Friday, September 20, 2013

Gone... Fishing?

Thought for the day:  When you come to the edge of the light that you know, and you are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things will happen. There will be something to land on, or you will learn how to fly. [anonymous]

You like to go fishing? I do, but it's been years since I've had a rod and reel in my hands. Okay, so technically, I didn't have a rod and reel in my hands in that picture, either, but I'm sure I was just (ahem) taking a little break. After all, we used to head out before the sun came up, and reeling in those monstrous sunfish is hard work, ya know.

So, am I going fishing this weekend? Not exactly. But I'm gonna be doing something pretty cool, and in a way, I will be fishing for something...



Nope, I'm not gonna be jumping out of an airplane or flying a hot air balloon, either, although I'm sure my navigational skills would easily be on par with the clever person controlling the balloon in that picture.

Bottom line? I'm gonna be away from the computer until some time next week. In the meantime, I'll leave you with a re-run of a post which first ran more than two years ago under the title Wonderful Wednesday. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it isn't Wednesday, but just pretend, okay? See y'all next week. By Friday at the latest. I hope you have a super weekend. Hey! Why not... go fishing?

(I hope I catch more than this dude!)




****************

Thought for the dayForget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

Have you ever noticed that Wednesdays don't get much love? A Wednesday is what one of my friends would call, "a red-headed step-child." It certainly doesn't get revered like a weekend day, but then again, it doesn't get maligned like poor Monday, either. But I'll bet you never heard anyone say, "Thank God it's Wednesday!" Face it. Wednesday doesn't get much attention at all.

At the very best, some people call it "Hump Day", and depending on your perspective, that might not be all bad. But at least for this day, for this week, I'm declaring today Wonderful Wednesday. You hereby have permission, nay, an imperative to squeeze every bit of enjoyment out of this day as you possibly can. Come to think of it, that wouldn't be a bad way to approach every day, would it?

I was planning to write about the joys of growing older today. Really! There ARE some! There are many things for which I can be grateful. (Like I'm very grateful that wrinkles don't hurt.) But, alas and alack, that dear lady Linda Grimes beat me to the punch today with her blog. Great minds think alike, eh?

So, instead, I'll tell you a couple stories. The first is the tale of what has to be one of the luckiest young men in the world. While hiking in Utah in 2005, the then 21-year-old got caught in an avalanche. No, no, wait! That's not the lucky part. Here it comes: would you believe this young man RODE the avalanche an amazing 1000 feet down a ridge -- FEET-FIRST -- and then walked away with nothing but minor injuries?! (And one HECK of a story!)

 I mean, can you IMAGINE this??? Talk about the ultimate rush. That had to have been an experience that young man will NEVER forget. And I hope he yelled a joyous YEE-HAAAA the whole ride down.

Sometimes, it feels like we're all caught in an avalanche of time, doesn't it?  The days, the weeks, the years, they all fly by so quickly, and the best we can do is hold on for dear life, "ride it out", and hopefully, stay on our feet the whole way down.

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, "WOW! What a ride!"

Don't you love that quote? Wish I knew where it originated. It's one that many people have sent me over the years, but never with attribution. Nonetheless, let's all aim to try to live this Wonderful Wednesday with that young man's glorious ride, and that glorious quote, in mind.

The other story is about a young bride and one of the first meals she prepared for her new husband.


It was a beautiful ham, but before roasting it, this lovely young bride whacked off a large chunk of the meat and chucked it straight into the garbage can. This immediately prompted her astonished (and financially responsible) husband to ask his dearly beloved why-oh-why-dear-heart was she trashing what looked like a perfectly good piece of meat. The sweet young thing batted her eyelashes and said she did it because that's what her mother always did. So, the next time they saw her parents, the young man asked his mother-in-law about her unusual ham-cooking method. She said she did it that way because that's how HER mother always did it. By this time, the young bride was as curious as her husband, and they could hardly wait to hear Grandma's response to the riddle about the wasted hunk of ham. When they asked her, she laughed, and said, "I didn't have a pan big enough to hold the whole thing."

