Thought for the day: Time is but a stream I go a-fishin' in. I drink at it, but while I drink, I see the sandy bottom and detect how shallow it is. Its thin current slips away, but eternity remains. [Henry David Thoreau]
I didn't just want to go fishing in it; I wanted to stand in it. I wanted to feel the waters of time swirl around my feet, to be made poignantly aware once again of its dual nature of fleeting and eternal. I wanted to hear the haunting call of the seagulls, and breathe in the distinctive briny scent of the ocean. And five years ago...when Smarticus took this picture of me at Myrtle Beach... he and and our friends Kati and Cliff allowed me to do just that. Even though none of them share my passion for the ocean, they indulged me by granting me some time to stand in the surf and replenish my soul. I appreciated it more than I could say. Having them do that for me was humbling and made me feel cared for.
Recently, while struggling to keep my footing in a surf of swirling emotions, I momentarily felt as alone as I look in that photo. As a number of you already know, Smarticus... AKA Mike... my Number One and only... went into the hospital last week. Watching that ambulance take him away and knowing that because of coronavirus safety precautions, we can't see each other while he's there, was as painful as a kick in in the solar plexus. With a steel-toed pointy boot. But thankfully, that devastating feeling of being totally alone has passed.
Our kids and friends circled the wagons, reminding me that I'm not alone at all... and that circle includes you guys. I'm humbled by your expressions of concern, and I appreciate your outreach more than I can say. Thank you.
We can... and do... talk on the phone multiple times a day. He's been getting treatments to ease his pain and make him more comfortable, and he'll be transferred to an acute physical therapy place today, where the hope is to get him back on his feet again so he can come home. Believe me, if anybody can accomplish that, he can. Then we'll be ready to tackle whatever comes next. For more than 51 years, I've leaned on him, and now it's his turn. He can relax and lean on me now, and much to my surprise, I've discovered that I'm more than strong enough to hold us both up. We've got this, and we're still laughing together... even if it's only over the phone for now.
I'd planned to post the following video last Friday for Memorial Day, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans. But ya know what? It isn't too late to post it. I'm one of those strange folks who still thinks of Memorial Day as falling on May 30, as opposed to the last Monday of the month, so as far as I'm concerned, this post is right on time.
Yesterday's newspaper said we've now surpassed 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus here in the U.S. It's hard to wrap our minds around such a big number, isn't it? Hard to imagine such a profound loss. It's as difficult to assimilate the number of global deaths from this virus as it is to grasp the huge numbers representing the men and women who've died during wartime. Stark heartless numberstend to dehumanize the reality of each of those individual deaths. In 2013, British artists Jamie Wardley and Andy Moss organized an amazing artistic endeavor called The Fallen that poignantly depicts the reality of the 9000 who lost their lives on the beaches of Normandy:
To those who died, honor and eternal rest; to those still in bondage, remembrance and hope; to those who returned, gratitude and peace. [engraved on the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial]
[Yes, that's my hubby in the header pic... taken when he was a grunt in Vietnam. He's writing me a letter...]
Again, thank you all. Your caring truly lifted me up. And psssst... keep smiling. I am.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: Do you think God gets stoned? I think so... look at the platypus. [Robin Williams]
[image: wikipedia]
You ever feel like you're moving in slow motion? Unmotivated and more than a little lazy?
(ahem) Yeah, me neither.
Who am I kidding? Lately, I feel like my inner self is turning into a sloth.
Not that I don't appreciate the sloth, mind you... I do. With that Chewbacca-like long hair and those diva-like long nails, it's a veritable glamour queen of the animal world, and it undeniably marches to the beat of its own drummer. A verrrry slow beat. But as much as I appreciate the sloth, one of the animals I appreciate even more is the wonderful, amazing, totally unique duck-billed platypus. Talk about individuality! I dunno if Robin Williams was right to say God was stoned when he created the platypus, though. I prefer to think of the platypus as being the manifestation of a great sense of humor.
