Quote of the Week

Is the glass half empty, half full, or twice as large as it needs to be? - Unknown

We've all heard "is the glass half full or half empty".  This is a new perspective on that old saying.  

Now, half empty signifies that the observer is a pessimist, while half full indicates the person is an optimist. 

What does it mean when we are asked if it is twice as large as it needs to be?  My take on that is this.  A glass twice as large as it needs to be makes things look out of proportion. Skewed in other words, depending on your view of the world. If you have the same amount of water in a smaller glass it will always be full.

To illustrate this, I used two wine glasses (colored water, people, it's too early on a Saturday morning for drinking), and filled them each with about 6 oz. of water.  

As you can see, the larger glass is half full, or half empty depending on your view, or love of wine, while the smaller glass is full.  

I know most serious wine drinkers would prefer the larger glass, but for the sake of illustration, we are going with the small glass being the ideal point of view.

Fungus Among Us

This was such a bright splash of color among the green and brown of it's surroundings. It almost looks like a tomato on a stem.  After a lot of Googling and comparing pictures, I determined that this is likely an Amanita Jacksonii.

This beautiful mushroom is found in North America from Quebec to Mexico, and resembles the Amanita Caesarea, which is found mainly in Southern Europe and North Africa.

It is said to be edible, but it is not recommended because other members of this family are poisonous.  Here it is shown in it's just-emerged, immature stage.

Here is a pretty white, cone-shaped mushroom that sprang up on an old stump.  As you can see he has a unidentified friend nearby.  Until I started searching for what these might be, I never realized how many fantastic fungi there are in every shape and color imaginable.

I saw this one a few days later on another stump, and at that time it looked similar to the one above.  The picture below was taken today and you can see how it has changed.  As it matured, it opened up, flattened out some and developed brown spots.  These may both be Parasol mushrooms.  True Parasol mushrooms are said to have exceptional flavor, but again, not something you want to eat unless you really know what you're doing since they can be confused with toxic varieties.  

What is sprouting up in your area?

Quote of the Week

The trouble with, "A place for everything and everything in its place" is that there’s always more everything than places. - Robert Brault

Question:  Do you need less stuff or more places?
Answer:  A little of both.

I think most of us have things that just sit around collecting dust that we haven't touched in years. Some have the philosophy that if you haven't used it in two years, throw it out.  That may be a good rule of thumb for some things and some people.

Others hang on to stuff for decades because they might need it someday. To be clear, I'm not talking about hoarders like you see on TV who keep everything that comes into their house, including trash, and things used up or broken beyond repair.

I have things packed away that I don't use. Do they take up space? Yes. Should I get rid of them? Some would say yes, and in time I may...when I can let go.  

Do we have more everything than places? Yes.  Is it junk?  No.  Hubby has a project he's working on. He needs something, goes into the basement and voila, he finds something that fills the bill. It is likely something that I would have thrown out years ago.

Just this past weekend I was making something and I needed some double-sided tape. I went down to a shelf in the basement and rummaged through a box of all kinds of tape I'd brought from my parents' house years ago. I found what I needed and finished my project.

So while there are extremes on both sides, and as much as we strive to maintain the balance, we always have more everything than places.

Quote of the Week

Do it, and then you will feel motivated to do it. 

- Zig Ziglar

It's true. The longer you put something off, the less you will feel like doing it. No matter what your project, digging in with both feet will energize you. Once you begin to see some progress, you will be even more motivated to keep plugging away.
  

Class of 1943

Today would have been Mom's 89th birthday. Seventy-one years ago she graduated from the Mattanawcook Academy. The academy was founded in 1847 as Lincoln High School. The name was changed to Mattanawcook Academy in 1850.  Today it is part of Regional School Unit No. 67, which includes Mattanawcook Junior High School, and Ella P. Burr Elementary School.

Here are some facts and other tidbits about her home town.

Lincoln was a small town with a population (according to the 1940 census) of 3,653, and the major business in the area centered around sawmills along the Penobscot River and the pulp and paper mill.  Mom's younger brother worked for a while in the paper mill, and if you have ever smelled a paper mill in production, it is not a scent you will forget.

As of the 2010 census, Lincoln had a population of 5,085 and having increased less than 1,500 in 70 years, it is still a small town.

