On a Limb with Claudia

Swarm!

Between rain storms, a swarm flew into our yard.? Wanna see what happened?

It started with a high buzzing sound.? When I went to check our bees, they were out on their porches defending their homes.? A cloud of bees came into the bee yard then were pushed out by our bees.? They landed in our apple tree. The swirling cloud of bees settled down to this:

This is a very large swarm, possibly an entire hive (which is called an abscond.) So I put on my massive (XXL) bee suit*, set up the ladder,...

...and climbed up with my Bee Vac**.

Then began the painstaking work of vacuuming up the bee swarm. For the next hour, I slowly vacuum up the bee swarm.

Then, taa daa! Twenty or more pounds of bees! Ok, you can't really see them here. But notice the nice new rose bed! :)

Inside the bee vac....? I set the bee vac down and took the top off. This allows the bees that didn't get vacuumed up to find the hive.? This swarm was very calm.

Even though I can dump the hive into a hive box and be done with it, the bees like to feel like they chose their new home.? So I dumped half of the hive in a hive deep and half on an old sheet.? The bees then climb into the box.

And I also cheated.? I took a frame of babies from another hive and put them in this hive. One of the awesome things about bees is that they will never ever ever leave a baby - even if it's not their own.? They will stay to care for any baby bee.? Period.

For the sake of clarity, these bees have flown from who knows where.? They are carrying at least three days worth of honey, pollen and water. And the very first thing they do?? They tend the babies they found in this hive.

They stick their butts in the air to fan the hive smell into the air. This calls any remaining bees to the colony.

Just before the next rain/snow storm, the hive is settled for the night.? (They would not have survived the night on their own.)? I'll check it tomorrow (Saturday) to see how they are doing - if they need food, that kind of thing.

And I have a new hive.

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*I have this massive bee suit because we used to have some Africanized bees.? They were "smoke sensitive" which means that I had to enter then cold. They would chase me around the yard.? ARG!? A friend from England smuggled a German bee treatment which I used.? Once they weren't smoked, they were all right.? I requeened them eventually.? I wear the big suit to get swarms because I do not know the temperament of the hive.? Generally, swarms are docile, but you never know.

**A Bee Vac is a Shop Vac engine stuck on that box.? The Shop Vac is too harsh for the bees, so you have to slow it way down to not kill or injure all the bees you are vacuuming.? Like any Shop Vac, it has a variety of attachments. We've found this set up to work the best at retrieving, but not injuring the bees.

It's about the eggs.

May your day, and mine, is on the sunny side.

My garden - a photoessay

After checking the weather report four times, I spent most of the weekend planting my seedlings, seeds and tender veggie plants. My vegetable garden in under way!? Hurray!

Would you like to see it?

What's this, Claudia?

Oops. Turns out the weather report was delayed last weekend. New weather report as of Monday morning? FREEZING temperatures tonight and the THREE inches of snow due tomorrow.

Sigh.

Somebody helped you.

"I always wanted to be somebody. If I made it, it's half because I was game enough to take a lot of punishment along the way and half because there were a lot of people who cared enough to help me. No matter what accomplishments you achieve, somebody helped you."

--Athea Gibson, first African American pro tennis player.

There are so many people who have helped me. In a moment of need, they have reached out and lent a hand. Some people have known they helped. Others just helped and moved along.

I am deeply grateful for each kind word, gentle hand, and real assistance. I would not be here if it weren't for the kind intervention of strangers.

Who helped you? Do they know they helped you?

This week, let's thank the people who helped us in our life.? Say a prayer or broadcast love in the direction of someone who helped you.? Send a quick note or email.? Even a simple word of "Thanks" can brighten someone's day, and yours.

In turn, if you see someone in need, lend a hand. You may just change a life. "(A) study revealed that how many problems you had was not as strong an indicator of happiness or unhappiness as the amount of support available to you. The more help you received, the happier you were." (MJ Ryan, Trusting Yourself)

Happy Monday!

6 unimportant things.

I was tagged by Bethany. Because, this time of year, everyone is talking about their pedicures, my mind turned to my feet....

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself (things/habits/quirks).
4. Name six of your favorite blogs.
5. Send an email/comment on their blog letting them know they have been tagged.

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Six unimportant things about myself:

1. I have Morton's toes - which means that my second and third toe are longer than my big toe.

2. My father used to call these 'Intelligent feet.' Why? Who knows? (His IQ was tested 162.)

3. I like to wear stilettos - my husband loves it when I wear stilettos.

4. I have Morton's Neuroma in my left foot from dancing in four-inch stilettos. Morton's Neuroma means that I have intense pain near the ball of my left foot.

5. The very best treatment, after hours of dancing in my stilettos, is putting a small bottle of frozen water on the floor and rubbing or pressing my foot on the bottle of frozen water.