Isn't it funny how we sometimes get caught in traditions without questioning the purpose or logic behind them? Perhaps, in writing, we may meticulously follow the "old rules" without questioning whether they still apply, or if they're particularly well-suited for our particular style of writing. For example, I'm a real stickler for grammar, but (gasp!) I don't always write in full sentences. Some writers say that in the pursuit of creativity, anything goes. Wanta end a sentence with a preposition? Go for it! Split an infinitive? Have at it! Lift your head to the heavens and say, "I am writer! Hear me roar!" Then write what you want to write the way you want to write it.

Or not. What do you think?

OK, so I didn't write about growing older today, but I simply must share this delightful poem with you. It was written by the inimitable Maya Angelou.

When I was in my younger days, I weighed a few pounds less,
I needn't hold my tummy in to wear a belted dress.
But now that I am older, I've set my body free;
There's the comfort of elastic where once my waist would be.

Inventor of those high-heeled shoes, my feet have not forgiven;
I have to wear a nine now, but used to wear a seven.
And how about those pantyhose --- they're sized by weight, you see,
So how come when I put them on, the crotch is at my knee?

I need to wear these glasses, as the print's been getting smaller;
And it wasn't very long ago I know that I was taller.
Though my hair has turned to gray and my skin no longer fits,
On the inside, I'm the same old me, it's the outside's changed a bit.

On that note, I'll say goodbye for now. Be kind to yourselves. And each other.

68 comments:

  1. I wrote this, obviously, when I was 73. Every word--Most of it--Some of it is true.
    Years 74-78 haven’t seen much improvement.


    AN ODE TO BEING SEVENTY-THREE

    My legs are sore. I need a cane.
    My body has gone quite insane.
    My breasts were perky as a song.
    My bra size now is 40-Long.

    I cannot hear. I cannot see.
    I have to pee. Oh, woe is me!
    My body’s fat. My skin is thin.
    I do not like the shape I’m in.

    I cough–-I cough until I choke.
    I’m going out to have a smoke.
    My bones are brittle, I fear my fate.
    I’m liable to disintegrate.

    My memory now seems to have gone.
    Who is that standing on my lawn?
    It’s my husband Bud–-or is his name Paul?
    I thought he died–-I can’t recall.

    The thermometer says it’s 63.
    I don’t know why it lies to me.
    I can’t stop sweating–-watch me pour.
    My body says it’s 104.

    My joints creak and pop so bad
    I’m like a steel drum from Trinidad.
    Leg cramps woke me again last night.
    Why is my skin so loose and my muscles tight?

    My health is iffy. I may not thrive.
    But life is good–-and I’m still alive!
    And yet I wonder more and more
    What I’ll be like at seventy-four!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I LOVE your poem! (Maybe we should nickname you Maya...)

      Delete
  2. I am in love with both you and Fishducky. But you both knew that.
    And, co-incidentally, I put up a post today which included a version of 'Life should not be a journey...'
    I wonder whether the young man from Utah (I am sure there is a limerick in that) still continues to do extreme sports - or whether he knows to quit while he is ahead.

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    1. Thanks, Sue. The feeling is mutual. Fishducky is one talented lady, isn't she? Funny, too.

      Oh, cool. Great minds obviously do think alike. I'll be over to read your post in just a few secs.

      Interesting thought about that fella from Utah. The experience had to have been an incredible adrenaline rush, so it may have given him an even greater thirst for more of that same feeling. If so, I hope he hasn't worn his guardian angel out by now.

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  3. I'm sure you know I love quotes from my blog.... I'm a quote-a-holic... ;-)

    I love that first quote about having faith there will be a landing or I will learn how to fly...I want to live by that faith...

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    1. Yeah, I'm a quote-a-holic, too, and I've collected a kazillion of them over the years.

      Yeah, that quote about faith is a good one to live by, and by golly, I do believe you're doing just that!

      Delete
  4. I've heard that "pan not big enough" story many times and I'm always astonished at good food being tossed away. Why not put the whacked off piece in a smaller pan and roast it alongside the other one? unlike "grandma", I would have gone out and bought a bigger pan the next day or made sure I bought smaller hams.
    how does one split an infinitive when one does not know what an infinitive is?
    I have to save that poem and print it to put on my fridge.
    Enjoy your break.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Unfortunately, the world doesn't seem to be top-heavy in critical thinking, so I bet lots of people do things without question, simply because that's the way they've "always been done."

