An Oldie but a Goodie

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE . 'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning. 2. My mother taught me RELIGION . 'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.' 3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL . 'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!' 4. My mother taught me LOGIC . ' Because I said so, that's why.' 5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC . 'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.' 6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT . 'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.' 7. My mother taught me IRONY 'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.' 8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS . 'Shut your mouth and eat your supper' 9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM . 'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck?' 10. My mother taught me about STAMINA . 'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.' 11. My mother taught me about WEATHER . 'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.' 12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY . 'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!' 13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE . 'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.' 14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION . 'Stop acting like your father!' 15. My mother taught me about ENVY . 'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.' 16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION . 'Just wait until we get home.' 17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING . 'You are going to get it when you get home!' 18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE . 'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.' 19. My mother taught me ESP . 'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?' 20. My mother taught me HUMOR . 'When that lawn mower cuts off your foot, don't come running to me.' 21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT . 'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.' 22. My mother taught me GENETICS. 'You're just like your father.' 23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS . ' Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?' 24. My mother taught me WISDOM . 'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.' 25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE 'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.' I tried to get rid of this blue rectangle, but it was part of the email and I can't delete it, so I'm writing on it! My doc called today with some good news. My total cholesterol is now 127 - YAY!!

Neologisms

Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions
to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply
alternative meanings for common words. The winners are:

Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you've
gained.

Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat
stomach.

Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.

Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.

Negligent (adj.), a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the
door in your nightgown.

Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.

Gargoyle (n), olive-flavored mouthwash.

Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks
you up after you're run over by a steamroller.

Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing
adopted by proctologists.

Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.

Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand) the belief that, when
you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by
Jewish men.

Don't you just love them?! I do, and I am never good at making up my own. Thanks to another email buddy for these.

A Photo Meme + a Quote

Whim tagged me to do a photo meme. You open the fourth folder in your files and publish the fourth photo in that file. My fourth folder contains photos taken on my trip to Charleston, WV last summer. On the way home, I couldn't take my eyes off the brilliant blue skies, dotted with all sizes of puffy clouds, so I snapped this shot while I was stopped at a Shoney's for lunch.

If you are so inclined - do the meme!!

<<^^>>^^<<^^>>

Thank everyone who calls out your faults, your anger, your impatience, your egotism; do this consciously, voluntarily.
Jean Toomer, poet and novelist (1894-1967)

((**))****((**))

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.
E.E. Cummings, poet (1894-1962)

///\\\///\\\

Old E.E. must have been looking down on us today - as we were definitely mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. It rained or drizzled all day long. I won't complain though, since many of you are buried knee deep in snow and ice. I'm SO pleased not to be in that!

The doc gave me a good report today, except some of the major components of her diagnosis were missing. I had blood work done last week (at an independent laboratory) and they were supposed to check my cholesterol and other lipids. They left it out of the report. Maybe I should leave out a portion of the bill when I pay it. Wonder how they'd like that?

The grocery is on my list of places to go tomorrow and I am dreading it. Every time I go the prices are higher. Are you finding that true also? We love to eat and since it has become our chief form of entertainment these days, we'd like to be able to do it as economically as possible. A change of habits is in order - a behavior modification I'd call it. I've never been really good at shopping to maximize the outcome, although I do use coupons when I have them. Do you have a really good solution to that?

Yes, they're Outhouses!

We sure could use one of these out by the pool in the summer, if I could just get one and have it plumbed with a real toilet. Swimmers could stay outside when the urge hits them. No more wet puddles in the kitchen or damp spots in the carpet when the grand kids come over to swim! Scroll down for the commentary.

Exhibit Showcases the Lowly Outhouse as High Art

Chances are you've never used one, but all this

month some of the prettiest outhouses in Texas

are on display in downtown San Antonio.

The "Thunderbox Road" art exhibit is going on

at the Menger Hotel. There are 12 full-sized

"Thunderboxes" or outhouses painted and decorated

in true Texas style.