6. We have three small bottles of water frozen in the refrigerator.

How's that for unimportant?

Right now I have a TT hangover! ;)? Do it if you want!

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Bethany was tagged by Sharon. She tagged: SJ, Adelle, me(!), Denise, Brenda, and Melanie

Thursday Thirteen - Grow smarter.

Wired Magazine published a guide to help improve your memory, sharpen your concentration skills, and grow smarter. The information was so fascinating, I had to share it with you! I've edited the article for length and clarity.

Thursday Thirteen #28 - Grow Smarter

1. Distract yourself: Need to learn a crucial fact? The trick is to distract yourself by studying stuff that's slightly different from whatever you're trying to learn. Your brain will then work harder to permanently store the original information.

2. Caffeinate with care: To maximize alertness and minimize jitters, try small frequent doses of caffeine. A cup of low-caf tea or half a cup of joe - rather than a one time jolt of caffeine - will enhance your mental performance by keeping you clearheaded and calm.

3. Feed your mind: You can learn vast amount of information. But what to choose? Wired created this handy guide.

4. Think positive: A "growth mindset" creates brain plasticity, more adaptable, thus smarter. What is a growth mindset? "I will persist in the face of setbacks." People with a growth mindset exhibit increases in cognitive performance compared to people with a "fixed mindset" ('get defensive or give up easily").
--Ok, Claudia here: How do you change from a fixed to a growth mindset? Decide to. I'm not kidding. That's what the research shows - just decide you are going to persist despite setbacks. Yep - easy peasy.

5. How to Juice your IQ score: Wanna get that great paying job? You better ace your IQ test. (You also need to be in kick ass shape.) Any standardized test has tricks. If you are up for an IQ test, check out Philip Carter's "IQ and Psychometric Test Workbook."

6. Know your brain: Let's face it. We really have no idea how the brain works. What we do know, however, is fascinating. Take some time to learn what the cortex, thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus do. Have PTSD? You need to learn about Amygdala, Right Temporal Lobe and Broca's area. Trust me. It will help.

7. Don't Panic: When stressed, "(y)our IQ plummets. Your creativity, your sense of humor - all of that disappears. You're stupid," according to Edward Hallowell, MD (and great guy) author of Crazy Busy. Get stress! Get stupid! Yep.

8. Embrace Chaos: One way to learn better is to mix up the information. Research shows that people learn better when they learn it in random chunks of information.

9. Get visual: Use spacial relationships for geography by (1) breaking up the map, (2) give each piece an association/identity, (3) put together the pieces until you reach the whole. Try it. It works.

10. Exercise wisely: Aerobic training gets blood to your brain. Yoga helps reduce stress thus may help improve memory. Studying on the Stair Master? Nope - doesn't work.

11. Slow down: Research shows that the slower you read, the better you will do at comprehension tests. Reading a novel? Blaze away. Trying to cram for an exam, slow down.

12. Myths about learning:

a. Video games don't make you smarter - even Nintendo's "Brain Age"

b. Crossword puzzles won't fend off senility. Sorry.

c. Eating fish will not make you smarter.

d. Chewing gum is only distracting, not IQ enhancing.

e. Memory enhancing music only makes you depressed and forgetful according to a recent study.

f. Supplements won't make you smarter.

13. What works for you? What do you do to keep your brain healthy? Write it in the comments and I'll add it to the post!

• Adelle Lauden talks to her "teen about what they learned in school today."


• Susan Helen Gottfried sorts out her personal relationships.


• Furious Ball had "found reading GOOD books has helped me stay sharp, at least I sound sharp. I think."


• Linda R. Moore "start(s) the day with a sudoko. The puzzle seems to warm my mind muscles up."


• The other great Claudia says that "when I?m learning something new and haven?t quite gotten it, I can actually feel my brain struggling as it tries to form those new synapses!!"


• Nicole Austin says that "when (she) was trying to memorize facts for x-ray school, (she) had to visualize them."


• GdayBloke says: "Thank heavens for Sudoku."


• Another great Claudia "does yoga - it really helps me clear my mind and let in the good stuff."


• No Nonsense Girl has "found that reading a lot and wanting to learn new things has kept my head busy!"


• Journeywoman "knits and think of things that way."


• Janet doesn't "drink to excess?usually."


• Tommie "eats. as organically and healthy as possible."


• Colleen says, "eggs in the morning and meditation in the evening" are her trick.


• Odat reminds us that everyone is unique by saying, "My brain works best under pressure."


• Puss Reboots "read(s) and write(s) daily. (She) also try to answer (her) son?s questions."


• Darla says, "to keep myself sharp, I like to try new things. Ruts will definitely deaden brain cells."


