Acceptance of Life

The familiar phrase comes from an ode written by Thomas Gray, a poet who lived in the 1700s, The full quote is, “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” The impetus for the poem was some joyful children playing near Eton College, with no thought of what future catastrophes their lives might hold….
I discovered this pink gargoyle in the middle of the Phoenix historic district, and my mind went back to a recent trip to Notre Dame in Paris where a lot of his cousins live. Perhaps this little guy taking a vacation, getting away from the cold winter mist near the Seine! In the middle of…
My parents and their parents were children of the Depression. They saved string, wore hand-me-down clothes, and ate left-overs–ALL of them! A favorite expression was “Making Do.” Native American families before the age of supermarkets and department stores did the same thing. In this picture you’ll see, on the right, a healthy agave cactus. Vivid…
My cat Foxy is indulging in two of her favorite things, stretching and sunshine! I get vicarious pleasure watching her enjoy life in the moment. I wish I could stretch like she does. I wish I had her sense of time standing still. The most beautiful thing in the world is, of course, the world…
Have you ever had a goat give you the evil eye? I wasn’t sure whether this one was nearsighted or if there was spinach between my teeth. Goats aren’t my favorite people, although they are the companions of choice for expensive race horses.Ā Arlington International Race Track near Chicago once reported nearly 60 goats in residence….
In the desert, termite colonies thrive. It never gets cold enough to kill them, and sometimes there may be as many as twenty colonies in a yard–or under a house! After a recent rain, I found these two Lilliputian skyscrapers in a stream bed. Although the water had dried out on the surface, underneath, there…