Sunday, October 17, 2021

Sunday potpourri

 I'd like that word better if it didn't mean "rotted pot", but moving along.

Report from the field hospital, the upstairs bathroom, patient has visible bruises and a few new ones here and there. The pinkie she feared damaged, is fine now. Bandaids off wrists.  Patient ambulating normally if you don't count the complaining. Patient took shower and shampoo with no complications, and has signed herself out. 

End of report copies to blog, contact list, WHO, CDC.

I attended to the shoes involved in the lapsarian interlude, which I've walked miles in, comfortably, up hill down dale, stairs, slopes, without laces, because they're snug already. But maybe they stretched.

 
So now they're laced again. Sigh. 

Lunch was an omelette with the last of the sweet potatoes and the purple fingerlings.


Don't they remind you of geodes?
And i just took soup out of the freezer to thaw for supper. 


I think anyone else reading this
label might be a bit puzzled.
It's--no, why should I have all the fun? You're welcome to guess.

Part of my winter planning for solitary pursuits , now that I've got a couple of jigsaw puzzles, is cards. I'm not a fan of group cards, gets a bit intense, but I do like bimbling a bit with patience.

I play freecell on the ancient iPod I inherited from my son, and would like something not on a screen.
Sandy Toksvig asked for solo card game suggestions on Twitter this morning, very timely, and got suggestions which I followed up.
But the instructions are like this:
:




I can't begin to play based on these helpful explanations, using terms I don't know in order to explain how to make moves I can't grasp. It's the sort of explanation that works if you already know how to play. 

So I went to the next order of magnitude: someone explaining it to kids. I do this for a lot of new learning, and it came through for me again.

I found this wonderful guy, his YouTube channel Bananas 4 Books and Board Games. He's a teacher who also uses card games to teach numbers and computation to children


You see the age level he's addressing, which in terms of card games, is where I am.

Here he's demonstrating Carpet, and really transmitting his fun in playing


He explains what he's doing and why, as he goes, reminds us of the rules here and there, and now I need playing cards. 

I want to try Accordion, too, one where he got all excited and downhearted in turns, made a person want to try it.

It's good to set up nonscreen activities ahead of time. 
And to find people who know how to keep the fun in playing.
Ot anywhere, really.

17 comments:

  1. My grandma taught me how to play a couple of different styles of solitaire (which I believe is an alternate name for patience). I would need a refresher course now to remember the rules! But that's true of most card games. They just don't seem to stick in my memory unless I play them regularly.

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  2. Yes I think so. And free cell is an early screen version with extra rules to accommodate the software. Not demanding, just a quiet few minutes.

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  3. What a wonderful idea you had for learning and hats off to this teacher for his creative teaching.

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    1. I've always used children's resources to teach myself new subjects. They're usually clear, helpful, and don't assume prior knowledge. I wish more adult presentations did likewise. They tend to demo the knowledge of the producer rather than transmit the information.

      Like the first paragraph of a book I checked out of the library, entitled something like Photography for Absolute Beginners, which told me to get my fstops organized. No definition of what they are, what their function is.. No helpful diagrams of the parts of the camera.. That's enough to send a person to the children's department.

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  4. I'm so happy to hear the patient has checked herself out! Maybe the laces in the shoes will help. Canvas shoes do tend to stretch after some time.

    You are so wise to look ahead to games and puzzles to do as the dark days of winter arrive. I play several solitaire games on the computer but sometimes I like to use cards since the glare of the computer bothers my eyes. I have played Accordion for many years and I love it with cards or on the computer. I agree with learning from a children's book or teacher for starters. Otherwise people often assume you know certain things as in your f-stops example!

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    1. I really liked the idea of Accordion. I must try it.

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  5. I learned the solitaire I still play from my grandmother.

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  6. I have a book of solitaire gams, and have played one solitaire or another since I was big enough to shuffle cards. It's a great time-passer, and can work well with the tv on, too.
    Play one type until you get weary of it, and then try another. There are also games online, that can give you a good sense of the how-tos, just type in Solitaire Games and see what comes up.

    And yes, Im glad the patient has recovered. you don't need to tie the laces tightly, just tie them enough so a shoe doesn't slip off. Again.

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    1. My current plan is to buy playing cards. Then I'll go from there!

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  7. Butternut, cashew, carrot?
    My mother used to play Idiot's Delight. I have two different solitaire games that I know. I hardly ever play them anymore but they are there in my mind if I need them.

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    1. Ding ding ding, yes, that's the label! And a lot of people have patience from long memory.

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  8. I play spider solitaire on the computer during meals. it's meant to be an activity that keeps my brain sharp. don't know if it actually works. husband works the crossword puzzle.

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  9. I'm not sure about the effect on the brain! I'd like cards rather than screen for my purpose, just a change of pace.

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  10. Yikes! I've been MIA (too much - all good - happening locally) and return to news of checking out of field hospital with but a few bruises. Your life has been "interesting" of late, apparently! Off to read previous posts to find out what else I've missed.

    Chris from Boise

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    1. I'm glad your absence is about good things. I was wondering.

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  11. Very glad to know the patient has been released and that shoe issue has been addressed. I have an interesting tidbit of info for you - see if you can get some elastic shoelaces like these...https://www.amazon.com/LACES-Elastic-Shoelace-Fastening-System I ordered some for Resident Chef who finds it hard to bend over to lace his shoes. They haven't arrived as yet, but my friend has them and she loves them.

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    1. I did try them for handsome partner long ago. Tying shoes isn't a problem. These were just a better fit without laces. Sigh. I have really difficult to fit tootsies.

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