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.

Communication

Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication ability, but because we live and work in our own little worlds, that communication is totally disorganized.

~ Marilyn vos Savant

- - - - -

So this is an email that I sent to a student last night. They had texted me to apologize for not sending me something I asked for because it was in their draft folder. I was typing them, "No worries, I hope it didn't stress you out that you hadn't written me. It's fine." 

However, Lily walked into the room dragging around one of my t-shirts. There are certain t-shirts that she likes, but when she grabs them I make her take them to the laundry room. I apparently hit the record to text button. 

I was going to delete it, but then I thought about how much I would love to get a transcription of someone talking to their dog, so I decided to send it (with an explanation). Sometimes you just have to do what the universe is encouraging you to do. 

Lily is a knucklehead, but wow is my life better with her in it.