J is for Jurassic Park

I was talking with my sons the other day, and they couldn't believe I hadn't read Jurassic Park or seen any of its movies. I hadn't because the idea of cloned dinosaurs terrorizing the earth was not at all appealing to me. Wally said I needed to read the book for cultural literacy's sake. I use the cultural literacy argument on my sons all the time, so I decided that I should put up or shut up.  So, I recently read Jurassic Park by Michael Critchen. 

I chose to read the book instead of watching the movie because I have enjoyed other Michael Crichton books. And what did I think of this one? It was a compelling read. I enjoyed the science and philosophical discussions but got tired of the dinosaur slashing. 

I don't plan to watch the movie based on the book (or any other movie in the franchise), but I looked up how the book and the movie differed. Basically, the book is more violent with more bad guys. So there. Now, I'm not the last person on earth to read or see movies about Jurassic Park. (BTW, the fact that it's in the news that an extinct wolf has been brought back to life scares me!!)

I've been trying to catch up on my cultural literacy with a couple of other things, also. We don't have any streaming channels except Amazon Prime, so I'm often out of the loop for current shows. However, I have been able to see two of them through library DVDs.

The first was Ted Lasso. The series came out 5 years ago and had three seasons, with talks about a fourth. I had heard the name mentioned frequently, but I had no idea what it was about other than soccer. In case you're living under a bush like I was, Ted Lasso is about a football coach from the US who goes to coach a soccer team in England. He knows nothing about soccer but is the eternal optimist and makes other characters see things in different ways. Ward and I thoroughly enjoyed the series and were sad when we finished it. I understand why the show has won so many awards. 

The other show that we tried recently was White Lotus. I hear people talking about it all the time, discussing plots, etc., but I didn't know much about it. The show takes place at a fancy resort where rich people bring all their problems and stay for a week. The staff have their own set of problems. 

The show is described as a dark satire about human behavior. At first, we were intrigued with the show. The characters were odd, but we wanted to know more about them. But by the end of the third show, we were done. Behaviors and events got worse to the point we were uncomfortable watching. And with promises that things would only get worse until the end of the show, we didn't want to spend any more time on it. 

Each season is filmed in a different resort with different guests. However, we won't be watching anymore, but I think we're in the minority when I hear the buzz around the show. To each their own.

Until next time...

I is for "In Search of..."

In honor of National Poetry Month, I thought I would post a poem from one of my favorite poets, Shel Silverstein. He has written several books for children full of clever, humorous rhymes.

Here's a Sample of his work:

In Search of Cinderella

From dusk to dawn,

From town to town,

Without a single clue,

I seek the tender, slender foot

To fill this crystal shoe.

From dusk to dawn,

I try it on

Each damsel that I meet.

And I still love her so, but oh, 

I've started hating feet.

From Shel Silverstein's A Light in the Attic

Until next time...

H is for "How Come"

My 7th-grade science teacher
who wondered about "how come"

Did you ever wonder why we say "how come," meaning "why?" I certainly never had until my 7th-grade science teacher posed the question to us. He didn't answer—he just moved on to how a car engine works. But many times when I say "how come," I think of him. And in all the years since then, I never looked up how the expression evolved—until now. 

Ward's latest puzzle. How come he is so
much better than I am at working them?

Like most discussions on the origins of a phrase or word, the beginnings of "how come" are complex, and scholars argue about its origins. Part of the reason for that is that language is continually evolving. Rarely does a new word or phrase become part of the common language overnight.  

Most agree that the use of "how come" in modern language started in the mid-1800s. However, Shakespeare used the phrase over 200 years earlier. Today, we use it interchangeably with "why," but usually in a more informal way. 

Have you ever noticed whether you use "how come" or "why" more often? Do you use one in some circumstances but not in others?

Until next time...

G is for Girls vs. Boys

Before I had kids, I thought that each child was an individual, and I didn't believe much in gender stereotypes in children. Little boys ran and jumped a lot because that's the kind of games they were taught. Little girls played with dolls because that was the kind of toys they were given. I thought that if all kids, regardless of gender, were exposed to the same things, they would have the same tendencies. Then, I spent some time in the real world of kids and figured out that I was wrong. Possibly, there were some differences between boys and girls. I'm not saying that nurture doesn't have some effect, but I don't think that's the whole story. I'm going to share one of my experiences that led me to this conclusion. However, so as not to bias you, I'm going to let you guess who the boys in the stories are and who the girls are. 

Today's Story

 

Wally was in fifth grade and turning 11 years old. He had a pool party for his birthday at the local YMCA with both boys and girls. After an hour of swimming, the kids had pizza and soda. However, it took forever before the refreshments could be served. We were kept waiting by one group, which was in the bathroom, changing and making themselves presentable. Some of the other group changed out of their wet clothes, but many did not. When they finally sat down to eat, all of the boys sat at one end of the table, and all of the girls sat at the other end. One group saw how much pizza they could get into their mouths at once and laughed as they punched each other. The other group talked about who they were “dating.”

You decide. Which were the girls, and which were the boys?

________________________________________________________________________________

In case you had any doubts, the boys were the wet punchers, and the girls were the well-coiffed ones. It may have been peer pressure, but there was no mixing between the two. I found it very interesting that some of the boys that the girls talked about that they were dating were some of the boys who were at the party. However, the boys were clueless that they were dating anyone.

Until next time...

F is for Flowers

Spring is definitely showing itself here, as something else blooms every day. Here are the flowers blooming in my yard this week. 

Some daffodils are starting to fade,

While others are going strong.

This dianthus is a little beaten down from the rain we had this morning.

Quince bush

Leaves are starting to join the forsythia blooms. I like the color combination.

Our sour cherry tree is just starting to bloom, 

But the neighbor's ornamental cherry has been in full bloom for about a week.

I planted these bleeding hearts last year, so I'm happy that they are blooming this year. However, they may have suffered some recent frost damage.

We have cardinals who like this ornamental plum tree.

These grape hyacinths are pretty but have totally taken over this bed. I pulled tons of them to give the other plants a chance to come up. After they finish blooming, I will pull more.

Another shade of purple is getting ready to bloom on this lilac bush.

This crabapple tree is also getting ready to bloom.

Unfortunately, in the 8 years we've lived here, we have not gotten any apples from this apple tree.

Our pear trees are always prolific but not disease-free.

When I look out in the backyard, I see something new blooming every day. Today, it was a crabapple tree.

What does spring look like where you live?

Until next time...