Duo Lingo

Well ... I am still waiting, with lots of GREAT things to attend to while waiting for a leg to be delivered!

So living out here ... Way on the WEST COAST ... I will admittedly say that OUR official second language is not so prevalent in our day to day life.

Growing up, going to school, being introduced to a second language all the way into the fourth grade was completely a foreign and almost un fathomable way of thinking ... All.those.years.ago.

Unfortunately, while growing up in our families home, a second language was not considered to be an asset, or a way as bettering ourselves, it was (I would think now actually) looked upon as a threat. My parents (from what I can conjure up as a memory), viewed this as something that was being crammed down our throats, rather than looked upon as an opportunity to help in putting our best foot forward. Perhaps it was a political stance that was taken, or "their" view that "the frenchies" were taking over... I an not sure of their reasoning, but all the same. I will attest that I MISSED OUT.

I remember a time when my sister approached my parents when she was in Grade 9, and ASKED for PERMISSION to be a part of the French Immersion program at our Junior High School. This was a big deal... And I remember feeling so proud of my sister for being so brave, and setting the bar higher for herself, not only for improving her knowledge, but standing up to my parents for her own sake of learning. In the end, I know my Dad was quite proud that she became bilingual.

I have a fellow that I know that speaks six PLUS languages, and another speaks three. WHEN, WHERE & HOW do you acquire this amount of learning ... Well .. It comes from being exposed to it I guess ...

Well ... And there you have it ... I was busily knitting the other day ... As I have been for months .. And I asked  myself .. "Why not me?" ... Out of the blue ... This question popped up .. And who really knows WHY the question arose ... However I interpreted it as "Why can't I learn to speak another language?" ...

Fortunately .. In this VAST day of knowledge at your fingertips ... I immediately turned to the APP store and downloaded something called "Duo Lingo" ... And I have been learning French ever since! That said ... There will NOT be a day SOON where I will be speaking French out and about and in the open ... BUT I have opened the door to opportunity!!

I think I might love that ... Now, if only I can get George Clooney to speak to me ... But he would have to do in Italian I'm thinking .. And THAT is a whole other lesson my friends ... 

Good Wine text post - post meditation.

This is when things go wrong ...

I attempted meditation, which I am very much a believer in.

First time around wasn't so successful ... Albeit .. I am interested in it ... And appreciative of it, coming my way via the App Store. Thank you very much. ... For my much Apple-ness.

 Things that should be peaceful, mindful, gentle and rejuvenating, and this is how I end up ... With the thought process below. .... Ok seriously ... You have to wonder how my friends really do see me ...

And off I texted this:

Happy wine drinking day ... Will you ... Or won't you drink wine today, and more importantly .. Drink a good bottle of wine ... ?  I don't even know if you will get this message ... And THIS concerns me ... What happens if you don't find out it's international wine drinking day ...? You know ... I don't think it should be today ... This great even should happen in the summer time ... It seems way better of an idea around it .. Or wait .. They should combine the family day holiday with the international wine drinking day ... Now that would make for a great long weekend experience. I was just doing some meditation ... Can you tell ... I don't think it went well ... I got to the point in the audio where the guy is saying ... "Feel you hand tingling" ...well my right hand totally tingles .. All the time ... Non stop ... That would be from nerve damage from my hopping like a crazed person .. Anyways .. I am sitting here with my eyes closed .. Feeling the tingling ... And waiting .. For my next instruction .. So finally I open my eyes .. And realize the audio had stopped ... How convenient ... At least he had it right with the tingling hand. GAWD .... OK .. I might Have to  copy and paste this ... in the meantime ... Make time for wine!

It's good to be me. Other's might not be so brave.

Reprieve Day 2

Yesterday in DeannaLand was a little (a LOT) quiet ....

Although ... I wasn't entirely by myself ... I did have people come in and out of the house ! I just didn't enter or exit the home ... How BORING am I ... ?

Today ... I have even LESS on my plate! I have nobody popping in, or out ... Nor do I need to go somewhere!

Although the day is still quite young ... Being 0900 in the morning ... So ONE never knows where things could go from here!

In the meantime:

I made a dishcloth. Kind of a step down from my beautiful scarfs, or tams ... But with every step one takes, you get to learn something ... So I have managed to learn some new knitting techniques. Go Me. Perhaps I should find a knitting blog .. And see other peoples projects ... Or Icould just have a look at Ravelry or Pinterest ... For real.

My sister in law and I had a fairly reasonable chuckle at "the black hole" of Pinterest. You start with your early morning cup of coffee & breakfast ... And some "light" interest looking ... Only to surface 5 hours later, 4 hours behind schedule of the day's events, stuck in your morning attire, teeth not brushed, and meeting somebody for lunch .... PLUS, the very sad fact ... WHO are these engineering wizards that come up with gazillions of brilliant ideas PLUS take pictures of them ..... Yes, I leave Pinterest feeling a deep well of sadness that there are real live actual people that are productive and talented humans .. And all I have done is slide my finger across a screen all morning ...  !

OK .... Not that I am ready to slice after looking through Pinterest .. Although the laughter element is true about the "time wasted" .. But NOT really wasted looking at things!

Back to my pathetic washcloth. It isn't truly that "pathetic" ... But it is NOT "perfecto" either ... I made a mistake in the first number of rows with my "counting" of stitches ... However, the washcloth recovered after the addition of the required 2 extra stitches that were missing from the previous section. I had to get serious with the question ... Will THIS affect the dishcloths performance .... ? Will the dishcloth be unable to wipe a counter, or clean the glass without leaving a smudge on it? What EXACTLY will happen if I do NOT perfect the dishcloth pattern .... Well for one thing ... It certainly isn't Pinterest worthy ... So maybe my brain might explode just knowing the imperfections of such a hideous entity. Or not. I have determined the cloth will be fine, as fine as it was sitting on the shelf, in a bin, waiting for a purpose. It's not like it's going to have to endure the land for misfit toys!

Well, Day 2 of this reprieving business, I wonder what I will accomplish !? I think I am going to have a date with Bob Ross.