Tag Archives: fun

A moveable feast

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”  ― Ernest Hemingway I haven’t even been lucky enough to visit Paris more than twice, let alone live there, but for …

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The world’s best teachers

“Children and animals are the world’s best teachers– but very few adults really want to be educated.” — Ashleigh Brilliant Educators have long known that learning is optimal when the lessons are engaging and fun.  What better teachers, then, than animals and children?  I hope there are more adults wanting this sort of education than …

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Do not cease to play

“We do not cease to play because we grow old, we grow old because we cease to play.” — George Bernard Shaw Everybody who needs more fun time, raise your hands.  OK, that’s settled…we need to make more time  for play! Of course, when I say “play” I’m not talking about watching TV, or even playing “Angry …

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A virtue in itself

“A good disposition is a virtue in itself, and it is lasting; the burden of the years cannot depress it, and love that is founded on it endures to the end.” — Ovid I can’t think of anyone with a better disposition than my Aunt Peggy.  She has endured more than a few experiences that …

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What we enjoy

“I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment…” — C. S. Lewis Tea. Books. Friends. Flowers. Animals. Family. I hope nobody is getting sick of seeing these and other topics here, over and over, because I have so much fun writing about what I enjoy — including anything …

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Summer afternoon

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” — Henry James Though summer has never been my favorite season, I can understand why the words “summer afternoon” are beautiful, especially for someone who lives in a cooler climate than the one where I grew up.  Summer coaxes …

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When I am laughing

“I love myself when I am laughing…” — Zora Neale Hurston Do you have memories of times when you laughed until you cried?  Or when you simply couldn’t stop laughing?  We used to call this “getting our tickle box turned over” but whatever it is called, it’s wonderful.  In such a state, almost everything that is even …

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Whatever we lose

“For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves that we find in the sea” —E. E. Cummings I can scarcely remember a time when I went to the beach without these words from Cummings’ lovely poem running through my head.  How simply and perfectly he captures the endless allure of the ocean! I feel …

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Joy untroubled

“Love the animals: God has given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled.” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky I don’t know of anything that can lighten the mood as much as a cute or playful animal.  I realize many situations make it impossible to have a pet in the home, but I hope everyone has the …

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Nature’s way

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’”  — Robin Williams Surely by now, warm spring weather has started to arrive in even the chilliest parts of the northern hemisphere.  Better late than never! What can we do to celebrate springtime this week?   Take a walk, plan a picnic, visit a park.  Make some lemonade, bake some …

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Have a picnic

“…if you have a place where you can go and have a picnic with your family, it  doesn’t matter if it’s a recession or not…” — Jim Fowler One of the best ways to make an ordinary day into a special occasion is to have a picnic.  It can be elaborate or simple fare, and …

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Not quite refined

“She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot.” — Mark Twain There is nothing profound, instructive or inspirational about this quote.  It made me laugh, so I wanted to share it.  Twain’s whimsical description somehow hits …

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Capture a moment

“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” ― Karl Lagerfeld A couple of weeks ago I went into D.C. for the afternoon to see the cherry blossom trees at their peak.  Not only was it indescribably beautiful, but I had perhaps the greatest opportunity ever to unobtrusively …

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A little nonsense

“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” — Joseph Addison Happy April Fool’s Day! Laughter is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves or others.  I hope you will indulge in some light-hearted fun today — look up a joke or two to share, sing silly songs, watch a …

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The size of the fight

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” — Mark Twain Our animal friends teach us many valuable lessons, but the trait I admire most in our little Schipperke, Pasha, is his fearless zest for life.  He apparently has never encountered a situation in which caution …

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New possibilities

“Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.” — Stuart Brown, MD If you have a favorite hobby, sport or other recreational activity, why not schedule some time for play this week? On the other hand, if you don’t play …

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A happy talent

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.”  — Ralph Waldo Emerson Sometimes we confuse recreational activities with play, but the two are not always linked.  It’s possible to turn recreation– especially organized and scheduled pursuits– into just another task on our to-do list.  It’s also possible to play while engaged in duties that  most people …

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God’s medicine

“Mirth is God’s medicine.  Everybody ought to bathe in it.”  — Henry Ward Beecher As Norman Cousins famously demonstrated, laughter really is the best medicine.  It can break through the gloom and lift the heart more quickly than any other remedy.  Years ago while we lived in Ohio, we were coping with the worrisome heart defects …

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Nothing so easy

There is nothing so easy but it becomes difficult when you do it reluctantly.                         — Publius Terentius Afer While we lived in Hawaii, it amazed me when one of my sons complained, “Do we HAVE to go to the beach AGAIN?” It didn’t matter how often I told him we were lucky to live near the …

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