the day to day

Over the past few weeks, and most intensely, the last few days, I've been reminded to find joy, goodness, gladness, peace, and satisfaction in the day to day.  I have been more attune to the resiliency of the human spirit, the blessing of a helping hand, and the comfort in the goodness that surrounds us.  

A babe resting on your shoulder, a five year old's prayer to "help us be true," the spring breeze, the smile of another.

Sometimes I find it so strange that I get can caught up in minor skim-the-surface-type things that paralyze me from doing better in major life-changing things.  Vulnerability verses service.  That type of thing.

I'm going to let those surface things float away in the breeze and move forward.

The night we went to the ballet

I've never been to a ballet and I've always wanted to go. Last night I got my chance. 

A few weeks ago, Jess attended a charity event and one of the things up for auction was dinner and tickets for two to a Ballet West performance.  It must be said that I am glad that I did not attend this event with Jess. Don't get me wrong, it would have been fun but I would have been telling Jess not to bid on the tickets.  Why?  Because I am overly cheap and utilitarian.  I would have told him to bid on something we could use...like a Star Wars poster signed by Billy Dee Williams (we can keep that!).  See, it is good I didn't go.

I loved going to the ballet.  It exceeded my expectations and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Plus, it's nice to come out of a theatre on a warm, breezy night and walk across the street with the guy who had the kind thought to bid on ballet tickets. 

a quote instead of science

True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

bp's science: upside down cup (or carafe in this case)

My sister recently sent me this picture with the accompanying text, "This carafe accidentally fell of the counter, bounced and landed perfectly like this."

Very cool!?!  I've never seen that before.  Wow!

When this happens, why does it happen?  Why does the water not spill out and make a mess?  Two things:

1. Air pressure: the air pressure in the carafe is lower than the air pressure outside of the carafe and as such keeps the water in the carafe.

[p.s. With regards to pressure, there is also discussion of water's compressibility which, according to the net, is a measure of relative volume change of a fluid as a response to a pressure change.  If you are interested in additional details, click on the links within this parenthetical.]

2. Cohesion and adhesion: a water molecule is polar.  It has a positive and a negative side causing water molecules to stick to each other (cohesion).  Due to this polarity, water is also attracted to other things (adhesion), in this instance, the glass and floor.  These forces keep the carafe from slipping around and falling down.


Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in bp's science are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any individual scientist, scientific association or the scientific community as a whole. The scientific information provided on bp's science is, at best, of a general nature and cannot substitute for the advice of a licensed or trained scientist, i.e., a competent authority with specialized knowledge who can apply it to a particular set of facts and circumstances. Please contact a local scientific society or similar association of scientists in your area if you require a referral for a particular scientific question or experiment.  Neither the author of bp's science nor anyone else connected to this blog can take any responsibility for the results or consequences of any attempt to use or adopt any of the information or disinformation presented on this blog.

Here's to Mothers Day

My mother was exceptional in every sense of the word.  And I find myself trying to emulate her when I parent.  I think of her often and recall the joy she found in being a mom.  It came first and foremost and then she did other things.  I find that joy, too, in being a mother.  It is magical.

I often say to Oliver and Ansel, "How did I get so lucky to get two great boys?" To which Oliver responds, "Just because!"

I love this pic because it shows me doing what moms do: watch their children explore the world and discover new things everyday, lending a helping hand when needed (in this instance it was taking Ansel out of the cold water when he stood in it too long and didn't know what to do).  This exploration continues throughout adulthood and moms continue to lend that helping hand, finding the balance between letting the child learn on their own and assisting them along the way.  It is a balance that takes patience and discipline and a little worry.  But it sure is amazing to watch a child successfully venture into and through this world/life. And I hope to give my kids some of the skills/tools to enjoy it.

Wednesday, 4:01pm

          Artiststes, as Oliver would say

Finding good doctors

I just got off the phone with Oliver's old pediatrician's office in Maryland.  We need vaccination records so I requested them.  The person answered the phone quickly, heard my request, got information, and found the records, then took my address and said she'd place them in the mail.  All of this in less than four minutes.  If all care and service were this good! (One of my past pediatrician experiences involved written paperwork and 3-4 weeks processing time plus a fee to get medical records. It was over the top.)

I loved this pediatrician and everyone that worked at the office. I loved it because there was only one pediatrician, one nurse, one front office lady and they remembered us (or did a good job acting like they did). They were so kind, patient, and very knowledgeable.  Every question I asked the doctor was treated with equal concern, regardless of how lame my question or the amount of time the doctor had.  You could tell the doctor enjoyed his job and knew the most up-to-date medical knowledge.  He was excellent.

We have a good pediatrician now, but how I wish we could still go to the superb one we had in Maryland.  

Finding a good doctor is like discovering a treasure.  It takes work but the reward is worth it.  Sometimes you never find the treasure and you live with what you've got, but, if you are like me, you always want better.  I have had a small handful of good versus excellent doctors and boy, excellent doctors sure make a difference!  I may sound a bit picky with very high standards and, well, that is true.  But I think that's okay.  Cheers to all of those good doctors out there.