Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play. ~Friedrich Nietzsche



So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us.
~Gaston Bachelard



Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. ~Pablo Picasso



Children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do. ~Jean de la Bruyere



What a distressing contrast there is between the radiant intelligence of the child and the feeble mentality of the average adult. ~Sigmund Freud



A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. ~Rachel Carson

Shadow Shot Sunday!

Hey! Shadow hunters! Time to show what shadows you've found -- an in a lot of places around the world that ain't easy these Fall days! But you can do it I know! Shadow Shot Sunday is hosted each week by Tracy at Hey Harriet. Click on the icon, sign up and share what you've found!

I did have to do some digging again this week -- shadows are definitely in short supply these gray winter days! But if you look hard enough, long enough -- well, here's some I came up with.

A lonely duck on a pond near the beach, looking for some sunshine and some company!



Max and Mojo



Who's that following me now?



I was not drinking anybody's anything, Sam!



And back to the kitchen and some of the same old, same old!

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

Smile, breathe and go slowly. ~Thich Nhat Hanh




Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours. ~Swedish Proverb



Lead me not into temptation; I can find the way myself. ~Rita Mae Brown



I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart: I am, I am, I am. ~Sylvia Plath



Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live. ~Margaret Fuller



Give your stress wings and let it fly away. ~Carin Hartness

Humor for the Weekend

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked,
'How old was your husband?'
'98,' she replied, 'Two years older than me'
'So you're 96,' the undertaker commented.
She responded, 'Hardly worth going home, is it?

Reporter interviewing a 104-year-old woman:
'And what do you think is the best thing about being 104?' the reporter asked.
She simply replied, 'No peer pressure.'

The nice thing about being senile is you can hide your own Easter eggs.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape,
so I got my doctor's permission to
join a fitness club and start exercising.
I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors.
I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour But,
by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.

These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says,
' For fast relief.'

THE SENILITY PRAYER : Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and
The eyesight to tell the difference.

The Power of a Badge!



DEA officer stops at a ranch in Texas, and talks with an old rancher. He tells the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs."

The rancher says, "Okay, but do not go in that field over there," as he points out the location.

The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, " Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me." Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the rancher.

"See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... On any land. No questions asked or answers given.
Have I made myself clear? Do you understand? "

The rancher nods politely, says, "OK" and goes about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life chased by the rancher's huge Santa Gertrudis bull...



With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he'll get gored before he reaches safety.. The officer is clearly terrified.

The rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs.....
"Your badge......
Show him your F#*@KING BADGE ! "

Always Remember This:
You don't stop laughing because you grow old,
You grow old because you stop laughing!!!

Sky Watch Friday!

So, what are your skies like today? If you don't like yours, you can find lots of different ones and if you do like yours then you can share them! Sky Watch is hosted every week by Klaus and the Sky Watch Team of Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and myself! Click on the icon and sign up to share your skies and enjoy those of others! PLEASE! do read and follow the instructions before signing in!

Well, winter is here and so is GRAY! So, I've wistfully looked back to the past couple of weeks and thought I'd share a few from those lovely skies.

The Sky! Sometimes gentle, sometimes capricious, sometimes awful, never the same for two months together; almost human in its passions, almost spiritual in its tenderness, almost Divine in its infinity. Bayard Ruskin



The treasures hidden in the heavens are so rich that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh nourishment. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)



And that inverted Bowl they call the Sky, whereunder crawling coop'd we live and die, Lift not your hands to it for help--for it As impotently moves as you or I.
Omar Khayyam
The Rubaiyat



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



The moon is like a mystery novel, the sun like a motivational self-help book, and the stars a coffee table book of photography. The sky is the whole library, and God the librarian. ~Pepper Giardino



If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive. ~Eleonora Duse

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through! ~Author Unknown



A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out. ~Grace Pulpit



Sometimes it's better to put love into hugs than to put it into words. ~Author Unknown



Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown



You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. ~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet



You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. ~Author Unknown



Hugs grease the wheels of the world. ~Author Unknown



The Last Photo :

Ballerinas
pirouetting
starkly,
amidst the silver sands,
now
stopped
mid action,
standing on tiptoe
palms unfolding
to the sky.

Dreaming
of the days
of green
jetes
as their branches
gracefully
bowed and swished
in the cool
late summer breeze.

The Day of the Adagio
is drawing to
a close,
Water
slowly
gently
lapping
at the rooted feet,
freeing them
to live in the sun
once again

The Allegro
has started,
with a glimmer of green,
and
they shake off
the frosted
diamonds
and gracefully
bow
to the God of spring
watched by
an amused Sun.

Posted by Ugich Konitari to Sylvia From Over The Hill at December 17, 2009 1:21 AM

What a Woman Wants in a Man

Original List:
1. Handsome
2. Charming
3. Financially successful
4. A caring listener
5. Witty
6. In good shape
7. Dresses with style
8. Appreciates finer thing
9. Full of thoughtful surprises
10. An imaginative, romantic lover

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 32)

1. Nice looking
2. Opens car doors, holds chairs
3. Has enough money for a nice dinner
4. Listens more than talks
5. Laughs at my jokes
6. Carries bags of groceries with ease
7. Owns at least one tie
8. Appreciates a good home-cooked meal
9. Remembers birthdays and anniversaries
10. Seeks romance at least once a week

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 42)

1. Not too ugly
2. Doesn't drive off until I 'm in the car
3. Works steady - splurges on dinner out occasionally
4. Nods head when I'm talking
5. Usually remembers punch lines of jokes
6. Is in good enough shape to rearrange the furniture
7. Wears a shirt that covers his stomach
8. Knows not to buy champagne with screw-top lids
9. Remembers to put the toilet seat down
10. Shaves most weekends

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 52)

1. Keeps hair in nose and ears trimmed
2. Doesn't belch or scratch in public
3. Doesn't borrow money too often
4. Doesn't nod off to sleep when I'm venting
5. Doesn't re-tell the same joke too many times
6. Is in good enough shape to get off the couch on weekends
7. Usually wears matching socks and fresh underwear
8. Appreciates a good TV dinner
9. Remembers your name on occasion
10. Shaves some weekends

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 62)

1. Doesn't scare small children
2. Remembers where bathroom is
3. Doesn't require much money for upkeep
4. Only snores lightly when asleep
5. Remembers why he's laughing
6. Is in good enough shape to stand up by himself
7. Usually wears some clothes
8. Likes soft foods
9. Remembers where he left his teeth
10. Remembers that it's the weekend

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 72)

1. Breathing
2. Doesn't miss the toilet..

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith

Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. ~Mary Ellen Chase



Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~William Arthur Ward

Quality begins on the inside... and then works its way out. ~Bob Moawad



Man can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as... from a lack of bread. ~Richard Wright, Native Son, 1940

When your heart speaks, take good notes. ~Judith Campbell



If you would like to spoil the day for a grouch, give him a smile. ~Author Unknown

Smile - it increases your face value. ~Author Unknown

ABC Wednesday -- V!

ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt every week and it is time to play once again. The letter for the day is V

V is for Vital, for Victorious, for Violin, ahh and for Vodka, Vanilla, Velvet -- and!

V is for Vegetables!



V is for Violets!



V is for Vineyards!



And last, but by no means least, V is for Valentine!

Evening, Wisdom and Beauty

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. ~Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet



A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver. ~Thomas á Kempis



A man isn't poor if he can still laugh. ~Raymond Hitchcock



Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons. ~Ruth Ann Schabacker



Change always comes bearing gifts. ~Price Pritchett



Love is, above all, the gift of oneself. ~Jean Anouilh