Every area has their signature food, and a favorite of mine is the New England staple...Bean Hole Beans.  These are absolutely a treat.  First dig a big hole and build a fire.  Then take a cast iron pot with a lid (I have one of these), fill with beans, salt pork (or bacon), onions, dry mustard and molasses.  Bury the pot in the pit of coals and wait...8-10 hours later you will have a delicious pot of beans. I remember Mom telling me about eating bean hole bean sandwiches for breakfast.

Above and beyond the bean hole beans, the food that brings me a sigh squeal of delight is fried clams, preferably those found at clam shacks along the beaches.  Others may favor the oohed-and-aahed-over Maine lobster, but give me a plate of fried clams (whole or strips) dressed only in salt, and I am one happy camper.

These are from the Sea Hag in Florida.

On rare occasion you can actually get good fried clams somewhere other than New England. While these aren't quite the same, they are a good substitute.

Along with the good comes the not-so-good.  Black Flies.  If you live or have visited in the northern states in the summer, you know about Black Flies. They bite, but even more irritating to me is the swarming around your face. They are tiny, a 16th of an inch or less, and they can get in your eyes, so you are constantly swatting them away.

While doing research for this post, I found a list of residents buried at the South Lincoln Maine Cemetery, also known as the Mohawk Cemetery.  A number of my relatives are buried there, including my grandparents, great grandparents and uncles.  There is an old wrought iron fence around the cemetery, and at the gate there is (or was) a water spigot for visitors to get water for the flowers.

There is a lot more to the State of Maine and the Town of Lincoln, but these are a few of the things with which I have a personal connection.  For anyone interested, there is more information at their web site Welcome to Lincoln.

I miss thee, my Mother! Thy image is still
The deepest impressed on my heart.
- Eliza Cook

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Links to pictures and more info are in bold.

Quote of the Week

Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think. - Robert Henri

I've always had a love for the beach, beginning with the first trip that I can remember to Topsail Beach. I was about six, and Mom made me a terry cloth beach jacket (we called them beach jackets in those days instead of cover-ups).  It wasn't ideal weather for a first visit to the beach.  It was overcast and drizzly, but I still was out there playing in the water in my bathing suit and windbreaker. On our last day, the sun broke through the clouds and I got what was probably my first sunburn.

Now I look at all the beaches I've seen, North, South, East and West, and there is one thing they all have in common.  They allow me to recharge my internal batteries.  I can sit for hours listening to the water as the waves run up the sand and retreat, repeating the pattern over and over...timeless. 

The ocean is a vibrant, living thing, and a wonderful place to think, to dream and to ponder the mysteries of life.

7 Ways to Brighten Someone's Day

Image source: deviantart

Today's post was inspired by this week's quote "The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention" and the concept of *Random Acts of Kindness. Being kind to one another is so important that they even set aside a week in February specifically for engaging in random acts of kindness, which is commendable. While this puts kindness in the spotlight, it is something we should practice every day.

It is said that charity begins at home, and charity, in this instance, means showing love and kindness. Here are a few budget-friendly ways to show charity to your friends and family.

1. Call or e-mail a friend. It's always nice to answer the phone or check your inbox and reconnect with a friend, perhaps someone with whom you have lost touch lately.
   
   
2. Treat a friend to lunch. We will often treat people for birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions, but why wait? Surprises are the best special occasions.
   
   
3. Send a card. With today's technology it's easy to overlook the simple things.  Send a fun card to someone to let them you you're thinking of them. It is a small act that can have big benefits. Choose a happy, uplifting card and write a short note. This is sure to bring a smile to the recipient's face.
   
   
4. Make a gift basket. Small, thoughtful gifts don't have to break your budget. You can find small baskets, candles and holders, soaps, silk flowers, ribbon and other small items for a few dollars.  For a work-at-home friend a gift for the home office can fill the bill. Put together some small note pads, pens, and paper clips in an inexpensive desk caddy. Hint: Visit the dollar stores, but keep it tasteful, not tacky, and customize it for the individual's personality.
   
   
5. A gift from the heart. Nothing says love like a homemade gift, especially if you bake or garden. So, instead of shopping, use your talents instead. Bake muffins or cookies, make a soup mix with dried beans and seasonings, or harvest a basket of fresh tomatoes or squash from your garden. This is a chance to let your inner light shine.
   
   
6. Make a charitable donation. Choose a charity close to their heart (or yours) and make a small donation in their name, or in honor or memory of someone in their family.
   
