So what have you done as a science experiment lately?

This looks pretty cool. 

http://vimeo.com/15091562

Video from a camera attached to a weather balloon that rose into the
upper stratosphere and recorded the blackness of space.

CONFLUENT AND RETICULATED PAPILLOMATOSIS OF GOUGEROT AND CARTEAUD

I took Deanna to see a doctor this morning.  She has a sore throat that I thought might be strep throat so I wanted to get on top of it.  I had also wanted to see a doctor about the skin condition she has had for a couple of years and needed a new treatment.  So we mentioned both things to the doctor today.  Most of the time was spent on her skin condition though.  He was quite concerned at how long she has had it and that we have never been to see a skin specialist for it.  We had been told previously that it was tinea versicolor but he wasn’t convinced that it was.  So he did some research while we were there and came up with this diagnosis – confluent and reticulated papillomatosis of Gougerot and Carteud (isn’t that a mouthful!).  It is a very rare skin condition thus he needed to do more research on a treatment.  So we came home with a new treatment plan and prescriptions.  I hope it works for her.  You can read more about this condition here –( http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1106748-overview ).  (This website looks like it is easier to understand - http://dermnetnz.org/scaly/papillomatosis.html).   They are treating her with acne medications which his research says can help but no one knows why. 
And he figured that Deanna does not have strep but took a swab to test just for good measure. 

Expectations

Wow… I could have wrote this article!  It is weird to hear your own words and thoughts coming from someone else.  The article is called How Expectations Change Relationships and you can read it here – (http://simplemom.net/how-expectations-change-relationships/). 

One liners from the article:

-  expectations are really just planned disappointments.

-  Rather than spending a lot of time trying to change the wind in your life, adjust your sails.

-  “I can only control me.”

I have been a saying for a while that expectations are relationship killers.  I was finding this in my own life with the relationship with my brother.  I would get so frustrated with him when he would not choose things like I thought he should, like to plan a visit with my family while his daughter was down visiting or how he spends his holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving.  And one day I woke up and realized my expectations of him were killing our relationship.  So then I chose to let go of expectations and then when he did choose to spend time with me it was a gift and I was free to just enjoy the time and experience with him.  And I have been letting go in other relationships as well (mostly with relatives) and find I get less stressed and worked up about things now. 

 

From the comments section of the article:

-  in marriage counseling, i always remember what our pastor told us. to NOT have any expectations. you just work on how to bless your spouse/friend/co-worker/whoever. what can you do for them to show them love? in that way, whenever they do something for you it’s a blessing and not something that was owed you. not an easy mindset to keep, but a good place to start.

The goal to be a life long learner

I enjoy learning.  I love finding new tidbits of information and when at all possible sharing what I have learned (thus why I blog).  This article was a very good read tonight (I couldn’t sleep, so here I am surfing the net at 1:00am):  8 WAYS TO PURSUE A LIFETIME OF LEARNING - http://simplemom.net/8-ways-to-pursue-a-lifetime-of-learning-2
“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the books you read and the people you meet.” -Charles Jones
Below are some tidbits from the comment section of the above article.  I like the idea of having a lifelong learning list and the notebook the mom kept of all her son’s questions. 

-  I’ve put your site on my daily web reading. My self-imposed rule on reading is one non-fiction for every two fiction books read. I keep a list of books, movies, and websites to read/watch next. I also began what I was calling a bucket list, but think I will change it to my Lifelong Learning List. Keeping up on news/current events is a weak area for me. My daughter informed me the Today show is NOT news.

-  We started a notebook with my son when he was 3 to track all the questions he had — and the answers! Parents can do the same thing for ourselves — track our questions and then find the answers, whether it’s the last team that won the World Series (Yankees) or who founded Target (George Dayton). I also challenge myself to learn something new every day… it’s great dinner conversation to ask everyone what THEY learned that day. Great article!'
-  Lifelong learning is also linked to longevity. I agree that reading good quality literature is essential. The Great Books list is a great place to start. Learning to play an instrument is another one.
-  -  Resource = http://www.teach12.com/teach12.aspx?ai=16281  -- THE JOY OF LIFELONG LEARNING EVERYDAY --- The Teaching Company brings engaging professors into your home or car through courses on DVD, audio CD, and other formats. Since 1990, great teachers from the Ivy League, Stanford, Georgetown, and other leading colleges and universities have crafted over 250 courses for lifelong learners like you. It's the adventure of learning without the homework or exams.