PhotoHunt: Monthly

Full Moon Ceremony. The time interval between similar lunar phases—the synodic month—is on average about 29.53 days, just about once monthly. "Full Moons are traditionally associated with temporal insomnia, insanity (hence the terms lunacy and lunatic) and various "magical phenomena" such as lycanthropy. Psychologists, however, have found that there is no strong evidence for effects on human behavior around the time of a full moon.They find that studies are generally not consistent, with some showing a positive effect and others showing a negative effect."

Gratitude Friday: Pets

Pets bring another dimension to the family - with the exception of fur balls, most qualities are irreplaceable.

I put down my book, 'The Meaning of Zen', and see the cat smiling into her fur as she delicately combs it with her rough pink tongue. Cat, I would lend you this book but it appears you have already read it. She looks up and give me her full gaze.
Don't be ridiculous, she purrs, I wrote it. ~ Dailys Laing, Miao

Wordless Wednesday

Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words. ~Calvin and Hobbes

Quote for the Day

There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle. ~ Deepak Chopra

MA History 101: Walden Pond

Saturday was a gloriously warm spring day, so Ty and I ventured north to Concord, MA. Figured two years too long for his first history lesson. Our first stop was Walden Pond. As both of us are interested in literature, this seemed an appropriate jumping off point in his introduction to MA History 101.

Walden Pond is now a series of contained walks through the woods to alleviate erosion, pollution and progress's footprint on this fragile ecosystem.

The replica of his lodging was quite spartan, a one-room 6x8 abode with a bed, desk and fireplace. It's no wonder he communed with nature! The pond is considered a 'kettle hole' in that there are no fresh water feeders to it and no outlets from it. In the summer, it is a popular swimming destination for the local people in the area.

We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aid, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn. ~ Henry David Thoreau

PhotoHunt: Half

The arch (in generally broad, nonmathematical terms) is a half-circle. Ergo, an arch from the Alhambra Palace in deliciously mysterious Southern Spain - Granada to be exact.

Keeping with the Alhambra theme, the reflection from one of the gardens seems to cut this photo in half.

Wordless Wednesday

Taken in Madrid 2003 at the Neptune Fountain

American Idol: Show Tunes

While Kathy initiated this posting with suggestions on tonight's songs, and her picks are totally right-on, I thought I would enter a few of my own thoughts -- just for argument sake!

I'm Alright - Lee (would be a stretch, but would be interesting to see how he could change it up)

Kiss from a Rose - Big Mike (would be in his genre of songs)

Let the River Run - Crystal (just because it's Carly Simon)

Eye of the Tiger - Casey (another stretch, but it would be interesting - Plus, I love this song).

Should be interesting:-)

PhotoHunt: Mother

Sorry for the lateness in the post. I was expecting to take my own shots of the parade of 'ducklings' as they waddled off the parade route on Mother's Day, but I got stuck in traffic. Hope you enjoy a bit of the Make Way For Ducklings parade that is an annual Mother's Day ritual in Boston. The parade route retraces the route of McCloskey's, "Make Way for Ducklings" book, which practically every child in Boston reads. Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful day!

Wordless Wednesdays

Boy, do I need a vacation!

Quote of the Day

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond. ~ Jelaluddin Rumi

(Photo courtesy of internet)

Quote of the Day

I came upon this and found it quite touching. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. A great reminder of life's preciousness...

We are never old, that is we never cease easily to be young, for all life at the same time: youth is an army, the whole battalion of our faculties and our freshnesses, our passions and our illusions, on a considerably reluctant march into the enemy’s country, the country of the general lost freshness; and I think it throws out at least as many stragglers behind as skirmishers ahead–stragglers who often catch up but belatedly with the main body, and even in many a case never catch up at all. Or under another figure it is a book in several volumes, and even at this a mere installment of the large library of life, with a volume here and there closing, as something in the clap of its covers may assure us, while another remains either completely agape or kept open by a fond finger thrust in between the leaves. ~ Henry James

PhotoHunt:Black

I am tardy this weekend - too much gardening to catch up on!
Men in Black (used before but approp here); Sam, my sister's black cocker; black scroll work of Orvieto