Two Days In a Row!

You're going to get spoiled if I keep posting this frequently. I'm sure we don't really have to worry.



The quote: "Fortune can, for her pleasure, fools advance, and toss them on the wheels of chance." —Juvenal (55-127 AD)

It's crazy busy at the office these days, and I feel a little like the fool spinning wildly on the wheels of chance. The work I'm engaged in at the moment depends largely on the responses of others (many others), and I am utterly at their mercy. There will be an end to the chaos, and it will be a happy ending. The middle certainly is a mess, however.

Still getting showings, just no offers on the house yet. It's certainly a buyer's market at the moment...sigh. I had to disappear from the house between 7:30 and 8:30 on Tuesday, so I went to the forest preserve and had a late dinner picnic and did a little sketching (the one you see on this spread, and the candle on the previous spread). I returned to my house around 8:35 only to find the realtor's car in my driveway and the realtor and his client just getting out of the car to go inside. Ah, the joy of selling a home....

Still Catchin' Up on June

The quote: "The Buddha did not intend his ideas to become a religion; in fact, he discouraged following any path or advice without testing it personally. His dying words, as it's told, were: 'you must each be a lamp unto yourselves.'" —Perry Garfinkel, "Buddha Rising", National Geographic magazine, Dec. 2005.

The background looked a little "Christmas in June" to me, so what better quote than one from Buddha? Personally, I have a lot of faith, but very little religion. Haven't ever found a religion that "fit", but my faith has never (thankfully) been shaken (tested, yes, ever tested).


The quote: "The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth." —Niels Bohr (1885-1962)


The quote: "A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." —Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992)


The quote: "Money can't buy happiness, but neither can poverty." —Leo Rosten


The quote: "He who builds a better mousetrap these days runs into material shortages, patent-infringement suits, work stoppages, collusive bidding, discount discrimination—and taxes." —H.E. Martz

I participated in neither of the rides listed...groan.


The quote: "O Lord, help me to be pure, but not yet." —St. Augustine (354-430)

The Doobie Brothers concert at Ravinia was great. My only complaint is they nver played "Minute By Minute". I'd been singing that song all day long—maybe they sensed it and thought the universe had had enough. Hmmm...maybe not.

Thanks for reading!

"Last Published June 6th"...

WOW, that was a long time ago. Sorry for the wait. I know you're anxious for new stuff (har dee har har). This is one you'll want to read from the top down, since that's the way I wrote it and that's the direction my train of thought travelled.


The quote: "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." —Groucho Marx (1890-1977)

It's the 40th anniversary of the summer of love. This background seems rather fitting for it since it finds it's origins in that time. The background also reminds me of my Aunt Peg and Aunt Patty's room in the house in Potomac. It was all bright yellows, greens and oranges too and it always smelled of their perfumes. I was ever in awe of my aunts when I was growing up, and staying with them on our all-too-brief visits to the east coast were such a treat.

I usually bunked in with my Aunt Janet in those days. She was (and still is) the coolest person I know, and she had the infinite patience to deal with a hero-worshipping neice trailing a foot behind her everywhere she went. She imparted to me a treasure from the flower-power era—my very own copy of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." She handed it to me in a moment of deep solemnity, and entreated me to keep it safe and close for a long time, and one day I would fully appreciate it. I still have it, and I do appreciate it.

It's hard to imagine sometimes that the original intent of the summer of love (you know, that one concerning peace coming from peace?) still exists in this world. I think it does, but it's light is so very dim.


The quote: "What is the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?" —H.D. Thoreau (1817-1862)

There seems to be a theme. There seems to be a theme that has echoed throughout the ages. There seems to be a theme that won't hold mankind down despite the bitterness of its existence.

And by-the-by, I'm happy to bring you the true origin of waves. Next I'm going to work on the true origin of man...it'll be amazing, I promise.


The quote: "Develop an interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music—the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself." —Henry Miller (1891-1980)

Wouldn't you just love to lock Miller in a room with Thoreau, and see who came out on top?!?


The quote: "The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said." —Peter Drucker (1909-2005)

So, I've communicated, but what haven't I said?

Thanks for reading and interpreting!

May Into June

First a little something pretty. These were a couple of color pencil sketches I did up in Door County.



How's that for an ugly background?!?

The quote: "Do not remove a fly from your friend's forehead with a hatchet." —Chinese Proverb


'Twas a busy weekend with a couple of bike rides, and a home improvement project. Nice to be able to do the fun things, but still get something accomplished. I would not have been able to hang that door on my own...thanks Dad!


The quote: "Cats regard people as warmblooded furniture." —Jacquelyn Mitchard, Deep End of the Ocean

Gimli certainly regards me thus. He was very cuddly last night, but it was more due to the cool temperatures than his deep affection for me. I choose to believe there's a well-spring of love there too...delusions can improve the quality of one's life immeasurably.


The quote: "Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists somewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." —Bill Waterson


Before you go trying to identify the captain of the ship, I have to tell you the two sketches are unrelated. The man rides my train, the ship does not. I did the sketch of him first, but only the hair worked so I gave up on reality and doodled instead.