   
7. Brighten a stranger's day. It is easy to do things for our friends, but not always so easy when it comes to strangers. How to approach them, what is appropriate and how will a random kindness be received? Here are some thoughts. Smile at someone first, pay them a compliment, buy a coffee or share a cab and pay the fare or pay their bus fare.
   
   Don't do something just to get something in return...you will see the rewards in your own life.

Please share your ideas or experiences in the comment section.

*The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is an internationally recognized non-profit organization founded upon the powerful belief in kindness and dedicated to providing resources and tools that encourage acts of kindness.

Quote of the Week

The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention. - John Burroughs

No matter how small the act, any deed well done for the good of someone else is worth more than all the good intentions, however big or small, that are never acted upon.  So don't just talk the talk, follow your words with action.

Night Falls

As night falls

And evening fades

Painted into subtle shades

Of purple, blue and gray

Quote of the Week

"Silent" and "listen" are spelled with the same letters.  - Unknown

These two important words go hand in hand since you can't do the second without being the first. But really listening to someone is more than just being politely quiet while awaiting your turn to speak. It is listening intently and with as much interest as we display when we are speaking. Perhaps we should listen unto others as we would have them listen unto us.  

Today's lesson is to think about how we listen.  

Quote of the Week

The impossible can always be broken down into possibilities. - Unknown

For example, when faced with what seems to be an impossible task, take a step back and review what really needs to be done.  Divide it into smaller segments that can be accomplished more easily and you will begin to see progress.  The more headway you make, the more motivated you become and you will soon see that the once "impossible" task is on it's way to completion.

Quote of the Week

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.  - Samuel Ullman

Every so often I get a notification from Facebook about friends' birthdays.  This week there are five, so this quote jumped out at me this morning.

Samuel Ullman was a German born poet, businessman and humanitarian who immigrated the United States at a young age to escape discrimination.  He was best known for his poem entitled "Youth", which was said to be a favorite of General Douglas MacArthur.

Age isn't so much a number as state of mind.  We may gain knowledge, wisdom and experience over the years, but we can maintain a youthful mind by staying true to ourselves. Live life to the fullest and keep your soul wrinkle-free.

Quote of the Week

How doth the little busy bee

Improve each shining hour,

And gather honey all the day

From every opening flower!

- Isaac Watts, "Divine Songs"

I hope everyone had a happy and joyous Easter!

In the Oven?

 

Dood's in the oven again!  There is a small table in front of the heat vent that forms a perfect little spot to collect the heat.  We call this the oven, and it is one of Dood's favorite spots during the winter.  I know it's because it is warm and toasty in there when the heat runs. During a warm spell when I switched to air conditioning, he chose other cozy spots. When the temperature dropped this week and I turned the heat on again, he gravitated back to the table. 

I wanted to get a good picture of him in there, so I put the camera on the floor and just as I pushed the button, Sophie walked by. Instead of a botched picture, I thought it was an interesting perspective.

Quote of the Week

Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny spring day.  
- W. Earl Hall

Beretta (a.k.a. the Stalker Kitty)

The lovely Beretta, from next door, is modeling our quote today.  She is blissfully unaware that she is laying on an ant nest.  Rest assured she has too much residual kitten energy to hold that position for long.

A Pretty Face

I took a picture of Sophie.

I'm so pretty!

Then I applied the brush stroke technique
in Paint Shop Pro.

I could be a painting.

This gives it an Impressionist look.

Isn't she lovely?

Quote of the Week

We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon. - Konrad Adenauer

Minnesota

These two places are over 1,600 miles apart yet connected by the same land, beneath the same sky.  Our earth is an amazing place with so many different sights - oceans, mountains, plains, and deserts.  A lifetime of horizons upon which to gaze.    

Florida

No Fooling

Image source: Gisela Giardino

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts. -Bertrand Russell

Quote of the Week

We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.  - Evelyn Dunbar

We are who we are supposed to be. The adventure is figuring out what makes us who we are. This isn't a one-time thing, though. As we grow and change, we learn more about ourselves and our gifts and talents. Be who you are and let your light shine.

This One's For Rosie!

This is an excerpt from an email I received last week from Jenny at PartyPail.com.  

