Love

True love stories never have endings.

~ Richard Bach

- - - - -

Aurora, Leslie, and Ezra love each other. And they love Lily.

(pause)

Lily loved that tennis ball.

Bed

We've got this king sized to ourselves.

Don't have to share with no one else...

~ Let's Marvin Gaye and Get it On

- - - - -

I try not to judge people or their relationships. However, I am curious - how often does the couple in this song HAVE to share their bed with other people? 

(pause)

Actually, I'd rather not know.

 

Hope

Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.

~ Samuel Smiles

- - - - -

When I went to vote in the last election, I saw a mom and her two little kids coming out of the polling location. They stopped and took a selfie before they got in their car. They were smiling and clearly happy that the mom and done her civic duty and the kids got to go along and witness citizenship in action.

At a time when things were feeling pretty bleak, this made me really happy. 

I bet it's because those kids got away with voting underage.

Friends

We were together. I forget the rest.

~ Walt Whitman

- - - - -

I don't think you have to do a lot of things to have a good friend. I do think you should do at least one thing for them. I do that with Leslie. Just one good thing. That way, when we get into a huge blowout of a fight like we did this week, I can yell at her, "I can't believe you're acting like this after all the thing I do for you!"

If I didn't do that thing, I couldn't really yell that.

Always plan ahead for what you want to yell at someone.

Upright

Every decision is liberating, even if it leads to disaster. Otherwise, why do so many people walk upright and with open eyes into their misfortune.

~ Elias Canetti

- - - - -

If there is one thing that kids indeed love it is ducks that do not float upright. 
 

Luck

Luck is the residue of design.

~ Branch Rickey

- - - - -

There are a lot of signs in the universe. There are a lot of things we can avoid if we just stop and think about the logical thing to do. And then do it. I know a lot of us who think and know what to do, but who don't do it. 

Fortunately, there is a thing called luck. Between taking smart action and being lucky, we can get by. If we are really lucky, we can get by without engaging with people who take stupid action.

Mattress

Mind over mattress.

~ Steven Covey

- - - - -

I had a dream one time that I was asleep on a mattress on top of a lot of other mattresses. I was very, very high in the air and I didn't know how I would get down. 

I am sure it has something to do with the story of the princess and the pea. I'm glad I didn't think of that in my dream though, because it would have made me think of a joke involving a princess and pee and then I'd have had to go to the bathroom and I really didn't want to fall off of all of those mattresses.

 

Notes

If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered.

~ Edgar Allan Poe

- - - - -

If there was something called "The Historic Murder Division", I would like to work for it. I take pretty good notes and I like history and I like murder stories. And yes, this post is based on a note I wrote in my journal that just said "Historic Murder Division."

If someone writes a book with that title, I will read it. If it sells a lot of copies, I might also sue them. 

Burgers

Grilling, broiling, barbecuing - whatever you want to call it - is an art, not just a matter of building a pyre and throwing on a piece of meat as a sacrifice to the gods of the stomach.

~ James Beard

- - - - -

If you order more than one Whopper, Jr and ask for, say, "three Whopper, Jrs" I think that is just wrong. I think you should be ordering "three Whoppers, Jr" my friend.

Also, can I have one? Since I helped you out with the order? Seems fair.

Arrow

If someone is shooting an arrow at you, don't be there.

~ Buddha

- - - - -

I think deep in my subconscious I have always known this strategy of avoiding people who mean to do me harm (by arrows or otherwise). That is why I try to so hard not to be most places.

 

Patience

If you are patient in one moment of anger, 

you will escape 100 days of sorrow.

~ Chinese Proverb

- - - - -

Doctors are particularly good at waiting. Know why? Because they have so many PATIENTS! Hahahahahahahaha.

Unless they are Ph.D. doctors. They they don't have any patience. Trust me. I know some of them.

 

Unclear

There is something special about the beauty in the unclear, the ambiguity, the in-between that you can't totally recognise.

~ Alessandro Michele

- - - - -

When I am on a TV show, I'd like the captioning to read "indistinct chatter" for everything I say.

 

Energy

Guilt. It's lazy energy. It doesn't change the future. 

It doesn't change the past.

~ When They See Us

- - - - -

Puppies are not lazy energy. And they change the future. 

