Dood Climbs a Tree

You're probably thinking what's the big deal?  So the cat's on the cat tree, what a surprise. Well, it was. You see after years of living with cats, we finally got a tree for them. This was shortly after Sophie came to live with us (2007), and we thought they would all enjoy it since there are multiple perches and hidey places. There's even a crows nest on the top which Sophie claimed right away.

Look at me!

In fact she was the only one interested in the tree at all.  Rosie would lay along the base in the sun, but never ventured up (well once and then he was in pursuit of Sophie).  Dood just ignored it.  Maybe because he had climbed the real thing outside...who knows.  He doesn't like catnip either.

So imagine our surprise one day when we found Sophie in one of the tubes and Dood sitting above her looking down.  We figured it was like with Rosie, he followed Sophie. Now we occasionally find Dood perched on the tube nearest the window surveying the world outside from a different perspective.

Hide and seek?

I can see clearly now!

One theory is that Dood frequently took his cues from Rosie so maybe since Rosie didn't use it, he wouldn't either.  At any rate, our kitties continue to surprise and delight us.

Quote of the Week

Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance. 

- Woodrow Wilson

Having just celebrated our 238th birthday as a free nation, it seems appropriate to look back at just how important those documents signed long ago still are to us today. Our founding fathers put pen to parchment to declare us free, and much has been sacrificed to achieve and maintain our freedom.

The signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Image Source: Wikipedia

They further ensured our rights with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Among other things, we can speak freely (First Amendment) and protect and defend not only ourselves and our families, but defend our freedoms as well (Second Amendment.) The 15th, 19th and 26th amendments ensure our right to vote.

Image Source: Wikipedia

The 13th amendment abolished slavery. Inspired words from Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address in 1863:

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal .... that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." 

Image Source: Wikipedia

Let Freedom Ring!

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.