Category Archives: Choices

Try Again

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I was surfing the web yesterday, perusing some quotes about the sun. The weekly photo challenge for this week is “The Sun” and I wanted to find a quote to accompany my (upcoming) photo.

A survey box popped up and instructed me to answer the questions as a requirement to continue looking at the list of quotes. It said there were two questions. Two questions wasn’t bad, I thought, so I took the survey.

Question 1: Was I a health professional? No.
Question 2: Did I prepare most of the meals in my house? No.

Two questions, two answers and I expected to be on my way.

No.

The survey pop-up box remained visible and all the subsequent quotes were still grayed out. The message the survey box gave me? Try again.

I guess it didn’t like my answers. I left that web site and found another one with quotes, a web site that would let me read its content even though I didn’t prepare most of the meals in my house.

Anniversary Presents, Revisited

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Here’s an entry that I originally posted on April 25, 2011. Our wedding anniversary is soon, so I’m trying to figure out what to buy for hubby. I notice that I have a book on my Amazon wish list that is perfect for the occasion: Life Is Yours to Win: Lessons Forged from the Purpose, Passion, and Magic of Baseball by Augie Garrido (the coach of the University of Texas at Austin baseball team).

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Men get the short straw when it comes to a lot of “special” days, don’t you think?

Take Valentine’s Day. Pretty much everyone knows the stereotype gift of what the man is supposed to buy for the woman: chocolate candy and flowers. And what is the woman supposed to buy for the man, stereotypically speaking, that is?

Right. No one knows.

Then there are birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. A man can’t hardly turn around before it’s time to figure out the next perfect present. And they are all supposed to be perfect, right? I can’t say that I have the answers to these questions. In fact, I don’t have the answer to all these questions. I can say that couples should look to their common interests for gift ideas. Hubby and I both like baseball.

You know the stereotype anniversary gift story: the man buys a woman what he wants to receive: golf clubs, new tools, a wax job (for the car!), sports magazines. I thought, “What a great idea!” Here’s how I’ve applied that structure. And it’s not a stereotype if I’m the only woman doing it. (Just how many of something does it take for a stereotype to get started?)

Anyway, the traditional gift for the 5th wedding anniversay is wood. The modern gift is silverware (if I can believe everything — or anything — I read on the Internet). I gave my lucky hubby a baseball book that I wanted to read: Wait Until Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

The traditional gift for the 10th wedding anniversay is tin or aluminum and the modern gift is diamond jewelry. I gave my lucky hubby a baseball book that I wanted to read: Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig by Jonathan Eig.

The traditional gift for the 15th wedding anniversay is crystal; the modern gift is watches. I gave my lucky hubby a baseball book that I wanted to read: Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game by John Thorn.

Of course, I let him read them first. After all, they are his gifts. I’m still trying to figure out perfect gifts to get him for his birthday, Valentine’s and Christmas. Hey! We both like football. Now that gives me an idea ….

New Year’s Resolutions

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I’m not much on New Year’s resolutions, mostly because I’m still working on mine from 1979. You know the one: eat right, exercise, get in shape. I figure I shouldn’t make any new ones until I finish that one.

Somehow last year I slipped up and made a new resolution anyway: No new hobbies. Flip side: Spend more time on already-in-progress hobbies.

My first watercolor painting: sunflowers in a terra cotta vase

My first watercolor

That lasted until February. That’s when I received an email from a friend inviting me to a watercolor class her sister was going to teach. She attached a photo of the sunflower, guaranteed the students would walk out with a finished product and then wrote “No drawing required.”

I threw my New Year’s resolution out the window and signed up. That’s six framed watercolor paintings ago and we have two classes already scheduled for this year. That’s 2011 new hobby #1.

A butterfly decorated with Zentangles

A Zentangle Butterfly

In April, the Austin Fiber Artists were displaying some of their art at the Wesley Gallery in Dripping Springs, Texas and I had a piece in the show. So did Diane Barney, who is a Zentangle artist (one of her many talents). Zentangles are created with a pen or a permanent marker and a piece of paper or fabric. Really? I stopped at an office supply store on the way home. New hobby #2.
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At least I waited until December for new hobby #3, drawing. As it is wont to do, Amazon.com recommended a book to me, based on all my art book purchases. (They love that I have new hobbies.) The book is You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less by Mark Kistler.

an art lesson in drawing spheres

Lesson 3: Spheres. I call it a pet rock colony.

That book practically leapt into my online shopping cart. I used a mechanical pencil and eraser that I already owned and off I went. (I love my eraser.) I’m trying to figure out how to bring up the subject of my being a newbie at drawing and getting someone to ask me, “When did you learn to draw?” I will respond: “December.”

As I don’t like to make new resolutions until I finish an old one, I used last year’s resolution for this New Year’s as well: no new hobbies. Today is Jan 7th and I already received two books from Amazon.com for my new 2012 hobby: knots. Photos to follow later, should I learn how to tie any knots.

These resolutions sure take a long time.