"Big Rocks"
February 6, 1999
Ever Persistent in the Desemination of Truth
All through Tucson's rock fever, they've been presenting stories about the shows and educational features on different minerals. Today's feature was on lapis lazuli.
"Lapis lazuli has been mined for thousands of years and prized as an ornamental stone for jewelry and carving.Their sample is not so good. You can see a little of the dark navy streaking through it, but not much.The name comes from the Persian word ``lazuward,'' meaning blue.
Lapis is a brilliant blue color with violet or greenish tints. . . Stones that are deep blue with small patches of pyrite and calcite are considered most valuable." This is the photo example of this stone they gave:
Their example is to the left, my rocks are to the right.
So I gathered my examples, placed them under a light and fired up the camera. Then, after telling how bad their example is, I posted my photo to the CFP.
You can see the pyrite specks in the largest piece (which is about life size with 600x800 monitor). Was I terrible? The reporter probably took a pic of the only little piece she had. I did lay out about $25 bucks for the larger piece. Oh well, ever Joan trods on in the desemination of truth.
Whatever else can we do on a cold, damp day? Laura had been all geared up to go bowshooting, but the weather dampened her enthusiasm, so we will do something else today.
It was more than the weather which discouraged Laura. Her heart's been hurting her today. Apparently the jacuzzi, which does my joints so much good, aren't so soothing for Laura's heart. Angina can be a scary business. She felt a near blackout in the Cost Co today. Julia stood by her near a display of flower bushes while I ran about as fast as I could getting the stuff on the list. I drove us back home.
We decided movies would distract her nicely, so I took us all to Blockbuster's. Godzilla was a fun romp. Lethal Weapon IV is proving amusing as well as violent. We have two other flicks for tomorrow.
Far away in Jordan, the vigal people held for their King the past two days is over.
". . . As Jordanians waited for word on Hussein, state television broadcast scenes from the king's life.Outside his hospital, the King Hussein Medical City, more than 5,000 people lighted candles at dusk on a chilly evening and prayed aloud for a miracle recovery. Men and women wept and embraced. . ."
This was a King that was loved.
Hussein, the Middle East's longest-ruling leader - he was monarch for 46 years, became a key force for stability in the turbulent Middle East in more than four decades as ruler of his strategically placed nation. "His great triumph was Jordan's peace treaty with Israel in 1994. He also played an important role in the Wye River peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians, helping to mediate last year's talks at a time when he was already very ill."
Now he has died Sunday of cancer. He was 63. His American-born wife Queen Noor (an Arab word for light), "has been an outspoken advocate for women's rights, environmental causes and outlawing land mines." Besides a nation of grieving people, he leaves behind eleven children and an adopted daughter.
His oldest son Abdullah will now reign. He's "expected to stick closely to his father's pro-Western policies." But of course, he lacks any experience. "Confidants say Abdullah inherited his father's easy smile, generosity and common touch. And they insist that it will counterbalance his inexperience at politics and diplomacy."
King Hussein was one of 'the good guys'. He was a handsome man. He resembled my father a little. . .(News sources several stories from Starnet's Wires, - AP, KRT, Knight Ridder, Chicago Tribune)
. . .in more than just the moustaches and being handsome men.
And Now For Some Humor....
So posted someone to the Colloquy list. I don't understand what the chap said after the part in bold text. But I do understand Laura's hilarious defense:
Womankind, throughout the ages, has stood for courage, boldness,
inventiveness, and change.
It seems as womankind's manifest destiny unfolds, life becomes increasingly
better. Of all life on earth it is woman that thinks, woman that shines,
woman that has the spark of genius. Womankind,
may one day colonize mars, perhaps, the stars, and, yes, she shall raise
her eyes to the heavens and challenge the gods.