Sonja Howle with the Thunderbox Road exhibit says

it “was created to pay tribute and showcase the talent

we have in the Hill Country artists."

In February, the exhibit will be at the San Antonio

Stock Show and Rodeo. After their tour, the outhouses

will be auctioned off to benefit medical research and

the Western Art Museum in Kerrville

I have to thank one of my email buddies for sending these to me.

Caption This!!

Give it your best shot in the comments, please! This might be one of the weirdest things I've ever seen, and I can't wait to see what you'll come up with!


and then go here to see a great old photo!

Into the Wild

This book is engrossing!

Written by Jon Krakauer, and now made into a movie, directed by Sean Penn, it is the story of 24 year old Christopher McCandless, who in 1992 went into the wilds of Alaska and perished after 16 weeks of living on his own. The book recounts his travels and eventual death.

It should be required reading for anyone who fancies himself a lone wolf and wants to go on an odyssey into a forbidding land, and it is a cautionary tale for those who have no use for maps and tools, for planning and careful readiness.

We saw the movie recently; both that and the book are well done (check the link for comparisons) and I recommend them.

You know how once you see/hear about something you notice it more often? On Saturday I was with someone who was car shopping. I sat in the dealership waiting room and read old magazines, one of which was a 2007 issue of National Geographic Traveler. In that magazine was a story about McCandless, the book by Krakauer and the movie.

Silk Flowers, but First......

See what we received in the mail yesterday? This wonderful singing bear, from none other than Naomi of Here in the Hills. After she received one during the holidays, I wrote and asked where they were available. I had no idea that Naomi would be so kind as to purchase one for us - but here he is! The best thing about the bear is that when you press on his left paw, he sings - in the most delightful English accent - Put on a Happy Face! I had remarked to her that mr. kenju needed one of them to remind him not to be so dour. When we got it today, Mr. kenju had just opened our December power bill, which was a whopper. If he ever needed a "happy face" that was the time. And it worked! He laughed and laughed. You can't help but be cheered up by the sights and sounds of that cute bear singing in his wonderful accent! Thank you, Naomi, for being so thoughtful; we love you!

Now, on to the silks.....

Click to embiggen, I hope.

Silk flowers used to be more popular than they are now, and until about 4 years ago, I used to get calls for them all the time. My favorite clients were the ones like the woman who owned the painting above, which had been given to her by her brother. She brought me this gorgeous raku pottery container; I had to go to her home to see where it would sit. I was asked to take advantage of the height (over 5 feet from the mantel up) and to design something complimentary in color and style to the painting. I love a good challenge!

This arrangement, done in a beautiful epergne owned by a local decorator, was placed in a foyer niche in a Parade of Homes house a number of years ago. Containers such as this one inspire me, as did the confines of the niche, which was only about 2 feet wide.

The spray above was made for hanging above a frameless mirror in a client's home. It consists mainly of dried flowers, not silks, which was her stipulation. It has dried hydrangeas, gardenias, lemons, amaranthus, various foliages and some silk berries and branches to give it width and bulk. Good quality freeze-dried flowers will last at least a year, and sometimes longer if they are not exposed to bright sunlight.

This client's home was very well appointed and I enjoyed getting to see her decor, and adding to it. She requested pheasant feathers and calla lilies, and I added bells of Ireland , miniature orchids and corkscrew willow branches.

For the one above, I worked with an interior designer. She also requested pheasant feathers and willow. Do you know the word serendipity? That's what I had here. I had not seen the painting hanging over the mantel, and thus did not know about the curves found in it. When I delivered the arrangement, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the curves of my feathers perfectly echoed the curves in the painting! Another good point was that the decorator mentioned to me that she didn't know what to put on the right side of the mantel, but she knew it needed something. I told her I had seen that gold obelisk at a local gift shop, and she bought it for that mantel. Additionally, she had seen in my home the monkey table beside the chair and asked me how to get one - so I ordered it for the decorator and she used it here.

