A new year is an opportunity for new beginnings, a time when we can take a moment to pause and reflect, a time to consider ways to make the year to come better than the one we are leaving.

In 2011, I stopped working as a government bureaucrat. In 2012, I will start working for Space Camp at the Space and Rocket Center. – Drastic change? Yes. Worth it? Definitely.

Money is not everything, to be sure.

While the pay and benefits were good, I spent my days drowning in a sea of highly complex government policies and dealing with the public on those terms. Needlessly complex. Always exhausting. Mentally taxing. With my creativity and motivation drained, I went home each day in a daze, lacking the energy to pursue much else in my free time.

I have always loved science and working with children. By working for Space Camp, I will be able to enjoy both. Living on site will provide me the opportunity to fully enjoy the experience.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

I find a quote by George Eliot to be inspiring as well: “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Finally, Judy Garland: “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

Although he is no longer with us, I also think of my Uncle Vernon and what he told me once: “If you try to be something you’re not, it’s always gonna show.”

On that note, I say let’s bring on the new year! 2012 is a leap year, so that’s 366 days of potential in front of us. Certainly, it is no guarantee that we will be rich, famous, or even necessarily as comfortable as we would like; however, who is to say what the new year will bring? We may not control the traffic, but at least we are behind the wheel.

This part of the movie really stuck with me. Later that night, I wrote a poem called “Muchness,” based on “muchness” as described in the movie.

“Muchness”

You say I’ve lost my muchness
I’ll show you that’s not so
I’ve much more muchness
Than you have come to know

When it comes about
That there must be a way
I summon all my muchness
And with it face the day

I find the will within myself
To do what must be done
I summon all my muchness
And even have some fun

It comes as a surprise
To myself most of all
That with all my muchness
I seem so very tall

Muchness is that something
That makes us more than “just”
Sometimes it comes over us
Much more than any gust

Muchness does not mean
We must face the world alone
It means we find the sparkle
We each can call our own

When we find the sparkle
We must not throw it out
For that is what muchness
Is really all about

When we all work together
The sparkles are so bright
They continue shining
In the day and in the night

When you find your muchness
You must never let it go
For if you lose your muchness
So much less you’ll know

When you find your muchness
Help others find the way
May we all sparkle
Each and ev’ry day

Some days you’ll be a candle
The wind may blow you out
Never giving up is
What muchness is about

Muchness is that something
Within each of us
Muchness is that something
That makes us more than “just”

If you lose your muchness
Strive to get it back
For it is with muchness
We mediocrity attack

Do not settle
For only simply “just”
We must find our muchness
It’s more than “just enough”

Your muchness may be
In a diff’rent room
Your muchness may mean
You learn a diff’rent tune

Muchness can begin
As just a tiny spark
In time it becomes
More than just a thought

The muchness we develop
Helps us find our way
The muchness we hold onto
Gets us through the day

Muchness sometimes must
Come out of the blue
Suddenly we must stand
We know what we must do

Make a change, take a chance
Find a better way
With muchness, go into
Each and ev’ry day

By MARIA CAMP
Sunday, March 21, 2010

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COPYRIGHT 2010 MARIA CAMP

maria_camp@yahoo.com

All Rights Reserved.

I enjoyed the 3D effects, as well as the storyline.

In a nutshell, it deals with the rights of indigenous people.

The 3D is enjoyable and very much adds to the experience.

See the trailer for Avatar here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdiqiMGSp6E

After that, I felt inspired to try another 3D film and went to see Alice.

Unfortunately, I bought a 2D ticket by mistake and so can’t comment on the 3D effects as of yet.

It had differences from other versions I’ve seen of this movie; however, I enjoyed the story and plan to watch it again, this time in 3D.

Two items of interest are that Alan Rickman (Professor Snape, Harry Potter) does the voice of the caterpillar, Anne Hathaway plays the White Queen, and Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix, Harry Potter) does the voice of the Red Queen.

For those reasons alone, it’s worth watching.

See the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjMkNrX60mA

Please feel free to e-mail me or add comments on my web site.

I did learn one thing this time and it amuses me greatly. I learned about curling. Curling is an odd “sport.” Two stones on the ice. People with brooms sweeping in front of and around the stones in order to coerce them to move a specific way. I was so tickled. I couldn’t believe that it’s an Olympic sport.

I had heard the term, but never knew what it was. I think I thought it was something akin to a javelin toss. – Who knows how I arrived at that?

I was eating at a local restaurant with a friend and it came on the TV. I found myself puzzled and very curious. Perhaps there’s something to it that I don’t realize, but I just don’t really “get it.”

It doesn’t seem intense enough to be an Olympic sport.

I am curious about it, though. I plan to research how it came to be.

I find myself strangely transfixed by the concept.

