October 30, 2007
Am I the only one who cannot remember to either a) run around the web checking all of my favorite blogs to see if they’ve been updated, or even b) open up an additional program (feed reader) to see what it has aggregated for me? The simple solution I found was Blogarithm, and I thought I’d share it in case any of my readers are in the same boat. It’s not as easy to add blogs as a feed reader would probably be (I have to either visit the Blogarithm website, or wait for the next email from them), but getting notification of new blog messages is really easy. Every day, I get an email that lists all of my blogs that have been updated, with the first few lines of the newest post (as of the mailing), and the post is hyperlinked so I can click to visit the blog if it looks interesting. Each blog is also accompanied by a drop-down list of several of the most recent posts, so I can jump directly to one of those if I like. The service is completely free, and it has been very handy for me. 
October 29, 2007
I posted a few days ago about the connection between the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Planned Parenthood. That post was used as a guest post on my sister’s blog, and one of her readers left a comment sharing a website I had not previously seen. If you would like to support the fight against breast cancer from a pro-life perspective, you might want to check out The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer.
October 29, 2007
“Dinkle” is Michael’s nickname for Sophia. It occurred to me not long ago that “My Daddy Calls Me Dinkle” just had a sort of “ring” to it, and I thought it might make a good title for a book for her. Then the first two lines of this popped into my head, and I thought, “poem,” so I worked this out. It’s a free verse poem that I am planning (somehow – haven’t figured that part out, yet) to make into a board book for Sophia. The plan is to use photos of her and of us. (By the way, there’s some formatting in the “curly…” part and in the last line that’s lost in posting; they should be spaced over.)
My Daddy Calls Me Dinkle
My daddy calls me, “Dinkle,”
With a twinkle in his eye.
He likes to hear me giggle
When I wriggle with delight.
My eyes are blue like his,
Which is, I guess, no big surprise.
Our hair is also curly
swirly
whirly
twirly
(Even once it dries.)
I have long feet and fingers,
So some people like to say
That maybe I will play the
Big piano well someday.
I drink my mama’s yummy milk
To keep my tiny tummy filled,
And when it’s time to go to bed,
I cover up my sleepy head.
When I awake, I kick my feet
To make a beat upon the sheet.
I like to grunt, and coo, and chatter,
Babble, squeal, and gibber-jabber.
My favorite toy’s a book
That crackles, crinkles when it wrinkles.
I also like to look into my mirror, and see
…Dinkle!
October 28, 2007
My fantasy season is not going well. 
 I was pretty excited up-front, because I had a pretty decent team. But then everyone started getting injured and having to be replaced, and there weren’t any really good players left. This week, even my good players stank. (Yay, Skunks. lol) My quarterback threw four interceptions, and several of my players earned only a single point each. Ouch.
(The clock review will be coming, by the way. I haven’t tried the “aroma” feature yet, and I want to do that before I post a review.)
October 27, 2007
Nowadays, you can get a number of medications in patch form – nicotine patch, birth control patch, even a diet patch (and maybe there are others) – or in a single-dose form, like that osteoporosis med. that’s advertised. The popularity of these illustrates one of the key points in getting organized or changing habits – make it as easy on yourself as possible! This principle is behind several of the major “rules” of organization, as well as one of the best tips for forming a new habit.
When organizing “stuff,” things should always be stored near where they’re used, not just wherever they best fit. The things that are used most frequently should be most accessible, with less-commonly used items in the less accessible places. Following these guidelines will, of course, make it easier to get to your things. Additionally, we can be much more effectively organized if we adapt our organization methods to our natural tendencies. Those of us who have a tendency to dump everything when we first walk in the door should set up the proper “dumping place” there near the door. This makes it easier to dump our things where they belong.
When attempting to begin a new habit, it is easiest when the new habit is tied to an old one. If you already brush your teeth every day, it is not too difficult to remember to also floss when you finish brushing your teeth. If, on the other hand, you want to begin a habit of journaling every day, and there is no built-in reminder system, you’ll have a much harder time remembering consistently enough to ingrain it as a habit.
The fact is, we humans are inherently lazy. Although we should, of course, strive for diligence, it is also helpful to keep this inborn laziness in mind as we work to change our patterns.
(reading chronologically)
