposed to be green.

Kayaking

Women Swimmin': T minus 30 Days

I’ve been training for Women Swimmin’ since May, and I’m looking forward to the August 18 (non-competitive) swim 1.2 miles across Cayuga Lake to raise money for HospiCare and Palliative Care Services of Tompkins County. HospiCare provides compassionate end-of-life services to community residents as well as grief counseling for those who have experienced the death of a loved one. I hope you will consider sponsoring me in the event to help support this important community organization. 

You can donate online via my fundraising page, or, if a check is easier, let me know. (If you have trouble with the link, click on the Women Swimmin’ icon in the left sidebar of the blog.) Every little bit helps! 

 If you are in Ithaca, come down to the Ithaca Yacht Club on the morning of August 18 to help celebrate! Three hundred women are expected to participate in the event.

Thank you, 
Aimee

Happy Birthday to Me

Trash Walks

When Walter, Norman, and I take our twice daily walks, we usually find and pick up lots of litter along State Street. Some of it is from careless drivers and pedestrians who throw trash along the road, but other comes from inefficiencies in the waste management system. (I found a piece of mail we'd put in recycling down the street the other day.)

During IABS in Asheville, I spent an afternoon working with Asheville Greenworks to help clean Hominy Stream with a few other IABS volunteers. Some of us helped remove invasive plants; others walked the stream to take out trash. Embedded in the creek bed, we found a carburetor, part of a car's bucket seat, and a plastic raft along with numerous aluminum cans.

One of the volunteers, Melissa, had once lived in Cincinnati, and she said that she had on occasion taken her sons on "trash walks" in the city. The walks served a number of purposes: they got to spend time together, they engaged in physical activity, they learned about the city, they saw the negative effects humans can have on the natural and urban landscapes, and they contributed to a solution. While I don't think Walter and Norman get the same philosophical perspective on our trash walks, we do try to make a small positive impact.

Remember not to litter, pack up your trash and recycling well before putting it out for collection, and take your kids, dogs, or friends on trash walks in your area!

Maid of the Mist

I enjoyed my first trip to Niagara Falls and trip on the Maid of the Mist boat. I was so relieved to get soaked from the falls since it was a hot day!

This collage was made with PicMonkey. Please check them out!

Biltmore Estate

Here are some of the photos I took when I visited the Biltmore Estate. The rooms were fascinating, but photography wasn't allowed inside the manor. I counted the wine glasses at the family table setting (in a dining room with an organ) - there were five! George would've loved meals there. Despite how opulent the wallpaper, rugs, and decorations were, the beds were so small! (I wonder when mattress sizes became standardized...) The house had several guest rooms, several parlors, a music room, and in the bachelor's wing, a gun room. It even had a fitness room with the wooden pins used for exercise as well as an indoor pool and two bowling lanes. The rooms that looked most comfortable to me were for the servants - both their quarters and eating space.

Visit PicMonkey to make a collage like the one above and to edit your photos!