Archive for the 'Useful Knowledge' Category

Survey Time?

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Do you like to take surveys? I thought it would be useful to create a survey for this week’s Wednesday weblog post so I went out and researched possible survey software candidates. It took a lot longer than I anticipated to find one I liked and when I did, I installed the software and opened [...]

What to Do When the Computer Is in the Shop

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

If you have been following me at Facebook, you probably know that I have been having some computer woes. I’m in the process of getting everything fixed, worked out, or straightened out but the whole experience led me to wonder what one can do when one’s computer finally has to go in for disgnostics (if [...]

Where the Winter Winds Are Blowing Now

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

Here in New England (or at least my part of it) Summer heat is raging furiously. Ok, so furiously is too active a word for sweltering heat that makes one want to melt away. But this heat does seem to be aggravating a lot of people! This Wednesday blog post reminds us northern dwellers that [...]

Six Ways to Cool Off

Wednesday, July 7th, 2010

Heat wave. I’m composing this post on Sunday 4th of July and while it is hot, NOAA has me anticipating a dreadful heat wave this coming week. I suspect I will need reminding how to cool off and I just might be too hot to think it through as easily as I am now. So [...]

How to Transform Tag Sale Finds into Art

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Summer’s here and tag sales abound (or garage sales or yard sales depending on your region of habitation). These can be wonderful troves of serendipitous treasure. Fabulous vintage furniture, exercise equipment, clothing and more. Some of it instantly usable (after a bit of cleaning) but some of it not. Sometimes, the box of old jewelry [...]

When Are You Ready to Master Your Style?

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Introduction “She’s so put together.” “I wish I had your sense of style.” I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t be pleased to get these compliments. If you want to be that person you can’t just follow the crowd or rely of fashion fads and trends set by others. If you are that person then you [...]

Jots for June

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Just for fun – a few facts about the month of June: Name It might be derived from the name of the Roman goddess Juno. Or it might be derived from the latin word juniores meaning minors as in those not yet having reached the age of majority. In Old English this month is called [...]

Avant Valentine’s Day

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

It’s Chaucer’s fault. Or maybe the ancient Greeks who celebrated Gamelion, a season dedicated to the marriage of Hera and Zeus; or the ancient Romans who observed a complex rite of fertility between the 13th and 15th of February. Or it could be an evolution from Lupercalia, another fertility rite specific to Rome. In any [...]

Out of The Crowd: One of December’s Many Birthstones

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Is it merely coincidence that some months have many associated birthstones while others have but one? December has, according to Bernadine’s website, thirteen of them! Two of these, zircon and lapis, are listed as the traditional birthstones while turquoise, blue topaz, and tanzanite are named as the modern birthstones. There are “talismanic” bithstones, astrological birthstones, [...]

October’s Opals and Tourmalines Part II

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Last week it was all opals. This week we will take a gander at luscious pink tourmalines. Tourmaline is not a single mineral in many colors but rather a group of minerals – in many colors. Pink tourmaline is, specifically, elbaite with a chemical composition that is Sodium Lithium Aluminum Boro-Silicate Hydroxide. And… it also [...]