This morning, we looked out over our meadow. We do this most mornings as we slug down the day’s first gift of coffee. We like to watch the birds, and such.

Just as the caffeine was working its way to my good senses…. we spotted two deer… making their way across the north side of the clearing. They were pals, or siblings, or mother and daughter. My money is on a mother and a daughter.

I always find great joy in seeing deer, alive and walking around…. as you very well know. I like hamburger WAY more than deer meat.

But today… I saw those deer do something I hadn’t ever seen before. It was a full enactment of conversation. The younger deer (Gracie) clearly wanted to go one direction. And the older (Mabelline) thought it best to head for shelter in the stand of trees ahead.

So Mabelline pointed. Gracie turned and looked in the direction of the pointing hoof…. and hesitated. At that point, the elder Mabelline pointed again… this time with a nudge… and off they went.

IT was AWESOME. I can only imagine the actual conversation. Perhaps the younger one saw a boy deer. A boy deer that she LIKED.  He might’ve EVEN had antlers !

Hey…… If a Doe and a Buck get run off and get married… is it called an Antelope?

I bet Mabelline would have none of it. Not one bit. Hence… the pointing hoof.

Hoof Hearted.

The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. – E. F. Schumacher

It seems to be that time of year doesn’t it.

Christmas is apparently just around the proverbial corner. Oh the hustle. The bustle.

It used to be simpler. Easier.

We used to just worry about what it get Timmy for Christmas. A set of jacks or a really nice shooter marble. Way back in the day.

Oh but now. NOW. We have to worry about what to get little Zebediah, or Malachi, or Peyton, or Harper for the big day. An iPad… or a tablet of some sort. What about a new cell phone, or laptop? The $400 Lego set? Or an Xbox1 with the Assassin’s Creed game.  A new HD TV?

Yes. It has gotten more complicated.

But one thing has not changed. And it never, ever will.

And that is the phenomenon of time slowing down to a screeching halt for all children under 10 years of age.
This happens every December. Days seem like weeks, and weeks like months. Will Christmas EVER get here?

And the closer the 25th gets on the calendar… the longer and more drawn out the days get. It becomes excruciating if your age is merely in the single digits.

Another thing that has started happening in recent history is the elf on the shelf. That little guy creeps me out…. when I see him in photos. Like Stalker Mimes or Sinister Clowns …. …. and I am sure it is a great ‘Be Good Tool’ for parents to invoke fear on their children. But when I was little, all it took was “He knows when you’ve been naughty and he knows when you’ve been nice.”

By god. I was going to be NOTHING BUT NICE…. for fear that Christmas morning… as looooonnnnnnnnggggg as I had waited for it…. would slip out of my reach because of one little thumbtack on someone’s chair. No. I wouldn’t let it happen to me. I would not give in to my trickster side.

These days… time flies like crazy. It is like very, very, quick sand…. spilling through the hourglass.

And I know that times change. Things change. It is just how life it. I just hope kids still go outside and catch snowflakes on their tongues…. and not just playing the Nintendo Versions of such… on their Wii Machines.

Do  you ever feel like you are under pressure?  I do…

Sometimes, when I write this mess at night…. and I don’t have much to say… boy…. do I EVER feel the pressure then. So tonight… I am going to talk about these monsters in the sky.

Thank goodness for water. And towers.

And whence the two shall meet.

It doesn’t seem like a logical combination of items. Water. Tower.

It isn’t like a classic combination, such as peanut butter and jelly, or eggs and bacon.

Water tower is more like a Shelf Steam. Or a Hammer Juice. What the heck.

But, really. There you have it…

Sometimes the most unlikely combinations seem to really work well together. What is the big one right now….Fried Chicken Waffles? Or something crazy like that. Or how about Bacon Ice cream? Or Sea Salt with Chocolate.

Back to it.  Water towers.
They are such a regular part of our existence, but someone had to think up this unlikely duo.  And that was some kind of snappy thinking.  Brilliantly Buoyant.

The use of elevated water storage tanks has existed since ancient times in various forms. BUT…. the modern use of water towers for pressurized public water systems has only been around since the mid-19th century. Just in case you have long wanted the lowdown on this.

