Reward

I am really stressed out at the moment with all that is on my plate. I have learned in the past that one way to cope is to reward myself after I have completed a goal. It helps to keep focused on a goal when I think about the reward.

Thus, if I manage to achieve my goals by the end of the summer, I will reward myself with belly dancing lessons and possibly the above outfit to go with it. Belly dancing is something I have been wanting to do for quite some time.

Thinking about this reward has already made me feel more focused and enthusiastic about accomplishing my goals.

Hooray!

Circumcision? I call it mutilation. So, I was very happy to see this article.

I remember I was stunned when I first learned that circumcision was performed on women. I am still stunned to learn that according to this article, a survey taken in 2000 stated that cicumcision was performed on 97 percent of the women.

Aside from the fact that this is simply an act of mutilation (with no medical benefits), there are various medical risks and complications that result from this procedure.

I hope that there comes a day where no woman will have to endure such a horrible act.

No surprise here!

I am in the mood to post something light (hee hee) today. So, I opted for this quiz. The results do not suprise me one bit. Hmm. Now I am in the mood for chocolate cake!

You Are a Chocolate Cake

Fun, comforting, and friendly. You are a true classic, and while you're not super cutting edge, you're high quality. People love your company - and have even been known to get addicted to you.

What Kind of Cake Are You?

Friday Cat Blogging

My cats are resourceful furry little creatures. They have somehow determined where my bedroom window is and thus will meow underneath when Katie is blissfully asleep. I do my best not to reinforce this behavior, but they do it anyhow.

Marzepan and Alley do this on a regular basis. No surprise since they are sisters. They will also climb up on the chain link fence in order to make sure their vocalizations are within reach of my ear.

But Alley decided that she was going to take this a step further and get closer to my window as well as get a good view of the blissfully sleeping Katie. She decided to jump from the chain link fence onto the roof of my neighbor's garage. The problem with this approach was that getting up is easy, but coming down is near impossible as the only way down would be to jump from the roof onto the concrete, or jump onto the narrow chain link fence. As agile as she is, she is not stupid to try this route and risk serious injury. Hence, the normal meowing turned into blood curdling panic-filled shrieks that jolted Katie from her blissful slumber.

So, at 5am yesterday morning, I found myself crawling up my neighbor's garage roof attempting to first to persuade Alley to be less panic stricken and get close enough to me, then finally getting a hold of Alley and bringing her down.

Note to self: Buy a new and very sturdy ladder because most likely I get the feeling I will need it again for something.

Wearable Art

I am not into the idea of getting a tattoo. But, if I were to pick a tattoo for myself, it would certainly be of an orchid. I have to confess that most of the tattoos I have seen of orchids were hideous. Botanical mutilation of its morphology makes me cringe. I have seen some photos where parts were merged of different genera to form some mutilated flower. Yes, sometimes mutations occur in the orchid world, but not mutations involving a fusion of very different genera.

I was happy to see this. Morphology intact. Tasteful.

Friday Cat Blogging

Ever since I can remember as a child, I have always wanted a cat. Finally at the age of 11, my parents finally relented and got me my first cat. Ever since then, I have never been without a cat and have always had at least one cat in my life.

Having known cats for so long, I have learned quite a bit about them and quite a bit from them.

The first lesson I learned was that they have concluded that we are poor providers. Cats will bring meals to their young until they learn to provide on their own. As a result, they must bring us meals considering the dry kibble we provide. These meals mostly consist of rodents and birds.

But cats are also finely tuned to dietary needs I concluded. There was a point in my life where I gained weight due to a medical problem and it came time to shed those extra pounds through diet and exercise. The cats were very sensitive to my new dietary needs and started bringing me large, low-fat, high-fiber moths.

The second lesson I learned was that cats sometimes will conclude that we don’t know how to properly catch prey. Cats will bring live meals to their young so that they can learn to properly catch their future prey. Cats are perceptive creatures and will interpret any signs of hesitation when you go to catch that live prey as lack of experience and ignorance. Therefore, the cat will continue in its attempts to teach you.

So, whenever trying to catch something, don’t hesitate or look like you don’t know what you are doing. If you end up not being able to catch it, just make it look like you planned it that way and that you are toying with the prey to save it for later.

Otherwise, you may end with some uninvited houseguest that you just might have to end up naming Alvin.

Viewpoints

I dropped off one of my photographs today for the exhibit at the Shaker Lakes Nature Center. I also attended a session of my photography club in which photographs were critiqued from the last two expeditions.

I brought in two photographs. They placed first and second place in the critique session. They had a certain "wow" factor to them. Also good photography techinique. I am very elated right now and eventually will float back down to reality.

Mere luck? I would like to think that it is determination on my part.

(Photograph is of Trillium grandiflorum which I photographed at the Shaker Lakes Nature Center earlier this year. Click on for a better close-up.)

Reflections

"To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
An eternity in an hour."
-- William Blake

(Picture is of Silene latifolia taken at Leach Research Station--click on photo for better close-up)

I am what I am

I decided to take a bit of a plunge and take a personality type test. I found the results a little depressing as it served to only verify my feelings of not quite fitting in. Sometimes I feel like I am misunderstood. But it does serve to have me appreciate my friends even more--those that really understand me.

Here are the results:
Personality type: Individualist

Finding your own path:

As an Individualist, you stand out as your own person—imaginative, curious, shrewd, introspective, and filled with surprises.
You're a free spirit. You've chosen your own path in life and don't do things simply to please other people. You're creative, intelligent, and opinionated. This isn't always a popular combination! Some misinterpret your insight and independence; they may see you as stubborn and a little snobbish.
It's true you're a natural skeptic and critic. You're often more in tune with what's wrong in a situation than what's right. You've probably gravitated toward jobs and hobbies where you can investigate, analyze, and solve problems. The challenge is being able to turn off that "critical eye." Skepticism and doubt are great tools at work, but they can be destructive in your personal life.
Fortunately, your quirky take on life can be very attractive. You often say and do the unexpected, which makes you fun and exciting to be around. You're very selective about who you share your life with. The lucky few find a very open and compassionate friend, who gives without condition. Lovers discover a very sensual person who is comfortable with their body.
Individualists have a knack for innovation. Like pioneers, you have the potential to chart a new course and break new ground in your career and community. Not everyone will appreciate it, but you're a true original.