Dear Linda,

My name is Jenny Franklin. I work with PartyPail.com; my job is to search blogs such as yours for individuals who put a great deal of effort into making birthdays extra special.

I am writing you because of your post on Rosie's 16th birthday party. If anyone deserves a birthday party, it certainly is a cat that's lived 16 years! On behalf of PartyPail.com I would like to award you the "Best Decorations" badge. Little Rosie is so adorable!

Thank you, Jenny. I was surprised and pleased to have Rosie's party post selected. Of course, I accept this award in memory of Rosie, after all it was his party. 

Quote of the Week

I don't like that man. I must get to know him better.
- Abraham Lincoln

To me this is an odd phrase, and not something we hear often, if ever at all. Usually if we don't like someone, we tend to avoid them if we can, or if not, hopefully we practice civil tolerance. 

Mr. Lincoln deals with this a bit differently. It sounds as if his initial dislike of a person intrigues him, as if he is saying to himself, "I don't like him.  Why is that?"  In getting to know him better he may either decide he does, in fact, like him, or that indeed, he does not, but now he has a clear picture of why.

What are your thoughts on this?

Quote of the Week

For each petal on the shamrock

This brings a wish your way

Good health, good luck, and happiness

For today and every day.

(unknown)

For a little history of St. Patrick's Day, check out this post 

I wrote this a few years ago.

Have fun and stay safe!

Quote of the Week

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. - Rabindranath Tagore

Sunsets are like snowflakes, no two are alike, because no two clouds are alike.  Even those that brought forth rain or storm, when spent, will glow peacefully as the sun bids us good night.

What is a Nebelung?

I often told Rosie that they broke the mold when they made him, that he was one of a kind and there would never be another like him. Yes, I do talk to my cats, and we had some interesting conversations in spite of the fact that neither of us knew what the other was saying.

When asked what kind of cat he was, I had no answer.  For years I wondered what his parents might have looked like.  His coloring was that of a Russian Blue, but they were short haired, and his hair was anything but short, and I was among those who had never heard of a Nebelung.  

Quite often Rosie would lay in my lap while I was on the computer, so one night I was sitting there missing him and I Googled "long-haired gray cat with green eyes."  Imagine my surprise when I found this video.

Why hadn't I done this sooner? It's my Rosie right down to his glowing green eyes and silky silver-gray hair. I wish I known this back when we adopted Rosie rather than finding out after he was gone. I always knew he was special, and even though I only saw two other cats that looked like him, I never realized how rare he was in the cat world.  It would have been great to be able to say 'he's a Nebelung'.

He was born in 1997 and considering the breed has only been in existence since the mid 1980s and I only found two Nebelung breeders in the U.S. (neither in my area), he may not have been a purebred, but he definitely had the characteristics and personality of the breed. 

Here's a little history on the origin of the Nebelung.  Siegfried, born in 1984, was the first registered Nebelung.  His parents were a black domestic shorthair named Elsa and a black longhair that resembled an Angora.  Later, Brunhilde was born, and this was the foundation for the Nebelung breed.  The breed standard was written by owner, Cora Cobb, based on the standard for the Russian Blue, with the difference being the coat length.  The name Nebelung comes from the German word nebel, meaning fog or mist.  

Here are more pictures of my "creature of the mist":

This one shows off his magnificent mane.

Look at those eyes!

A little desk time with mama.

It just didn't get any better than this.

I miss you my friend.

Quote of the Week

Remember how far you've come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. 
- Rick Warren

Life is a series of journeys, and on every journey there are three points; the starting point (A), the mid point (B) and the arrival (C). 

While you can't get from point A to point C without going through point B, everything you experience between A and B will lay the groundwork for as you continue your journey to C.

It's A Wrap

It is the 28th and final day of the Third Second Annual 30 Minus 2 Days of Writing challenge hosted by Nicky and Mike at We Work for Cheese and today's prompt is And then my brain exploded.  Congratulations to all the other participants.  We made it!

As the sun sets upon the 2014 30 minus 2 Days of Writing Challenge, we take a look back at the past 28 days.

We laughed, we cried, we lied, some made it, some faked it.  It was chaos, it was a dream, but it was no accident.

We ate gouda, and drank vodka and left the empty bottles all over the floor.  Hint, hint, we need a maid.  

And then she said, "damn, did you post that on Facebook"?  How did you find out? Uh...there are things best left unsaid.  

