THE OLD STOIC

Riches I hold in light esteem,

And Love I laugh to scorn;

And lust of fame was but a dream

That vanished with the morn:

***

And if I pray, the only prayer

That moves my lips for me

Is, "leave the heart that now I bear,

And give me liberty!"

***

Yes, as my swift days near their goal,

'Tis all that I implore;

Through life and death a chainless soul,

With courage to endure.

***

Emily Bronte

Zentangle Book Page

Linda4ATC is hosting a Zentangle Book Page swap over at ATCsforALL. Being part of this group we each received 7 pages to zentangle. My first page is going out to Robin, she is such a delightful person her art is so whimsy and special. I had no problem deciding what I wanted to zentangle for her I immediately got to work here is what I came up with.

Mushroom Zentangle

Artist Trading Cards can be very addicting. I have been making these cards now for over 2 years now. It always amazes me about these cards. I think the reason I love making them they are something that I can finish within a reasonable time. You never know with what you may trade for either. I have learned to be open minded and trade with anyone each card is unique in its own way. And, I'm delighted that each Artist is different some are more advance than others but heck we all can' t be the same now can we. Here is a card I did for the

"Lets Get Stitching2" Swap

over at

ATCsforAll.

PECANS IN THE CEMETERY

I have been getting this little magazine in the mail from Hope International it has the nicest little articles in it. I just have to share this one with you.

******

On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts. "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me," said one boy. Several dropped and rolled down toward the fence.

***

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, "one for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." He just knew what it was. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along.

***

"Come here quick," said the boy, "you won't believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls." The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk." When the boy insisted though, the man hobbled slowly to the cemetery. Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." the old man whispered, "boy, you've been tellin' me the truth. Let's see if we can see the Lord.

***

Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord. At last they heard, "one for you, one for me. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence and we'll be done."

***

They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes ahead of the kid on the bike.

submitted by Diana Olson

Hope International Magazine

*********

Well that just tell ya, you can't always believe what you think you see or hear.

Gotta get the facts first!

D is for Donuts

Doesn't this make you hungry?

D is for Donuts it sure makes me hungry. The Doc says I have Diabetes to be exact I have high blood sugar meaning I got to cut back on food that is high in starch n sugar. Poor Doc he is trying to get me to take that Diabetes pill I'm not going for it. ..giggle.. I have brought my sugar level down a whole lot through diet and exercise. Still have more to come down, but, for now I'm not considering that pill.

IN SCHOOL-DAYS

Still sits the school-house by the road,

A ragged beggar sunning;

Around it still the sumachs grow,

And blackberry-vines are running.

***

Within, the master's desk is seen,

Deep scarred by raps official;

The warping floor, the battered seats,

The jack-knife's cared initial;

***

The charcoal frescoes on its wall;

Its door's worn sill, betraying

The feet that, creeping slow to school,

Went storming out to playing!

***

Long years ago a winter sun

Shone over it at setting;

Lit up its western window-panes,

And low eaves' icy fretting.

***

It touched the tangled golden curls,

And brown eyes full of grieving,

Of one who still her steps delay

When all the school were leaving.

***

For near her stood the little boy

Her childish favor singled;

His cap pulled low upon a face

Where pride and shame were mingled.

***

Pushing with restless feet the snow

To right and left, he lingered;

As restlessly her tiny hands

The blue-checked apron fingered.

***

He saw her lift her eyes; he felt

The soft hand's light caressing,

And heard the tremble of her voice,

As if a fault confessing.

***

"I'm sorry that I spelt the word:

I hate to go above you,

Because,"-the brown eyes lower fell.-

"Because, you see, I love you!"

***

Still memory to a gray-haired man

That sweet child-face is showing.

Dear girl! the grasses on her grave

Have forty years been growing!

***

He lives to learn, in life's hard school,

How few who pass above him

Lament their triumph and his loss,

Like her,-because they love him.

John Greenleaf Whittier

I KNOW SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT YOU

Wouldn't this old world be better

If the folks we meet would say-

"I know something good about you!"

And treat us just that way?

***

Wouldn't it be fine and dandy

If each handclasp, fond and true,

Carried with it this assurance-

"I know something good about you!"

***

Wouldn't life be lots more happy

If the good that's in us all

Were the only thing about us

that folks bothered to recall?

***

Wouldn't life be lots more happy

If we praised the good we see?

For there's such a lot of goodness

in the worst of you and me!

***

Wouldn't it be nice to practise

That fine way of thinking, too?

You know something good about me,

I know something good about you?

Louis C. Shimon

E is for Eggplant

E is for Eggplant

Another Alphabet Zentangle for my collection. I have one more to show then I'm done for a while till the muse hits me to draw another alphabet.

F is for Fish

F is for Fish

Another alphabet Zentangle

G is for GRAPES

Now n then, I have been working on drawing the alphbet Zentangle style on ATC's size. Here is G as in G is for Grapes.....

Dragonfly Delight

Dragonfly Delight

I hosted a Butterfly and Dragonfly over at ATCsforALL at the Zentangle with a Twist Social Group.

This is just one of them, later on I'll be posting more as I drew my cards for the different swaps and trades I was in.

What I love most about ATCs is the size, the ability to be able to draw get it done and go onto another project. I find this very comforting and fun plus I love sharing with you all!

