R A V E N 'S * N E S T

delicious

2011-05-22T13:42:00.001-07:00

BSS | Breakfast Interrupted from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

New Star Trek Movie

2009-05-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

We're quite excited about the new Star Trek Movie,
even though the "trekkies" haven't been too impressed:

AMAZING inSIGHT

2009-01-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

JOSHUA SILVER

Joshua Silver, is an atomic physicist who developed eyeglasses, with liquid-filled lenses. Silver's spectacles are made of tough plastic with with silicone liquid in the lenses. When purchased (at a mere $19.00 a pair), each lens will have a syringe attached to it, and the wearer will be able to adjust the amount of liquid in the lenses -- which essentially changes the prescription -- without the need for an optician. This is particularly useful for people in developing countries where specially trained optometrists are not available.

Mysterious Object #6 winners!

2009-01-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

I think this one was too easy!

And the lucky winners are:

Ty and Bre, for the correct answer: "a lovely plant shadow on your living room ceiling."

and Julie wins for the most creative answer: "a family shadow puppet show and this was the finale with all family members participating to make a family tree."

I'd also like to reassure everyone that they will get their prizes. I finally delivered Bridger's prize to him last week--in person!

Thanks for playing, hope you all had a great Holiday!

Mysterious Object #6

2008-12-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the holidays,

the Mysterious Object game!

Come and play!

Just guess what this object is:

The most creative answer

and the correct answer

both win a super cool prize!

kool kinetic sculpture

2008-11-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

Super cool kinetic sculpture,

created with a series of metal balls suspended by strings.

Healthy Cheetos Recipe

2008-11-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

Carving Pumpkins

2008-10-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Carving

click on the link above to carve your own virtual pumpkin

random meme

2008-10-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a meme for a while, and this one seems to fit me--"the six random things" meme, sent by Jen. I'm supposed to write six unspectacular things about myself (easy), and then tag six other people--so, prepare to be unimpressed!

1) Monkeys delight me. Check it out:
cheeky monkeys

freaky monkeys

monkey business

2) I have an unhealthy addiction to two "foods", I put quotes around the word food, because I'm not sure they actually food products. I know they don't have any nutritional quality, and am sure they will lead to my demise. Still, I eat them until they make me sick, then swear I will quit, all the while knowing I can't, and dreaming about my next fix.

3) I still dream of being able to tap dance someday, and do fancy tricks.

4) I love Bollywood (who doesn't?)

5) I'm easily distracted by shiny things.

Glass Bird Sculpture by Shane Fero

6) I watch cartoons with my boys, and like it.

six people tagged to do the meme:
Jani, Shankar, Alina Moran, Hatee, River, and Judy.

The Raven

2008-10-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

It's become a Halloween tradition to post a rendition of Edgar Allen Poe's, "The Raven", on the Raven*s Nest.

Here's this years version, enjoy:

DEBATE 08

2008-10-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

music exchange

2008-09-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I'm wild about music (who isn't?). And one day a friend came up with the idea of a music exchange. This isn't a new idea--I've made many a mix tape in my day--but haven't really done an exchange. So far, I've done this with two friends, and how delightful it was! And is! New music for my library! Hurray! If you'd like to participate in such an exchange, please email me--let's share and make the world a better place.

Thanks again to Maria and Gaetan!
This is a thank you leaf I drew for Maria.

question?

2008-09-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Do I sound like I'm trying to be cool with my philosophical questions on my last two posts?
Should I just have posts from now on in question form?
Will it trick people into thinking I'm more intelligent?

And while I'm on the subject, Rowan asked Brian an important and perplexing question the other day:
"Which is more powerful dad, an atom bomb, or the force (starwars)?"

TACO TOWN!
(I'll be screaming this more often)

taco town

2008-09-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

In the chaos of the economy, will American's become more frugal?

Or we continue in our over indulgence?

Playing dirty to become President

2008-09-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

Has it really gotten to the point where you HAVE to play dirty
in order to win the Presidency of the United States?

Notice the difference in the two ads.

LARPING

2008-09-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

I rented a documentary this weekend,

and was introduced to the wierd (and sad) world of

LARP

which stands for,

Live Action Role Playing

Monster Camp

In Larping, the players physically portray characters in a fictional setting, improvising their characters' speech and movements. In this particular documentary group, a 200 page rule book was used. With these guidelines, the plot writer's framed the weekend-long game introducing certain characters into a storyline.

People become totally immersed in these imaginary worlds. At one point in the documentary, a player tells about how his eight year old daughter came to him and told him he was spending to much time on the computer playing games, instead of spending time with her. His solution? He bought another computer to fix up so they could play together.

Larp death by Lightning Bolt

Jackie Chan

2008-08-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

The recent Olympics have reminded me of one of my favorite Chinese movie stars, Jackie Chan. He's an amazingly disciplined martial artist, stuntman, comedian, and he's ALWAYS smiling... unless he's breaking his body in some way during a crazy stunt.

Top 10 Jackie Chan Stunts

#5 MYSTERIOUS WINNERS!

2008-08-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

And....the Mysterious Object #5, was....

MARBLES

And the fancy pants winners are:

BRIDGER, right on the money! Well done my friend,
I tip my hat to you.

And the most creative answer goes to,
JANI and offspring,

"a frogs throat while it's croaking"

Just because the image of such a brightly colored croaking amphibian delights me.

Please email me your addresses so I can send you your super neat prize,

which, of course, is a bag of fancy marbles.

Thank you so much to all who participated, you really are all winners! And getting quite creative with your answers!

Mysterious Object #5

2008-08-19T09:49:00.001-07:00

What is it? Or, what could it be?

Take a guess, win an exciting prize!

The correct answer, and most creative answer

both win a prize!

