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From now on I get to sign my name as “Peter Torraca, GG”. I received a letter from the GIA that I passed my final exam in their Graduate Gemologist course. It is a huge relief to be officially finished!
Though, to be honest, my enthusiasm is a little subdued. I am keenly aware of the fact that I could have, and should have, finished the degree much sooner. I started it while Karen was in grad school at the Univ. of Florida. Life, and more than a bit of my innate laziness, got in the way. Thinking back, I realize it took me 7 years, 3 states, and 4 mailing addresses to get it done(!). I would have been a better candidate for the GIA’s residence course. It wasn’t until the Lord taught me a little something about stewardship of opportunities (especially ones I’ve already paid in full for) that I got back in gear and pushed for the finish.
It is strange, I feel more confident and capable in the world of gemology today than I did yesterday, though nothing has changed in my knowledge or skills. It is amazing what external affirmation will do for one’s outlook.
Is there something you’ve been “working on” over the years that really should be completed? Don’t wait any longer, it feels great to get it done and not have it always hovering the background!
I learned about the Australian slang version of the scriptures from a news website. A Google search turned up this “translation” of David & Goliath. It’s a fun read, even if you’re just a Yank like me: http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/7091.htm
It’s Spring here in central Indiana. Our woods are covered in little white, purple, and yellow wildflowers. The May Apples are just coming up and, hopefully, the mushrooms will be soon to follow. We also have a host of dogtooth violets. Beautiful, gentle things. The Indiana woodlands are just delightful this time of year.
David Gilbert is an accomplished photographer with an eye toward the visually profound. I met him online when I asked permission to use his “signs of hope” shot on my last blog entry. Not only did David grant me permission, but we struck up a fantastic conversation about his work and the insights he manages to capture on film. I thought I’d make specific mention of him and his Flickr photostream for a couple reasons:
First, I find his photos (mostly those tagged “foundcrosses” speak to me in a surprising, meditative ways. Most art doesn’t have that effect on me. David has captured something that connects with me on a spiritual level, perhaps it will with you too. If nothing else, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the pretty pictures — but check out my warning about Flickr below before you go.
Second, I wanted to give a friendly plug his latest venture. David is marketing his images as greeting cards (hence: “Alternative Christian Greeting Cards” set). The quotes he matches up with the pictures give some of the cards a devotional quality. At the moment, he’s selling his cards directly to individuals and small bookstores. Lord willing, he’ll find a publisher who can distribute them more widely. I greatly appreciate the option of buying a greeting card that isn’t trite or formulaic.
A word of warning about Flickr in general: David’s photostream and all the links above are quite safe and I encourage you to check them out and explore his work. But be warned, Flickr is a photo service that hosts all varieties of photograph artists — including many images that are simply pornographic. Be wise in how you explore Flickr and remember to honor the Lord with all you do, including your web browsing.
There is an incredible WWII story on Phil Johnson’s Pyromaniac blog. The artcile extracts Herb Clingen’s journal entries during his family’s internment in the Japanese prison camp at Los Banos. I never heard of the place, but I’m glad to have read this story. The whole account is a strong testimony to God’s care for his people. If the ending is correct, it’s also an amazing account of God’s grace to evil men as well.
It is a longish read, but well, well worth your time. It’s a shame that the fuller account of this story never got formally published. Maybe someday.
Working through my GIA gem sets, I found that this syn. star sapphire cabochon made it’s own condensing sphere when placed in the polariscope. It displayed a rather obvious uniaxial optic figure. A uniaxial figure is typical of this material, but usually not this easy to see. I couldn’t help taking a pic.
I thought this was hysterical:
Got this email & pic from my brother yesterday:
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Woo-Hoo Eric! Great pic!
Here’s one for the “I just gotta have it” department — or what happens when the Reformation hits US captialism: Reformer Ware. I’m sure all sorts of snide comments could be made here (I’m fending them off now), but I think I really like this idea. These folks have some of the first “Christian-ware” stuff that I’d actually buy — and it will lead to intelligent conversation, even with other Christians. Check out the site — I really, really like the Calvin quote they picked out for the shirt… oh, the mugs have quotes on ‘em. The Luther one is perfect for a coffee mug, but I really like that Spurgeon one…
(Thanks to CoffeeSwirls blog for pointing Reformer Ware out for me!)
Did you know Google has some nifty stuff built into its search? Check this out — to display the # of cups in a pint, just search for: pint in cups
I was so taken with this, I forgot to be embarassed I didn’t remember how many cups were in a pint. Other Google search features can be found on the Google Web Search Features page.
