“THERE IS ALWAYS A LITTLE BOY IN THE OLD MAN GONE FISHING.”

The title quote is from J. Calder Joseph.

I like Science Magazine and I recently read an article about children suffering from slower muscle development and coordination. It apparently has teachers and pediatricians worried enough that studies were conducted on 407,000 children from age five to ten. They blame over-cautious parenting, “Don’t get dirty.”  “Hold my hand when we take a walk.” “Get off the sidewalk, it will ruin your dress.”

Parents fearing predators, or accidents, or getting lost, is keeping kids inside, and not encouraging enough social play. The studies proved that play is educating and provides better development of the brain and muscles. When we came home from school, when we finished our chores, we had the whole neighborhood to ramble and get up a game.

I remember when my youngest daughter allowed her kids to bike around the block and a worried parent reported to her that she had seen her son on the other side of the block; what she considered risky behavior.

Stuart Brown, Psychiatrist says: “A lack of play should be treated like malnutrition: It’s a risk to your body and mind.”

This is a recent quote from 2017 and I don’t know where Stuart practices. But I do recall my boys playing on the side-walk or the grass,  snapping those little rolly bugs around like marbles. Or trying to catch lizards.  And my daughter coming home from the school playground (where she walked by herself,) with scraped knees and a torn dress.

Diane Furstenberg said: “My best creation is my children.”

I love that quote because it is my view of motherhood as well.

“Men want to improve only the world, but mothers want to improve their whole family;  a much harder task.” Harriet Freezer.

But the quotes I remember with humor, are those I grew up with. “Children Should Be Seen And Not Heard.”  That uttered when my folks were playing a rousing game of Smear. We could watch as long as we didn’t kitbitz.

“Little Pitchers Have Big Ears”  When the neighbor lady was visiting and the subject of pregnancy or other delicate matters would come up. Then it was, “Outside with you,” or “Go play”.  I don’t know the origin of those homilies  but it brings me in mind of the clever Americana  art work of Norman Rockwell with the tousled headed boy, sporting a black eye and a huge grin, waiting outside of the principle’s office.  Or the little girl hanging out the window of the car sticking out her tongue to the wind.

I think children had more fun growing up before computers and organized and automated everything.

 

 

I SAW A SHINING STAR

It is never the order of things that Stuart and Dolores (Quyle) Mast, or any parent should outlive their child.

Sorrow and loss pinched hundreds of faces at the hilltop service at Quyle’s ranch, the property where Robbie Mast grew up, but there was something else there.

The unquenchable spirit of Robbie himself, who left an indelible print on the wide world around him in his short 25 years.

Principal of Avery Middle School, Michael Chimente, reminded us of his leadership role, as honor student, class president as a sixth grader and a young high school student who applied to be Principal at Bret Harte High School.

The gang of six friends he grew up with helped us relish the humor, the mischief, the love of nature, beauty and friendship he brought into focus for them. Robbie liked to ride a bike, but he wanted to build bikes and ride around the world. It took him twenty-two months from New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Istanbul, Bulgaria, Italy, France and England. As the son of  wine makers, he worked in vineyards wherever he went; volunteered at a self-sustaining farm and spiritual center. He touched people;  made friends; took lessons home with him.

Ryan Anderson and Bryan Hitchcock, two older friends, remarked how Robbie came to them and said he’d signed himself out of Gym in High School. He preferred hiking and biking and camping and nature. They convinced Bret Harte that he had engaged in private Boxing lessons in place of Gym and he was allowed to graduate with his class. Robbie hungered to invent, to explore, to challenge himself, to enjoy life with humor. He was an artist,  an actor, a story-teller. Wise beyond his years, he made every second of his life meaningful.  Each speaker revealed another dimension to Robbie’s  life.  In his own words, from eighth grade, “Life is a journey…judge not…help those less fortunate…stop and smell the roses…never be content…question and wonder…people are good…love is the strongest force in the universe…life goes fast…live like every day was your last…

If you see a shining  star never let it fade away.

APOLITICAL APHORISMS

As requests for money increase in fury, and the political scene explodes before our eyes, I thought these Apolitical aphorisms would be a bit of fun. Especially fun for me since I discovered yesterday, I’ve been the victim of on-line fraud. More on that as I sort through several critical projects. The aphorisms were sent to me in an email and have been around for a longtime. Hope you enjoy them.

If God wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates.

~Jay Leno~

 The problem with political jokes is they get elected.

~Henry Cate, VII~

 We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.

~Aesop~

 If we got one-tenth of what was promised to us in these Electionspeeches, there wouldn’t be any inducement to go to heaven.

~Will Rogers~ 

 Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.

~Nikita Khrushchev~

When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become Prime Minister or Premier; I’m beginning to believe it.

~Clarence Darrow~

Why pay money to have your family tree traced; go into politics and your opponents will do it for you.

~Author unknown~

Politicians are people who, when they see light at the end of the tunnel, go out and buy some more tunnel.

~John Quinton~

 Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other.

