INHERITED HABITS

My mom and my dad's sister, my Aunt Mary Rowe, were great communicators. They would write a pithy quote on their letters and cards to each other and other relatives as well. I expect I've inherited their love of these short little quips of wisdom or humor.  With the Corona Virus and sequestering, I've found I do not have more time than usual. But I do more things that I like to do in the time I do have. So, here are some words from ages:

Well, first, a word of wisdom from me:  Don't do business with AT&T if you can avoid it. They have to be one of the worst companies for customer service.

Now, to the greats:

No man can conform his faith
to the dictates of another.
The life and essence of religion
consists in the internal
persuasion or belief of the mind

                   Thomas Jefferson, 1819

That woman tempted me,
And she tempts me still.
I pray to God,
She always will!

                  Perhaps the author (unk.) was fearful to sign it.

Life is short, live it!
Love is rare, grab it!
Anger is bad, dump it!
Fear is awful, face it!
Memories are sweet, cherish them!

                  Another unknown author but
                  a great quote.

Anything too stupid to be said, is sung.

                  Voltaire  (1694-1778)

Last words of a dying Pancho Villa:

Don't let it end like this,
Tell them I said something-  (1877-1923)

This is lousy weather for a wedding toast
but then it is lousy weather for just about anything.
It poured rain, ceaselessly all day.

Here is to the Bride
May you always have diamonds on your fingers
and knock-you-dead-destroy-the-paycheck
dresses to wear.
Here is to the Groom
May you have an indestructible paycheck.





 

NO REST FOR THE WICKED.

My mother and her sisters, my aunts, always left little quotes at the bottom of their letters and cards. It was always fun to read them. And, my mother was full of homey homilies like, No rest for the wicked, or Itchy palm? You're going to get some money; Cold feet, warm heart; Itchy nose? You are going to meet a stranger; Always eat a little sour with your sweet; Waste not want not.

Her sayings came so automatic, kind of a mixture of advice, superstition, moral admonitions. Who knows where they came from?  It was just a part of her personality. I miss her so much.

I chose the title because I'm so busy, super busy, I feel like the fox chasing his tail.

I'll be absent these pages, off and on while I take a trip into the Bay Area working on a fundraiser for the archive. And, another trip to Oregon for a walk through on the house my son is building for me that will be wheelchair assessable. Then it is time to get ready for Thanksgiving that I'm hosting at my house.  So...

MY FEET

My Feet they haul me Round the House,
They Hoist me up the Stairs;
I only have to Steer them, and
They take me Everywheres!

This little ditty is by Gelett Burgess and I can think of a half-dozen verses to add to it to describe my life right now, but I'll let it go at that.  Maybe some of you can add some verses if you are so inclined. This one is in the public domain and does not require permission.

WET, RAIN, SO WHAT'S NEW?

Yesterday, before leaving our park, I had a last good swim after breakfast. Got a 10 minute massage in the hot tub and Jim was packed up to go. We  switched directions, making a beeline to  Bellingham, Washington  to look at real estate. A longer drive than normal and this is what it looked like-We passed through historic Raymond where there must have been a hundred metal sculptures along the road. They tell a story of the area, pioneers, ox teams, ag, fish, logging, kids, Indians, all sorts of wild animals, moose, deer, cougar. But rain made it impossible to grab a shot from the window.

Steady, hefty rain most of the day.  We stopped to shop and eat lunch during a little break. As soon as we were back on the road, the rain resumed. The natives are complaining about  unusually wet weather as in:  "Geez, its June and its still cold." But,Kin Hubbard says:  "Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while."
Before leaving the park, I took a photo of this lithadora. I love this plant. I have it in my yard where it struggles. Here it grows in happy profusion. I can enjoy it in the picture, and besides, earlier, I took a picture of it and misidentified it as liatris. So, this picture is by way of a correction.  Another 150 miles ahead of us today.