Rural Health Care

This past week Mike and I was at our Local Health Service Clinic for our 3 month check-up. While there we discovered that our Governor of California is planning to shut down our medical clinics in Rural California claiming it will save the State a whole lot of money. Which to be honest I do not quiet understand this, what is more expensive Rural Clinics or having everyone run to the Emergency Center at the Hospital for every little thing. I don't quiet get Politicians and their way of thinking. Anyway back to our clinic while there they were making this film for You Tube.com about what is going on with Rural Clinics. We need our rural clinics desperately, please go watch this at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0cQWSFERe4 Thank you!

WASHING THE DISHES

When we on simple rations sup

How easy is the washing up!

But heavy feeding complicates

The task by soiling many plates.

***

And though I grant that I have prayed

that we might find a serving-maid,

I'd scullion all my days, I think,

To see her smile across the sink!

***

I wash, she wipes. In water hot

I souse each dish and pan and pot;

While Taffy mutters, purrs, and begs,

And rubs himself against my legs.

***

The man who never in his life

Has washed the dishes with his wife

Or polished up the silver plate-

He still is largely celibate.

***

One warning: there is certain ware

That must be handled with all care:

The Lord Himself will give you up

If you should drop a willow cup!

***

Christopher Morley

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On another note today is

FLAG DAY

let us honor our Verterans by flying the Flag!

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NOT BY BREAD ALONE

If thou of fortune be bereft,

And thou dost find but two loaves left

To thee-sell one, and with the dole

Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.

***

But not alone does beauty bide

Where bloom and tint and fragrance hide;

The minstrel's melody may feed

Perhaps a more insistent need.

***

But even beauty, howe'er blent

To ear and eye, fails to content;

Only the heart, with love afire,

Can satisfy the soul's desire.

***

James terry White

Butterfly Zentangle

With Spring here now it is the beginning of Summer

I decided to host a

Butterfly and Dragonfly Zentangle challenge.

***

At the time I was doing this my computer went down. Boy is it hard to host a group when you can not share anything.

***

This is one of my drawings that I did I'll be sharing the others later.

SELF-RELIANCE

Real adulthood is the result of two qualities:

***

Self-discipline

and

Self-reliance

***

The process of developing them together

in balance is called maturing.

***

J.W. Jepson

JOY RIDE .....

As I continue my saga of Joy Ride I left you at the Restaurant where we had a delightful lunch. We all had fish n chips the best I have ever eaten it was really good. We left there started heading home just as the fog was beginning to come in. In some section it was very cold thankfully I had my sweat shirt on. We headed back to Hwy 36 to come home. On the way back as you can see in this picture we stop up on South Fork the guys were checking out our trike trying to figure out why they kept smiling gas. That my hubby showing the best side of him looking under the trike. we discover later that it had to do with the reserve gas tank. We believe we have the problem solved hopefully. Well that is the end of this saga we had a delightful day still put a smile on our face when we think of it.

Joy Ride....

As I continue with our story, Rhonda and I was looking over the side of the wharf looking for seals. We did not see a one. We looked and looked then over on the beach we saw a seal in the distance we decided it must have been dead. But I couldn't figure out why people where over there staying a good distance from the seal. I wish I had gone over there now and taken a picture but I did not instead I kept looking down upon the ocean looking for a seal. As you see in the picture I took pictures of the rocks and ocean instead ..giggle.. it was so much fun and can you believe when we finally left the wharf to join the guys at the resturant off in the distance just about where we were there were 2 heads bobbin out of the water!

Joy Ride

Mike and I have been riding on Sundays with a group of friends. We have been having so much fun. On this little ride we went to Trinidad we ate at a little resturant on the ocean had the best fish n chips. Fantastic! Rhonda and I walk down on the wharf to see what everyone was catching. Well we did not see anything it appears that nobody had caught anything yet. The children were having a blast fishing. I decided that I should take some pictures for inspiration for my drawing. I thought to myself well, here is a boat I've been wanting to try my hand at this. This was all I needed to pull my camera out. I started clicking here n there all over the place. As you can see it was a beautiful day. The coast was clear as a bell, the fog was out. But by the time we left and started heading back home the fog was coming in. Boy is that fog cold and damp.

A CHILD's LAUGHTER

All the bells of heaven may ring,

All the birds of heaven may sing,

All the wells on earth may spring,

All the winds on earth may bring

All sweet sounds together;

Sweeter far than all things heard,

Hand of harper, tone of bird,

Sound of woods at sundawn stirred,

Welling water's winsome word,

Wind in warm wan weather,

***

One thing yet there is, that none

Hearing ere its chime be done

Knows not well the sweetest one

Heard of man beneath the sun,

hoped in heaven hearafter;

Soft and strong and loud and light

Very sound of very light

Heard from morning's rosiest height

When the soul of all delight

Fills a child's clear laughter.

***

Golden bells of welcome rolled

Never forth such notes, nor told

hours so blithe in tones so bold,

As the radiant mouth of gold

Here that rings forth heaven.

If the golden-crested wren

Were a nightingale-why, then,

Something seen and heard of men

Might be half as sweet as when

Laughs a child of seven.

***

Algernon Charles Swinburne