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Friday, November 28, 2003 |
Getting new glasses recently led me to think a lot about my vision. I first needed glasses in elementary school. I think it was the first year I was in public school, toward the end of third grade. So I've been remembering grade school a lot.
What strikes me as odd is that all I remember loving in school was the singing. It was what I liked most at the two-room private school where I went for first and second grade. Every morning the whole school, grades one through six, gathered in the front hall to sing. It was a great start to the day.
Then in public school, we had singing for a little while at some point during the day. I remember treasuring the songbook. "Erie Canal" and "Shenandoah" were my favorite songs, but "Silent Night" topped them all. I remember the thrill of looking at the song written out with the notes. Written music was magic!
Somehow this early joy in singing got pushed aside in favor of other things. If it's true that early loves are important, then this is something I need to bring back into my life. Why not? "There's a Song in My Heart...."
11:24:21 PM 
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Today was a Puttering Day. It gave me a chance to recover from yesterday's Thanksgiving dinner at my daughter's house. The time with my children, grandchildren, and two greatgrandsons was delightful. But the drive home in the rainy night was not. This is the second time I've driven home from a family gettogether saying "I can't keep doing this. Never again! No more driving in heavy rain or at night - and especially, not both!" I guess I keep wanting to deny that age is affecting my physical abilities.
When I woke up with a desire to clean out my email, I could tell today would be different! Sometimes even if I suspect that such a desire is a way to procrastinate, I find it best to give in. It's a great way to get something finally cleaned up.
I won't tell you how many messages I had in my Inbox. Some I deleted, others I archived in folders where I'll be able to find them easily if I need them. (This is one of Microsoft Outlook's best features.)
I did some other little puttering cleanups, too. Cleaned out the office closet so I could finally stow some more things in there. Just did one thing after another along these lines. I kept feeling satisfied with what I was doing, so I continued. It was damp, windy, and cold outside, so this was a good day for indoor cleanups.
Sometimes a Puttering Day is just great. I feel relaxed and satisfied. I even feel more rested.
5:48:05 PM
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Just received an email newsletter from Harry Bosma, creator of the dream interpretation software I used, Alchera. He keeps working on improvements. I must say, that this software is wonderful just as it is.
Why keep your dream journal on the computer instead of in a notebook? The obvious reason is that it's simple and quick to search for related themes. Any question such as "Haven't I dreamed about a black dog before? When was that? What was going on?" is quickly answered.
I chose Alchera after researching the options pretty carefully. I like the simple look of it. There's nothing distracting about the interface. Some of the other software programs had a lot of decoration. Even when I liked the decoration, I found it distracting. When I'm trying to remember a dream or interpret it, distractions are the last thing I need.
Also, Alchera is simple to use. There are some hints for dream interpretation - some suggested exercises. But it's not rigid or domineering in any way. I'm free to use any method I choose, for interpreting my dreams. I usually use some variation of Gayle Delaney's methods, so I prefer this looser approach in the software.
Another thing I appreciate about Alchera is that journal entries about events, physical symptoms, etc. are integrated into the software. This really helps with dream interpretation. It can also help to solve mysteries about physical symptoms, when you can track their occurrence and link them to events or thoughts.
If you're considering dream interpretation software, I recommend Alchera most highly. I have no personal stake in the company. I'm just a satisfied user.
5:28:16 PM
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We finished watching this film, thanks mostly to our liking Harrison Ford. Afterwards, I felt a little embarassed for his having acted in what I'd call a Grade B movie. It's not terrible, but it's certainly not as good as a film like "Witness."
"Hollywood Homicide" treads a fine line between absurd comedy and suspense. The suspense plot is convoluted and just barely convincing. The comedy consists mostly of watching the two policemen pursue their dream careers by cellphone, while chasing criminals. This is funny only so long. Unfortunately, the film lasts longer.
We've seen films a lot worse than this. But I'd recommend seeing it only if you're really, really in the mood to watch a DVD and there's absolutely nothing better to pick. I'm rating it 2 stars.
4:25:47 PM
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© Copyright 2003 Catherine Jo Morgan.
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