Answered by Fire

I'm glad Answered by Fire was produced, but... what people do to other people breaks my heart.

Cataloguing my library

Is it another waste of time?  I've taken the plunge with LibraryThing. I'm not sure why.

I already have a database/inventory of my books in Access, including facility to track books I loan out. 
My real desire is to create MARC records - I've loved the first cataloguing subject in my course. 
No, well yes, but no, really what I need is to organise my books. 

My collection (of books [and games, kits, toys] is begging to be sorted ... I wonder how, after thirty years of devoted (okay: obsessive), orderly arrangement of my books, I can have shelved them so haphazardly and left them so for almost two years.  I remember when starting to shelve that it felt ridiculous to be taking the time (an excess of time because I am conflicted between Dewey and my own categories) to properly order the books when I had allowed my marriage to fall apart and was so fearful about how I would manage our life.  Waiting until I learn more about cataloguing in the library course (although I cannot conceive how it will ease the conflict) seemed like a reasonable justification, although the state of the shelves is a constant irritation.  For some time when I thought about tackling the task, it triggered the same guilt/fear complex so I guess I shall be grateful that such feelings have faded with time.  The last remaining obstacle is settling to a system of organisation - regretfully likely to be Dewey?

While I won't be creating the MARC myself, LibraryThing may help with the latter by telling me the Dewey classifications of my books, at least for those that have ISBNs. 

Google notebook & sports reporting.

I'm not sure whether it will be useful really, but I downloaded Google notebook recently, and aside from saving the Carnival of Infosciences that I haven't finished surfing just recently I used it to hold finds on sports reporting - information I sought for inspiration to pass on to Cricket, a temporary research area for which I did not want to collect more bookmarks. One item I found in the process was an overview of a sports reporting course at George Mason University.

Protopage

I'm finding protopage an easy way to play with the web. Like blogging I guess it would be a little more fun if I had the digital camera, but in the meantime, it lets me quickly jot notes about where I surf and why, and stores the bits and pieces I have collected to share.

Books become art

I thank Library Stuff's latest Carnival of Infosciences for opening my eyes to Michael Whittaker's brilliant idea at the Portland Public Library, Maine.

It is wonderfully innovative: creating art, an attractive new collection, from weeded books that would have to be trashed otherwise, community involvement and positive attention. 

"Don't obey me, my child"

Continuing my catch up on nvc-parenting archives, I paused again at Isabell Peters' poem. I'm trying to work out with what I feel connected, and which parts disconnect with me. (permission to share with others off-list, message 6532):

Don't obey me, my child
(Isabell Peters/2005)

Listen to me and open your heart
when I open mine
when I reveal myself to you

or indoctrinate you - then tell me
if you are irritated.

Should I say "you have to"
don't believe me, my child -
Just bear with me
when I know no other way.

When I think I know better
What's good for you
don't believe me -
just bear with me
when I seem to have no trust.

Listen to me and open your heart
when I open mine
even when I reveal myself
with lack of trust
with my pain
with my disorientation.

Never obey me, my child!

Yet follow me if your heart approves.

(Translation: Sara Hartmann)


Connection: "Yet follow me if your heart approves" - describes the desire I hold that my children might follow my instructions because those instructions are such that would meet my children's needs.

Disconnection: Actually, probably not disconnection, so much as my fear that the number of times my instructions may have been made with my own needs rather than the children's in mind may have created an inclination in them for lack of trust that my instruction would be worth following with approval.

Obedience, compliance... surely they are not needed if I have earned trust?

Ingenious

GUF is visiting over the festival season. I have learned a lot about the history of World Championship Chess, enjoyed the influence of my uncle on my sons, and received the kind of loving support and reassurance that only an uncle can give.

Which reminds me that I caught up with GUK on Skyhero Chat this afternoon.

Do you Sudoku? Cricket and I did (this morning) while watching our new Voyager DVDs (thanks GUF). Then Kitty did too, and she is again, with GUF, while I blog. Earlier we watched Madagascar and played Ingenious.