There are more atoms in a grain of sand than there are grains of sand on earth.

Each time we inhale, we are using atoms that were once a part of everyone who ever lived (before 7 years ago).

Nearly all the mass of an atom is concentrated in the atomic nucleus, which occupies only a few quadrillionths of the atom's volume. These are so dense that if bare atomic nuclei could be packed against each other into a lump 1 centimeter in diameter (about the size of a large pea), the lump would weigh 133,000,000 tons.

- Conceptual Physics by Paul Hewitt

"...and don't tell me I've damaged your self-esteem. You have to do something to have esteem. Being born and having a pulse does not earn you esteem."

- Dr. Robert Marchini (physics prof.) while handing back graded tests

Whenever people type "Mhm", it makes me think of muffins.

Green is the 37th most common surname in the United States according to a census taken in 2000. The approximate number is 413,477 and the Frequency of Occurrence is 153.27 out of every 100,000. (Smith ranks first with 2,376,206 and a frequency of 880.85.)

Dalton is Thirteen!

I would like to commemorate this the 13th birthday of our third boy,

Dalton Mark Evan Green

(also known as hamandcheese)

He loves to laugh, tell jokes, and goof around.

He loves to whistle, he enjoys creating things. He loves to read.

He can make lots of silly and crazy faces.

We love him very much and are so happy and privileged that he is a part of our family.

Happy Birthday, Bubby!

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun

Out today!
A concise notice from Grantian Florilegium:

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun a previously unknown work by J.R.R. Tolkien was released today. Written more than seventy years ago, the story retells the epic legends of the Norse hero, Sigurd, the dragon-slayer, the revenge of his wife, Gudrun, and the Fall of the Nibelungs.

Introducing the work is one of Tolkien's renowned lectures on Norse literature. Amazingly, no part of the story or the lecture has ever been reproduced or quoted from since they were first written.

Of course, the Norse legends and sagas were the single greatest influence on Tolkien's writings, and many of the events in Sigurd and Gudrun can be traced through to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarrillion, and The Children of Hurin. No serious reader of Tolkien will want to miss this remarkable new resource.

"AI as in TRAIN"

I loved Phonics.
Mama laminated the printouts on different colored construction paper.
It was truly awesome.

Assuming the usual context, which is correct, if either is?

"It's only a game."

or

"It's a game, only."

Children and Fairy Tales

It is accused of giving children a false impression of the world they live in. But I think no literature that children could read gives them less of a false impression. I think what profess to be realistic stories for children are far more likely to deceive them. I never expected the real world to be like the fairy tales. I think that I did expect school to be like the school stories. The fantasies did not deceive me: the school stories did. All stories in which children have adventures and successes which are possible, in the sense that they do not break the laws of nature, but almost infinitely improbable, are in more danger than the fairy tales of raising false expectations.
—C.S. Lewis, On Three Ways of Writing for Children

read the rest of the excerpt here...

Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity

Composed by Gustav Holst between 1914 and 1916.
This is awesome.
And Eiji Oue is...entertaining to watch.

The spirit of this music is very much in keeping with the astrological significance of Jupiter as the planet of benevolence and generosity. This Jupiter has no thunderbolts to hurtle down on us, but only knowing smiles and a wink or two. He has come down from Olympus to flirt with beauties in the mortal realm and, if flirtation leads to something more, so much the better. We hear him chasing but not catching the ladies. The music emerges from its cavorting, twirling and gambolling out onto a central plateau of graceful dance music, then sinks back into the carefree patterns of before.

- Bryan Trussler

beautiful album art.

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins wrote this in his online journal back in '05.

I’m so sick of sugar-coated songs from the Christian perspective. One of the most comforting and inspiring lines to me is from the last chorus of ‘Come Thou Fount’ where it says, ‘Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.’ Not many un-watered-down songs make it through the filter of the Christian music industry mafia these days.

	Sufjan Stevens - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
	Found at skreemr.com

Springtime

We were cute.
Thanks to Mama for dressing us pretty.
Oh, I loved those puffed sleeves.

Hello my family. I would like to inform you that from hence onward, my name on this our blog is Gwendolyn. However, lest you become sad at losing the familier multifarious, I assure you that that is still my name: Multifarious Gwendolyn - the first name is used somewhat like an adjective. But now I prefer Gwendolyn. Thank you.

Today I am cold. My fingers are cold, my toes are cold, my nose is cold, and even my hair is cold. I miss you all.

I hereby wish The Littlest One in the Whole Family a very happy 10th birthday. May you live long and prosper.