[image: wikipedia]
I mean, really. Think about it. The platypus has clawed feet in the rear, webbed feet in front, a beaver-like tail, otter-like fur, and a soft pliable duck-like bill. Believe it or not, this unusual-looking guy shares DNA with mammals, birds, AND reptiles. It's as though he were made from a bunch of spare parts, all thrown together willy-nilly. (The original case of cosmic recycling?)
I like the duck-billed platypus Because it is anomalous. I like the way it raises its family, Partly birdly, partly mammaly. I like its independent attitude Let no one call it a duck-billed platitude. [Ogden Nash]
Um, then again, maybe the platypus wasn't one of the original animals from the get-go. Maybe there was a little bit of (ahem) hanky panky taking place on that ark...
Alas, most of us will never have the pleasure of seeing a duck-billed platypus in person, although it's one of those bucket list kinda things for me. You folks in Australia might not even ever see one in the wild, because they're pretty introverted and vant to be alone most of the time. But at least you guys have the option of seeing them in your zoos and conservation facilities. (Lucky you!)
Some interesting fun facts about the platypus:
They don't have stomachs! (So that's how they stay so slim...) Instead, like fish, they have a gullet that connects directly to their intestines.
Their bills are covered with thousands of super-sensitive cells that detect the electric fields of other critters... kinda like a sixth sense. When a platypus goes underwater, a protective flap of skin covers his eyes and ears, making him both blind and deaf, but his bill more than makes up for it. That handy dandy electrolocation ability in his bill takes over and allows him to zero right in on his prey.
They're one of only two egg-laying mammals in the world. (The other is the echidna, also native to Australia.) And although they lactate, they have no nipples! What they do have are mammary glands, and their babies simply suck the milk from their mother's abdominal skin or fur.
The males have a venomous spur on each hind leg, which is only activated during mating season, presumably to prevent other amorous males from getting too chummy with their ladies.
[image of spur: wikipedia]
The webbing on their front feet is retractable. It helps them swim in the water... using their front legs, like a doggy paddle... and then retracts on land to reveal sharp claws.
They have no teeth. The adults don't, anyway. (Babies have tiny teeth, but they don't last long, and once they fall out, they don't grow new ones.) They scoop up gravel from the river bottom to use as makeshift teeth to grind their food. Pretty cool, huh?
Their tails may look like beaver tails, but they serve a different purpose. Platypuses don't use them to slap the water as a warning, like beavers do. Nearly half of their body's fat is stored in the tail... kinda like a back-up pantry... and it serves as a food source during times of scarcity. Moms also shelter their incubating eggs against their warm bodies with those tails.
Know what platypus babies are called? Puggles! Isn't that adorable? Wouldn't you love to snuggle with a puggle...? (They're such spiffy dressers!)
Is it any wonder I'm so enamored of these creatures?
In December of 2019, there were so many duck-billed platypuses in Australia, they were deemed common. (As if!) Sadly, as of January of this year, they've joined the ranks of endangered species, due largely to drought and wildfires. Thankfully, there are many people dedicated to saving them... like these folks with the Taronga Zoo in Sydney:
If you're like me, that isn't NEARLY enough footage of these critters. So how about a little bit more?
There are sooooo many incredible, awe-inspiring creatures in this world of ours, but to me, the duck-billed platypus is in a class by itself. Truly unique, in every sense of the word... kinda like... us! So I say embrace your differences, people! Celebrate the unique! You may not have the privilege of being a platypus, but, by golly, YOU are the only YOU in the entire world. Like the platypus, you are truly one of a kind.
Oh, yeah! I almost forgot. Did you ever wonder what a platypus sounded like? Well... wonder no more:
(You're welcome!)
