Louise Carroll: Some fleeting thoughts

Louise Carroll
·3 min read

I learn something – often, many things – daily, but do I retain them?

Some things I hear, see or read I write down so I will remember. Sometimes, I read a note and I don't know why I wrote it down, but usually they are bits and pieces of things I find interesting. I share them with you and hope one or two make you smile, wonder or think.

Here are some of those thoughts.

  • I got a lot of feedback on my column about yawning. Writing this now, I'm yawning. Sandy Bieselt said when her mother worked in the knitting mill she worked with a woman whose first name was pronounced yawn. And yes, it made them yawn.

  • The new Barbie movie is advertised on TV. Barbie's life-size measurements would be 39-23-33, standing 7 feet 2 inches tall, with a neck twice the length of a normal human's neck. She would be a frightening sight. They will not find anyone to portray the real Barbie in a movie.

  • There is something about the earthy, fresh smell that lingers in the air after a rain shower that most folks like. I've often said that I like that scent. There's a word for it: Petrichor. So, from now on, I will take a deep breath and say, "I enjoy petrichor."

  • In 2002, a cat named Skittles walked 358 miles from Wisconsin to her home in Minnesota after being lost on a family vacation. How she do that?

  • President James Garfield could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other at the same time.

  • One tree can store up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the earth each year. Be sure to hug your favorite tree.

  • Do you share a birthday with a cartoon celebrity? Marvin the Martian was born/created July 24 and Bugs Bunny on July 27.

  • Tasmania has the cleanest air in the inhabited world.

  • A bit of trivia for fans of the western genre: James Arness and John Wayne were both born May 26, almost 20 years apart. They were best buds and co-stars.

  • I have a sign in my office that says, "Any Story is Better Than No Story At All." My friend, Steve Alborn, told me that quite a while ago. And ain’t it the truth?

  • Office desks have 400 times more bacteria than toilet seats.

  • In 2001, a program was launched in Belgium to replace sugary drinks and soda in school lunches with beer.

  • The term “molly” is a general term for a female cat of any age. Unlike male cats being called either “toms” or “tomcats,” a female cat would only be referred to as a “molly” and not a “molly cat.”

  • “Protesting is an act of love. It is born of a deeply held conviction that the world can be a better, kinder place. Saying "no" to injustice is the ultimate declaration of hope.” - Amy Goodman, investigative journalist, columnist and author.

  • Rats laugh when you tickle them. Oh, honestly. Who tickles a rat and why?

  • The average person has 100,000 hairs on their head. Each hair grows about 5 inches a year. Why do I need a haircut so often?

  • May 29 was National Paperclip Day. Who celebrates that and why? There is a “National Day” for everything. I didn't look it up, but I bet there is one for celebrating the Grocery Cart and one for the Lawn Mower.

  • About 40% of people who go to a party in someone's home admit to snooping in the hosts medicine cabinet.

  • "I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood, and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person.” - Virginia Satir, psychotherapist and author.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Louise Carroll: Some fleeting thoughts