I watch the news.   There.  I’ve said it.

Some people never do.  They say they are better for it.  And, I think there is a LOT to be said for that.   Let’s face it.  The news is pretty down trodden.   The proverbial CRAP is always hitting the fan.  There are a lot of mean people in the world.  Some are downright evil.  There is violence, and destruction.  Some days…. it feels like there is  everything is falling…. just short of Armageddon.

So why watch the news?  Well.  On some level, I feel it is my duty as a Citizen of the Planet. If we are not aware of the things that are going wrong in the world, how can we help make them better?   There is that old axiom that goes… “You can’t solve a problem unless you first acknowledge it.”

But.  But.  What power do little old “us” have in this mess any how?  Sometimes it feels like nothing.

Yet.  We can speak up when we hear about injustice.  We can donate our time, or our talents, or our money to causes which work against these wrong doings.  And some times… just setting the record straight… is a step in the right direction.    The whole gossip-gone-mad things makes me a little crazy with certain people.

But it isn’t just people.  Heck… in Australia, scientists recently tagged this Great White Shark that was 9 feet in length.  Well.. the thing’s tracking device washed up on a beach a couple of weeks ago.    The data which was recorded on the device, suggested that the shark,  was ingested…. by what the scientists  have deemed a “colossal cannibal great white shark.”

See?  You know things are getting bad when a great white gets swallowed up by a much larger… COLSSAL… fish in the ocean.  Great.

No matter where the news comes from though… I think things have been tottering the good vs. evil line….  for a very, very long time now.   Throughout history there have been bad people. Atilla the Hun, Adolf Hitler, Suddham Hussein, Kim Jong Il, Vlad the Impaler… and so many more.

So why do people do bad things to other people?   How come things go all “bat shit crazy” from time to time?  Where and how……  does all the mud slinging and food fighting start?   Once more… I do not know.

Hang on though Snoopy.  Hang on.

The happy news is this.  There are a lot more good people in the world than bad.   At least that is what I think.   And you pretty much know it ….. when you meet the really good ones.  They seem to glow…. from with in.  Shine.  They are warm and kind… from the truth and goodness in their hearts.  It pours right out of them.

And that is what makes it all worth doing.  Worth living.  All the people knocking around on this planet that continue trying to do what is right and good.

Yep.  That makes it all worth waking up in the morning.   That… and … … . well… for some people… chocolate.

But I love being with the true-of-heart.  Especially,  if I have to watch the news.

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”   — Albert Einstein

“I love talking about nothing. It is the only thing I know anything about.” – Oscar Wilde

I don’t have a thing to say today.

Nadda.

It was a good day… blah, blah, blah.

How many times can I put you all through that???   As you very well know… the truth of the matter is … for the most part .. I am pretty dang boring.

“Did perpetual happiness in the Garden of Eden maybe get so boring that eating the apple was justified?” – Chuck Palahniuk

So.  What to write about tonight?

Here’s something.  I saw a deer up close this evening.  Yep.  It wondered into this little garden, where I like to meditate, or pray, or think… whatever you want to call it.  But the deer came right up to me.  We stared at each other for a long time.  I finally told it I had to leave.  So I left.

I drove fast.  Every where I went today.  And that, is par for the course.

My favorite snack is fruit.  Apples are the best.

The Koi Fish in our pond continue to eat of my hand.  I petted four of them at supper time … Ethel, Esther, Aggie, and Josephine.  They are soft.

See what I mean?  I don’t really have a thing to tell you.

Well.  Tonight’s photo.  A shot I took a few hours ago… down in Oxford.  That’s it.

Some lights.  On a  building.

I am sorry to drag you through this ditch.    But you have to remember the good times.  I mean… it can’t all be fun and games here.  So there you have it…. after all this time… my blank wall of a mind.  Tonight.

“Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” – Gene Fowler

All you really have to do is look around.

I have had a couple of big travel adventures recently.  And I’ve seen amazing things.

But right here today, at my very own home, I was in the company of some great friends… sharing tasty food… and having a pretty darn good time.

And this evening I took a nice walk and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the neighborhood.  There were the usual suspects about… lots of plants, trees, and foliage.  There was plenty of wildlife.   Birds, insects, bunnies, and such.  But then… but then… what did my eyes see?  Actually… what did my ears hear?

Well.  I heard just this.  “Hey.  You…over there… you thick headed human.  Do you have any idea how much wood I can chuck?  Well…. DOOOOOOO Yoooouuuuu?   How much wood do you think I could chuck…. say…. if in fact I could chuck wood.  Which… I can.  You don’t have any idea do you?”

I looked over… slowly.  And there. Up in the tree was Gary, the world-famous groundhog.  My jaw dropped.  My mouth hung wide open.  Of course I looked like a thick headed human… standing there speechless.

