Old Chinese Fortune Cookie Fortune

When I was in my senior year of college, I bought a small unfinished bookcase for my apartment and varnished it. I was very proud of myself. Not sure why, but whatever. That was back in…1987. Wow. Anyways, at some point that year, I must have gone out for Chinese food and felt the need to save the little piece of paper from my fortune cookie. I even taped it to the back of the bookshelf where it is still sticking around 26 years later:

Interesting. Looking back on the past 26 years, I would say that it’s pretty spot-on. Sometimes I wonder what might have happened if I’d posted one that said ” You will hit the lottery and become a gazillionaire. “, not that I really believe in fortune cookie fortunes. Did they even have the lottery, back then? Even if they did, I was a college kid and didn’t have the money to spare for lottery tickets.

As short as our lives seem in retrospect, i.e. “time flies”, there sure is a lot of “life” crammed in there. Now I may not be a famous explorer or actress or someone else you might read about in a history book someday, but my life is definitely full. Yes, it’s been arduous at times and yes, it’s had its ample rewards. Personally, I’m sort of hoping the next 26 years will be a little heavier on the ample rewards part and lighter on the arduousness, but I can’t really complain, you know? We have been blessed beyond all measure in many ways…. God is good!

Literary Classics

I have been reading Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne these past few nights. My daughter reminded me that I had acquired some books that are classics, some of which I have never read or read so long ago (as in high school) that I don’t remember much of them. I thought of another book by Jules Verne that I haven’t read and want to in the near future: The Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

As you probably know, there have been several movies made that were adapted from the book, some very loosely as I understand. I found one on youtube that I am watching and thought you might be interested. It’s from 1999 and, since I’m only 21 minutes in, I have no idea what the special effects will be like, so be aware that it is from 14 years ago. It was a Hallmark Channel mini-series (this may be an invitation for some and a warning for others) and is almost 3 hours long, so I may have to watch it in increments in-between packing. Based on some of the reviews, there may be other versions that are better, both plot and quality-wise, but I couldn’t find them on youtube, so…oh, well! And, it may turn out that it is nothing like the book. Time will tell…3 hours of time.

A Great Family Reunion (Of Sorts)

I’ve been absent from writing, yes. We have had major changes going on in our lives for the past and coming several months and blogging has taken a back seat. I just haven’t felt like putting in the time and effort. Shame on me. I should know that I can simply blog about little things and thoughts, not write a book. If you could see my Facebook page, you’d know that I still have plenty to say! So never fear, I’m still here.

Just a brief summary of the happenings: new job, high school prom, pictures, stray tuxedo cat care, graduation, out-of-town visitors, packing, relocation and so on, plus the normal daily life occurrences. I will elaborate more once we have moved. We aren’t going far, just a few hours north of here to the northeastern area of Alabama, where it’s more mountainous and closer to family and big fun cities like Birmingham and Atlanta. Our daughter is already making shopping plans, and wants to go to the Georgia Aquarium. I am thinking of all the glorious restaurants we could visit. Seriously, I’ve been scoping them out for months!

So, a quick story. Yesterday, I saw a picture of my grandmother in a newspaper article that was posted on an Armenian newspaper FB page. She is, at 101 years of age, the last remaining survivor of the Armenian Genocide in the area of MA and NH where she lives. They will be having a dinner later this month to commemorate the Genocide, typically it’s on and during the week of April 24th, and she will be a guest of honor, the “Last of a Vanishing Breed” as she was described.

Seeing my grandmother, which of course reminds me of my Dad, who I greatly miss, just made me a tad homesick for my family. We haven’t been back to New England for two years! Hopefully, with a new school system that apparently has an October vacation, we will go up there this fall, which, as many of you know, is my favorite time of year, anyways!

So last night, before I read a bit of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and then turned out my light, I prayed my usual request of peaceful, restful sleep for us all. I also put in a “special request” to be able to see my relatives in my dreams. Wouldn’t you know, God answered my prayer? He hears and can answer the simplest things. I saw my brothers, my Southern Man, several cousins and their wives, and, there was a baseball game involved (we were watching, not playing)! I don’t recall everyone I saw or if I saw my Dad, but I woke up and the realization immediately hit me that my prayer had been answered. I was given a family reunion, of sorts, and the happy feeling it gave me was a great way to start the day.

Hopefully, at least a partial reunion will be a reality this coming fall. My only somber prayer now, is that a couple people I know who are walking near the line between this life and the next, will still be there when we visit–and hopefully, long afterwards.

Truth in Advertising

From a drugs-for-animals website:

“The once-a-day antibiotic cats actually like.
Bound to a taste-masking agent, orbifloxacin passes taste buds  undetected.
Cats taste the malt flavor, not the antibiotic.”

And:

Yeah…okay.

Now, please excuse me while I go find my furry, fluffy opponent on this 8th day of our battle.

Sixty Uses For a Bandana

I received this in an email and thought I’d share it with you, just for the halibut. I think that the “shelter” category should also be labeled “fashion” and should include a photo of a handsome cowboy, but that’s just me.

Courtesy of: preparing For SHTF

Sunday Spark (a day late)

Friday Funny

Now, your sense of humor may not be the same as mine. That said, I thought this was funny:

A woman decided to have her portrait painted. She told the artist, “Paint me with diamond rings, a diamond necklace, emerald bracelets, a ruby broach, and gold Rolex.”

“But you are not wearing any of those things,” he replied.

“I know,” she said. “It’s in case I should die before my husband. I’m sure he will remarry right away, and I want his new wife to go crazy looking for the jewelry.”

Click on the portrait of Sarah Prince McArthur to learn more about her and Historic New England.