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: Hopeful thinking can get you our of your fear zone and into your appreciation zone. [Martha Beck]
Yes, indeedy. It's that time again, people. Yet another month has slipped through our fingers, and it is once again time for our IWSG monthly posts. As always, thanks to our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh, for founding this fine group, and thanks to all the other nurturing guys and gals who've helped turn it into the thriving community it is today. I'm telling ya, this group offers better support and lift than the world's most expensive bra. (No pesky underwires, either!) To join this super duper supportive group of writers and to see links to other participating blogs, please go HERE
Well, yes sirree, I took most of the month of April off from blogging, ostensibly to get back to my poor neglected manuscript, which has been gathering dust for the past year. I knew it would be difficult to get back into the groove after so long, but um, I failed to even find the darned groove. To tell the truth, I didn't spend much time looking for it, either. I still believe in the value of the story I want to tell, but the truth is, I don't know if I can regain the enthusiasm it requires to get 'er done or not. At least, not right now, because I'm having a hard time believing writing even... matters. (Yeah, I know. Blasphemy, eh?) But I'm not quite ready to give up yet.
Because of my current situation, this month's question is particularly pertinent:
Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ZONE? Care to share?
[image: unsplash]
Well, that's a real challenge, isn't it? Or as someone much smarter than I said, "Therein lies the rub..."
OY! I'd LOVE to get back into the normal zone again. I really would. I'd love to fire that ol' football into the end zone in a perfect spiral, right into the hands of a deft receiver. Woo HOO! Touchdown!
Or, um... I'd settle for a few successfully written pages.
Unfortunately, I seem to have... dropped the ball. And rather than trying to recover it, I've retreated to the bench. I don't feel like playing.
The zone is a state of mind which is marked by a sense of calmness. In addition, there is a heightened sense of awareness and focus. Actions seem effortless and there is an increased belief that your dreams or goals can become achievable and real. In addition, there is also a sense of deep enjoyment when the person is in this unique, special, and magical state of being. [Dr. Jay Granat, sports psychologist]
[image: unsplash]
You ever been in that kind of zone? The closest I've ever been was at the bowling alley some years ago. At the time, I bowled on multiple leagues, and I was pretty good... but certainly not great. But that one night... it was as though I could do no wrong. STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE! Some of my balls curved into the pocket like magic, but even the ones that weren't exactly on target resulted in yet another strike. It was incredible! A crowd gathered behind our lanes, watching and cheering me on, but I could barely hear them for the pounding of my heart. I could barely breathe.
And I blew it. Got a split in the tenth frame and ended up with a 261. But man oh man, it sure felt good while it lasted. It felt good when I was writing regularly every day, too, but if I were to compare what's happening now to what happened in that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to roll a perfect game, I haven't just rolled a split in the tenth frame. I didn't roll a ball at all. I simply shoved it back into my bag and retreated to the lounge to sing some karaoke.
[image: unsplash]
Alas, my bowling days are over, but it's probably just as well. Judging by how lost I feel these days, I'd probably roll the ball in the wrong direction.
It's the same with writing. I've been in the zone there before, too, but I'm having a hard time finding my way back. Then again, I'm not looking very hard, either.
[image: unsplash]
Sure, I used to have some writing rituals. I learned to write first thing in the morning... before I even allowed myself to read the newspaper. And I'd stop writing for the day right in the middle of a scene, which made it easier to get back to it the next day.
Now, it's like my inner self is rebelling. Reading the newspaper comes first. Writing generally loses out, because there's always something else that requires my attention.
Clearly, I need some new rituals if I ever want to finish my book(s). (Or maybe I just need to get back to the old rituals.)
But rituals don't always work.
[image: wikimedia]
Not that I'm not in the zone... of course I am! For better or worse, we're all in some kinda zone. The problem is, it feels like I've ventured into the twilight zone.
Life has been rather surreal for the past year. Between my husband's whack-a-mole battles with cancer and now, this pandemic, somehow, whether or not I write doesn't seem to matter very much in the scheme of things, ya know?
What matters most is spending time with my husband. What matters is laughing and making the most of each day. In due time, perhaps writing will regain its level of importance in my life that it once enjoyed. But ya know what? If it doesn't, I'm okay with that. Life is good. And besides, writing isn't the only game in town. (Think I'm too old for football...?)
How about you? How do you get... and keep... yourself in the zone? Go on... I'm all ears...
