Demons

Destroy your personal demons. 

Use their corpses as fuel to light your way.

~ Laurell K. Hamilton

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I think this is a nice quote for a nursery wall.

 

Mask

Photo by Kirk Boettcher

It's in literature that true life can be found. It's under the mask of fiction that you can tell the truth.

~ Gao Xingjian

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I sent this mask to Zak. Randomly. It wasn't for any specific event. Maybe it was in a back-to-school package. Anyway, the mask is cool, this kid is cool, and his aunt is cool

 

Water

 Be like water making its way through the cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

~ Bruce Lee

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So I had a rough week this week. Lots of ups and downs. There was something that really set me off and some other things that sort of set me off. Pretend set me off? Regardless... I had some unhappiness.

Then I remembered that I needed to be like water. I needed to ebb and flow and understand that that is how life works. Sometimes things are smooth. Sometimes they are choppy. And sometimes my wrath risES UP LIKE A MIGHTY FLOOD OR TIDAL WAVE!!!

But this week I just ebbed and flowed. 

So far.

Cemetery

A dead body revenges not injuries.

~ William Blake

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Home is where the heart is.

Remember that if you donate your body to science.

Flower

Every flower blooms in its own time.

~ Ken Petti

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It is amazing when people you knew as children become adults. They have work and home and life and responsibilities and grown-up fears and joys. I think it is important to celebrate that rather than to grieve losing the child that they were.

I also think it's great when they have jobs they love because they'll keep those jobs and grow through their work and you can ask them to give you money.

Food

You are what you eat.

~ Proverb

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Food is important. How we eat, what we eat, how we engage with food production, how we distribute food resources... all of this is important.

I saw the post below a few weeks ago. It involves food, but is about other big issues, too.

Ultimately, I can't be angry at the person who took the piece of pie above. I don't know their story. I don't know what motivated them to do this. 

What I DO know is this: I do not like pumpkin pie.

Fear

I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.

~ Sarah Williams

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I love the stars fondly, too. This is a photo of an early morning in Canada when I got up to see them. I, also, am not fearful of the night. 

(pause)

I am just scared of the monsters in the night. 

And the monsters in the day.

Mainly, I'm scared of monsters.
 

Crime

Behind every great fortune is a great crime.

~ Edward Jay Epstein

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I heard this quote on a show about Armand Hammer and his wealth and family. I think I agree with it. I don't know what my great crime would be to get wealthy. I don't think it would be murder. Or extortion. 

I bet it would be vandalism. But I call that street art, so shut up.

Leaves

I hope I can be the autumn leaf, who looked at the sky and lived. And when it was time to leave, gracefully it knew life was a gift.

~ Dodinsky

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Falling takes effort, too. We forget that sometimes. To fall can be exhausting. Sometimes you have to rest along the way. Or sometimes you get caught in a trap or a net along the way. And maybe that saves you. But you'll probably gripe about it, anyway because that's how you are.

 

Fall

I come alive in the fall time.

~ The Weekend

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There is something... I don't know what to call it... ironic? Funny? Interesting? Anyway, I have a special love for a leaf that, falling from a tree, decides to go for it and finish by going down a slide on a playset, as well.
 

Court

Family is anyone who Loves You Unconditionally.

Source: Thoughts Wonder

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Friendly tip: That's not how they define family in a legal sense. 

Dogs

Singin' Joy to the World

All the boys and girls

Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

Joy to You and Me

~ Three Dog Night

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I was at the dog park the other day and two older women were there. One of them had a dog named "Brandy." The other woman said, "Wasn't there a song named 'Brandy'?" and she started singing the name "Brandy" to the tune of "Windy" by the Association. Then the other woman said, "No, that's not 'Brandy' - that's 'Misty,'" and she started to sing Misty to the tune of 'Windy." 

I waited for them to figure it out, but couldn't take it. I said, "You're thinking of "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass and "Windy" by the Association." 

"Oh, yes!" they said at the same time. 

"Brandy, you're a fine girl. What a good wife, you would be, but bluh-blur-bumb-bum" one woman sang.

"Who's running through the streets of the city, duh - duh - SMILING at everybody she sees, hm-hm-hm-huh-hm - EVERYONE KNOWS IT'S WINDY!" sang the other.  

I wasn't sure if I was glad I helped them with their musical mysteries or not.

I still amn't sure.
 

Drive

You know, maybe I could take my own car. And that way I could leave if I'm uncomfortable or afraid.

~ Harmony Cobell

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This is my life motto, Harmony Cobell. 

Own

Sing, sing a song

Make it simple

To last your whole life long

Don't worry if it's not good enough

For anyone else to hear

Just sing

Sing a song

~ Joseph G. Raposo

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It is important to sing your own song. Whatever is in your heart. Even if it is trespasSing.
 

Crisis

Only a crisis, actual or perceived produces real change.

~ Milton Friedman

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Skeletor

I shall never be ashamed of citing a bad author if the line is good.

~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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My nephew Zak loves villains. I sent him a number of Little Golden Books a few months ago -- including some about Scooby Doo and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Skeletor. Skeletor was the one he wanted to read right away.

Sorry, Scoob. Sorry RBG.

