Quote of the Week

There are two types of people - those who come into a room and say, "Well, here I am!" and those who come in and say, "Ah, there you are."  

- Frederick L. Collins

Let's not be filled with our own self-importance, but acknowledge and appreciate the importance of others in our lives.

Happy Birthday!

Photo courtesy of Magpie Tales

Higher and higher

Riding into the night sky

Exploding with grace

Cascading colors

Celebrating a nation

Happy birthday, USA

This was written for Magpie Tales.  Click above for more stories and poems.

Blogging Blockage - More Ways to Get Inspired

List posts are an important part of the blogging culture.  Recently several excellent bloggers have put together list posts filled with tips for minimizing the effects of the seasonal decline in readership, and keeping the creative juices flowing during a drought.  So now I'm sharing my list of inspirational tactics.

1. Take a shower.  The shower is a peaceful place, and the solitude of the running water can totally block out all distractions and let you think, uninterrupted for a good 15 minutes, or right up until you accidentally slice the crap out of your leg with an errant swipe of a sharp implement.  Any coherent thought then goes right out the window, to be replaced by silent cursing of said sharp implement.
 
2. Mow the yard.  Much the same principle as #1.  To provide thinking time where all other sounds are blocked out.  Just make sure to wear a headset if you tend to think out loud so the neighbors won't think you're talking to yourself.
 
3. Pictures.  We all have tons of pictures on our computers now that cameras have gone digital and gigabytes are a dime a dozen.  Look through your pictures folder until something screams "I'm a post" to you.
 
4. Take a nap.  No not literally, just lie down and let your mind wander over anything or nothing in particular.  Random thoughts will form and sometimes a post will emerge.  You might think of places you've been, experiences from your childhood, your courtship, or something funny that happened at the market last week.
 
5. Cook.  If you like to cook, get into the kitchen and create a new dish.  Just start putting stuff together and see what you get.  Don't forget to document with pictures.  Remember, regardless of whether it's great or gross you can get a story out of it.
 
6. Day trip.  Write about your last outing to the lake, a winery (these are some I've used), a trip to the zoo, or a week at the beach.  That way those of us who don't go anywhere can live vicariously through your post.  These also make great picture posts which means you don't have to do as much actual writing.
 
7. Your pets.  Cats, dogs, birds and, of course, goats all make for good material.  This is where the video function on your camera comes in handy.  Show us Fluffy or Fido's latest antics.
 
8. Go fictional.  Just make something up.  Write short stories, poetry, fantasy, a sci-fi thriller, a mystery, or whatever from your favorite genre.  Just don't write a novel - save that for the publisher.
 
9. Document a DIY project or write a "how-to" article.  You know how to do something that others would find helpful.  Find that something, and let us know how it's done.
 
10. List post.  If none of the above jump starts your blogging engine, by all means write your own list post.  

Ode to Toilet Paper

Can you have too much toilet paper?  The answer...apparently not.  This is a portion of the toilet paper we rounded up from my parents' house while cleaning it out for people to move in - the portion that was not in the attic.

It was just piled up so, just to be silly, I put it in this bookcase.  It's not every day you see a bookcase full of papier de toilette.  Now that would make a fine addition to anyone's "reading room" don't you think?  How much am I bid?

So, as they say, the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.  Pictured here are 48 rolls of toilet paper.  I expect I have about three times that much in my attic as we speak.

In the end, this was left for my friends who moved in.

So tell me, what do you stock up on?  And how much is too much?

Quote of the Week

There are two kinds of light - the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.  

- James Thurber

I think this means we get more out of life from radiating the light of goodness, hope and love (the glow), than by having the spotlight (the glare) on ourselves, blinding us from others around us.