(pause)

And while they may not change the past, they can make you so happy about the present that you don't worry about the past OR the future. At least that has been my experience.

Flower

Great leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders. 

~ Tom Peters

- - - - -

The first time I saw this quote, I thought it said flowers instead of followers. I actually think a lot of great leaders would make great gardeners, too. 

Collection

I don't think any collector knows his true motivation.

~ Robert Mapplethorpe

- - - - -

Today's blog is a bit different. As I was cleaning out my blog ideas folder at the end of the year, I came across a number of things I had saved from what I read over the past year or so. As we start a new year, here are some old observations. They likely won't be helpful in the future, but that remains to be seen.

I probably saved this because of the Pork Queen's name. However, The Port Queen is a Vegetarian also sounds like the title of a Flannery O'Connor story. 

This was a recommendation from Grammarly. I don't think I took this one, though - whatever it was that I likely did out of the generosity of my spirit - the person SHOULD appreciate it. 

Good job, Skipper. Clever marketing, Target.

Figures.

I like the idea of dog being a color. I don't think it should be this color, though.

I didn't buy any of these because I couldn't decide between the hummingbird and the Heisenberg.

Here's hoping we continue to appreciate the randomness of the world in 2025.

 

Over

Nothing's ever over. There's always something new.

~ Griselda

- - - - -

I hope 2024 is over. It was pretty awful.

So far, 2025 is way better. Not that it's a competition. 

(pause) 

Still I am paying attention. 

(pause) 

And keeping score. 

(whispering) - For the competition.

Resolution

I think in terms of the day's resolutions not the year's.

~ Henry Moore

- - - - -

I what you resolve to do is less important than what you do. Depending on your gut health, what you doo doo might be most important of all.

Sunrise

Isn't it nice to think of tomorrow as a new day with no mistakes in it, yet?

~ L. M. Montgomery

- - - - -

Yes. And it is also nice to think about what great mistakes we might make. So many opportunities.

Worry

Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration, and resentment.

~ Dale Carnegie

- - - - -

This has been a tough year. It was one filled with worry, frustration, and resentment. In my defense, some of that was not to be avoided. In my offense, I can do better and will try to in the future. 

(pause)

And I will try not to worry about it if - on occasion - I fall into some frustration and resentment along the way. Some of you are frustrating. You know who you are.

 

Red

Life is simple. It's either cherry red or midnight blue.

~ Lou Gramm

- - - - -
Want to know where the idea of painting a town or city red comes from? I've found several accounts that might have led to the saying. I don't know which one is true, but they all seem to involve drunken men running the streets. 

(pause)

A lot of things in our society involve drunken men running the streets, drunken men who have run the streets, or drunken men who might run the streets.

Pride

I'm always proud of you son. Just not of what you're doing and who you are.

~ The Conners

- - - - -

Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. I think this means Lee Greenwood is going to hell.

 

Mailbox

Servants, who would have to wait on their masters on Christmas Day, were allowed to visit their families the next day and employers would give them boxes to take home containing gifts, bonuses, and sometimes leftover food.

~ Old Farmer's Almanac

- - - - -

What a lot of the rich people didn't know is that no matter what they gave them to take home, a lot of times their servants had the most fun just playing with the boxes the gifts came in.

(pause)

Again this year, I know Boxing Day is not about mailboxes. 
 

Lights

You can tell a lot about a person by what's on their playlist.

~ Mark Ruffalo

- - - - -

I'm not sure what this quote has to do with Christmas or lights, but it popped up when I searched for "quotes about Christmas lights," so I'll just go with it. That's kind of what I've had to the rest of this year, so no reason to stop now.

 

Reindeer

There are more important things than comfort. Self respect!

~ Donner (the reindeer)

- - - - -

I know a lot of people feel sorry for Rudolf because of his red nose. Rudolf isn't the reindeer I empathize with the most, though. No, it's his dad (according to Rankin-Bass), Donner. I mean, what eats me is that every birthday his entire life, if he had a birthday party it was a Donner party.

Music

Some days I need the music

And some days I need the lyrics

~ Some person (unidentified) quoting someone else (also unidentified) on social media

- - - - -

Some days I need to pay more attention to who is saying what.