(Oh, yeah, that includes males too ... womankind is a non-gender specific
word! After all, "man" is included in wo"man" so there is no intent to
slight the male sex, and all men are born to females and the base DNA has
been passed down from Lucy, said to be the mother of the human species. So,
women, womankind, and she make much better gender inclusive words than man,
mankind, and he! GriN!)
P.S. But it's okay ... we'll let you keep the label "manhole cover!"
Today I'll be putting that dress together. Or at least I'll get a good start on it. Laura went with James to the Cost Co. We forgot to get the cocoa she likes to add to her coffee while we were there Saturday. We've tried brands available at local stores, but Cost Co has a tasty brand that doesn't have the harmful 'nutrasweet' in it.
I breath a sigh of relief as I look forward to learning patience with myself.
There's a story behind that. After Laura and I got back from dropping Julia off at work, I got dressed and did web work. The surfing tempted me, but BIG ROCKS, BIG ROCKS, I'd better get well into that DRESS. So I rolled up my sleeves (actually shed the turtleneck for a blouse with short sleeves and tackled it. I wanted to work another hour on it, so Laura went solo to pick Julia up. Then they came by to get me for the exercise session.
I'm going to muttering BIG ROCKS a lot this week. My work load has increased a bit, for two more men want those special bulletproof vest covers made.
Why "BIG ROCKS"? I'll let IKO tell it.... (She tells her readers to share this with others, so I figure I've got permission to quote her directly....)
"A while back I was reading about an expert on subject of time management. One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I'm sure those students will never forget. After I share it with you, you'll never forget it either.
As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more
rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class said, "Yes."
Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was onto him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.
Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.
Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."
What are the big rocks in your life? A project that you want to accomplish? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your finances? A cause? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all."
Thanks, IKO! Bye for now, the ROCKS await!
~ ~~ ~~~ ~~
We live in such a time-conscious world that even the characters in a role playing game are 'aware' of it. Laura left her Baldur's Gate people sitting while she went about making Julia a salad. Sitting side by side with her machine, I could hear their 'conversation'. One at first complained of boredom, then it was"You think we could be doing something USEFUL with this time!
I now have all the past sections labeled as to thematic content in the archives. It makes sense, because while we have some idea of a pattern in the moment we're living it, it's only when you look back on it, that you can really see it.
HANGING IN THERE!
Do you like cat pictures? Do you really, really like cat pictures? Well our friend Serena's page has so many cute cat pictures, you could just about sneeze from the cat hair seeing them. This adorable yawning kitten is a new one our friend Richard /Chooch has acquired.
11:00am - A lady just dumped off a big bag of parachute uniforms. I learned something. They have large padded raised ridges at the shoulders for the other skydivers to grab on to when they make those fancy patterns in the sky.
Well, I've got a ton of zippers to rip out, and vests to make....
(BIG ROCKS, BIG ROCKS....)
gotta run...
Ever wonder what color my eyes are?
The longer I stare at this picture, the more it looks like weird modern art. While en route to Phoenix in search of velcro for the vests, I thought about why this is so.
It becomes an objectification of the image, separate from its true identity. The eye becomes a glistening jewel on a bed of pink, framed at the left and above by strands similar to its own color.
BIG ROCKS!
© JAL 1999
from left: Aquamarine, Helidor, Topaz, Euclase, Kunzite, 8 - 10 in high (20 -25 cm)
(from the collection of Eugene and Rosalind Meieran, Phoenix, AZ)
I now have my entry about my day at the Gem and Mineral Show up! Go see!
And now, after sending all of this to the web, I must sew. . .
~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~
. . . I sewed 'til about 6:30pm. After getting a lot accomplished, (stitch wise and web wise) I was good and tired. Both front pieces of the two vests are done, and one has the thick webbing for the shoulders attached to the back piece. The covers that come with the bulletproof vests has a velcro closure at the shoulders. The men don't like this, as it requires such adjustment to get it to fit right. Getting the webbing on my design to angle right and match their model also takes a lot of pinning and repinning.