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.