In Search of Quote Three

Quotes are usually extracted from the writings or sayings of learned men or women. Today’s quote is inspired by my father. He had very little education. The Army insisted that he complete his high school education getting an equivalent of a GED while serving. I spent very little time with him growing up but much of that time was spent helping me with my English. Who would have known that now I would need help with my German?

He told me that if I could learn how words were constructed I would know how to understand words I had never seen before. I might not know exactly what the word meant but I would be able to follow the gist of the conversation.  We worked with a dictionary on Sundays to improve my vocabulary.

One little tidbit he dropped on me has stuck like plaster to a porous surface. I’ve looked for another source for this saying everywhere but can’t find it. His take on the world was:

“There is nothing more dangerous than a closed mind” ~ Dad

Others have said it differently.

People’s minds are like parachutes – they only function when they are open. ~ Sir James Dewar  (1842-1923) Scientist

You can learn nothing new if your mind is closed.  Sometimes we just need to allow the guy who says the world is round, not flat some room for possibility.

I’m thinking that when dear old dad says it, it’s a platitude. When Sir James Dewar says it, it’s a quote.

Dad had other platitudes. He would follow-up the open mind saying with another.

Take everything you hear and read with a grain of salt.

I heard that one as often. It took a bit to get the full meaning of it. Be discerning with that open mind. Don’t swallow everything you read and hear like it was…Kool Aide.

There are quotes, sayings and platitudes that we live by but do we really think about them? I have a philosophical mind bent and question everything. What I believed yesterday, may not be as true for me today. When you educate yourself, you can change your mind.

I took a look at my refrigerator magnets this morning to see if anything else stuck like glue. Since I have no more photos today I’ll leave you with these little gems.

Winston Churchill said it.

We all go through hell once in a while. Just don’t make it a vacation spot and invite your friends. It’s ok to write a book about it though.

This one is self-explanatory.

What are the quotes or platitudes you live by?

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself

In Search of a Second Quote

There is much I want to share with you today but mostly I want to share my love of learning. Several blogs I follow have done the 3 quotes in three days challenge. I wasn’t able to think straight at the time but these ladies have taught me a great deal, although only a couple have done the challenge…so far.

Gardening Nirvana has two blogs but you can see her wonderful quotes here and enjoy some rays of sunshine. She exudes it. Maybe she’s storing it up while in her garden.

Momermom is someone I’d like to hear from more often. Her quotes were wonderful and so is her sewing skill and her writing. She has such great heart.

Conscious Engagement offered me a wonderful quote yesterday and I seriously thought about borrowing it but decided to invite her to join in. Her photographs are incredible as are her travels. I get to go along for free without leaving the living room. Yay!

Can you tell I’ve broken all the rules here?

Things are slowing down here. We have rebuilt the deck structure after the fire uncovered lots of dry rot.

We couldn’t see it because it was the foundation!

I’ve finished staining the front porch and most of the fencing.

Sitting down on the job but I finished it

Before the stain

After the staining

Before the stain

At least my side is done. Still have the other side to finish. Wood needs protecting

I’ve even started painting the back of the house before the new deck is completely in place.

I figured out that I needed to prime it first. More work.

I’ve finished and sent off a lap quilt to my Aunt Helga in Australia for her 84th birthday the middle of this month but the photos have vanished from the cameras. All that is left is the label I put on the back. It’s flannel for the texture that people with Alzheimer’s need.

I did get the photo of the back side with the label I made on my embroidery machine

There was a last minute rush to get an embroidery done for last weekends wedding gift.

Towels for the happy couple. We are not very traditional.

Also completed earlier this month were a couple of pillow cases for my son’s ex-wife’s birthday. They were a kit with the worst instructions. I went on the internet and found the directions I needed.

I made 2 pillowcases for a birthday gift

There were also more squares to contribute to this month’s donation quilt. I have more things done but that will have to wait for a better time. I’m still trying to catch up.

Purple month with white contrast

The end result of several women adding a couple squares each

Can you spot two of these in that big finished quilt?

Most of what has been done by my son and myself on and in this house has been self-taught. We have found books and more recently on-line videos to teach us the things we don’t know how to do.
My son learned how to re-build my deck with some help from my step-granddaughter’s significant other and the internet.

Step granddaughters significant other is a licensed contractor. Yay for the instruction.

Cutting out the evidence is where we started.

There is a lot we can learn in this world but only if we are open to learning. Once you are open to learning something, there will be a way provided to give you that knowledge. Somehow when you are ready and open enough there is someone or something to teach you what you need to know. That happens with life too. I’ve seen too many that you can see struggle with a problem and you try to help them fix it. Only they aren’t ready for the fix. It took me a long time to learn that I had to be ready to learn the lesson and so do others. It’s always up to us.

So here is my second quote. There is often a lot of synchronicity involved in this reminder.

This teaches me to be a ready student.

Have you ever had a teacher appear when you are needing to learn something?

