Sunday, March 23, 2008

A Non-Easter Post

My boys are fascinated with space right now. Our home is filled with talk about dark matter, stars, space, aliens, and all that kind of stuff. When I posted earlier this week about SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) and the Hubble Telescope, reader Tez left me a comment informing me of Astronomy Photo of the Day, which is very cool! I'm learning a lot when I visit that site. They have a professional astronomer writing descriptions accompanying the photo of some part of the universe. Today's picture is of a dark molecular cloud, which is something I have personally never seen a picture of before. Do you like to learn about Space?

What am I reading right now? I sometimes have several books going and I go back and forth among them depending on my mood. I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love, which everyone seems wild about and is pretty good so far and I'm reading Black Magic Woman, for fun and to fufill my urban fantasy need. What are you currently reading?

In honor of my new poll on the left side of the screen, I'm going to share that I have never gone skinny-dipping as an adult. I did once as a child and it was a lot of fun! I was at my friend's house and she had an above-ground pool and we went swimming at night in the dark. So, no boys involved and we were kids. Not as much fun, I know. Have you gone skinny-dipping before?

A lot of churches have banned rice throwing at weddings. The story I heard was that birds will eat the rice off the ground and it will cause their stomaches to expand, exploding the bird. Lovely, huh? Well, it's a myth, busted by Mythbusters! Many churches have banned the rice mainly due to liability issues...they don't want people to fall and break something or hurt themselves on the slippery rice. At my wedding, we threw rose petals. What was thrown at your wedding?

The ringtone on my cell phone is AC/DC's Back in Black. What's your ringtone?

18 comments:

Wandering Coyote said...

Just stopping by to say hi!

I love your header - the seals are so cute, and one of my favourite animals.

Jeff B said...

Saw your comment today. Thanks for stopping by.

Let's see:

1) I love all things space. I took an astronomy class in college and was totally fascinated by it.

2) Currently am inbetween books, but I think "Marley and Me" will be next.

3) I grew up in the desert southwest and we had a swimming pool, so skinny dipping was pretty easy to do. It's been a long time since my nekidness has been out in the public arena. I'm sure there are many thankful people for that fact too.

4) At my wedding they threw a wake! Bwahahaha... ok it was bird seed.

5) My ringtone is the generic one that came with the phone. Booorrring!

Nice to meet ya.

Rhea said...

Hi, Wandering Coyote! Thanks. I took that picture of the seals in California last year. There were a bunch of mommy and baby seals together and pregnant seals about to give birth. It was pretty magical.

Thanks for coming by, Jeff and for answering all my questions. They're filming Marley and Me as a movie right now, did you know?

Tez Miller said...

Am currently reading Sergei Lukyanenko's The Night Watch. Can't read a lot in one sitting, though, because I keep needing naps. This must be a sign that I'm "getting old" ;-)

Have a lovely day! :-)

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

Happy Easter! We have been busy with family all weekend and I haven't blogged...I have this jittery feeling like I have neglected something!
1. Space - yes, absolutely fascinating. One of the other blogs I read...she has been discussing great movies of our youth - especially Star Wars. Do you remember that tv series, "V?" I wonder what our kids would think of it!
2. I am currently reading "Isaac's storm" by Erik Larsen for my book club on Thursday...about the Galveston hurricane. It is rather dry (his other book - "Devil in the White city" is much better. I am feeling the need to follow this up with an extremely smutty book :-)
3. I have never gone skinny dipping. I am a sheltered soul.
4. I don't think anything was thrown at my wedding...I think we did bubbles...it was 12 years and 2 children ago...am I expected to remember this??!!
5. I have a pre-programed ringtone. I would love a "real" ringtone...but my phone is not programmed to let you download them...I'd have to spend $30something for software...my next phone I'll be able to download to have a cool ring tone :-)

Rhea said...

Hey, Tez, look at it as your amazing brain just needs to recharge at times to keep up. lol Not that you're getting old. :o)

Hey, Kat! I don't remember that TV series V? I didn't watch much TV growing up, so there's a lot I missed out on. I've been catching up though...

I've been trying to find a local bookclub here since we moved, but no luck so far.

Bubbles is fun. I got married almost 12 years ago also...

Keys to the Magic Travel said...

I am actually in two book clubs...but one is much better for discussions than the other. But I am such an avid reader, many times I have already read what they choose to read. It's exciting when they pick something I haven't read already! Why don't you start a bookclub? Maybe in your neighborhood...

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

I JUST started reading Eat, Pray, Love myself and am anxious to make some progress on it!

Rhea said...

