Today I was in a paper store called Note Bene, on Park Avenue. There was a lot of choice. My friend was admiring the pens, but I liked seeing notebooks from France (Clairefontaine), Germany (Leuchtsturm) and Moleskin. I saw a series of notebooks called Mnemosyne, and found myself googling the name that was so familiar, and likely a root to mnemonic.
Mnemosyne was the mother of the 9 muses with Zeus (his dwelling place is Mount Parnassus). She was the Titan goddess of memory and remembrance. She and Zeus created the goddesses of arts, literature and science. Each had a domaine, and are identifiable by their attributes seen in paintings and sculptures from the second to the twentieth century.
In alphabetical order, the nine muses (all minor goddesses) and their domains and attributes, in Greek mythology were:
Calliope (the superior muse, inspiring Homer to write the Iliad and the Odyssey- Epic Poetry, rhetoric, music, writing - Writing Tablet, also laurels in one hand and two Homeric poems in the other
Clio - History - Scrolls, also book in left hand and clarion (trumpet) in her right
Erato - Lyric (love) Poetry - Cithara (Lyre family) and love arrows with bow.
Euterpe - Song and elegiac (death, love and war) poetry - Aulos (flute-like)
Melpomene - Tragedy - Tragic Mask
Polyhymnia - Hymns, Geometry, Grammar - Veil, looks to the heavens
Terpsichore - Dance, Harp, Education - Lyre, wreath of laurels on her head, dances
Thalia - Comedy - Comic Mask
Urania - Astronomy - Compass, Stars, Celestial Sphere
Pope Julius II commissioned four frescoes to represent the four areas of human knowledge for the Palace of the Vatican. Parnassus, with Apollo, the nine muses, and 18 poets, represent Poetry. The other three frescoes represent philosophy, religion and law.
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Sunday, September 23, 2018
HALF-MARATHON COMPLETED!
Seventeen years ago I ran the longest distance I had ever run, and that is true even today. I was twenty-nine years old, and truly loved to run an hour at a time. I always thought I would run another marathon in my thirties, especially when I discovered that I had run the Saskatoon marathon in four hours and one minute. That time really stuck in my craw for a long time, and for a while I imagined I would run another marathon in under four hours, even if it was by one second. But my thirties went by and I really didn't run. I didn't run for a long time after the marathon. I married a guy who couldn't run a block without stoppping because he was too itchy. I got lazy. I had a torn meniscus. I lost my identity as a runner, but I never really felt good about it.
So a few years ago, I started running again. I learned to run in all weather and for the first time over the winter. I broke my toe and suffered from plantar fasciitis, but I kept running. I had to run smarter, with cushioned shoes, on trails, not pavement, I learned to shorten my stride and run more upright to lessen the impact on my joints. I was running in forests and down to the waterfront. I ran with my daughter and with a friend, but mostly alone, when I could find time. Like swimming, my daughter encouraged me to suit up and ran when she had french tutoring over the summer. She was proud of me, and held me accountable. Much like signing up for the triathlon, I was lulled into the belief that I could run a half marathon early in the spring, and the price was attractive, so I registered. As the summer progressed, and was the hottest summer of memory, with five months of hot weather, training was a real challenge. But just like anything, you can acclimatize with practice, and although runs were shorter than planned, I was able to run throughout, and even learned to run without much water.
Then the triathlon came, and the running portion was the least pleasant run I remember ever completing. I didn't know how much rest to take, but it was only two weekends to the marathon and I still had not run more than 10 km. So whether my body needed it or not, my confidence needed to prove that I could run at least a little more. So 3 days later, I went for a fatiguing 11 km run with a friend who was decidedly more peppy, and then a week ago, I managed to run a solid 14 km and felt like my old self.
Just like recovery post, there is an idea not to overdue it before. Unfortunately I was PMSing also, so I was not running and I was eating too much as my only activities this week until today. So I was a little nervous, and woke up in nightmares at 4 am today, and tried to sleep until 5:30 when my alarm went off. For the first run in almost half a year, I was faced with a choice of clothing that was going to be wrong for some part of the day. I chose to only wear shorts and t-shirt with 9 degree weather, and it was perfect for the run, but I had gloves to wear before and after, and was only borderline comfortable. 7:30 am, and the races started. I was in the 9th wave and we both burst into grins as we crossed the start line. Two kilometres in, the gloves came off and I was a comfortable temperature until after we finished.
