Category Archives: Uncategorized

Music for Writing

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My Favorite Domer finally sent me a belated birthday present, and I couldn’t be happier!

It’s a CD from the Band of the Fighting Irish for the 2003 season, and besides including all the favorites — the Victory March, the Alma Mater, Damsha Bua (the Victory Clog), and Hike Notre Dame, to name just a few — it has a little jazz (Birdland), some rock (Bohemian Rhapsody), some oldies (Saturday in the Park), classical (1812 Overture), and whimsical (Mario Medley).

As someone who spends a lot of time at my computer, I really appreciate being able to choose different styles of music to listen to. When I’m doing Web Design, I find myself tuning in to rock, usually something with lyrics (especially those I can sing along with!). I find it helps me focus (especially if I’m just doing routine maintenance on a site I’ve created!). But no way can I write fiction with somebody singing — too many words, and I’ve lost all track of my storyline!

So instrumental music becomes my primary companion when I write (and re-write). I often opt for classical — Mozart is a perennial favorite — and I have a stack of CDs and an MP3 loaded with hours of background music. In addition, MFD has compiled numerous CDs for me (“writing music,” he calls it) — everything from hard and soft rock (no lyrics!) to movies themes, piano and other instrumental selections.

One of my writing buddies is the exact opposite. She can’t write with any music in the background (she calls it “noise”). I wonder if it’s true that one person’s “noise” is another person’s “music?”  Whatever, I find it distracting to listen to things like the pipes creaking, branches scraping the gutter, and even owls hooting — must be because I write suspense fiction!

How about other writers out in blog-land? What’s your pleasure — music or silence? And, if music, what type?

 

Ladybugs

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It’s finally started — the Influx of the Ladybugs!

These small, (usually) polka-dotted, reddish-orange beetles are swarming all over the Midwest at this time of year. Farmers and gardeners love them because they feed on aphids and other insects that destroy plants and crops. Kids love to watch them scurry around, climbing up and down windows and bricks (especially the ones on the warm, southwestern sides of buildings).

But they’re everywhere!

Before I get too far into ranting, I’d better make a distinction. The ladybug native to U.S. soils is rather cute, as evidenced by the fact that one national sorority I know of selected it as its special symbol. It’s the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle that’s wearing on my last nerve. I’m told it was imported into this country almost a century ago to help farmers control pest populations naturally.

Today, they’re everywhere!

They slip into warm houses, looking for a place to hibernate over the winter. They come in on your clothing, sneak into your garage on your car, and even attach themselves to dog fur and ride Fido in.

Once in, count on them to stay in. If you try to scoop them up, they “play dead,” squirting out a stinky yellowish substance The Ladybug Lady says is blood from their legs. If you leave them be, they’ll periodically take flight and zip to another, usually warmer, location. The best way to keep them out is to caulk and repair even the tiniest of cracks in windows and door trim; once they’re in, you can suck them up with a shop vac and release them outside — just know they’ll probably find their way back!

And they’re everywhere!

Fortunately, they’re not poisonous to humans. However, the Asian variety is said to be more aggressive, and I believe it. If one lands on you, send it on its merry way or be prepared for a bite, which feels like a tiny sting. Also, I find their scurrying little legs feel irritating when they land on bare skin!

The Ladybug Lady says that dry indoor heat usually does them in, but occasionally, one will survive the entire season, only to fly off when spring arrives. That’s a long time to live with bugs in your house!

And remember, they’re everywhere!

Gaining on it!

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Wow, what a difference a day makes! That, and some new medicine!

I know what I said yesterday — about staying home when you’re sick. I meant it. I probably should have qualified it, though, by saying, “Stay home IF you’re able to.” And I wasn’t. I had to have meds, and everything in my own stash had either expired or was for something other than the cold I have.

So no, I wasn’t trying to infect the rest of you! And in my defense, I did keep to myself and was only in there 10 minutes max. Hey, it takes that long to look over the various choices (all screaming, “Buy me! Buy me!”), read the indications, useage, and warnings on all the boxes, then play “Eeny, meeny, miney, moe” until you’ve got one left!

I purchased a box of non-drowsy Sudafed PE Triple Action, which promised it would get rid of my sinus headache, sinus pressure and congestion, and chest congestion. I figured if it could at least get rid of the headache, it would be worth its price in spades!

