Author: Paul

Sharing the shiny bits of life since I can remember. I run http://greenergrassmedia.com/.
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Sharing

carving of Arapaho indian council meeting from the Fort Collins Museum of DiscoveryOne of the best forms of sharing I’ve seen happens at a museum. This carving is displayed at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery.* The American Indian group that owned this carving from an old tree could have kept it for themselves, locked away in a dark room. But they chose to give it to the museum so that people like you and I could enjoy seeing the commemoration of a tribal council meeting many years ago.

My dad bought an old typewriter that he donated to the Smithsonian Museum. It’s one of those events that lives deep in my memory. Sadly, he’s not alive to ask the details. Even though it would be fun to have that typewriter to display on some surface in our home, I am glad he shared it with a larger group of people.

What can you share with others that is tucked away in your dark basement closet? It may not be museum-worthy, but someone may enjoy it more than you do.

* That’s a really fine little museum. You should visit someday, if you’re ever in their neighborhood.

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Off the beaten path

off-the-beaten-pathThis summer seems like a long time ago. The leaves have already left most trees, we must sleep under a thick comforter at night, and nights are much longer. So I dug into the summer photos and came across this one.

We were at Yellowstone National Park. We stopped along one of the main roads at a hot spring. Walkways with guardrails surround that geothermal feature to keep the average person safe from harm. We decided to walk down the river about half a mile and follow the river bank to a place where we could safely wade around in the hot spring-fed river without getting burned.

The vast majority of the visitors to the park never experience anything like that.

Step away from the main road. Enjoy the view from a different perspective.

(I took that photo from under one of the boardwalks.)

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Go slower

water droplets on a leafAs I was going to empty the trash yesterday, I noticed these amazing tiny water drops on a leaf that fell to the ground. If I had been focused on my task, I would have missed the beauty.

The humidity level, outside temperature and cloud cover provided the perfect environment for these droplets to form. The condensation would only be there for a brief moment in time. I had to savor the beauty right then or miss out.

Today, take a few minutes longer to do one of your normal tasks. You might be surprised at what you see!

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Medium

Along the trail to Hanging Lake, ColoradoSo, I wrote a post over at Medium. It’s a new blogging platform that has some great posts by a huge variety of people. What do you think?

A really cool thing is that you can comment on individual paragraphs, rather than waiting to the end of the post. (However, you must create an account.)

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Easy and clean

car tailpipeIt’s very easy – and clean – to turn off your vehicle when you’re parked.

If you do not let your vehicle’s engine idle when you are parked, you will win for all these reasons:

– Your engine will last longer.

– You won’t send pollution into the lungs of the bicycle rider or pedestrian who might be near.

– You will save money.

– You will prevent the environmental impact of transporting that extra fuel to your local gas station.

If you want to run your vehicle’s heater or air conditioner, consider instead going into the nearest building. It will probably be climate controlled. Your friend can meet you there.

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Wall Street Journal vs. Motor Trend

Wall-Street-Journal-vs-Motor-TrendFine wine or MD 20/20? You spend your money and take your choice.

I enjoy reading a variety of publications to observe writing styles, and there’s good and bad writing. I was delighted to see reviews of the new Nissan Versa Note in both Motor Trend (MT) and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). One was sublime, and the other was – well – ridiculous:

“Versa-tile: The Note’s aero-friendly exterior may not boost its speed, but provides a comfortable and airy interior” (MT).

“And no, the Nissan Versa Note isn’t a great inexpensive car. Actually, it is a shambles, a car so out of step with the best in its segment, it almost has an early 1970s East German vibe to it” (WSJ).

I am sure that the WSJ’s Dan Neil makes quite a bit more money per word than the MT writer. You do get what you pay for – at least in this instance.

Reading the WSJ review was so fun that I laughed out loud at least three times. Well done, Mr. Neil. In contrast, I winced several times while reading the MT review.

My friends, take care in what you do today. If possible, bring others delight rather than pain.

Footnotes:
1. I like the appearance of the Nissan Versa Note, but Mr. Neil’s review made it clear that I will never own one, no matter how inexpensive it may be.
2. The bad grammar reflected by the wrong use of a comma in the MT quote did occur in that article.
3. I left out the name of the MT writer, as an act of mercy.