I am proud to say that I never stopped running. I ran 14 km with my friend and we kept the pace to the end. I finally found an opportunity to use an empty portapotty around 16 km and regretted not going early. I reached 17 km easily, and then it was all down hill from there (figuratively, not literally!). The last 4.1 km were the hardest, but none were as bad as the five at the last leg of the triathlon. The crowds were encouraging and I found my friend quickly after.
So this morning I ran for 2 hours and 21 minutes and 11 seconds, and I am proud of that! I feel like I might have put this milestone behind me. Nursing an sore ankle, I have discovered that 10 km keeps a lot of pain away, but more than that can make subtle gait asymmetries exaggerate. I also proved that I am not interested, and maybe don't even find it possible to run a faster marathon at this point.
For today, though, I proved I can run longer than I was certain I could, faster than I thought. It is good to prove things to yourself, especially if you are not sure you can do them. It's good to try things that you are likely to be bad at, especially if you try them with faster and younger and fitter people. It's a good mix of pride and humility you need to balance in these activities, that really is a mindset fitting for general life.
So a few years ago, I started running again. I learned to run in all weather and for the first time over the winter. I broke my toe and suffered from plantar fasciitis, but I kept running. I had to run smarter, with cushioned shoes, on trails, not pavement, I learned to shorten my stride and run more upright to lessen the impact on my joints. I was running in forests and down to the waterfront. I ran with my daughter and with a friend, but mostly alone, when I could find time. Like swimming, my daughter encouraged me to suit up and ran when she had french tutoring over the summer. She was proud of me, and held me accountable. Much like signing up for the triathlon, I was lulled into the belief that I could run a half marathon early in the spring, and the price was attractive, so I registered. As the summer progressed, and was the hottest summer of memory, with five months of hot weather, training was a real challenge. But just like anything, you can acclimatize with practice, and although runs were shorter than planned, I was able to run throughout, and even learned to run without much water.
Then the triathlon came, and the running portion was the least pleasant run I remember ever completing. I didn't know how much rest to take, but it was only two weekends to the marathon and I still had not run more than 10 km. So whether my body needed it or not, my confidence needed to prove that I could run at least a little more. So 3 days later, I went for a fatiguing 11 km run with a friend who was decidedly more peppy, and then a week ago, I managed to run a solid 14 km and felt like my old self.
Just like recovery post, there is an idea not to overdue it before. Unfortunately I was PMSing also, so I was not running and I was eating too much as my only activities this week until today. So I was a little nervous, and woke up in nightmares at 4 am today, and tried to sleep until 5:30 when my alarm went off. For the first run in almost half a year, I was faced with a choice of clothing that was going to be wrong for some part of the day. I chose to only wear shorts and t-shirt with 9 degree weather, and it was perfect for the run, but I had gloves to wear before and after, and was only borderline comfortable. 7:30 am, and the races started. I was in the 9th wave and we both burst into grins as we crossed the start line. Two kilometres in, the gloves came off and I was a comfortable temperature until after we finished.
I am proud to say that I never stopped running. I ran 14 km with my friend and we kept the pace to the end. I finally found an opportunity to use an empty portapotty around 16 km and regretted not going early. I reached 17 km easily, and then it was all down hill from there (figuratively, not literally!). The last 4.1 km were the hardest, but none were as bad as the five at the last leg of the triathlon. The crowds were encouraging and I found my friend quickly after.
So this morning I ran for 2 hours and 21 minutes and 11 seconds, and I am proud of that! I feel like I might have put this milestone behind me. Nursing an sore ankle, I have discovered that 10 km keeps a lot of pain away, but more than that can make subtle gait asymmetries exaggerate. I also proved that I am not interested, and maybe don't even find it possible to run a faster marathon at this point.
For today, though, I proved I can run longer than I was certain I could, faster than I thought. It is good to prove things to yourself, especially if you are not sure you can do them. It's good to try things that you are likely to be bad at, especially if you try them with faster and younger and fitter people. It's a good mix of pride and humility you need to balance in these activities, that really is a mindset fitting for general life.
Monday, September 17, 2018
PRINCE PHILIP'S SPEECH ON MARRIAGE
While watching The Crown with the girls, I was touched by the observations in an anniversary speech given by Prince Philip. I think his insight about ourselves and others is bang on. We will never be able to see ourselves as fully as others may observe. But how lovely is that, in knowing his wife, Queen Elizabeth, that he sees the whole of her and has the grace to praise her treasure. Here is the script:
“Ten years has taught me, the secret of a successful marriage is actually to have different interests.
