Paint, Panic, and Physics

Orange is the new hue on my house.

Today was the big paint-the-outside-trim day. It had taken quite a while to decide on just the right shade of paint that would complement the new roof's color ("Terracotta"), pale yellow house siding, and the brick on the front of the house (not quite red, orange or pink). I took the opportunity to wash the outsides of the windows, and also wiped down the brick trim before I started painting. It all went smoothly.
 
Of course, actual painting is only half the job. Afterward comes the clean up; including scrubbing my paint-covered hands and fingernails, and cleaning the brushes. I live in a small house without the kind of slop sink that is often in the basement  or laundry room. My old house had one that was great for cleaning all sorts of icky stuff. But with only a kitchen sink and a bathroom sink in this house, it was a dilemma to decide how to clean the brushes.

After shuffling the job between the two sinks and scrubbing each one sparkling clean again, I returned later to my brand new, just-installed kitchen sink to see a sizable smear of reddish-orange. It was pale, but definitely there. I took a sponge and soap and scrubbed it away. However, when I moved my hands, I saw it was still there. More soap and more scrubbing. Gone for sure now. I lift my hands to grab for a towel to dry the spot and there is the paint, still there. Now I took one of those miracle scrubbing pads that seems to get grime off of anything. The same result — it looked like it was working until I moved my hands out of the way.
 
I began to panic. Was my brand new sink ruined? I stared at the stain, it was faint, but that didn't matter to me. As I stared at it, willing it to go away, it actually disappeared. What the heck? Then it came back. And then disappeared. And came back.
 
Suddenly I realized what I was dealing with. I reached up and moved a colored glass vase that was sitting in the sun in the garden window behind my sink. The stain disappeared. Yes, I had been trying to scrub away a beam of light. I can hear Neil DeGrasse Tyson laughing.

Thoughts on The First Day of Summer 2016

Sometimes, life is going along so well I forget to spread the wealth and share the laughter and happiness I see and feel around me. And sometimes, there is such horror and sadness in the world, that it is hard to dig down into that reserve of resilience. The past few months have been a jolting ride not just for me personally, but for the United States, and the world. I can't help wondering if the rest of the universe is beset by such extremes. Of course, it must be, for as Neil deGrasse Tyson noted, "We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us." So, if for no other reason, we owe the universe to keep our tiny little corner of it peaceful and orderly.

Today is the first day of summer, the longest day of the year as calculated by the number of hours of daylight we can bask in. For many, it heralds the arrival of the season of outdoor activities, garden tending and vacation-taking. The time to build up our reserves of vitamin D and happy moments to bolster us when things are not so sunny. And after today, while the summer activities begin full-tilt, each day gets a little shorter. The universe keeps on moving the seasons along, spinning our Earth around the Sun, no matter what joys and sorrows collect on what Carl Sagan called "this little blue dot."

May you all find something to be joyful about today, on this Summer Solstice, and may your tiny corner of the universe be filled with laughter and happiness to strengthen your ability to deal with the darker days of winter.

We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/neildegras531166.htmlW

We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/neil_degrasse_tyson.html

We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/neil_degrasse_tyson.html

We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us. Neil deGrasse Tyson
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/n/neil_degrasse_tyson.html