Previous Mysterious Object game winners:

#1,

#2,

#3,

a slight change

2008-08-11T09:07:00.001-07:00

I thought something was missing...

Wall Animation

2008-08-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

By blublu.org

GREEN TREE

2008-08-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

Today I sat down at the computer and made this illustration,

just for fun,

to one of my favorite Chinese proverbs:

"Keep a green tree in your heart,

and perhaps a singing bird will come"

After I finished it, I realized, I have made this image before!
Last year, I did the computer sketch below, to send to a friend.

And, the painted illustration below
was made a few years ago
as a Christmas present for my brother and sister in law.

I guess I'll keep unconsciously painting or illustrating it,
every year or so,
until I get it right!

(or a singing bird comes and pecks my eyes out)

dope indeed

2008-08-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

T-shirt fix from Threadless

For Brian (who happens to work for the forest service and is a scout master)

And for me

Sego Lily

2008-07-28T08:16:00.001-07:00

We went camping this weekend over the 24th of July,

and I thought it fitting to post these photo's I took.

It is the Sego Lily, the State flower of Utah.

By an act of the Utah State Legislature, approved on March 18, 1911, the sego lily was declared to be the State floral emblem. Kate C. Snow, President of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, in a letter dated April 17, 1930, says that "between 1840 and 1851" food became very scarce in Utah due to a crop-devouring plague of crickets, and that "the families were put on rations, and during this time they learned to dig for and to eat the soft, bulbous root of the sego lily. The memory of this use, quite as much as the natural beauty of the flower, caused it to be selected in after years by the Legislature as the floral emblem of the State." The sego lily was made the official state flower after a census was taken of the state's school children as to their preference for a state flower. The sego lily, Calochortus nuttalli, has white, lilac, or yellow flowers and grows six to eight inches high on open grass and sage rangelands in the Great Basin during the summer months. (http://www.50states.com/flower/utah.htm)

in your FACE

2008-07-18T13:41:00.001-07:00

I've started to collect photo's of faces
when I go to museums,for my art classes
(I got a job teaching art part time at the middle school).
These were collected at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.

I also had this picture taken of me for the blog
with this mask of a raven.

Summer

2008-06-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

Water Balloon Fun

slow motion water balloon not popping

fancy melons

2008-06-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

It's hip to be square

Farmers in the southern Japanese town of Zentsuji have figured out how to grow their watermelons so they turn out square. It's not a fad. The technique actually has practical applications. "The reason they're doing this in Japan is because of lack of space," said Samantha Winters of the National Watermelon Promotion Board in Orlando, Florida.
A fat, round watermelon can take up a lot of room in a refrigerator, and the usually round fruit often sits awkwardly on refrigerator shelves.

But clever Japanese farmers have solved this dilemma by forcing their watermelons to grow into a square shape. Farmers insert the melons into square, tempered glass cases while the fruit is still growing on the vine. The square boxes are the exact dimensions of Japanese refrigerators, allowing full-grown watermelons to fit conveniently and precisely onto refrigerator shelves. But cubic fruit comes with a caveat: Each square watermelon costs 10,000 yen, the equivalent of about $82. Regular watermelons in Japan cost from $15 to $25 each. (CNN.com)

(thanks to Rhonda for sending it)

MYSTERIOUS OBJECT #4

2008-06-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

The Mysterious Object was..... (drum roll):

A four row beaded weld
on a bridge

Thanks for all of you who played. There were many creative answers this time around, however, there can only be two winners.

For the most correct guess: the winner is:

GAETAN "scales of an iron fish"
It's not very close to the exact answer, but I gave it to him because he at least was specific about the material, iron.

For the most creative guess: the winner is:

MCKELL "I think it is a close up of a sweet French braid wrapped neatly atop one of the lovely FLDS ladies that I saw on the news."

FLDS women's braids

The lucky winner's receive:
A Bridge Over Troubled Water CD

CONGRATULATIONS!

Mysterious Object #4

2008-05-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

BLOG GAME FUN!

Look at the photo below,
make your guess as to what

the mysterious object is.

Prizes will be awarded for

the correct answer,

and the most creative answer.

Everyone is welcome to play!

Good Luck!

Past winners:
Mysterious Object #1
Mysterious Object #2
Mysterious Object #3

I love birds

2008-05-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

the amazing
Lyre Bird

Mother's Day

2008-05-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

"Of all the rights of women,
the greatest is to be a mother."

Lin Yutang

iris

2008-05-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Smell this...

These iris' were growing in our front yard, so I picked a few to bring inside.

They have such a unique smell. It was fun for people to walk by them and ask what the smell was. I don't know if I'd call it a beautiful smell, but it's an interesting one.

nesting

2008-04-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

It's the time of year

where little bits of eggshells
can be found in new green grass,
underneath big trees.

River found this nest
and egg after a gusty wind.
I love the bits of plastic,
string, feathers and grasses
used in its construction,
and am always amazed
at the softness.

from cyberspace to real life

2008-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first person that I've met on the Internet and then in real life. You always wonder if people will be the same in person as they present themselves in cyberspace, so it was quite exciting to meet Judy. I met her through my friend Maria's blog (also an Internet friend), who posted a spot on Judy and her water projects. From there, we made a connection and have emailed a bit back and forth. You'd think that I was meeting people all the time on the Internet, which isn't true. I'm actually a little leery of it, and am still skeptical about how people present themselves in the computer world, and how that matches up with who they really are. I have met a few people though, and I'd like to think we all get connected for a reason.

So, I met Judy, she was delightful--even more lovely in real life than her impressive Internet persona.

