N is for notes from you (comments and conversation)

It's time to share more comments and conversation!

From the Comments and Conversation post…

 

thank you for chatting with me!

… we continue the conversation!

Martha: I missed "E"!! I love your elephants!!

Thank you so much, Martha. Just like my dad, I love elephants. Elephants are interesting, complicated animals. They are very large, the largest mammal to live on land, weighing anywhere between 11,000 and 15,400 pounds or 4,989 to 6,985 kilograms. They have a great gift for listening and can use their ears and their feet to listen. They can be anywhere from ten to thirteen feet in height. They are very smart and very social. They are also gentle and sensitive,  and, when they are separated from their family group, they grow sad. They make friends with elephants and humans alike. They have good memories. If you make friends with an elephant, your elephant friend will never forget you. I think that I would like to have an elephant friend.

Jeanine Byers: This was so neat!! When you have several different comments to read, you really see the sweetness of them.

Thank you, Jeanine. It's great that you connect the comments and see a pattern in them! 

Ls: I didn’t know you are doing the A to Z.. let me check the other posts too. I liked the idea of you doing this post.

Yes, I am doing the A to Z… and am now a day behind! I’m glad that you like the comments and conversation post.

Corinne Rodrigues: What a fantastic idea, Alice. I enjoyed reading the comments and your responses.

Thank you so much, Corinne. I'm glad that you like the comments and conversations idea. I really enjoy chatting with readers, and I like to showcase them.

Cerebrations.biz: Very creative blog concept!

Thank you so much.

snehal joshi: Superb round-up. :)

Looking forward to your posts.

I hope that you find them interesting.

H is for history

Martha: Very interesting history lesson Alice! I learned more of Grand Island. Thanks for sharing.

You’re welcome. Grand Island and Buffalo have quite the interesting story.

Jeanine Byers: Wow, I love that picture of the Buffalo Harbor! And I don't think I knew that Grand Island was connected or adjacent to Buffalo. Or, did I?

I am happy that you liked seeing the Buffalo Harbor in its heyday! Grand Island is a large island in the Niagara River, located between Buffalo, Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Jen: I think a big reason people don't like history is it brings to mind boring high school and college classes with dry, boring teachers/professors who only wanted to get through the material and didn't really care about making it interesting. That's been my experience anyway. Although, with my family history, I love hearing stories from the past, whether part of "official" history or just family history.

I see two points here. The first is the dull way in which history is often taught in high school and college. Yes, that is a problem. So many people have lost interest in history because they were not engaged in their history classes. There are two reasons for that, in my opinion. The first is that history classes can get bogged down in the memorization of dates, which is not fascinating.  In addition, one of the main models for teaching history is the “great man” theory. We are taught about kings and queens and presidents. We don’t connect with those leaders at all. They are far removed from us.  And this is where the second part of your comment comes in: your family history and the enjoyment of it. You are hearing stories about people who are directly connected to you. It gives you a sense of where you come from, and that is so fantastic. What if history were taught that way: stories about the lives of ordinary people? People who may have had your type of job or who lived in your community? How did they live? What was their medical care like? What were the schools like? Would getting a whole picture of life in different times of history and getting that feeling of connection make history feel more like STORY and less like a bunch of disconnected facts?

Shilpa Garg: I like when you say that there is a story in History and it should not be only dull drab facts. Interesting to know about Tongue Oil and Fingy. Thanks for sharing, Alice :)

You’re welcome, Shilpa. Yes, I agree. Random facts and characters makes history far more interesting. History is about people and, maybe, about odd stuff, such as Tongue Oil.

Cerebrations.biz: Somehow this simply reminds me that Buffalo should stop reveling in its faded past and grab onto its potentially fantastic future.

Alana: In a way, I agree with Cerebrations - they used to teach children (like my son, when he was in school) countless lessons about our area's past, but very little encouraging them to stay and give our area a future. At the same time, I love history - and I agree it needs to be taught partially by true stories, and never by memorization of dry facts.

Yes, I agree with you and Cerebrations. Our area needs to celebrate its past and to look forward to its future. I see continuity there. We can’t recreate the past but we can make our future better by knowing what worked in the past and what didn’t. One small example would be tree planting. In the past, the trend was to plant a monoculture. That’s how we ended up with so many ash trees. Here in Grand Island, anywhere from 35 to 60 percent of our trees are ash trees. And they are infested with the emerald ash borer. The trees are dying. Monoculture doesn’t work. We need to look forward to a future with a diverse collection of trees to prevent that sort of disaster from happening again.

Bonnie:  And oh, gosh, I was all excited for a second thinking I have friends who are restoring one of those steamboats, but I was misremembering, the Columbia was in Detroit sailing to Bob-Lo Island. She's in Buffalo now, though, you might enjoy her history too. sscolumbia.org

Thank you, Bonnie. I’ll definitely look her up!

I is for ice

Cerebrations.biz: I is for I,I,I- ice floes in April!!!!

Oh my.

