Sounds about right...

From UPenn's Psychology Department.
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/default.aspx

UPenn has a Positive Psycology program which "focuses on the empirical study of such things as positive emotions, strengths-based character, and healthy institutions." Basicall, they are studying ways to be happier. They look at how to feel more satisfied, more engaged with life, regardless of one’s circumstances, and they are also looking at how this affects depression symptoms. Obviously, after two years of torture here in my thankless job, this is interesting to me!

Anyway, the site also has questionnaires, as well as information. How Happy Are You? Work-Life Satisfaction (yeah, that one was low), Appreciation of the Past, Optimism for the Future, you get the idea. One of the questionnaires was a big long one, looking at Character Strengths. There are 24 Strengths that they looked at, and after answering a big long list of questions, looked at how you ranked with these particular character attributes. Here's how I ranked:

• Your Top Strength: Love of learning - You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.


• Your Second Strength: Curiosity and interest in the world - You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.


• Your Third Strength: Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness - You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.


• Your Fourth Strength: Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness - Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.


• Your Fifth Strength: Kindness and generosity - You are kind and generous to others, and you are never too busy to do a favor. You enjoy doing good deeds for others, even if you do not know them well.

Seems pretty accurate to me!

You know, this is probably why I'm getting excited about the move too. The whole Love of Learning and Curiousity attributes.... :)

Just another snow picture

The snow was still pretty this morning, so here are a few more pictures for you to enjoy. :)

It's snowing!!

(runs around room excitedly, scaring bunny)


I know I won't be getting a snow day, and I'm still going into work tomorrow anyway (it's not supposed to be that much snow, and it would take an all-out blizzard for our office manager to say 'Stay Home'). But it's snowing!! And at night!! And it's just so pretty! I like watching the snow come down, it's just so soft and quiet. I like watching the rain, too, but snow just has that special quality when it's first coming down, before everything gets all slushy and muddy. And we just don't get that much where I grew up (the beach just doesn't get so much snow, being insulated by the ocean and the bay - stays juuuust warm enough so we get 35 degree rain instead). So snow is still very exciting for me! And isn't it just pretty!?

This picture was taken looking out my window. The street lamp was back-lighting the tree which overhangs the balcony of my apartment, and the tree was all frozen over. With the snow falling in the background and showing up so nicely in the lamplight against the night.... I just had to brave the cold to go out on my balcony and take some pictures! :)

Guess this is probably going to be my last snow for a while. This winter's been so mild, I doubt we'll get much in February or March before we move. And Death Valley isn't really known for it's annual snowfall. Well, I'll just sit back here on the couch with my knitting and my cocoa and appreciate it while I have it!

WIP Wednesday

I've seen this on several knitting blogs around, and I like the idea. WIP Wednesdays, and FO Fridays. A chance to regularly yarn-chatter. If you're not into the yarn chatter, well.... tough beans! :) My blog, my mindless ramblings!

So, this week, the featured WIP is the red scarf I've been working on.

I started this one at the W&M-VT game back in September, and have just been working on it off-and-on the last couple months. Like everything else, it got put totally aside in November and December as I worked on I Do. Nice, simple little free pattern, only 4 rows in the lace repeat. Good little filler project. Which explains why I'm still working on it in January :)

Other WIPs (just the ones actively being worked on, not the hibernating ones):

• Anthropologie-inspired shrug - I'm almost up to (down to? it's worked top-down) where the sleeves separate from the rest of the sweater, so coming along nicely
• Dishcloth KAL January 1 (the football) - yeah, I'm a little behind, having started later in January, but I should be able to catch up quickly. Just dishclothes after all! Not afghans or anything.

Greatest shoes EVER!

Yeah, can't think of anything else to share about these, but had to share them. Simply, the coolest shoes ever. And I mean EVER.

G'Night all.

A is for...

Aquarium!

This is at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta (also an A!). Zach was looking into a really cool tank in the main area of the aquarium. It had that crazy black and white lining in the tank, with Chihule-esque brightly colored glass sculptures floating through the tank. The fish in the tank were starkly colored, black and white and occasional yellow ones. It was a really beautiful tank, very artistic. This was a shot I grabbed as we were heading past, and I'm really happy how it came out.

As for aquaria in general, I love to visit them. Been to several now... Monterey, London, South Carolina, Oregon Coast, Georgia, and I practically grew up at the Virginia Marine Science Museum in Virginia Beach. I'd love to work at one, in animal husbandry or the educational programs department. However, as I'm getting ready to move to the desert in March, we'll see how things go :)

Sounds like fun!

http://knitorious.typepad.com/knitorious/abcalong-2008.html

It's a year-long group where participants post a photo to their blog and/or (if blogless) the ABC-Along 2008 Flickr Group every two weeks to correspond with a letter of the alphabet; there is also an ABC-Along 2008 Ravelry Group.

Photos are to reflect the personality of the photographer; the subject should be of importance or meaning to them; photos can be related to fiber, but it is not required. Post at least one photo in each 2-week period to match the corresponding letter of the alphabet. There are 52 weeks in a year and 26 letters of the alphabet, allowing 2 weeks per letter (Weeks 1&2=A, Weeks 2&3=B). Example: - "A" is for... Alaska, asparagus, alpaca, astronomy... Whatever, as long as it means something to the photographer. Here's the posting schedule:

A = January 1 to 19
B = January 20 to February 2
C = February 3 to February 16
D = February 17 to March 1
E = March 2 to March 15
F = March 16 to March 29
G = March 30 to April 12
H = April 13 to April 26
I = April 27 to May 10
J = May 11 to May 24
K = May 25 to June 7
L = June 8 to June 21
M = June 22 to July 5
N = July 6 to July 19
O = July 20 to August 2
P = August 3 to August 16
Q = August 17 to August 30
R = August 31 to September 13
S = September 14 to September 27
T = September 28 to October 11
U = October 12 to August 25
V = October 26 to November 8
W = November 9 to November 22
X = November 23 to December 6
Y = December 7 to December 20
Z = December 21 to December 31/January 3, 2009