And the India food was delicious!

impossible ideal

2008-04-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

2008-04-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

I love this video so much. I am still so curious as to what they are singing about and what the dummy has to do with it? Can anyone give any insight? I think this will be Brian and I's costume for Halloween next year. I will start practicing the dance moves to go with it. Although it might be tricky finding Brian some silver-heeled shoes.

Best Friends Forever

2008-04-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

The latest tee I've purchased, entitled,

"best friends forever"

from Threadless

Part of my naive,
overly optomistic
"Can't We All Just Get Along?"
campaign.

Deeper Underground

2008-03-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

A crafty leprechaun must have tricked me into thinking that shoving 3 pounds of leftover green pasta (from our St. Patrick's Day dinner) and all of the other old food in the fridge, was a good idea, because it clogged our sink, thoroughly--and right before we left for Spring Break. We tried for hours to unclog it, but to no avail, so we left. Returning a week later, my Dad, Frank (not to be confused with my plumber, who is also named, Frank), told us to hook up the garden hose to the drain to flush out the clog.

This was the hose experiment.

Going deeper underground.

BUNCO!

2008-03-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

So, I got invited to be in a bunco group--
What is "BUNCO" you ask?

Bunco (also Bunko and Bonko) is a parlour game played in teams with three dice. A winning throw in Bunco is to throw three of a kind of a specified number.

According to the World Bunco Association, Bunco began as a progressive dice game in England, later being imported to the American West as a gambling activity. It was not until after the Civil War that it evolved to a popular parlor game. The Association states that during Prohibition, Bunco as a gambling game was re-popularized and the term "Bunco-Squad" was born, referring to law-enforcement groups that busted up Bunco Gaming. Bunco as a family game saw a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s. Although re-released in 2005 with a tagline reading "The game that's sweeping the nation," sales were initially low though senior citizens and young adults alike have found interest in the game.

In recent years, the game has seen a resurgence in popularity in America, particularly among suburban women. As it is played today, Bunco is a social dice game involving 100% luck and no skill (there are no decisions to be made), scoring and a simple set of rules. Women who are part of a Bunco club take turns as the Bunco hostess, providing snacks, refreshments and the tables to set up the games. The hostess may also provide a door prize. (wikipedia)

It was my turn to "host" last night, and only the second time I've played, so I was a little nervous. I have tendency to plan crazy parties, and wondered what the group would think of the shenanigans I had in store for them. Who would have thought that such sweet and polite ladies would have such a delightfully spicy side to them!

Thanks to all the girls for coming and playing along with my "pajama party" theme night, and for helping clean up afterwards.

I hope you all had as much fun as I did!

(This video is rated PG-13, due to partial fake nudity)

Yea for japanime!

2008-03-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

Bobobo-bo bo Bo-bo

Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo is a comedy influenced by Japanese manzai humor that uses puns, double-talk, breaking of the fourth wall, non-sexualized cross-dressing, visual gags, and satirical and pop-culture references, which makes its random humor very specific to Japanese audiences.

The plot:
In the year 300X, the entire world is under the tyrannical rule of the Maruhage Empire, and their ruler, Tsuru Tsurulina IV. His malicious Hair Hunt troop, which ranges from basic soldiers, to block Commanders, and the insidious Heavenly Kings (Big Four), ruthlessly hair hunts innocent bystanders, leaving the people bald and their villages in ruins. Standing against this evil regime is the heroic, but bizarre, rebel, Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo, who fights the Hair Hunt Troop with his powerful Hanage Shinken (Fist of the Nose Hair) as well as the bizarre battle abilities known as Hajike (Wiggin'). Initially joined by the normal teen girl Beauty, the smelly teen warrior Heppokomaru and the similarly bizarre Hajike leader Don Patch, Bo-Bobo is on an exciting, gag-filled quest to deliver his own hairy brand of justice to evildoers everywhere. (wikipedia)

Winners! Mysterious Object #3

2008-03-10T10:00:00.001-07:00

Last week's Mysterious

(and controversial)

Object was:

The white rhino

that is on exhibit

at the BYU Bean Museum.

There's been all sorts of controversy surrounding

the rhinocerous, you can read all about it here, and here.

The rhino seems apathetic to it all.

Congratulations to the big winners!

the creative winning answer goes to:

Noah

"a rock with needles in it"

and the correct answer goes to:

Miranda

(she's good at this game)
"the rhino being stuffed at the Bean Museum"

The winners receive:

a brain stress ball

It will be mailed to you shortly! enjoy!

A Bean Museum high five, to the winners!

Mysterious Object #3

2008-03-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

Time for a new image

for the wildly popular blog game,

"mysterious object".

Object #3

Everyone can play, but only two will win! The person who guesses the closest correct answer, and the one who has the most creative answer, both will be mailed a super exciting prize (see posts below for previous winners). And incidentally, it is becoming quite a popular game--for more fun, swing by Ingrid's blog!

My Meaty Valentine

2008-02-26T12:33:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind on my blogging, but just had to post

these important Valentines Day tips.

Tip #1: If you really love someone, make them a meatloaf in the shape of a heart. For added pleasure, put cheese in it, and add decorative catchup touches. Nothing says "I Love You" more than cheesy meat--

in the shape of a heart.

(my mother-in-law thought of this brilliant idea
when she had a young family, and I thought I should
carry on the meaty tradition)

Tip #2: Show your love by giving people heart attacks.

The feeble and elderly especially love

heart attacks.

BOX

2008-02-19T17:51:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the box is funner/funnier than the toy inside! My son got this robot from his grandmother for his birthday--

The Mini Heroism Warrior

(as good as a play android).

As you can see, with this robot, you can
"master of the future world which is like light speed,
be confident for ever,
and be splendid all the time"!
(I've adopted this inspirational saying as my personal mantra)

It is truly a robot of artistic level.

