Learning Strategies

Hydrangeas

By ljd42 on July 27, 2026

The hydrangeas are busy beautifying our back yard. (These are hydrangeas, not hyacinths, right? Flowers are not my strong point, even if they do have Greek names.)

Recent Posts

Dine and Die on the Danube Express

By ljd42 on July 23, 2026

Someone recommended this book to me — I wish I could remember who. But maybe it’s just as well that I can’t. Written by one Peter King, not Agatha Christie, it was clearly inspired by Christie’s famous detective novel. But… Read More ›
Only the best…

By ljd42 on July 22, 2026
Fireworks

By ljd42 on July 3, 2026

Abby, Barnaby, and Cassie remind all of our neighbors (and your neighbors) that as we approach July 4th it’s not just cats that are traumatized by fireworks:
Christina II

By ljd42 on July 1, 2026

I usually don’t do AI images, but I’ll make an exception this time.
Unabridged

By ljd42 on June 28, 2026

You do remember Stefan Fatsis, right? Maybe from NPR, maybe from Word Freak/Scrabble. Now he has published a must-read called Unabridged. Yes, as you suspect, it’s about dictionaries. In particular, it’s about Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English… Read More ›
Speaking of Les Miz…

By ljd42 on June 27, 2026

Speaking of Les Miz, I mentioned in that post that “This [the Boston cast] was a cast of no-name pros whose heart just wasn’t in it. They seemed to be going through the motions, alas.” Perhaps you’d like some contrasting… Read More ›
The Tartan Army: the day Scottish FIFA fans drank Boston dry

By ljd42 on June 26, 2026

How long has it been since I’ve been to a Kim Wallach concert? Literally decades, as it turns out, but the YouTube algorithm decided it was time for me to listen to her newest song: “The day Scottish FIFA fans… Read More ›
Too much light!

By ljd42 on June 25, 2026

Apparently the light is too bright for Cassie’s delicate eyes, so special measures are required:
Les Miz in Boston

By ljd42 on June 22, 2026

Unfortunately I was just so disappointed! Les Miz is one of my three favorite musicals, and I had never seen a professional live performance of it. (I’d seen the movie, and I’d seen an excellent high-school performance.) So I had… Read More ›
“Belly rubs needed over here.”

By ljd42 on June 18, 2026

“More belly rubs needed over here,” says Cassie.
Roses

By ljd42 on June 17, 2026

They officially belong to the neighbors… but they like visiting us on our side of the fence.
Claude vs. ChatGPT

By ljd42 on May 28, 2026

I asked ChatGPT and Claude to create a 3D image of me, both using the same prompt: Create a 3D image of me using your knowledge of my jobs and interests, based on this photo. The photo was this: Here’s… Read More ›
Judeo-Arabic

By ljd42 on May 24, 2026

That title sounds a bit like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But it isn’t. It’s a real language, spoken by some 240,000 Jews throughout the Arab world. For a quick intro, see the Wikipedia article, but I first want to make… Read More ›
How was last night at Tavolo different from all other nights?

By ljd42 on May 7, 2026

Because it was the first Wednesday of the month and therefore provided the option of choosing Tavolo’s Pasta Tour! I almost went with that option, as I had never done it before and it looked tempting. But I decided (or… Read More ›
Signs of being an introvert

By ljd42 on April 29, 2026

Posted by someone who doesn’t know me… but they sure have it right! Seven out of eight in my case. I don’t know the significance of the color of the numbers, but only #7 doesn’t fit for me:
Dot Block Diner

By ljd42 on April 21, 2026

Yay! The Dot Block Diner has finally opened! (Still waiting for Sweet Teez Bakery to open next door… but one out of two ain’t bad.) And they even have parking! Barbara and I enjoyed our lunch there today. Barbara had… Read More ›
Where are the women?

By ljd42 on April 13, 2026

What is your typical stereotype of a model railroader? Let’s see… well… perhaps a retired white male introvert in his ’70s? In other words, me? As is the case with most stereotypes, there is actually a grain of truth to… Read More ›
Interesting address

By ljd42 on April 8, 2026
My front yard says that it must finally be spring!

By ljd42 on April 5, 2026

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