Unlikely Hair Ornament

Picture of the Day for 9/30/2014. I was at my sister Robynne's house for dinner tonight when my niece Lisa accidentally got a long-handled back scratcher stuck in her hair (don't ask). I didn't hesitate. With one fluid motion I pulled out my phone and snapped a couple of pictures of her. It's so gratifying when the moment hits when I know precisely what my picture of the day is going to be. Lisa's a good sport.

Ab Machine

Picture of the Day for 9/29/2014. I've gotten my exercise act together. I've been running intervals this past month, gradually increasing my endurance and distance traveled. I sure do love running, but I have to be careful since it's not easy on your back and joints. 

I've also been taking classes at my gym. Take a look at this ab machine our trainer had us use. You hold onto the handles with your feet dangling in space and then you lift your legs up to your chest. I actually was able to do this. Five times. Me. Michelle Merrill. The woman with the doughiest belly on the planet. Wow.

Now if I could just get my eating act together...

Impressionist Image of the Moon

Picture of the Day for 9/28/2014. These photos I took of the moon over the clouds at twilight kind of look like they are impressionist paintings.

Lightning Storm Aftermath

Picture of the Day for 9/27/2014. So, you know that wild weather I referred to yesterday? It continued on into the night. I woke up at about 3:00 am to the sound of lightning and flashes of light filling my room. My first thought was that my English walnut tree outside was in trouble. Sure enough, when I went outside in the light of day to check on the tree, this is what I saw- one of its major limbs was down. I felt so incredibly bad. I'm inordinately fond of this tree as I used to spend hours climbing it when I was little. I walked over and patted the tree on its trunk and told it I was sorry it got hurt. 

Lightning Storm

Picture of the Day for 9/26/2014. Wild weather here in Salt Lake. I saw flashes of lightning through my front window so as Bob Merrill's storm-loving daughter I immediately went outside on my covered porch to watch the storm. Of course the moment I walked out with the intention of taking some photos of the lightning, it stopped. I sat poised for a long time with my camera at the ready, but nothing happened. So I went back inside and the moment I was seated back at my desk I saw the lightning resume flashing. Grrr. I went back outside and finally was able to capture this picture.

So Weird It's Disorienting

Picture of the Day for 9/25/2014. It's been a weird day. I received a clown nose in a kids meal I ordered at lunch so of course I had to put it on. I startled a young boy who was passing by my table. 

Tonight we (sister Paula, niece Chantal, great-niece Sadie) accompanied my great-niece Hayley for an evening out for dinner and then shopping at the mall so she could use the gift cards she received for her birthday last week. While we were at dinner, Sadie asked me how weird she was. I told her she was the weirdest girl in the entire universe. Sadie has a wonderful sense of humor so my response delighted her. That started a string of "you're so weird" insults we hurled at each other. Our waitress cracked up when she overheard me telling Sadie that she was an example to weird people everywhere. Before we all parted company at the end of the evening, I asked the girls to do a really weird pose so I could take a really weird picture. I'd say that they delivered on my request admirably. Hayley's final observation about the evening was that it had been so weird it was disorienting. I've been laughing over that statement ever since.

Traditional Harbinger of Fall

Picture of the Day for 9/24/2014. I blogged a few weeks ago about the first sign of autumn. I've decided that announcement was too precipitous and I should wait to document that first sign until I see a single, yellow leaf resting on my car. That seems to happen every year and in fact I blogged about it a couple of years ago. A single, yellow leaf feels melancholy and existential somehow. Very appropriate for fall and the waning year.

"Blossom" by Frank W. Merrill

Picture of the Day for 9/23/2014. I'm on an absolute volunteering roll. It's volunteerpalooza. I went back the care center in my neighborhood for a second time this month to participate in the Relief Society meeting for the elderly female residents. 

