Earth laughs in flowers.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat.
~Beverly Nichols
'Tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes!
~William Wordsworth
Look at us, said the violets blooming at her feet, all last winter we slept in the seeming death but at the right time God awakened us, and here we are to comfort you.
~Edward Payson Rod
Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity.
~John Ruskin
If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.
~Audra Foveo
The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.
~Gertrude S. Wister
"Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is..."
C.S. Lewis
My Grandmother is turning 88 this week and is also celebrating her Sixty-Ninth wedding anniversary. Since they live in another state, we had to celebrate from afar. My mom and dad came over and we posed for a 3 generation Happy Birthday Photo.
Today is Good Friday. Good Friday is the one Christian "holiday" that the wider culture, even in America, has not taken up. It is the one holy day whose Christian significance cannot be bleached out to leave a commercially viable residue. Christmas can be for children and families, for shopping, for feasting. Easter can be bunnies and baby chicks, the newness of spring and a whole lot of chocolate. Even a couple of days marked out to honor saints in some Christian traditions-Valentine, Patrick-have been pretty much entirely taken over by a culture of romance and hedonism, sex and shopping.Also, this article is worth a read, Good Friday Surprises.
Not this day. There is nothing marketable about Good Friday. Suffering, sacrifice, injustice, betrayal-what's to celebrate? What's to shop for? Who could pig out on a day like that? (the rest)
I held a 3 toed sloth and had an anaconda around my neck! I also pet a very tame and friendly tapir and watched river dolphins jump in the Amazon. I had no idea there were dolphins in rivers....but there are! We had a very knowledgeable guide who knew everything about the jungle plants and animals. We took jungle walks and boat trips down the river. Once we ventured out at night to go looking for alligators. We didn't see any, but we did get to float in the river in the middle of the rainforest and listen to all of the amazing night sounds.
Respect for right conduct is felt by every body.
I've mentioned before that my husband and I speak different languages. Oh sure, we both use the English language, but our words mean very different things! For example, on his blog he says things like, "The children array contains the list of child namespaces. This can be convenient since child namespaces are stored in their parent namespace alongside all the other stuff". Faithful readers to this blog will note a subtle difference:
Can you do push ups? Not too long ago, I couldn't. Well, maybe I could do one -if I was on my knees. But since starting Krav Maga a few months ago, my fitness has improved. Now I can do about 16 "real" push ups. My current goal is 20. "It's spring fever...You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"
Mark Twain
Master Munchkin recently attended a Suzuki workshop. (You can see him on the left side of the stage, in the green and blue stripped shirt.) The teacher of this session is Eric Hauck, a cool cellist who was classically trained and plays in rock bands.
These students are being trained in the Suzuki method, where music is taught at a young age as a language and an aural art. You may be familiar with the "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" theme that students learn quite early.
This week, my Favorite Sister is exploring a rain forest, visiting the Most Populous City in the World that Cannot be Reached by Road, and boating down a famous river. Where is she? Any guesses?
"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
| - Sir Isaac Newton |
Miss Munchkin left this for me on my computer screen. I just love her Irish-Pirate accent! (Especially since she is neither Irish nor Pirate) :P
I catnap now and then, but I think while I nap, so it's not a waste of time. - Martha Stewart
"You're just trying to trick me into bluffing you!"
Master Muchkin, age 6
Teacher: Let's see...who can I pick on...." (chorus of "me"s follow) "Tannyr, can I pick on you?"
Tannyr: "Yeah...."
Teacher: "Now watch as I push on Tannyr's head with my hand. Does that hurt?"
Tannyr: "No."
Teacher: "Now, what would happen if I pushed on his head with this little thumb tack?"
Tannyr: "Ahh!"
Teacher: "Would that hurt more?"
Tannyr: nods quickly
Teacher: "What's the difference?"
Preston: "Yeah, there is no difference, so it shouldn't hurt."
Teacher: "What's the difference?"
Tannyr: "It hurts more...."
Teacher: "But I'm using the same force! So it shouldn't hurt more."
Preston: "Yeah, prove it!"
"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But, conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because one's conscience tells one that it is right."- Martin Luther King, Jr.
