A Breezy Life

A Breezy Life

Who hasn’t dreamed of a treehouse?  A place to escape to when daily living seems a drudge, when Life seems to be closing in on you, when you need to feel free?

I like to go on Pinterest and look at the tree house pins.  Of course they’re not to be a part of my future.  At my age and with my knees it would be a real trial to ascend to the heavens and enjoy the wind as it sways and lets you feel you are resting in a hammock.  Of course I’d rather not be there when the wind swells to a full-blown storm, letting the house wrench and lurch  with force and drama.  I am not a modern-day John Muir who enjoyed climbing a tree in a tornado to experience the forces of nature.

I’m also a realist.  There are those who spend a ton of money to make a treehouse livable.  I dare not contemplate the cost of a treehouse complete with bathroom and kitchen facilities.  And I’m sure insurance would be ridiculous.  The company would surely insist on a rider concerning injuries from wind movement and falling out of the tree.  Medical emergencies could be difficult to manage in the event you have to use the services of first responders for any reason.

But still I can dream while lost in a fantasy world of youth, adventure, and just plain fun as I contemplate the relaxation of studying the stars at night from my perch or watching the clouds float by while resting on my surrounding deck.

Where is your imaginary resting spot?

Am I Old Yet?

A lot of folks ask the question, "When do you get old?"

The answer is - Darned if I know.

Like most folks in the world, I feel a lot younger than I actually am in years.  I read once that as long as the health is strong, most people feel like they reside in their 30's.  That makes sense.  Age is not something you give a lot of thought to when you have only a few years behind you and infinity ahead of you.

But slowly over time your body follows its own path.  Then one day you take a good look in the mirror and realize you are getting a strong resemblance to a parent.  You see it around the eyes, in the jawline, in your hairline.  And the body plays tricks on you.  All of a sudden the knees start creaking, the legs get tired, the energy level takes a hike.  You start to consider the possibility that age may be becoming more than a visitor, but actually striving to establish itself as an uninvited resident of your body.

You might not be able to stop the progress to actually feeling your true age, but that doesn't mean you have to go down without a fight.  You might be a 90 year old woman in a wheelchair, but you can still dream of when you were 18, dressed up for a night on the town, wearing that oh-so-fine red dancing dress and high heel shoes, strutting your fine self in front of a room full of admirers.

As long as you can see that in your mind, can feel it in your soul, then, honey, you're not old yet.

Is Longevity In Your Future?

I've been reading a lot lately about the outlook for an individual to live a long time.  Some things make sense, others make you think.

There appears to be a consensus the you are more likely to have a long life if you eat healthy and stay active.  That would appear to be a no-brainer.  Other traits include being conscientious, optimistic, happy, and socially connected.  That also makes sense.  Being extroverted was mentioned in one article, as well as a sense of spirituality.

Another study looked at men born in 1887 and who lived to be 100.  This was possible as they were able to study longevity records and find men lived to be 100, then cross-referenced to the beginning of the draft in 1917.  The men were all 30 at the time and had at least 4 children.

Why would the number of children make any difference?  The article mentioned that this may have provided a means for care as the parent aged.  It could be, but kids can be a two-edged sword.  They can be a source of great joy, and they can be a thorn in your side as you progress through life. 

My thoughts on this?  Now if you are a happy, optimistic man who likes to laugh and enjoy life, you may very well raise your kids to have these same traits.  The others could very well lead you to an early grave, and you wouldn't live to the age they were interested in.

Another interesting factor, the men who lived the longest were mostly farmers.  I can see how they could come to that conclusion.  There were a lot of farmers in 1917.  Farmers had a physically active and hard working life.  Today we have fewer farmers than were around then.  There are more diverse jobs available, and a lot of farms have now been converted to corporate farms.  Would today's population show the same results on longevity?

One major thought on my mind:  What about the women?  Obviously it would be difficult task to find a group of women available for a study with the same parameters as the one for men.  But it would be interesting to find out how a matched study of the gals would compare.

