a bit of lit

From Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God:

"Some people could look at a mud-puddle and see an ocean with ships. But Nanny belonged to that other kind that loved to deal in scraps. Here Nanny had taken the biggest thing God ever made, the horizon -- for no matter how far a person can go the horizon is still way beyond you -- and pinched it in to such a little bit of a thing that she could tie it about her granddaughter's neck tight enough to choke her."

musical monday: rings 'n' things

"Ke$ha - We r Who We R (Sign Language)"
I've never/seen heard this song before, but I'm really liking the video.


"ASL Version Music Video-Single Ladies"
[I thought there were other dancers in this video. So, apparently, did some of the YouTube commenters. I don't know where this "other version" is they speak of. Hmm.]

These bring back memories of learning a song in ASL to perform. Peecho and I were going to perform Bette Midler's "Night and Day" but then she broke her toe and couldn't sign. (Seriously.) So, I performed "Silent Night" instead. I wasn't thrilled, but we had each only learned a part of the other song. And, anyway, I got to wear my mom's white dress that looked like an oversized fringed shawl, which I dug.

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Oh, and, why not?


"Thom Yorke dances to Single Ladies"

One more note: I don't really think I get this song. The speaker (I'm not talking Beyonce, I'm talking the speaker in a literary sense) seems to be saying that she wants love and not things, but she's asking for a ring. I get the implication, but rings are things. Also, why the self-referential "it"? What's with the objectification?

happy birthday, al!

Today is the anniversary of Albert Einstein's birth. Just thought I'd mention it.

In honor of him, and as a note on unschooling, I'd just like to quote him, "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

sunday strings

Oh-so-fun:


"David Garrett - Smooth Criminal"

Seriously, should I already know about David Garrett? Methinks yes.


"The String Quartet Tribute to Nirvana - All Apologies"


"The String Quartet Tribute To The Offspring - Come Out And Play"

O Mighty Interweb!, how you lure me into wasting so much time.

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P.S. Why does YouTube no longer allow me to choose the color of the frame? Hmm.

on that which (usually) eludes me

I am in an interesting place where sleep is concerned. I've realized that there simply aren't enough hours in a day for me to complete everything I feel I need to complete. I'm at that panicky stage where I nightly (early-morningly) have to tell myself to just let go and accept what I have finished.

On Sunday night, I slept three hours. Definitely not enough. As punishment, I was wracked with a headache of dizzying proportions. I felt nauseated and I couldn't hold a thought for long (not good at all). I went home and slept eleven hours. Not straight through, but close enough. Actually, I had asked Cardo to heat a burrito for me in the oven. He did and dutifully woke me when it was hot. I sat up, kind of, in bed and devoured my dinner and promptly went back to sleep. I might as well have been dreaming.

Then, oh, the dreaming. I dreamt I was on my college campus, coming out of what was the library when someone called my name. I looked over to see someone I had known (and had something of a thing for) in high school. He was asking me to sign up for some club. I did. And, what a fun club. He handed me a pamphlet which I had to do a close reading of. I looked it over and realized it was some kind of Christian tract and I felt I had to go back and explain to him that I would do the close reading but I wasn't Christian so they might not want me. Then, I left and walked across the snowy, icy parking lot.

Then, it was five and I got up to start working again. (This last sentence was real life again, although I kind of wish getting up at five was a dream. Usually I am going to bed so late that it just doesn't seem worth it to go to bed at all if my alarm is just going to go off so ridiculously early.)

It's so weird the way present and past mingle in dreams. And, how dreams like these make me focus so much on my past for several days. And, how they make me wonder if, really, I'm overworking myself.

sky castles

Next week, I have a bit more free time on my hands. I have many, many plans to fill all of this "free" time.

* spend time with friends and family
* make sure the thank you cards are finally, finally finished and sent
* bake?
* make more laundry soap (perhaps a double batch? but then I'll have to use a larger container)
* walk
* read
* plan
* walk
* catch up on blogs and actually comment
* sleep
* sort through the mess that is my podcast collection
* walk

a little look at language

I recently read Brave New World for the first time and, O, the terms I learned.

Among the words I had to look up:

* viviparous (which led to me looking up ovoparous and ovovivparous)

* brachycephalic (which led to me looking up dolichocephalic)

* hypnopaedia