Google Literacy: A resource worth checking out

Google is launching a literacy program, pulling together its books, video, mapping and blogging services to help teachers and educational organizations share reading resources.

See the project at google.com/literacy and google.de/literacy.

A structure for decision making

I can't remember where I read this recently (hmm, was it an article in a magazine?), but someone, somewhere suggested evaluating a decision by thinking about how you would feel about the results ten days from now, ten months from now, and ten years from now. (Edited to add: It was an article in the September issue of Oprah's magazine, and it's actually supposed to be ten minutes, ten days and ten years.)

So . . . if I decided to go back into karate, paying my tuition by cleaning the dojo . . .

( Ten days from now )

( Ten months from now )

( Ten years from now )

This is an interesting thought exercise. mayakda raised a good question: if I am going to do this, what will I take the time from? Well, the first thought is "sleep," which probably isn't wise. Realistically, however, it would probably be taken from "time I spend in front of the computer." Which isn't writing time, as I am not writing at all now, but "time trolling through websites." It might be a good thing to cut back on that sort of thing anyway.

mayakda and others have also realistically asked, couldn't you find another, cheaper dojo which doesn't use long-term contracts? Well, perhaps I could. But we like this dojo. It is close and convenient. The teachers are really great, and we've been studying here for years. I'm not keen on going to find another dojo which is farther away and starting all over again. And our next door neighbor's daughter is also working towards her black belt, and that means car-pooling, which is a big, big help.

Upon looking over my responses here, it looks as though I am leaning towards doing it. I can't help but be reminded of how much I agonized over my decision about quitting graduate school. It feels like there were some of the similar dynamics (oh, I can't afford to continue). And ten years later, yes, it still stings that I gave up and never got that degree.

I also think of that classic letter to Ann Landers by someone who wrote because he was having difficulty deciding whether or not to go to medical school. "If I go to medical school, I'd be fifty years old by the time I finished, seven years from now." Ann replied, "And how old would you be in seven years if you hadn't gone to medical school? You'd still be fifty years old--except without the degree."

Edited to add again: There is another sensei that I think I should speak with to ask her about her experience. She, too, got her black belt right before age fifty, and she financed her studies partly by cleaning the dojo, since her kids were studying, too, and they couldn't afford to pay tuition for all of them. She's a second degree now. I think I will ask her about how she felt about it.

Cozying up to fall

I have been talking with Kij a bit about my nervousness about facing autumn. I had an extraordinarily difficult time last winter with the depression, which I think was at least partially seasonally-affected. So when I see the days grow shorter, it is hard not to think, uh oh. And start cringing a little bit in anticipation--even if I don't feel depressed at this point yet.

But this is shaping up to be really a beautiful autumn. And it occurred to me that I could try to change my thinking about autumn, framing it in my mind not as a season to be dreaded, but as a cozy time, a time to pull on my favorite soft cashmere shawl and pamper myself. What is cozy about autumn? What do I like about it?

Cuddling up in my cashmere shawl
Driving to look at changing leaves (I think we should schedule one, maybe with a visit to some apple orchards)
Hot mulled wine
Hot tea, with scones and all the trimmings. We could go to Cafe Latte for this
Bag End Seed Cake
The Red Wing Fall Festival of the Arts--perhaps Rob could get a day or two off and we could go?
Replacing the broken string of fairy lights in my office, so it is lit by a soft glow at night--very lovely
Fall baking (something tasty AND low-cal? Is this possible?)
Shopping for new boots--needed!
Going to a bead store with the girls, where we all make fall-themed necklaces
Pull out the Halloween decorations, to be followed by Thanksgiving decorations

What do you like to do that feels particularly cozy to you in the autumn?