• Tips and Tricks "read(s) and play(s) crossword puzzle. Sometimes I pick a word and form different words from any or all of its letters -in different order. ..and I give it some time to rest, too."


• CEO "read(s) quality material and (doesn't) waste (his) time on crap."


• Jameil "take(s) study dance breaks. when i?ve crammed and crammed and crammed i STOP! HAMMER TIME! maybe not that precise dance but it?s a brain break!"


• Bethany "teach(s) pre-schoolers so they keep me on my toes."


• HRH "does so much better if (she) hear(s) something. (She) also learn better in very quiet areas."


• Ivanhoe remembered "that visualizing while studying helped."


• Tammy says, "one of my tricks was to do new things."


• Sue "meditation works for me."


• She "reads anything she can get her hands on."


• Storyteller says, "to keep my brain healthy I meditate, exercise, eat right, read, write, pray and listen attentively."


• Julia reflects "I?ve always done my homework while doing something else. And when I write, I listen to music or watch something on TV. It?s always helped me stay anchored to what I was really doing."


• Mary T says, "blogging keeps your brain active and thus able to remember better."


• Bethanie does two things: 1) I color code EVERYTHING.? 2) If I?m trying to force something into permanent memory, I have to write it down."


• Amethyst says, "When I am stressed out, I try to do something creative or artistic. This always helps me to relax."


• Heart in SF says, "I don?t watch a lot of mind-numbing TV, but I read a lot. Sometimes I entertain myself by mentally adding up the prices of the groceries in my shopping cart just to see how close I can come, and I try to form word associations to help me remember things."


• Grace says, "I feel I can think sharply and clearly after a workout session."


• Los Angelista says, "I hold one of my arms out straight, with my thumb up and in line with my nose. I then make figure 8?s in the air and follow the motion with my eyes. I do 20 and then switch to the other hand and do 20 more."

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View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

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"If you're not prepared to be wrong....

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."

--Sir Ken Robinson.

I saw this video on Craig Harper's blog and wanted to post it for you. I laughed out loud, more than once, watching this piece. Sir. Ken Robinson is funny, brilliant really.? This talk is about creativity, in children, but moreover in our world, the creativity that lives within each of us.

But then I told myself you wouldn't have time to watch it. This video is almost 20 minutes long!

I woke this morning deciding to give you the option.

This is a fabulous video. If you are involved in any creative endeavor, I'm certain you will feel fired up to continue to pursue your dream.? If you have children, it's really a must see video.? If you are a teacher, you will particularly enjoy this.

Enjoy!

Trivia a la Claudia : Trends to watch in the music industry.

1. Choose a category from one of these:

• Television,
• Stage & Screen,
• Nightly News,
• Publishing,
• Lives & Times, or
• Music

2. Find 8 bits of trivia about your selected category

3. Be sure to let Travis know when...ok, if...you decide to play along so I can see what you come up with.

4. You may tag, or simply offer the meme for borrowing or stealing as you like.

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All right. I pick music, particularly popular music. Here are a few interesting trends that I am following:

1. Jay Z? You know, Rihanna's boss and Beyonce Knowles's husband?

Right. That guy.

Anyway, I noticed that his singers always look nice, never say negative or stupid things, and seem to be well matched with song writers. So I started digging around.

Was this an accident? Or was it by design? I realized that Jay-Z, as the head of Def Jam records, was mostly responsible.

He found talented people, matched them with talented song writers and producers, fashion coordinators, dance specialists, coached them on dealing with the press, and whaa laa - suddenly they are winning grammy after award after grammy.

Why is this interesting?

Because a lot of very very talented people don't get this kind of attention. Millions of bands, authors, writers (like me! ;) wallow in obscurity. (The most talented band I know, Born in the Flood, spent an entire tour playing with their backs to the audience - that's just dumb.)

Here's what I'm watching. Jay-Z quit Def Jam in December to open an advertising company with a friend . My guess is that this little firm will generate the next generation of grammy winning artists.

2. Independent = financially sound. Clap your hands, say yeah. Never heard of them? Here's what they did. Using their parent's money, they paid to record then press their first album. They had the CDs made for less than $1 a piece. They sold the album at shows, on their website, and limited release to record stores.

How many albums did they sell? 100, 000 copies. (I paid $20 cash only for my copy. Do the math.)

Second album? They ran this deal for their MySpace "friends". Buy their album early (for $20) and you get an electronic copy. The CD will arrive in the mail a few months later.

Result? They paid for the entire printing of the CD, all the graphics and advertising from the profits from the electronic version.

They've been offered recording contract after recording contract. They turn them down. Would you take a contract after this kind of success??

Independent is a trend to watch. People say the music business is dying. Maybe it's just changing. And Clap your hands is on the forefront of this trend.