Please feel free to e-mail me or add comments on my web site.

I believe we got a good four inches that day – quite the shocker for our area. While the bulk of it ended up melting later in the day, bits of snow were seen for days after that.

I saw some very creative uses of snow that day – from snowmen to snowwomen to a snow dinosaur. Yes, a snow dinosaur. It was quite good. It appeared to have been fashioned by four people. I saw them gathered around it. I assume they were admiring their creation.

Indeed, I had never seen a snow dinosaur before. I thought it was very clever. This was no thrown-together creation, either. It was very detailed, very artistic. I wish I  had a picture of it. They even mixed green food coloring into the snow and it definitely added to the effect.

Take a few moments and do a search for “snow dinosaur” on Google. From the main Google page, look in the upper left and click on Images. This will restrict your search results to images. So far, I haven’t found one to rival the snow dinosaur I saw last Monday, but there are some interesting ones.

I saw several snowmen and a couple of snowwomen. Many of them were a good size since we actually got a fair amount of snow for once. Some were simple and others were more elaborate.

One was especially large. Round Christmas tree ornaments were used on a couple of them to serve as buttons. Another had a mitten at the end of a long stick on each side, serving as effective arms and hands. One snowman even had a sneaker on either side of him, perhaps to help him gain some traction should he wish to go for a walk.

I have learned that there are certain streets where I tend to see snowmen and I like to make a point to drive down them and look whenever I get a chance. I saw some kids working on one creation and they were obviously having a wonderful time.

I love snow. It provides a refreshing break from the ordinary, from the mundane. It’s kind of magical – a time to do something different, to enjoy something special. While I’m glad not to be dealing with several feet of snow as they are in some parts of the country, I do wish we would have snows like this one more often. Winter’s not over yet, so here’s to wishing for more snow!

Please feel free to e-mail me or add comments on my web site.

Affordable and easy to make, hot tea is enjoyed by millions all over the world. In fact, it’s second only to water. The differences of black, green, white and oolong tea are due to changes that take place during processing. All tea comes from the same plant, Camellia sinensis.

Green tea is often associated with being a healthy choice, though white tea has even less processing; however, black tea is also reported to have benefits.

I enjoy many kinds of tea. One brand I like is Tazo. Tazo Zen green tea is good; however, it takes on a new meaning when you add a bag of Tazo Refresh to it. They complement each other nicely. I picked up this tip from Rivertown Coffee Shop in Florence, Alabama.

I like Bigelow Plantation Mint. I also like Moroccan mint. I discovered Moroccan mint at McGraw’s Coffee Shop in Florence, Alabama. I can’t think right now which brand they sell. The link above goes to a brand that I bought from Whole Foods Market in Birmingham, Alabama.

As for white tea, I love Saphara White Tea with Schizandra. I tried a couple of other brands of white tea and didn’t like them. As with anything, whether you like a particular kind can vary by the brand.

I also enjoy Tazo’s organic darjeeling tea, a black tea, often nice for the afternoon – a little something stronger. Another black tea I enjoy is Earl Grey, though this very much depends on the brand. I have encountered Earl Grey that had lavender, of all things, added to it. If you want to try Earl Grey, I suggest the Bigelow brand.

Tea contains less than half of the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee and contains antioxidants known as catechins. A number of laboratory studies suggest that drinking tea may help to prevent heart disease and cancer.

Herbal tea is not actually tea. Instead, it’s an infusion properly referred to as a tisane. Common ingredients include herbs, spices, roots, etc. This is not purported to have the same health benefits as tea; however, it is reputed to have other health benefits, such as feeling more relaxed. Chamomile and ginger are popular types.

Whatever you choose to try, make sure to enjoy your tea. Take a few minutes to relax. I always like my tea plain, so no calories are involved. Experiment with how long you steep the tea – how long you leave the tea bag in, usually 3-5 minutes.

What kind of tea you prefer may depend on the time of day. While it does have less caffeine than coffee, unless it’s herbal, there will be some caffeine, so just keep that in mind. — Caffeine in and of itself is not bad, though.

While you can enjoy tea anywhere, it’s fun to go to a coffee shop or tea room. Make a whole experience out of it. You can go by yourself or with a friend. Think of it as a field trip, an interesting way to relax and “just be.”

If you are in Huntsville, Alabama, you might enjoy Emma’s Tea room.

I hope you found this helpful. I’ll be going now. – It’s time for tea!

Please feel free to e-mail me or add comments on my web site.

This blog is also available in the Kindle store at Amazon.com.

http://www.relevantlyrandom.com

COPYRIGHT 2010 MARIA CAMP

maria_camp@yahoo.com

All Rights Reserved.

When I was eight years old, my parents and I went to Disney World. I saw my first 3D movie there – Captain EO, starring Michael Jackson.