      An infinitive is a verb form that begins with the word "to". (To run, to think, to whatever.) Teachers always used to say we should never ever split the to from its verb, but what the hay? If we wanta say, "I wanted to slowly relish..." or the like, I don't think the grammar police will throw us in the pokey. (If they do, i'm sure we'll have plenty of good company.)

      Thanks. You have a super weekend.

      Delete
    2. Thank you, now I know what an infinitive is. I wonder why I didn't remember that from school? I was usually top of the class in English. Probably just because I could spell and knew where the apostrophe went.

      Delete
    3. No need to remember that stuff. You're a free spirit now, and you can make your own darned rules.

      Delete
  5. Lovin' the poem. Isn't it funny how may of us do things the way our mothers did?

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    1. Yeah, that poem is super. (So is Fishducky's, in case you didn't read it. First comment.)

      Yep. Mostly I find myself using her old expressions, but I do cook chicken and dumplings the way she used to cook them. She wasn't a very good cook, and didn't "know how" to prepare the dish, so she did it "her way". It was (and is) terrific, so why follow a recipe?

      Delete
  6. I haven't been fishing since I was 9 or 10. Isn't that crazy? I hope you have a good weekend and we'll see you back next week :)

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    1. Depends. Did you LIKE fishing when you were nine or ten? If you did, and you miss it, you should give it another go sometime.

      Thanks! You have a super weekend, too.

      Delete
  7. Wonderful post, so enjoyed reading it, although now that I'm old I'll have to give it another pass as I've forgotten the beginning! :)

    Do enjoy your fishing break!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it, but pbbbbt! You're not old!

      Thanks. I will. You have a super week, too.

      Delete
  8. Great poems and have fun fishing! I used to love to go - as long as someone baited the hook (I hated touching those icky worms).

    :)

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    1. Thanks and... thanks!

      I never minded messing with worms as a kid, except for those super long and fat bloodworms. (That's what we called 'em anyway.) Not sure if I have the stomach to bait a hook these days, but no biggie. Artificial bait suits me just fine.

      Delete
  9. I cracked up about the original reason for cutting the ham LOL. I hope you have a great time away and will see you next week. Enjoy!

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    1. Yeah, that ham story is something else, isn't it?

      Thanks. We had a terrific time.

      Delete
  10. My dear late Mama once bought a 27 lb Turkey for Christmas. She kept cutting and cutting before the wretched thing would fit in the oven.

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  11. Am going fishing this after noon, and I don't care if it is in a mudpuddle :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. haha funny how things come around
    And are once again found
    But i hate fishing
    Damn, flies are about swishing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you really don't wish
      To catch a fish,
      The endeavor's quite great
      Without the bait.

      Delete
  13. Have a great weekend, whatever you end up doing.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'll have to watch out for hunks of ham I'm throwing out for no good reason. Good one, Sus. Have a supercalafragilisticexpialadocious weekend.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Somehow, I can't imagine you doing anything without good reason.

      (It WAS supercalafragilisticexpialadocious!)

      Delete
  15. When we had kids here, I used to save my vacation days up and take off work for family outings. But when they grew up, I started taking just Wednesdays off. Every Wednesday, for nearly half the year. I liked it. The weeks were so much more pleasant with a break in the middle of them. Humpday gained a special place in my schedule. It should be a national holiday.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I love the idea of you taking Wednesdays off for family outings. There's something delicious about doing things in the middle of the week while most people are working.

      Delete
  16. hope it's a super weekend and that you don't catch anything you don't want to catch. Love the Maya A. poem and the poem in comments. All good stuff. We are having a rainy Fri and it's awesome for TX.

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    1. It was a super weekend, and I didn't catch anything I wanted to throw back.

      As I write this, it's Wednesday... and it's raining in Georgia. Nice slow sweet rain. The kinda day that makes you want to take a nap or curl up with a good book.

      Delete
  17. I love Maya Angelou. And you.

    Love,
    Janie

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    Replies
    1. Awwwwwww. You really know how to make a gal feel good. Thanks, kiddo. The feeling is mutual.

