“My philosophy? Practice, practice, practice and win.” ~ Babe Didrikson Zaharias
In a dim age
of water
the brook sings loud
from a rib cage
of giant fern; vapor
climbs up the thick growth
effortlessly, turns back,
holding them both,
house and rock,
in a private cloud.
At night, on the roof,
blind drops crawl
and the ordinary brown
owl gives us proof
he can count:
five times–always five–
he stamps and takes off
after the fat frogs that,
shrilling for love,
clamber and mount.
House, open house
to the white dew
and the milk-white sunrise
kind to the eyes,
to membership
of silver fish, mouse,
bookworms,
big moths; with a wall
for the mildew’s
ignorant map;
darkened and tarnished
by the warm touch
of the warm breath,
maculate, cherished;
rejoice! For a later
era will differ.
(O difference that kills
or intimidates, much
of all our small shadowy
life!) Without water
the great rock will stare
unmagnetized, bare,
no longer wearing
rainbows or rain,
the forgiving air
and the high fog gone;
the owls will move on
and the several
waterfalls shrivel
in the steady sun.
Joe: “I got really excited when I completed a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle in only two weeks.”
Pete: “How so, Joe?”
Joe: “The box said 6 to 8 years on it.”
“Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing, and among the best writers.” ~ William Strunk, Jr.
Don’t let the smooth talkers convince you to run too fast, you may miss the flowers along the edge of the path.
Soluble fiber — the type found in oat bran, barley, nuts and seeds, beans, lentils, peas and some fruits and vegetables — is associated with heart health because it helps lower blood cholesterol levels, according to the National Lipid Association. It also helps you feel full, so you’re less likely to overeat, per a 2013 review in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Joe: “I went to pet store to buy a dog. The clerk asked me what demeanor was I looking for in a dog.”
Pete: “What did you say?”
Joe: “I told the clerk I wanted a guard dog so da meaner da better.”
Yes, that is true; and something more
You’ll find, where’er you roam,
That marble floors and gilded walls
Can never make a home.
But every house where Love abides,
And Friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home-sweet-home:
For there the heart can rest.
If you suffer from chronic pain, working out is probably the last thing you want to do. But a 2017 report in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews examined 264 studies with nearly 20,000 participants, and found that overall, exercise was beneficial for chronic pain. In particular, the review suggested that exercise could lower pain severity and improve function, particularly when exercise plans were monitored by a physician.
When everything about you screams, ‘you can’t go on, scream back, ‘ I’ll go on.’ Never quit. Never give up.