Jeanine Byers said: You are right! The chunks of ice are beautiful. Wow, you're really doing it this month - on posts like this one, where it's clear you're going to really have to look for it - it's a delight when you manage to find it.

Sometimes, it is hard to catch and, when it’s there, it feels even more magical than ever.

Elaine: It's nice to see these beautiful photos of nature! Coming from someone who used to be a place of snowy/icy weather to the south where there is virtually no snow at all... lol, I am able to step back and enjoy the beauty of icy weather.. Thank you for sharing your walk!

You’re welcome. The best kind of adventure is a shared adventure.

Lily Leung: Lovely photos, Alice. Nature can be nasty but beautiful. What a strange and long winter. I wish and hope for spring soon.

I couldn’t agree more. This winter is starting to feel endless. I refuse to say the “S” word anymore. It has become s**w. It is no longer welcome. I hope that we can enjoy a lovely spring soon.

The Gratitude Guru: I is for "I can't believe we are in Spring" - It feels a lot like winter still! The warmer weather is on its way, and all the ice will be quickly forgotten!

Thanks for sharing!

Yes, it does. The weather has been more appalling than appealing. I am hopeful that will change… soon maybe?

Nabanita: How the weather has changed around the world. It's April and still feels like winter, doesn't it?

It does.  Last year, Buffalo had beautiful cherry blossoms at the end of April. I think that it will be sometime in May before the cherry trees show their beautiful blossoms.

Shilpa Garg: Floating chunks of ice must be fascinating to watch. You have captured them so beautifully too. Thanks for sharing, Alice!

You’re welcome, Shilpa. The ice was quite fascinating to watch. It was amazing because there was so much ice. I was amazed by how photogenic the ice really was.

keithaw2k: April so far over here in the UK has also been wintery - wet rather than ice though.

The forecast for next week is warm and sunny - how about that?

That sounds wonderful.

Alana: I remember the ice breakup we used to have on the shallow Chenango River each spring when I first moved to the Binghamton area in the mid 1980's That was a sight to see and if I had only known that it would be a rare sight one day, I would have taken a picture (with film, of course). Remember the days when we couldn't take hundreds and hundreds of pictures unless you were a millionaire? Ice on trees is so pretty, too-pretty and deadly.

Ice on trees is an amazingly beautiful sight but… yes, scary. And, yes, I remember the days when we used up a roll of film and that was it. That’s what I love about digital. I can take so many pictures… and delete all of the bad ones… instead of having the mistakes printed for me to look at forever.

Martha: Beautiful pictures Alice! How the ice chunks brought back memories from when we lived in upstate New York. It was super cold but enjoyed the great photos that we were able to take.

It was very cold and I had to step carefully when I nearly stopped right into a frozen puddle.

J is for the joy of being human

this is the picture that i didn't post: the joy of creativity

Rashmi Agarwal: This is lovely:)

Damyanti: A collage of joy. How lovely!

Thank you very much, Rashmi and Damyanti.

Lady In Read: and I remember the stories too that you told with these pictures.. thank you for sharing the joy

Thank you for reading my stories, and I am happy to share the joy with you.

Alana: This is a lovely idea - and, as Lady in Read said, lots of stories accompany these pictures, from your various walks and actions.

Thank you, Alana. I am happy that you enjoyed the pictures and the stories that had gone with them.

Shilpa Garg: They say, as long as you live keep smiling because it brightens everybody's day. It's always wonderful to see happy smiles. Thanks for spreading some cheer at my end, too, Alice. :)

You’re very sweet, Shilpa. I am happy to send the cheer in your direction.

Shirley Corder: Lots of lovely happy smiles! Thanks for sharing. Next in the #atoz challege: M is for Music and how it can improve your life and your mind.

I’m happy to share and I agree that music can improve your life and your mind. Right now, as I work on this blog post, I am listening to a selection of music by Andrew Lloyd Webber that’s streaming from my phone. It’s uplifting and happy music.

Su-sieee! Mac: A joyful homage to joy. :-)

I am happy that the pictures made you happy.

Jeanine Byers: Neat! I see what you mean about the joy.

Thank you, Jeanine.

K is for kitchen fun

Alana: I love those canned peanuts. If you go into one of the stores, they have so many kinds, and you can sample them (none of those stores around here, but I think there is one in Savannah, GA, not that that helps us). I love peanut sauce on pasta and using peanut butter in marinades, with soy sauce and garlic.

I am still so happy with the peanuts! I like other nuts, too. Last week, I went shopping and bought almost two cups' worth of almonds. Yesterday, I made almond butter, and I’m planning on making a pasta or rice dish with vegetables and almond butter.

Jeanine Byers said: I don't know about peanut butter in a sauce or on other dishes, but I also like my food mild. Or, I should say, my tummy prefers it that way. Glad you made yourself something yummy!

I understand completely. I’m definitely with you there. Or I should say, my tummy is. My tummy and my taste buds both prefer my food mild. If I were to serve the peanut butter yummies to other people, I would probably offer them a bottle of hot sauce so that they could choose the spiciness of their food.

