Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

To find someone who will love you for no reason, and to shower that person with reasons, that is the ultimate happiness. ~Robert Brault



Always remember that striving and struggle precede success, even in the dictionary.
Sarah Ban Breathnach



The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.
Sarah Ban Breathnach



If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up. J.M. Power



Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss



Whatever we are waiting for - peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance - it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.
Sarah Ban Breathnach

Shadow Shot Sunday!

Get out you sleuthing clothes, it's time for Shadow Shot Sunday hosted by Tracy at Hey Harriet! Click here and sign up to show us what kind of clever, different, beautiful or strange shadows you have come up with!

I liked this shot because I got shadows and reflections on the window all in the same shot!



Even a plain, old, everyday stairway takes on a mysterious look in a shadow!



My struggling old ivy was happy for the sunshine, too!



These colored shadows are of empty vases I found and put in the window of my room and they showed up on the side of the comforter on my bed!

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. ~Victor Hugo



I've always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, "Ain't that the truth." ~Quincy Jones



If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it. ~Toni Morrison

Mirth is God's medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it. ~Henry Ward Beecher



You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice. ~Steven D. Woodhull



Remember, if you’re headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns! ~Allison Gappa Bottke



The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. ~e.e. cummings



What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul. ~Yiddish Proverb

Pun Intended!

A young friend of mine in Texas was trying to cheer me up this morning -- these are soooo bad they're actually funny! Hey! a laugh is a laugh and I'll take all I can get!

1. Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony
wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.

2. A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, 'I'll serve you,
but don't start anything.'

3. Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.

4. A dyslexic drunk walks into a bra.

5. A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm, and says 'A
beer please, and one for the road.'

6. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: 'Does this
taste funny to you?'

7. 'Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.' 'That
sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome.' 'Is it common?' 'Well, It's Not Unusual.'

8. Two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to
Dolly, 'I was artificially inseminated this morning.'
'I don't believe you,' says Dolly. 'It's true; no bull!' exclaims Daisy.

9. An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to
look at either.

10. Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.

11. I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day, but I couldn't
find any.

12. A man woke up in a hospital after a serious accident. He shouted,
'Doctor, doctor, I can't feel my legs!'
The doctor replied, 'I know you can't - I've cut off your arms!'

13. I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel.

14. What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

15. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and
says, 'Dam!'

16. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the
craft. Unsurprisingly it sank .....proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

17. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel, and were standing in
the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour,
the manager came out of the office, and asked them to disperse. 'But why,'
they asked, as they moved off. 'Because,' he said, 'I can't stand
chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer.'

18. A woman has twins, and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to
a family in Egypt , and is named 'Ahmal.' The other goesto a family in
Spain; they name him 'Juan.' Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself
to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that
she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, 'They're
twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal.'

19. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which
produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very
little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from
bad breath.. This made him..... (Oh, man, this is so bad, it's good) ..... A
super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

20. And finally, there was the person who sent twenty different puns to his
friends, with the hope that at least a couple of the puns would make them
laugh.. No pun in ten did.

Obituary for Mr. Sense... A Wake Up Call

My parents told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed by until today when I read his obituary. Please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance. For Common Sense had served us all so well for so many generations.

Obituary:

Common Sense
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents,Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter,Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Author unknown

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. ~Carol Bishop Hipps

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. ~Mark Twain



Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~Chili Davis



Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. ~Samuel Ullman



Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. ~Kahlil Gibran



I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver



Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and fans the bonfire. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

Sky Watch Friday!

Another week, another marvelous look at skies from all over the world! Sky Watch Friday is hosted each week by Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise. Click here to sign up and share the beauty of your skies with us!



We've had beautiful weather the past few days, very warm, blue skies. But late in the afternoon on Monday some soft, pastel clouds began to move in and as the evening moved on and the sun dropped lower the colors became more vivid and voila! another beautiful sunset!!



This shot was taken of the same area, just fifteen minutes later. The shape of the clouds were almost identical, just the colors had changed, deepened.

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld



If you cannot be a poet, be the poem. ~David Carradine

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ~e.e. cummings



There is just one life for each of us: our own. ~Euripides

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~Confucius



With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present. ~Jan Glidewell



Don't let the past steal your present. ~Cherralea Morgen

Maxine's Love Making Tips For Seniors

1. Wear your glasses.
TO make sure your partner is actually in the bed..

2. Set timer for 3 minutes,
In case you doze off in the middle.

3. Set the mood with lighting.
(Turn them ALL OFF!)

4. Make sure you put 911 on your speed dial before you begin.

5. Write partner's name on your hand in case you can't remember.

6... Use extra polygrip so your teeth don't end up under the bed.

7. Have Tylenol ready in case you actually complete the act..

8. Make all the noise you want...
The neighbors are deaf too.

9. If it works, call everyone you know with the good news!!

10. Don't even think about trying it twice. .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
'OLD' IS WHEN...
Your sweetie says, 'Let's go upstairs And make love,' and you answer, 'Pick one; I can't do both!'

'OLD' IS WHEN...
Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes And you're barefoot.

'OLD' IS WHEN...
Going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.

'OLD' IS WHEN....
You don't care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don't have to go along.

'OLD' IS WHEN...
You are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of by the police .

'OLD' IS WHEN..
'Getting a little action' means you don't need to take any fiber today.

'OLD' IS WHEN...
'Getting lucky' means you find your car in the parking lot.

'OLD' IS WHEN...
An 'all nighter' means not getting up to use the bathroom.

AND

'OLD' IS WHEN...
You are not sure if these are facts or jokes?

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

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



Humor is a reminder that no matter how high the throne one sits on, one sits on one's bottom. ~Taki



If you're going through hell, keep going. ~Winston Churchill



The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet. ~James Openheim



Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open. ~John Barrymore

ABC Wednesday -- J!

Time to practice your ABC's and today is the J Day! And Mrs. Denise Nesbitt is the teacher who gives you that very opportunity each week on ABC Wednesday! Click on her name to sign up and show us how smart you are!

J is for Jewelry!

 

And J is for the Jump Start Program where I volunteer!

 

And J is for Jacaranda tree! One of the loveliest trees that I found in Mexico when I lived in San Miguel de Allende.



And J is for Jump for Joy! Every day!
I'm adding this note because so many of you have commented on this shot -- I wish I could claim to have taken it, but a friend sent it to me and it was so perfect for the day, I just had to include it. Should have made that clear to begin with -- just assumed you guys would know that I'm not that good of a photographer!

Reminder for the Day!

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don't just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands..
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly..
God never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend. ~Aristotle



In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer



A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad. ~Arnold H. Glasgow



The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley



A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world. ~Leo Buscaglia

That's My World -- Japanese Garden - Portland

Remember today is World Peace Day!





Come share your world with us! That's My World is hosted each week by Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise! Click here to sign up, join the fun and show us what is beautiful and unique to your world.

When I lived in Portland one of the breathtaking places I loved to visit was the Japanese Gardens. As you know, I had nothing but a point and click in those days and rarely had even that one with me at any given time, but these are from Google and they truly capture the unbelievable beauty of this incredible place. They don't need any words from me, just enjoy the beauty! Click on any of the shots to embiggen and see more detail.