2010 Contract

After serious & cautious consideration... your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2010!

It was a very hard decision to make... So try not to screw it up!!!

My Wish for You in 2010

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $50 notes.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy
May the problems you had, forget your home address!
In simple words ............

May 2010 be the best year of your life!!!



Happy New Year!

Sky Watch Friday!

Sky Watch is hosted each week by Klaus and the Sky Watch Team of Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and myself. Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! And another year of beautiful skies! Share yours with us for the New Year! Click on the icon and sign up, but PLEASE! do read and follow the instructions! Thank you!

We had a "sky war" going on in our skies last evening! The gray against the blue, complete with "cloud monsters".

Some blue sky, some lovely clouds to begin with!



Uh oh! Here comes the gray!



First one cloud monster!



And then two!! Click to embiggen and see what you can see!





The gray won! Surprise, surprise!! Nope, no surprise!

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

This is mainly for women, but these thoughts can give us all something to think about, to consider as a human being.

The Universe doesn't give you the people you want; but it gives you the people you NEED...to help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be.



One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.....

They bear hardships and they carry burdens,

but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry..

They cry when they are happy

and laugh when they are nervous.

They fight for what they believe in..

They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer

when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel

and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about

a birth or a wedding.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They grieve at the loss of a family member,

yet they are strong when they

think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss

can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you

to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what

makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.

They have compassion and ideas.

They give moral support to their

family and friends.

Women have vital things to say

and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Classified Humor

You've all probably seen these -- I had, but they're still funny and on this gray, wet day I can always use a smile.

These classifieds actually ran in a Minneapolis newspaper –

FREE YORKSHIRE TERRIER.
8-years old. Hateful little bastard. Bites!

FREE PUPPIES:
1/2 Cocker Spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog..

FREE PUPPIES..
Mother, AKC German Shepherd.
Father, Super Dog. able to leap tall fences in a single bound..

FOUND DIRTY WHITE DOG.
Looks like a rat. Been out a while. Better be a big reward.

COWS: NEVER BRED.
Also 1 gay bull for sale..

NORDIC TRACK
$300 Hardly used, call Chubby.

GEORGIA PEACHES
California grown - 89 cents/lb.

JOINING NUDIST COLONY!
Must sell washer and dryer $300.

WEDDING DRESS FOR SALE .
Worn once by mistake. Call Stephanie.

And the best one?:

FOR SALE BY OWNER:
Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica, 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000 or best offer. No longer needed, Got married last month. Wife knows everything!

And how is this one for "typical human thinking"!

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

The only gift is a portion of thyself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson



A hug is a great gift - one size fits all, and it's easy to exchange. ~Author Unknown



The branches of a tree that are supple and able to bend with the wind are able to survive, while those that are rigid snap, though often they initially appear the strongest. ~ Lee Jampolsky



Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason. ~Author Unknown



Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts. ~Martin Buxbaum



Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. ~Confucius

ABC Wednesday -- X!

And the test question today is, how man X words can you find? ABC Wednesday is hosted each week by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt, so put on your thinking caps and join the alphabetical fun!

X is for Xanadu -- the movie with a young Olivia Newton John!

Remember that one?

And for Xanadu the resort in Ambergris Caye, Belize! And I surely wouldn't object to a visit there.



And X marks the spot!

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. ~Epictetus



Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. ~Winston Churchill



No one is listening until you fart. ~Author Unknown



The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid. ~Author Unknown



Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else's. ~Billy Wilder



There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm. ~Willa Cather

That's My World -- Blake Island

That's My World is hosted each week by Klaus and the My World team, Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and myself. Each week people from all over the world share their world with us and it's a wonderful, inexpensive way to see the world! So click on the icon, sign up and share your world with us! Please do read and follow the instructions before signing in!!

My world today is Blake Island. It is a beautiful and interesting place with an interesting history. The history and photos are courtesy of Google and Wikipedia



Blake Island is an island in Washington state in the United States. It lies in the middle of Puget Sound, north of Vashon Island, south of Bainbridge Island and east of Manchester.



Blake Island is a 475 acres (1.9 km2) marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing unobstructed views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. There is a small marina and limited mooring buoys. The park is only reachable by tour boat or private boat. On the northeast end of the island is Tillicum Village, a showcase for Northwest Coast Indian arts, culture, and food. The island is home to a variety of wildlife, including deer that sometimes swim from the mainland to the island from Manchester.

Tillicum Village





Smoking Salmon at Tillicum Village





Blake Island was used as a camping ground by the Suquamish tribe. In 1786, it was the birthplace of Chief Sealth, for whom the city of Seattle was named. The island was first noted by British explorer George Vancouver in 1792, as part of his exploration of Puget Sound, though it was not named.



In 1841, Lt. Charles Wilkes of the United States Exploring Expedition named it Blake Island for George Smith Blake, the officer in charge of the United States Coast Survey between 1837 and 1848, although it was known locally as Smuggler's Island for some time. In the mid 19th century, the island was logged for its timber.

During the Prohibition, it was frequently used as a refuge for bootleggers smuggling alcohol from Canada.

William Pitt Trimble, a Seattle millionaire, purchased Blake island, and renamed it Trimble Island for a time. By 1917 he and his family lived there in a magnificent estate.

In 1929, the Trimble family's occupation of the island came to an end when William Trimble's wife Cassandra died in an accident in Seattle. After that, the island was abandoned and the house was left to decay. Trimble sold Blake Island to an investment company in 1936, and retired in Seattle.

During World War II, a unit of the Coastal Artillery of the US Army was garrisoned in the Trimble mansion. The mansion burned during this time, leaving only the foundations visible today.

In 1959, the state of Washington made the entire island a State Park.

Blake Island Beach

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one. ~Elbert Hubbard



I never make stupid mistakes. Only very, very clever ones. ~John Peel



Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. ~M. Kathleen Casey



You can't run away from trouble. There ain't no place that far. ~Uncle Remus



Never say, "oops." Always say, "Ah, interesting." ~Author Unknown



The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. ~John Powell

10 Tips for the New Year on How to Age Gracefully

1. Stay out of trouble.



2. Aim for greater heights.



3. Stay focused on your job.



4. Exercise to maintain good health.



5. Practice team work.



6. Rely on your trusted partner to watch your back. Take your time trusting others.



7. Save for rainy days.



8. Rest and relax.



9. Always take time to smile.



10. Realize that nothing is impossible.