Hearty

2008-02-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

I love you, heart

Amazing Heart Facts

Sure, you know how to steal hearts, win hearts, and break hearts. But how much do you really know about your heart and how it works? Read on to your heart's content!

Put your hand on your heart. Did you place your hand on the left side of your chest? Many people do, but the heart is actually located almost in the center of the chest, between the lungs. It's tipped slightly so that a part of it sticks out and taps against the left side of the chest, which is what makes it seem as though it is located there.

Hold out your hand and make a fist. If you're a kid, your heart is about the same size as your fist, and if you're an adult, it's about the same size as two fists.

Your heart beats about 100,000 times in one day and about 35 million times in a year. During an average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times.

Give a tennis ball a good, hard squeeze. You're using about the same amount of force your heart uses to pump blood out to the body. Even at rest, the muscles of the heart work hard--twice as hard as the leg muscles of a person sprinting.

Feel your pulse by placing two fingers at pulse points on your neck or wrists. The pulse you feel is blood stopping and starting as it moves through your arteries. As a kid, your resting pulse might range from 90 to 120 beats per minute. As an adult, your pulse rate slows to an average of 72 beats per minute.

The aorta, the largest artery in the body, is almost the diameter of a garden hose. Capillaries, on the other hand, are so small that it takes ten of them to equal the thickness of a human hair.

Your body has about 5.6 liters (6 quarts) of blood. This 5.6 liters of blood circulates through the body three times every minute. In one day, the blood travels a total of 19,000 km (12,000 miles)--that's four times the distance across the US from coast to coast.

The heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood during an average lifetime--that's enough to fill more than 3 super tankers.

(Originally appeared on the NOVA Web site Cut to the Heart.)

LOVE IS NOT ALL

2008-02-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

Love Is Not All
by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink
Nor slumber nor a roof against the rain;
Nor yet a floating spar to men that sink
And rise and sink and rise and sink again;
Love can not fill the thickened lung with breath,
Nor clean the blood, nor set the fractured bone;
Yet many a man is making friends with death
Even as I speak, for lack of love alone.
It well may be that in a difficult hour,
Pinned down by pain and moaning for release,
Or nagged by want past resolution's power,
I might be driven to sell your love for peace,
Or trade the memory of this night for food.
It well may be. I do not think I would.

Rocky Mountain Columbine

2008-01-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

Art is the unceasing effort

to compete with

the beauty of flowers

and never succeeding.

Marc Chagall

I've been trying to "practice" this past week, doing some small paintings of local native flowers, but the quote
above always comes to mind. Nonetheless,
it's been enjoyable. This flower is,
Aquilegia caerulea, or the Rocky Mountain Columbine.

*Winter Blue Hue

2008-01-24T18:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Hyacinthus Orientalis.

You're fragrant blue lovliness

has brightened the cold winter week.

“If I had but two loaves of bread,
I would sell one and buy hyacinths,
for they would feed my soul.”
Mohammad

*To cure the winter blues, I suggest buying a hyacinth, sitting by it and painting, while smelling it's fragrance and listening to beautiful music.

Thinking Differently

2008-01-17T18:21:00.000-08:00

Jen has tagged me with this, "Think Differently" meme. The challenge is to think differently about an aspect of your life. I laugh about this a bit, because the first thing that came to my mind was that throughout my life, I've always felt that I've fought my brains natural "different thinkingness". I could give many examples, of how I would get question marks, or F's, or "come see me" notes written on college papers, and after going in to talk with the professors, realized that I had just interpreted the assignment or information in the wrong way. Awkward conversations, or strange looks when I've misunderstood or translated social situations. Being delighted and amused at things that for most are not delightful or amusing. It has made me get used to making a fool of myself, asking many crazy questions, and laughing about my many gaffe's. In college, my mother thought that I should get tested for learning disabilities (a sibling in high school had been tested and my mother thought I had similar issues). I thought it would be hilarious. So, on my 22nd birthday, I was. And to make a long story short, the tester exclaimed, "I can't believe how well you've done through school!". I'd learned how to compensate. Yes, my dreams of becoming a Physicist were dashed, but, my bizarre brain has lent it's self well to life in other aspects. I'm learning to accept and embrace my different thinkingness, and harness brain's creativity for the use of good. Which makes me think of my husband, Brian's, social security card, it's hilariously misprinted as: Brain Edwards Murdock, instead of, Brian Ed Murdock. Which makes me think of another funny thing, Brian made a misprint on his resume once that said that he, "worked extensively with the pubic"! Pubic, tee-he-he!...Sometimes I love you brain.

I'm supposed to tag others, and all of you that I tag know that you are under no obligation:
What fun things are going on in Ingrid, Emily, Jen (Melody), Inga, Star, and Ashli's brains?

rules:
*Write a new blog post about thinking differently.
*Include a link and/or trackback to the blogger who tagged you.
*At the end of your post, go ahead and tag some fellow bloggers. Don’t forget to let them know they have been tagged.

Winners! of "Mysterious Object #2"

2008-01-15T11:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all who played!

And Mysterious Object #2, was,

A weathered window screen.

And the winners are:

Miranda, for the closest correct answer,
Some kind of drapery or window coverings.

Alex, for the creative answer,

An Elton John hair weave from the 70's.

It reminded me of an intricate web,

woven by a reincarnated Frank Lloyd Wright spider.

So, the winners receive:

Stained Glass Window Designs of Frank Lloyd Wright (Dover Coloring Book)
Which will be mailed to you within the month.
enjoy!

Mysterious Object #2

2008-01-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

The second object in the

wildly entertaining Raven's * Nest blog game.

Both the correct, and the most creative answer, win a prize.

good luck!

The closing date for guesses will be January 14th.

