Month: April 2011

We finish the A to Z blogging challenge with The Corals That Tried To Kill Me. Most people call them Zoanthids (Order Zoantharia, genus Zoanthus). Order Zoantharia consists largely of colonial, tentacled polyp corals. Rather than describe their appearance in detail, I’ll do this: And this: Zoanthids produce palytoxin, one of the most toxic natural substances. The lethal dose for an adult human (technically the LD-50, for the chemistry geeks among us) is 8 micrograms. Ironically, the night I first blogged about palytoxin I also handled some corals with an open cut I didn’t know about (let’s hear it for

As the A to Z challenge draws to a close, I’m offering up a challenge of my own. Every one of you can take it, whether or not you have a blog. This weekend’s challenge is: Say Yes to someone. Yes, without qualifications. Many of us say “yes” all the time, but we do it with strings attached. “Yes, but,” “Yes, if,” “Yes, provided that…” We seldom say “yes” and follow through without reservation. For some of us the qualifications become almost second nature, to the point that we barely hear them even though they’re a common attachment to our

When I told Tesla I had decided to participate in an “A to Z Blogging Challenge,” his first comment was “good luck with X and Z.” Ironically, those were the two I already had planned, though not even I realized quite how appropriate my “X” would turn out to be. X is for Xenia – two ways. The Greek word “ξενία” (Xenia to the non-Greek speakers among us) means hospitality and generosity extended to visitors who are far from home. It encompasses responsibilities from hosts to guests, from guests to hosts, and the idea that a host should give a

I wage constant battles against the weeds – at work, at home, and in my writing too. Most of us live our lives in and out of the weeds. Things proceed smoothly for a time, but then “something” happens and we find ourselves reaching for the weed-whacker, hoping we can keep up with the overgrowth that popped up when we weren’t looking. Unfortunately, when the weeds get high our carefully-cultivated priorities become more difficult to see. They lurk beneath the thistles, choked by strangler vines and smothered in dandelion puffs. If we’re not careful, we pull them up or cut

We’re nearing the end of the A to Z blogging challenge, and today’s Tuesday Tank-Day Post is brought to you by the letter “V” and the violent lives of Phobos and Deimos the cleaner shrimp and my recently-acquired banded pipes – “Thing One & Thing Two:” I raised brackish pipefish many years ago, so I knew marine pipes were a challenge. Most pipefish are wild-caught (as opposed to farmed) and only eat live foods at first. In order to survive, they either have to be fed live food constantly or trained to eat frozen, pre-prepared foods (which isn’t as difficult

Tesla and I spent yesterday afternoon washing and waxing the cars (his car, my truck). This isn’t the usual Easter fare for our household, but after a very nice morning at church and some quiet reflection at home, Tesla wanted something to do and asked if the cars were an option. I’d planned to spend the afternoon reading, but the ham needed little supervision (ah, the joys of Honeybaked…) and I had no real reason to refuse. I could use the exercise and the truck could definitely use the attention. The sun was shining and with all the rain we’ve

The rare coincidence of a Saturday post, “T” and the day before Easter brings you: Triumphant. This weekend, Christian believers celebrate Easter, a holiday whose name may originate among pagan spring festivals, but which retains profound significance for millions of modern Christians around the world. We celebrate the crucifixion, death, and triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ, whose historical significance marks every life whether or not a person accepts Him as Lord. Modern celebrations feature everything from candy to the blue marshmallow Peeps slowly hardening on my counter-top this morning. (My husband couldn’t have Easter without them, so there they are.)

Thus begins (and ends) the declension* of “Squeegee.” For the three people out there who don’t know what I’m talking about, a “squeegee” is a handled tool (often metal or plastic) with a rubber blade used “to remove or control the flow of liquid on a flat surface.”  Most of us see and use them most commonly around windows. Since I needed an “S”-shaped dinglehopper (and yes, I know it’s Friday but Thursday was pre-empted by Tesla’s little mishap with the remote control), I thought I’d share a few facts about the squeegee: – The name is an onomoatopoeia –

One of the benefits of blogging is the occasional opportunity to share an embarrassing story that doesn’t involve my own many and varied faux pas. For example, this one, which fits today’s “R” theme to a tee R. R, for “Remote Control.” Tesla and I like to watch Top Shot, a History channel program involving marksmanship (and, to a lesser degree, sportsmanship…but I digress). It’s one of the few programs I watch regularly, though we normally catch it On Demand (it scares me that I can Wiki-link that concept) rather than live. Last Tuesday I left work early, however, and

… the way my cat shakes when the fish make her shiver. The cats aren’t allowed in my office. Since the aquarium went in, however, Oobie the Small has decided the rules don’t apply to her. She likes to sit on the desk and look out the window at the bird-and-squirrel feeder and she also likes to watch the tank – though she hasn’t quite decided how to deal with it. At first she sat and watched like she does the TV when animals come on the screen. She’ll park herself on the floor in front of the set and