NOTE To the Spiffys (Biff and Tiff); every time I see that leopard spotted ottoman, I think of your neighbor's "porn couch".....LOL

Lastly, a wreath for a client's front door. I need to make a new one similar to this for my front porch - since I still have my Christmas wreath hanging out there. Shame on me!!

Robins + And then the Fight Started..... +

Robins, especially big fat ones like these, are not something I expect to see here in January, but a family of five lit on my deck yesterday morning, looking for water no doubt. Unfortunately, the birdbath and the water atop the pool cover were frozen solid at 8:00 am. Had I had time, I might have taken some fresh water out to them, but I was on the way out. By the afternoon, the temps had slid up to almost 60*, so I think the birds could drink their fill by then. I hope so.

********

Oldies but goodies!

My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels. She asked, 'What's on TV?' I said, 'Dust.'

And then the fight started...

------------ --------- --------- ---


My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, 'I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds.'

I bought her a scale.

And then the fight started...

------------ --------- --------- ---


When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive... so, I took her to a gas station.

And then the fight started...

--------------------- --------- ---


After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security. The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's license to verify my age. I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home. I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later. The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'. So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair. She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application.

When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office.

She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too.'

And then the fight started...

------------ --------- --------- ---


My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.

My wife asked, 'Do you know her?'

Yes, I sighed, 'She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'

My wife said, 'who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'

And then the fight started...

------------ --------- --------- ---


I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.

"I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please." He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?""

Nah, she can order for herself."

And then the fight started...

------------ --------- --------- ---


My wife is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.
She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.'

The husband replies, 'Well! Your eyesight's damn near perfect.'

And then the fight started.....

------------ --------- --------- ---

I tried to talk my wife into buying a case of Miller Light for $14.95. Instead, she bought a jar of cold cream for $7.95.

I told her the beer would make her look better at night than the cold cream.

And then the fight started....

------------ --------- --------- ---

My wife asked me if a certain dress made her butt look big.

I told her not as much as the dress she wore yesterday

and then the fight started.....

------------ --------- --------- ---

A man and a woman were asleep like two innocent babies.
Suddenly, at 3 o'clock in the morning, a loud noise came from outside. The woman, bewildered, jumped up from the bed and yelled at the man 'Holy crap, That must be my husband!'

So the man jumped out of the bed; scared and naked jumped
out the window. He smashed himself on the ground, ran through a thorn bush and to his car as fast as he could go.

A few minutes later he returned and went up to the bedroom
and screamed at the woman, 'I AM your husband!'

The woman yelled back, 'Yeah, then why were you running?'

And then the fight started.....

----------- - --------- --------- ---

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, got the dog, and slipped quietly into the garage.

I hooked up the boat up to the truck, and proceeded to back
out a torrential downpour.
The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the
garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day.
I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped
back into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, 'The weather out there is terrible.' My loving wife of 10 years replied, 'Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?'

And then the fight started ....

------------ --------- --------- ---

I asked my wife, "Where do you want to go for our anniversary?"

It warmed my heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said.

So I suggested, "How about the kitchen?"

And then the fight started....

----------- - --------- --------- ---

My wife and I are watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do you want to have sex?" "No," she answered.

I then said, "Is that your final answer?" She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying "Yes."

So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."

And then the fight started....

