The Sandbox Writing Challenge #41 – Seduces Me

This week, over at Impromptu Promptlings, Lady Calen presents us with quite the thought provoking question:

What other worlds entice me?

Not that I’m not part of Nature, and that I don’t get out in the midst of it as often as possible, but that is a world, apart from my daily reality, which entices me. Communing with the Green Ones is something I wish I could do continuously. But, of course, living life includes having to tend to ADL, which takes me away from being outside.

Still, there are also different other worlds which call to me, so much so, that I answer. I’ve mentioned this first one often. It is a world which speaks to me on a integral level, but also a world which Little Girl Lost gravitates to, now that she’s out playing.

A second version, came into being, which has captured my heart, and has turned out to be rather more challenging:

When I’m giving my inner child the reins, of course, one passion leads to another, and I’ve recently discovered Paradise Bay:

My mind still goes back to Middle Earth, which has reigned supreme as the idyllic world – apart from the fighting. The seeming simplicity of the life of Hobbits, made it a wondrous world.

And the magic brought by the Elves:

I’ve made lemonade out of the rather disturbing lemons of life, and I don’t mind that it is a virtual beverage. After all, it was in Virtual Reality that I met my wonderful Knight in Shining Armor and to whom I am wed.

That’s the thing about books and film.  Ed Chigliak, in Northern Exposure put it best. Film is “White man’s medicine.” And I find that to be so for myself.

P.S. Holy Michael Allouicioius Finnegan! This long strange trip its been through the nightmare alley of wordpress commenting these last days, brought me to yet another world which beguiles me. The Alternate Universe! YES, that draws me in beyond belief. It just hit me.

What would my life have been were I aware of the alternate universes in which this life is lived a million other ways? Who would I have been, how would I have felt? What about time travel? Now THERE’s a lure if there ever was one.

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A to Z Challenge – GADOLINIUM

Day 7

April 8, 2016

The Magnificent Seven Letter: G

GADOLINIUM

I love the sound of words. Case in point, Gadolinium. Say it, and feel the way it trips off your tongue, or just sounds inside your head. Sure, there are prettier sounding words, in this realm.

But what the heck is it?

I’m sure that most people who have ever taken a chemistry class will have come across it. The Faraday Girls (as I like to think of them) will know. *waving* Hope you’re having a great trip!

Okay back to our word at hand.

Here’s a hint:

It’s atomic number is 64. It’s ‘symbol’ is Gd. And it’s atomic mass is 157.25

It is a silvery-white, malleable and ductile rare-earth metal. It is found in nature only in combined (salt) form. Gadolinium was first detected spectroscopically in 1880 by de Marignac, who separated its oxide and is credited with its discovery. It is named for gadolinite, one of the minerals in which it was found, in turn named for chemist Johan Gadolin.

I know, it’s mind boggling.

But wait, it gets better:

Gadolinium metal possesses unusual metallurgic properties, to the extent that as little as 1% gadolinium can significantly improve the workability and resistance to high temperature oxidation of iron, chromium, and related alloys. Gadolinium as a metal or salt has exceptionally high absorption of neutrons and therefore is used for shielding in neutron radiography and in nuclear reactors. Like most rare earths, gadolinium forms trivalent ions which have fluorescent properties. Gadolinium(III) salts have therefore been used as green phosphors in various applications.

Now THAT is heady stuff!

The gadolinium(III) ion occurring in water-soluble salts is quite toxic to mammals. However, chelated gadolinium(III) compounds are far less toxic because they carry gadolinium(III) through the kidneys and out of the body before the free ion can be released into tissue. Because of its paramagnetic properties, solutions of chelated organic gadolinium complexes are used as intravenously administered gadolinium-based MRI contrast agents in medical magnetic resonance imaging.

So, I guess you’re wondering what a nice spritely minx like me would be remotely interested in such a thing.

BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME:

One of the things which I loved about Mr. Quantum, when we were learning stuff about each other, was his passion and love for Science. While his favorite field is Astrophysics, and now, Particle Physics, when we first got hitched, we’d spend hours talking over the intricacies of his love for science. He got me quite interested in the periodic table, and before I knew it, he had me learning all the elements! I found so many of them sounded absolutely wonderful as words.

PRESENT TIME RESUMES

Hence, when today showed up, and G was the word (I probably should have thought of Grease; you know Grease is the word, is the word, is the word). But I didn’t. I thought of the beautiful sound of Gadolinium.

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http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/ – G

Info: Wikipedia

Photo: sciencenotes.org

A to Z Challenge – CELEBRATE

Day 3

April 4, 2016

The Tri Pi Letter: C

CELEBRATE

Celebrate, celebrate, dance to the music!

Life is an occasion, rise to it. Life is also a celebration of having this opportunity to be incarnate, and have the chance to have a human experience. That’s right, Soul Patrol speaketh.

The question is, what does one celebrate? Which leads to how does one celebrate?

Through the years – and I’m sure these happened, as I’ve seen the pictures – there have been parties. Most of the early ones were birthday parties. There’d be cake, cookies, ice cream. Which is interesting since I believe, as a wee one, I was not that partial to sweets. Nor, from what I’ve been told, was I interested in plain old entree type food. I’ve been known – again stories handed down – to do the chipmonk thing, after being fed part of a hotdog for lunch, to push it over into my cheek, and nap with it there. Of course, I’m sure my hope was that my mother would cease and desist on that front. As I grew older, and began speaking up for myself, I’m told, I was heard saying ‘I don’t want tupid (read that stupid) chicken.’

Somewhere I think my idea of celebrations began to turn to other activities. When I was asked what I wanted to do for my sweet sixteen birthday, I said I wanted to go up to Fahnstock State Park where we could go camping and have a cook out. I think I fancied burnt marshmallows. But mostly, I just wanted to be outdoors. No frilly girly dresses for me. No catering houses need be. Jeans and t-shirts, and hiking boots, and tramping around in the wilds of upstate New York.

I believe I had some sort of high school graduation celebration. Though I don’t recall what it was. I do remember that our prom was held out at a beach resort, on Long Island, and it was a weekend deal. My date, Little Jimmy, who was probably the first boy I actually went out with (keeping in mind that Harry Chung was my first heart throb, but he sadly paid no attention to me – except in third grade when he taught me how to curse) escorted me to said prom.

As time passed, there were many other kinds of celebrations which my family did annually: Christmas Eve tree decoration at the Hedges, and the morning after where I got to be master (or is that mistress?) of ceremonies, and passed out the gifts, which were piled high in the chairs in the bedroom, which served, nights, as my parent’s sleeping quarters. We didn’t have our own tree – something about me pulling it down when I wasn’t even knee high.

Perhaps the greatest celebration has been that of LOVE, when Mr. Quantum and I were handfasted. (Sounds kinky, doesn’t it?)… That was 18 years, 1 month and 5 days ago. That celebration… well, let’s just say, what happens behind closed doors, stays behind closed doors.

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http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/ – C

Guess What REVEALED!

When last you saw the puzzle pic it looked like this.

Your wait is finally over, and the final picture answers the question:

Where in the world is Fimnora going?

Yup, this is me wondering what I’m getting myself into.

Beginning tomorrow, April 1, 2016, I’m going to be challenging myself along with a lot of other folks. The full badge should be sitting there on the right, and this puzzle time couldn’t have been possible without Holly over at A Fresh Perspective, who reminded me that I’d been waiting for this very challenge to come around again.

Guess What? Day 3

As the picture becomes clearer,

And the time draws nearer

Taking a page from an early post

Renewing what I’ve enjoyed the most

It’s about reinventing the fun

Following a passion for one

Think of where we all are going

And of the creative seeds we’re sowing

Look around, you might know more

Without even walking out your own front door

CLUE: Does this poem REGISTER with you?

CLUE THE SECOND: check back with clue 2 from yesterday. Pay attention to what I say.