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: 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: Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt; sing like no one is listening, and live like it's heaven on earth. [William Purkey]
[image courtesy of unsplash]
I've never been all that great of a dancer. Not that I didn't love doing it... but let's just say no one ever tried to recruit me for a touring dance troupe. For the most part, what I lacked in talent, I made up for with enthusiasm. I did manage to take first place in a jitterbug contest a million years ago, but I attribute that entirely to my dance partner. Bobby reeeeeally knew how to lead.
And about forty years ago, believe it or not, I actually took belly dancing lessons. It was a lot of fun, but it was more of an exercise class than a genuine dance class. The instructor lured some of us into continuing with her "advanced" class by promising we'd make costumes and perform at a local nursing home. We did neither, which, in retrospect is probably a good thing. Not the costumes part. The part that would've had a handful of silly housewives jiggling and wiggling in front of a bunch of captive seniors.
In more than fifty years of marriage, Smarticus and I have done a lot of dancing. We even belonged to a club for a few years that gave us lots of opportunities to dance. But it's been a while. I still sway and clap or snap my fingers to the background music that's playing while we shoot pool, but I suppose my days of getting out on a dance floor may be near an end. (Maybe at one of our grandchildren's weddings...?)
But wouldn't it be nice... I mean, really really nice... if we could all dance with the reckless abandon of a child? To simply bubble over with the infectious feel of the music and the explosive joy of moving... without a single shred of self-consciousness? Without the self-doubts that tell us I don't know how.
Why can't we? What's stopping us? I say... nothing is stopping us ... but us. I say forget about that dance like nobody's watching stuff. I say dance like a child. They don't even need music.
Matter of fact, I think I'm gonna go dance around our bedroom.(AFTER I take a couple of Aleve...) Pretend I know what I'm doing. Why the heck not? Nobody will be watching but the cats. And they might even join in. And, hmmm, if I'm not mistaken, I may still have some belly dancing music around here... THAT should be a REAL hoot! I may even scare up one captive senior who might appreciate it...
Talking about dancing with reckless abandon, I'm gonna share a portion of one of my early... way early... blog posts, back when I only had a handful of followers:
******************************
Do you remember Shirley Temple?
She was an amazing child star, and the absolute epitome of golly-gee-whiz cuteness, with her bouncy blonde curls, chubby cheeks and deep dimples. In the '50s, after she was already a grown woman, my friends and I were still watching her old movies, still watching her sing and tap dance across our tiny TV sets. Most of my friends hated her, but me? I wanted to BE her.
How I longed for my limp straight-as-a-stick hair to magically turn into those bouncy sausage curls. How I longed to sing those sweet songs as sweetly as she. And, oh! How I longed to tap dance!
In reality, my hair was worn in one of two styles, and I use the term loosely. Either it was straight and looked like Prince Valiant's do, which can be approximated by sticking a mixing bowl on your head and cutting around it, or it was tortured into a Little Orphan Annie frizz by virtue of a smelly home permanent. No sausage curls for me, bouncy or otherwise.
The singing I did okay. Never American Idol quality, but I could carry a tune. But dance? I could make my way around the neighborhood by walking strictly on top of the chain link fences, could climb the tallest trees, and could ride my bicycle down the multi-flights of concrete stairs by the elementary school without quite killing myself, but let's just say that I was never the most graceful kid on the block. I had two over-sized left feet, and my favorite aunt called me Lurch.
But one magical day, during one of our huge extended family gatherings, I made an amazing discovery in the shadows behind my uncle's cellar steps... my older cousin's long-forgotten and bee-yoo-ti-ful sparkly red tap shoes!
[image courtesy of morguefile]
Believe you me, it took quite a while to squeeze into those tiny shoes. But I did it, and then in the shadows behind the cellar steps, I began to dance. Not sure it would've qualified as anything close to tap dancing, though. It was more like a Snoopy happy dance. If Snoopy had his feet shoved into shoes that were two sizes too small. Then, of course, I had to sing... On the Good Ship Lollipop.
[image courtesy of unsplash]
I was having a grand ol' pinch-toed time until some of my relatives found me. And laughed. Laughed until they almost wet themselves. (Did I happen to mention that my relatives were terribly rude?) Nah, it was all in fun, and once my mother helped pry my poor feet out of those shoes, the family continued to tease me about that adventure for many years to come.
*************************
Even after all these years, I still remember how happy it made me to find those shoes and to dance with the sheer joy of dancing. We should all try to do that more often, don't you think?
Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering. [Steve Maraboli]
It's no secret that some dark health clouds have been hanging over our house for a while, but I think that's an even bigger reason to dance. To sing. To laugh. None of us get to live forever, so we've absolutely got to make the most of each day.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain.