In the meantime I'll muddle through the best I can.  I'll laugh and be happy, at least most of the time.  I'll try to stay active and surround myself with family and friends.  If I make it to be 100, maybe I'll come back and let you know if I was successful in the task.  However, I do have quite a few years left to make it to that milestone, so I make no promises.

And I do hope you are successful in living a life of joy to a ripe old age.

What 10 Creative People Tell You About the Storms of Life

In life, there is no Yellow Brick Road.  We all have to endure times of trouble and strife.  Sometimes it can help to know what others have to say and how they get through these hard times without losing hope.

Ralph Waldo Emerson - poet, philosopher, essayist.  Born 1803 and died 1822.
     The wise man in a storm prays to God not for safety from danger, but deliverance from pain.

Morris West - Australian novelist.  Born 1916, died 1999.
     If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you'll never enjoy the sunshine.

Mark Twain - writer, humorist, adventurer.  Born 1835, died 1910.
     Life does not consist mainly, or even largely, of facts or happenings.  It consists mainly of the storms of thoughts that's forever flowing through one's head.

Vincent van Gogh - Dutch painter.  Born 1855, died 1890.
     There is peace even in the storm.

Epicurus - Greek philosopher.  Born 342 BC.
     Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.

Amelia Barr - English author and teacher.  She was born 1831 and died 1851.
     It is only in sorrow bad weather masters us; in joy we face the storm and defy it.

Charles Kettering - inventor and business man, he held 186 patents.  Born 1867, died 1958.
     No one would have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm.

Louisa May Alcott - American author. Born 1831, died 1888.
     I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.

Golda Meir - Israeli Prime Minister.  Born 1898, died 1978.
     Old age is like flying a plane through a storm.  Once you're aboard, there's nothing you can do.

Vivian Greene - modern author, artist, speaker. 
     Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.  It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Ain't It The Truth

Pity the reputation of the poor little "ain't."  It's been around since sometime in the 1700s, showing up in the speech of just about everyone in England.  Rich, poor or middle class, it found a home in the language usage of just about the entire population in that great nation.

But then something happened sometime in late 1800s.  Rich and poor still made use of it, but the middle class took a disliking to it.  I have no idea just why this happened, but once the idea took hold it wouldn't let go.  Then in the early 1900s the rich decided they could do without it as well.  Then the evil eye was cast upon it and it became a castaway in proper usage.

However, it could not be entirely discarded.  Sometimes there's just no better way of putting a little emphasis to what you're saying.  Consider the everyday saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  Also "This ain't my first rodeo."  Don't forget "You ain't seen nothing yet."  And as Will Rogers said, "Common sense ain't common." 

And where would songwriters be without it?  Louis Jordon sang "There ain't nobody here but us chickens."  One of Fats Domino's songs, "Ain't That a Shame" spoke to a whole lot of folks.  Let's not forget the Ira and George Gershwin musical Porgy and Bess that gave us the classic, "Ain't Necessarily So."  Another favorite was "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Nickolas Ashford and Valeria Simpson.

Dizzy Dean, Baseball Hall of Famer and announcer, summed it up when he said, "A lot of people who don't say ain't, ain't eating."

I'll just close by relating something said to be a common Texas saying (though I'd not heard it before) that tickled my fancy: If that ain't a fact, God's a possum.

Get A Job!!

The road to employment does not always run straight and smooth.  Herewith a few examples.

     1.   I could have been a carpenter, but I took the studs.

     2.   I could have been a healer, but I lost my touch.

     3.   I started to be a podiatrist, but I got off on the wrong foot.

     4.   I could have been a bookie, but I didn't like the odds.

     5.  I could have been a pastry chef, but they said I was too flaky.

     6.   I tried to be a banana picker, but I got in with a bad bunch.

     7.   I considered being a fireman, but I couldn't take the heat.

     8.   I tried to be a sheet rock hanger, but I got plastered.

     9.   I could have been an accountant, but I didn't have the right figure.

    10.   I wanted to be a drummer, but I lost the beat.

    11.   I could have worked for the railroad, but I couldn't be trained.

    12.   I could have been a chitlin' maker, but I didn't have the guts.

We can't get discouraged, though.  Remember there is always the right job for everyone.  You just have to find it.