I took two caplets and, while I didn’t feel better instantly, it was pretty fast. The headache went away, I can breathe again, and I don’t feel like there’s cotton batting in my head! Of course, my nose is still runny, my eyes are watery, and I’m coughing and sneezing, but hey, this at least is manageable. Nor did I suffer any of the possible bad reactions, like nervousness, sleeplessness, or dizziness. How wonderful to find something that works for a change (thanks, McNeil!!)

On an unrelated note, both my Rebels and the Irish are active today. Ole Miss (5-3 overall) takes on Northern Arizona (also 5-3) at home in Oxford; Notre Dame (6-2 overall) hosts Navy (6-3) in South Bend. I’ll repeat my ongoing beef with televised coverage of college football match-ups — why can’t we watch the halftime shows??? These Band kids work as hard as the football players, yet the announcers are quick to come on and yak about statistics, replays, predictions, scores from other games, etc. I know it’s possible for them to put a small square in one corner of the screen and show the Band there, while still letting the announcers have their fun; so why don’t they do it?

Fighting a cold

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I hate being sick!!

My Favorite Domer burned the candle at both ends when he first got to Notre Dame and wound up with a big-time cold. He felt rotten for a few days, but thank heaven, he’s young and strong, and his body quickly fought the virus off.

I didn’t catch his cold, but I caught somebody’s — and whoever you are, I’m NOT happy about it!

Why can’t you sick people stay home like all the health experts suggest? No, you’ve just got to run to the store, the shopping mall, church — everywhere but where you should be, which is safely tucked away in your home (or a doctor’s office). How can the rest of us stay healthy when you’re out spreading your germs, sneezing, coughing, sputtering, and all that? You’d think you’d want to stay home when you feel ill — I certainly do.

When I’m sick, don’t expect me to be out hunting bargains at the department stores; don’t expect me to “share” my germs with everybody else, hoping that, if I pass my illness on, I won’t have it any more.

Rather, you’ll find me taking it easy, sipping lots of water and hot tea, sucking on cough drops, making some chicken noodle soup (yes, it really works!), and getting more rest.

It’s inconvenient (at best) to have a cold. Your throat is scratchy, your nose is runny and stopped-up at at the same time, your head feels like it’s full of cotton. You can’t think clearly, let alone write coherently, and don’t even bother trying to balance your check book! I take care of myself — humidifier in bedroom, eat right, exercise, sleep, annual flu shot — but even people healthy as horses can’t always fight off germs that are blown right at them.

So the next time you’re sick, do the rest of us a favor and stay home. As for me, I’ll just take my crabby self back to bed!

 

Lifelong learning

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Let’s get one thing out of the way upfront — I’m not a Notre Dame alum.

Heaven knows, I wish I were, but all I am is the mom of a Domer — that, and a huge fan!! Shoot, I’ve even considered the possibility of enrolling in, say, the Graduate Program in Creative Writing, just so I could be a Domer, too!

I’ve always had a passion for education. I was one of those “weird” kids who simply loved school, not just because my friends were there but because in school, you learned stuff. I love the smell and feel of a book; I love being able to string words together so when folks read them, they go, “Yeah!”

When I was a kid, every week in the summer I’d go to the Library and check out a stack of books — as many as I could carry — then hurry home and immerse myself in wonderful, magical stories. Even today, there’s nothing better than getting lost in a novel and forgetting there’s a world with problems outside.

My undergrad education was at Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi (Go Rebels!!), and my feelings for Alma Mater run oh so deep. I had a four-year Band scholarship, so participating in halftime shows and supporting the Red-and-Blue became deeply ingrained. Perhaps it’s the growing-up one does during the four years between 18 and 22; perhaps it’s the friends one makes at college. Whatever, I (and most of my fellow Rebs) feel an intense pride, unwavering loyalty, and profound gratitude to Ole Miss.

As the late Frank E. Everett Jr. (a UM alum) put it: “The University is respected, but Ole Miss is loved. The University gives a diploma and regretfully terminates tenure, but one never graduates from Ole Miss.”