*******

Yesterday morning, I left home early to get some lab work done in preparation for a doctor's appointment next week. When I left the lab, I hightailed it to the nearest McDonald's for breakfast, seeing as how I hadn't eaten since midnight. I was ravenous, but I also needed to void. So I went to the bathroom, and on entering, I realized it was the coldest darn bathroom I'd ever been in, except an outhouse in winter, on my great-grandparent's farm. If I'd had to stay in there much longer, I'd have sued them for frostbite on the exposed parts. Can you imagine the courtroom hullaballoo if they asked to see the evidence?? LOL

Soon To Be Extinct In America

Today is mr. kenju's birthday! NO, I don't think he is about to become extinct, although he is like a dinosaur in many ways.....LOL.....Happy Birthday, Mr. kenju! ::{::}:::{:::}:: Here's another batch of information to perhaps upset your day - our ways are fast disappearing. Common Sense and some research indicate that there are: 24 THINGS ABOUT TO BECOME EXTINCT IN AMERICA 24. Yellow Pages This year will be pivotal for the global Yellow Pages industry. Much like newspapers, print Yellow Pages will continue to bleed dollars to their various digital counterparts, from Internet Yellow Pages (IYPs), to local search engines and combination search/listing services like Reach Local and Yodel Factors like an acceleration of the print 'fade rate' and the looming recession will contribute to the onslaught. One research firm predicts the falloff in usage of newspapers and print Yellow Pages could even reach 10% this year -- much higher than the 2%-3% fade rate seen in past years. 23. Classified Ads The Internet has made so many things obsolete that newspaper classified ads might sound like just another trivial item on a long list. But this is one of those harbingers of the future that could signal the end of civilization as we know it. The argument is that if newspaper classifieds are replaced by free online listings at sites like Craig'slist.org and Google Base, then newspapers are not far behind them. 22. Movie Rental Stores While Netflix is looking up at the moment, Blockbuster keeps closing store locations by the hundreds. It still has about 6,000 left across the world, but those keep dwindling and the stock is down considerably in 2008, especially since the company gave up a quest of Circuit City. Movie Gallery, which owned the Hollywood Video brand, closed up shop earlier this year. Countless small video chains and mom-and-pop stores have given up the ghost already. 21. Dial-up Internet Access Dial-up connections have fallen from 40% in 2001 to 10% in 2008. The combination of an infrastructure to accommodate affordable high speed Internet connections and the disappearing home phone have all but pounded the final nail in the coffin of dial-up Internet access. 20. Phone Landlines According to a survey from the National Center for Health Statistics, at the end of 2007, nearly one in six homes was cell-only and, of those homes that had landlines, one in eight only received calls on their cells. 19. Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs Maryland's icon, the blue crab, has been fading away in Chesapeake Bay. Last year Maryland saw the lowest harvest (22 million pounds) since 1945. Just four decades ago the bay produced 96 million pounds. The population is down 70% since 1990, when they first did a formal count. There are only about 120 million crabs in the bay and they think they need 200 million for a sustainable population. Over-fishing, pollution, invasive species and global warming get the blame. 18. VCRs For the better part of three decades, the VCR was a best-seller and staple in every American household until being completely decimated by the DVD, and now the Digital Video Recorder (DVR). In fact, the only remnants of the VHS age at your local Wal-Mart or Radio Shack are blank VHS tapes these days. Pre-recorded VHS tapes are largely gone and VHS decks are practically nowhere to be found. They served us so well. 17. Ash Trees In the late 1990s, a pretty, iridescent green species of beetle, now known as the emerald ash borer, hitched a ride to North America with ash wood products imported from eastern Asia. In less than a decade, its larvae have killed millions of trees in the Midwest, and continue to spread. They've killed more than 30 million ash trees in southeastern Michigan alone, with tens of millions more lost in Ohio and Indiana. More than 7.5 billion ash trees are currently at risk. 16. Ham Radio Amateur radio operators enjoy personal (and often worldwide) wireless communications with each other and are able to support their communities with emergency and disaster communications if necessary, while increasing their personal knowledge of electronics and radio theory. However, proliferation of the Internet and its popularity among youth has caused the decline of amateur radio. In the past five years alone, the number of people holding active ham radio licenses has dropped by 50,000, even though Morse Code is no longer a requirement. 15. The Swimming Hole Thanks to our litigious society, swimming holes are becoming a thing of the past. '20/20' reports that swimming hole owners, like Robert Every in High Falls, NY, are shutting them down out of worry that if someone gets hurt they'll sue. And that's exactly what happened in Seattle. The city of Bellingham was sued by Katie Hofstetter who was paralyzed in a fall at a popular swimming hole in Whatcom Falls Park. As injuries occur and lawsuits follow, expect more swimming holes to post 'Keep out!' signs. 14. Answering Machines The increasing disappearance of answering machines is directly tied to No 20 our list -- the decline of landlines. According to USA Today, the number of homes that only use cell phones jumped 159% between 2004 and 2007. It has been particularly bad in New York; since 2000, landline usage has dropped 55%. It's logical that as cell phones rise, many of them replacing traditional landlines, that there will be fewer answering machines. \ 13. Cameras That Use Film It doesn't require a statistician to prove the rapid disappearance of the film camera in America. Just look to companies like Nikon, the professional's choice for quality camera equipment. In 2006, it announced that it would stop making film cameras, pointing to the shrinking market -- only 3% of its sales in 2005, compared to 75% of sales from digital cameras and equipment. 