Actually….. I’ve liked them for a long time. As a kid… I used to think they were golf tees for Paul Bunyan… gullible little blond that I was.

So tonight… is simple a salute to the holder of the water… high above our head.
Thanks for the showers. In this case… we truly appreciate all the pressure.

What makes you happy. Isn’t that what everyone tries to figure out about life. What is the secret to happiness?

I don’t think it is any secret. The thing that makes you happy is the think you love to do.

This is different for everyone. The secret is…. the trick is…. figuring out what TRULY brings you inner joy.

At times…. we THINK we know. But is it?

Some people believe fame, or fortune, or power will do it. Others find happiness in food. Still others are overjoyed with thrill seeking, or adventure.

Art. Song. Parties. Sewing. Religion.  Sex. Music. Nature. Animals. People. Working. Exercise. Science. Cars.

It just depends on the who and the what.

Many of these things are temporary. Passing.

Some people find happiness in being alone. Others find it surrounded with people. What is right for one, may not work for the other.

Just today…. I heard of man… who finds happiness in watching the movie Finding Nemo every night…. before he goes to sleep. So happy in fact, he claps his hands.

And that is simply wonderful. Delightful. Happy.  In so many ways.

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap you hands.” – Famous Song

I am all over the map tonight.  But there are certain things I wondered about today.

On death row… to start with.  The arms of condemned prisoners are swabbed with alcohol prior to lethal injection in order to keep the area sterile….. just like anyone else getting a shot. I don’t know why this is.

If Aunt Jemima and Mrs Butterworth were real…. do you think they would be friends?  Aunt Jemima is much older by the way. By about 60 years.

I love my dogs. They are good listeners.  They are funny too… like comedians.

But…. Cats  are Reserved.  Snobbish. People think their cats are smarties. Apparently… in some ways they are. Your kitty-kitty recognizes the sound of your voice, but it’s ignoring you. Seriously.  Like I said… snobbish.

A recent study at the University of Tokyo showed that, although a cat can identify its owner’s commands, it really doesn’t care enough to listen. Dogs were bred and domesticated by humans…. so they listen. Now cats….. domesticated themselves. They just aren’t hardwired to listen for commands. I just wonder how they domesticated themselves.

Speaking of my good pals.. the dogs.

When a dog food comes out and it is advertised as “New and Improved”…. I am wondering who did the taste testing.

In the news.  A woman was attacked by a bear in Florida this past week. This is not funny. But they said if they find the bear that attacked her… it would be euthanized. They said this would be determined by DNA testing in a local forest. Here is my question. How do they go about testing these bears… saliva swabs? Again… who does it?

You all know I am a word junkie. Don’t you think it is funny that ‘phonetic’ isn’t spelled the way it sounds?

And…. how do you decide if someone has a “slim chance” or a “fat chance”?

Finally, if a mime is arrested… does the police officer say “you have the right to remain silent.”

Maybe from here on out, it would be best if I remained silent about all the things I wonder.

“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.” – Albert Einstein

Rude Trees:

What are you…. some kind of a fruit?

Who’s asking… you old nut.

…. Hey.  You want a piece of me?

You are a Log Head.

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. – Mother Theresa

There are things in the world that are old and decrepit. Time has a way of doing that to things.

Which brings me to this. I just read in a journal that “No scientific experiment has ever been done (or could be done) to prove that time exists.” Now… this needs some “splainin'” to me. I guess time is relevant…. just like Al said.

So on to some lighter thoughts. Funny thoughts.

The inventor of “Best Before” dates— originally for milk—was Al Capone’s brother Ralph.  Stick ’em up.

Humans  have been hunter-gatherers  for 99% of their history.  Me hunter and gatherer.  At the supermarket.

Now for a commercial. Worldwide sales of cocaine earn more than Microsoft, McDonald’s, and Kellogg’s combined.

And if that was not enough….. The first advertising jingles were written down in newspapers. Written Jingles. The readers were expected to sing them themselves.
Okay…. now from the news desk.

