With this entry, Sabbatical@Happy Valley has now reached a new milestone - This is the 100th post on this blog! Incredible! It was only back in August 07, that I was still figuring out how to set up a blog. From then on, it was pretty much learning by doing (and copying). Essentially, you come across another blog site with some interesting features, which you try to replicate on yours. And when you are stuck, there is always the blog consultant. Since then, I learn to:
- organize the entries using "labels",
- embed background music, slideshows, and video clips from external sources using 'widgets".
- translate the blog from English to 8 different languages, which include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, etc., using Babel Fish by Alta Vista (see right). I am amazed by how fast the "translator" work. It is truly a very powerful tool. Try it by clicking on one of the flags.
Reflection: Looking back, I would never have thought that I could be "techy" enough to maintain a blog. But Lao Tzu once said, "the journey of a 1,000 miles must begin with a single step". It means that a long journey can seem overwhelming until you start it. Take enough single steps and you'll arrive. It also implies that any overwhelming project is more manageable if broken up into smaller tasks. But the most important step would be the first one, often the hardest because it requires courage and faith to overcome the inertia! Some people never achieve much in life because they never took the first step.
Time flies, especially when you are having the time of your life.
Homeward Bound: The countdown has begun. We recently confirmed our flight home. We will be leaving State College on the morning of June 17. Our flight is scheduled to reach Singapore on June 18, midnight. Thus, our remaining days in Happy Valley are numbered - 79 days left, to be exact! So, we intend to optimize the time we have left here. We have several trips to make, Florida in April and Georgia in May. And in between, we intend to capitalize on the Spring weather to visit some of the interesting places around here.internet photo
Today, we will be making a trip to the Shavers' Creek http://www.outreach.psu.edu/shaverscreek/. It is about 20 minutes drive away. We will take part in the Maple Harvest Festival to learn how to identify and tap sugar maple trees and see sap being turned into syrup! There will be costumed interpreters who will demonstrate sugaring techniques used by Native Americans, pioneers, and modern-day farmers. Besides enjoying life music, seeing live birds of prey and reptile shows, we get to savor all-you-can-eat pancakes and maple syrup! ..................................................................................
Poem of the Day: God Grant Us Wisdom
God, grant us the grace to use
all the hours of our days,
Not for our own selfish interests
and our own willful ways,
But teach us to take time for praying
and for listening to You,
So each day is spent wisely,
doing what you want us to do.
- Helen Steiner Rice -