True? Maybe Not

We can find so much interesting information on the computer.  It's so easy.  Just type in a word or phrase and hit search.  In seconds you see the results popping up.  I've done it many times myself. 

There is one problem with this activity, though.  Not everything you see is the truth.  Some may be somewhat true.  Some is pure fiction.

A case in point is something that caught my eye recently.  The assertion was that President Franklin Roosevelt was transported via Al Capone's car to make a speech before both Houses of Congress after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.  It makes a good story with a lot of interesting details.  Things like the car had been painted black and green to look like a Chicago police car.  It was armored, meaning it was bullet proof and bomb proof.

The source of the story appears to be secret service agent Michael F. Rielly who wrote a book after he retired.  It was titled "Reilly of the White House."  This story was incorporated in his book.  It is, and was, a good story.

One problem is that some have said Roosevelt was never photographed in that car.  He tended to prefer convertibles, not sedans.  I would think there would be extensive coverage of that speech and surely some reporter somewhere would have made a comment about that particular car.  You would think there would be some conversation about the step-up in his security.

So, what do I think about this situation.  Well, I don't know the answer.  I can see the validity of the nay-sayers, and may be leaning to believing their view of the situation.  For now I am keeping an open mind and will go full speed ahead with the Al Capone story if I see some evidence to support the assertion.

Good reading and have a good week.  Let me know you thoughts on the subject if you like.

 

8 Thoughts on Snow

1.     There's one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as
        your neighbors.  -  Clyde Moore
2.     If you walk on snow you cannot hide your footprints. -  Chinese proverb
3.     No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.  -  Stanislaw Lec
4.     You can't make cheesecake out of snow.  -  Yiddish proverb
5.     The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches.  -  e.e. cummings
6.     A lot of people like snow.  I find it an unnecessary freezing of water.  -
              Carl Reiner
7.     I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.  -  Mae West
8.     Where does the white go when winter melts?  -  Anonymous

Call Me Anytime

The 1800s were busy times for inventors.  Two of them were Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell.  Gray (1835-1901) was prolific in coming up with ideas, getting at least 70 patents in his lifetime.  Bell (1847-1922) was another busy man.  He obtained 18 patents on his own and another 12 with collaborators.

In 1876 they both arrived at the U. S. patent office to submit applications for a patent for the telephone.  It has been said that Bell arrived one hour before Gray, and thus, his patent was accepted and he is known as the inventor of the telephone.  Some insisted Gray was the first but didn't get there in time to get the documentation he deserved for his invention.

Did they each know of the other and the work that was being done?  I really don't know.  Some folks do like to talk with others about what they are working on, and it has been reported that Bell's co-inventors were not happy about his diversion to the phone, for they were busy with something else they felt he should also be involved in.  But was this known prior to the patent, or did the information become public later?

Gray wasn't left out of recognition for his inventions.  His 70 patents testify to that.  And he did go on to found Western Electric as well.

The phone has changed much over the years.  Young people today would not believe some of the things that happened over its evolution.  I'm thinking in particular of party lines - shared lines where the intended recipient was alerted to incoming calls via ring patterns.

Do you remember the movie "Pillow Talk" starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson.  It came out in 1959 and they portrayed two parties sharing a phone line.  They despised each other and would argue over the phone about the other tying up the line for extended periods, limiting their own ability to make and receive call.

Of course they lived in New York City in rather posh circumstances.  All the more unrealistic to today's young people to imagine the necessity of sharing your phone and line with a complete stranger who has the ability to listen to your entire communication life.  Because of course you could not at that time conceive of taking your personal own phone with you wherever you might travel.

So thank you to Alexander Graham Bell, but also to Elisha Gray for all the work you both did to advance civilization's communication abilities.