Christmas around the world, Qatar

2007-12-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

Shankar took these photo's of Christmas in Qatar, where he lives and works. He explained that,

"Qatar's National Day and Eid fell in the week before Christmas, so we got a week off, but not Christmas. The week leading up to Christmas was very jolly. Then we had to go back to work on Christmas Day."

"This is a photo of me in front of the giant Christmas tree at the Villaggio Mall in Doha. That's about it for Christmas in this part of the world. It is a bit of a desert for public displays of Christmas festivity."

Thank you, Shankar!

Christmas Around the World--Phillippines

2007-12-24T08:39:00.001-08:00

Ana Marie, sent me these lovely photographs, and shares some of the Christmas traditions from The Philippines.

She explains:

Christmas season starts Sept. and ends January 6 ( 3 Kings). On the 16th of Dec. "Simbang Gabi" (Midnight Mass - 4 am in the morning) starts and ends at midnight of the Dec. 24th. Catholic faith tradition . During the Spanish time, farmers need to get up so early to hear mass before they go to the field. And that is how it started.

Midnight of the 24th we celebrate the Noche Buena, it is a midnight festival for the family. We stay up awake until the midnight of the 24th of Dec. to celebrate the first hour of Christmas. At this time, families gather together for exchange gifts and then have a midnight dinner together.

You will get satiated with foods...Filipinos love foods and singing. And some of our delicacies, it is called "puto and bibingka", it is a rice cakes and very delicious.

Filipino Christmas lanterns and a typical small stalls are found outside the Catholic churches, after the Simbang Gabi, you have the privilege to buy something in the stalls nearby.

Maligayang Pasko!

Thank you Ana!

Christmas Around the World, France

2007-12-22T10:57:00.001-08:00

Photo's and descriptions, of the enchanting city of

Aix en Provence, France

by, Gaetan, who lives there.

A photo taken on the street in Aix....saturday morning, market day, and one of the last saturdays before xmas, many people in town. Most of the main streets are decorated with lovely leafy garlands and lights.

it is very pretty

This desert tart is full on! Using all (well nearly all)
the elements of what is traditional in Provence, called the thirteen deserts, "les treize deserts". I don't know exactly what all of the elements are, but they are usually dried fruits, nuts, mandarins, and are presented on a canned tray.

Delicious! Thank you, Gaetan!

Chirstmas Around the World, England

2007-12-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Alex, for sending these beautiful photographs he took of the Tower of London, where he works.

In his own words:
Tower 001 is the White Tower and Tower Bridge in the background. To the right of the Christmas tree is a round thing. This is a monument to the people who were beheaded at the Tower, all seven of them, including two Queens of England (three if you include Lady Jane Grey) who were all executed on that spot. Lucky them.

Tower 002 is the White Tower and Tower Bridge. This is pretty much the view from my office. Lucky me.

Tower 003 is Tower Green. You can see the execution site in the foreground. In the left of the picture are a few older towers and together these are known as the Bloody Tower and it is alleged that the princes in the Tower (fantastic story) were kept there before they conveniently disappeared.

The houses in the background date back to the late 16th/early 17th century. That is how most of London looked before the Great Fire in 1666 when it all turned to ash and cinders. The Tower escaped the inferno and so they're about the only surviving houses in London of that era. Lucky Tower.

Birds in black

2007-12-13T18:01:00.000-08:00

"There's much more to Raven's than just birds in black"

PBS program on Raven's

snow crystals

2007-12-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

Designer Snowflakes

"While studying the physics of how snow crystals form and grow, I also became interested in the art of growing synthetic snowflakes. These are basically identical to what falls from the sky, except they are made in the lab under controlled conditions. I also like to call them designer snowflakes, since in principle one could design whatever shape one wanted ... within the bounds of the crystal-growing physics, of course." (snowcrystals.com)

....of course.

"... the best electric needles grow only when certain chemical vapors are added to the diffusion chamber. Silicone caulk vapor seems to work best, although acetic acid does almost as well, and even gasoline vapors do pretty well. This trick allowed us to produce high-quality electric needles much more reliably than before." (snowcrystals.com)

Snowflake growing movies

Bah Humbug

2007-12-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

tee-hee-hee!

SCROOGE Yourself

Since I've posted this, I've seen it on a million blogs and emails--but I still think it's disturbingly delightful.

thanks jen

super neat teat PRIZE!

2007-12-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

And the winner's receive

Bag Balm!

a product that has been helping cow teats from becoming chapped, since 1899. Ingrid and Reno don't have to use it on their own teats, but it has many practical uses.

I used it on my hands when they were dry and sore from spinning pots on the wheel. It not only soothed my hurting hands, but helped them become luxuriously soft and milky.

"If you suffer from the heartbreak

of chapped hands or rough and horny feet,

or if your milk cow has a caked bag,

bunches, and sore and tender teats,

this is the product for you. "

(log cabin chronicles)

Hope you enjoy your "teat", I mean "treat" (wink, wink)

Winners!

2007-12-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who played along

in the first game of,

"Mysterious Object".

And the mysterious object was:

A lovely bronze statuette of a sow

And the grand prize winner's are:

Reno, for the correct guess--

a sow's nipples

Ingrid, for the most creative guess--

the teeth of Romulus and Remuses she wolf mother

(please e-mail me your addresses

so I can send your very exciting prizes)

And never fear, you'll all have another chance to win,

a super neat prize in upcoming installments

of the wildly popular blog game:

Mysterious Object

game ON

2007-11-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

a NEW raven's nest game,

for all of my fine feathered friends

What is pictured below?

* The most creative answer, and the correct answer,

both win a super-neat prize! (super)

2007-11-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

try to not get jiggy with this! (it's a challenge)

for more of Greg Pattillo, listen his beatbox flute playing here

meme

2007-11-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

what is a meme?