I told them all about my great-grandfather Franklin W. Merrill. How he was a composer, music professor, and assistant organist for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in the 1890s. How he composed the version of a Mormon hymn (O My Father) that was sung at the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple and at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. How he became deaf and ended his working career as a janitor. What a cruel irony for a musician.

After giving that background information, I played one of my great-grandfather's piano compositions called Blossom. It sounds very old-fashioned, like something you would have heard in the Victorian or Gibson Girl eras. It's a beautiful piece and I love playing it. 

I'm glad to say my presentation was a big hit!

My Brain is OK!

Picture of the Day for 9/22/2014. I've been meaning to catch a show on the Science Channel called Hack My Brain. It's all about improving brain function and memory. The irony was not lost on me that I kept on forgetting to watch it. 

I finally caught the first episode "on demand" today and then went online and tried a couple of the brain exercises the host tried out. Surprisingly, I did fantastic! I even scored 100% on one test that was pretty hard. My results for the two tests combined put me in the 98th percentile of all people who have taken the test- far better than even the host of the program. Wow...

Walking Late

Picture of the Day for 9/21/2014. I took a walk this evening and I made sure I got home before it got dark. I made the mistake last week of thinking it would kind of be nice taking a walk at night. It was not a nice experience. I couldn't see where I was stepping and it seems like every family on my route let their dogs out. I was actively pursued by one dog for nearly a full block while its owner kept on half-heatedly calling it back.

It's Important to Make Sure Your Alligator Wears a Seatbelt

Picture of the Day for 9/20/2014. Today is my great-niece Hayley's 15th birthday. 

Here she is with all her loot. My favorite juxtaposition is the make-up bag (full of Clinique cosmetics she received from her Aunt Renee) resting against a stuffed animal from the Disney movie Frozen. It's a perfect metaphor for her "between stage." Growing up so fast yet still interested in some things from childhood.

Both Hayley and her younger sister Sadie rode back to their house after dinner in my car. Sadie recently received a stuffed alligator (which she named Betsy) that has become her constant companion. Sadie made sure Betsy was safely buckled in her seat belt. So cute. 

Nature Finds a Way to Flourish

Picture of the Day for 9/19/2014. I noticed these flowers at the bottom of my driveway. At least I think they're flowers. Sometimes plants that look like flowers turn out to be weeds. Regardless, the blossoms are pretty.

I did not plant these flowers. I'm always amazed at plant life that crops up in the most interesting places. Nature will find a way to flourish. There's an object lesson in there somewhere...

Prophetic Fortune Cookie

Picture of the Day for 9/18/2014. I got this message in my fortune cookie at lunch today. It is EXTREMELY accurate. I'm not at liberty to say what the refreshing change in my future is, but I'll announce it as soon as I can.

New Job

Picture of the Day for 9/17/2014. My niece Chantal has a new job at a dry cleaners in my neighborhood. This is her first week of work and I was compelled to drop in to see her in uniform. And take her picture of course since I take pictures of everything.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Picture of the Day for 9/16/2014. I've been watching the latest Ken Burns documentary, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History. It's fabulous of course, just like everything Ken Burns does.

Naturally, I've become obsessed with the Roosevelts and I've been doing internet searches about them. I've loved the pictures I've found of Eleanor in her inaugural gowns.

Book List Challenge

Picture of the Day for 9/15/2014. I was recently challenged on Facebook to make a quick list of 10 books that have influenced me in some way. Here's the list I posted:

1-Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Tolkien

2-Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

3-Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

4-The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

5-A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

6-The Tony Hillerman Chee and Leaphorn novels

7-Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

8-The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday

9-Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

10-Persuasion by Jane Austen

I was limited to 10 books on Facebook, but I'm not limited on my very own blog so I will just add a few more books:

11-The Outlander novels by Diana Gabaldon

12-The Lost Queen of Egypt by Lucile Morrison

13-The Mirror of Her Dreams/A Man Rides Through by Stephen Donaldson

14-The Spellman File books by Lisa Lutz (because they make me laugh out loud)
15. Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I kept an eye on the library sales table at my local library and I was lucky enough to find the actual hard copy of Mara, Daughter of the Nile book I had read as a child. This is a treasured possession.