Well, different interests, not entirely different interests. It’s a funny business.
One sees the whole of the other person. You see even that part of them that they don’t see themselves.
And presumably, they see that hidden part of you.
One ends up knowing more about one’s partner than they know about themselves.
And it can be pretty tough to keep quiet about it.
So you have to come to an accommodation, an arrangement, a deal if you like.
To take the rough with the smooth.
But the extraordinary thing is down there in the rough, in the long reeds of difficulty and pain,
that is where you find the treasure.
So I would like to propose a toast in the name of love, in the name of our beloved country, in the name of steadfastness, in the name of another ten marvelous years.
I give you mon petit chou, Lilibet, Elizabeth, The Queen.”
“Ten years has taught me, the secret of a successful marriage is actually to have different interests.
Well, different interests, not entirely different interests. It’s a funny business.
One sees the whole of the other person. You see even that part of them that they don’t see themselves.
And presumably, they see that hidden part of you.
One ends up knowing more about one’s partner than they know about themselves.
And it can be pretty tough to keep quiet about it.
So you have to come to an accommodation, an arrangement, a deal if you like.
To take the rough with the smooth.
But the extraordinary thing is down there in the rough, in the long reeds of difficulty and pain,
that is where you find the treasure.
So I would like to propose a toast in the name of love, in the name of our beloved country, in the name of steadfastness, in the name of another ten marvelous years.
I give you mon petit chou, Lilibet, Elizabeth, The Queen.”
Thursday, September 13, 2018
CLEANING UP MY SAFARI SEARCHES
My battery life is shorter than ever, so I looked to see what I could alter to improve things. I have over 250 pages open. So here is the great brain dump of a year's worth of searches in hopes that I can keep the contrast up enough to read.
Sultan vs maharaja Arabic (religious) ruler vs Sanskrit ruler or king
Sultana is the feminine version.
Map of the trip in Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days
Movie recommended to me in German class Frantz
Opium
Poetry makes you happier
Cozumel Palace, Mexico
Quebec mortar companies Triage de Joints
Mini Science 2018 Female scientists public lecture series February
German Zoos
The Cuban Ballet I missed: Don Quixote
homelessness-step-by-step
France Quebec junior magazine
Asphalt vs Concrete driveway
list-of-english-words-of-german-origin
Olympics Salt lake City and view from the airport
Sun Valley, Idaho
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Morse Code
Prometheus-Greek-god
Olympic Flame
Home Away
inflatable easter bunny origami
Buddha's Brain
Maple Fudge
isometrics energy transfer
Art Nouveau Germany
St. Sauveur Ski Museum
Tape residue removal
Poppy Seed Mass
Milky Way Galaxy Tastes like Raspberry
the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time
Keith Haring artist
The Brain that Changes itself
Wellness Adventures New Zealand
Eco homemade sanitary pads
Northwestern State Educational Tour (Derek recommends Steve Sanders)
Mulligatawny Soup
divorced dad opines
Vikings in Europe
Why Do Earthworms Surface After Rain
subsist
Dr. Holly Woman of Distinction
Sultan vs maharaja Arabic (religious) ruler vs Sanskrit ruler or king
Sultana is the feminine version.
Map of the trip in Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days
Movie recommended to me in German class Frantz
Opium
Poetry makes you happier
Cozumel Palace, Mexico
Quebec mortar companies Triage de Joints
Mini Science 2018 Female scientists public lecture series February
German Zoos
The Cuban Ballet I missed: Don Quixote
homelessness-step-by-step
France Quebec junior magazine
Asphalt vs Concrete driveway
list-of-english-words-of-german-origin
Olympics Salt lake City and view from the airport
Sun Valley, Idaho
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Morse Code
Prometheus-Greek-god
Olympic Flame
Home Away
inflatable easter bunny origami
Buddha's Brain
Maple Fudge
isometrics energy transfer
Art Nouveau Germany
St. Sauveur Ski Museum
Tape residue removal
Poppy Seed Mass
Milky Way Galaxy Tastes like Raspberry
the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time
Keith Haring artist
The Brain that Changes itself
Wellness Adventures New Zealand
Eco homemade sanitary pads
Northwestern State Educational Tour (Derek recommends Steve Sanders)
Mulligatawny Soup
divorced dad opines
Vikings in Europe
Why Do Earthworms Surface After Rain
subsist
Dr. Holly Woman of Distinction
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
ELLA, GURU OF THE CLEAN FOOD MOVEMENT
I recently watched a documentary looking for clarity on the clean eating movement. In it, I was introduced to a British woman who was presented as the start of the movement named Ella. She spoke to the backlash that has followed her idea. Turns out all good ideas can be taken too far. Her complaint was that the use of the term "clean" with eating implies that now there is food we eat that is "dirty".