Oh, cool, Mamageek! I haven't made a lot of progress this week reading, because we've had family in town and my dad was in the hospital, but things are calming down now...just as Spring Break ENDS!! Oh, well.

Kat, I thought about trying to start one, but haven't managed to get much interest so far. Our street doesn't seem super friendly. We're renting, and I think maybe this house has had some weird renters in the past, so they're leery of us...although we're one of those super American families with two boys, a dog, elderly grandfather, sports, etc...not threatening at all!

CrystalChick said...

Space is awesome.
I have a star named for me in Lyra... gift from hubby for VDay one year. I have a telescope altho in New Jersey so close to Phila. it's hard to see anything in the skies sometimes. I also love astrology, which uses astronomy to determine where the planets and other bodies are.

Currently reading a book on the Tarot, have a bookmark in Son of a Witch, a couple Buddhist magazines laying around and a book on Mummies I got for Christmas that I've yet to get into but soon will.

Skinny dipping....we had a pool growing up, so I might have maybe once? But I definitely wouldn't do it now.

What was thrown at my wedding?? Hmmm... dirty looks by my MIL?? LOL
Actually, she and I get along just fine as I've been her DIL for almost 25 years, but when my hubby and I got married it was by the Mayor of his town and I wanted it to be a very small private ceremony. Only had my best girlfriend and hubs best guy friend as our witnesses but a bunch of people ended up showing up at City Hall anyway. I refused to let them in because I really wanted it to just be US. She didn't take so kindly to being kept waiting in the hall and I'm sure had some stuff to say about it altho never to me. Afterwards, we did all get together for champagne and cake as planned, but I just wanted the ceremony part private.
She eventually understood.

Whatever ringtone came with the phone.

Rhea said...

Crystalchick, you sure have some interesting reading! That's so cool you have a star named after you. Very sweet of hubby! Glad you and your MIL get along ok now. lol

tearese said...

Don't own a cell, sorry. We used too, but decided it was a waste of money.

hmmm, I don't think they threw anything at my wedding or reception.

I used to read non-stop, but don't read much thats not online anymore. I used to get Smithsonian magazine and my dh read Scientific American. Now I omly get Artists Magazine and some church ones for the fam.

Rhea said...

Hey, Tearese! We used to get Scientific American also but not currently. My husband gets Texas Monthly (a big magazine here in Texas) and I don't get anything currently...but I'd like to get National Geographic at least. And maybe some writing magazines. My kids get National Geographic Kids and National Geographic Little Kids and they LOVE them.

Tammy said...

Found your blog through a comment you left me, clever girl...lol.

I love to learn about space, I used to want to dream of going to space, until I realized I was claustrophobic, that wouldn't work so well.

I am currently reading Sexy Witch, a New Earth and Marley and Me

I went skinny dipping in my younger days, but I would be willing to go again, with the right lighting...ha, ha.

Rice was thrown at my wedding

I don't have a cell phone anymore, don't miss it either.

Love your blog, it's so interactive.

~**Dawn**~ said...

1. I have never been much of a science girl. I am more of a history girl myself. I find space interesting, in layman's terms.

2. I am actually reading... don't laugh... the Bible. I was raised Protestant & have read bits and pieces of it, but never all of it, in order. So... I am.

3. Not me!!

4. I haven't had a wedding! LOL!

5. Just the boring Verizon tone. I am too cheap to spend my money on more ringtones. =P

Rhea said...

Thanks for coming by, Tammy and Dawn! Tammy, interesting books you're reading. You're not the first person whose admitted to getting rid of their cell phone. I couldn't live without mine, just because I feel like I always need to be available in case of an emergency for my kids.

Dawn, I think that's great you're reading the Bible. I think everyone should read it at one point in their life. I've read parts of it, but not the whole thing.

Andrea said...

Hello again! Just stopping by again :P

1.Space is very interesting for dd#2. She is learning about the "new planet". I don't revall the name right now as it's after 1 am (must get to bed!).
2) Reading "The Undomestic Goddess", "Confessions of a Slacker Mom", and "The Virgin's Lover". We had a library visit today-so I need to get to a new stack soon (Carol Oates).
3) Skinny-Dipping a few times, I think. It has been a while...
4) We had bubbles at my wedding.
5) I use the programmed ringtone. My other phone had the sex and the city and desperate housewives tones. I changed them as the mood arose. I wish my phone right now had just the "normal" phone ring. Crazy, I know.

Rhea said...

Hi, Andrea! Thanks for coming by. Sounds like you're reading some good stuff! I love bubbles. :o)