Women

Aren't we amazing creatures? We have super powers too! Can a man grow a human being inside them? That's a super power for sure! Yeah, yeah, men are amazing too, but I'm talking about women today.

Did you know that a woman's resting brain is more active than a man's active brain?! And a woman's brain is bilateral. She can use both sides at the same time. Men can only use one side at a time. That's why women recover more quickly and better than men, when they've had a stroke. Interesting.

Anyway, mostly I was thinking about how our culture has changed, in regards to it's attitude about women. About 30 years ago, I saw a television show with 3 different generations of women, talking about being women. It was so interesting to me. At the time, the grandmas talked about having their "place" in life - mom and housewife and that was it. The mom's were talking about how they wanted the teens to appreciate how difficult it had been for them to accomplish some things, like owning a home or having a successful career. The teens said, it was hard for them to appreciate that because as far as they were concerned, they could do anything they wanted. Isn't that what the mom's had told them all their lives. 

Since then, another generation has come of age. They believe that they can have and do anything a man can. The concept of being denied something just because they have boobs, doesn't even register to them. That's pretty cool. But I find myself feeling a little like those moms, on that TV show. I want them to at least understand, that all the women before them, made their journeys a lot easier. I want a 20 something to know that their grandma couldn't buy her own house or have her own checking account if she was a married woman. I want them to know that their own moms have probably experienced some kind of sex discrimination. They might laugh at that and how insignificant it seems, but I want them to know, for the most part, how lucky they are to be a human being and not just a woman. 

They can be anything they want. A mom, an artist, a housewife, a CEO, a waitress, even the president. They can own their own business, marry who they fall in love with-or not, or just stay home and take care of their family. And it will be even better for their daughters!

Amazon

You know how much I love Amazon. Between Amazon, Hobby Lobby and Sportsman's Guide, why on earth would you shop anywhere else??? Oh, maybe throw in Harbor Freight. But Amazon is on the top of the list for sure!

You can seriously find almost anything on Amazon! And if you have a Kindle, you get a free book every month! It's so AWESOME! I want to work for Amazon. I bet they'd be a good boss. Aaaand, did you know, that if you type in smile.amazon.com instead of just amazon.com, .5% of everything you buy, goes to a charity of your choice?! .5% doesn't really sound like a lot, but if 10 million people did that, it would certainly add up!!

I saw this on their website, in January...I just kept forgetting to share it. So, here goes.
Did you know;

The most downloaded book in 2016 was Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone. The 2nd most popular was, The Five Languages of Love.

The most popular search of 2016 was, dog ____.

The most pressed Dash button, was for Bounty paper towels.

The most popular same day order was, the Kindle Fire 7

Over 1 billion diapers and wipes were sold!

The most ordered item from Prime Pantry was bottled water.

The most popular free pre-release downloaded book, from Kindle First, was Everything We Keep.

The most popular Audible book was, The Power of Self Discipline

Prime members listened to The Beatles more than any other artists, via Alexa.

The most watched original Amazon series was, The Man In the High Castle.

It is estimated that 46% of all U.S. households have at least one Prime member. 

They keep all the really good information a secret though. That's probably smart. Really smart.

Digital Dementia

Compared to the fifteenth century, we now consume as much data in a single day as an average person from the 1400s would have in an entire lifetime.

 

Defining Digital Dementia

While dementia is a disease that typically plagues the elderly, a new type of cognitive condition is affecting younger individuals in their early 20s and teens – a disorder known as “digital dementia.” According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the overuse of digital devices can lead to insufficient sleep in children, delays in learning and social skills, as well as obesity and behavior problems. All this digital information, coming from our computers, smartphones, tablets, and more, has been found to cause a breakdown in cognitive abilities in a way that is traditionally associated with people who have suffered a head injury or psychiatric illness.

Digital dementia is characterized as the deterioration of brain function as a result of the overuse of digital technology, such as computers, smart phones and Internet use in general, Medical Daily reported. This excess use of technology leads to unbalanced brain development, as heavy users are more likely to overdevelop their left brains, leaving their right brains underdeveloped. The left side of thebrain is generally associated with rational thought, numerical computation and fact finding, while the right side of the brain is responsible for more creative skills and emotional thought. If the right brain remains under developed in the long term, it can lead to the early onset of dementia.

At alarming rates, kids raised in the digital age are developing cognitive problems and attention issues and struggling with memory, organization, reasoning, problem-solving, and in-person social communication.

Technology use is unavoidable, since it’s increasingly employed in classrooms, but it’s never too early to teach the next generation how to use it wisely. Here are some suggestions from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Spitzer, and other sources.

• Use print media rather than tablets or smartphones for reading to give your child a break from looking at screens. Studies have shown that reading print materials also boosts reading comprehension.
• Practice memorizing things like phone numbers and passwords instead of simply letting technology track them.
• Use puzzles and games, such as chess and Scrabble, that promote real-time problem-solving rather than games that let the computer do the thinking.
• Make sure the entertainment your child is watching is high quality.
• Set screen-time limits.
• Create screen-free zones where no digital technology is allowed — like the dinner table and your child’s bedroom.
• Limit media multitasking — using two or more types of media simultaneously such as listening to a CD while doing homework.
• Turn off the television if no one is watching it since background television can disrupt the quantity and quality of personal interaction.
• Watch media — such as television programs and films — with your child and discuss it afterward to develop critical thinking about media.
• Ensure your child gets enough outdoor play and physical exercise.
• Allow for unstructured playtime, which is critical for learning problem-solving skills and fostering creativity.
• Develop creativity by offering your child musical instruments, art supplies, origami, or physical toys that spark their imagination.
• Encourage your child to develop hobbies that aren’t related to digital media — such as stamp collecting, bird watching, skateboarding, acting, dancing, writing, and jewelry making.