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. [Harriet Ann Jacobs]
Aaaaaah... (CHOO!)... spring! Is there anything more beautiful and uplifting than seeing and smelling the earth burst forth in brilliant colors and heady aromas every year?
The earth laughs in flowers. [Ralph Waldo Emerson]
Today is May Day, the day that's been set aside for centuries to celebrate the glories of springtime. It's also International Workers' Day, set aside to honor the working class, but seeing's as how so many workers in the world aren't actually working right now, we're gonna ignore that in favor of singing the praises of springtime, okay?
[image: wikipedia, source: Geoff Charles]
Did you ever dance around a maypole as a child? I did. Once, when I was in fifth or sixth grade. Not to step on anyone's toes... although it's entirely possible... nay, probable... that I did back then... but I thought it was kinda dumb.
But I'm definitely in favor of celebrating the wonders of springtime.
[image: morguefile]
[image courtesy of unsplash]
Only THIS year is... different.
THIS year we have an ominous not-so-lovely flower to contend with. COVID-19.
And to many people worldwide, the havoc caused by the pandemic makes today feel more like MAYDAY! than May Day... like our lives are out of control and that devious brat COVID has taken the helm.
[image courtesy of unsplash]
It's surreal. And just a tad scary.
[image courtesy of unsplash]
Since the entire world is being affected by this pandemic, perhaps a universal distress call like MAYDAY! is appropriate... but I think not.
[image courtesy of seniorark]
I believe hope springs eternal, and as terrible as things may seem today, this, too, shall pass, and we'll return to some semblance to normalcy.
We will get past it.
The world will survive.
And the world will rebuild, God willing, more caring, more appreciative, and much wiser than before.
Every sunset gives us one less day to live, but every sunrise gives us one day more to hope. [unknown]
So, let's hope for the best, shall we? And let's celebrate spring... or whatever season it may be in your corner of the world. Let's celebrate life.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: You can't go home again, because home has ceased to exist except in the mothballs of memory. [John Steinbeck]
[image courtesy of morguefile]
Do you think that's true?
Is a yearning to go home nothing but useless nostalgia for a place that no longer exists?
And what IS home, anyway? Is it the place we came from... or is it the place we live now? Or perhaps we're like turtles, and no matter where we go, we take home with us?
[courtesy of morguefile}
I kinda agree with the concept that home is where the heart is... but what if our heart aches for a different place... where we once lived, or maybe someplace we'd like to live?
Well, then I reckon we have to suck it up, cupcake, and make the best of it.
But not always.
[image courtesy of Two Oceans Aquarium]
Meet Yoshi, a loggerhead turtle. Evidently, no one told HER you can't go home again.
In 1997, some Japanese fishermen found her... injured... off the coast of South Africa, and they took her to the fine folks at Two Oceans Aquarium, where she was treated, rehabilitated and trained to regain her strength. As she grew, she quickly became a crowd favorite at the aquarium.
Here's a video of her at the aquarium in 2014:
Um, yeah, she grew quite a bit over the years.
In December of 2017, she was released back into the wild:
That gizmo on her back is a satellite tracking device. You know, so the folks at the aquarium... and around the world... could track her travels. And WOW! What a journey that ol' gal's been on.
[image courtesy of Two Oceans Aquarium]
The green marker indicates the place where she was released into the wild. From there, she headed up the west coast of Africa near Namibia and Angola. Then she turned around, went back to the area she'd been released and then headed across the Indian Ocean.
For the past 26 months, she's been swimming, swimming, swimming. Her destination? Evidently, to a loggerhead breeding and nesting area off the coast of Australia. This determined loggerhead turtle has doggedly swam more than 23,000 miles... without a break. Now that's determination. Could it be that the breeding ground is the place she was hatched... her home? Seems like an amazing possibility, doesn't it? After being in captivity for twenty years, something guided her to those breeding grounds.
[image courtesy of morguefile]
I like to think that she has, indeed, returned home.
At any rate, her journey is the longest, both in distance and longevity, that a tracking device has recorded.
