Clancy Tucker's Blog, page 68

26 September 2020 - EXTRAORDINARY TREEHOUSES AROUND THE WORLD

 EXTRAORDINARY TREEHOUSES AROUND THE WORLD
G'day folks,
As children, we embraced the treehouse as our own personal haven, away from the prying eyes of adults. As adults, we encourage our children to build their own treehouse (with our supervision), so they too can have their own safe space for naughtiness and adventure (also with our supervision). 
Despite our pre-existing beliefs, however, treehouses aren’t just for kids. They can be structures of wonder and beauty, bathed in green, and offering an escape surrounded by nature.
These leaf-laden abodes can be designed to house multiple people and even provide fine dining experiences. 
Now, check out some fine examples ...  
































Clancy's comment: The first time I saw a treehouse was on an old black and white movie, 'Swiss Family Robinson',  when I was a kid, and I've never forgotten it. Enchanting, eh?
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24 September 2020 - ABANDONED HOME RENOVATED THEN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

ABANDONED HOME RENOVATED THEN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
G'day folks,
Well, here is another abandoned property with a different story.
 This 170-year-old historic house in Georgia was saved from demolition by a couple who decided to renovate it and make it their dream home. Just four months into renovations, it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. These photos show the house in its long-abandoned state, during renovation, and after the devastating fire. The loss has been insurmountable, and nothing of the house can be salvaged.


















Clancy's comment: Having renovated many homes, including six of my own, I can imagine the anguish felt by the owners.
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23 September 2020 - VINTAGE GROCERY STORES IN AMERICA

VINTAGE GROCERY STORES IN AMERICA
G'day folks,
Well, here is a walk down memory lane. Brace yourself ...
Have you ever taken a walk through a grocery store aisle and spotted someone who looked like they had just gotten out of bed? We mean, someone literally in their pajamas. Or, maybe, you’re the one who has been guilty of such a fashion crime. Well, you might be surprised to know that it hasn’t always been this way.  Below are a collection of vintage photographs that will take you through different grocery stores across America throughout history, and it’s safe to say that these store-goers would never be caught dead in pajamas. From wider aisles and more elegant stores to small homegrown businesses, these fantastic photos reflect eras long past.
























Clancy's comment: Curlers! Wow, check out the hairstyles. Ah, back in the days when we had corner stores. Did you notice James Dean?
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22 September 2020 - ABANDONED VILLAGE OF MODERN CASTLES IN TURKEY

ABANDONED VILLAGE OF MODERN CASTLES IN TURKEY
Hundreds of Disney-like castles being built for wealthy Gulf investors have just got their new residents. Ghosts. The Burj Al Babas residential area project in Turkey’s northern Bolu province began in 2014, but its developer, the Sarot Group, has failed to come up with the required amount of money for finishing the medieval castles.


The Sarot Group was recently slapped with a court-ordered bankruptcy ruling over the Burj Al Babas’ $27 million debt. The suburb project was designed to include 732 chateau-style villas, swimming pools, Turkish baths, health and beauty centers, a shopping center and a mosque, according to its website. And even though customers from Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia have bought around 350 of the 587 kitsch villas built, it’s not enough.

“We couldn’t get about 7.5 million dollars receivables for the villas we have sold to Gulf countries,” Hurriyet newspaper quoted Sarot Group Chairman Mehmet Emin Yerdelen. “We applied for bankruptcy protection but the court ruled for bankruptcy. We will appeal the ruling.”

The court also ordered the group to stop all construction immediately leaving a site full of abandoned houses, but Yerdelen remains hopeful. “The project is valued at $200 million,” he said. “We only need to sell 100 villas to pay off our debt. I believe we can get over this crisis in four to five months and partially inaugurate the project in 2019.”


 Now, check out these castles ...















