There are the customary ways of greeting someone: a handshade, a wave of the hand, a bow, a verbal greeting such as 'hello'. One greeting is about as good as another. But an unfamilar greeting is more interesting.
| Tooky's Musings
There are the customary ways of greeting someone: a handshade, a wave of the hand, a bow, a verbal greeting such as 'hello'. One greeting is about as good as another. But an unfamilar greeting is more interesting. |
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Either
scroll down the page or use the menu below to go to one of the 8 sections
on this page.
I like rocks
-- Comments offerings
thoughts about what makes rocks so likeable
Making the
news -- Examples of made up news stories done for the
fun of it
Spread
thin --The good and the bad of dealing with insufficient
income
Attitude
-- Keep watching for whatever makes you smile
26 best
toys -- A list of my picks for the best children's
toys
Pet peeves
-- What I see when the bottom muck is stirred
just a little
What seems
important -- What rises above all the rest
Happiness
-- It is made of many things
I like rocks
I was thinking about how much I like rocks and how people who don't are missing out. So being a generous person, I decided to share a little of my insight into this weighty subject. To wit:
20 things to like about rocks
1. They never complain or talk back.
2. Normally they don't come at you intending to cause any type of trouble.
3. A rock will not break any of the ten commandments, which is more than I can say about most people I know.
4. A rock doesn't rust, rot, burn or turn brown after it freezes and thaws.
5. A rock will not take what you say the wrong way, doubt your intentions or judge you unfairly.
6. For most people, they don't arouse a need within you to change their nature.
7. A rock has no feelings of inadequacies, no qualms about what it does and worries about nothing.
8. A rock needs not make any promises, keep any appointments nor obligate itself in any way.
9. A rock doesn't bother to try harder and is quite pleased with itself.
10. Rocks have no prejudices and are not at all condescending.
11. Each rock is unique and many have obvious character and beauty.
12. A rock will usually do exactly what is expected of it.
13. Although there is a great many, widely varied types of rocks, they all seem to get along.
14. Rocks are useful as building materials and for mashing stuff.
15. Rocks are long lasting.
16. Rocks break no rules, laws, treaties or promises of any kind.
17. You don't have to keep track of rocks: if it was there yesterday, it's there now and it will be there tomorrow.
18. Rocks are usually nearby and available for whatever purpose you have in mind.
19. Rocks are aloof and don't need to adopt an opinion on any issue.
20. A rock cannot be
taken lightly.
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I was working at using
fonts on my computer and was typing words to see what different fonts looked
like. I began typing sentences. Then I tried to tell a story with what I
typed. That eventually led to making up short stories similar to newspaper
articles. It was fun. I liked the stories. Here are three of those stories
in case you might enjoy them also. Perhaps you might like to make up a story
of your own.
| Clods
Explained
Local farmers have reported exceptionally large clods in plowed fields this spring. More than 30 local farmers have called the Summary's central office expressing concern over the phenomenon. Callers unanimously described the size of the freak clods as unprecedented. Adding to the farmers' concern is the inability of local authorities to give an acceptable explanation of the occurrence. Just before press time Grawn Uber, chairperson of The Twin Cities Development Group, called this newspaper. Said Grawn, "It is the judgement of The Group that the clods are caused by unusual local weather conditions together with unique local soil chemistry and texture, resulting in big clods. Strange Knot Not Three local children found what appeared to be a notably strange shaped knot on a maple tree in the woods near their home, its shape uncannily resembling a caricature of Rush Limbaugh, so much so that they were visibly shaken by seeing it, says their mother, Elfrene Slump. Naturalists at Beaver Creek State Park examined the knarly knot and commented that maple trees commonly have knots(resulting from the effects of a virus) and that those knots take on infinitely varied shapes and so can resemble anything. They added, however, "It was unusual in detail and in its resemblance to Mr. Limbaugh, and gave us a good laugh."
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"It Works For
Me"
Dirts Stout, a locally well known colorful personality, while musing over a problem decided he had conjured a thought of great importance. Says Dirt, "Not being a selfish soul, I called the Summary to share it, at least with those who can absorb common sense." Dirt's problem was his dislike of tooth brushing. His solution: a combination of sand, water and a military surplus high energy ultra sound device. Anyone interested in the particulars of Dirt's procedure should contact Dirt directly at his home. |
Spread thin
There have been times in my life when money was scarce . Partly because of that I feel some kinship with those short on resources and doing the best they can with what they have. This section is meant to honor their spirit.