Also, interesting choice in subject matter to make a book about Skeletor, Little Golden Books.

House

Most importantly, I strive for function above all in every house.

~ Hilary Farr

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I watch a lot of home makeover shows. On a lot of them they are very worried about creating "a teen space". My parents never worried about that. I think they didn't really want any teens in the house. Including us when we were teens.

In all fairness, I met us when we were teens. I wouldn't want space for those teens, either.

Appliances

Guarantees are for major appliances, not for murder.

~ Laurell K. Hamilton

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And "fuaruntees" are for no one and nothing, even if that is what I accidentally typed earlier in the post (I corrected it, though so you would never know I made such an error).
 

Accident

They're funny things, Accidents. You never have them till you're having them.

~ A. A. Milne

I don't think this is a real outline of a body. It's spray paint and I don't think they use spray paint to outline bodies in police investigations. Also, the proportions are weird and there is no neck on this person. But I don't mind accidents (in the spray painting, that is. The accidents where people die - sometimes I mind those). Some accidents are, in fact, pretty fun.

For example, when people are posting or texting and they type "me" instead of "my" -- I love that. It makes them sound like a pirate...

* I want to celebrate me mom's birthday today!

* Me kids are driving me nuts!

* I love me dog.

* I found me buried treasure.

* I love being a pirate on me pirate ship!

You know... that kind of thing.

Kayaking

If in doubt, paddle out.

~ Nat Young

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Leslie loves kayaking. 

"Why doesn't she marry it?!" you ask?

"What are you, nine?" I ask.

 

Chew

I love biting off more than I can chew and then figuring it out.

~ Jordan Peele

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Lily doesn't really bite off more than she can chew. I have found she can chew on most anything.

Home

 A good home must be made, not bought

~ Joyce Maynard

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Tell that to the people who live in this home. I moved in and tried to make it my own and they got all mad.

Mailbox

Whoever knowingly and willingly deposits mailable matter such as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such offense be fined under this title. 

~ 18 U.S.C. 1725

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So this law was established in 1934. Stamps were three cents then. I wish they were only two cents then. And I wish the USPS would have done a survey requiring patrons to mail in their opinions and that they called the survey "Give us your two cents worth."

Of course, as I was often told as a child, "If wishes were pennies, we'd all be rich."

Sky

Only from the heart can you touch the sky.

~ Rumi

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You can kind of touch the sky from a parachute, too, Rumi.
 

Resemblance

Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves.

~ Ambrose Bierce

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I saw this at an auction place one time. It reminded me of someone, but I couldn't think of who it was. Then I saw a photo of the child of someone I know on Facebook. That child is who I was thinking of when I saw this doll scary thing. 

I don't think it is mean of me to think this looks like that kid. I think it would be mean of me to say who the kid is. 

(pause)

So I shan't.

Concepts

The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history.

~ George Orwell

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Oh, George. You are so silly. Lies have been passing into history since forever ago. 
 

Reading

Books remain the same, but we certainly have changed, and this later encounter is therefore completely new.

~ Italo Calvino

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I read a lot as a kid and then kind of fell out of love with reading. Then I started liking it again.

I should write a story about that sometime. Then people could read it. And be inspired.

(pause)

Maybe that's exactly what I just did! You're welcome, reader.
 

Congregations

Worship isn't God's show. God is the audience. God's watching. The congregation, they are the actors in this drama. Worship is their show. And the minister is just reminding the people of their forgotten lines.

~ Soren Kierkegaard

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Overheard at the dog park...

I wanna be like Bessie and Anna when I get old. Those two women were in my congregation well into their 80s and were god damn sharp as tacks!

Imagination

Don't let your imagination be crushed by life as a whole.... stick with the situation at hand.

~ Marcus Aurelius

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A lot of people ask me, "Michelle, how do you come up with so many creative blog posts. Also, could I pay you a gabillion dollars for some of them?"

Okay, not a LOT of people. Not yet. But it will only take one.

Scary

Last night I saw upon the stair a little man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today. Oh how I wish he'd go away.

~ William Hughes Mearns

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One time in October we were driving home from somewhere. It was late. We decided to listen to some "mystery theater" episode. Tammy Grimes was on it - the best of all radio mystery voices ever, if you ask me. We listened to the episode. Got a little creeped out. Got home. Looked up the episode and it had originally been broadcast on the EXACT SAME DAY IN OCTOBER. Weird, right? Weird and scary enough to make its own episode of a mystery theatre radio show?

No. 

Growth

When we find those special people who offer us that perfect combination of comfort and stimulus to grow, we are very fortunate.

~ Madisyn Taylor

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And when we find those plants that reclaim things as they seek comfort while having the stimulus to grow it is magical! 

And a little scary.

Writing

Given the initial talent... writing is largely a matter of application and hard work, of writing and rewriting endlessly, until you are satisfied that you have said what you want to say as clearly and simply as possible. For me, that usually means many, many revisions.

~ Rachel Carson

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When I was little I wanted to be a writer. I am a writer now - it's part of my job. I also live with a writer. There are lots of times that is fun. There are times when it is aggravating -- like when she takes my treatise on generating low-radiation energy through nuclear fusion and publishes it as her own.

Grrr. I'm so angry about that.