It’s a short science fiction movie – no more than about twenty minutes total. Twenty-two years later, I just watched it again, courtesy of You Tube. It’s available to view for free, in Part 1 & Part 2.

The villain in it is a ruler called Supreme Leader. I remember finding her truly frightening. She’s an odd mix of the Borg Queen and Edward Scissorhands. In fact, I remember snatching off my 3D glasses more than once. The effect was just a bit too real for me. – Twenty-two years down the road, I find her to be melodramatic and hilarious rather than horrifying. Ah, how perception changes with time.

At one point, I remember that “Yogi Bear” was supposed to be broadcast in 3D for a while, right on your TV, with a special pair of glasses that, I think, came with a certain cereal box, or was it TV Guide?

One “lens” was red and the other blue. I remember several pairs of such glasses with various “3D” items over the years. I don’t remember them working well, if at all. – See a picture here.

This was in the days before DVRs and I wasn’t into recording things on VCR at that point. It only came on at 7 A.M., so I never managed to catch it. I doubt the effect could have been very good considering the 3D glasses were provided so cheaply.

A few years ago, I remember a “Spy Kids” movie coming out in “3D.” – I found this to be a very disappointing experience – a complete waste of time and money, in my opinion. In fact, I took the 3D glasses off and found it more tolerable that way. I  didn’t see what was 3D about it so much as simply a minor distortion of the picture.

Several years ago, my parents and I watched a 3D movie about fish at the Imax in Chattanooga. We were all surprised that something that was supposed to be so cool was so boring. The main thing I remember is school after school of fish swimming by. I think I caught a nap during a good portion of it. I overheard several others expressing the same sentiments after the movie was over.

A few years after that, we went back and a similar movie was playing. Initially skeptical, we decided to give it a try after verifying that it was not the same movie. We were pleasantly surprised to find it much more entertaining. The effect was quite enjoyable. We saw another 3D movie there. It was about the space station. Both were very well done.

If you’re interested in how 3D glasses work, check out this link: http://www.epanorama.net/documents/pc/3dglass.html

A couple of years ago, one of my friends and I went in an antique store while walking around downtown somewhere in Georgia during a festival. I found a true 3D treasure – a device called a stereoscope. I was in love with it instantly. It came with several sample pictures, most of which were in superb shape considering how old they were. – Such an image is called a stereogram.

A stereoscope is a device that you hold and look through. On one end are two slightly different views of the same picture. You just look through and see a 3D picture. – I was shocked at the excellent quality of it. — Needless to say, that nifty old gadget had to go home with me. What a find. – No batteries required.

When I was little, I had a View Master. Thin paper disks are inserted and you look through while pointing it toward light and you can see 3D images — a modern version of the stereoscope mentioned above. 

At some point in the 90′s, Magic Eye 3D images were all the rage. They were tricky, though. Several came in a book. You had to either cross your eyes and slowly uncross them to see the effect or else put your face right up to the picture and very slowly pull it back from your face. – I remember the day I finally got it to work. It was quite the accomplishment. — While it can be annoying at first, the effect is, in fact, worth the bother. It’s pretty cool. – See an example here.

Recently, I read about upcoming  3D televisions and, already available, a 3D camera. Both sound appealing and I would love to try them and judge for myself.

Check out the blog entry “3D and Me, Part One” at the following web site: http://invisiblemikey.wordpress.com/

All of which brings me to the  movie Avatar, currently playing in theatres. I was, to be sure, skeptical of the quality of 3D involved; however, I have been assured by several independent sources (actual people that I know) that it is, in fact, quite stunning. — I plan to see it within the next couple of weeks and hope to have an enjoyable 3D experience to add to my collection.

Well, that’s all folks.

Hope you enjoyed my 3D reminiscing!

Please feel free to e-mail me or add comments on my web site.

This blog is also available in the Kindle store at Amazon.com.

http://www.relevantlyrandom.com

COPYRIGHT 2010 MARIA CAMP

maria_camp@yahoo.com

All Rights Reserved.

A few days ago, we got a fair covering. Fairly small, that is. Tiny, and I do mean TINY, bits of it can still be found scattered here and there. We had a “heat wave” earlier this week. It got up to 25 or 30, I think.

This kind of weather is not typical for us. We’re not used to it all. When I was much younger, we used to get more snow. Now, perhaps due to global warming, it occurs much less frequently.

The biggest snow I remember happened about twenty-two years ago. I was around eight years old. The snow was several inches deep and we had great fun with it. We even got to ride my sled. I only got to use it on a few occasions.

When I was much younger, I remember sliding down a hill in my yard by means of riding on top of a round garbage can lid. It may sound a bit haphazard, but it worked surprisingly well. The degree of slant of the hill comes into play when working to determine the safety of this method. All I can say is that the yard was fenced, not “too” steep and our old truck, a ’77 Ford Ranger, made an effective barrier before getting to the fence.