I sometimes find it amusing and appealing to exaggerate, distort, grasp for the truth and mix it all together. Here ' goes.
We were so poor... and/or/with Twenty good things about being poor
1) When you're poor there's no charge for a lot of things. When I was growing up we didn't get a utility or water bill. We carried water from a well or collected puddle water after it rained.
2) We were so poor we didn't have a clothes washing machine. If we wanted a clean change of clothes either we washed them in a tub or we took a long walk on a day when the weather forecast was calling for rain.
3) We saved just about everything, plastic bag twist ties, MacDonalds ketchup packages and old newspapers. The ketchup makes a pretty good hot drink if you mix it with hot water and a tablespoon of spagetti sauce and a dash of salt. But use the cheap, smooth kind of sauce. It's not as lumpy. And if you keep the newspapers you get one year, you can read them all over again the following year. Yeah, it's all old news but the comics are the best part and they're good a second time around.
4) By the way, not throwing things away is a good incentive to save money. Every shelf, drawer, closet and flat surface fills to overflowing. There just isn't any place to put anything that you are thinking of buying. And with all that stuff around you don't want any more.
5) There are advantages to being poor. You don't worry about the stock market crashing. You don't worry much about maintaining your standard of living because you don't have much of a standard of living. And most likely, zoning laws in your neighborhood are more lax than in some other neighborhoods.
6) And being poor exercises your mind. Most everything you have is old and about ready to break. You spend a lot of time thinking of ways to fix things that quit working. You also have to figure out how to do things for yourself, you can't afford to hire someone who already knows.
7) You don't have much time to worry about things. You're usually busy fixing something or figuring out how to do something.
8) Your chances of being hurt in a car or plane crash are less because you can't afford the plane trip and you don't have much time for riding in a car because you're usually working or resting from working. If you're unemployed you can't afford a car trip either so you're even safer.
9) Being poor helps keeps you humble. It is not a reason to feel superior.
10) Poor people don't need to worry about whether their money should be given to those who need it more.
11) I don't know, but it seems to me that most famous intellectuals were children of well-to-do parents. Then they would have the time and resources to develop their abilities. If you're poor and become a famous intellectual, everybody would know that you deserve a lot of credit.
12) If you're poor there's only one way to go on the economic ladder and that's up.
13) It's not so likely that someone will think that you're a snob. But there may be other reasons someone might think you are a snob.
14) Poverty makes you self reliant. If you have money, you tend to use your money to solve problems and to accomplish goals. If you don't have money, you tend toward developing skills to deal with situations.
15) Being poor usually means being more ecological. You buy less, consume less and produce less waste.
16) You are less likely to be sued or to sue someone else. You can't afford a lawyer. And how can it be worth someone else's while to sue you?
17) When you have few possessions you are more appreciative of what you do have.
18) You've gotten a lot of help along the way from others and from fate. But you develop an inner strength from knowing that otherwise it is you that is responsible for yourself.
19) There are disadvantages to being poor. But if you're economically challenged, you may find it comforting to know that you're in the majority.
20) If you are poor, you probably get enough exercise. The lower your income, the more likely it is that your job will involve physical exercise. You are more likely to walk or ride a bike to get to where you want to go. (contributed by K. Miller)
Attitude
ode to the posterboards
Many obstacles are placed before us. Some loom up and others assume a less imminent composure. Some threaten very little but are unwelcome because they distract from what should be given more attention. Interspersed amongst the obstacles are those things which help us. They are things that empower us. They bring us satisfaction and joy. They are the features that are most commanding. My deepest convictions tell me that. Yet they, for some reason unkown, at times escape our notice. When I glance away from my work and look around me it is often an obstacle that is first to catch my eye. So I try to posterboard* the landscape with reminders of positive influences and examples of those things that are uplifting. But my work beckons. So the posterboarding often is left undone.
The posterboards tend to weather and wither. So do most of the obstacles. At times I put down my work and venture out onto the landscape maybe chipping at an obstacle here or there. While I'm there a posterboard might need mending or straightening. Additions or changes sometimes are made. New ones are made from bits and pieces copied from old ones. Sometimes new posterboards appear, left by passerbys or neighbors or generated in some unknown way. Those posterboards often go unnoticed unless you open yourself to them. Take them in during leisurely strolls, deliberate outings or fancy struts and dance. Those are times when the mind is given to pursuits that feed the soul.