She's quite the star. And hopefully, she'll be laying eggs of her own next breeding season.
Home is where one starts from. [T.S. Eliot]
No matter where you are, no matter where you may go, embrace that place, and I believe you will always feel... at home.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results. [Herman Melville]
Are you familiar with the butterfly effect? I took that picture on the left when we were at a butterfly festival, where a monarch butterfly took up residence on the top of my head for a good while. It was actually very cool, but the effect that particular butterfly had on me after doing his itty bitty business on my head is... when we got home, I washed my hair.
But um, that isn't a bona fide example of the butterfly effect. In essence, the actual effect, or principle, says that a tiny change within a complex system may have a huge effect. Originally, the phenomenon was ascribed largely to weather, in which American mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz, who established the chaos theory, as well as theories regarding weather and climate predictability, offered the metaphorical example of how the specifics of a tornado's path could be influenced by something as minor as the flapping of a butterfly's wings.
It speaks to our larger expectation that the world should be comprehensible... that everything happens for a reason, and that we can pinpoint all those reasons, however small they may be. [Peter Dizikes, journalist]
[image courtesy of wikipedia]
Just to be different, I'm going to go in the opposite direction. Instead of moving from a tiny cause leading to a huge effect... I'm going the other way. I'm going to start with a mastodon.
Can't get much bigger than that!
Would you believe that something these behemoths did back in prehistoric times contributed to the survival of a tiny butterfly still living in Georgia today?
[image courtesy of wikipedia]
The paw paw tree is fairly common here in Georgia. In the springtime, its flowers are quite lovely, but they, um... STINK. Literally. Kinda like dead fish or rotting meat. Matter of fact, the leaves and bark have the same distinctive stench.
But these trees also produce a fruit, as shown in this picture, and it's the largest edible fruit indigenous to the U.S. They range in color from a yellowish-green to brown, and their insides are creamy and similar in taste to banana custard. Or so I've been told. I've never eaten one.
[image courtesy of wikipedia]
But lots of animals devour them. But they only eat the sweet fleshy part.
See, the seeds range in size from 1/2 to 1 inch, which is too large for any living animal to swallow whole.
Not a problem for our ol' pal the mastodon.
Mastodons gobbled 'em up, seeds and all... and then they continued their meanderings around the state. What goes up must come down, and what went in had to come out.
Meaning, as these mastodons wandered around the state, they um, sowed these undigested seeds wherever they went, and thus assured the spread of this species. The diet and excretion of these creatures from eleven thousand years ago directly led to the paw paw patches that are still seen around the state today. But how about that... tiny effect I mentioned earlier?
[image courtesy of wikipedia]
Meet the zebra swallowtail. Yep, a butterfly.
The only thing its caterpillar will eat is the foliage from a paw paw tree. So, no mastodon poop containing paw paw seeds, possibly no paw paw trees today, and no zebra swallowtails.
One thing kinda interesting about these butterflies. The stink I mentioned from the trees? It comes from a chemical, a naturally-occurring insecticide called acetogenins, and after eating the stinky foliage while in the caterpillar stage, the butterflies retain a trace amount of the substance for the rest of their lives, which provides an effective protection from predators, who evidently, don't like smelly food.
So, in essence, this lovely little butterfly, which we saw at the festival, owes its existence, in part, to the eating and pooping habits of a creature which lived in the very distant past.
Cool huh?
There is a deep interconnectedness of all life on earth, from the tiniest organism to the largest ecosystem, and absolutely each person. [Bryant McGill]
The moment you realize your bones are made from the same dust as the planets, your lungs breathing the air of migrating butterflies, and your blood is pumping because of the love and care of thousands is when you realize you're not as broken or alone as you think you are. You are full of the world. [source unknown]
Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else. [Leonardo da Vinci]
Cosmos is a Greek word for the order of the universe. It is, in a way, the opposite of chaos. It implies the deep interconnectedness of all things. It conveys awe for the intricate and subtle way in which the universe is put together. [Carl Sagan]
Another kind of paw paw flower...