When My Favorite Domer was in elementary school, I returned to college (community college, this time) to pursue a new career in Web Design. I found, to my surprise, that I was an even better student than during my first go-round as an undergrad. I seemed to have an intuitive awareness of what material was important for me to learn, how to study and budget my time, how to access the help I needed, and I wasn’t afraid to approach my instructors, spend time in their offices, and soak up their advice.

 

Today’s buzzwords are “lifelong learning.” Yep, I’m a firm believer in that. As a Web Designer and Writer, I often run into something I’m unfamiliar with, and I constantly find myself having to learn new code and techniques or new ways of solving old problems. I pity people who don’t find learning enjoyable, or who think that once they’ve got a sheepskin, they’re finished.

So, while right now I can’t justify returning to academia for another degree, don’t count me out — I just might, one day!

Celebrating Death

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This isn’t going to be an easy day — shoot, it’s not going to be an easy month!

November typically is the time when we Catholics honor/celebrate/remember our deceased loved ones, starting with All Saints Day on the first and then All Souls Day on the second. The idea is that, by recalling and praying for our faithful dead on Nov. 2, we acknowledge them as still being members of our Church, alive in Christ, and never far from our hearts.

In some countries (Mexico, for instance), Day of the Dead celebrations are joyful ones, with special foods and colorful altars. Other countries hold to the folk belief that souls are released from Purgatory for one day and allowed to return to earth; consequently, some families leave a window open or set a place at table for their dead family members. Still others visit graves, sometimes with picnics. You can read more here: www.fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpenticost12ac.html

Last year at this time, I sailed blissfully through this holiday. Death hadn’t touched my family — other than elderly grandparents and some distant relatives — and, while we attended the required Church services and recited the prayers, it was all more of a ritual than anything else. Not so today.

This past Dec. 31, we lost my dad after a courageous three-year battle with esophageal cancer. Yes, he smoked cigarettes; yes, he drank liquor; and yes, according to his doctor, those bad habits were what killed him.

So tonight, we’ll go to Church carrying a picture of Daddy that will be left on a memorial table for the entire month. We’ll participate in a candle-lighting ceremony, recite the prayers, shed some tears, and probably hug each other a bit longer and tighter. We’ll also try to be kinder and more patient with others.

It’s what Daddy would have wanted.

 

 

 

Grrrrrr….

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It’s been one of those days I’d just as soon forget! Nothing seems to have gone according to plan, and everything seems to have taken 10 times longer than it should have. Don’t you just hate that?

When I woke up this morning, I mentally laid out my day and proceeded to my first appointment. It was a good meeting, and I took away some valuable information. The only problem was it lasted a bit longer than I’d budgeted, pushing everything else back. After lunch, I started in on some Web Design work and that, too, took way longer than I’d anticipated (and I’m still not done!) Suddenly, I look up and find it’s dark outside, there’s a line of thunderstorms taking aim on my area, and my neck and shoulders are tight with strain.

Aagh, I think I’ll just call it a day, take a nice hot shower, put on my moccasins and spend the night with my nose in a good book! Now, that’s just about as close to Heaven as you can get, don’t you think?!

Mid-Term Apprehensions

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According to ND’s academic calendar, this coming Friday is the last day for “course discontinuance.”

Basically, I understand that to mean students can withdraw from a course they’re having problems with, without taking a grade or receiving any credit.

In some cases, withdrawal is probably the best option. If a student has done everything possible to succeed in a class — regular attendance, homework assignments, out-of-class studying, even tutoring — yet can’t seem to grasp the material, that student probably shouldn’t be in that class anyway. Perhaps the interest level isn’t there; perhaps the necessary background from high school isn’t there; perhaps it’s as simple as a bad time of day for the class. Regardless, students shouldn’t be penalized by having to stick it out in an unpalatable situation.

My Favorite Domer is one of those First-Years already withdrawing from a class. He tells me he’s certainly not alone. While that doesn’t really come as a surprise, it does tend to sadden me a bit. After all, these kids have invested eight weeks of their early college careers struggling to comprehend a particular subject — often at the expense of their other classes, social time, physical exercise, even sleep. And don’t get me started about how much stress that’s added to their lives — and to their parents!