Clancy's comment: Wow. Extraordinary-looking suburb, and none of them have a moat.
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21 September 2020 - A BUNCH OF EGGCELLENT CHICKEN COOPS

A BUNCH OF EGGCELLENT  CHICKEN COOPS 
G'day folks,
Some chickens have such amazing owners that we’re jealous! Their owners treat them like VIP (Very Important Poultry) and build them eggstravagant coops that look like something from the pages of a children’s fairytale.
To show you all the eggcellent places that you could be living in if you were a chicken, here is a  clucktastic collection of creative coops for you to enjoy.
Building a chicken coop is much more involved than nailing together a few two-by-fours and calling it a day. If you want things to be up to fluff, there are some things to keep in mind. For instance, your coop ought to be in the shade (like underneath a tree) to keep it cool in the Summer.
So it’s very important that the inside of your coop has enough light to keep your chickens content through Autumn and Winter. However, get some light bulbs that cast a warm glow like the Sun because bluish light won’t trigger your hens to lay eggs. Also, when building your magnificent coop, don’t forget to install vents to keep the air circulating but without causing a draft.























Clancy's comment: Wow. Extraordinary luxury, eh? I wonder if the eggs taste better? Only yoking, folks.

20 September 2020 - BRILLIANT ITALIAN WOOD CARVER

BRILLIANT ITALIAN WOOD CARVER 
G'day folks,
Now, here is a man with great talent. 
In the small northern Italian town of Ortisei resides a woodsmith , one of the few people on this planet who appreciates and skillfully utilizes the different elements of nature. For the past 30 years, Italian artist Guiseppe Rumerio  has been building on his passion for this planet and its natural creations in the most intricately designed way. He carefully carves sculptures of animals from wood, creating hyper-realistic scenes and depicting wildlife frozen in its most free state.  Having begun woodworking at the tender age of 14, Rumerio has since developed his technique and earned quite a name for himself as one of the greatest woodworkers in the art community. His fascination with animals leaves him on a constant search for new inspiration, and his pieces continue to astound and amaze art and nature enthusiasts the world over. Just take a look at these  stunning sculptures and you’ll know exactly why!  






















Clancy's comment: Magnifico! Grazie tanto, Giuseppe.
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19 September 2020 - NATIONAL MALL IN WASHINGTON DC

NATIONAL MALL IN WASHINGTON DC
G'day folks,
This is a place where I used to live and work. The National Mall and Memorial Parks is an official US National Parks unit located in the downtown area of Washington DC . 
The National Mall is far from your stereotypical mall and constitutes the entire 250 acre stretch across downtown DC. Within the geographic boundaries of the National Mall lies major historical monuments and landmarks like Capitol Hill, Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument. It is also home to the famous Smithsonian Natural Museum of History  and the National Air and Space Museum , among many other incredible museums dedicated to different forms of art and significant events and industries.   This stunning landscape is also peppered with beautiful sculpture gardens, grassy lawns, reflecting pools and plenty of places for fun-filled meals and photo opportunities. It’s impossible not to enjoy the energy and history of America’s capital city. No wonder the National Mall gets over 24 million visitors a year! Here are some must-visit locations in this unorthodox “mall” you wouldn’t have expected to be so fascinating! 




























Clancy's comment: Yep, have walked for miles around this part of America. 
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18 September 2020 - THE STUNNING SUPERMOON OF 2020

THE STUNNING SUPERMOON OF 2020 
G'day folks,
In the evenings between May 6 and the morning of May 8, 2020, people all around the globe had the excellent opportunity of witnessing the last supermoon of the year - the so-called Flower Moon. 

The name of this spring moon comes from Native Americans, who determined the seasons of the year by tracking supermoons. This is because supermoons typically occur every season, 3-4 times a year, and they mark the point in time when the Moon is closest to the Earth, which makes it appear up to 15% larger than usual. 
 
This last supermoon was a real beauty, appearing in shades of red, pink, and yellow across the globe. But even if you didn't get the chance to gaze up in the sky, you can admire the beauty of the Flower Moon in the following photos capturing the supermoon in different corners of the Earth.











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Clancy's comment: To be in that tower depicted in the last photograph above would have been very spooky.
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17 September 2020 - QUOTES FROM WINSTON CHURCHILL

QUOTES FROM WINSTON CHURCHILL
G'day folks,
 Winston Churchill is best-remembered as Great Britain’s wartime prime minister, who helped lead the allies to victory during World War II. 
However, this wasn’t Churchill’s only claim to fame, since he was also a non-academic historian, a British Army officer who saw direct action in 3 wars, as well as a prolific non-fiction writer.  In fact, his writing was considered to be so deep and thoughtful, that he was awarded the 1953 Nobel Prize in Literature. Below, you’ll find some of his best motivational quotes, to help keep you inspired and motivated when the going gets tough!



















