Until I saw the news Sunday morning about the mass shooting in Monterey California, I had a whole different plan for today’s blog. Even had a few things set up in draft, and I’ll probably keep those since my heart is so heavy and my trigeminal neuralgia pain is screaming at me. It’s hard to be creative under those circumstances.
Many times here on the blog I’ve written about the horror of children and adults being mowed down by the powerful weapons some people have. I could check to find an exact number, but, well the pain. Each time I’ve said pretty much the same thing in conclusion. When will it stop? Will it ever stop? Will politicians ever do the right thing and ban assault weapons, as well as any device that turns a regular gun into one that can fire multiple times in a matter of seconds?
A hunter only needs one bullet at a time to bring down an animal.
A person at a gun range only needs one bullet at a time to hit the bullseye.
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Moving on.
A friend sent me this meme, and the kitty looks a lot like Max, who I rescued two weeks ago. He was a sick little guy, very skinny, full of worms, and covered in motor oil. Treatments are helping with a lot of the issues, and generous friends and family members have contributed to my GoFundMe campaign to help with the ongoing doctor bills. I’m hoping Max doesn’t have to stay on the special food that is very expensive, as there’s no way I can afford that for three cats on an ongoing basis. And if he get’s acclimated to the other cats, or more precisely them to him, I can’t have two kinds of food down for cats who like to graze off and on all day.
If you’ve ever tried to juggle cats, food bowls, and different foods, you know what I mean. Right now, Max lives in my guest bathroom and the two girls live primarily in my bedroom and master bath with their food, water, and litter boxes. They come out when I have Max locked up, and he comes out when the others are in their rooms. So far, the girls are not happy with this intruder, and I don’t know how long it might take for them to adjust. So rehoming Max is still a possibility, even though he is warming my heart.
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It is a happy talent to know how to play.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Snagged the quote and the following information from the Daily Inspiration website
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was an American essayist, preacher, poet, and philosopher. This quote, which was included rather unceremoniously in one of Emerson’s journal entries from April 1835, offers insight into his values. He cautioned against taking societal rules so seriously that you sacrifice silliness and fun. In this he was ahead of his time. Science has shown that, in fact, playfulness is a learned trait, one that benefits us physically, socially, and emotionally at any age. It is, as Emerson said, an excellent ability to cultivate for a happy life.
Fun and silliness were a big part of our family life when Carl and I were raising our kids, and I do believe the humor got us through the many challenges that face a large family. For the most part, we enjoyed each other’s company, especially at dinnertimes when we would linger after the food was gone to talk and laugh. And when a crisis hit, jokes and humor lightened the load.
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This next quote is also from Daily Inspiration. I go to their site almost every day to see what words of wisdom are there, and when I saw this one from one of my all-time favorite writers, it made me stop and ponder for several minutes.
“I hold that a writer who does not passionately believe in the perfectibility of man has no dedication nor any membership in literature.” John Steinbeck in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 1962
What does Steinbeck mean? I invite you to answer that question in the comments as I’m really curious, and I’m not sure mine is on the mark. I think perhaps it has something to do with character arc and redemption in a story. If we don’t think that people can change for the better, how can we write believable characters who do evolve over the course of a story?
That’s all for today folks. Hope your week is productive, as well as fun. Don’t forget to play.