12. Incandescent Bulbs Before a few years ago, the standard 60-watt (or, yikes, 100-watt) bulb was the mainstay of every U.S. home. With the green movement and all-things-sustainable-energy crowd, the Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb (CFL) is largely replacing the older, Edison-era incandescent bulb. The EPA reports that 2007 sales for Energy Star CFLs nearly doubled from 2006, and these sales accounted for approximately 20 percent of the U.S. light bulb market. And according to USA Today, a new energy bill plans to phase out incandescent bulbs in the next four to 12 years. 11. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys Bowling Balls. US claims there are still 60 million Americans who bowl at least once a year, but many are not bowling in stand-alone bowling alleys. Today most new bowling alleys are part of facilities for all types or recreation including laser tag, go-karts, bumper cars, video game arcades, climbing walls and glow miniature golf. Bowling lanes also have been added to many non-traditional venues such as adult communities, hotels and resorts, and gambling casinos. 10. The Milkman According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 1950, over half of the milk delivered was to the home in quart bottles, by 1963, it was about a third and by 2001, it represented only 0.4% percent. Nowadays most milk is sold through supermarkets in gallon jugs. The steady decline in home-delivered milk is blamed, of course, on the rise of the supermarket, better home refrigeration and longer-lasting milk. Although some milkmen still make the rounds in pockets of the U.S., they are certainly a dying breed. 9. Hand-Written Letters In 2006, the Radicati Group estimated that, worldwide, 183 billion e-mails were sent each day. Two million each second. By November of 2007, an estimated 3.3 billion Earthlings owned cell phones, and 80% of the world's population had access to cell phone coverage. In 2004, half-a-trillion text messages were sent, and the number has no doubt increased exponentially since then. So where amongst this gorge of gabble is there room for the elegant, polite hand-written letter? 8. Wild Horses It is estimated that 100 years ago, as many as two million horses were roaming free within the United States. In 2001, National Geographic News estimated that the wild horse population had decreased to about 50,000 head. Currently, the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory board states that there are 32,000 free roaming horses in ten Western states, with half of them residing in Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management is seeking to reduce the total number of free range horses to 27,000, possibly by selective euthanasia. 7. Personal Checks According to an American Bankers Assoc. report, a net 23% of consumers plan to decrease their use of checks over the next two years, while a net 14% plan to increase their use of PIN debit. Bill payment remains the last stronghold of paper-based payments -- for the time being. Checks continue to be the most commonly used bill payment method, with 71% of consumers paying at least one recurring bill per month by writing a check. However, on a bill-by-bill basis, checks account for only 49% of consumers' recurring bill payments (down from 72% in 2001 and 60% in 2003). 6. Drive-in Theaters During the peak in 1958, there were more than 4,000 drive-in theaters in this country, but in 2007 only 405 drive-ins were still operating. Exactly zero new drive-ins have been built since 2005. Only one reopened in 2005 and five reopened in 2006, so there isn't much of a movement toward reviving the closed ones. 5. Mumps & Measles Despite what's been in the news lately, the measles and mumps actually, truly are disappearing from the United States. In 1964, 212,000 cases of mumps were reported in the U.S. By 1983, this figure had dropped to 3,000, thanks to a vigorous vaccination program. Prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine, approximately half a million cases of measles were reported in the U.S. annually, resulting in 450 deaths. In 2005, only 66 cases were recorded. 4. Honey Bees Perhaps nothing on our list of disappearing America is so dire; plummeting so enormously; and so necessary to the survival of our food supply as the honey bee. Very scary. 'Colony Collapse Disorder,' or CCD, has spread throughout the U.S. and Europe over the past few years, wiping out 50% to 90% of the colonies of many beekeepers -- and along with it, their livelihood. 3. News Magazines and TV News While the TV evening newscasts haven't gone anywhere over the last several decades, their audiences have. In 1984, in a story about the diminishing returns of the evening news, the New York Times reported that all three network evening-news programs combined had only 40.9 million viewers. Fast forward to 2008, and what they have today is half that. 2. Analog TV According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 85% of homes in the U.S. get their television programming through cable or satellite providers. For the remaining 15% -- or 13 million individuals -- who are using rabbit ears or a large outdoor antenna to get their local stations, change is in the air. If you are one of these people you'll need to get a new TV or a converter box in order to get the new stations which will only be broadcast in digital. 1. The Family Farm Since the 1930s, the number of family farms has been declining rapidly. According to the USDA, 5.3 million farms dotted the nation in 1950, but this number had declined to 2.1 million by the 2003 farm census (data from the 2007 census hasn't yet been published). Ninety-one percent of the U.S. FARMS are small Family Farms. Both interesting and saddening, isn't it? Can you think of anything else that is facing extinction?

