Our dog, Ralphie, the yellow Labrador retriever has an enormous mouth with folds and folds of lips. We feed all three of our dogs, a mix of three different kinds of kibble that our veterinarian recommends. One of the brands of their food has three different sizes of kibble, just in its bag alone. Lately, we have figured out that “Ralph, the mouth”, who eats everything you can imagine (he loves bananas!), does not prefer one of the kibbles in that mix, which are little dark brown pieces smaller than the size of a pea. He picks them out and sort of hides them under his bowl. How he is able to quickly scarf down everything (we feed him with one of those slow feeder maze bowls, to help keep his weight down, by making him eat more slowly) and still pick out those tiny little pea-sized kibbles and hide them, using just his enormous, lippy mouth, is still a mystery to me. I’ve never met a dog like Ralphie before him. Like our son says, “Ralphie is always on a mission.”
Changing the subject, I read a cute story about Paul Newman yesterday. A woman happened to be on vacation in the same beach town as Paul Newman and his family. Early one afternoon she went into a little sweets shop and she saw Paul sitting at a corner table eating a donut. She didn’t want to appear flustered and starstruck, so she ordered an ice cream cone and then quickly left the shop. After the woman walked a few steps, she realized that she had been flustered and starstruck and had left her ice cream cone in the shop. As she turned around, Paul Newman was right behind her. He gave her a flash of his gorgeous blue eyes and a big smile and he said, “It’s in your purse.”
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
+ We wonder why there are so many crazies/narcissists/self-interested/self-impressed weirdos in leadership positions in our politics and other institutions in our society and the reason is, who else could possibly want to take on these awful positions? What sane, reasonable, equitable, logical, self aware person would want to be a politician? So until we heal the systems and the institutions themselves, we will be continued to be lead by crazies/narcissists/self-interested/self-impressed weirdos. And things will only get worse and worse. One particular person isn’t the answer. One particular party isn’t the cure. We need to heal the systems and the structures in our society. We need to get back to the bare bones of what is truly important to the majority of people: Our families and loved ones, our health, our safety, our communities, our resources, our opportunities, and our freedoms, and we need to work together to clean the rest of the noise/drama/junk/control issues out of the structures of our institutions. The best that we can do, in the meantime, is to become the best sane, reasonable, equitable, logical, self aware versions of ourselves, and focus on what is truly important to us (with the awareness that the others around us also deserve these basic priorities in their own lives): Family, freedom, health, safety, community, resources, opportunities. A huge mass of people living healthy lives of universal values (all stemming from love and kindness) will eventually drown out the noise of power hungry individuals, and then true leaders will emerge to help us all leave the mess and wreckage behind us in the history books, as reminders of where never to go/never to do again. One day, we will finally learn.
+I’m currently reading Paul Newman’s new biography that just came out. Revelations (from as far as I have gotten so far): Paul Newman was half-Jewish and suffered anti-Semitism, his family of origin owned a high-end sporting goods store that survived the Depression, and he served in the Navy during World War II. Paul Newman died at the age of 83. I think that my biggest takeaway of the book so far, is more of a general takeaway. Paul Newman lived for over eight decades. Reading about his different adventures during major happenings in world history, is a huge reminder to me, of just how vast our individual life experience really is, especially for those of us who are fortunate enough to live long lives. When I read about others’ adventures and stories of their own lives, it inspires me to take more chances, to really revel in my experiences, and to reflect on how these experiences shape me. Reading others’ biographies, is a reminder to keep my own biography interesting, and compelling, and to cherish “the stories” as they are happening.
