PhotoFriday--Destruction

To continue the weather theme--on October 9 we had quite a storm here in Chicago. Estimates I read stated that 3000 trees were down. One suburb likely had microbursts (something like a mini-tornado). In my neighborhood, there were down trees or large limbs on nearly every block. Nothing too impressive for the "destruction" theme but I thought I'd post this just for fun. It is sad to see all these beautiful trees gone.

More on the weather

"The earliest measurable snowfall in the Chicago area accompanies unseasonably low temperatures that nearly match an 89-year-old record for Oct. 12"
This from the Chicago Tribune. Living in the Chicago area has a way of making people obsessed with the weather. After all, as someone said on the news yesterday, we can get all four seasons in one day. So it is only mid-October and I am ready to hibernate already. I think we were all a bit taken aback yesterday. The conversation I had with my husband went something like this: I don't know if it is happening where you are but I'm driving through a blizzard right now.
I can handle a few flakes unseasonably early but this was driving snow making visibility poor. I also forgot my coat on the way to work and was probably a bit blue around the edges.
Just when I start to think that global warming is real, nature turns around and does this to me. (Actually I think that global warming is real and it scares the heck out of me).
My timbers are shivering.
Today is sunny, sparklingly clear. I'll try to add on a photo if I get a chance.
So long.

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House in field of lavender

House in lavender field
Originally uploaded by skron.

Another photo to tempt you to visit Provence.

Fountain in Saignon

Fountain in Saignon
Originally uploaded by skron.

Saignon is a lovely small town in the Luberon region of Provence. We stayed in a small inn at the center of town. The streets were so narrow we could not drive to the hotel and had to carry our bags from the parking lot at the top of the hill. In front of the hotel is the lovely fountain pictured here.
Saignon is quiet enough that strangers definitely stand out. It is a town for walking, admiring the views quiet contemplation and, of course, wine and food. Day trips from Saignon could provide many days of touring but unfortunately we were only there briefly.
A Bientot!

For more about the hotel, see their lovely web site: http://www.auberge-presbytere.com

Photo Friday: "Thin"

More on Blogging

So does Blogging make you a better writer? Certainly some people hope so. In my random browsing, many bloggers are would-be authors. It is certainly easier to blog than it is to submit one's work for publication. But does it improve one's writing? Here are my thoughts.
On the yes side: blogging makes one write more which must help. And because the writing is packaged for the public (even if no one ever reads the blog), it presumably adds pressure to do a good job of the writing itself. So for imposing an external discipline on writing, it must help.
On the no side (more points than on the yes side): one gets little or no feedback. Even if you can get someone to read the blog, iffy with a zillion bloggers out there, no one is likely to edit your work. Also, blogging discourages editing one's own work. It is hard to review a post on the little window Blogger provides. And once posted, the post is unlikely to be reread by the blogger. In addition, the pressure to post as often as possible discourages excessive care as to content. Finally, Blogging encourages a specific format. In my mind, this format is more conversational and shorter is favored over longer. The blog I am writing now seems a bit long which I guess discourages readers. And if I really pursued my thesis, I would definitely exceed the bounds of this writing form. So I may become a better blogger, but it is less clear if I will become a better writer.
Blogging reminds me of medical writing. Doctors often say that writing in charts ruins whatever writing ability they initially had. Brevity, abbreviations, and incomplete sentences are encouraged. The average chart reads (if legible, a rarity) like a singles or real estate ad. For example, to say that I assessed a 22 year old single white woman with major depression who would like therapy might look like this: 22 yo swf presents w/ MDD for tx. If I had Greek fonts the above might have been even less understandable. You take my point.
So the moral of the story? Beats me but if you choose to blog, enjoy it anyway.
Regards.

Trees along a Tuscan road

Another reason to miss Italy.