Holy agitation, Batman!

Tide. 
Into this sad and rainy month I must inject a note on the passing of a devoted major home appliance. Though not unexpected, the loss of Admiral ATW4675XQ0 leaves a profound silence in the heart of my home where a guh-chugga-chugga-chugga-UH-guh-chugga-chugga-chugga has been for almost seven years. Recent interventions with alternative longevity therapies, chants, and decals couldn't forestall the inevitable.

Acceptance. 

Our meditation instructor has suggested we practice in happy places, "not in the laundry room." The comforting distraction of a smoothly agitating appliance can be a fine focal point for meditation in my experience, so I disagree. The rhythm is not that different from focusing on our breath.

Simplicity. 

The Admiral was the lowest-priced pound-with-rocks-at-the-river-bank washer Home Depot sold in 2011 when the Kenmore left this realm. It served selflessly through all seasons. To every thing turn turn turn there is a cycle. A time to gather stones at the river...

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

When I told my walking buddy that the washing machine died, she said, "Wow! On the same day as Billy Graham." A shared sense of humor, even slightly irreverent, is a wonderful thing--sort of mountain spring fresh with no static cling.


© 2013-2017 Nancy L. Ruder

Name that emperor!

This Byzantine emperor during the Fourth Crusade was nicknamed for his unibrow or sullen countenance.

Who was Mourtzouphlos?

This 1953 gold record about a city name change brought a  Canadian quartet its first big success.

What is "Istanbul (not Constantinople)?"

His audiobook narration of The House at the Edge of Night received AudioFile Best of 2016 Fiction notice, but his readings of Beautiful Ruins, Last Painting of Sara De Vos, and two Andrew Gross historical thrillers are all outstanding.

Who is Edoard Ballerini?

Two subjects personally revealed as almost completely forgotten by Thomas Madden's history of the city at the center of the world.

What are history and geography?

This goofy puppet variety show helped my dad in the worst of his grief after Mom died in 2005.

What is "The Muppet Show?"

Pierce Brosnan wears a giant shrimp costume spoofing his James Bond movie roles but can't quite match an audiobook narrator for these qualities.

What are suave and debonair?


© 2013-2017 Nancy L. Ruder

STEAM kit fever

If you have been living under a rock, which doesn't seem like such a bad choice some days, you might suppose STEAM kits are the carpet shampooers you used to rent at Hinky Dinky that left the rug all soggy. Spots would show back up day after next, more prominent, entrenched, and meaner than before.

My oldest called to ask the best way to deal with a spaghetti sauce stain on carpet. "Welcome to parenthood," I said. "Area rug," said my walking buddy.  Resolve not to be flip.

Apparently libraries need STEAM kits with an assembly of books, activities, DVDs, puzzles, games, and junior science equipment all on a basic science theme for patrons to check out. My views are somewhat tinged by many years of work with young children, and sleepless nights when one of the plastic chickens for the Fisher Price farm  flew the coop. None of that matters, and my current job is just to describe the contents of the kits by material types, subjects, sizes, media, vendor, price, and Dewey classification. And to pray that the pieces are all returned intact and on time!

My parents never did get the Nehi orange soda stain out of the ugly brown carpet, but they were STEAM parents. Howie and Fritz were engineers and children of the Thirties. They chose toys for us that were open-ended, extremely inexpensive, and encouraged creative use of materials. Dad would frequent the deep-discount table at the Toy Castle shop around the corner from his office, as a service to Santa.  Mom was all about open-ended creative constructions. They respected our solitary explorations, but were ready to share and support our curiosities and enthusiasms. They taught us creative reuse of materials, and solid construction techniques by example. Tonight I'm a bit teary and very grateful for my parents and their philosophy of child's play. They did not mistake entertainment for play.

Science: Prisms, rock collections, rock tumbler, gyroscopes, ant farm, butterfly nets, constellation projector, telescope, bug box, magnets, magnifying glass.
Technology: Dry cell battery, switch, and bulb, simple machines like pulleys, crystal radio, Mattel Vac-u-form with a Thingmaker converter, water rockets, hammers, screwdrivers, c-clamps, pliers, saw.
Engineering: Geodesic domes, Pinewood Derby race cars and track, Legos, basic wooden blocks, erector sets, straw connectors, tinker toys, a tree house.
Art: Graph paper, Prang watercolors, plenty of paper of all types and sizes, Eames House of Cards, original geometric Colorforms, fabric scraps, glow-in-the dark ink and paints, felt pens, mechanical pencils, kaleidoscopes, carbon paper, scissors that really cut.
Math: A five-dollar bill to purchase fireworks (nothing better for teaching mental math), Yahtzee, chalkboard, simple loom, another five-dollar bill to purchase four Christmas gifts, measuring cups and spoons, thermometers, tasks requiring folding.

© 2013-2017 Nancy L. Ruder