[image courtesy of unsplash]
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: Our wedding was many years ago. The celebration continues to this day. [Gene Perret]
Okay, so this dudette isn't popping back just yet.
Know why?
Today is our FIFTIETH anniversary! Holy cheese and crackers, how in the world could that many years fly by so quickly, Batman...?
So needless to say, even after last week's adventures, we're still celebrating. (So sue us. We're old... it takes us longer! HA!)
I barely recognize those fresh young faces... but the feelings... they're stronger than ever.
(YES! I know how lucky we are.)
I'll be climbing back into the ol' blogging saddle again next Friday. I thought about turning the comments off, because I might not be around to respond, but what the heck? I'll leave 'em, just in case you have something scathingly brilliant to say. (You always do!) Please forgive me if I don't respond or pay a return visit to your blog. I'm, uh... celebrating.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: For most of history, Anonymous was a woman. [Virginia Woolf]
[image courtesy of Wikipedia]
Know what last Friday was...? Give up?
It was International Women's Day. (Yeah... really!) And doggone it, I'm still waiting for my darned cake...
The first International Women's Day was in 1910, but because its roots were based in socialism, for many years, only places like Russia and Eastern Europe paid any attention to it. That is, until 1977, when the U.N. finally climbed aboard and officially proclaimed March 8 to thereafter be known as International Women's Day.
Anyhow, the whole month has now been designated to the recognition of women, whose contributions to society have largely gone unnoticed, and I thought I should write something about at least one of those rather amazing unsung women from history before the month comes to an end. This post is actually an updated version of one from six years ago, so some of you may remember parts of it, but I believe this lady's story merits a re-telling, because for whatever reason, her story still remains largely untold.
A woman is like a teabag: you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. [Eleanor Roosevelt]
Oh well, still no cake to go with my tea. (For now.) Nonetheless, it's my pleasure to forge ahead and tell you a little something about a little-known kick-ass American woman who deserves a spot in our history books.
Okay, quick: Who was the first woman in American history to run for national office?
[image courtesy of Wikipedia]
If you said 1984 V.P. candidate Geraldine Ferraro...
you would be...
( Ding-Ding-Ding!) wrong.
She was the first to be nominated by a major party, but would you believe the first woman, who actually ran for President, did so fifty years before women were even granted the right to vote?
I kid you not. That lady had some serious kinda chutzpah.
[image courtesy of Wikipedia]
Yep, her name was Victoria Woodhull, and in 1872, the Equal Rights Party nominated her as its presidential candidate. Equal rights is exactly what she believed in, too... for women, for blacks, and for the working class.A year earlier, she became the first woman in history to appear before the House Judiciary Committee, where she delivered an impassioned and articulate argument for women's suffrage. And she had other radical outside-the-box ideas, too, such as an eight-hour workday, graduated income tax, social welfare programs, and profit-sharing. Not exactly mainstream thinking for her day.
In 1870, before she ran for office, she was the first woman to open a Wall Street brokerage firm. Made a boatload of money, too, some of which she used to become the first woman to found a weekly newspaper. The purpose of the paperwas to support her run for office, and its primary interest was feminism. During its six years of publication, the paper covered such taboo topics as sex education, free love, women's suffrage, short skirts, spiritualism, vegetarianism, and licensed prostitution.
I used to be Snow White, and then I drifted. [Mae West]
[image courtesy of Wikipedia]
Uh, yeah, I did say free love. Not an orgy-filled, spouse-swapping kind of free love, mind you, although by the way she was treated by many people of her time, you would've thought that's exactly what she was espousing. What she believed in was a woman's right to marry, divorce and bear children as she saw fit... without governmental interference.