We fended off zombies, aliens and succubi which left us scatterbrained, naked and lost.  Some developed temporary insanity and played Dylan tunes endlessly.  Can you turn that down? My ears are ringing!

We took this challenge on one bite at a time, and it tasted like chicken. Some swore in their best Shakespearean English that they would participate in another challenge when Hell freezes over. Others just went incommunicado.

We shared good times, made new friends, and caught up with old friends.

But when all was said and done, mon cerveau a explosé!

The Last Laugh

It is day 27 of the Third Second Annual 30 Minus 2 Days of Writing challenge hosted by Nicky and Mike at We Work for Cheese and today's prompt is How did you find out.  Check out WWFC to find out what everyone else is up to.

Once they were back on the main road Charlie and Alex found a tavern and decided to wait there for their cab. It had been a long hike and they were ready to slack their thirst so they ordered up a couple pints and settled in to wait. The dispatcher had said it would be about an hour.

Image Source: Wikipedia

"Well look who we have here," came an unfamiliar voice from across the room. 

Charlie and Alex looked up to see an olive-skinned man with his black hair pulled back, wearing an expensive suit approaching them. "Who are you?" asked Charlie.

"I heard you were looking for me. My name is Jorge Hernandez. I think you have something that belongs to me."

"And what might that be?" asked Charlie. His mind racing now, the police must be in cahoots with Jorge, and whatever is in that briefcase will incriminate both Jorge and the police, or at least the Sergeant.

"I think you know. Now if you will just hand over the briefcase."

"How did you find out we were coming to talk to you?" asked Alex, as he took a step backward and to the right.  This action shielded his right side from Jorge, just in case...

"Why a little bird told me. You see, Sergeant Ricardo works for me," said Jorge as if that explained it all, and frankly it explained a lot. "Since you won't be leaving here," Jorge patted his side, "there's no reason I shouldn't tell you. I believe a condemned man should know why he's dying."

Alex stood still, only a slight nod to Charlie told him he understood the plan. They would just let Jorge talk, and talk he did.  

"You see Tomas found out that I was skimming some money from the company and using it to fund my...uh... business. He gathered records...heck he even hired a private investigator to get pictures of me and my associates. He was carrying those back to the Colombian authorities, but since the good Sergeant is in my pocket, so to speak, he arranged to have him and the evidence disappear. So that is why I can't let you leave," Jorge concluded. 

So the contracts Tomas was working on were just a story for his wife, and for obvious reasons he couldn't tell her the truth. But they had the evidence, and now it was time to put their plan into action.  

Jorge pulled his gun.  "Now place your guns on the table."  Not wanting to risk a shooting in the tavern, they complied.

"OK, but not here," Charlie indicated the tavern keeper and a few patrons along the bar nursing their beers, trying not to notice what was going on. No one wanted to get involved.

As they moved to the parking lot, Charlie said "NOW." Alex spun, catching Jorge's ankles and knocking him to the ground. Drawing his backup gun, Alex said "Stay down, hands behind your head. Charlie couldn't resist saying, "you really didn't think you could take on the FBI did you," as he grabbed the gun. 

"That was way too easy," grinned Alex. His grin faded as he heard the familiar sound of a pump shotgun. Jorge got to his feet, brushing the dirt from his suit. "You really didn't think I would come here alone did you, Mr. FBI man?"

As they turned to face Sergeant Ricardo, dressed in his uniform so everything would look official and above board, Jorge took his gun back and theirs too.  He motioned them toward the Jeep with the barrel of the gun. It would look like he was escorting prisoners.  

Charlie said, "I'm sorry Alex." 

"It's okay Charlie, it's not your fault and besides we're not giving up."

Before they reached the Jeep, their taxi came barreling into the parking lot, throwing gravel and kicking up a cloud of dust. It was just those few seconds of chaos that gave Alex and Charlie the break they needed. Alex lunged at the Sergeant and struggled for the shotgun. Just as Jorge started to raise his gun, the shotgun fired striking Jorge in the shoulder. With Alex controlling the shotgun, Charlie promptly relieved Jorge of his gun for the last time.  

"You know my Mama always said, 'he who laughs last, laughs the loudest'. Guess who's laughing now, Jorge?"

Case closed.

To catch up with the story so far:
Beyond the Window
Risky Business
Aliens, Really?
The Colombians
The Key
Stranded