Geography + A Link

Don't you wish you had been there? I do. This pic was taken by someone in my family on 1-20-09. DO click to enlarge!

||--|||--||

You owe it to yourself to go and read this wonderful memoir of the time a son spent with his aged father. It is beautifully written, poignant, and timely.

Edit: this site takes a while to load because the photos are so large, but it is worth the wait.

And now:

THE GEOGRAPHY OF A WOMAN

Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa: half-discovered, half-wild, fertile, and a natural beauty!

Between 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe: bold, in her prime, and open to trade.

Between 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain: sizzling, seductive, and sure of her own beauty.

Between 36 and 40, a woman is like Greece: older, but still an enchanting, desirable place to visit.

Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain: a glorious, all-conquering sovereignty.

Between 51 and 60, a woman is like Israel: been through wars, takes care of business, and does not make the same mistakes twice.

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada: self-reliant, but still open to embracing new and different people.

After 70, she is like Tibet: alluring, fascinating, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages...only those with an adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge visit there.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF A MAN

Between 1 and 70, a man is like Iran: ruled by nuts.

Snow + Quotes of Note + A Book Recommendation

This is what we woke up to yesterday morning. 3" and still falling. Bah. We got about 4 " altogether.

My back yard.

***^^^***^^^***

I happen temporarily to occupy this big White House. I am living witness that any one of your children may look to come here as my father's child has.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the U.S. (1809-1865)

++==++==+++==++==++

We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it -- and stop there -- lest we be like the cat that sits down on a hot stove-lid. She will never sit down on a hot stove-lid again, and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one any more.

Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)

<<<>>><<<>>>

The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.

Marcel Proust, novelist (1871-1922)

>>><<<>>><<<

I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty.

Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (1879-1955)

***///***\\\***

The souls of emperors and cobblers are cast in the same mold. The same reason that makes us wrangle with a neighbor creates a war betwixt princes.

Michel de Montaigne, essayist (1533-1592)

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The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.