Today a friend told me about her also, and encouraged me to check out her new podcast, just starting last month. Deliciously Ella is the name of her book, and podcast. Ella and her husband opened two delis in Westend London and the idea is a healthy vegetarian diet. I like the idea of delicious recipes from simple food. Her honesty is refreshing. Now what is left is to try her food!
Today a friend told me about her also, and encouraged me to check out her new podcast, just starting last month. Deliciously Ella is the name of her book, and podcast. Ella and her husband opened two delis in Westend London and the idea is a healthy vegetarian diet. I like the idea of delicious recipes from simple food. Her honesty is refreshing. Now what is left is to try her food!
GOURMET LEFTOVERS
Sometimes I think that I am the furthest thing from a gourmet girl. In the last years, it is a rare event for me to truly present a gourmet event. But what I am good at is making a simple meal from leftover ingredients. Often it's just for one, and it often doesn't qualify for eating first with your eyes. But sometimes it is a triumph of imagination! Today is one of those days.
Working around the fact that my daughter needed the two leftover slices of bread for her last breakfast before school tomorrow, I had a ripe banana, and open peanut butter jar, and a whole wheat tortilla for breakfast. Not my usual, but I was out of granola and soy milk!
After driving to Lasalle to run with a friend for the first time since the marathon (10.6, felt my lungs more than my legs surprising), my nausea turned to hunger on my return. My daughter had an avocado wrap for lunch, so I had half an avocado turning in the fridge. I took a tortilla, smashed the avocado half in the middle, a spoon of sundried tomatoes paste, and a handful of salad from a giant container of San Marino greens. It was tasty, pretty and delicious. Not quite enough, though, even with 3 glasses of water. One bigger handful of salad, 25g of Danish blue cheese crumbled, the rest of the rejected shriveled up edamame from supper last night (already leftover once before), a few dried cranberries and my go-to Kraft sesame dressing. It was a great salad, and just maybe a little gourmet, practical style!
Working around the fact that my daughter needed the two leftover slices of bread for her last breakfast before school tomorrow, I had a ripe banana, and open peanut butter jar, and a whole wheat tortilla for breakfast. Not my usual, but I was out of granola and soy milk!
After driving to Lasalle to run with a friend for the first time since the marathon (10.6, felt my lungs more than my legs surprising), my nausea turned to hunger on my return. My daughter had an avocado wrap for lunch, so I had half an avocado turning in the fridge. I took a tortilla, smashed the avocado half in the middle, a spoon of sundried tomatoes paste, and a handful of salad from a giant container of San Marino greens. It was tasty, pretty and delicious. Not quite enough, though, even with 3 glasses of water. One bigger handful of salad, 25g of Danish blue cheese crumbled, the rest of the rejected shriveled up edamame from supper last night (already leftover once before), a few dried cranberries and my go-to Kraft sesame dressing. It was a great salad, and just maybe a little gourmet, practical style!
Monday, September 10, 2018
I AM A TRIATHLETE!
Well, I did it! I honestly had no certainty that I would, but I finished! Goal number one met! Not finishing last? Check! Less than 2 1/2 hours? A mere 1:54:26 race time! I still can't believe it! My ego keeps reminding me that I was in the bottom 6 percent, ranking 1050/1107. But I swam 800 m in 23:55 minutes ( I wasn't sure I could beat 30!), I biked 20k in 46:58 minutes, and I ran 5.2 k in 34:09 for a blistering pace of 6:36/km, even though it felt like I was slow as molasses! Two transitions of 5:40 and 3:44 minutes, where I stopped to dry off, dress up, only to realize I hadn't eaten or put on my sports bra! With a new bike, a plastic bucket for supplies and a better plan, maybe I can do better next time! 8 or 9th percentile! Or just let one or two 60 year olds outrun me, not three (starting 15 minutes after, by the way!)
Just to be clear, because there are quite a few variations, I swam 750m, biked 20k, and ran 5k, or finished the 25.75 k race or sprint, as my real triathlete friends say! Not an Ironman, nor even the Olympic distance, but not the tri-a-tri neither!