BUT… I had only READ about Gary in the tabloids and such.  And here he was… chucking wood right in our front yard.  I just couldn’t believe my eyes.

“Mr. Groundhog.  Can I call you Gary?  The pleasure is all mine.”

As it turns out… Gary was the nicest dang woodchuck you could every meet in all your days.  We strolled down to the creek and gnawed on a Maple for a while.  I offered him a Diet Coke… but he opted to lap right out of the pond.

We had a great afternoon.  And believe it or not.. that dude is famous for good reason.  He is quite the handsome Marmot.  And wow… can he EVER chuck wood.

At any rate… we parted ways.  His only message for the masses was this: “Punxsutawney Phil is a fake.”  From what Gary says….  he has NO idea about weather forecasting.  Turns out… he is a retired bus driver from Philadelphia with a wife and four kids.

So…. Yep.  A good day indeed.   I spent time with friends.  Ate great chicken.  I met Gary.  And. Beauty abounds everywhere.  From the soil beneath my feet to the sky up above.  And especially in the trees.

“Philosophy begins in wonder. And, at the end, when philosophic thought has done its best, the wonder remains.”  –   Alfred North Whitehead

Oh.  But it is good to be back home.

When you look up Homebody in the pages of the good old Webster Red Cover Dictionary ….. a little line drawing of me is right there by the definition.

On the other hand… I am a bit of a contradiction.  Because I love to travel.  While I am there, I sure do. Our last few trips have been absolutely rocking.  And for that I am completely thankful.

I think one of the things that I am drawn to is the whole quest for discovery… and exploration.  And you find it in the darnedest of places.  Like… in the Rochester Airport in Upstate New York.

Today, while waiting to board our first flight… we sat in the very near vicinity to Doris and Louise.  Now… I have no idea how these two are connected.  But I have to say… if Doris has a husband… I can understand why he was not traveling with her.

Doris was a badger.  A little bit of a meanie.  She was probably teased as a kid… relentlessly.  And now she feels the need to take it out on someone.  Specifically… the likes of… Louise.  These two went back and forth like a table tennis match.

Doris would grouse about something Louise was doing.  And Louise would use a sheepish… yet…  sarcastic passive aggressive reply… of some sort or another.

“Louise.  You don’t have to chug your pop.  Louise!  Don’t chug that!  You can take it with you on the plane Louise.   See?  I am taking food on the plane.  See Louise?  Oh.  You better go to the bathroom Louise.  We will be boarding soon.  Do you have to go to the bathroom Louise?  Louise, are you listening to me?”

Holy carp and holy mackerel.

On top of their interactions… there were simultaneously  on the phone.  Loudly.  Repeating the same information over and over again… to whomever was on the receiving.  They would repeat each other’s information.   Yowza.

They were heading home too.  Home Sweet Home to Atlanta.   But both of them were born in Rochester.  They were just up visiting Danny for the week.  (I can only imagine the relief must have been feeling at that moment.  They tried to call him with their cell phones.  His voice mail picked up.  Go figure.)

Any way.  These people always have one of three effects on me.
1. Disbelief
2. Annoyance
3. Thankfulness… that I don’t have anyone in my life quite like this.  And VERY thankful for all the totally great friends that I DO know.    You and you.  I love you guys.

Now Doris and Louise.  Well.  They may be totally great people once you get to know them.  But I am going to leave that as one of the great mysteries in my life.  There are a lot of other people… more positive people… that I would rather get to know first.

Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out. – Jack Buck

The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth. – Chinese Proverb

This is a Friday.  In June.  2014.

Time flies when you are having fun.  I first met my friend Lynn when I was about 8 years old.  We played softball, at North Riverdale Little League.  We’ve been true  friends ever since.  From silly childhood experiences… through crazy college road trips to Indiana University… to the adulthood ups and downs.  So… more than 40 years in all… those are moments in time I would never trade away.

I met Lisa sometime during the mid to late 80s.  I can totally remember the party…. it was at an apartment complex in Dayton.  She seemed very quite and very smart.  Through the years our friendship has grown and grown…. into one I will always cherish in my heart.

Today I went to their wedding.

I cried.  Happiness tears.  Tears of being overwhelmed.  Tears of glad goodness.

The day was beautiful all the way around.  Great ceremony, celebration, food… terrific company, weather, environment… and more.  We even had good dogs at the wedding.

They are a great blessing in my life.  I am thankful.

I have a lot of beautiful blessings in my life.  Friends. Family.  Beings with paws.  A good life with health and happiness and wellness.   So much fine fortune and kindness in my world.  And…..  The dearest of these…. is my heart song.  My kindred spirit.  My one true connection in my spirit.  My center.  My love.

