Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Happy places

Libraries have long been my happy places. Tonight on the Edmonton Public Library site I found these pictures. Good times.

The first image shows one of the ducks from the children's section at the Centennial Library. I miss the ducks! And the iguana!



The second image shows the exterior of the Dickinsfield Library, a location where I spent vast amounts of formative time and where my independence began to grow. On the other end of the mall were chocolate donuts, always an incentive.



These are my happy places; these are my heart songs.

L

Monday, July 05, 2010

For Elephants, Whenever I May Find Them

Back to the grind after a long, long weekend. Gird yourself!

Not once in our history
Has an ant gone out and captured
An elephant single-handedly.


Hafiz; Daniel Ladinsky, trans.

Sunday, July 04, 2010

Art and Philosophy

Reading about and looking again at my beloved Klimt. Ahh.


The sun will stand as your best man
And whistle

When you have found the courage
To marry forgiveness,

When you have found the courage
To marry
Love.


— Hafiz; Daniel Ladinsky, trans.

Saturday, July 03, 2010

From the mouths of Dusty and Lefty

Dusty and Lefty may be two of most under-appreciated characters in recent film memory, and these lines could be theirs — but they're not. Still, this "cowboy wisdom" should give you a laugh. Enjoy your Saturday!

*

• Don't squat with your spurs on.

• Don't never interfere with something that ain't botherin' you none.

• If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.

• Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

• The easiest way to eat crow is while it's still warm. The colder it gets, the harder it is to swaller.

• Never smack a man who's chewin' tobacco.

• If it don't seem like it's worth the effort, it probably ain't.

• It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.

• The biggest liar you'll ever have to deal with probably watches you shave his face in the mirror every morning.

• Never ask a barber if he thinks you need a haircut.

• If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around.

• Don't worry about bitin' off more'n you can chew. Your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger'n you think.

• Always drink upstream from the herd.

• Generally, you ain't learnin' nothin' when your mouth is a-jawin'.

• Tellin' a man to go to hell and makin' him do it are two entirely different propositions.

• Generally speakin', fancy titles and nightshirts are a waste of time.

• Trust everybody in the game, but always cut the cards.

• If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.

• If you're gonna go,...go like hell. If your mind's not made up, don't use your spurs.

• Never kick a fresh cowpie on a hot day.

• After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: when you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

• Never drop your gun to hug a grizzly.

• When you give a lesson in meanness to a critter or a person, don't be surprised if they learn their lesson.

• The best way to have quiche for dinner is to make it up and put it in the oven to bake at 325 degrees. Meanwhile, get out a large T-bone, grill it, and when it's done, eat it. As for the quiche, continue to let it bake, but otherwise ignore it.

• There's two theories to arguin' with a woman. Neither one works.

• When you're throwin' your weight around, be ready to have it thrown around by somebody else.

• Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back.

• Always take a good look at what you're about to eat. It's not so important to know what it is, but it's critical to know what it was.

• The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.

• Never miss a good chance to shut up.

Friday, July 02, 2010

At the end of your rope?

Here's a knot to tie and hold on with:

I’ve never understood suicide. I’m a big believer that if things are so bad you’re willing to kill yourself off, you should consider what else you’d be willing to kill first — like a shitty job or a bad relationship or the part of yourself that you’ve been too afraid to change. — Lisa Rosman (for the larger context of this excerpt, go here )

Something to remember when the black dog is baying.

L

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Happy Canada Day!

Whee! We're one hundred forty-three years old, and it's one of those unbelievable summer mornings that remind me why I live in a northern town.

Happy to be here,
L