NaBloPoMo #23: Perseverance

From an earlier prompt: What is the hardest part of a big project: getting the energy to begin, finding the time to work on it, or feeling down that it's over?

The hardest thing for me is getting a new project started. In science, sometimes this involves learning new techniques and sometimes it takes a while to quit researching the best way to do something and just try something! If it fails, you try something else.

A recent example: I was trying a new technique called CRISPR where you knock out a gene permanently and I used a product that turned the cells green (called green fluorescent protein, which was really cool) but ultimately it didn't work. 

I went and talked to a faculty member in our department about how he did it and I used his system and I have gotten it to work 3 times now. 

This figure shows that the protein I was trying to get rid of is gone in my two cell lines (B9 and C8) but is still there in our parental/control sample. We also checked for another protein which should be present in all 3 cell lines and it was.

NaBloPoMo #22: Birthday Brunch

A wonderful day with great food, beautiful fall colors, and the company of my sweet husband. We didn't get a photo together but he was there :)

NaBloPoMo #21: Potpourri

As the holidays approach, it feels hard to get settled since the thoughts of all the things I need to do keep running around in my brain.

Here are some random thoughts that have been running around my head today:

Baking: I'm making cornbread fritter casserole for a work party next week. I need to figure out if should make it the night before or get up early the day of the party.

Cooking: We go out to eat for Thanksgiving day, but I do like to cook a small turkey breast and a few sides for my husband and I to munch on during the rest of the weekend. I'm also making some treats as gifts so need to get those made too.

Work: I need to get all of my experiments to a stopping point before the break. I have a rough idea, but sometimes cells don't always do what you think they will do and adjustments may be needed.

Birthday: My birthday is tomorrow and since it's so close to Thanksgiving (some years it's the same day) it's hard to decide where or how to celebrate. I finally decided Sunday brunch at the Washington Duke Inn would be fun and something we've not done before.

Knitting: I need to work on a Christmas gift, seam a sweater and would like to work on my shawl.

Reading: I just finished a really good book so it's been hard for me to switch gears, but I did start this one today. Interesting they both have to do with water!

  

Christmas cards: We need to get our photo cards ordered so we worked on those this morning.

NaBloPoMo #20: Friday links

*Friday links are a selection of some of my favorite posts, recipes, articles, and photos from this past week.

My mom sent me this photo of her backyard and I love the late fall/early winter feel of it.

It's been a long week so I am ready for a relaxing weekend.  My husband was in NYC for one night for work, but that turned into two nights thanks to weather delays at LaGuardia. Thankfully he made it out on an albeit painfully early flight today.

This incredibly moving article about overcoming adversity definitively puts things in perspective.

Before he made it home, my husband spent 7 hours at the airport, so here is an article about things to do when stranded at an airport.

Sadly, a much loved pet in our family passed away this week. Here is an article about dealing with the loss of a pet.

NaBloPoMo #19: Dream Big

From today's writing prompt: where would you want to retire if money wasn't an issue?

Living in the central part of NC, we're about equidistant to the mountains and the beach. Since I love visiting both, I'd have a house at each so I could enjoy the best of both words. I'd live in the mountains during the summer and fall and at the beach during the winter and spring.

(Oak Island, NC)

(Blue Ridge Parkway, near Asheville, NC)

NaBloPoMo #18: Yarn Along

Joining Ginny in posting about two of my favorite things -  reading and knitting.

I just started the first book in a trilogy (the other two aren't out yet) and it's really good! The character and setting remind me quite a bit of Louse Penny. It's set in the countryside near Montreal and the main character, a retired police detective, is called out of retirement to investigate the murders of two Surete du Quebec officers at a remote farmhouse the day after a massive blizzard. But there are no tracks in the snow leading either to the house or away. So what happened?

In addition to some Christmas knitting (which I can't show), I am working on my latest shawl. I really like how the stripes are coming out.

NaBloPoMo #17: Ten on Tuesday

Joining Carole for Ten on Tuesday: 10 Places You Hang Out

1. My recliner - my husband calls it my command center. It's where I sit and read, knit, watch tv etc.

2. My bed - it's hard to see but off to the left is a TV in our closet. I like to curl up on my side and watch it before I go to sleep. My husband calls it "sideways TV".

3. My desk at work

4. My church

5. The pool - most Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at noon until ~1:15 this is where you'll find me, in the second lane from the right. I am a part of a masters team (USMS.org)

6. The gym - Tuesday and Thursday and sometimes Friday mornings I do strength training

7. The library - I used to use the bookmobile (which I loved!) but sadly the bookmobile died so until they replaced it, the wonderful librarian kept it going first using a library van then her own car. She retired in late August just as the new bookmobile finally came in, but the current administration didn't see our stop as a priority (well duh, with no bookmobile for nearly 3 years the number of patrons using it declined) so it's been eliminated. I love to read so I use the branch closest to our house, but I still miss my wonderful bookmobile librarian.

8. Choir loft - I joined our church choir this year (my husband was already in it) and we our getting ready for our Christmas musical on Dec 13th. We are singing the entire musical from memory (the words will be on the screen) but even so I am starting to get a bit nervous.

9. Walking trails near our house

10. the internet, specifically Ravelry