Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise & haste, & remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly & clearly; & listen to others, even the dull & ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud & aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain & bitter; for always there will be greater & lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity & disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue & loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees & the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors & aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery & broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

FOUND IN OLD SAINT PAUL'S CHURCH, BALTIMORE; DATED 1692

WTF??...The Flipside

Things that make me smile, laugh and/or squeal with utter delight...

Flowers blooming. Sunshine. Giggling babies. Sleeping children. Steak, medium rare. Roller coasters. My mother-in-law. Surprise phone calls. Surprise emails. Making new friends. Hot fudge sundaes. Bear hugs. Fluffy pillows. Late night visitors. Corny jokes. Road trips. Twilight. Stolen kisses. 80s music. French Vanilla cappuccino. Cats purring. Peace and quiet. Goofy goobers...yeah! Finished projects. Empty laundry baskets. Cuddling. A clean house. Random acts of kindness. Fresh cut grass. Clean sheets. A second glance. A bold david abbott in my Inbox. \Weight loss. Riding Ripstiks. Dirty little secrets. Freshly fallen snow. Vacation. Air conditioning. Wet dreams. Light rain. Rainbows. Salary increases. Year-end bonuses. Yelling BINGO! Christmas parties. Families that get along. Found money. Successful new recipes. Guy Fieri. Compliments. Forgiveness. September 2020. Fond memories. New customers. Warm towels. Fruit Smoothie Skittles. Shopping. New hairdos. Manicures. Fireworks. My kids singing. Birds singing. Spiders. Oreos and milk. Waterslides. Nailing a 3-pointer. Making all the green lights. Tax refunds. Bargains. Chocolate. Dancing. First day of school. Making a house a home.

Have a beautiful day!

WTF??

Things that tick me off.....

Undercooked food. Flat tires. People who don't know how to drive. Unanswered emails. Unanswered phone calls. Denied friend requests. GAS PRICES!! Interrupted sleep. Nosy neighbors. Power outages. Ass kissers. Missed trains. Traffic jams. Weeds. Dead plants. Carpet stains. Cats with fleas. Leaky pipes. Kids who cuss. Assistant principals. Stolen money. Criminals. Pedophiles. Domestic abuse. Child abuse. Bad report cards. Grubs eating my grass. Cable outages. Bird crap on my window. Men who use women. Backstabbers. Broken hearts. Broken promises. Hypocrites. Fake boobs. Phony people. Cellulite. Crazy cab drivers. Fear. Terrorism. Conceited people. Liars. Bullies. Speed limits. Arson. Zits. Bill collectors. Telemarketers. Junk mail. Daycare costs. Arrogance. Unsolicited sexual advances. Computer crashes. Identity theft. Bad music. Bad acting. Homelessness. People who patronize others. Poverty. Racism. Wasted food. Crack babies. Drunks. Infidelity. Negativity. Bad hair days. Animal cruelty. Ill-fitting clothes. Cold sores. Dust mites. Moldy cheese. One night stands. Clogged drains. Unrequited love.

Ok, I'm done.....for now