At right is a Thomas Nast caricature of Woodhull, depicting her as Mrs. Satan. She's holding a sign that says, Be saved by FREE LOVE, and behind her is a woman, laden with children and a drunken husband. In the caption, the woman tells Mrs. Satan, I'd rather travel the hardest path of matrimony than follow your footsteps. See? Not even the women of Woodhull's day supported her ideas. Not that it mattered... they couldn't vote. Some people think having large breasts makes a woman stupid. Actually, it's quite the opposite: a woman having large breasts makes men stupid. [Rita Ruder]
[image courtesy of Wikipedia]
Oh, there's a lot more to the story of Victoria Woodhull... like her dabbling in magnetic healing and spiritualism; her friendship with Cornelius Vanderbilt; and why she was thrown into jail two days before the 1872 election... on obscenity charges.
But I said I was only gonna tell you a little something about Ms. Woodhull, so I won't elaborate. Suffice it to say, she didn't receive a single electoral vote. Following the election, she said, The truth is that I am too many years ahead of this age and the exalted views and objects of humanitarianism can scarcely be grasped as yet by the unenlightened mind of the average man. Okay, so I never said she was humble. But she was right. Many of the reforms she campaigned for, considered extreme and controversial in her time, later came to pass. By the way, know who her running mate was? Frederick Douglass... the first black man nominated for national office.
How do you know if it's time to wash the dishes and clean your house? Look inside your pants. If you see a penis in there, it's not time. [Jo Brand]
Well, it's not time for me to wash the dishes and clean house, either. Not yet. It's time to bake myself a damned cake. I am woman; hear me roar!
A woman should always know her place. Yep, by golly, a woman's place is in the House... and the Senate... and maybe someday... the White House.
So in celebration, let us raise a glass (or cuppa) to all those wonderful women worldwide, both known and unknown, who spent (and continue to spend) their lives striving to make this world a better place, and who exemplify these words by Maya Angelou: ... you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.
[image courtesy of Wikipedia]
I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific. [Lily Tomlin] With deepest apologies to all of you good poets out there, here is my humble Haiku salute to the way-ahead-of-her-time Victoria Woodhull:
Brazen seeds of thought, Sown now, bereft of sunshine, Shall bloom in due time. Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth. [Martin H. Fischer]
There is sooooo much to see in this wonderful world of ours, and just because we may never see any of these things in person is no reason for us to forego the appropriate oohing and aahing over their existence.
Snowed in? That's no excuse. Got cabin fever... and hiding from the excess heat in your area? That's no excuse, either. We can still explore.
Vicariously.
I've never seen one of these in person, but ever since I was a child, I've marveled at photos of giant sequoia trees that were sooooo enormous, tunnels were actually cut through them. The most famous of these trees was the Wawona tree, which was carved out in the late 1800s and felled by a storm in 1969, at the ripe old age of more than two thousand. In 2017, the Pioneer Cabin tree, 1000 years old and carved more than 100 years ago, also succumbed to a big storm. Ordinarily, these trees can be expected to live as much as 3000 years, so it makes me wonder... were their demises hastened by man's ill-conceived cutting through their trunks? Thank goodness, the practice of tunneling through the trunks of these majestic trees for our convenience is no longer practiced or condoned by the Forestry Service. [The remains of other sequoia tree tunnels are either dead or lying on the ground as ancient logs, but there are still several active redwood tree tunnels in existence, all operated by private companies.]
What's a tree's least favorite month? Sep-timberrrr, of course. What did the tree wear to the pool party? That's an easy one. Swim trunks!
If you're not impressed by the heights nature can reach with the giant sequoia trees, how about some of the stuff man has built?
Like a carousel. As in the Guinness record book's tallest chained carousel in the world, which spins 383 feet (117 m) above Vienna, Austria.
Um, not for me. Thanks to some of the smart-ass comments made by Smarticus, whenever I see rides like this, I can't help but wonder if it was built by the lowest bidder. Besides, I'm more akin to that cat who got dizzy from just spinning in a chair. However, for the more adventurous of you, here's a peek at that carousel:
Dubai was already famous for its stunning architectural feats... like an indoor snow-skiing place right there in the middle of the desert... but the new Crescent Moon Tower, completed last year, is bound to become the United Arab Emirates' most recognizable iconic image yet. Thirty-three floors tall, the building contains a library, conference facility, a restaurants, cafes, and an observation deck. What a unique place for gazing at the sky! I wonder what it'd be like to observe the real moon or a sunrise from that deck...
