Soulful Eyes

A  L  O  H  A !

“ We are mortals 

all, human 

and nonhuman, 

bound in one fellowship 

of love and travail. 

 No one escapes

 the fate of death. 

But we can, 

with caring, 

make our good-byes

 less tormented.

 If we broaden the circle

 of our compassion,

 life can be less cruel.” 

 Gary Kowalski,

 The Souls of Animals

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Summer Blossoms

Summer Fruits -    A  L   O   H   A !

" The afternoon

 of summer folds

Its warm arms 

round the marigolds, "

James Whitcomb Riley, 

A Fruit Piece

" Yet come I 

as I came of old,

From out the heart 

of Summer's joy. "

 William Morris,

 Pomona

" Your beauty is your life and my content,

And I will liken you to an apple-tree,

Mary and Margaret playing under the branches,

And everywhere soft shadows like your eyes,

And scattered blossom like your little smiles. "

William Kerr,
 The Apple Tree

Jacaranda Tree

" Life

has it's own

Hidden Forces

which you can

only discover

by living. "

Kierkegaard

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In Summer, 

little happens.

Right?

WRONG!

Official business,

education,

government,

& media

can all relax.

Perhaps

that is why

Summer is the 

Greatest Times

of Your Life!

Dare to wonder

if perhaps

the "lazy days"

are the 

Human Days.

Try a cure

of daffodils,

of quiet breezes

(when's the last time

you HEARD

a breeze?)

A cure of

solitude,

away from the e-world,

away from the phone.

Be at the ballpark.

Eat some happy junk food.
Be entranced by
carnival lights
in the dark.

Smell the French Fries.

Waste some time,

my Friend.

Do it TODAY!

Summer Afternoons

meld into Summer Nights.

And isn't that

W O N D E R F U L !

                                     Fondly, Cloudia

Fun, Smart Summer Reading: "Monsters"

Vortex is a non-fiction book, and it is Dunbar's personal exploration of the roots of many of contemporary horror's best known beasts, plus a few lesser known ones as well. From the Jersey Devil to vampires, from sirens and mermaids to were-creatures of all kinds, Dunbar examines the roots behind these legends - how the stories have changed over time, and how they have remained the same. There are also some chapters on film, the most interesting being the one about the theme of 'the other' in horror movies - which groups society marks out as its 'monsters'.

Regular readers will know that Dunbar is one of the favourite horror authors I've discovered in recent years, so I wasn't surprised to discover how well written Vortex is. However, the tone is very different to his dense, thoughtful fiction, being a witty and frequently self-mocking read. It's certainly no dry-as-dust academic piece;


James Everington - Scattershot Writing: Vortex by Robert Dunbar

What a Difference

A   L   O   H   A  !

Did you notice, they both have portable music devices?

" Young people don't know

 what age is, 

and old people

 forget 

what youth was."

Annonymous

" The great person

 is one who does not 

lose a child's-heart. "

Mencius

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When I Was 21

Back in Philly . . . . When I was 21. . . . The World sounded like this. . . or was it just every radio
 in every car. . .  from every window?



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You Were Right, Dad

A  L  O  H  A !

Have you seen those
 "Dustpan-on-a-stick" things 
for sweeping into 
with a small one-hand broom?

They were a new thing 
in the janitorial game 
when when I was growing up
 cleaning office buildings 
with my Dad 
in his little
 maintenance company . 
 ( You can read more 
about when I was 16 HERE ).

That dustpan-on-a-stick
 we called a "Valet."

 Back then, 
when Dad and I 
clashed titanically, 
he used to tell me:

"Don't sweep so hard with the Valet. 
Just skim the particles off the floor, 
you're working too hard."

Since he was so wrong about
 me, 
I refused to listen. 

Just like him 
(I have his genes, after all)
 I knew

just the right way 
to do everything.

Today, Rubbermaid 
sells a "Valet" for home use.
 I have one, 
and it is just the thing 
to complement floor washing 
and floor vacuuming. 

Every time I use it, though, 
I realize that 
this was something 
that Dad was right about. 

I use it with professional pride 
(I'm a retired cleaner, 
except in my own home :)

Every time I make a "Sweep" 
with the little one-handed broom, 
each time, 
a little voice in my head 
repeats with love
 like a mantra:

"You were right, Dad; 
You were right, Dad; 
You. . . . "  

I'm really saying 
"I love you Dad."

O-Bon Lanterns heading out to sea 
Link

If your parent 
was a taxi driver, 
taxis will always 
touch your heart; 

But that's a story about 
my Grandpa.

In my heart's ear 
I hear him telling me 
to remind you 
to click on the book cover 
at the top right of this Blog!

The story of my 
taxi driving adventures 
as a newcomer in Honolulu 
are WELL WORTH $3 USD at Kindle!

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To Enjoy

A   L   O   H   A  !

" The most beautiful thing 

we can experience

is the mysterious.

 It is the source of

 all true art 

and all science. "

Albert Einstein

" I'm sick of following my dreams.

 I'm just going to ask them 

where they're going 

and hook up

 with them later. "

 Mitch Hedberg

" Most people

 have never learned

 that -

- one of the main aims

 in life 

is to enjoy it. "

Samuel Butler 

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