More than 7,000 Americans die each year and 1,500,000 are injured as a result of doctors’ bad handwriting. Personally, I think penmanship should be a prerequisite for these dudes.

Let’s just hope you don’t end up in the hospital for using Tide. You see… In 1999, more than 3,000 people were hospitalized after tripping over a laundry basket.

So… I guess you won’t be surprised when I tell you this. Humans have the same number of hair follicles as chimpanzees.

And last but not least…. George W. Bush named The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle as his favorite childhood book. It was published when he was 23 years old.

Which brings me to this. I guess time really is relative.

“What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.” – Saint Augustine

The Human Brain is a pretty amazing entity.

Albeit… some more amazing than others…. While all of us are created equal, we each have our own strengths, and weaknesses; likes and dislikes. It is just the human way. That is what makes us individuals.

But back to the brain. You know… Einstein vs. Gilligan, and such.

Here is the thing though. In general, the left and right hemispheres of our brain take care of information in different ways. Each of us has a natural tendency towards one way of thinking. Now most definitely….the two sides of our brain HAVE to work together in our everyday lives. But we each hold a tendency to think more on one side… than the other.

The lowdown:
Left Brainers: Linear, Sequential, Logical, Reality Based. Analytical. Good at memorizing. Prefers distinctions. Makes lists and completes tasks in order. Follows Directions.
Right Brainers: Holistic, Intuitive, Non-Verbal, Fantasy Oriented. Creative. Emotional. Wants to see, feel, and touch objects. Flits from one task to another. Doesn’t read directions.
New studies show that most of how we think is processed on both sides of the brain… specifically the neocortex. However, despite this, we still have tendencies toward one side or the other.

Now me? Oh… I just camp out on the right side of the brain. I haven’t really seen the left side in years. Now my life partner is just the opposite. Lefty all the way.

I guess neither one is better than the other…. left or right, right or left.  Side to side… equal all in all.

Another matter entirely covers the other two halves of the brain….

The Forward Thinkers vs.  The Backward Thinkers.

But maybe we should save that for another night’s discussion!

“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”  – George S. Patton

Earlier today, I was in the store.

I like to sing…. and sometimes I forget myself. So on this day… I was belting out the Tony Orland and Dawn Hit…Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree

A woman guffawed at me. Under her breath, she sputtered… “Well. The apple never falls far from the tree .”
Huhhhnnn. Like she knows my family people or something? So I… being DANG quick on my feet… retorted with…
“The tree is known by its fruit.”

She sneered back my way and said… “I think you are lit up like a Christmas tree .”

Now.. I wasn’t sure if that was a GOOD thing…. or a BAD thing. So I simply replied…”I am going to make like a tree and leave.”

“With my Family tree.” I added.

These days…. just going to the store can be as difficult as nailing jelly to a tree. I am pretty certain that lady was barking up the wrong tree.

But if I learned anything.. it was this. Her bark was worse than her bite.

….

……..

Okay.  In all actuality.

Someone turned to me today….. out of the clear blue….. and said,

“Isn’t that universe marvelous?  We were meant to enjoy it.”

I thought you all would think I was making it up.

So instead… I DID make something up.

But on this day… the truth is so much better than the fiction.

“All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.” – Swami Vive Kananda

Last night, we saw the movie, “12 Years A Slave” and I have been thinking about it ever since. I want to write about it, but I am not entirely sure what to say.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, it is the true story of Solomon Northup, a free man, who was born in 1808. He lived with his wife and children, in Saratoga, NY. Solomon was quite successful, prosperous and well-educated.

In 1841, he was kidnapped, and held in captivity by horrible men. Then, he was transported by horrible, horrible men… to New Orleans. He was forced into slavery by horrible men. He spent the next 12 years in a horrible existence.

I have to say it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. At the same time… it was the most difficult 2 1/2 hours I have spent in a long time.

It made me think long and hard about freedom and survival. The entire movie, the visualization and consideration…. of that time in our history…. made me profoundly sad.

Yet, today, I had a much fresher appreciation for my freedoms. I think this can come to us in may different ways, and sizes, and forms.  But. Yes.  

I am thankful to be free.

May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right. – Peter Marshall