I’m generalizing here, but I imagine most of the First-Years admitted to Notre Dame are like MFD — high achievers, with the A’s through elementary and secondary school to prove it. Yet now that they’re in college, they’re struggling to pull C’s. Don’t tell me they suddenly became “average” or “lazy.”

I prefer to lay the “blame” for this angst at the high school, and even middle school, level.

Certainly there’s a BIG difference between high school and college, particularly when it comes to test-taking. In high school, students are expected to soak up the material like sponges, then regurgitate it back to the teacher on an exam; in college, students are expected to think, to apply what they’ve learned to new situations, and to solve never-before seen problems. High schools are big on extra credit (it’s that “everybody gets a trophy” mentality); in college, tests might be few and far between, there aren’t any “do-overs,” and even your best effort might not be sufficient.

Those are hard lessons to swallow for kids who haven’t been prepared. Unfortunately, even a typical “college prep” curriculum in high school doesn’t cut the mustard when it comes to preparing kids (even the “best and brightest”) for college.

How come? Why don’t high schools (who can tell right away which students are going to continue their educations) require college-bound students to take a “transition to college” course of some kind? Such a course could carry a simple Pass/Fair grade, thereby eliminating the “sucking up” too many kids engage in; it could be more loosely structured, typical of a college class, and require thought, discussion, and application. It also could help them learn how to learn!

I’m not an educator. I’m not an administrator. I’m just a mom who wants the best for her kid, and I’m going to be watching and doing whatever I can to make sure he gets it.

Leaves

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My Favorite Domer tells me the trees all around campus have suddenly decided to drop their leaves, all at once!

Of course, this makes for lots of headaches for the maintenance crew, who probably find themselves in the position of salmon swimming upstream as they try to keep up with Mother Nature. At least they’re not having to rake.

When I was a child, I always used to think of Hell as one long life sentence of raking leaves. That was during a time when our fair community allowed residents to burn, and my mom certainly loved that! We’d rake leaves into huge piles or mountain ranges along the sidewalk, then mom would add a bit of lighter fluid from our summer charcoaling and strike a few matches. The flames and smoke would belch skyward, and we kids would race back to the front porch for safety!

Now we’re more enlightened, and our city fathers have banned leaf burning. Of course, that means some people refuse to do anything with their yards, and their leaves blow this way and that until they can find a fence-row to cling to. Other people have invested in mulching lawnmowers (like my dad did), and they’re the ones who can “kill two birds with one stone”! Frankly, I’m one of the people who can breathe better, now that burning has been banned, and I hope we never go back. If only we could just ban (or even restrict) burning on those portable fire-pits that cause all sorts of respiratory problems for those of us with allergies!

It’s kind of fun shuffling your feet through downed leaves on the sidewalk, though. Even my Sheltie gets a kick out of this! They make such an interesting swooshing sound, much like the sound corduroy pants make when you walk!

When I was on campus last week, the crews were using big blowers to push the leaves into piles. Since ND is so environmentally friendly, I guess they’ll turn these leaves into mulch or something. As for me, I’d hate the thought of having to rake a 1,250-acre piece of property!!

Winners & Losers

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Did you catch the Notre Dame vs. Boston College football game yesterday?

I watched the first quarter or so on TV, then had to leave for Mass (I listened on the radio ’til I had to go inside, and no, I didn’t even try to smuggle a radio in with me — everybody who knows me well knows I can’t listen to college football silently!!). When services were over, I flew back out to the car and tuned in again, making it home just in time to watch the Fighting Irish Band play the “Alma Mater” as the team swayed and sang along in gratitude for pulling out another victory.

These guys are really “come-back kids,” aren’t they? My dad always used to say, “It’s the true mark of a champion to come from behind and win,” but I’ve gotta tell you, this season is wreaking havoc with my nerves! They seem to wait until the last few minutes of a game to really pour it on — and thus far, the Luck of the Irish has been with them. Since nobody can count on luck alone, I wish they’d strike early and often, racking up points and getting decent leads instead of this see-saw action!

Oh, but it feels good to be on the winning side! For the past six years, the outcome of this BC game has found the Irish on the losing end, and they were certainly due a win. Still, in every competition like this, there’s a winner and there’s a loser, and nobody likes to lose. From an early age, we’re taught to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat, a lesson that, if learned well, will stand us in good stead for life.