Oh sure, I am a big sap tonight.  A wedding and too many Diet Cokes will do that to a girl.  Not to mention the Chicken Dance.

But.  For those of you who do not understand, or think this is wrong…. I can only say this.  My friends don’t want to worship in anyone’s church, or have any one  religion give them holy blessings.  They simply want to get married.  They love each other.  Just like so many other human beings in the world… they wish to have equal rights.

And if you still don’t quite get it… well… I guess it is sort of like being left-handed.  There is nothing wrong with left-handed people.  They are just a minority… and they were born that way.    The nuns can try and try to beat it out of  them….. but to no avail.  People have no real choice in their left-handedness.

Just like any one of us…. you are you or you.  We don’t have a choice about who we like and dislike.  We simply know it when it happens.

I hope some day…  we will all find a way to figure out that people are just people…. all over this wide world.  Or maybe…. they are simply sitting right next to you.  Left hands and all.

“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.”   – Albert Einstein

What a little corner of the earth we are in…. I’ll tell you.

It is called, Hammondsport, NY.  And I must say… it is a GEM of a place.  In fact, Rand McNally recently named it the “Coolest Little Town In America.”  It beat out, none other than our infamous Yellow Springs, Ohio, for this grand distinction.  They have a very beautiful lake. … a quaint downtown…. lots of shops… with many antiques… and a bazillion vineyards and wineries.

But here we are.  In Hammondsport.  Friends of ours are getting married.  So, how in the world did we ever meet friends from Hammondsport?  Well.  We didn’t.  They live in Ohio.  Where we do.  But they wanted to get married after being together for 20 years.  They aren’t allowed to get married in the State of Ohio…. or in most parts of the United States.  So they had to go somewhere which thinks they are worthy of getting married.

They are too of the coolest people you would ever want to meet in all your days.  Humanitarians, Philanthropists, Care-Takers, Planet-Conscious-Minded, Tax-Paying, Law Abiding Citizens.    An Engineer and a Social Worker.  So… it is apropos that they had to travel to the “Coolest Town in America” to hitch the knot.

And thankfully, we came to NY to share in the joy of their union.

So yes.  This little town is great, and we are having a pretty wonderful time.  Our day was packed with exploring.  We investigated unknown Antique and Curio Stores.   We supported the local economy like crazy.  We met Chinese Mudmen.  They are coming home with us.    Of course…. there had to be a fish taco here and there…. with a side of Sad Sour Cream Sheldon.    And tonight we went to a big pre-wedding dinner celebration at the Village Tavern.

I am glad to be here in Hammondsport.  And I am particularly glad to be in …. yet another …. state of discovery.  Literally

D

Days… just like the rest of us.. have FEET.

It is true.

And some times… a day can get off on the wrong foot.

Like when it starts off… waking you up too early.  Then.  Miscommunications about times of departure.  OR… the day might get you stuck in traffic on I-70 on the way to the airport.  Then perhaps you counted on parking in the airport garage… because it was pouring down rain.  Ahhhh….. but there really isn’t any parking IN the garage.  So you have to park on TOP of the garage… in the furthest corner.  Still pouring down rain.  What a day, what a day.

So now, you are soaking wet.. . and ready to get on a nice long flight on an air-conditioned plane to Atlanta…. only so you can connect in Georgia to get to New York.  Perhaps…. THAT kind of wrong FOOT.

Where did this saying come from?  Well… it derives from old Shakespearean writings… meaning.. you have two choices.  You can either put your best foot forward… OR… you can start off on the wrong foot.

At any rate…  Maria Robinson… once said these fine words:  “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

I am beginning to learn this is true.

So you forget about that snap-crappy beginning…. And…..  you end up just fine.  On your plane… flying to Atlanta.. and on to NY.  You have fun.  You talk and laugh…. and take a drive through upper state NY in some beautiful countryside.   You see old barns, and well kept farms…. healthy deer…  picturesque fields. …  and Jabba the Hut by a fire ring… with other alien crime lord types… and bounty hunters.

But the best parts are….stumbling upon a great little restaurant and having the best hamburger EVER…. a  Pittsburgher….  and arriving at the lake… just in time for sunset.   Yes a sunset.  One which is so vibrant it looks like I did a whack-job in Photoshop.  But I did not even touch it.

Yes.  Making a new ending.  Putting the best foot forward.  And running like hell  from Jabba the Hut at the fire ring gang.

“I try not to worry too much about the future.  So I take each day just one anxiety attack at a time.” – Tom Wilson

Just remember.  It is all connected.

Every last bit of it.

Some people see this much easier than others.  But I think this to be true. … … it is all completely, complexly,  and intricately connected.