Martha: Congrats on winning and always making peanut butter! That is so cool and love the photo and the little bear checking it out!

Peanut butter is so much fun to make! I’m glad that you like the Inspector Bear!

Rajlakshmi: You are so resourceful. I could have never figured out what to do with so many peanuts. The pasta looks good, it must have tasted great with peanut sauce. I have never tried that combination before. Maybe I should give it a try.

I definitely recommend that you try it. It tastes great and you can eat it mild or spicy, whichever you like best.

L is for lucky little lull

Jeanine Byers: Oh, cool!

I was in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat during the summer between high school and college. I didn't have a "role" but was among the background crowd. As was usual for plays and musicals I did with The Little Theater for Children. Sounds like you had a neat day.

That sounds like fun. I was always in the chorus, too. And that was fun. Scary, though, in the operas. In one opera, I had to sing a high C while on my knees. That was… um… unique. Fortunately, I was a chorus member because… um… I sound like a drunken mouse when I sing that high, lol.

Yvona: Good soup is never bad... always good.

Mmm. Soup is always good. I found a cookbook that is all soup recipes. I’m looking forward to trying more soups.

The Gratitude Guru: It will be SPring soon here in NJ as well! We were in the 80s yesterday and today down in the 40s! What the heck?!?

One good thing.... Soup! Just like you said. Thanks for sharing.

Soup! In all seasons! Even winter-spring. Warm, thick soups in the winter, and cold soups in the summer! Soup is always on!

  

Nabanita: Looks like you made the most of your day. Your post wants me to go get some mushrooms and do some cooking ! :)

Go for it, Nabanita! What kind of mushrooms are your favorites?

Lady In Read: that soup sure sounds like something i would love.... and the book has been on my bookshelf for me to read for a while now.. maybe will get it out to read it now.

Soup and a book. What could be better? Enjoy!

Bellybytes: I thought Winter was over! Lucky you had something to keep the blues away.

Winter doesn’t want to leave. Stubborn little creature. It kept me inside but, fortunately, I was entertained.

Cerebrations.biz: Glad you found things of use and fun to keep you busy when you were iced in.

I wasn’t bored and it was safer than sliding on the driveway!

My name is Chien:  A very relaxing day should last a tad longer than regular days don't you think? Enjoy lull days. :)

I agree. My relaxation was enforced by an ice storm but, every now and then, a relaxing lull day is a good thing to experience.

M is for market

Shilpa Garg: Buying from Farmer's Market is so good.

Not only are the products fresh, seasonal and home made but are economical too. The best is that you are supporting the local community. :)

I’m glad that you enjoy farmers markets, as well. I also see a great benefit in supporting local agriculture.

Shirley Corder said: I love shopping at a Farmer's Market. We used to attend one regularly when we visited my son and family in a town some four hours away, but they have now moved. So I'm glad you mentioned this. I must look for one in our own town. Next in A to Z Challenge: O is for Take every Opportunity to improve your life, improve your mind.

I hope that you find a good farmers market in your own town and that you get an opportunity to see your son and his family in their new community.

Jeanine Byers said: I agree, happiness is beautiful! And just so you know, I'm craving pancakes now.

Oh my. The power of suggestion. All of a sudden, pancakes sound delicious. Of course, with that lovely Western New York maple syrup!

bookworm said: I love going to the farmers markets wherever I travel. And, of course, at home. We are so fortunate, in New York State.

We are fortunate in New York State. The weather is atrocious, but there are still good things to be found in a farmers market. In a few months, there will be produce. I have a small share in a local farm (community supported agriculture), and I am looking forward to the variety of produce that will come to me in a box, as well as to finding cool recipes in my favorite cookbook, the internet.

Faeriembassy: it is a great way to shop for Thanks for sharing. food at a farmers market - being able to have a personal relationship with the producer makes all the difference.

It does. One of the best things is developing relationships with the farmers. Knowing where the food comes from is definitely a benefit.

Cerebrations.biz: It used to be that going to the farmer's market meant you got the freshest items at reasonable prices. Now, you see elevated prices- and, to be honest, a bunch of stuff that makes one wonder how they came off the farm.

I pine for real farmer's markets. (The best I can generally find is a roadside market by a farm that I am passing.)

I hope that you find a good farmers market near you. Our farmers market offers much more fresh produce when it’s in season. Right now, we have eggs and maple syrup and honey, which are the best choices. Roadside stands are always good. They are a real treat and you can find good stuff there.

 Elaine: I absolutely LOVE farmer's markets. 

Actually whenever my family is travelling somewhere 

(during farmer's marketing time of year of course)

 we seek them out!  If you're ever out by the 

Redwoods in ca, there is a lovely one by Crescent City.

 And if you're in Eugene, oregon, by far my

 most favorite farmer's market every saturday!

I'll definitely look into these markets. They sound delightful.