“Is it spring in Iowa? Find the answer and supporting details”
As an AI language model, I do not have access to real-time weather data. However, according to historical weather patterns in Iowa, spring typically starts in late March and lasts until late May.
During this time, the temperatures in Iowa gradually start to warm up, and the snow melts away. Trees and flowers begin to bloom, and t? he landscape starts to turn green again. Farmers in Iowa begin to prepare their fields for planting, and many outdoor activities, such as hiking and fishing, become popular again.
It’s important to note that weather patterns can vary from year to year, so the exact timing of the arrival of spring in Iowa may vary slightly. It’s always a good idea to check local weather forecasts for the most up-to-date information.”
March 22, 2023
Have you checked out ChatGpt yet? It just may surprise you! Or it may leave you “Unsettled”.
Perhaps today, the wearing of the green will remind you of someone in your family history who loves green and St. Patrick’s Day. What stories can you share with others to keep those memories alive?
Perhaps today, it’s remembering someone who came to the US as a child. We’re remembering a great-grandfather who arrived in the US at the age of two. That’s a pretty specific number that we didn’t know this morning. While a nephew was at Ellis Island, we were trying to remember who and when our ancestors passed through. And was it at the age of two, eight, or twenty? Details matter but the story remains the focus. Why did they come to the US? Where did they settle? When did they become citizens? Were they also farmers?
Just a glimpse of our conversation today as we “wondered” what we knew and what we perhaps thought we knew. The family history books are dated. But so are our memories.
What will you celebrate today? What stories will you tell?
___________________________________________________________________________________Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for this daily forum in March. Check out the writers and readers here.
I stare at the mirror. I really don’t have time for this. This unmanageable hair. It’s too cold and time’s too short to wet down my entire head of hair. Maybe I can splash a bit of water in this one spot and flatten it …
Unsuccessful. Now it’s a wet clump of hair sticking out.
I comb through the wet spot and then dry it briskly with the towel. Neither seems to help.
Again I stare at the mirror. This time my hand is flattened against my hair. Literally holding it down. Not cute. Not clever.
I slowly let go. About half stays flat and the other half returns to “sticking out.”
This is nothing new. Today just has no time for messing with my hair. I’ve had horrendous haircuts in the past when a stylist was sure that “they could work around my cowlicks.
Actions don’t always speak louder than words.
It’s time to go and my hair is still a disaster. Will the third attempt be the “charm”?
Stay tuned . . . .
City friends, do you know the origin of the word cowlick?
My Chromebook is where I am composing this post (although I do draft posts on my phone occasionally).
My iPad mini fits into my jacket pocket so it’s readily available.
My Kindle Scribe that allows me to use a stylus for notetaking.
My smartphone which some days seems like the only brain I have.
All four of the devices above are portable so they are not always tethered to electricity. All four can easily access the internet without direct wiring. All four have a bit of memory attached so they don’t lose their minds if off for awhile. And at some point I’ve used each of the four for some form of Zoom or Skype meetings. The best feature is the fact that three out of the four can use the exact same charger!! That’s definitely a WIN/WIN when traveling.
Lonely, and yet proud, my 512 K Mac sits on the shelf. My first computer. As expensive as my first new car. So revolutionary. Hard disks. No more floppy disks. And the word processing capabilities. No more correction fluid or tape. Of course the errors didn’t end, just the means to fix them were so much simpler.
The computer was born to solve problems that did not exist before. Computer science empowers students to create the world of tomorrow. Computer science is the operating system for all innovation. Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.Jun 7, 2022
My finger hovers
Shall I turn you on today
You lie there tempting me
I need to know what buttons to press
But when I press those buttons
You respond... (Jan Allison)
What are your predictions for the possible uses and/or sizes of future computers? What new features would entice you to change computers?
It didn’t matter that my max. streak was 85. The number stressing me out . . . 2.
How could I forget?
For 85 consecutive days I had played Wordle. The fact that my winning percentage is 100% is inconsequential. As is the number of games. I could log in on a different device and “not face” this paltry “2” streak.
Traumatized.
My goal had been to hit 100. After that, I was going to take a break. Even perhaps, switch devices and begin another round of wordle.
Most of the time I find Wordle to be both relaxing and stimulating. Relaxing because it’s just five letters in a word with six tries to get the word right. Fairly simple. Typically 5 – 7 minutes. And then done for the day
But I forgot on Wednesday this week. I forgot Wordle when I added #SOLSC to my daily routine. I missed out on the habit that was mine for 85 days.
Should I panic?
Memory loss? Alzheimer’s? Or simply the result of changing up a highly practiced daily routine?
What else did I forget? Well, apparently EVERYTHING that was on my Wednesday to-do list. No life-threatening disasters. But a bit disconcerting.
In previous lives I would have been dismayed by students forgetting or maybe I would have blamed it on the full moon, the unusually nice weather, or a chance to prank the teacher, mom, principal . . .
No need to call the guys in the white coats,
YET!
* * * * * * * * *
Quote about Word Games
“Playing word games can improve various brain functions like problem-solving, memory, cognition, and creativity.”