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  18. Well, whatever you will be fishing for, I hope you'll tell us all about it when you come back. You made me curious!

    Loved your rerun about Wednesdays. I do think that Wednesday's image has improved a bit since that Geico commercial with the camel in it. And I loved fishducky's poem.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. But of course! I'll tell ya on Friday.

      I know it's silly, and probably shown too frequently, but I LOVE that goofy commercial! And fishducky's poem, too.

      Delete
  19. I love Maya Angelou.
    Enjoy your fishing expedition!

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  20. OK. This post has come at the right time of the day for me. Your opening quote is a beauty. I have read it about three times now. You close your post with a Maya Angelou poem and my football team has just won (got the notification on my mobile as I wrote this comment). Oh, life is beautiful and you're a great blogger! :-) Thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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    1. Thanks for making me smile. I'm glad you liked the opening quote and the Angelou poem... AND your team won. Yes sirree, life is good.

      Greetings from Atlanta.

      Delete
  21. I love the way you ended this, it's all so true!

    Look at you smoking hot in the bikini (and very busy resting!) in that first picture.

    My half-brother loved fishing so much he'd have probably set up shop at a mud hole if the ocean hadn't been close by. ;)

    Have fun with your weekend, and I love the skidding into the grave quote, and the avalanche story. :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. You're right; it really IS true. (Angelou's a very smart lady.)

      Not so smoking hot; just very young.

      Once you've fished in the ocean, no other place quite measures up.

      Thanks.( I did!) Glad you enjoyed 'em.

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  22. Hi Susan .. have fun away fishing .. love the ham story and then the avalanche - lucky chap.

    Cheers Hilary

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    1. Thanks, Hilary. I hope that lucky chap didn't use up all his luck in one fell swoop.(Or swooping fall...)

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  23. Enjoy your weekend fishing or otherwise!

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  24. I hope you're somewhere zooming along on your heels yelling, "YEEEEEHAW!"
    I know I am. :D xo

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I was the PERFECT place for saying YEEEEHAW!

      (I'm glad you were, too.)

      Delete
  25. Might that be the Miller's Island lighthouse?
    Enjoy your time off.

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    1. Sure is! Good eye, big brother.

      Thanks. We had a terrific time.

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  26. I loved the quote about faith. And I couldn't agree more with Maya Angelou. That poem is priceless! Have a great time off, whatever you do.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the quote and the poem. They both resonated with me, too.

      Thanks. "Whatever" was a lot of fun.

      Delete
  27. I enjoy fishing too.. well, the sitting about on or near the water. Have a great week.

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    1. Being near or on the water is fabulous, with or without a fishing rod.

      Thanks, So far, it's been great. I hope yours is going well, too.

      Delete
  28. Hope you had a great weekend, Susan! No, I don't fish. If I'm relaxing on or near the water, you'll find a book in my hand never a fishing pole. I do like to eat fish though, especially when it arrives filleted, lightly sautéed in butter with a touch of lemon.

    Loved Maya's poem, but Fishducky's made me laugh at loud AND nod my head.

    VR Barkowski

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    1. We had a super weekend; thanks. Freshly-caught fish tastes the best, but I have no problem with reading a book while someone else catches and cooks it.

      Fishducky outdid herself with that poem. (And that's saying something!)

      Delete
  29. such a heartwarming poem it is, dear! I love it!
    I don't fish, since I'm a vegetarian.....

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    1. I'm glad the poem warmed your sweet vegetarian heart. No fish, huh? Seaweed is pretty good...

      Delete
  30. I loved the ham story, as well as the wonderful poem! Beautiful photo Susan! Hope that you're having fun on your adventure!

    Julie

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    1. Glad ya liked 'em, kiddo. (That photo is really OLD... like me!)

      Thanks. We had a blast.

      Delete
  31. That was a great quote about faith. And, quite frankly, I am getting very tired of hump day Wednesday after watching that camel in the TV commercial. I don't watch a lot of TV, but I sure manage to catch him. So, Wednesdays are getting a lot of attention on TV lately, you don't have to worry about it.

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    1. I'm glad you liked that faith quote, but oh no! You don't like that commercial? No matter how many times I see it, it always makes me smile. But you're right; Wednesdays are getting a lot more attention these days.

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