Clancy's comment: An interesting character.
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16 September 2020 - PEGGY ARNDT - GUEST AUTHOR

PEGGY ARNDT - GUEST AUTHOR -
G'day folks,
Today, I interview a multi-talented author from California.
Welcome, Peggy ...



1.   TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR WRITING JOURNEY.


I did not write much until very late in life. If I told you how late, you would know how old I am. I had already had a career as a psychotherapist and when I retired I had I had planned to be lazy. But I started comparing my life to my friend’s.  I was reading books, they were writing books. I was walking around looking at the scenery, they were painting the scenery. So I developed a desire to do something artistic in my life, too. Writing and illustrating a book for children seemed like a good idea. 

I learned a lot about writing.  I found that I needed to cut out a lot of the story for a picture book. I had to learn how to get my paintings onto the computer in a way that kept the colors looking the way I wanted. . That was not easy.


I used Bookemon, an easy self-publishing program meant for kids. The whole process after writing the book took much longer that I thought it would, but now I had a book. When I started, my granddaugher, Lucy was 3. Lucy was now 6, but she loved the book. Friends and family encouraged me to make the book available on Amazon. At the time, unless you were a kid, Bookemon didn’t allow you to put the book on Amazon.


However I now had to learn things that had NOTHING to do with my concept of authoring a book, and were much more complicated than what I had been doing. I needed to learn WORD, figure out Create Space, be able to format a book, learn about DPI, using a flash drive, and create a cover. Many attempts, false starts and months stretched into a year and stretched my own brain. I was finally ready to publish when . . . Create Space disappeared!  Now KDP was my next challenge.  Every draft I ordered led to more changes and more learning. My own brain got a good workout because I had to learn so many new skills.




2.   WHEN AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A WRITER?


Having spent much of my career as a psychotherapist I have always been interested in overcoming obstacles-whether mental, emotional or physical. My cat Maui lived a real-life, fantastic story about loss and recovery, grit and determination, a story of overcoming obstacles and finding solutions.


 In addition, I’ve always loved neuroscience and Maui’s journey to regain his mobility is a story of neuroscience It is a story about how the brain can rewire itself.


I love to draw and paint. I drew all through grade school, mostly horses. I drew and took art classes in high school.  Later, I drew cartoon like pictures for my kids, and even for a Sierra Club newsletter. So I knew I’d enjoy illustrating a book. I knew exactly how I wanted the pictures to look: playful, a bit messy, with happy colors.




3 WHAT TYPE OF PREPARATION DO YOU DO FOR A MANUSCRIPT? DO YOU PLAN EVERYTHING FIRST OR JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP?


Since my book, “The Pulling, Climbing, Falling Down Tale of Maui and His Back Legs” is based on a true story, I knew the story line and the ending before I began. For the writing, I spoke out loud to a recorder, telling the story. I started at an early part of Maui’s life, but the story became too long for a picture book and I changed course. Later, I got the idea to have Maui talk to his legs, so I rewrote the whole story.





4.   WHAT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT BEING A WRITER?


Besides all the technical aspects and marketing it was hard to know what and what not to include into Maui’s story. 




5.   WHAT WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A WRITER?


Most of my adult life I was a psychotherapist. I had a private practice and later was the director of a partial hospitalization program in a major metropolitan hospital in California.  I helped people with severe mental illness manage their symptoms, their moods and their life. I developed courses and taught other therapists on aging and anorexia. I was an early adaptor of telephone therapy.


I like animals. When I was 12 years old, I got a horse named Misty. In the summer I would get up at 5 a.m. to ride, so Misty could avoid the Phoenix desert heat. Then I would come back home to sleep before school. I drew a lot when I was a child, often drawing horses.


I like to play.  Even when I was a professional I did therapeutic playful expression and created fun activities that improved mental health. Now that I am retired I go to the beach, hike, fish, bike, travel, and draw.  And I visit my granddaughter








6.   WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?


I co-author 2 blogs. One blog, Max Your Mind was created to share the neuroscience research and techniques we learned as psychotherapists about how to help clients feel better and do better.  Now that we are both retired it’s gratifying to continue to share about how how the brain works – wether it is about controlling anger, anxiety or sadness, or just being able to feel happier and more energetic.


