A Bloy and his Blog

Did you see the Leonid Meteor Shower last night? Since the peak was early this morning, I decided to set my alarm for 4:45am. After checking out the window that that sky was clear, I got dressed and headed outside. I spent about 15 minutes with my head turned skyward and saw a total of 18 meteorites. That’s pretty good when you consider the moon was almost full and I was watching the night sky in the middle of a metropolitan area. Imagine the visions of Leonids dancing before my eyes if I were out on a moonless night in the country.

The cold, crisp air and the dusting of snow on the ground really made it feel like winter to me today. One thing I like about winter — the night skies are a lot more clear which makes stargazing a little easier. I’ve noticed the sky is a little darker outside my condo compared to where I used to live (I’m a little farther away from the city lights of Milwaukee). Last night when I got home about 9pm I looked up and saw the the Pleiades star cluster. That’s a constellation I don’t ever remember being able to see from my home before.

Check out the International Dark-Sky Association to learn more about light pollution and keeping our night skies dark.

What’s the best thing that happened to you this year?

That was one of the topics of discussion at the Thanksgiving dinner table last Thursday. It turned into a very philosophical thought for me. When I first heard the question I realized there were quite a few things that could have been the best thing that happened to me this year. Sometimes it’s easy to let negative things overshadow positive ones. But having to consider one event being the best makes me realize just how many positive things have happened to me this past year.

So, what did I choose as the best? I’m still thinking about that.

Working with the public as I do at the library can be a little stressful at times. There are days when it’s hard not to let the people who are rude and impatient get to you. The other day I was experiencing a pretty hectic afternoon when a college student who was trying to find some articles on an obscure topic asked me for help. After spending a few minutes asking about her topic and refining her search, I was able to locate some relevant articles. Later, after she browsed through the articles and printed a few, she stopped by the desk and said “Thank you so much! Those were exactly what I was looking for. You know, I was at my college library and the librarian there couldn’t find anything at all. Thanks again!”

As she walked away I thought about the stressful afternoon I was having and decided that she was the reason I came to work that day.

There are two things I always think about on the Winter Solstice (which is today). First, I am thankful the hours of daylight will start to get longer after today. Secondly, I always think of my Grandmother, Clara Bloy. December 21 was her birthday. This time of the year never went by without her making Pfeffernusse Cookies (I’ll have to check with my mother, but that recipe looks pretty close). When my family went to visit Grandma Bloy for Christmas, we always got to take a big batch of those crunchy, spicy delights back home with us. That’s probably one of the strongest memories I have of Grandma Bloy. She passed away 24 years ago and I’m not sure I ever told her how much I liked those cookies.

Thanks Grandma — for the cookies and that wonderful memory.

Update, December 24, 2007
I just posted Grandma Bloy’s recipe for pfeffernüsse. Use that if you want the authentic Bloy version.

I honestly don’t know how I could get through life without music. It really does a lot to feed my soul. Here are my favorite albums of 2002, which I know helped me get through the year. They’re in alphabetical order, because I’m a librarian and that’s how we do things.

Beck - Sea Change
One of the best breakup albums ever made, this CD’s bittersweet lyrics and lush sounds have almost a comforting quality. Beck puts all of his emotions into this one and the end result is beautiful.

Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
This sophomore release by Coldplay really shows their maturity. The haunting melodies, introspective lyrics and riveting guitar sound get better every time I listen to it.

read the rest of: Favorite albums of 2002