Richard Dawkins coined the term meme, which first came into popular use with the publication of his book The Selfish Gene in 1976. Dawkins used the term to refer to any cultural entity (such as a song, an idea or a religion) that an observer might consider a replicator.

When it comes to blogging, a meme could be an idea, subject, picture, etc. that spreads from one blog to another replicating and evolving as it goes. While other's purposefully start their own list of questions, calling it a 'meme', with the hope of spreading it as far throughout the blogging world as possible.

I've been tagged by Jen. That means I am supposed to answer the meme questions, and then tag others to answer them in order to spread the meme. I'm not a big blog meme fan, but every once in a while I indulge.

CRAZY 8's MEME

8 things I'm passionate about:
1) my luvah
2) my posse
3) spirituality
4) learning
5) creating
6) sharing
7) growing
8) laughing

8 things I say often:
1) What did I just say?
2) That's quite disturbing.
3) Delightful!
4) Delightfully disturbing!
5) Was that a good choice?
6) River, I mean Ridge, I mean Rowan, I mean Ryder--whatever your name is...
7) I'm always calling things by their action, because I can't remember their proper name, like: foodgrinder (disposal), clencher (any tool that 'clenches', like a wrench), and just today I asked Brian where a poker-stick-slicker was, the tool is apparently called a putty knife.
8) I also try to use cliche's or other figures of speech but never get them quite right, like: "You have a real hawk's eye" (instead of eagle eye), or "Shiver me gizzards" (instead of shiver me timbers), etc...

8 books I've read recently:
1) What's Your Dangerous Idea? by John Brockman
2) 28 Artists and 2 Saints, by Joan Acocella
3) The Art of Encaustic Painting, by Joanne Mattera
4) Mere Christianity, by by C. S. Lewis
5) Persuasion, by Jane Austen
6) My friend is Sad, by Mo Willems
7) The Happy Hockey Family, by by Lane Smith
8) Fall is not Easy, by Marty Kelley

8 things I want to do before I die:
1) find the cure for death so I can do more things.

8 Songs I can listen to over and over again
1) Chopin - Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4
2) any of Chopin's Nocturne's
3) Carmina Burana by Carl Orff
4) Vivaldi's Four Seasons
5) almost anything by Caetano Veloso
6) Help Me, Hurt, and many others by Johnny Cash
7) Indian/Hindi music, like this
8) Ella's voice

8 things that attract me to my friends
1) goodness
2) mercyness
3) funniness
4) unhautiness
5) smartness
6) clarityness
7) optimisticness
8) adventuriness

8 things I learned in the last year:
1) Kids actually do put things in their nose that shouldn't be there, just to see if they fit.
2) No matter how long I grow out my hair it will never be thick and luxurious.
3) You probably shouldn't knock out supporting beams in your house just to see what will happen.
4) Where to buy a house meth testing kit, and how to use one.
5) Apparently some people shoot down their Christmas trees with a shotgun, instead of cutting them down with a hand saw.
6) It's kinda fun to paint on gourds, and watch people wear gourds at a gourd festival.
7) If you're just as crazy as crazy people, they usually will let you photograph them.
8) We really need to floss more as a family.

Now comes the part where I tag (torture) 8 other people:

Reno/Star
Mckell
Ty/Bre
Todd/Ash
Emily
Jani
Jen/Melody
Miranda

unadorned adornment

2007-11-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

For loveliness Needs not

the foreign aid of ornament,

But is when unadorned

adorned the most.
James Thomson (1700 - 1748)

photo's by Brian

The Raven

2007-11-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Vincent

Vincent reading, "The Raven"

by Edgar Allan Poe

Happy Halloween

2007-10-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

Festival Footage

2007-10-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

Gourdeous Gourds

Gourdalicious

2007-10-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

The finished product for the Gourd Festival silent auction.

I went with a simple gourd leaf design.

This is my first attempt

at the art of painting on plants.

select a candidate 2008

2007-10-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

Which candidate best fit's you?

Take this quiz to find out

(thanks to dad)

update on Jim

2007-10-12T14:36:00.001-07:00

I've finally delivered Jim's photo and thank you bag to him. We've been looking for him for quite a while. The librarian said that he had been ill and was ordered to stay at home while contagious (respiratory cold). But he's back in his corner chair looking healthy. When I gave him his picture he perked up and said with a surprised look, "That's me!", and "When did you take it?". I asked him if I could get another picture, a happier one. I think he does look more engaged and pleasant this time. I told him I would bring him more pictures, he just nodded yes and went back to reading his paper. His corner is dark, but the light was soft and nice so I refrained from using a flash, resulting in some blurriness.

attack of the birds!

2007-10-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

My dream halloween costume! But I just can't bring myself to spend $50.00 on such an extravagance!

www.orientaltrading.com

pumpkin patch

2007-10-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

grandma and grandpa nackos' pumpkin patch

pumpkin tree?

local newspaper ads

2007-10-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

I would love to meet the author of this advertisement,

and the woman who answers it.