Our second blog, CURIOUS to the MAX is more eclectic and we share everything we are curious about from our own art to interesting things about our world.  We are currently featuring a series on how to cope and survive, mentally, emotionally and physically, with the changes in our lives because of the Covid-19 pandemic.


My co-blogger, Judy Westerfield, and I are working on a booklet of quick and easy techniques to trigger “happy” neurochemistry based on scientific research.  Our working title is “HACKING HAPPINESS”


Now that I’m a bonafide published author, using what I learned self-publishing my own book, I’m helping Judy self-publish a re-write of the Little Red Riding Hood story that redeems the wolf.







7.   WHAT INSPIRES YOU?


Clearly, this book was inspired by my amazing cat, Maui. I called him my miracle cat.  Neuroscience research inspires me a lot to improve my own life and to share with others. I have always been excited by science. In the past 20 years the science of the brain has exploded.




8.   WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?


I enjoyed painting the pictures and reliving my memory of Maui’s perseverance helped inspire me to continue with self-publishing with all the pitfalls and challenges I encountered.




9.   WHAT’S THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?


Besides my granddaughter’s “I love it!”, these are two of my favorite responses to  “The Pulling, Climbing, Falling Down Tale of Maui and His Back Legs” .  I especially liked that they were written by people who worked with children who face difficulty in their lives and need their own perseverence.


"Loved this book. This is a beautifully written and illustrated book for young children about overcoming adversity and how determination can result in success through both practice and failure. This little cat, Maui, is an example to us all."


Susanne Hieke, Early Childhood Educator, Cirriculum Creator, and Music and Movement Specialist Special Needs


"This picture book inspires our imagination and reflection. Who would not be able to identify and feel great empathy for this cute cuddly cat. Maui is struggling for his survival. He suddenly cannot jump, climb for drink water from the sink, but fortunately, with determination and the right exercise, he is able to get his legs working again. It all could have been much worse!


The story encourages us to ask ourselves questions about the problems and good things in life. How would we cope in a similar situation? Are we grateful enough for what we can do right now?


The end of the year with short and dark days is the best time to enjoy this cuddly book. We can reflect and relax." 


Margaretha Kloots, PsyD, School Psychologist, retired







10.            OTHER THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?


I love to be outside—gardening, hiking or going to the ocean. I love to read, both fiction and science. I love to draw and paint. I love spending time with my granddaughter. I love spending time with friends. I love being in a book club and discussing books I have read. 






11.             HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER?


For me, creating a book that told Maui’s story and giving it to my granddaughter was my main goal. I’ve received wonderful comments from health care professionals and teachers who work with children.  It’s been gratifying to know that Maui’s story is helping others and that is success. 




12.            WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM YOUR BOOKS KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?


Readers should feel encouraged to persist in what they are trying to do, and to be try different things in solving problems.  They should know that often going after goals takes time and effort and willingness to change your ideas of what will work.  My readers are ages 3-98 (my mom).






13.             ARE YOUR BOOKS SELF-PUBLISHED?


Yes. It was difficult and time consuming. However from what I have read and heard, getting a publisher for a first book is close to impossible. That would have been even more time consuming and frustrating.




14.            DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN FIVE WORDS.


Curious, playful, serious, creative and connected to nature.






15.            WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? GOOD ONE?


The last book I have read was “I Always Loved You” by Robin Oliveira. It is a fictionalized account of the relationship between Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas. I especially loved the way the author described the thoughts of the artists about art, light, color and creativity.






16.             WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU HAPPIER THAN YOU ARE NOW? CARE TO SHARE?


Besides world peace or a cure and vaccine for Covid 19? On a more mundane level I would love to revisit Italy and Hawaii.
That said, I think “happy” is about your brain and how it functions. I don’t think anyone can be happy 100% of the time because neurochemistry doesn’t work that way.  Luckily, I’m a happy person by nature but I also use the scientific information we share on Max Your Mind(peggyarndt.com) to have more happy times and fewer sad or anxious times.




17.            DID YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?


Maui’s book is all about persistence and grit. When you are writing about persistence, about NOT quitting, you don’t quit.






 MAX YOUR MIND
CURIOUS TO THE MAX


Clancy's comment: Go, Peggy! Well done, and thank you.
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