character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow.
the shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
– abraham lincoln
Jan21
Monthly Archives: January 2016
Jan20
what’s on the desk in your writing hut?
on the desk in roald dahl’s writing hut, right next to the chair where he sat to write many of his famous stories – including charlie and the chocolate factory – there is a collection of strange and wonderful items, some of which are particularly curious.
one of these is what appears to be a cannonball. it’s grey and fits into the palm of one hand. it looks like it would be quite heavy. it’s not a cannonball, though. it’s actually chocolate wrappers. hundreds and hundreds of silver foil wrappers that were originally used to keep a chocolate bar nice and fresh.
when roald was working for shell oil in london, before he set off on his adventures in africa and then on to the second world war, he often used to have a chocolate bar with his lunch. every time he had a chocolate bar he would add the wrapper to his growing collection. the first one he wrapped up into a little ball, and then every time he had another he would wrap it around the one from the day before, and so eventually the little ball of silver foil wrappers grew larger and heavier and took on the cannonball-like appearance it has today.
roald kept this collection of chocolate wrappers on the desk in his writing hut along with other things that inspired him, or reminded him of his earlier days. if you’re ever in the roald dahl museum and story centre in great missenden you can see it for yourself.
—
credits: roalddahl.com
Jan19
trial and error.
a good friend and i
have decided to start
a local advice column
called, ‘trial & error.’
i’m trial, she’s error.
when people ask us what to do
our advice will mostly come
from a place of ‘what not to do,’
based upon personal experience.
perhaps someone will heed our advice,
though most likely they won’t.
that’s
how life is
and
how we learn.
—
image credits: trialanderrorrecordings, google images
Jan18
it’s monday, hug someone.
happy hugs monday!
jack and indi, baby kangaroos, love hugging each other.
—
credit: the kangaroo sanctuary, alice springs, australia
Jan17
pajamas all day.
yes, it’s sunday.
—
image credit: etsy.com
Jan16
making sense.
—
credits: gretchen owoki, let the children play
Jan15
snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood. – andy goldsworthy
the first sled ride of the year with a pile of my kinders.
Jan14
wine.
—
image credit: brainy quotes
Jan13
effort.
(translation):
miss kennedy you are invited to my birthday party.
—
she worked very hard on this
for such a long time
what an effort this took to create
asking me
how to spell each word
letter by letter
putting it in an envelope
sealing it
giving it to me to open and read
causing
big smiles on both sides.
and
i don’t know that it’s even her birthday.
—-
“effort only fully releases its reward
after a person refuses to quit.”
-napoleon hill
Jan12
a surprise trip down memory lane.
my friend of many years posted the following memory on his facebook page last night, triggering my own memory of our personal brush with bowie. many thanks for this, les.
“So, it had to be the mid eighties and I’m at the Metropolitan Music Cafe in Royal Oak at the corner of 4th and Lafayette. It was a beautiful warm sunny day and I’m talking to Beth K( she worked there at the time ).
Lord have mercy ! who comes walking in. Iggy Pop and David Bowie. Turns out Iggy and David were in town on tour together and Iggy was promoting his new album at the cafe.
David and his gorgeous blonde date headed upstairs for a bite to eat ( Mr. Bowie didn’t want to take away any attention from Iggy while they were there.)
I waited and waited for Bowie to leave, and when he finally did I ran out the door behind him following he and his date to his car.
as they were getting in, he looked at me and said, ” Hi how are you?” I shook his hand and said, ” Thank you for all the countless hours of listening to your music. ” He replied, ” Thank you very much I appreciate that. I love Detroit ” True story folks. RIP David Bowie and thank you for that moment.”
—
image credit: pinterest.com
I didn't have my glasses on.... 