Contented Kitty

Picture of the Day for 9/14/2014. I was watching the new Ken Burns' documentary about the Roosevelts tonight with my sister Paula's family when the new kitty came over for a snuggle. It turns out that he likes having his paw rubbed which is so unusual for a cat. He totally zonked out while I was rubbing his paw. Cute kitty.

No Northern Lights for Me

Picture of the Day for 9/13/2014. Seeing the Northern Lights is on my bucket list. I was so excited to hear that they would be visible as far south as Utah at around midnight. I stayed up late for this event, but when I scanned the sky, nothing. Sigh.

Eyeshadow!

Picture of the Day for 9/12/2012. My 14-year-old (soon to be 15-year-old) great-niece Hayley has discovered eye shadow. I think this in direct correlation to her discovering boys. Just guessing...

Life Goes On...

Picture of the Day for 9/11/2014. I was just fittin to blog about the very mundane topic of road work. My street will be closed for re-paving tomorrow and I'll have to find somewhere else to park if I want to be able to use my car. Then I realized it's the 13th anniversary of 9/11. The fact that finding another place to park was my biggest concern of the day struck me as an example of how life sure does go on. 

I remember 13 years ago today that I was glued to the television in the early morning and then internet at work. We received regular updates from our employer as there were about 300 employees who worked at the one of the towers and were lost that day. I had spoken to one of them the day before- a man who worked in the travel center. He and I had spoken about my business travel planned for Tuesday, September 12. It was haunting to think that the man I had spoken with and joked around with less than 24 hours previously was gone.

A 1914 Photograph of the Beneficial Life Insurance Company's 9th Annual Banquet

Picture of the Day for 9/10/2014. I was at an antique store and came across this photo of the Beneficial Life Insurance Company's 9th annual banquet. This sounds like an event you would attend today, but the photo was taken 100 years ago in June 1914. I love seeing the clothing and hair styles from that era.

Volunteering

Picture of the Day for 9/9/2014. I've decided that I need to volunteer more and provide more service. Not a lot, mind you. I'm still mostly concerned about me, me, me, but everyone once in awhile I think about how I could be a better person. And then the thought quickly passes... ;-)

I agreed to say the closing prayer at a weekly Relief Society meeting that is held for the women at the elderly care center in my neighborhood. Not too taxing for a volunteer/service-challenged person like myself!

Before Astronauts There Was Outlander

Picture of the Day for 9/8/2014. Oh geez! I can't believe I forgot to blog about the Outlander viewing party my niece Renee held last Friday. Outlander is a new television series airing on the Starz channel and it's based on the novels of Diana Gabaldon. Any one-sentence overview of the premise can't do the novels justice. It's basically about a woman from 1940s England who ends up in 1740s Scotland married to a Scottish lad named Jamie and together they have many adventures together. See? Sounds like trite romance novels, but they are far from that. The novels are very intelligently written and give you a definite feel of time and place. 

Renee was impressed that we pretty much sat motionless for three hours while we watched all the episodes that had aired to-date. I think we would have sat there for several hours more if additional episodes had been available.

Before my obsession with space and astronauts started in 2009, my previous grand and all-consuming obsession was Scotland due to the Outlander novels. I arranged to get nearly three weeks off work in 1997 and traveled to England and Scotland with my friend Suzanne. I was with a tour group and I was so obsessed with seeing the places and landmarks mentioned in the novels that I managed to convince our tour guide to divert the bus from its planned route so we could drive through Inverness (one of the important settings in the novels). I suspect there are actual Outlander tours you can go on now since the novels are so popular world-wide. Scotland was everything I hoped for. I loved everything about it, but I especially loved the Highlands. They look wild and rugged and untouched by civilization.