Castle Valley Gourd Festival here we come!

make believe not war

2007-10-03T13:12:00.001-07:00

this hat

2007-09-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

I admired this man's hat from afar the other day at lunch, and asked if I could take a picture. Look at the glory of the polka dots and western wear combo! Apparently this type of hat is popular with welders and horse packers in the west. Who knew? (apparantly Brian did--know it all!). The contrasting flamboyance with the welding/horseman manliness is perfection!

welding caps

faux fur

2007-09-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

Spice up your decor

http://www.omodern.com/

Pictures on Walls

2007-09-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Great idea! A website collection of walls and graffiti.

http://www.picturesofwalls.com/

Ascot

2007-09-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

Another interesting article of clothing, the Ascot

all about ascots

Ascot: n. A broad scarf or necktie worn looped under the chin so that the ends are laid flat, one across the other. So called from the fashionable dress worn at the Ascot races.
--The Random House College Dictionary

Autumn Punch

2007-09-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Autumn Punch

servings: 7

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Honey
3/4 cup Lemon juice
6 Whole cardamom seeds
3 3-inch sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon Whole allspice
2 teaspoons Whole cloves
1 1/2 quarts Cranberry juice
5 cups Apple cider
5 cups Apricot nectar
3 quarts Ginger ale
Crushed ice

Directions:Combine first 6 ingredients in a saucepan;

bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Strain and discard spices. Chill. Combine chilled

mixture with remaining juices and ginger ale.

Serve over crushed ice. Yield: 7-1/2 quarts.

flora's drink hideout

tee-aholic

2007-09-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

t-shirt aholics unite!

If you share this unhealthy obsession, please join,

and together we'll explore the world beyond t-shirts:

ruffled blouses, collar dickies, komono's,

tunics, moo moos, and more.

singing bird

2007-09-21T09:12:00.001-07:00

Keep a green tree in your heart,

and perhaps a singing bird will come.

Chinese proverb

Archibald Leach

2007-09-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

How much do you know about Archie?

The Debonair Mr. Grant Quiz:

http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz22537619ce208.html

The Ravenmaster

2007-09-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

My new dream job, Yeoman Warder RAVENMASTER.

Derrick Coyle, is the man who is the current Ravenmaster, feeding and caring for the raven's at the Tower of London. Legend has it that if the birds leave the site, its White Tower will crumble and the Kingdom of England will fall. Mr. Coyle's duties include chopping the raw meat he buys from Smithfield Meat Market to feed the birds, filling their water bowls, and generally keeping an eye on them as he performs his other tasks as one of the Tower's 35 Yeoman Warders, or Beefeaters. It can be a long day. The ravens are out in the grounds from dawn until dusk, when they are locked up to protect them from roaming foxes or feral cats. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4098894.stm)

The ravens' names/gender/age are (as of November 2006)
Gwylum (M/18 yrs)
Thor (M/15)
Hugin (F/11)
Munin (F/11)
Branwen (F/3 yrs)
Bran (M/3)
Gundulf (M/1)
Baldrick (M/1).
The oldest raven ever to serve at the Tower of London was called Jim Crow, who died at the age of 44. (Wikipedia)

quote of the day

2007-09-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Can you relate?

Only in a thoroughly unrelated world
can we poison nature without conscience,
neglect our children and the poor,
and righteously slay thousands of enemy soldiers
because we don't have the patience
or imagination for negotiation.

Thomas Moore

Portrait of Jim

2007-09-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

Jim

Jim spends most of his day at the library. He has a small plastic sack full of his belongings, a cup of water, and a pile of books. He sits in a recliner in a quiet, out of the way corner. I asked if I could take his portrait and he agreed. The only thing I could understand him say was his name.

Portrait of Tree

2007-09-12T15:08:00.001-07:00

Tree

Meet, Tree,

another interesting character in town.

He lives in Moab, and everywhere,

sometimes on the west coast,

sometimes on the east.

Sea Creatures

2007-09-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

Examples of how FACT is stranger than FICTION

FACT: Pitting two hands against thousands of stinging tentacles, a diver attaches a tracking device to a giant Nomura's jellyfish off the coast of Japan on October 4, 2005.
Since last summer, Japanese waters have been inundated with the massive sea creatures, which can grow 6.5 feet (2 meters) wide and weigh up to 450 pounds (220 kilograms).

FICTION: SPONGEBOB

FACT: The titan triggerfish, is the largest of the triggerfish species and can grow up to 75 cm in length (30 inches). The fish can be very aggressive towards divers and snorkellers, especially during reproduction season. It is very territorial and will guard its nest vigorously against any intruders. Due to its size and strong teeth it can inflict serious injury. Bites may also be ciguatoxic (poisonous).

FICTION: SLEESTACKS

Portrait of John

2007-09-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Interesting characters

Portraits of John

John 7:24

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

My parents and I were downtown looking at galleries, when we ran into John. I got up the courage to ask if I could photograph him. We talked of conspiracy theories, places he's lived (all across the United States), and jobs he's had--he said he's done everything but mining and shrimp farming. We see him walking all over town, usually in a huge down coat or vest even in the middle of summer.

Thunder Mountain

2007-08-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

Another interesting place we've found in our journeys.

Thunder Mountain

The older boys admiring a concrete sculpture

Grandma and the younger boys

checking out the glass bottle construction

A bottles-eye view

The artist, Frank Van Zant

or Chief Rolling Thunder Mountain

Van Zant dropped out of divinity school and traded in his Bible for a badge. Law enforcement suited him, and for two decades he served as a sheriff’s deputy in Sutter County, working out of Yuba City, California. In 1960 he ran for the office of sheriff, but narrowly lost. He embarked on a second career as a private investigator, a vocation he pursued until he retired, remarried for the third time and set out for rural Nevada--where he would become reincarnated as Chief Rolling Thunder Mountain.

Why such a radical change of course in midlife? Printed accounts vary. Frank himself offered a variety of explanations, depending upon who was asking the questions and how much he felt like answering them. In one version, he said he had a dream one night that a “great big eagle” swooped down from the sky and told him “this is where I should build his nest.” (http://www.thundermountainmonument.com/index.htm)

and what a nest it is!

Elizabeth Bennet

2007-08-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Just for kicks, take the
"Which Jane Austen Character Are You?" quiz--

My results?