 

Presents

Go shorty, it's your birthday.

~ 50 Cent

- - - - - 

I don't know if Jesus ever asked for a football for his birthday or not, but if he did, I bet it was tough for his parents to hide it from him. Regardless, it appears that the nuns assume he'd be a Stillerz fan.

 

Water

All water is holy water.

~ Zadie Smith

- - - - -

SO LOOK OUT, VAMPIRES!!!!!!!!

Children

Everyone who was once a child should have at least one children's book in them.

~ Michael Rosen

- - - - -

A woman posted on Facebook the other day, "Why is it so hard for me to let go of my childrens' books?" My guess is because they are probably sticky. You know how gross children are.

 

Watching

Whenever you do a thing, act as if the whole world were watching.

~ Thomas Jefferson

- - - - -

Me: I don't want to start a new series until after we get back from our trip.

Leslie: What?! Well, what are we going to WATCH, then?!!!

Me: Well, you had better WATCH YOUR TONE, little missy!

 

Interest

(photo is screenshot from Clemson University web site taken today.)

 To be interesting, be interested.

~ Dale Carnegie

- - - - -

No one is interested in the fall semester that just finished. Apparently no one ever was interested in it. It was one of the most difficult I've ever had, so I get the lack of interest.  

I'm afraid to see who is interested in the Spring 2025 semester.

Curtains

... and the very folds of the curtains contained secrets and sighs.

~ Anais Nin

- - - - -

Leslie says that this is the same curtain she had in her room growing up. I don't know how she thinks a family from Maine went all the way to Pennsylvania to steal her curtains and put them up in their cabin in the woods, but whatever, Leslie. You know everything, so it must be true. You surely had the most precious and special curtains of all -- so special it inspired people to steal them.

Sheesh. She's unbearable sometimes.

Sunday

Time flows in a strange way on Sunday.

~ Haruki Murakami

- - - - -

You can approach Sundays with enthusiasm for a new week or dread for a new week. Or you can pretend that the new week starts on Monday and put the whole thing off for an extra day.

 

Grandmothers

Having a grandmother is like having an army. This is a grandchild's ultimate privilege - knowing that someone is on your side. Always. Whatever the details. Even when you are wrong. Especially then, in fact. A grandmother is both a sword and a shield.

~ Fredrik Backman

- - - - -

Go Army

Beat Navy

 

Rides

Saddle your dreams before you ride 'em.

~ Mary Webb

- - - - -

This is particularly helpful if your dream is a horse.

 

Rules

Learn the rules, break the rules, make up new rules, break the new rules.

~ Marvin Bell

- - - - -

Something I find particularly compelling about what you have written here is the idea of "just do what you're told." I think that much of education (and society as a whole particularly for those holding marginalized identities) is not about learning and certainly not about questioning, but it is about conformity. My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Richardson, who was about 114 years old used to always say, "Sit down. Keep still. Be quiet." It was her motto. I was raised to be a rule follower, but I'm not sure I have completely fulfilled that mission because sometimes rules are stupid.

Truth

The truth will set you free, but first it'll piss you off.

~ Dr. Sharon Fieldstone

- - - - -

If you find that a lot of things piss you off at first, go take a nap.

 

Cure

Red is the ultimate cure for sadness.

~ Bill Blass

- - - - -

I don't know that we can actually cure sadness, but it is treatable. For me, the color red doesn't really cure sadness, but puppies do. Puppies cure a lot of things. 

(pause)

And dogs cure the rest.

Cover

(photo from Amazon site)

You can't judge a book by its cover.

~ George Eliot

- - - - -

This is the book that started that saying.

 

Sale

Make a customer, not a sale.

~ Katherine Barchetti

- - - - -

I know we, as a species, are rarely interested in one another's dreams. And yet, I choose to share this one with you.

I dreamt I had gone into business with a comedienne (I forget who) because we were creating our own line of jeans. For some reason I showed her a snow cone I made out of Legos.

I can't believe she still wanted to go into business with me. 

Creepers

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

- - - - -

Wendy was right... us hanging around during the house showing did help sell that place! Though I was surprised people didn't have more questions for us. I mean, the Home Owner's Association asked us a lot of questions, but the people at the open house didn't.