What do you call a rooster that crows every morning as the sun comes up? An alarm cluck.
[image courtesy of wikipedia]
The border between Belgium and the Netherlands is 281 miles (450 km) long, and there are no border controls... no tall fences topped with concertina wire... and no so-called big beautiful walls between these two countries. In fact, as shown in the image, one part of the border goes right through a cafe in Baarle! I wonder if you could order your meal in one country, go to the restroom in another, and then be back at the first country before your meal is served. Kinda cool, huh?
Being a bigger fan of bridges than walls, this concept really captured my imagination. And respect. I reckon you could say it's... enlightening...
What did one lightning bug say to another? Oops! Sorry... gotta glow!
[image: AVAX news]
This amazing structure is the Wat Samphran Temple in Thailand. This 17-story cylindrical Buddhist temple might remind you of a shorter version of the Tower of Babel, except for one thing. One very big thing. The giant dragon sculpture that surrounds it.
WOW, huh? Dontcha kinda wonder what prompted this unusual architectural feature...?
Wanta get away from the maddening crowds? Enjoy a quiet meal of reeeeally fresh seafood while surrounded by the clear azure waters of the Indian Ocean? Then... talk about a getaway!... Zanzibar's Rock Restaurant could be just the place for you. This cozy eating place is literally located on a large rock, which is delightfully isolated and surrounded by water during high tide. But if you're interested, better make reservations. They only have twelve tables, so seating is limited! (I wonder if they serve chicken nuggets...HA!)
How do we know the ocean is friendly? It always waves.
What does a cloud wear under its clothes? Thunderwear!
[image: Sandra Critelli]
I dunno why, but the migration of animals has always fascinated me. In the past, I've posted about the migrations of tortoises (a very sloooooow migration, needless to say) and the migration of some adorable little red crabs. This time, golden stingrays are in the spotlight. These graceful creatures, which can be as much as seven feet wide, engage in a mass migration through the Gulf of Mexico two times a year... heading north in late spring, and back to the south in late autumn. Gee, I wonder what it'd be like to see them while... snorkeling??? Hey! No need to wonder... just look-ie here:
What's a great white shark's favorite game to play? Swallow the Leader.
[image courtesy of wikipedia]
The Banpo Bridge in South Korea is more than just a bridge. It's the world's largest fountain bridge. This moonlight rainbow fountain contains 10,000 LED nozzles and squirts 190 tons of water per minute. It contains thirty-eight water pumps and 380 nozzles per side. As you can see in this photo, people gather every evening to admire the show. With all of that water splashing, I wonder if there's a bunch of port-a-potties nearby...
Wanta glimpse at what they're seeing...?
[image: Nan Palmero]
Humans can be such blockheads. I mean, what were they thinking cutting those tunnels through those gorgeous trees...?
Anyhow, this sculpture by Czech artist David Cerny shows man's more hard-headed side. Entitled Metalmorphosis, its forty layers of polished stainless steel can rotate individually to create a wide array of possible images. (I wonder if that's meant to illustrate how messed up we can be, maybe?) Most of this sculptor's works are a bit more controversial, and have gotten him in a bit of hot water from time to time, but this one sits serenely in a cool reflective pool at the Whitehall Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The last item for your consideration is a sculpture by French artist Bruno Catalano. He did a series of similar sculptures for a celebration in the city of Marseilles, and each one is as unique as this one. Ever feel like something's missing, or you aren't all there? Well, Catalano's people aren't all there. Some of the sculptures seem to defy gravity, and each one is thought-provoking. (Yep, they make ya wonder.) To see more of his work, check out his website at brunocatalano.com
Well, folks, that's about it. But first... What did one volcano say to another? I lava you.
And I lava doing these kinds of posts. I hope you enjoyed it.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
[Oops! Sorry'bout that... this post was all ready and poised to go live at 12:34 AM, as usual, but some bonehead... no need to point fingers... failed to hit that pesky "publish" button...]