I did have a non-snow way of “sledding,” though. I used to position my red wagon at the top of a hill on my grandparents property next door. I would then get in the wagon and my dad would give it a gentle push down the hill. I held the handle of it toward me and used it as a steering wheel. Before I got all the way to the road, I would pull the handle sharply to the left and cause the wagon to dump me out and stop. It was great fun.

When I was young, I remember desperately wanting to build a snowman. Even back then, snow was a fairly scarce commodity; however, we had gotten a bit of snow and I was determined. Ah, he was a grand creation – all of 18 inches tall. Or was it 12 inches? 6? Memory muddles the specifics a bit. Regardless, I was tremendously proud of him.

He was elegant in his simplicity, if I do say so myself. (And I do!) His only adornments were two pennies placed in the snow to form his eyes. I was so proud of him that Grandma put him in her deep freeze. I checked on him periodically. He stayed there for a few years.

Once in college, we had a wonderful weekend of snow. It was amazing. It started around a Thursday or Friday night. I was in my dorm room. As soon as we became aware that it was snowing, we all went outside. The experience was even more fun because it was shared with so many others. Some of us went to a nearby hill and rolled down it. That was a lot of fun. Some of the others took trays from the cafeteria and used them as make-shift sleds.

I built a snowman that weekend. He was pretty tall, though he was a bit misshapen. He had character, though. Again, less is more. He was pretty simple. His primary adornment was my camera bag around his neck in lieu of a scarf. A few of the others, obviously from states used to more snow, got together and made an entire snow family. It was quite the work of art.

The little bit of snow we had just recently still provided a few opportunities. On the way to work, I noticed a three or four inch snowman on top of a car. That made me smile. It’s the kind of thing I would have done if it had occurred to me. Later that morning, I saw two snowmen, each in a different yard on the same street. They were remarkably good considering how little snow we had to work with. They were even pretty tall.

The snow is mostly all gone now, though the cold remains. While I try not to freeze, I’ll reflect on the fun times we’ve had with snow over the years. And since I’ve “no” place to go, “let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”

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COPYRIGHT 2010 MARIA CAMP

maria_camp@yahoo.com

All Rights Reserved.

The first two engines were not black. Why does this matter? Well, engines have always been black, at least all the engines I’ve ever seen. I’m used to it. It’s familiar. Classic black. I don’t like for things to change – not things like that.

Modern engines, even the classic black ones, don’t hold the same appeal as an old steam engine. Ah, there’s just something about them.

This has now gotten me to thinking it’s once again time to watch Back to the Future. I loved the use of trains in that. Lots of fun.

I am reminded of when they stopped putting a caboose at the end of every train. I’m still annoyed over that. A train should have a caboose. It just should. And it must be red. Red is the traditional color.

I realize that some might feel a more pragmatic view should be in order; however, while I realize that the purpose once served by a caboose no longer exists, the fact is that I like to see a caboose at the end of a train. It makes me smile.

There’s something about trains that fuels the imagination. Whether it’s the concept of a hobo hiding in an open boxcar, wondering what it would be like to drive the train, or simply wondering if you might be able to get the engineer to wave, it’s just plain fun. Riding on a train is an adventure.

On one occasion within the past few years, I did get the engineer to wave from the train. It made my day.

I have observed within recent times that there is still the occasional open boxcar. I have often wondered why they are left open. Perhaps they are particularly onerous to close? It seems to me like it would be a safety issue. Ah, but there’s something fun about seeing them. There are times I’ve seen the train go so slowly through town that I could have jumped out of my car and caught up with it in just a short run. Whether I would be able to “board the train,” I don’t know. I have never tried. Some things are better left to the imagination.

I like to think about when I was younger and enjoyed reading the series called The Boxcar Children, especially the first book. Trains equal adventure, at least in my book. I have taken short daytrips on trains; however, only once did I take a long trip. My father and I rode an Amtrak from Birmingham to New Orleans. After about a week, we rode it back. It took about seven hours each way. Several stops were involved.

Although it wasn’t like the more “traditional” trains I’m used to seeing pass through my town, I couldn’t help but feel I was part of a proud tradition.

I remember that it was a bit difficult to walk at length through the train, at least at first. I imagine it was the equivalent of “getting your sea legs.” After a bit of practice, though, walking came easier.

If you’ve never taken a train trip, I urge you to try it. There’s something special about it. In a day and age when things tend to be done always in a hurry, trains cause us to think back to “simpler” times, to pause a moment and reflect.

http://www.relevantlyrandom.com

COPYRIGHT 2010 MARIA CAMP

maria_camp@yahoo.com

All Rights Reserved.