Many in my family that you briefly met yesterday are readers. Books of all types abound in our homes. We prefer reading over house cleaning. Mom gets that credit. It’s genetic. “Just one more chapter” is a common refrain. Sometimes we recommend books. Sometimes we don’t. But we read. And we still read.
We often wish for more hours in the day so we can read. Physical books. Books on devices. I can remember that during the “taxi-mom” stage I had books on every device so I would have them waiting for me to rejoin them. Classics were free and cued up on my iPod as I waited for sports practice to end.
I don’t remember the titles, but I remember the locations. That first hidden book in the bathroom cupboard under the towels. Later it was a book hidden under the bed when I vacuumed in my parents’ bedroom. And then it was a book on the shelf in the closet under “stuff”. Books at the ready in case one would encounter a free moment or two.
Thank you, Mom, for encouraging me to read. For having books ready to read. For taking me to the library on Saturdays when I was young so I could check out books. I don’t remember you reading to me because our house was always busy, but I do remember you encouraging me to read. That encouragement had me reading before I began school.
Which definition fits this picture? Definition 1 or 2?
google.com
So the picture above was of the family unit growing up that included three not pictured: Dad, brother Jim and brother Joe and it matches definition 1.
If I had posted a picture from AMarekN Christmas 2022 with pizza before our days at DisneyWorld, those 35+ folks pictured would have fit definition 2. Descendants. Spouses. And kids.
Both are families according to both the definitions above. And the best part is that they overlap. Three people in picture 1 were also a part of the DisneyWorld travel! But that’s a story for another day.
What are some memorable Quotes about family?
“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox.
“The memories we make with our family is everything.” – Candace Cameron Bure.
“Family is family.” – Linda Linney.
“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” – George Santayana.
“In time of test, family is best.” – Burmese Proverb. google.com
“Regarding alien beings and UFO sightings, They’re less about ‘where’ or ‘when’ to find, more about ‘how’ or using ‘what’ to identify.” ― Toba Beta, My Ancestor Was an Ancient Astronaut
As February ends, it’s time to take stock. 59 days into this year. 2 pages torn off the calendar. And what do I have to show?
2 Complete Halloween wall hangings
2 Complete Winter wall hangings
1 Autumn table runner ready for binding to be sewn
1 Log Cabin flimsy ready to be sandwiched and quilted
Am I on track to meet my annual quilting goals? More importantly, am I on track for the annual gifts: birthdays, anniversaries and an occasional fun project (or two)?
And if I am on track . . .
What project will be next?
Birthday?
Paper piecing?
Round Robin Square?
Mystery Quilt?
Which word meaning should I choose?
(Process: I began with a title, a graphic and a plan)
A school shooting in Iowa’s capital city leaves two students dead (16 and 18 year old males).
A vote to provide taxpayer dollars to parents for “School Choice”
A rush to pass a bill without clearly defined costs, without defined parameters, without equity for all students.
A community activist remains hospitalized.
It’s hard to recognize the landscape of my state. Once a leader in education now destined to be a state promoting inequity and zero accountability as private schools have zero accountability.
Heartbreaking . . .
Students losing lives.
Students losing educational opportunities.
44 out of 99 counties have no private schools so there are no choices for students in those counties. Their public schools will suffer from the lack of adequate resources. Check the allowable growth funding for recent years.
FY 2016 = 1.25%
FY 2017 = 2.25%
FY 2018 = 1.11%
FY 2019 = 1.0%
FY 2020 = 2.06%
FY 2021 = 2.3%
FY 2022 = 2.4%
. . . Never keeping up with inflation. (And FY 2022 saw a tax cut of $300,000,000.)
The reality … 81 school districts did not receive any state funding increase because of declining enrollment.
Heartbreaking . . .
Reeling . . .
So much loss for so early in 2023. What can change this tsunami of death and destruction of public schools?
Visuals bombard my life. I see so many images that I don’t do a very good job sourcing them. As 2022 was winding down, I spent some time in Orlando, Florida with most of my family. I spent time being “patient” as well as time being “impatient”. But I also took time to reflect on the word I had settled on about mid-December. Would it WORK? My test drive included these visuals from Facebook friends.
…Take the step.
Do it!
“…Be that one today.”
Make a difference.
Words matter.
Whether it’s the single right word or the accumulation of many words in a post, words matter!
Many folks have a rich history of choosing a word to be the focus for the year. A word that can be a part of personal reflection as time passes. “Am I meeting my expectations?” So here’s a look at my words from the past.
One Little Words (#OLW)
2014 Transfer
2015 Focus
2016 Joyful
2017 Brave
2018 Curious
2019 Celebrate
2020 Envision
2021 Willing
2022 Be Patient
As I tested out several words and definitions, I was very cognizant of the fact that 2023 is going to require many actions. I’m writing to legislators about school funding. I’m a part of a 30-day writing challenge. I’m ready to develop my writing muscles to increase the effectiveness of my communications. And then there was the pressure of choosing a word for my TENTH #OLW.
It’s time.
It’s time to ACT.
ACT = 2023 OLW.
What is your #OLW? How do/did you know it was “the right word” for you?
RT @mra_mb: The countdown to our Summit PD event is starting up! We will be featuring Cris Tovani. Removing the Masks of Disengagement, str… 17 hours ago
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