Sunday, October 30, 2005

I'M ALL OVER THE PLACE

Last week I was suddenly posting every day and this week zip, zilch, zero almost nada. It's not that I don't have anything to say. Actually I'm afraid there's too much and it's skittering all over the place. Keeping focused has always been something of a problem and my current reading list is literally all over the place.

I'm currently working my way through a book on the history of Tudor England, leafing through Affluenza, and glancing through three books on Celtic sprituality. Looks like some focus is required here. So on the eve of the turning of the Celtic year it looks like I need to do some evaluating. All of them are interesting but trying to do it all in one journal may not be the best idea I ever had.

These are all topics that I want to dig into more deeply. They would involve multiple entries on the same subject, book or books and I'm pretty sure I don't want to do this in this journal. I think I'd like to  take these potential entries into another journal and keep this one for the sudden insanities like my last entry. That had been kicking around in the old brain box for a long time and suddenly elbowed its way to the front. That and the little things like how bread dough feels when gets just right. Or how the front yard is suddenly full of birds now that the pickings are getting thin up the hill. Or how the color ot the sky has been changing as I drive to work in the mornings. And what a unique place Oregon is.

There are a lot of great things here. And frankly not so great things. Mostly because most of us live in the Willamette Valley and we're spread too thin in the rest of the state to do some of the great things I've read in journals from folks in more heavily settled parts of the country. I guess we're still trying to figure out who we want to be when we grow up.

Actually if I'd take the time to work through all the books on logging, the coast and Oregon in general I could probably do a journal on Oregon and keep myself in material for a couple of years. Oops, off on another tangent. I may have to start scheduling my reading. (God'dess that does sound a bit obessive doesn't it?) Frankly I think it's the only way I'm going to make any progress on any of it.

And I'm contemplaing becoming a computer hybrid. I need to upgrade my computer. Still works but needs some work. Frankly I like the Mac but, big big but, they're expensive and if get ol' Frankie cleaned and get a PC laptop I can still use the printer and scanner I already have. I have a top of the line Epson scanner  and the high powered new OSX operating system seems to have mislaid it. They simply aren't talking to each other. Gotta admit it makes a hell of a paperwight. Frankly, I can get a top of the line laptop and the PC version of Office for about what a new MAC system would cost me with no guaranty that most of my software would work with handy dandy newest version of OSX. It would be on speaking terms with my camcorder and I could buy a digital camera anywhere I darn well please without worrying about compatibility. Bit like an arranged marriage actually. And big difference. The Mac journal entries are one line to a paragrah. I've done some entries at work on lunch and PC journal entries are mulit lined paragraphs. Much easier to edit. I suddenly have twenty more hits on my counter and they're all mine as I try to edit this entry. I usually try to do them in Word and then copy. Easier to edit and it has spell check. I'm about to say the heck with to, two and too and post this as is. Any errors are mine and deeply regretted.  

Another advantage of the laptop is that frankly by the time I get home, I'm just not comfortable sitting at the desk. This way I can put one of those desk pillows in my lap, read and take notes and be in a much more comfortable chair. Why don't I take handwritten notes you may ask? Because my handwriting seriously sucks and it's getting worse every year.




4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder if these issues with all-over-the-place-ness and focus or lack thereof- has something to do with fall?  Or the end of fall?  I'm there, too.

Anonymous said...

Hello Jackie,
How funny that you and I feel that same way. There is so much going on politcally, emotionally and tragically I trully feel I just don't know where to start and where to end. And I'm afraid that once I do get started, especially on the Scooter idot Libby issue and the current bush administrations endless lies and fiascos that I won't stop writing. Like you said, it could easily turn into a book in one, two, three, four (even more) entries on my journal. Lisa has that knack and you do too for diligently getting your points across in just a meer 4 or 5 paragraphs. I haven't quite mastered that yet and hope one day that I do.

I would love to hear you keep writing about the current state of the country. I love you journal and always have. I apologize for not always leaving a comment, but man I love it! The way you write about Iraq I like. I am going to attempt a stab at that myself soon. Our boys need to come HOME.

Thank you so much for stopping by, your such a sweetie about that.

Take care Jackie,
Gayla

Anonymous said...

Well, you were home yesterday afternoon, at least!  LOL!  We had a great time.  Need to do it again soon...  Lisa  :-]  

Anonymous said...

I have a stack of new, unread books on my nightstand that I've bought over this past year due to my serious Borders Addiction.  SIGH.  

XO,
Russ