Four Chaplains of the USS Dorchester

(This blog was originally posted February 4, 2013.  I hope you find it of interest. - Karen)

The Four Chaplains of the USS Dorchester

This was written many years ago, when I was in a song writing phase.  I read about these four men and remember them every February 3.  I would encourage you to look them up, to read about them.  They are Father John Washington (Catholic), Rev. Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed), Rabbi Alexander Goode (Jewish), and Rev. George Fox (Methodist).  Four men who truly represented the best of their faith, working together to help all, regardless of the other's faith.  May they rest in Peace.

                                PRAY, CHAPLAIN, PRAY

          It was February third, back in nineteen-forty-three
          The men on the Dorchester faced an angry sea
          And on the way to Greenland in the bitter, biting cold
          Just after midnight they sailed toward heaven's fold.

  (Chorus)     Pray, Chaplain, pray
                     Pray for my soul
                     As I am sinking under
                     In the deep dark cold
                     And as the waves are breaking
                     And I am going down
                     Pray, Chaplain, pray
                     Pray I am glory bound.

          In the Wednesday darkness just after the ship was hit
          Four Chaplains reached for glory as they faced the deepest pit
          Side by side they worked to help save all the men they could
          Side by side they prayed as on that dying ship they stood.


  (Chorus)

          Over nine hundred sailed out on that dark heavy sea
          Over six hundred went down to face eternity
          The Four Chaplains joined them in that black watery deep
          And with the men they prayed for they sleep that final sleep.

  (Chorus)

                     Pray, Chaplain, pray
                     Pray I am glory bound.

 

Symbiosis

A symbiotic relationship is one in which two entities are so wrapped up in each other that neither one can function independently.  I think this is  perfect representation of  this situation.

I like things that are bit unusual.  I found this cypress root that was exposed when exploring a problem with water pipes caused by roots invading an area.  It "spoke" to me, crying out for me to pick it up and take it home.  How could I say No to such pleading eyes.

I took it home, cleaned it up, let it dry awhile, then set to sanding it down.  When finally satisfied with the end product I then applied several coats of polyurethane.  I'm not sure exactly how many coats, but I'm sure it was at least fifteen.  The final piece is about 10 inches tall.  I still enjoy looking at it all these many years later.

Not everyone enjoys the unusual as much as I do, but that's okay.  I respect their opinions, but it doesn't change how I feel about this particular piece.

How do you feel about the unusual?  I'd love for you to share your thoughts.

     

Almonds - Oh Yes

I do like my almonds.  And that's a good thing.  Edgar Cayce, also known as the sleeping prophet, recorded some of his "readings" way back in the 1930's or so, and in them he made several references to the efficacy of this wonderful nut.  He said if you ate 2 or 3 almonds a day you would never need to fear getting cancer.

It was many years ago that I read his prediction that scientists would discover this fact by the end of the 20th century.  I have recently also read some interesting news that almonds can prove useful in lowering blood pressure, therefore helping one achieve a healthy heart.  And other, more recent articles, hail the ingestion of almonds in helping diabetics getting better health.

Way back, years ago, when I mentioned Cayce's observations to a friend, she was very pleased.  "So I could eat 2 Almond Joy candy bars a day and be protected from cancer?"  I responded that I wasn't sure that was the intent of his statement for he was an advocate for healthy eating, and thought the almonds could be used instead of meat products to get the proper nutrients that could be missing in a too-strict vegetarian diet.

Of course if one was predisposed to eat a candy bar, perhaps the Almond Joy would be a better choice than others.  This is my own opinion and not one I discovered in my reading.  Although I wouldn't advise taking them for daily consumption as a cancer or heart disorders prevention.

Here's wishing you a healthy New Year.  And just maybe (if you are so inclined) the enjoyable taste of a few almonds every now and then.

What's Your Attitude?

I am eternally a dedicated optimist.  Oh, there are times I have my down periods, but they fortunately never last too long.  So when I decided to do a papier mache project in the form of my initial, I decided the completed form must denote an attitude.

