Quote of the Week

Unclear expectations lead to inefficient processes and subpar performance. - Christine Lotze

Much like the making of fine wine, in order to achieve your goal, you need  a clear understanding of what you're doing, where you're going and how to get to there.  Anything less produces a less gratifying result, be it wine or personal or professional achievement.

Know what is expected, hone your skills and reap the rewards.

Quote of the Week

Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be.
- Karen Ravn

Keep growing, going, seeing, being...keep dreaming!

The Fluffernutter

This was my lunch the other day.  Hopefully the nutrition in the peanut butter offset the empty calories of the marshmallow creme - a gooey layer of carbs and sugar slathered on a slice of white bread.

The Fluffernutter was a phrase coined in 1960 for the peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich.  Marshmallow Creme (also known as Marshmallow Fluff) was credited to several inventors Emma and Amory Curtis in 1913 and Archibald Query in 1917, both from Massachusetts.  During World War I Emma Curtis created a recipe using peanut butter and marshmallow creme on white bread, which she then sold to Durkee-Mower Inc.  They changed the name to Marshmallow Fluff, which paved the way for today's Fluffernutter.  It soon gained popularity and has been proposed as the official state sandwich of Massachusetts.

The Fluffernutter is still most popular in New England, so what is a Southern gal doing eating one?  My Mom was from Maine and she would occasionally make them for lunch as an alternative to the many, many bologna sandwiches I ate.

Now that I've admitted it, who else enjoys a Fluffernutter?

Quote of the Week

The past, the present and the future are really one: they are today.  - Harriett Beecher Stowe

A Moment in Time

Your past helps build the person you become.  How you live the present represents what you have learned, and how you view the future reveals where you are headed.  All of these concepts are intertwined into your life at this moment in 

time - today.

Quote of the Week

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.  

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lake City, FL

Clouds and Trees, Florida 2012

 

 I-275 in Florida en route to St. Pete

Quote of the Week

In a world where you can be anything, be yourself. 

- Etta Turner

Man is the only creature that will try to be something or someone he's not.  Be yourself and what you accomplish will be your own.

The Stalker

http://callmelindi.deviantart.com

Stalking is something that happens to other people.  You know famous people, important people.  I never figured that would be me.  She is beautiful, I will admit, and I suppose I'm partly to blame for my situation.  I took pity on her and friended her because...well she lives with a bunch of real dogs.  

Now I find her waiting for me when I get home.  She appears from out of nowhere whenever I venture outside.  She boldly shows her affection for me and tries to force her way into my home. To get my attention, she throws herself at my feet, and when I try to leave her, she chases me down and trips me.  She even attacked my hubby.

To make matters worse, she lives next door and can scale the fence in two seconds flat.  Who knows...I may have to become a hermit.  Where is the "unfriend" button?

This is the face of a stalker!

She really is beautiful.

You know I'll find you!

Her moods can be as explosive as the pistol she was named for, but in all fairness to the lovely Beretta, she has calmed down some, and I no longer fear a feline home invasion.  Maybe living with six humans and a pack of dogs is sometimes just too much for her and she needs a little one-on-one with a cat person.  I can understand...that would make me a little nuts too.  I guess she could use a friend.

Quote of the Week

Do not say a little in many words, but a great deal in few.
- Pythagoras

Some words of wisdom from another of the great Greek philosophers.  Also for those who remember some of their grade school geometry, this is the fellow for whom the Pythagorean theorem is named.  Philosophy and math makes an interesting  combination plus he also founded a religious movement called Pythagoreanism. 

Okay, how many of you have known someone who, however likable, could talk for an hour and you were none the wiser for having listened?  Out of all the words they used, most are repetitious and only a very small percentage of them actually contained any real information.  Sometimes it's as if they are on an audio loop and you would desperately like to push pause.

I could spout out a lot of words about why I think this happens based on the individuals and their different life circumstances, but I won't.  I'll just leave you with this thought:  Talk less and say more.

 

Quote of the Week

Image Source: Wikipedia

When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.  – Alexander Graham Bell

Bell, a creative man with a sensitive nature and talent for the arts, produced his first invention at the age of 12.  He invented a machine for dehusking wheat, normally a laborious process.  He was later, and most well known, for inventing the telephone.  

I wonder what he would think about how his invention has evolved over the years.  When you couple this with the quote from the Chairman of IBM a few weeks ago, I think both men would be amazed at the Smart Phone which combines the computer with the telephone.

It seems to me that Bell's quote is quite clear.  We miss opportunities by focusing on the past rather than looking ahead.  The closed door is the past.  We can't change that.  The open door represents future opportunities.  When the door opens, step inside.

Beneath the Poplar Tree

I planted this tree a little more than 20 years ago as a seedling that I dug up from the woods next to our house.  It started out in a large soft drink cup and when it outgrew the cup and looked like it was going to make it, I planted it.  My guess is that it's nearly 2 feet in diameter and at least 50 feet tall.  Although the tree did all the work, I am very proud of having grown it from a mere sprout. 

So many people around here now are cutting down perfectly good trees and leaving their yards looking sad and naked.  It just breaks my heart when I see those lovely, healthy trees destroyed, leaving only ground out stumps and piles of sawdust.  I guess it is the fear of what might happen one day.

