A friend texted me his favorite JFK quote last night. It’s from a speech Kennedy gave in the stadium at Rice University in Houston on September 12, 1962. “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that […]
In 1958 and 1959 Gene Deitch drew a cartoon series called Tom Terrific. For 26 episodes Tom, along with his companion, Mighty Manfred, the Wonder Dog, would be featured on the Captain Kangaroo television show where each of the the 26 stories was presented in daily 5-minute excerpts, most of which ended in some sort
The Tin Man, Tom Terrific, and Buddha? Read More »
Yes, we shall, or at very least we should! I know that I’m supposed to dance today. When I opened my yogurt container, inside the lid was printed “Dance in the mirror.” Now, I’m not saying that I always listen to my food or my food containers, but that advice sounded sage to me. So the next
On May 13, 1918 the United States Postal Service issued it’s very first Air Mail stamp. For 24 cents you could send a piece of mail by airplane, which was significantly faster than the “pony express.” One batch of those famous stamps became infamous because the image of the biplane printed in blue ink inside
The apparently accidental fire that destroyed much of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, was devastating to countless people around the globe. Out of their sense of loss, people have tried to express themselves in prayers, songs, words, and tears. A symbol of hope and faith that has stood for over 800 years was nearly
Before the Ashes Were Cold Read More »
I love this lesser known painting by Vincent van Gogh and I thought it might go well with a quote that is also attributed to him. “The beginning is perhaps more difficult than anything else, but keep heart, it will turn out all right.” -Vincent van Gogh It seems like an appropriate reminder to someone
If you have ever been taunted by expressions of doubt (either cast by others or whispered from within your own head) I hope that these quotes will help. And of course, looking at artwork by my favorite artist, is likely to bring on a generally pleasant feeling, too. I suppose that if it is others
Today I am incredibly proud of a brave friend, Marion, who quit smoking tobacco three years ago! That’s an impressive milestone, especially since tobacco is considered a more clinically complex addiction than any other! She has defeated her “5-Headed Dragon!” Her accomplishment is all the more astounding since a few weeks after she quit, a
There’s much that I love about this time of year and in particular, this weekend. Yes, an “extra hour” sounds like such a gift (even if it’s just the same hour we gave up earlier this year.) And even if this “extra hour” isn’t really free time, the idea having more time certainly appeals to us
Perhaps you’ve heard someone described as a Pollyanna or as being Pollyannaish. Perhaps you’ve described me that way (which makes me glad.) The term is usually used to describe a person that is foolishly hopeful or even annoyingly hopeful. Pollyanna is the heroine of a 1913 novel by Eleanor H. Porter about an orphaned girl
In Defense of Pollyanna Read More »
Over the weekend on three occasions in three different places, I saw grackles. Of course, at this time of year, seeing birds is not unusual, but grackles aren’t that common around here. This week I rediscovered a small collection of labradorite stones that I had stashed away. I observed a similarity between grackles and labradorite.
Of Grackles, Labradorite, and People Too! Read More »
I guess this may be a continuation of an idea I wrote about recently. Sometimes it seems like the woods woos us to come, to look, to listen, to wander and ponder. So does it seem to you that sometimes hope is hiding? Requiring you to move, to go, to stoop, to kneel, to stretch?
This weekend, countless earthlings will mark Earth Day with celebrations of various sorts. On a personal level, every day the Earth offers us a chance to be still, to seek communion with nature, to be grounded. Perhaps it is in the quiet of the woods or the rhythmic sounds of the surf that we can
Happy Earthday to You Read More »
Odyssey Fifty years ago today Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, “2001: A Space Odyssey” was released. It was a remarkable movie for it’s time and still holds up pretty well half a century later. I think I need to make a point to watching it again. You may recall some of the music from the movie too,
Who says who you are? Well frankly, technically, lots of people can name you, label you, try to define or identify you. We tend to do that to people whenever we speak… “This guy on the bus… My friend called the other day… Somebody said that… Everybody knows that… Diabetics have more…” But the labels
