Quote of the Week

To err is human, to purr is feline. - Robert Byrne

Just back from vacation, so I have no words of wisdom today. But one of the best things about returning home is getting to hang out with Dood, who's getting into the Halloween spirit.

Quote of the Week

Those that say you can't take it with you never saw a car packed for 

a vacation trip. - Unknown

We're taking a little R&R this week, and if you had seen my car, you would know the truth of this quote.

Quote of the Week

The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see. 

- Winston Churchill

View from the Ferris Wheel

The past and the future are irreversibly connected. This does not suggest that we live in the past, simply that understanding and acknowledging the past brings more clarity into the future.  The deeper you look into the past, the more you understand, and the more that you understand, the further you can see yourself going in the future.  Wisdom gained from the past equals wisdom for the future.

My earliest memory involved chocolate.  Fact...today I still like chocolate.

More Than Just a Number

Do you lurk, secure in your anonymity?  Do you regularly visit blogs, read their words and smile, laugh, or even cry and then slip quietly out the back door?  Is that you?

Image source: calitomshots

I thought so! I see your footprints, so I know you've been here, but your identity is only a number to me.  

Come now, don't you want to be known by more than just a number? We're real people here. We have names, personalities, interests and thoughts.

Our church has a ritual each Sunday wherein each person (or couple) signs a pew pad which is passed down the row and back to mark our attendance and alert us to visitors.

I will admit that at first we did not sign the pew pad...we weren't ready to be identified. Eventually that changed, and now our attendance is recorded by name, and not just by someone counting heads.

I hope that you will soon feel at home here, and 'sign the pew pad', so to speak, by leaving a comment and let me know how I'm doing.

As always, thanks for visiting Roses to Rainbows.  Y'all come back now, y'hear.

Quote of the Week

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came,—

The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The sunshine spread a carpet,

And every thing was grand;

Miss Weather led the dancing;

Professor Wind, the band....

The sight was like a rainbow

New-fallen from the sky....

- George Cooper, "October’s Party"

In our part of the country, October is a beautiful month, often warm with breezes that tickle the leaves from the trees.  

What is October like where you live?

Quote of the Week

Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it. - Unknown

We often think that the best way to show love and friendship to our friends and family is being with them and sharing with them as much as possible.  We want them to feel cherished. Our loved ones know and understand that.  They also sometimes need space to just be themselves and do whatever brings them peace, contentment and fulfillment.  

Healthy relationships are not lessened by this, they are strengthened, and it allows us all to bring more interesting things back to the relationship.  

Playing With Words

Rule #1 This is just for fun.

Choose a letter A-Z

Write down the first 5 words that come to mind beginning with that letter. Don't think of anything except that they start with that letter. Totally random, non-related words are better. Don't use variations of the same word such as bake, baking, baker, or groups such as food, feast, flavor.

Next write a poem or micro post of about 50 words, or up to 10 lines for a poem.

This is a fun mental exercise - not creating a masterpiece, so take about five minutes and see what you come up with.  

Rule #2 Please share your gem in the comments section.

Image Source: sweeter-than-reality

For mine I chose H.

My words were:  hollow, hump, heavy, heart, hook

Upon a hollow log
Sat a heavy frog
He jumped and jumped
Over the mossy hump
Bless his little heart
That old frog was smart
Until he landed in the brook
And he got caught
Upon an old fish hook

Quote of the Week

Every leaf speaks bliss to me, 

fluttering from the autumn tree. - Emily Bronte

From the first green buds of Spring to the bright colors of Autumn, each leaf has a story. How often do we take the time to listen as each one gently falls to the ground?

Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn, and the trees are already beginning to speak.  Let's listen.

Celebrating Five Years and a New Look!

On September 20, 2009, Roses to Rainbows made its debut in the blogging world. Not knowing what I was doing, I plunked happily away at the keys, bravely pressed publish...and waited.

Do you remember your first comment? It's like an "I have arrived" moment.  "Change Back From Your Dime" was that post for me on February 10, 2010.

Eventually I learned that blogging is a two-way street and connecting with other bloggers would broaden my writing horizons. I also joined Facebook and signed up for Twitter.
  
In May 2010, I discovered creative writing with Magpie Tales and wrote the first of many magpies - Memories.  To wrap up that first year, I shared Ten Things I Have Learned From Blogging.  

On my second anniversary, I invited all my lurkers, as well as my regular visitors, to a Meet and Greet, where the coffee is always hot and the wine is properly chilled. 

I value each and every visitor, so the next year I celebrated with a Giveaway.

Always up for a challenge, I have participated in not one, but three month-long creative writing challenges, hosted by Nicky at We Work For Cheese, and I have the scars T-shirts to prove it!

Last year's anniversary passed without much fanfare, and on a sad note, I said good-bye to Rosie, who was my constant companion for 16 years.

After five years I was tired of the decor and decided to freshen the place up a bit. So I ripped down the old wall paper, updated the color palatte and packed away the clutter.  As with any renovation, there may be a few kinks to be worked out and tweaks to be made.

Come on in, make yourself at home and be sure to pick up a glass of champagne to help toast the next year. Please leave your calling card in the comment section so I can get back to you. 

Cheers!

Changes are Coming!

Drop by this weekend and see what's new.

Quote of the Week

Best friends: it’s a promise, not a label. - Unknown

Nowadays, there are labels for everything, and those labels come and go and change with the times. Best friends do not, and like the picture, it's a simple concept that stands the test of time. 

So BFF or bestie, buddy or pal, your best friend is someone who always has your back.

Quote of the Week

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. - Nelson Henderson

Taking this quote at face value, it sounds like a noble thing to do.  I mean trees are pretty great right. Shade, fuel for warmth, paper, and most importantly, oxygen.  However, if we take a closer look we find a deeper meaning.

The true meaning of life is to do things for the greater good, even when you won't be enjoying the benefits. An example of this may be a leaving a legacy that supports a school, church or medical research, or becoming an organ donor.

Not every act for the greater good is on this scale, however, and the small things add up to make the world a better place.  Let's keep planting those trees so others can enjoy the shade.

Designer Digs

If you were a kitten, wouldn't you just love to have a great place to play?  My friend Ashley's son, Michael, designed and built this multi-level kitty condo for his two kittens, Sunshine and Shadow. Now they could have gone to the pet shop and purchased a ready-made playhouse, but where would the fun be in that.

The Kitty Play Place Extravaganza

No siree, Michael's kitties were getting a custom made place to climb, play hide and seek, and of course, sleep. The materials consisted of plastic pipe, connectors, carpet and cable ties. 

One of the great things about this design is that it allows you to hang all sorts of interesting things for them to play with and they don't get lost or worse...eaten.

The play house is on their enclosed porch with lots of windows, so it is definitely a feline paradise.  You can see Sunshine relaxing in the window enjoying the morning breeze.

It was a fun project for Michael, and Sunshine and Shadow both appreciate his effort.  Ashley and I also enjoyed sitting in comfortable chairs watching them play, while catching up with each other.

Shadow says "Thank You!"

Sunshine in the window

Also a big thanks today to my good friend, Sara from A Sharing Connection, for using some of my photos in her Story Photo Challenge.  Check out the Mysterious Case of the Missing Aliens and help her solve the mystery.

Quote of the Week

Look at your feet. You are standing in the sky. When we think of the sky, we tend to look up, but the sky actually begins at the earth. 
- Diane Ackerman

When searching for today's quote, I came across the category "clouds and sky" and was reminded of the beautiful clouds I saw over the weekend.  I wasn't alone.  As I scrolled through Facebook, I saw others had noticed them too.

What struck me about this quote was its different view of what actually constitutes the sky. We think of the sky as this blue expanse overhead.  Sometimes it is clear and sometimes filled with clouds. Sometimes it is a brilliant blue, and sometimes it is shaded gray with fog or haze, but always our eyes are drawn upward.

It is interesting to consider that the sky actually begins on earth.  To get a better grasp of this concept, picture a field with nothing to obstruct your view.  Looking at the horizon, it appears that the green grass and the blue sky meet, and therefore if you could suddenly be at that point the sky would be all around you.  In reality, no matter where you are, you are always where the earth meets the sky.

Quote of the Week

Don't find fault, find a remedy. - Henry Ford

Instead of seeing only the negative, find the positive and work with that.  Just because things are not exactly to your liking, doesn't mean they have to stay that way. For every problem there is a solution, so don't find fault - find a remedy.

This is what I started with, and while they are pretty on their own, I wanted a more artsy look, so I added texture and depth. I think it has sort of a tapestry look now.

Quote of the Week

Why not go out on a limb? 

Isn’t that where the fruit is? 

- Frank Scully

Some things are worth the risk, and if you never take the chance you won't reap the rewards.

However, if you sit too close to the end of the bench, it can flip on you, and you end up on the ground.  Oops!

Summer Fun

Last month I had the long-awaited opportunity to visit Ashley and her family in the far-away place known as Ephrata, PA.  We lived next door to each other in our youth, and although youth is rapidly fading into our middle years, we are still close despite the miles between us.

So before I get maudlin, let's get on with the fun stuff.  Below is Sheba, a sweet, lovable Labradoodle who belongs to Scott, her oldest son. 

Not only is she adorable, she is smart too.  We were sitting outside with her and she was demonstrating her ability to come, sit, lay down, etc. when Ashley told Michael to have her l-a-y-d-o-w-n for a treat (spelling it out). Sheba responded by laying down.  We tried it again and she did it again.  We told Scott later that Sheba could spell.

While Ashley is born and bred a Southern gal, she has taken great pride in finding fun and interesting things to do in her own backyard. She truly does bloom where she is planted. And speaking of blooms, aren't these pretty?  This is a flower tree at Knoebels Amusement Park, about an hour or so from their house.

If you like groovin' to the oldies, the group singing here would be right up your alley, with such songs as Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Surfin' Safari and The Twist.

For a different kind of music, check out the old Wurlitzer Organ tapping out a lively beat.

What trip to an amusement park would be complete with a ride on good old wooden roller coaster? Well, it's not my cup of tea, but the boys enjoyed it. We all later enjoyed the Black Diamond ride through a haunted coal mine.

We capped off the adventure with a ride on the giant ferris wheel.  It had been a very long time since I had ridden one, but it was fun and afforded us a great view of the park, and the surrounding countryside.

The next day we traveled to Strasburg to ride the steam train.  It was a 45 minute journey through Amish country...literally through the cornfields.  The engine puffed black smoke from it's coal fire and chugged along at a leisurely pace.  Here you can see it at the station waiting to depart on it's next run.

As many exotic places as there are to explore, there are just as many here in our own corner of the world. With every trip I take I make new discoveries, whether it is a new destination or favorite vacation spot. Many thanks to Ashley and her family for hosting us!

Quote of the Week

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. - Elisabeth Foley

My best friend and I have many years of living in different states to back this up.  While we don't get to visit as often as we'd like, time magically falls away when we do get together, and we cherish each moment.

Psychic Reader

Image Source:  seedsforfood.org

Dear Psychic,

Thank you for your recent comments. I'm happy to see that you have been enjoying my weekly quotes.  I would like to share some of your most interesting thoughts with my readers.  Please forgive my delay in responding, but your comments were directed into my spam folder.

Today, while I was at work, my sister stole my apple ipad and tested to see if it can survive a 40 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation.  My iPad is now broken and she has 83 views.  I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!

So sorry to hear that, but if you are truly psychic, you should have seen that coming.

We may have a link alternate arrangement between us.

No, sorry, I don't think so, but thank you for asking.

Thank you a lot for sharing this with all folks you actually recognize what your speaking. You can definitely see your skills in the work you write.

You're welcome! I've been told I can successfully put two words together.

You have touched some fastidious things here. Any way keep on wrinting.

Wow! I'd better get some gloves. Oh, by the way, you might want to consider a proofreader.

Amazing article concerning the difference of newest and earlier technologies.

What a keen eye!  This was indeed a technologically advanced illustration.

Your style is really unique compared to other people I have read stuff from, Guess I will just book mark this web site. Thank you for posting when you have the opportunity.

I'm sure the "other people" are relieved that I didn't poach their stuff.

I would like to apprentice while you amend your site, how can I subscribe for a web blog site?

Wait...I thought you already had a site...you keep inviting me over. Remember, you even offered me a "link alternate arrangement".

I constantly emailed this web site post page to all my friends since if I like to read it afterward my links will too.

Thank you for spreading the word about Roses to Rainbows.  As always, I appreciate free advertisement.

Genuinely when someone doesn't know then its up to other users that they will help so here it happens.

Say what?  Let's try this:  When someone really doesn't know, then it's up to other users to help.  It begins here.

Oh by the way, do you see a lottery jackpot in my future? Hey, just asking...

As always, thank you for visiting here at Roses to Rainbows. 

Quote of the Week

There is so much good in the worst of us
And so much bad in the best of us
That it hardly becomes any of us
To talk about the rest of us.
- Edward Wallis Hoch

I think this is pretty much self-explanatory.  None of us is perfect, and we would prefer our imperfections, real or imagined, not be passed around like a plate of cookies until every last crumb has been eagerly devoured by an attentive audience.