Signs of Digital Dementia:

Developmental delays

Inability to remember number patterns or directions

Social seclusion

Lack of motivation

graphs are cool

You can find graphs for anything. I like them. I like the visual story they tell. So you don't actually have to look at all the information, just the high and low. Then if you want to know the rest of the story, you can check it out. 

I saw this graph this morning;

So I looked at the top, and then the bottom. That's enough for me. Honestly, it wasn't until just now that I looked at the whole thing!

I like these too;

That's great information, just at a glance. Especially for someone like me, with commitment issues.


And this one is really interesting!

Everything should come in a visual form :-)

woof woof...what?

Poor Greta. She's almost deaf now. When she was a puppy and I was teaching her things - sit, down, come, etc. - I always did it accompanied by a hand signal. I'm not sure why, but I did. It turns out that that was a really good idea! Now, even though she can't hear me, unless I YELL, I can signal her and she'll still do what I want her too! Pretty cool. 

Having a deaf dog presents other challenges as well. Like, you have to be extra careful with open doors. If she runs outside, she won't hear you tell her to stop. I was thinking about adding a tag to her collar that says "I'm deaf." And her voice has changed. When I get home from work, her usual "OMG you're home" bark has turned into this weird sort of yodel. Before she lost her hearing, even if you tried, you couldn't sneak up on her. Now, you have to be careful not to startle her when you come from behind. That's a little weird. She used to wag her little nub like crazy when you laughed! But she still knows that a smile is a happy thing, so she wags if she sees you smile at her. Also, she panics a little if she can't find you, so you have to be sure she knows if you leave the house. And, while she can still hear a little bit, we yell when we say, "good girl" and give her a thumbs up. I'm hoping that she'll catch on to that pretty quickly - so she'll know that we still think she's a good girl, when we give her a thumbs up :-)

I was wondering if that stresses her out, that she can't hear. I asked the vet and she said she's never known a dog to exhibit signs of stress because they were deaf. That it usually happens so gradually, they don't really notice. I don't know. I think she notices. My fella says she's perfect on the leash now. Not that she wasn't good before, she was! But now she doesn't pull, ever! I don't know if it's because she's getting old or if it's because she can't hear so she sticks close to him to feel safe. I think she sleeps more now. But again, I don't know if it's because she's getting old or if it's because she's not on guard all the time now, because she can't hear. 

It's a little sad.

motivation

what motivates you? 

At work, are you motivated by a paycheck? Or are you actually motivated by doing a good job for your employer? I personally, am motivated by a paycheck. I want to do the best job I can, for the sake of my own self esteem and pride, but I would feel that way about any job. So, I guess any job that paid well, would be sufficient.

What motivates you as a parent? Providing for your kids / because you don't want to be alone / or really making them feel loved and raising them to be good humans, etc. Because there are moms, and then there are moms moms! You know what I mean. Some women have kids and take care of them but they aren't a priority. Other women put their kids first in everything they do.

What motivates you as a pet owner? For instance, I wanted to have a really good dog. So I worked with Greta every single day when she was a puppy, for a year. She's the best dog ever now! We don't just feed and water our dogs. We play when they want to, we worry about their happiness and comfort. I guess you could say we're motivated by love.

What motivates you, in life? Outside of work or parenting. Like, what motivates you to have a clean house, or a perfect yard or garden. Joy? Passion? Necessity? Social norms?

What motivates you to be a good person? Experience? Religion? Your inherent sense of right and wrong? Rules?


http://jamesclear.com/motivation

mo·tive

ˈmōdiv/

noun

1. 1.

   a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious.
2. 
   

for the birds!

You know we love these! This year we (mom and I) are watching many birds. Giraffe? Pshh. It's all about the birds for us :-)

We've got this gal in Hanover PA
https://hdontap.com/index.php/video/stream/bald-eagle-live-cam

This TINY little thing
http://explore.org/live-cams/player/bella-hummingbird-nest

Here's a new owl cam I found
http://explore.org/live-cams/player/great-horned-owl-cam

Another eagle, because....eagles are really cool!!
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/features/webcams/eaglecam/index.html

And just one more, because they're practically grown already!
http://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/

Oh ok, if you MUST look, here's the dumb giraffe
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnQCgFa9lCBL-KXZMOoO9Q/live

Ahhhhh

I love my craft/library room. I love everything about it. Every time I walk through the door, instantly a smile comes to my face! It's all mine and it's a mess!!!! Yesterday, I was looking for a little bottle of oil and I had to look 'in' things and around things and behind things and it made me so happy to look at all my stuff :-) Ahhhhh. Here's the library side of things!!

What time is it?

Here we go again. It's almost time to change your clocks. You know, "spring ahead." This is when we lose an hour? I can never get that straight. PLEASE can we get rid of daylight savings time!?!?!? It outlived it's usefulness at least 60 years ago. Come on people, you aren't getting an extra hour of daylight. It's the same daylight you'd get whether the clock says it's noon or 1:00. Good grief!! Daylight savings time last for 8 months. So for 4 months of the year, we're on a different time. FOUR months. Seriously? What the hell is the point of that? Everybody, pick a damn time zone and stay there. Grrrrr.

wee things

You know how much I like tiny things. Miniature everything! Dollhouse furnishings, tiny felted animals, even baby clothes. SO cute!! I love the whole fairy garden thing too. I started seeing them on Pinterest a couple years ago. I had no idea they were so popular right now. Wow! If you Google fairy gardens, you'll get almost 14 million results. Geez. I hate to be a follower, but I think I have to have a fairy garden. I can almost feel my husband cringing right now. Sorry honey :-)  I promise not to get too carried away.