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Great coffee

cafe-buesteloCafe Bustelo is not great coffee. But it is when you brew it the right way. Read on…

1. Use 1/3 very finely ground espresso coffee, such as Cafe Bustelo. Lavazza makes some better ground espresso coffee, but it costs twice as much.

2. Use 2/3 of your regular coffee.

3. If you like to save money, use 1/3 of your regular coffee and mix it with 1/3 of some ultra-cheap stuff. (I definitely avoid brands like Folgers, but if you go to Big Lots, you can pick up some decent coffee for very little cash.)

4. Mix your dry coffees and put the blend in an air-tight container that you’ll store in your freezer.

5. Use a coffee press. Put one tablespoon of coffee per cup of finished coffee. Pour boiling water over the fresh grounds. This step is important – use a big plastic spoon to stir the coffee and hot water mix. Then let it steep for five minutes before you push the press down.

6. Pour whatever coffee you aren’t going to drink right away into a thermos.

7. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am lazy. I do not grind my beans unless someone gives them to me that way.

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The way to cope with traffic – and life

construction and traffic

This is a guest post by my brother Bill.

Last week I drove from San Antonio up to Austin and back to attend a music show. On the way up, there was a 45-minute delay due to construction. At three consecutive points along the access road to the freeway, the entrance ramps were closed. Traffic slowed to a crawl and I thought, “Couldn’t they have done these one at a time instead of all at once?” I began to get frustrated, but then did as I usually do in traffic jams. I thought about the words of the Serenity Prayer’s opening stanza. It was a reminder not to get stressed out over something I could not control. This actually works for me, as I normally do not get anxious in a traffic jam unless it’s going to make me very late for a scheduled event. In this case I had the extra time.

Later I had a second opportunity to use the Serenity Prayer. I was heading to the (new-to-me) concert venue, trying to locate it using the Maps app that came with my new iPhone. Maps turned out to be very ineffective, giving wrong directions and distances. Again, contemplating the ideas in the Serenity Prayer, I was able to calm down somewhat, although not as well as during the traffic jam. This time there was a risk I would miss the start of the concert. (Fortunately I did not, as it began 20 minutes late.)

The concepts in the Serenity Prayer are simple yet profound. Regardless of one’s religious preferences, they can have value. Here is the opening stanza.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

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The value of retro

Crosley turntablesOld things can be good. And sometimes Gen-Z recognizes that.

Heather and I went to a folk music concert. The 27-year-old songwriter told of how he was so proud to have his latest recording on vinyl. Cassettes killed vinyl many years before he was born. And yet vinyl records have made a comeback.

I took this photo in Urban Outfitters, a store that’s so cool I should not be allowed inside. The average customer is about 20 years old. They are not selling anything that plays digital music, as all their customers have smartphones that play digital music.

They are selling record players because there is something warm and friendly about listening to the pops and background noise that is integral to listening to a record. Playing vinyl requires involvement. You can only listen to 25 or 30 minutes of music, and then it’s time to get up to turn the record over (unless you have a record changer). It’s a good exercise to turn the record over. You must decide if you want to hear Side B or put on something completely different.

Record album jackets (and sleeves) often offer deeper information than notes on Spotify. It’s also a little harder to see the lyrics on your phone – if they are available – compared to seeing the entire song on a record sleeve. Records often include all the lyrics of the album’s songs.

Many purists will tell you that they greatly prefer analog to digital, hands down.

Think about what retro thing you enjoy and share it as a comment on a post on my Instagram feed.

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Think about the box

electrical box artwork in fort collinsI don’t really want you to think about this box. I do want you to think about what it is.

Fort Collins, Colorado is a college town that consistently ranks as one of the USA’s top twenty cities. One of the reasons why it’s such a cool place to live is the city government. They are open to paintings on electrical switch boxes that would otherwise be a boring dull green.

This is a win-win situation. Artists get more visibility for their work. Everyone enjoys seeing color and creativity in unexpected places.

The application of this for you – what are some ways you can bring creativity to what would otherwise be boring? If you can think of a way, share it as a comment so others can be inspired.

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