John Kenneth Galbraith, economist (1908-2006)

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Until yesterday, I had 45 "followers" and now I have 44. Who broke up with me? Was it something I said?

??<>??<>??

I've just read "The Year of Fog", by Michelle Richmond, and I recommend this page-turner! The book jacket reads....."Here is the truth, this is what I know: I was walking on the beach with Emma. It was cold and very foggy. She let go of my hand. I stopped to photograph a baby seal, then glanced up toward the great Highway. When I looked back, Emma was gone."

This book is a mystery, and it is educational and thought-provoking too. Here are some quotes from the book:

"A painting can last for centuries, even millennia. The Sistine Chapel, the Mona Lisa, and the Mayan cave drawings are proof of this. But a photograph is, by its nature, a transient work of art. The moment a photograph is transferred to paper, the slow process of erasure begins. The purpose of photography is to stop time, but time inevitably erodes........Photographs represent our endless battle against time, our determination to preserve a moment: the sweet baby girl before she become a difficult teenager; the handsome young man before his body is won over by baldness and fat; the honeymoon trip to Hawaii, before the happy couple becomes two strangers, living angrily under the same roof. I have a hunch that our obsession with photography arises from an unspoken pessimism: it is in our nature to believe that the good things will not last."

There is a lot in the book about memory; how it functions and how it serves us.

"Memory is not unlike a photograph with multiple exposures. One event is layered on top of another, so that it is impossible to distinguish between the details of the two. The older we get, the more multiple-exposure memories we have. Temporal relationships become elastic. As the years progress and we experience more and more, the mini-narratives that make up our lives are distorted, corrupted, so that every one of us is left with a false history, a self-created fiction about the lives we have had."

I found it very engaging and I hope you will enjoy it too. Admittedly, it will probably interest women more than men.

A New Era Begins.... (Oh, YES, WE DID)

My daughter and I requested tickets from our senators to the inauguration, but we didn't receive them. I resigned myself to staying home and not attending this history-making event. About 5 days ago, my daughter got an email from her former firm, saying that they had secured tickets for anyone who wanted them. She called to offer me one, but I had to say no. I had made several appointments and obligations since deciding that I was not going to go - and it was just too late to change all those things.

Deciding to stay home was difficult; standing on the frigid, windy streets in downtown DC for hours on end, with millions of people jockeying for position and no bathrooms, except for dirty porta potties, eating food sold by vendors who charge quadruple what it is worth (if not more) sounds enticing, doesn't it? But I gave all that up to watch it from the comfort of my recliner.

Hush! I can too make the tough decisions!!

Now I hope you will all join me in welcoming Barack Obama to the job of President and praying that his deliberations and decisions will be well thought out, intelligent and compassionate.

Bye Bye

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This is the best day of the last eight years!!

Let Them Eat Cake! (and some observations)

I call this one "Fireworks".

Rauf, my blog friend, sent an email full of wonderful cakes. I don't know if they were from a contest or just an exhibition, but I chose to show you the ones I liked best. ENJOY them, and do visit Rauf. He makes the most amazing photos of his native India.

The bride and groom are all packed for the honeymoon! The workmanship on this one is phenomenal. It may look simple, but that icing treatment is hard to do.

Perhaps this one is symbolic of the ups and downs on the road to marriage....LOL. It can be a bit like a roller-coaster!

An outdoor sports lover's dream.


A very 1960's design; it reminds me of Laugh-In.


Fit for a king - and a queen!


Baa baa white sheep. I don't get the gist of this one, but it is cute.

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When I went to the grocery store Saturday morning, it was 24* . I saw a woman walking out of Borders wearing only a lightweight cotton sweater and FLIP-FLOPS!! At least she had on long pants. How does a person stand that cold in flip-flops??? I could understand it if she had just gotten a pedicure, but books?