From my heart to yours,
Marlene Herself

In Search of Quotes

I have been trying hard to catch up with reading of the blogs I follow. I’m outnumbered but still don’t want to miss any as they all leave me with something special.

Lately several bloggers have asked if I would be interested in posting three quotes in three days. It should be a simple request. I collect quotes. My refrigerator is covered with them. I live by quotes. My Pinterest boards have multitudes and my document files have several pages of quotes from every manner of subject. How the heck can I pare them down to three?

 

Just a few

It would take hours to go through them to see which one is my favorite and that’s like sending me down the Pinterest rabbit hole. My head won’t look up for hours and I don’t have hours.

The first one that asked was The Thoughts and Life of Me. She is a lovely young woman who lives in Norway and writes her blog in English. Can I write mine in any other language? Not likely. I love her view of life from where she is and she’s kind enough to take us traveling with her. Her blog is delightful and refreshing.

Then there was The Contented Crafter who inspires me with every post. She was kind enough to pick up the baton and not tag anyone specifically but hinted kindly. We have very similar philosophies on life. When I start to wander off course, Pauline will gently guild me back where I’m wanting to go. Her furry family and some of her real family keep everyone amused.

Then Charles French who had nominated me for a couple of awards got on the quote wagon. I just didn’t have the time and energy to accept this summer. It’s been the most full summer I’ve had in YEARS! His blog helps all of us write a lot better and is so thoroughly entertaining at the same time.

I tried putting quotes at the end of my posts for a while. Finding relevant quotes was always a challenge. I use them a lot when someone I love has a problem.  They wonder why they are in so much pain and why bad things happen. I’ve traveled this world widely and met thousands of people. I’ve yet to meet someone who hasn’t suffered something.  It set me in search of answers. I found that hard to answer until I read the following quote by Rumi.

Does this make sense to you in any way?

The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
― Rumi

From my heart to yours,
Marlene Herself

In Search of Hot August Nights

I have company this weekend. My sister-in-law is in town from Missouri to attend her granddaughter’s wedding. After picking her up from the airport we arrived back at my place to get dinner ready for the granddaughter and her fiancé. It was a rather whirlwind day with final cleaning of the abode to a polished shine. Showing off my treasure was high on my list that day. The weather was almost co-operative with temps in the low 80’s. I even got a few more feet of fence board stained and every plant well-watered before making the final touches on dinner. I did forget one little thing.

My sister-in-law smokes. I knew this but somehow the brain did not register that there would be a need for a butt receptacle. Yes, I put chairs on the deck so she could sit quietly staring at the trees while she enjoyed a few moments of peace before retiring for the night. It was well after 11 pm, her time. As we said our final good nights we each asked what was that smell? It smelled like someone roasting marshmallows over a fire. My neighbor two doors down has a fir pit and I suggested that tech support (my son) take a look and see if he could see it. One thing led to another and no one looked to see if the neighbor had a fire going on the hill with it being banned due to high fire danger.

At 1:00 a.m. I heard a beep, beep, beep. I got out of bed and it stopped. Turning towards my bed, it started once again. We have also had warnings of bobcat sightings here as the weather is so dry. The beeping was coming from the annoying motion sensor my overzealous, paranoid son put up all around my house. One beep is someone is at the back, two if someone is on the driveway side and three for the front porch area. My son did not wake up to the sound. I shut the darn thing off.

I peeked out the back door window and was surprised to see … FLAMES! What the heck. Who would start a fire on my deck? What manner of prank was this? At 1:00 a.m. my wits were not about me so I did what any sensible person would do. No, not dial 911 for the fire department, I called tech support. Opening his door, I called his name and said “we have fire”. Then I ran for the hose which was at the top of the terraces where I had last watered. The hose was caught. In spite of probable bats and possible bobcats, I got the darn thing loose. That’s me not swearing here, just so you know.

As I turned around to bring the hose down, overzealous, paranoid tech support was fast at work with one of those fancy fire extinguisher thingy’s that I also thought was a waste of money. I’m old and have never needed one before. Why spend all that money. Today’s lesson will be how to use one. :))

I had given my sister-in-law an empty paint can with some mulch in it, that I was certain would snuff out her cigarette just like sand does. My whole yard is filled with it. I’m rethinking that quite strongly at this moment. Maybe rock will be a better option. She feels responsible. I am.

 

Butts here please. Well, maybe not.

The metal ring is all that is left of the paint can.

The burn went to the support structure.

I’m cracking up that the decision to replace the rotting wood of that deck with Trex has been made after much agonizing. We replaced one board already that had twisted out of shape from the rain and now the whole deck was out of balance. I’ve stumbled several times. There is a board close to the steps that is all but rotted through and a step was twisted from the rain and lack of care. Yup, decision made.

There are more changes to this place on the horizon. We were very lucky this morning. Blessed in so many ways. I have no photos of the fire. My son said it looked cool for just a moment before he put it out. This was one August night that got a little too hot and there weren’t even any marshmallows.

 

Have you had any hot August nights?

 

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself