good dog trump

Egad! I have become practical. Let me explain- I made an appointment with a CPA, have connected with a land expert who will help me write a contract, I'm dotting my t's and slashing my i's, and reverse. I jell numbers and mostly am efficient with my time, think things through and manage the priorities pretty well. It just may be the apocalypse is upon us, hell is probably starting it's deep freeze right now as I type.

Who knew?!

And it just so happens that I am allowed to whack my son today, 19 times- it's his birthday. Why all the serendipity, finally after all these years?! Heck if I know...

I think I'll list some quirks here- you folks hold me in such high regard, it's time you knew the truth!

1. I do not tolerate well- Pettiness. Gossip. Blame. Cruelty. Scheming.

2. I love to fly kites.

3. I'm real touchy about my food and where it comes from, how it's made and who raised it. I put forth great effort in supporting entrepreneurs, individuals, producers, businesses whose higher purpose is a common good when I make decisions on purchasing anything. (Although I don't trust the judgement on most green group mentality-personal research is the key. See #21.)

4. Sometimes the best answer is "Oh what the hell!" I've covered that briefly in former posts, but I think it's imperative to let yourself go sometimes in unexpected directions.

5. I love to canoe and kayak and want to fly a kite from said vessels- this is one of my highest aspirations.

6. I love mystery but will not debate mysteries concerning faith, love and why someone feels compelled to be just as they are, whether I agree with their lifestyle or not. Although I'm usually pretty open to discussion...

7. I find most people fascinating, everything interesting. Original thought and thinkers make me shut up and listen most intensively.

8. I abhor exercise although I love physical labor.

9. I'll try anything food wise, except eyeballs. The spicier- the better.

10. I love good tequila.

Cheap wine may be tolerable, but cheap tequila is a sin.

11. My favorite color has always been green, I find that odd.

12. I do not tolerate manipulation, guilt tactics- these two major character flaws shoot up like big bright red flags to my eyes and I will call anyone on it. And scheming people make me seethe, "Shame on you" a phrase I use with such people, I can't help it- I'm like a classic great grandmother.

13. I am whimsical to a fault.

14. I love adventure, little, big- it does not matter. New places, new things, people,traveling, different cultures -really, truly float my boat.

15. I love the Antique Road Show and long to win tickets.

16. I could sit for hours in the woods and forget all else.

17. Mushroom hunting is one of my most favorite ever and over activities.

18. Fishing runs a close second to mushroom hunting.

19. Good music, homemade wine, friends, a fire, the stars overhead and a good dog trump almost any sorrow of the day.

20. Being still brings me more answers than hours upon hours of study and research. I think for me, the light goes on only after all others have been turned off.

21. It's not that I'm such a non-conformist, I just don't like to follow ideas, fashion, trends, trendsetters, etc. whose final outcome is only based on monetary gain. Money has never been a goal of mine. I'd rather be enriched by a field of flowers than harvest an orchard of money trees. Pretty sick, huh?!

22. I'm slow to anger and quick to be grateful although I do get angry, can be petty, scheme if I'm dealing with schemers, and am awful thankful to have the skills, good health and good fortune to be in a position that keeps my bills paid.

23. I think it is the flaws of a person that make them most beautiful, this is where their weakness and greatest strength - where their true self, spirit, whatever you want to call it- the great unseen! intertwines and is revealed. There is nothing more wondrous to me on this earth than genuine beauty .

24. I think Henry David Thoreau and I would have been great friends. Walden is one of my favorite books.

25. Love wins.

26. A good quote beats a bad word any time. But sometimes slang is wit turned upside down...wit is damned attractive.

Following the non conforming attitude...I'll end at 26 quirky attributes to my nature. Being practical started the post, but looking over this list, it barely entered in....oh well. I'll keep trying.

Take care-

Red Rover, Red Rover send...

Good Sunday morning,

Not a day that I would typically write, but...a casting of ballots is on my mind, my very simple mind...so, I will take the time to convey my thoughts on the presidential ballot.
I could say many things about the all too much brothers and sister in arms, fully locked tight, their family tree the same Bush. But, I would only then persuade an argument, and though it could be extremely interesting to stir the pot up a bit and watch it boil- the time has come to lay down a vote. The arguments, the logic-if any, has all been talked to death and any negative I might add would certainly just be shoveling another scoop of dirt on the already piled too high hill.

Do you remember, as a child-playing the game Red Rover? Let's see if I can help-"Red Rover, Red Rover send Terry right over..." The other side of kids, big and little-would hold hands tightly, trying to barricade your thrust through their line as you ran at it full speed. If you busted through, you took (if you were smart, and playing the game to the hilt) the strongest of their members back to your own line of defense-thereby your own line- strengthened. Now I see the policy makers like that, only-they don't play so fair, instead of locking hands and holding tight-they lock arms, making it almost impossible for even the strongest, most idealistic, most change promoting guy or gal to get through. Sometimes...perhaps one doesn't get through after all and joins their rank- my point here, what if one who has a gift for uniting joins up? And he in turn, now in their game, in their line-gets to call another from the other weaker line, (still talking about Red Rover here)...but in that game, if you recall-there is the option to call the whole of the other team across. The thinking there is you already have their strongest, only the weak links are left, they cannot bust through-in arrogance, they that are left are called. And what if, and this is the biggest if in this whole story, the uniter calls "Red Rover, red rover, send everyone over!" And every one starts to become united in one big line-all for one and one for all. Imagine the change such a line of strength and weakness, all aligned-might evoke?

My vote: Red Rover, Red Rover send Obama right over.

(I don't know if folks really bother to look at all the older posts when deciding if it's worthy reading in the long run...I'm going to do a bit of back pedalling here...my intial reasoning here was based upon my kid's reaction, awakening to the freedom of their vote...I have Mr. Obama to thank for that. But, this day finds me revisiting this post. The kids have awakened...but Obama, McCain seem more like zombies these days, followers. The signs they hold say Yield, I personally encourage Approach With Caution- don't know how I'll vote. I'm even contemplating letting the dog decide for me...at least he's loyal, and seems to hold a great deal of empathy for me and mine- that's more than I can say for our presidential choices today.)

I don't know if I'm right, I don't know if he's right, but concerning all the rest-I'd rather spend my one little voice of a vote on a uniter, not on the united state of the same old gamers-power,prestige- poverty of spirit. To my eyes and my own research, observations- Mr. Obama illuminates, and hopefully will reunite the masses like no other candidate thus far. I do not like this mess we're all in- I'll do my best to clean it up- one soul, one word, one action, one vote-at a time. Imagination and inspiration aside- I will give this guy a chance to walk the talk. I hope he gets that chance, or at the very least-enough votes to make the world wake up and take notice that many more than had ever been expected-have voiced the vote for a much needed change in direction.
Thanks for listening, and thinking, and remembering a game...
Take care-

Think Again...and then some

“The funding of the humanities in colleges and universities cannot be justified by pointing to the fact that poems and philosophical arguments have changed lives and started movements.”

Why not? If not through the humanities, how else do we develop poets and philosophers? (Name of commenter/questioner not exposed.)

_From a blog-New York times "Think Again" by Stanley Fish


(Whew! Big and bigger words for a hayseed like me, but finally a comment that I can shed light on.) You don't. It is not up to an outsider to develop another's insides. The woods, though-are a good place to start, to become a philosopher, a poet. A tree tells me how to handle racism, social injustice, inequality- a true visionary, a tree. And how about the symphony there? And the growth, ring by ring-affected by humanity and nature's ruthless battle against it-tells me more than I ever cared to learn in a classroom. One more thing about the woods, which for my money-is the stuff we should really support...it is true poetry. The word of the woods, the root of every university and intelligent conversation-begins and ends with entering, being still, listening, being ever mindful(critical thinking?)of it all. Poets and philosophers, each of us-have only to develop ourselves of the natural, real world. Books are great, but critical thoughtful long awes of pause in a place where we all come from and all will return like compost, revealing truths that have no war of words against them-that my friends, is where the real education lies.
And one more thing, if I haven't worn out my welcome...Desiderata-Max Ehrmann-1920, cry every time I read the darn thing. Shaped me, made me want to grow beyond what had been stifled by teachers who thought well to teach me, but couldn't peer beyond their own educated noses-to see anything else. Open up your eyes, friends-look around. A little bit of woods will do us all-a world of good.

Hayseed Farmer, central Illinois
Un-educated university/college wise, different education, NO BETTER NO WORSE...Clearer now?!

(My comment on the funding of universities Humanities-which is good, but not best. These woods, our natural world we're eradicating, could care a chicken poop about-are the only places first and foremost that should be supported financially, physically, poetically. The woods are where I received my education, to a degree... I use to be ashamed about that-no degree, but-I think my own quirky personality would have been greatly stifled. So-hope I didn't step on any toes, hell-they probably won't even read my comment, beneath them I suppose. But- maybe they're all a little smarter than they let on.)(This thought pulled from the site mentioned, visit it before assuming the worst of me...geez! I found there, buried under a mountain of words-a root that we all stem from.)

I do not mean to offend
by what I do believe
but what kind of faith
to be found in conformity?

Let's find a shady spot
With a comfortable seat-
Come and sit beside me friend,
And we'll agree to disagree.

Hey, thanks for hanging in here...truewonder gettin' too big for her britches! (As my dad would aptly put it.) Look at a tree today, tell me what you see, or at the very least-keep it in mind, the story it told you.
Worlds of wonder to you, take care-