How about you? Who did YOU want to be when you were a kid? Besides Shirley Temple, I also wanted to be Dale Evans. That didn't work out so hot, either. I remember going horseback riding one time, and carrying a nice apple to feed my horse. Poor ol' thing didn't have a tooth in her head. Not positive, but I'm pretty sure Dale Evans' Buttercup had teeth.
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: We are eagles of one nest... the nest is in our soul. [Led Zeppelin]
[image courtesy of unsplash]
Eagles are majestic creatures. The kings and queens of the skies, you might say. With their immense wingspans, they have the ability to soar high, and their high-flying maneuvers... from the mighty flaps of their wings,... to the graceful glides on the air... to the sudden wing-back swoops to the ground... are all magnificent things to behold.
We, too, have the ability to soar high, but like reluctant eagles, we sometimes give up or lose our desire to fly. I've told the following story before, which is loosely based on a James Agreey story, The Parable of the Eagle, but in support of the post I want to write today, it begs to be repeated:
[image courtesy of Morguefile]
While traipsing through the woods one day, a farmer happened upon a lone eaglet perched on a fallen log. He scooped up the young bird, carried it home, and put it in the barnyard with his chickens. Before long, the young eagle was walking and clucking like a chicken and pecking at the chicken feed on the ground.
When the farmer's friend, a Native American named Joseph, stopped by the farm one day, he was appalled to find the majestic eagle in the barnyard scratching in the dirt like a common chicken. With a laugh, the farmer said the bird had been raised like a chicken and never taught to fly, so he was now more chicken than eagle. Joseph insisted the bird still had the heart of an eagle, and he could... and should... be taught to fly, so the farmer agreed to let his friend try.
Joseph picked up the eagle, and said, "You're meant to be the king of the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"
But the timid eagle looked at his chicken friends pecking corn from the ground and jumped down to join them.
The next day, Joseph tried again. This time, he took the eagle up to the roof, and again, he said,"You're an eagle, the king of the skies. Stretch forth your wings and fly!"
And once again, the frightened bird returned to the safety of the chicken yard.
The third day, Joseph carried the bird to a nearby mountaintop, held it high above him, and said, "You are an eagle, the king of the skies. Spread forth your wings, and fly!"
Hesitant at first, the bird looked back toward the farm, back toward the only life he knew. Then he trembled, stretched his mighty wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared into the sky.
It's possible the eagle sometimes misses the chickens; he may even visit the barnyard once in a while for old time's sake. But as far as anyone knows, he's still living life as an eagle, the king of the skies... just as all eagles were meant to do.
*****
It's easier to hang around in the barnyard, because the prospect of stretching our wings can be very frightening, but we should never let someone else define our capabilities. Why let someone else's doubts stop you from trying? By the same token, there are a lot of things happening in the world today that might make you want to hide in the barnyard... or stay in bed with the covers pulled over your head. It seems like every day, there is something else in the news that's discouraging and disheartening. Nothing but one dark storm after another...
Are you hiding from those storms?
[image courtesy of unsplash]
[image courtesy of unsplash]
One of the many interesting things about eagles: they don't hide from storms. Nope, they don't fly straight into them, either. They're much smarter than that.
They fly above them. Up above the storm... above the clouds... to find clear blue skies and wind currents that can carry them effortlessly through the air.
All birds find shelter during a rain, but the eagle avoids rain by flying above the clouds. Problems are common, but attitude makes the difference. [Abdul Kalam]
An eagle uses the negative energy of of a storm to fly even higher [Eric Thomas]
Flap the wings of inner strength to fly above the clouds of a storm. Cry not if left alone. Like an eagle, you are strong. [Vandana Saini]
I get it. I'll confess to feeling occasional angst over the state of the world today, but we must give ourselves permission to soar above those feelings. Wallowing in discouraged sadness... in the dirt of the barnyard... won't help anyone or change anything. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we can certainly do our best to make a difference right where we are. We can't single-handedly stop all hateful behavior in the world... but we can certainly devote ourselves to being kind in our everyday lives. A simple act of kindness may be just the boost another person needs to soar above the clouds.
[image courtesy of unsplash]
I've often defined myself as a pathological optimist, but that doesn't mean it's always easy.
There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud. [Carl Sandburg]
It has to be a conscious decision. I have to fight my inner hippo... and occasionally have a diet soda with my cheeseburger.
