One Little Sentence

Pray without ceasing.
~ 1 Thessalonians, 5:17

Rants

I really shouldn't watch the news in the morning.

There's this guy on that has a book, "The Science of Yoga" and claims yoga is bad for you.  He says you're tearing this, or over-stretching that which forms blood clots, blah blah blah.  Listen, if you're getting these injuries means you're doing it wrong.  If you're doing it wrong, you're rather a) being taught wrong or b) you're not listening to your body and you're over-stretching to a point past uncomfortableness, which is incorrect.  I don't think some jackass in 2012 can argue with CENTURIES worth of exercise.  Just sayin'.

There was a commercial on for Giftopia (giftopia.com - a gift registry for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc).  Have you seen this?  It shows you the "before" of someone having an account with Giftopia, receiving odd or awkward gifts, not happy from receiving said gift.  Then it shows the "after" of someone having created an account on Giftopia and receiving the 'perfect' gift and everyone's happy.  Hey.. how about you MAKE THE EFFORT TO GET TO KNOW YOUR RECIPIENT BEFORE GIVING THEM A GIFT. Novel idea, I know, but try it.  Another example of how technology is hampering our face-time or get-to-know-you mentality.

Oh right, the third rant.  This one cracks me up.  There's a Catholic church in Montreal asking the parishioners to pray for the Habs to win their games (they even went so far as to place an ad in the local paper).  They're basically showing even the faith has a sense of humour, and really, whythehellnot.  Then they get some theologian on saying the Church is just doing this to get people in to ask for money.  ROFL!  Are you joking?!  You couldn't come up with anything more original than that?!  "The Church" does very well to get along on it's own, thankyouverymuch, and using ploys like getting people to come to church to pray for a hockey team "for money" is.. just outright outlandish.  Crazy.  Crazy, I tell you!  Pfft.

For non-rant news, we discovered we were on the wrong track searching for ovarian cancer, like, the entire time.  Where they thought it originated in the ovaries, actually comes with much sooner (non-gynecological) symptoms and starts in the fallopian tubes.  Yup.  Not gonna be a silent killer no more.  No siree Bob.

Also, zebras are patterned because of horseflys.  /random tip of the day

And that's all I have to say for today.

This is what happens when I don't write for a while.

Poem

Friendship 

A ruddy drop of manly blood
The surging sea outweighs;
The world uncertain comes and goes,
The lover rooted stays.
I fancied he was fled,
And, after many a year,
Glowed unexhausted kindliness
Like daily sunrise there.
My careful heart was free again, -
O friend, my bosom said,
Through thee alone the sky is arched,
Through thee the rose is red,
All things through thee take nobler form
And look beyond the earth,
The mill-round of our fate appears
A sun-path in my worth.
Me too thy nobleness has taught
to master my despair;
The fountains of my hidden life
Are through thy friendship fair.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
          From the book, The Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson in Twelve Volumes, Volume II, Copyright 1865, leatherbound

Mini-break

Hey all, I'm taking a small hiatus from writing to deal with some personal stuff, so bear with me in this small break.  I'll do my best to come and post quotes now and then (I can't let those go so easily and I find some now and then I'd like to share) but otherwise will be laying low.  Hope you understand.  Hopefully it won't be too long :)

Be good ;)

Tiny Houses

Are you interested in minimalist living?  Don't need much square footage?  Then these houses are for you!

I was shown today the website for Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.  It's crazy; these houses are like.. +/- 300 sq ft.  Some are even transportable!  And you know what?  They're REALLY cute!  Take a look!  They can have various functions.. as a little cottage, or a guest-house on your property, lock the kids away for a weekend... y'know.. whatever :P  Take a look! (D.M - remind me to talk to you about this.. I have an idea!)

Defeated?

... and sometimes you need to get off the bicycle and take a breather between hills.  Stand back, rest, assess the situation before proceeding.  Try and discover the strength within you.  Call on whatever higher power you believe in for support.  It can be done!

Aye, It's Robbie Burns Day

Listening to the local classical station, they're doing a spotlight special on Robert Burns (along with other choice Scottish music).  I can't say I mind him, though he's not one of my favourite 18th century poets (fair to say most of the poets I follow are 19th century).  Not a bad lookin' guy for his time, I guess.  Ah, I see though, I have one of his books in my collection.  It's not dated (it's very old), though I'm going to guess it was published in the early 1900's.  I thought I would share a couple of his poems for you...

Love in the Guise of Frienship, 1788

Your friendship much can make me blest,
O why that bliss destroy!
Why urge the only, one request
You know I will deny!

Your thought, if Love must harbour there,
Conceal it in that thought;
Nor cause me from my bosom tear,
The very friend I sought.

Love for Love, 1792  (I like this one.. if you understand the language)

Ithers seek they ken na want,
Features, carriage, and a' that;
Gie me love in her I court,
Love to love maks a' the sport.

Let love sparkle in her e'e,
Let her l'oe nae man but me.
That the tocher-gude* I prize
There the luvers treasure lies.

*marriage portion


And one of the poems that became well known...

Ae Fond Kiss, 1791
He wrote this to his love as she left the country... to follow her husband to save her marriage :/

Ae fond kiss, and then we sever;
Ae farewell, alas, forever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee!
Who shall say that Fortune grieves him
While the star of hope she leaves him.
Me, nae cheerfu' twinkle lights me,
Dark despair around benights me.

I'll ne'er blame my partial fancy;
Naething could resist my Nancy;
But to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love for ever.
Had we never loved sae kindly,
Had we never loved sae blindly;
Never met - or never parted,
We had ne'er been broken-hearted.

Fare thee weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare thee weel, thou best and deerest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, enjoyment, love, and pleasure!
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae fareweel, alas, for ever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I'll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I'll wage thee!


And I'll leave you with a song (I think it's beautiful)...

Loch Lomond, by Chanticleer

Signed, your half-Scottish blogger.

Adapting

I'm painting my bathroom; I'm writing you as I take a break.  I actually got the craving to paint last night at 8:30, but I couldn't find all the supplies I needed.  Good thing; the paint had actually gone bad (not fully sealed, air got to it).  So, I talked to the super and we took a look at his paint collection and I found one I liked.  The paint can lied to me.  The colour example on the lid is nowhere close to what's actually appearing on the wall. It's a bit lighter, I mean.  I chose the colour because I thought it would mesh well with what's in there (best to work with permanent fixtures, yes?); the tile surrounding the tub is a yellow-pink, the bits in the vinyl floor tile is hmm.. I'd also say a yellow-pink.  The colour on the wall?  A blue-pink.  You see my dilemma.  Whatever.  I don't plan on living here much longer, so I'll deal with it.  I wanted change, and I got it.

I had more to say, but that's all I want to say right now.

From My Favourite...

"...even darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you."
~ Psalm 139:12

Curses

Sometimes you're cycling up a hill and after much strain and hard work and dedication, you finally reach the top; you're glad it's over.  Except when you reach the top, you see another hill was hidden behind it and now you have to cycle that one, too.

Damnit.

Sometimes things aren't as easy as they originally appeared.