You are Eliza Bennett from Pride and Prejudice! Yay, you! Perhaps the brightest and best character in all of English literature, you are intelligent, lively, lovely-- in short, you are the best of company. Your only foibles are that you stick with your first impressions... and your family is quite intolerable.

(At least the last part is true! Just kidding, I'm the only intolerable one)

Do tell what your results are!

octogenarian choir

2007-08-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

Young@Heart

This is from a documentary shown on Channel 4 in the UK called 'Young@Heart'; the name of the New England octogenarian chorus line. The song is "Fix You", originally sung by the popular group, Cold Play. The performer is Fred Knittle, who suffers from congestive heart failure. This song was intended to be a duet between Fred and another chorus member, Bob Salvini. Sadly, Bob died of a heart attack and it was left to Fred to carry the song on his own.

raven series #1

2007-08-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a series of photographs with a raven and myself. Apparantly raven's don't like to be photographed. I've tried before, but usually get a picture of me running through the sagebrush, or a blurry black dot being chased by a blurry white blob. I settled for this one as the first. The tiny black dot on the rock, framed by my hands is the elusive Raven.

Time

2007-08-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

How do you spend your time?

List the amount of time you spend in weekly activities in hours.
Multiply your recurring daily activities by five (weekdays) or seven (weekly) to estimate the number of hours you engage in these recurring activities in a week.
Class time___
Study Time___
Employment/Internship___
Volunteer Activities___
Exercise___
Regularly scheduled functions
(clubs, church, etc.)___
Socializing with friends___
Chores and Errands___
Other___
Commuting/Travel time (multiplied by 5=)___
Meal preparation/eating (multiplied by 7=)___
Personal care (multiplied by 7=)___
Sleep (multiplied by 7=)___
Total :___
There are 168 hours in a week. Subtract Total from 168 = _____ Uncommitted hours

Linear time is a major feature of our Western cultural world-view, apparently initiated by Newton some 300 years ago. It portrays time as an absolute physical reality

(http://members.aol.com/rslts/crttime.html)

"Caught in this fabricated past and future, we are divided against ourselves. Our knowledge and energy are spread across the linear length of the temporal order. Thus, when we set a goal, we assign a part of our constructed identity to that goal. Now it is as though a part of us was 'out there' in the future along with our projection, pinned against the temporal horizon of the present moment." (Dynamics of Time and Space, Tarthang Tulku)

racist clips

2007-08-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Reno shared this view of "the Greek problem"...

And we can all learn some lessons from Albi...

Back to School

2007-08-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

In 2003, a "mediator" working as part of a government education program convinced a local voodoo priest in Koutagba, Benin, to permit one girl from every family to go to school. In her family, Nanavi was that girl. Three years later, 12-year old Nanavi experienced a devastating loss -- the death of her father -- that has left her family destitute. Although her mother managed to scrape together a few dollars for chalk and supplies with help from an uncle and the school, she may soon need Nanavi to work in the fields to ensure the family's survival.

The perfect program to watch with your kids before school starts.

From the, Wide Angle, program on pbs

The Issue

What would life be like without an education? Over a hundred million children learn the answer each year; of these, two thirds are girls. One in four children in developing countries does not complete five years of basic education and there are nearly one billion illiterate adults – one sixth of the world's people. Now 191 nations have set a goal of free and compulsory education for every child on earth by 2015. To test the reality of this commitment, Back to School travels to schoolrooms worldwide, offering a fascinating glimpse into the lives of very diverse children, all taking their hopeful first steps into an uncertain future.

The Film

Back to School is the second installment of Time for School, the multi-year project launched in 2003 when Wide Angle profiled seven children in seven countries – Afghanistan, Benin, Brazil, India, Japan, Kenya, and Romania – starting their first year of school, often despite great odds. Returning in 2006, we find that some are already hanging onto their enrollment by a thread. Thirteen-year-old Neeraj attends a special night school so she can work during the day, but extended trips to graze the livestock have arrested her progress. In Benin, Nanavi is the first girl from her family to enroll in school, but her father's death has made it difficult to afford the chalk and supplies. With over 100 million children around the globe out of school, Back to School puts a human face on an issue with profound consequences for global development.

See it here: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/school2/

This Anasazi ruin

2007-08-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

This Anasazi ruin photo was taken by Brian on his recent river trip down the San Juan. What a striking geometric adaptation to the landscape! One of my favorites.

Salvation Mountain

2007-08-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

We've been to a lot of crazy places in all of the little towns we've lived in. This is "Salvation Mountian", the creation of Leonard Knight, near Slab City in Southern California. That's me above, trying to catch a ride on the "God is Love" bus. We even got to meet Leonard, who gave us a tour of the place and let us come into the little dome house he lived in on the side of the mountain. He was very sweet.

Leonard Knight's "Salvation Mountain"

http://www.salvationmountain.us/

Painted Cats

2007-08-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

I recieved this email a while ago claiming that people were paying thousands of dollars to keep their cats painted in this elaborate manner. After looking around I found that they were not real painted cats, but the artwork of Heather Busch. Her manipulated photographs are funny and fantastic! The photo's are taken from the book, "Why Paint Cats: The Ethics of Feline Aesthetics", and is written in a way that fooled many into thinking it was real.

Heather Busch has been a visual artist for nearly 30 years and has a fascination for perceptions or paradigms that expand and entertain her thinking. A New Zealand resident, she obtained a fine arts degree in sculpture from Canterbury University in 1975 and has become internationally recognized for her paintings and photography.

Human Tetris

2007-08-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

This gem was found by Reno and Star. A japanese game show of human tetris.

I do love the silver outfits.

Senseless fun

2007-08-03T19:13:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Montse for this bit of fun! I love that I was matched with Betty Davis and John Cusack. I think that it's also very healthy to compare ourselves with celebrities :)