We are having a tree taken down, too, but for safety reasons only.  If it were healthy, that old maple, with all it's interesting character, would remain there shading the house for many years to come.  Fortunately, it is on the north side of the house and the neighbors have a large elm nearby so there will still be some shade. 

This is why it has to go.  It is so hollowed out it's a wonder it's still standing, but to look at the top of the tree, you'd never know it.  We (mostly me) have been putting this off for a long time but each year the hollow gets bigger and bigger and sooner or later, something will set up housekeeping in there, or it will go over in a big puff of wind...not a pleasant thought.  So Friday down it comes [sniff].

For now, cheers from beneath the poplar!

Quote of the Week

The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. - Unknown

No matter what our education, or social or economic standing, there is one thing that we have in common and that is the continuing need for self-improvement.  Whether we have room for anything else or not, we all have room for that.

Quote of the Week

A bad attitude is like a flat tire, you can’t get very far until you change it.  - unknown

Our attitude influences our day and if it's having a bad day, so are we.  Like a car on a drawbridge, your life comes to a standstill.  So don't let yourself smack into the wall of a bad attitude. 

Freaky Fungi

I found these interesting looking critters under the dogwood tree this morning.  They are called Mutinus Elegans, more commonly known as Elegant Stinkhorn, and while they are found up and down the East Coast, I've never seen one before.  However, with the aid of Google I was able to identify these unusual fungi.

They are reported to have a foul odor but considering how close I got to take the pictures, I didn't smell anything.  The brown coloring is actually a slime which flies and other insects feed on which disperses the spores.  Yuck!  Because of their odor, they are not considered edible for humans.

Interestingly, in a study of a variety of mushrooms, the stinkhorn showed antibiotic activity against all six of the human bacteria tested including E.coli and Salmonella.

Has anyone else seen these or have them in your yard?

Quote of the Week

Image Source: Wikipedia

I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. - Thomas Watson (1874-1956), Chairman of IBM, 1943

He was one of the richest men of his time, and was called the world's greatest salesman when he died in 1956.  He had no idea when he made that statement just how far computers would go or to what extent they would change the world. 

Quote of the Week

Facts are the enemy of truth.
- Don Quixote - "Man of La Mancha"

The facts and the truth should be one and the same.  However, many times what we believe to be the truth will later be dispelled by the introduction of the facts.  Often this is unintentional brought on by misinformation.  Other times this occurs when people dig in their heels and insist their version of the story is the truth.

Rosie's 16th Birthday Party

At about 4 months old, Rosie joined our family in October 1997.  He was such a sweet little thing. He was about 6 pounds with big feet and big ears.  They didn't seem to match the rest of him, but I knew he would grow into them.  He was going to be a big cat.  If you think Rosie is a strange name for a male cat, you can read how he got his name here.

After many years of chronic allergies, sinus problems and several rounds of diabetes, we arrived at the celebration of his 16th birthday on June 1, 2013, although the actual date is unknown.

 

I went to my local Walmart for supplies.

 I opened a can of chicken to make chicken salad - especially so that Rosie could lick the can.  It is a treat he enjoys very much, and after all, it is his day!

 That was good, mama.

 

 This was a 10 oz. can of chicken.  As you can see, it is just "head sized".

 

  Clean up time!

  How do I look?

 Birthday cake, courtesy of Food Lion.  No, Rosie did not eat the cake.  He's more of a french fry, pizza crust kinda cat.  We call him our carb kitty.

And now, here's Rosie lapping up his birthday treat.

Happy Birthday, Rosie!

Quote of the Week

Image Source: Wikipedia

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. 
"Pooh?" he whispered.
"Yes, Piglet?"
"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. "I just wanted to be sure of you."   - A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

As I was searching for today's quote, this simple, short conversation between these two characters struck me and made me think.  It's true.  Sometimes just holding someone's hand can make all the difference.  Friendship, love, or just knowing someone is there for you, that simple gesture is a comforting reassurance.

Quote of the Week

Image Source: Wikipedia

Dig the well before you are thirsty. 
- Chinese Proverb

This has many applications and means that you should be prepared to meet whatever life throws at you.  Be proactive...don't wait for an emergency, they never happen at a good time.

The Unofficial Start of Summer

Image Source: Wikipedia

While Memorial Day is often viewed as the unofficial start of summer and celebrated with picnics, parties and barbecues, it is a holiday that all Americans should take to heart.

It is the day when we honor the many men and women in the military who died while serving their country.  We owe these men and women a huge debt of gratitude because they were willing to give their lives that we might remain the free country our forefathers envisioned and dedicated their lives to making a reality.

So as we take to the roads, the beaches and the back yards, let us take a moment to remember them and say a special thank you for their sacrifice.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.

Quote of the Week

Image Source:  Wikipedia

Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action.  
 - Benjamin Disraeli

Benjamin Disraeli, the 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, was a British Prime Minister in the mid 1800's, as well as the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction writings.

I must admit this was one of the more difficult quotes to get a handle on.  Here are my thoughts on this.

If thought is the child of action, does that not presume that we have acted without thinking, and that upon reflection (thought) we discover that the result of that action is experience.  

In other words, when we think about what we have done and draw conclusions, what remains, good or bad, is experience.