And the diet is changing. It used to be survival and rampaging instincts. Small helpings of logic and philosophy increased as the ages rolled and forged the human spirit. Planning and preparation, alliances and compromise and other complexities increasingly became parts of our lives. Today our tastes are an interesting mix of remnants* from our beginnings and the beginnings of what may become a purer and more satisfying nourishment. On the table are grand projects as well as a myriad* of small steps and nudges that change the direction of our individual journeys as well as the grand march of humankind.
Sightsee the posterboards. Let them help you along the way.
*posterboard - to display so that it can be easily seen.
*remnants - leftover pieces.
*myriad - a group of many different things.
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Favorite toys
Some toys are favorites because they inspire the imagination. Dolls and modelling clay are examples. With other toys, it's the experience the toy provides. Speeding down a hillside on a sled or staying overnight in a tent in the middle of a woods, gives the sled and the tent a place on my favorite toys list. A toy might become a favorite by presenting a challenging task, you develop a skill to deal with the challenge, then performing and improving your skill brings a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. For whatever reasons, these are my favorites.
| 1.
All balls that are thrown, batted or kicked.
2. Bicycle. 3. Television. 4. Models(airplane, boat, insect and others). 5. Pencil and paper. 6. Scissors, paper and glue. 7. Penknife. 8. Dirt pile. 9. Ping pong equipment. 10. Tent. 11. Frisbee. 12. Jacks. 13. Playing cards. 14. Jump rope. 15. Sled. 16. Erector set. 17. Tinker toys. 18. Roller skates. 19. Modelling clay. 20. Checkers. 21. Stacking blocks. 22. Coloring book. 23. Kites. 24. Wagon. 25. Dolls and stuffed animals. 26. Video games. |
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Children 's toys help shape history because they help shape our minds. |
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Pet peeves
Someones complaints may not be what gives you a good feeling. But then again, it can be comforting to find out that your own annoyances and aggavations are not so different than those of everyone else. Dealing with frustration is a normal part of living that can be a burden. But there are humorous things about what bothers us. That humor can help us realize that the things that aggravate us are often more imaginary than real.
I don't know what I'm
missing out on
As best I can surmize,
I've only learned to use 10 consumable bathroom products. A quick count of
the various jars, bottles, squeeze tubes and other containers distributed
around the bathroom at my house shows that I must be missing out on something.
My quick count shows 57 containers not including more than a dozen containers
of nail polish, lipstick and pencil shaped somethings. That's 57 in addition
to the 10 that I use.
A thoroughly honest
label?
Wouldn't it be strange
to see a contents label on a food product that is actually honest. How about
this label for a breakfast cereal product?
DA KOTA CRUNCHIES
MORE THAN 90% PURE
| CONTAINS PROCESSED WHEAT; SALT; SUGAR; SMALL AMOUNTS OF EXTRANEOUS AND/OR DECAYED VEGETABLE MATERIAL; INSECT BODY PARTS AND WASTE PRODUCTS; SOIL; BACTERIA; FUNGI; MOLD; VIRUS SPORES; AND MANUFACTURED DIETARY SUPPLIMENTS, PRESERVATIVES, AND FOOD COLORING. ALSO CONTAINS TRACE AMOUNTS OF EXTRANEOUS MANUFACTURED CHEMICALS AND THEIR DERIVATIVES WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, FUNGICIDES AND FERTILIZER; MACHINE WEAR MATERIALS; INDUSTRIAL AND CONSUMER GENERATED POLLUTANTS; AND VARIOUS NATURALLY OCCURRING AND MANMADE EXTRANEOUS MATERIALS. |
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Bittersweet
When we are born we see
and feel with what nature gave us. Little by little parents' cues add to
and help shape what is within us. We search for cues everywhere and use them
hungerly. We become a mix: nature, cues, our experiences and how we react
to them.
Sometimes we seem to ourselves different from those who gave us so much, our parents, family and friends. The differences swell and distract unfairly. But what matters is those similarities that are close to our hearts. Perhaps the closest is the belief that you must strive to make things better while you celebrate what is good.
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| Happiness
is many things: smiles of those you love, the songs of birds, a clear blue sky, resting when we are tired, accomplishing a difficult task, someone who appreciates us, a belief that peoples' lives will keep getting better, having time to look in wonder at what's around us, knowing that people do great things, making our own choices, our many abilities and skills, discovering something we did not know before, being healthy and alive, being committed in some way to making life better. At times you will lose one or more of those things. But all the other things that make you happy are there for you, if you allow yourself to treasure them. |
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| Life has many unpleasant situations: the loss of a friend or loved one; the failure of a relationship; a lost opportunity. It makes no sense to let those situations cause self-pity. Self-pity is self torture - why do it? |
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