Benedict Cumbercat

Picture of the Day for 9/7/2014. The fabric of space and time just ripped.

Let me explain. My sister Paula's entire family HATES cats. HATES, HATES, HATES them. So imagine my surprise when my niece Corinne texted me a picture of her new kitty, Benedict Cumbercat, named in honor of her favorite actor, Benedict Cumberbatch. 

Hold on. The story doesn't end there. The fabric of space and time is still in danger.

Turns out, Corinne's new husband Ian is deathly allergic to cats so she can't keep him. Her mother Paula agreed to adopt the kitty. 

RIP.... TEAR... 

That was the sound of the space/time continuum being subjected to destructive forces.

Turns out, Paula's entire family is now in LOVE with this kitty. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

RIP.... TEAR... 

You better run for your life. I'm not sure the universe can survive these assaults made on the fabric of space and time.

Before you take cover, take a minute to look at this cute kitty. He is darling.
 

Turning Into My Mother

Picture of the Day for 9/6/2014. I think we realize at some point we'll inevitably turn into our parents. Same expressions. Same mannerisms. 

Fair enough. I just didn't think I'd be turning into the elderly version of my mother quite so soon. 

I grabbed lunch today at a little cafe where my mother and I enjoyed eating when she was alive. I ordered ham on rye bread, just half a sandwich mind you like my mother would have ordered. 

I cut my half sandwich in half like my mother would have done. My hands are tiny like my mother's so the scene in front of me looked just like my mother performing that action, so much so that I was actually startled.

Oh man, I loved my mother, but I'm not ready to act like the 80-year-old version of her!

Lawn Chairs

Picture of the Day for 9/5/201. In the next neighborhood over from mine where I frequently take walks, I notice there's a trend where a lot of the houses have lawn chairs that are actually placed on the lawns. I never see this on my street or the streets immediately surrounding mine. I would make a smart-aleck remark about how my neighborhood must not be trendy, but the next street over from mine is where all the old 1950s ramblers have been torn down in favor of mini mansions. If any place in the area is trendy, that street would be it. 

I kind of want to go sit on the chairs as I pass them by, but I suspect that would not be well-received by the residents of these homes...

First Sign of Autumn

Picture of the Day for 9/4/2014. I usually do a post like this every year, but that's because I never get over the wonder of seeing the first sign of autumn, my favorite season of the entire year. The leaves are changing colors in my next-door neighbor's tree.

In Riding a Horse We Borrow Freedom

Picture of the Day for 9/3/2014. I saw this quote, "In riding a horse we borrow freedom," on a truck that belongs to a company called KB Horses at Red Ledges.* What a great quote.** And what a great marketing tool. I backed up my car so I could take a second look at this truck.

*This company is located in Park City, Utah and offers riding lessons, sleigh rides, and wagon rides. I've actually done a fair amount of horseback riding. My friend Suzanne and I used to go on horseback rides up at Bear Lake. These were very tame group rides across very tame territory on very tame horses. We would make up "pretend" scenarios about the rides to make them a little more exciting. I also went on some horseback rides for some annual work parties. Those rides were a little less tame. I now know that when a guide indicates the trail will involve slight inclines and declines, that's a flaming lie. It means you'll be holding on for dear life as your horse stumbles to keep its footing along steep, rocky, mountainous paths.

**Of course I had to Google this quote. It's attributed to a person named Helen Thompson.

Lack of Mileage Follow-Through

Picture of the Day for 9/2/2014. I went out to my sister Robynne's house today so we could conduct some business for Teach Speech Now. Since mileage is a valid business expense/tax deduction, I always start off a business journey by making note of my odometer, but then I NEVER remember to make note of my mileage at the end. Sigh. 

See- I Do Look Like My Doppelganger

Picture of the Day for 9/1/2014. I figured since yesterday's blog entry was about my doppelganger that I'd post a picture of myself so people can see the resemblance between the two of us.