You can't soar like an eagle when you hang around with turkeys. [author unknown]
When the storms of life gather darkly ahead, I think of those wonderful words I once read. And I say to myself as threatening clouds hover, Don't fold up your wings and run for cover. But like the eagle, spread wide your wings And soar far above the troubles life brings. For the eagle knows that the higher he flies, The more tranquil and brighter become the skies. And there is nothing in life God ever asks us to bear That we can't soar above on the wings of prayer. And in looking back over the storm you passed through, You'll find you gained strength and new courage, too, For in facing life's storms with an eagle's wings, You can fly far above earth's small petty things.
[Helen Steiner Rice]
Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely. [Roy T. Bennett]
If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. [Maya Angelou]
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
Thought for the day: Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out? [Oliver James]
Have you ever felt like you didn't quite belong? Like you were on the outside looking in?
Meet Cowboy. He belongs to a neighbor, but I think he wishes he were our cat. Most mornings, when I open our front door, he's right there, waiting for me. He immediately sits up and peers in at me. (Or at least, he looks in my general direction... as cross-eyed as he is, it's kinda hard to tell.) He looks pitiful, and dare I say ... hopeful?
Matter of fact, he spends a good bit of time lying or sitting on our front porch. Looking in. Looking pitiful. Or in our back yard, following us around or gazing into the house from out there. He could be running around the neighborhood, doing whatever it is outside cats are supposed do all day, but instead, he bides his time ... wastes his time ... looking in our windows. Wishing he were inside. Hoping his luck will change. If wishes were horses, all beggars would ride; it wishes were fishes, we'd all have some fried.
He isn't our cat, but I guess you could say he's our collateral pet, just like the other critters who come to our place for a handout and a scratch behind the ear. We don't mind him hanging around, but there's something heart-breaking about the sight of him looking in our window so often.
His expression looks so ... familiar ...
I'm pretty sure I know how he feels. I've been excluded a time or two.
And I've seen people with that same wistful expression, people who bide their time ... waste their time ... pining to be someone or somewhere they aren't. Essentially, they're wasting their lives on wishes for fishes instead of eating what they have right in front of them, or reaching for the doggone fishing rod. Rather than enjoying what IS, they waste their time wishing for what isn't.
Sometimes Cowboy and Dot look at each other through the window.
Sometimes he and Dash watch each other.
Cowboy wants to come inside so badly. He wishes it were so. We can see it in his face when he stares in the front door. We can see it in his face when he stares in our back sliding glass doors. We can see it when he tries to slip inside when we open the door, and when he rolls on the ground in front of us, doing his tricks and trying so very hard to please.
He wants to be part of the... in crowd.
Ironically,
when we're on the OUTSIDE, we want IN.
And when we're on the INSIDE, we want OUT.
Is happiness always just on the other side of a proverbial closed door? When we're different from everybody else, we wanta be the same, and when we're too much like everybody else, we yearn to be different. Ya know what? Inside yourself or outside, you never have to change what you see, only the way you see it. [Thaddeus Golas] We yam what we yam. And we yam pretty damned good.
Okay, so maybe you never felt like part of the in crowd. Big deal!
So what? Be a standout.
Outside may very well be the new in place. There's lots of us out here.
I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time. [Anna Freud]
So by all means, chase your dreams. Never give up on the possibilities. May we never be so blind that all we see is our own small world, nor so self-satisfied that all we are is all we ever hope to be. Keep striving. But... don't waste too much time making fruitless wishes.
Cowboy may wish to come in, but I have a feeling he wouldn't like the reality of this mean old lady trimming his nails every couple weeks. And no matter how much he begged, we'd never provide him with live birds or mice to supplement his diet, either.
And you guys? Always, always be careful what you wish for...
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for this old gal to take her annual leave of absence. I'll be vacating the blogosphere and focusing on some other things for the next month... like working on my current book, doing some dreaded spring cleaning, and editing a very talented writer's most recent book. I'll seeya in May. I wish... you all the best.
But, first... I couldn't resist.
Even though I won't be here for next Wednesday's IWSG post, the May question kinda goes along with this wishful thinking post:
If you could use a wish to help you write just one scene/ chapter of your book, which one would it be? See what I mean? That question was like made to accompany this post. My answer? If I'm gonna wish, I might as well wish big. (Insert deep breath here.) The ultimate wish fulfillment would be to write a scene... any scene... that would so capture the imagination and respect of readers, they'd tell all of their friends, You've gotta read this book!"
Yeah, that'd be cool, but in the meantime, I'm not holding my breath. If you haven't read either of my novels yet, here's a heads up: next week, Amazon will have both e-books on sale for the paltry sum of ninety-nine cents in both the U.S. and the U.K. Don't have a Kindle? No biggie. I hear Amazon has a FREE app that'll allow you to read e-books. (A left click on the book covers in the sidebar will deliver you directly to Amazon U.S.)
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...]