At just about the same time, I was listening to a radio program on PBS. One of the guests made this remark....."I'm about to open a great, big can of whoopass." I swear, if I had coffee in my mouth at that time, it would have spewed out all over the dashboard. I laughed so hard. I can't remember what she was referring to - but it sure was funny!!

The spammers in my gmail junk box are getting evermore creative with names, in their quest to get around the spam filters. I got one yesterday with the name....."Neuenschwande Stittsworth", and the subject line was "increase your love stickk". Yes, it had two "K's". Jeebus! How could they think anyone would be stupid enough to open that one?!

Bud & Ginnie + Calvin & Hobbes +

Judy/kenju, Bud and Ginnie in Pinehurst on 1-15-09. Ginnie has pretty eyes, but she chose not to share them with you this time......LOL

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This is an OLD cartoon, but it seems to explain a lot about our current situation, doesn't it?

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I JUST KNEW IT!! Go check it out!

January 16, 2005 ~ The Beginning

HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY TO ME!! I cannot believe it has been four years since I started my first blog - just ask judy - and almost two years since this one was born. I can't imagine having enough to say to keep it going this long, but I seem to find things to post even when my brain has gone mushy (which is happening more often, as you've probably noticed.) That is, in part, thanks to my email buddies, who keep me supplied with funny or interesting stuff that I can pass on to you.

I am still marveling over the friendships I have made here and how much your support and comments mean to me. Reading your blogs and seeing your photos is a large part of my life now, and I can't imagine doing without them. Thanks for being you. Long may we bloggers live!!


And speaking of bloggers, mr. kenju and I went to Pinehurst today, to meet two blogger friends: Ginnie of Goldendaze and Bud of Paradise is Pinehurst. Both of them worked for TV networks in NY and DC, and have fascinating tales to tell. Bud doesn't post often enough to suit me, nor does Ginnie, but they follow their own pace and that is fine. Mr. kenju thought they were "an item", but according to Ginnie, they are just friends We had a very nice luncheon at The Holly Inn, a lovely place just off the main drag in downtown Pinehurst. I recommend it whether you are there for golf - or just passing through. It seemed as though we all felt an immediate connection (as bloggers often do - kindred spirits, you know) and we enjoyed several hours of good conversation and stories, getting to know each other. I left hoping we could do it again, and I can't think of a better way to have ushered in the start of the 5th year of kenju on the web!

Photos will be posted tomorrow.

Ephemera: From Long Ago, Part 2 +

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There will be one more set of posters. I'm wondering why posters are not so much in evidence with the current war? Or the last 2 or 3, for that matter.

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There is a newish development here in Raleigh, on the site of an old horse farm. It is called The Cypress of Raleigh, and it is a planned elder/continuing care community. We have a few friends who have moved in there and today we were invited to lunch and a tour of the facility. There's much to like about it, that I can see. It is beautifully planned and built, and the appointments in the clubhouse are first-rate. It resembles a resort and I am sure that living there would occasion moments of glamour and the feeling of being on vacation, especially in the beginning.

But there is a problem for me, which is......I don't think I'd want to live in a place where there are so few people younger than I. It can be depressing to be in the company of only older people, especially some of them. You know the ones I mean? People who see only the negatives in life, who are mad at the world because they are getting older (whether they are infirm or not) and those who are infirm in some way and mad at the rest of the world because of it. The only young people we came into contact with there today were the servers at lunch, and while they were charming and very good at their jobs, it isn't enough. I need to be around young people who have promise and hope for the future; it shows in their faces and you hear it in their voices. When you live in one of those places you have children and grandchildren visiting on occasion, but they might be the only younger people you interact with on a quasi-regular basis.

A community of bloggers (of any age), I think, would make for great living companions. Bloggers as a whole (in my experience) are more positive and show an attitude of making lemonade out of their lemons more than the general population. I wouldn't mind living in an area full of elder bloggers because it wouldn't be a negative place. Does that make any sense at all?