+I was at the grocery the other day, staring at package of ready-made caramel apples. I had already tried them and they weren’t that good, but I was pondering on giving them a second chance, with the hopes that perhaps I had just bought a bad batch. A women sauntered up to me, by the apples and said, “Honey, get a tub of Marzetti’s caramel dip, and a bag of Heath toffee chips and mix it together. Your kids will eat a dozen apples in a day, with that stuff on top.” Kids?? Ha! Did she mean the kids who are all adults and do not currently live with me? I did not admit that fact to her. I kept that fact to myself. Instead, I just nodded emphatically and racewalked to the baking aisle for the Heath chips. I can attest that I have probably eaten about two dozen, nice sized apples (which I have never been a huge fan of), and the “dip and chips” is almost all gone. Go to your grocery store now for just three ingredients: Apples, Marzetti’s caramel dip, Heath toffee chips. You won’t regret it. Happy Fall. You’re welcome.
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
In the summertime, we tend to get a least one hour of rain almost daily, here in Florida, but we also get a ton of sunshine, hence the nickname, ” The Sunshine State.” Last night we got a heavy, soaking rain and this morning the sun is shining through all of the raindrops covering my plants. My plants are sparkling! It’s a beautiful sight to behold.
Fridays are wonderful. Here at the blog, I don’t dig deep on Fridays. On Fridays, I stay at the surface level and I describe things, or books, or websites, or songs, that have made my own life more fun and interesting to experience. Please check out previous Friday posts for more favorites and please add your own favorites to my Comments section.
Here are my favorites for today:
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria line of perfumes – I’ve mentioned Herba Fresca here at the blog before because it is one of my favorite, all-time, refreshing, uplifting perfumes, but lately I have purchased a few other samples from this line (ebay) and I am blown away. They are lovely and clean and unique scents, everyone of them. One of the most unique, delicious scents from this line, utterly titillates me. It is easily a great Friday scent to wear. This scent from the divine Aqua Allegoria line is called “Ginger Piccante.” It’s not going to be for everyone, and it’s not an everyday scent, but for an essence of intrigue and daring and distinctiveness, give it a try!
Kim’s Pointy Earrings – Kim Wexler, from “Better Call Saul” is one of my favorite fictional characters from a television series, of all time. She wears a signature pair of earrings throughout the whole series, that I fell in love with, almost as much as her character. I think that these earrings subtly say, “I’m attractive, but don’t ever underestimate me. I will cut you, if provoked.” I bought a pair from Etsy (they came from Israel and are well made and reasonable priced) but you can get replicas of these earrings, at every price level. Alexis Bittar makes a similar pair of earrings. On an aside, I admire those of you, who wear the same signature things all of the time: a conversation piece of jewelry, or unique, colorful glasses or a signature scent that you wear every single day. I’m not that girl. I get bored easily, and I change it up all of the time, with my jewelry and perfumes, but I do find a lot of comfort in those of you who find your signature stamps, and stay loyal to these items, throughout your lives. I think that trait shows a lot of confidence in what you like.
Mrs. Bridgeby Evan S. Connell – “Oh Cecilia, you’re breaking my heart, you’re shaking my confidence daily!” (song by Simon and Garfunkel) (Cecilia, how many times have people sung this song to you, while you had a plastered smile on your face, while wondering how long you would have to endure it, as if it were the first time you had ever heard someone sing it to you? I have a very unusual maiden name. I can completely empathize.) Cecilia is one of my awesome readers (I LOVE and appreciate all of my readers, so so much!) who recommended this book for me to read. And I just finished it, and it was heartbreakingly excellent. It is an easy read, and a hard read, all at the same time, because if you are a middle-aged woman, in the middle of facing your own existential crises, you will cringe with self awareness, more than a few times, when reading this book. Mrs. Bridge is considered to be a classic, that never quite gets the attention that it deserves, much like its heroine. If you recall, the movie, “Mr. and Mrs. Bridge” featuring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, the movie is partially based on this book. I kept finding myself reflecting on Ordinary People and The Stepford Wives, while reading this thought-provoking, and also feeling-evoking, sparse novel. Thank you for recommending it to me, Cecilia.
Okay, let’s have a fabulous weekend, shall we?? See you tomorrow!
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
