Through the looking glass...

I have been thinking this week about the many different ways that our own perception colors the way in which we approach life changing events.  For example, if you get laid off, you can see it as the end of life as you know it.  (Generally speaking, this would be my approach.)  Or, if you are one of those positive thinkers, you can see it as an opportunity to recreate yourself and find something more suited to your talents, abilities, interests.  (This is how I wish I saw things but probably never will, cynic that I am.)

Treasure trove....

Today is one of the biggest days my daughter will ever have in her life.  That is a big statement, and not one I make casually.  But today is the beginning of a life changing, mind expanding adventure that will mark her forever as a global citizen, and I could not be more proud.

For over 20 years, this child of mine has belonged to me.  I have nurtured her and loved her and carried her, within and without, since the moment she was conceived, even before I knew her life had begun.

A friend in need is a friend indeed....

A friend brought a little saying to my attention recently which had the undeniable ring of truth to it. I don't know the author but the words are profound in their simplicity. With apologies to my mother, it is, "Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend." I have expended a fair amount of mental energy in contemplating this truth, and I wanted to expound on it a little further.

We, as fallible human beings, have all stepped in our own mess at one point or another. Whether cow pie sized or a small rabbit pellet, life is full of mistakes that need to be cleaned up. We say things we don't intend, we take an action we later regret, we make a mistake that we cannot undo. There are many reasons why things go wrong, but the end result can be a mess of our own creation. The clean up is hard work, but I have concluded that sometimes doing the hard work on our own is the best way to cleanse the soul, not to mention make amends with those we've wronged..

Critter Crazy...

In an unscientific survey (okay, I googled Nestle Purina PetCare annual sales a few minutes ago) I have discovered that pet food and paraphernalia are an extremely lucrative business venture. Purina alone had global revenue of USD $12.5B in 2010, which is Big Business with a pair of capital B's. When you think about how many companies are in the pet care business, the revenue must be staggering.

If only I'd known. I love animals. I could have been the one to make all that cash, if only I'd thought of gourmet pet stuff sooner. Now the market is awash with premium options, and although pulling back on buying homes and other frills, people continue to spend money on their pets, making someone else rich beyond my wildest fantasies. I am always a day late and a dollar short. Story of my life.

Paying the piper...

I just want to go on the record right now as having said, "I told you so."  When winter finally arrives, and it will, one way or another, we are going to regret this little weather holiday from reality, guaranteed.  Of course, in the meantime, I, for one, am seriously enjoying it.  I'm not stupid.  I take the good with the bad every time.

I have been waiting for global warming to come to flyover land for quite awhile now, and it seems my wish may finally have come true.  (If I'd known wishes were being granted, I would have asked for something more practical, like a Swiss bank account, but oh well.)