So what did I learn about my first triathlon?
Number one: The Montreal Triathlon Sprint really is made to have fun! The volunteers were numerous, and helpful and the fans enthusiastic, even for strangers! From marking our legs and arms with our bib numbers and age, making sure we were going the right direction, to giving away gatorade, to singing and cheering, they made the race fun!
Number two: Just because you like to run, don't assume that it'll be easy once you get to the third stage of the race. It's gonna be harder each event you make, just because it's after something else. For me, the swim tired me out, but it was a dream compared to the bike, and the bike compared to the run!
Number three: When they say put your tracker on last, they really mean it! Turns out there is a whole line of portapotties in the transition zone, which is the place to circle back to just before you swim, bike, and run, and then after you finish. Outside of the transition zone, near the Olympic Basin at Jean Drapeau Park, there was only one bathroom, shared with the general public, that I was standing in line in front of just before the race. I barely made the start on the beach because the turnover was so slow, but I am grateful to a gentleman spectator that noticed those of us with green caps were next up, and let me go before he did!
Number four: Your best opportunity to eat a bite is in the transition zone, but even when every one has left, eat before you start to exit. Once you have your bike moving, eating and drinking are dangerous! I have a scab and hematoma on my right shin to prove it. Take a few seconds to put a bite in your mouth, then leave. But eat a couple bites. Once you start biking you can digest. It's your only opportunity, and you will need the energy for the run!
Number five: Flags mean something but not everything! Green means go; red means stop, but with two precisions. First, when you leave the transition for the bike section, don't get on the bike until the green flag. Lastly, when you are finishing, the red flag may be followed by an inflated gate. Run past the flag and under the gate for your best time!
Number six: You really just can show up with a swimsuit, goggles, running/biking shorts and a bike. I liked this article as most helpful, even though I only found it after! 10 Tips For First Time Triathletes
Number seven: The two smartest things I did that helped in the race was sign up with a friend and practice in the open swim the day before. It was the first time either of us had swum that distance outside of the pool (25 meters at a time) and with all the bodies stirring up the water, we both had a chance to panic and then calm down. We had a 275m loop that we both freaked out doing the first time, but we did it again and the second time was just fine. I still can't believe that I had never done the front crawl for more than 25-50 m at a time, often too breathless to continue. Once I hit the water in the race, however (trailing behind the group intentionally), I found a pace that I had never found before, and managed to swim the distance, mind you lopsided, one in two breaths per stroke, in front crawl with my face in the water. 21.5 degrees Celsius is the perfect water temperature on a sunny day!
Number eight: I probably ran, swan and then biked in order of time during my training. This wasn't a terrible choice, and I didn't feel totally confident nor incompetent when I thought about the race. Swimming felt the least prepared, but after the race, I wish I had biked more. Probably, training more frequently in general would have been better, but I am glad, like with many things, I started before I was totally prepared. I have no regrets on being on my way and still finding the race day upon me.
BONUS REEL: TRIATHLON BY BLUNDERS
REFRESHING PERSPECTIVE ON GETTING OLD
An elderly lady was asked by a child if she were young or old. "My dear," she replied, "I have been young a very long time."
credit to the compilation P.S. I Love You by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
credit to the compilation P.S. I Love You by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
DREAM TRIP: CANARY ISLANDS
North Americans head south to the Caribbean for the sun. Europeans head to the Spanish Canary Islands. There are 28 Caribbean Nations and over 7000 islands. There is only one nation for the Islas Canarias, or Islands of the Dogs and 7 major islands and 4 of Spain's 13 National Parks.
Located off the Western Coast of Algeria, the island that caught my eye was Tenerife. Not that I know any details of these islands, but I remember Agatha Christie mentioned the name. Actually, I had always thought it was a place she visited near her home in England, but now I realize that it was in the Canary Islands. I confirmed this by a blog entry at the top of my google search. This has solidified my dream to visit this corner of the world in the future, and re-read Agatha Christie's autobiography.
Located off the Western Coast of Algeria, the island that caught my eye was Tenerife. Not that I know any details of these islands, but I remember Agatha Christie mentioned the name. Actually, I had always thought it was a place she visited near her home in England, but now I realize that it was in the Canary Islands. I confirmed this by a blog entry at the top of my google search. This has solidified my dream to visit this corner of the world in the future, and re-read Agatha Christie's autobiography.
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