~Oscar Ameringer~

 I offer my opponents a bargain: if they will stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them.

~Adlai Stevenson, campaign speech, 1952~

 A politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country.

~ Tex Guinan~

 I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.

~Charles de Gaulle~

 Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.

~Doug Larson~

 There ought to be one day — just one — when there is open season on senators.

~Will Rogers~

TIME OUT.

My computer is infected and I dread facing it. The building project on a  day to day basis still  take up most of my time. I have to pick a microwave oven from a distance, so the cabinet guys can put the right size unit between it and the ceiling. Meshing systems…well I won’t go on and on about it.

I decided to blog something inane and silly that doesn’t require any thought, like these old laws that are still on the books:

In Michigan, it is illegal to chain an alligator to a fire hydrant.

Whaa? How many alligators are kept as pets in Michigan? They needed a law?

It is illegal in Louisiana to shoot a bank teller with a water pistol while committing a bank robbery.

Looks like some wiley dude was trying to evade the serious weapons charges associated with robbery.

It is against the law to carry an ice cream cone in your pocket in Lexington, Kentucky.

That one just boggles the mind. Someone entered a posh place, or store, or theater where no food was allowed and made a mess? A law was necessary? Anybody’s guess.

Eating ice cream in public with a fork is strictly forbidden in Rosemead, California.

Come on, how can that offend anyone to the point of taking the time to make it against the law? There should be a law against people who make absurd laws.

A woman can’t dance on a table in a saloon in Helena, Montana, unless she has on at least 3 pounds of clothing.

Doesn’t this tickle your funny bone? The guys still want her to dance, but not quite as skimpily clad as before. I suspect it causes too many fights.

Mark Twain made a comment about lack of clothing.

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society.”

He obviously didn’t watch near naked  women dancing on tables in Helena.

Ciao

 

 

 

THE PLOT THICKENS.

I tried to find out who the mystery Santa is who left a Christmas Card in my physical Email box. No one will fess up. Yesterday, I found a second one, only the mystery Santa made sure I’d get it. It was in my regular mail box. This Santa likes valentines day. Hmmm!

I’ve called every neighbor who passes by my box and knows me well besides Cindy and Gary who said it wasn’t them. Sharon and Bert, Brian, Suzy and Ron, Sherry and Rob, Karen, Jan, Patty and Ott. I have two more households to reach today that were not home when I called. But then?

Neighbor Kristi Darby says, just accept it and “Get a life.” To you Kristi, I have a life. Every morning I get on this machine and learn something. I learned this morning that sewage water that goes through a treatment plant is pure enough to drink. Actually I’d heard that before but this time, The Brewing Company from Hillsborough, Oregon is making Poop beer. They have permission from the powers that be to do it. And, they are posing an important question. Why use precious well water to grow thirsty almonds. How about recycled “poop” water? You have to be innovative if you are a Californian. And, Kristi, only part of my life is spent in the morning on this machine. So, when I get some poop beer, I’m going to invite you over for a sip!

In the meantime, I’m searching for the mystery Santa because I want to laugh WITH that Santa. I’m so glad I live in this neighborhood.

 

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CARDS.

Christmas cards trend toward themes. Popular at one time are replicas of old-fashioned cards. So familiar are Currier and Ives, small snowy towns, people sledding through the snow. This one is a famous painting and charming. (Not Currier and Ives.)

This is also a painting. The clothing shows the affluence these children enjoyed, reflecting their times.

A famous Madonna painting. There are so many beautiful paintings of the Madonna in museums all over the world and many of them are replicated on Christmas Cards.

What would Christmas be without an angel?

Or thoughts of peace and good will?

Also from a painting, these happy children playing in the snow.

A more contemporary vision of children playing in the snow.

Something warm and fuzzy.

This is my favorite. It much reflects the era of my childhood. The kids of all ages, a couple of them playing on the floor, the boy reading in his socks with his feet up on a book, apples on the tree, showing your treasures to grandpa. The homey pictures on the bureau. The girls are wearing those awful long stockings I hated so much growing up in a winter clime.

A touch of humor. Birds, animals and nature play heavily on Christmas cards.

This one is such a sweet tickle. It also shows another tradition; we decorate and light up trees in our yards.

Famous artists lend their skills to a Christmas card.

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A Christmas tree can be almost anything.

I read in Smithsonian where it took a long time for Christmas trees to catch on. Now, a Christmas never goes by without a card with a Christmas tree of some kind on it.

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I liked this lovely message. Some are old worn out clichés.

Christmas caroling is something not many people do anymore, but Christmas has its own special music, evolving year by year. But the old songs never go away.

A popular song clings to us for years and here we see a popular song in this card, “…the partridge in a pear tree.”

A Christmas card can be whatever you make it. And here I have to salute a local artist, Bambi Papais. She and her sister Judie are both terrific artists admired and locally renowned. So with that in mind, I hope you’ve enjoyed my rummage through my box of Christmas cards from 1992.

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Happy holidays.

Mary