This "K" came to mind when I momentarily had a thought of Steven Urkel, the character on the TV show Family Matters played so very well by Jaleel White.  To try to capture that attitude, I made it with a slightly backward bent with one foot projected forward while the other was placed to the side.

I put teal paint in the papier mache pulp and inserted a design of puzzle pieces.  When dried I wiped the piece with a thin layer of more teal paint  over the top of the piece, followed by polyurethane to make it water repellent.  The finished form stands about 20 inches tall.

To tie this in with my attitude I'll include a few quotes I like.

     The world is full of cactus, but we don't have to sit on it.  -  Will Foley

     I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.  -  Mahatma Gandhi

     Become a possibilitarian.  No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are,  raise
     your sights and see possibilities - always see them, for they are always there.  -
                                                                                                     Norman Vincent Peale

Those Falling Leaves

Just a few days ago, this bush was thick with bright crimson leaves as autumn was exhibiting its full glory all around town.  Today was a crisp fall day with a brisk wind which made for a delightful day to be out and about.  It also continued to send leaves swirling across yards.  Of course the leaves have been falling for several days now, but today just put them into overdrive.  It won't be long until there will be only bare limbs displayed everywhere.

This reminds me of a quote by George Cooper.  While he mentions October, it fits today just as well.  He wrote:

               October gave a party, the leaves by hundreds came -
               The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, and leaves of every name. 
               The Sunshine spread a carpet, and everything was grand,
               Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band,.

Enjoy the fall, for winter will soon arrive.  We then will have to wait and suffer through the cold and bitter time until we again can get out and enjoy the beautiful days of Spring.

The Puzzle of Life

 

 

This is one of my first papier mache projects.  I decided to create my last initial, and I wanted it to stand alone when finished.  My life's philosophy has always incorporated the idea that life can change in a moment.  There would be no real rhyme or reason to a lot that happens in a lifetime.

 

Also, you can never predict how the rough passages will come out.  You can't foretell when it's going to settle down and experience smooth sailing.  So, yes, life is a puzzle indeed.

 

I am also a puzzle person.  I like to work the jigsaw puzzles, especially in the winter when it's too nasty to get out in the weather.  When I started this project, this was all swirling around in my head.  Going through a closet I realized I had a couple of puzzles with missing pieces.  So I pulled one of them, and rummaged through the box to look for the ones I wanted to incorporate into the finished work.

 

Can you tell that one side (the top one) has a pretty smooth finish?  The other I pushed the pieces into the papier mache mess so there is a jagged finish.  While working up the pulp I found an old container of a child's watercolor set.  I started mixing in colors into the pulp, using browns and oranges because they matched some of the background colors of the puzzle pieces. 

 

The pulp just slurped up that color and absorbed it quickly.  I wound up going back to the store and getting a few more watercolor sets, going through those colors in no time.  After completing the piece, I went back several times and repainted the watercolors until I was satisfied.  After a few coats of polyethylene I declared it done, a ten inch piece of special memories. 

 

I did this piece a long time ago, but still find pleasure in having it on a bookshelf.  Do you have a special work of art you created for your own pleasure that has stood the test of time, at least in your own mind?  Love to have you share.





The Season for Love

 

There's something about a beautiful fall day.  Today has been one of those days.  Beauiful weather, moderate temperature, the hint of rain in the air, though as yet none has fallen, and fall decorations popping up all over the place.  The picture above is one outside a business here in Perryville.

Then, when all seems right in the world and there is no way for the day to get better, the radio plays a song that captures the feeling of love in the air.  One from my childhood that has always stayed with me and pops up out of the blue is "Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams.  I do like that song.  Yes, it is melancoly, but the tumbling piano keys mimic the colorful leaves and their trajectory as they fall from the quickly changing trees everywhere.

What about Rosemary Clooney singing "Shine on Harvest Moon?"  How can you not like this song?  And a little side note:  did you see the Blood Moon yesterday morning?  I tried, but didn't get the timing right.  (Heavy sigh!!)  But I shall try again come April 2015 when it is again supposed to make an appearance.

Another song with a fall flavor is "Whoever's in New England" by Reba McEntire.  She has such a beautiful voice and the song is wonderful.  I'm not sure I'd have such a forgiving attitude, though, if I was in that same situation.  I'd probably be singing, "Keep your sorry self in New England 'cause I'm completely through with you."

There are more songs, of course.  Do you have a favorite?  I'd love to hear from each and every one of you, because music does indeed bring us all together in a special way.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Putting Shoes on My Barefeet

Some days it's hard to make a choice.  Do I go barefoot, or do I decide which shoes to wear?  It isn't always an easy choice, for I am naturally a barefoot gal.  I like this thought by Michael Franti:
          You learn a lot when you go barefoot.  The first thing is that every step you take
          is different.

There must be others with these thoughts.  K.D. Lang sings "Barefoot."  Harry Chapin recorded "Barefoot Boy."  Jake Owens sings about "Barefoot Blue Jean Night."  I can relate to all of these.

However, shoes and boots have turned up more often in the musical world.  And the songs often skew more to a life with a beat.  Remember when Nancy Sinatra sang about "These Boots Were Made for Walking?"  And Shania Twain had a later hit with her song, "Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?"

An earlier song was Dodie Stevens singing about "Tan Shoes and Pink Shoelaces."  And we can't forget Carl Perkins song (also recorded by Elvis Presley) titled "Blue Suede Shoes."  Of course you can go way back to get a listen to Red Foley singing about "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy."

Another thought I like is one by Amy Adams:  I like Cinderella, I really do.  She has a good work ethic.  I appreciate a good, hard working gal.  And she likes shoes.  The fairy tale is all about the shoes at the end and I'm a big shoe girl.

 But let's not let ourselves get carried away with all this talk about shoes.  Charles Barkley sums it up pretty well  when he said:  These are my new shoes.  They're good shoes.  They won't make you rich like me, they won't make you rebound like me, they definitely won't make you handsome like me.  They'll only make you have shoes like me.  That's it.

And we'll close with the immortal words of Phyllis Diller:  You know you're old when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes, and you're barefoot.

We'll talk again later.  But remember, watch where you put those feet, especially if you are barefoot at the time.

The Freedom of Failure

In yesterday's Arkansas Democrat Gazette I read an article by Stephen Marche:  Failure is the muse of writers.  Over the years I had read a lot of things denoting the downside of being a writer.  He did a good job encapsulating them in an interesting article.

I have also noticed the ascendancy of entrepreneurs in making note of the times they fail over many different enterprises.  I'm sure you've heard the adage:  The only one who don't fail are those who never try.  And I do agree somewhat with the thought.

Marche points out that all those folks are really wannabes in the failure world.  The top of the heap in coping with the knowledge of failure are all the writers in the world.  Failure is built into the job description from the very get-go.  He (and others) have pointed out that there are over 300,000 books  published every year in the United States.  Anyone can figure out that the vast majority will never make it to any best seller list anywhere.  And of those who do achieve some modicum of success, there is always the thought it will not be repeated.

So, why write?  I'm sure there are as many reasons for that as there are writers.  But everybody's got to do something.  Some write and make a decent living at it.  They would most likely include those who have found a way into the world of professional writers in all the various forms - entertainment, journalism (although sometimes there is little difference between some of them), advertisers, editors, promoters.

I can only speak for myself.  I write because I just can't see not writing.  I like to write fiction.  I write to entertain and try to bring a bit of quirky humor to a story line.  I didn't try to write for way too many years, because I really didn't have confidence in myself and worried about the resultant criticism that would surely follow.  But over the years, I would jot down story ideas or produce short stories.

Then came the time life lassoed my freedom and I wound up in an ever more restricting environment due to circumstances well beyond my control with no foreseeable end in sight.  No, I didn't wind up in jail.  But you make choices in life in how you deal with the vagaries of aging and with family members facing horrible challenges.  I found for myself the best way to deal with this was to write.

I can write whenever I need to escape yet stay in place.  I can write as often as I find time or let it go whenever I can't focus on the words or plot or characters.  And I determined to self-publish because I face only the deadlines I impose on myself.  I can't get out and market the work, but I can still get it out there.  If God grants me time, marketing can come later.  If not, oh well.  There are still the occasional books sold and the very welcome odd bits of comments on the work.

I relish these comments, whether from family, friends or complete strangers.  I like them whether they come from reviewers' comments, e-mail, snail mail or phone calls.  And now as I do the finishing work in preparing my third novel, I still enjoy what I'm doing.  How long will I do it?  I have no idea.   

As for all those thoughts of failure, I actually find a real freedom in the knowledge that is lurking out there just around the corner.  Statistically, I have to fail.  So what?  In my mind I have achieved success because I have completed some real stories.  From my viewpoint, any sales put me ahead of the game.  Any positive feedback gives me moments of true joy.  And I can look at the finished product and see real achievement rising from times of sadness and stress.  I know that life has not gotten me down, that I can still have fun and find amusement somewhere in my mind that can relax me and push the devil back down into his dark place, alone.

What more can you ask from life's journey?

You Say What Is Against The Law??

Let's take a look at another ten legal issues that have arisen across the states over time.  Again, someone somewhere decided at some time or other that constituents were upset over a specific issue, enough to push this issue to some legislature's attention, enough to get the laws passed.  Remember, I found these laws on the Internet so I cannot vouch for their veracity or the time of their passage.

New Mexico       -  In the town of Las Cruces you may not carry a lunchbox down
                               Main street.
New York           -  It is against the law to slurp your soup.
North Carolina   -  Attention all cotton farmers!!  You may not use elephants to plow
                               your cotton fields.
Ohio                   -   And fishermen must also be diligent when enjoying their passion.  It is
                               illegal to get a fish drunk in this fair state.  (If you take booze to the
                               lake or river, plan on consuming it yourself.)
Oklahoma          -   It is illegal to wear your boots to bed.  (Do you think the ladies had
                               something to do with getting this law enacted?)
Oregon               -  One must wear "suitable clothing" when bathing.  (Is the "suitable
                               clothing specified in the law?  I just don't know.)
Pennsylvania      -  This law is related to the one in Oregon.  In William Penn's namesake
                               state you may not sing in the bathtub. (I wonder if they later updated
                               it to include singing in the shower?)  
Rhode Island      -  In this state, you may not bite off the leg of another person.  (I don't
                               even want to think about the reasoning behind this law.)
South Carolina   -  Evidently a pious state at the time, the powers that be passed a law
                               making it illegal to do any work on Sunday.  (I have a feeling this
                               one has gone by the wayside by now.)

So watch your actions, fellow citizens.  You do not want to run afoul of the law in any of our fair states.  In reading this and the past lists, how many are you in danger of doing?

The Future Looks Good

As you travel through life you are always running into the perpetual nay-sayers.  So often folks predict a dire future for all of us because the young people don't want to learn or do anything productive.

Now it is true that the negative captures the public attention far more than the positive.  But the positive is out there, and sometimes it rears a beautiful view of something wonderful that is about to happen.  Oh, what a wonderful thing it is to see that fine future and the possibilities that loom before us, stretching far into the future.

One such story came our way this week.  Two years ago a 12 year old Florida girl, Lauren Arrington, won 3rd place in a the zoology category of a science fair.  The daughters of a couple of scientists, she used her inquiring mind to ask questions of some value about lionfish.  Her results came to the attention of Craig Layman, a professor working with graduate students from Florida.  They replicated Lauren's study and came up with results that supported her findings.

Their studies have now been published in the Environmental Biology of Fishes, and the good professor gives Lauren credit for her work.  Good for her for getting her study extended by the grownups, and good for the professor and his group for including her work by citing it in the journal.  This is the way things should be done, in my opinion, with all working together to figure things out, and showing a willingness to share in the glory when the results are in.

With folks like this in the world, we must get some good information that can eventually be of value to the world.  Way to go, people.  My hats off to all of you.