From the deepest drop in the bottom of the ocean, to the rain drop that just hit your nose.  It all mingles and exchanges.

We are wired.  Like a big electrical panel.  All the circuits.. buzzing and whirling.  Each with their own specific task and agenda.  But when it comes down to it… all of our energy is coming from the exact same power source.

At least.. this is what I believe to be true.

Once we accept it… we begin our awareness of all the other energies around us.

Every once in a while… you catch a glimpse of it… from the corner of your eye.

And it might even scare the electrodes right out of you.

But it all connects.  One way or another. That’s what I think is true.

“Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.”  –   Augustine of Hippo

“The energy of the mind is the essence of life.”  –   Aristotle

Yesterday we feasted.  But I didn’t want to write about it last night… because I wanted to make sure nothing was coming back to haunt us.

What… you ask?  Could possible come back… or more to the point.. come back UP?

Well… Sushi for one.  Sushi that made a car trip all the way up from Cincinnati on a hot day.  That’s what.    Oh….I did not care.  I ate that Sushi like it was going out of style.  I love the little rice-wrapped-swimmers.

A lot of people won’t even try this little delicacy.  Probably because of the “raw fish” deal.   Or maybe it is the name.  Literally, sushi means “sour-tasting”, a reflection of its historic fermented origins.  But it isn’t  really that at all…. these days.

But enough of the fish story.  We had the kids over… both generations.  We swam first… then feasted.  As with all feasts….hungers and preferences…..  to each it was…. their own.

Now.. Titus had the most interesting plate of anyone, I think.  He was totally entrenched in pounding down a combination of Cheese Puffs, strawberries, pretzel-roll-bread with butter, and pineapple… with an occasional bit of medium-rare steak.

Every once in a while… his eyes would glaze over and he would slip into a state of semi-consciousness.  All of this…. BEFORE the ice cream.   The rest of us were a little more main stream.  Steak and Chicken Kabobs, Potato Salad, Rolls, Fruit and such.  And of course… all of the Sushi.

Yes… that is one thing which is so much fun about a good spread of food.  To each it is his own.  And that is one of the best things about being a human.  Our ability to choose.    Say, perhaps… you like cole slaw on pepperoni pizza.  Who is to say that is SO wrong?

Thankfully…..  Most of us…here in this country… can choose freely.

And hopefully… we respect the rights of others …. to do just that.  Choose freely.  In all aspects of our lives.

So here is to being you.  And here is to being me.   Whatever we each shall be.

And if you like strawberries with your Cheese Puffs…. so be it.  Stain On.
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“Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.”  –   Henry David Thoreau
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“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection”  –  Anais Nin
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“When birds burp, it must taste like bugs.”   –   Bill Watterson
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It was a cold and dank Thursday.  Around 11:23 in the morning.  There had been a heavy fog since daybreak, on Bennygood Commons.  You could scarcely see your paw in front of your face.  Let alone… your brand new wheel of Old Cheese.

This was a problem for Carl, the Queen’s finest mouse.  He had promised to bring her a nice piece of Old Cheese from the his family’s Cheesery.  And indeed he did.  But as he was wheeling it toward the Queen’s Big Palace…. he faced before him… the Hills of Bennygood Commons.  Steep hills.

He didn’t quite know how he would ever get the wheel over all the ups and downs.  But he gave it a go… and he pushed and he pulled and he huffed and he puffed.  To no avail.  There was no good way for him to move this cheese wheel by himself.  It was much, much too big.

Then he remembered what his Mamma Mouse told him a long time ago.  “You don’t really ever doing anything in life… all by yourself.  Somewhere, somehow…. someone has helped you along the way.”    And there he had it.

Carl’s best friend was Doris… the Cook of the Town.  She was a good mouse.. and would do anything for Carl.  So he went to her hole in the wall of town… and asked Doris the Cook if she could help.  “Of course I can Carl.  I have a helicopter out back… which I use for the Grilled Cheese deliveries.  We shall fly the cheese wheel over the town and hover directly above the palace.  There, we shall lower the cheese.”

It was a great plan and they did just that.  But… just as they were nearing the palace walls… a great storm blew in.  Doris held tight to the steering stick on the Chopper.  She would not be moved.  They swerved wide and low and up again.  Finally, she hovered right over the courtyard and lowered the cheese.  Carl cheered and shimmied down the rope. “Thank you Doris.  You are a true friend, and I shall buy you a Strawberry Parfait tonight!”

So. The Queen got her Old Cheese.  Carl kept his promise, as the Queen’s finest mouse.  And Doris enjoyed Strawberry Parfait that night after she closed the diner.  All’s well that ends well.

Which just goes to show you…  You Can’t BUDGE a COOK from her HOVER.

Certainly not Doris.  Not any Day.