This is a cute picture,
but apparently raccoons can be a nuisance, and even dangerous. I still remember my uncle telling about the time one was eating all his persimmons. My uncle tried to chase the raccoon out of the tree, but the raccoon chased him back into the house. No persimmons that year.
June 11, 2024
We had some rain in the afternoon!
Andy wasn’t as excited about it as I was. I had been inside looking out. He had been driving through a rain and hail storm.
But he made it home safely.
June 10, 2024
I’ve read that when the Zen master Dogen was asked how he achieved enlightenment he said it was easy,
It was just one mistake after another.
Yes! And that’s why I love Duolingo (paid version). There are no tests or penalties for mistakes, all one needs is persistence. If you make a lot of mistakes in one session it simply congratulates you for powering through. The teacher of The Great Courses Plus program on Spanish says there are two ways of learning another language: (1) memorizing vocabulary and rules, or (2) the “that sounds about right” method. Duolingo lets me do it the second way. It gradually exposes us to new vocabulary and grammar with very little explanation. Then it has interactive exercises for us to do. If we don’t know the answer we can even write it down when they tell us and repeat it back when they ask the question again later. Sooner or later a lot of it sinks in. It’s the way we learned our first language as a kid, and there’s absolutely no pressure, except to keep our daily streak going.
It turns out pushing through to the end of Section 8 was a good thing for me to do. I can now go back to any of the previous lessons and repeat them… before we could only repeat the ones in our current section. I’m weak on verb tenses so now I can find the relevant lessons and review them as much as I like until they become natural. Just one mistake after another until it sinks in.
June 9, 2024
I’ve been spending a lot of time this past month on Duolingo. They said Section 8 was the last regular level, once I finished it I would be doing individualized practice. So I was curious. At the rate I was going it would take me about a year to get there, so I dug in and finished yesterday afternoon.
So what happened when I clicked Continue? It turns out they’ve added Section 9, which has 41 levels of new material. Level 8 had only 36. So I’m going back to doing at least a little bit every day. But now I can go back and review any level I like, which includes not just the lessons but a choice of extra exercises to test vocabulary, listening and speaking.
I’m not sorry for immersing myself, I’ve learned a lot. I’m still watching TV with Spanish subtitles every day and I’ve noticed I can understand a lot more of what they’re saying now.
So good for Duo for continuing to add new material, but I won’t be taken in again.
June 8, 2024
Yesterday’s post reminds me of Ginny’s blog, Let Your Light Shine, with the subtitle How I See God in Everyday Life. To me aloha is similar, except it’s more explicitly about making our little corner of the universe more loving and friendly. It’s about what we can do in this sometimes nasty and soul-sucking world. For me it beats getting angry or frustrated or depressed. Sure, there’s a lot we can’t do, and we’ll never do our part perfectly — humility is in order — but for me trying to live the spirit of aloha is a challenge worth working on.
June 6, 2024
Wikipedia says,
Aloha is the Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy, that is commonly used as a greeting. It has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, for whom the term is used to define a force that holds together existence.
I had heard the term, of course, but I hadn’t thought much about it, or realized its deeper meaning, until I read Tom’s post, Aloha Friday:
What does Aloha Mean?
The true meaning of Aloha is the feeling of
Love, Peace and Compassion.
It’s a guideline of how to live.
A life of Aloha is one when the heart
is so full that it overflows with the ability
to influence others around you with your spirit.
Thank you, Tom!
June 5, 2024
This article reminds me of Ann and Sandra.
Most people don’t pick up a coloring book, paintbrush, poetry collection or museum membership for the health benefits — but maybe it’s time to start.
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
—Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
I’m not surprised, because
June 2, 2024