3. Free Music: It started with Prince. He arranged with the London Mail to give away copies of his CD in their Sunday newspaper. Not the shitty tracks, B sides or whatever. London Mail subscribers received a great CD. People have speculated that the London Mail paid Prince between 1-3 pounds per CD. They distributed over 3 million CDs. (You do the math.)

No record company. No distributer. Result? At least 3 million cash and 3 sold out stadium shows in London.

Radiohead followed with a "pay as much as you want" album. Big Head Todd and the Monsters arranged with a local radio station to give their album to the radio stations listener list. (I can send you a copy!) NIN released their first single free on MP3 then began selling out their tour.

Free is a trend to watch because it's filling these band's bank accounts.

4. Return to vinyl. Elvis Costello bucked every recent trend by releasing his album on vinyl. That's right. VINYL.

Why? There's no way to digitize a vinyl record.

Result? Zero. None. Zip. Pirated copies of his new album. Not a leak in sight.

5. Return of the show. Not so long ago, you would see a band lip sync their album then get off the stage. You were lucky if the lead singer said, "Hello (fill in the city)." Now, audience savey bands have begun to interact and laugh with the audience.

And fill their bank accounts by selling T-shirts, albums, and other "goodies" simply due to audience participation in the show.

Examples?

DeVotchka has live trapeze artists. Result? This tiny band from Denver sold out their South by Southwest shows.

My favorite band, Breaking Benjamin, Ben invites interaction with the crowd. He talks, laughs, throws cold water. When you see them, you hear a great show and get this amazing personal interaction with the band. They convert audience watchers into audience participants. Result? A cult of people called "Ben Heads" sell out their shows and buy their albums - even though they are not played on any conventional radio station.

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Sorry for the long ass post (as Tommie would say). I'm excited about these trends and plan to watch them for a while.

What does it mean?

I have no idea. The music industry is evolving and, with 17% losses last year, the publishing industry is not far behind. Harper Collins and Perseus are responding in interesting ways.

Maybe as authors, we need to follow some of the music industries lead.

Just a thought.

Feel free to do this meme if you like! :) Let me know when it's up and I'll link to you.

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Mimi tagged: On A Limb with Claudia Sarah Spelled the Right Way The Backwoods DrifterRose' World Jo Beaufoix . Another Desert . Caught In The Stream Anyhow Blogs Dixie's Heart and Soul Wonderland Or Not Marie Millard Asara's Mental Meanderings That Grrrrl . In Search of Life Laketrees .Amel's Realm. Clumsy Mommy What She Said Too Maryannaville . Odat's Mumblings Much Of A Muchness Late Bloomer Boomer Mighty Mom Blue Dreamer's Top Five. california is a recipe for a black hole Balitang Kalye Twisted Sister Life and Adventure PinayMama's Diary Amazing Life Terri Terri Quite Contrary Run Away Thoughts of EMZ Points of View Filipina In Hawaii BryningBunny's Challenge Page Modern Musings Sacred Ruminations . O'Ceallaigh & The Quill Leaf Float Down River Kids, Cats, & Books...What Else Is There? No More Mr. Nice Guy Just Another Day In....Paradise? moms......check nyo Meezer Tails When Silence Speaks Wandering Consciousness Mom Knows Everything

Strong walls.

"You can only walk on the roof when the walls are solid, stable and safe."

Video is about the amazing women who Parkour. It's 3 mins. long.

This time of year, we are doing the subtle work on the supporting walls of our lives. We clear closets and the detritus of our minds. We dig in the garden and into our unconscious mind. Our physical actions on the world often match our inner actions in our interior world.

At the same time, our impatience grows. We want dance on the roof! We want to skip, skim, and jump through obstacles like the Parkour women.

And when our roof isn't stable? Our lives a little early spring out of balance?

We are frustrated with ourselves. Even exhausted from our efforts, we still have almost nothing to show for it. Our inner critic starts a familiar "not enough" chorus.

This week, let's reinforce safe, strong, solid and stable supporting walls for our lives by:

• getting enough sleep,
• eating a few vegetables and fruit,
• getting moving - walk, run, lift weights, do some yoga, and
• fighting the stress monkey.

Come July, the walls of our lives will be stable and strong. We will dance on the roof. Maybe, if we're lucky, we play along the Seine with the women of Parkour.

Happy Monday!

Mystery solved.

Holly at June Cleaver's Nirvana wondered (more than once) what my darling husband was DOING with my crayons.

After much investigation, I found a stack of pages that look like this:

There you have it - Crayon Biostatistics. I believe it's the first ever case of Crayon Biostatistics reported in the Western Hemisphere. This looks like a formula and not actual Phase 3 human clinical trial data.

Of course, I couldn't publish phase 3 clinical trial data on my blog.

What do you think? Should I create a wikipedia page for this new... erm... science?