For Wednesday, August 22: You got that?

You never really truly understand something until you can explain it to your grandmother. Attributed to Albert Einstein

Ha, I love this quote. I love it because it is so true. We over complicate things and then when we are forced to explain them to someone who doesn't have a lot of exposure to the thing we are forced ourselves to slow down, listen to what we are saying, and more often than not I find I gain a clearer way of doing or looking at the thing. Sometimes even a better way of doing a task emerges from me trying to explain it to someone else.

I've had to explain several things to my grandparents (taking today's quote literally) and can you imagine how silly and even stupid Facebook (for example) sounds when trying to explain it to them? :) It's hysterical to me. They just seem confused. And they are right to be confused. In the example of Facebook - since when is virtual connection better and more fulfilling than face to face and voice to voice connection? And I'm talking about the people who live right down the street from you. I love Facebook for the people I love who live in other parts of the world - literally! Facebook is great for that but for the people in our daily lives? It has hindered our abilities to relate comfortably in person. (Okay enough of my soapbox which of course I can only stand on with one leg because I use Facebook just as much as others.) But I've digressed.

Slowing down to explain something to someone brings clarity to our own understanding. Try it, you might like it and learn from it!

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April 5, 2015

The Feast of Firstfruits & Easter Go for Broke Day If it scares you this is the day to go for it no matter what. One Day Without Shoes Day Today is to raise global awareness for children’s health and education. Why shoes? Because shoes help protect from bacteria in the dirt, rusty nails, dirty needles and shoes enable feet to withstand the long distances most children in developing countries need to walk to get to school. Join TOMS One for One There is plenty of criticism out there for TOMS and its short term solutions. Critics don't even buy the "at least they are doing something" statement. However, you have to start somewhere. And every bit of awareness helps something go from short term to long term. We all have a part to play. Read a Road Map Day One of the many reasons I would stink at The Amazing Race is because I never did learn how to read a road map well. I remember doing worksheets and class lessons on maps and I was able to skate by ...

Butter someone up

There are two probable origins for this idiom and I think both are equally plausible. The first one is that when you spread butter on bread you are buttering it up like one would do when trying to flatter someone. The second is in ancient India there was a practice of throwing balls of butter at statues to ask for favor, i.e. buttering them up. ( source ) When we use the phrase today we generally mean that extreme flattery is used to gain information or favor. It's not always necessarily a compliment.

A dime a dozen

"It's said that in the year 1796, the first U.S. dimes were produced for circulation. Hence, it would make sense for this phrase to originate sometime after." Read more here . Today the phrase carries the meaning that something is cheap or without value if it can be lumped in with other similar or exactly-like things. It's more of an insult than anything.

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