Quip–a witty remark. E-Quips (think e-book or email) is hopefully a witty blog – dedicated to word play such as parodies, puns, and word parallels and stories about libraries that you may not have heard before. It has also expanded to include a few book reviews, nature and observational essays and poems, stories about military and veterans, and tips about writers and writing. It has evolved into an online journal. I also include select re-blogs to admire or inspire.
Hope you enjoy the ride and the fun.
Please let me know if there is word that deserves a riff or a library that has a story to share.
Hard to believe it wasn't until 1742 that Ben had the idea to move the heat of the fireplace out into the room where the heat could be better dispersed rather than going up the chimney
Franklin stove in front of the Stone Cottage Fireplace
Rumi, religious founder and poet saw the world differently than most Favorite of many thoughtful people as his poems offer fresh points of view to familiar object members of your household can also be the thoughts in your head
Translated by Coleman Barks
This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. Jalaluddin Rumi
When conversation is tedious to escape some of us get devious Excuses fly straight off our lips as interest wanes, conversation slips
This happened to me when one lady escaped upstairs to a bunker she has created for herself. I was not even that interested in prolonging the conversation since she seemed more comfortable with plants than people. I wanted to be a face palm rather than get a palm in the face.
On a warmish midweek day after New Year’s we went out to visit the donkeys. All three were grazing in the front pasture, ignoring us until Bob hee-hawed Chow Call. While all three heads came up away from the grass, nobody moved towards the fence until Bob grabbed the plastic trays of sweet potato medallions and sliced apples moving there first. Then Buddy lead the family to meet where Bob stopped to feed them at the fence.
We hear you, but show us the food.Lunch.Now you are talking so we’will begin walking.
In one respect, the donkeys were lucky. We had had cheeseburgers, homemade macaroni salad, and chips for lunch at Wyant’s so the fig newton dessert course was already waiting in Bob’s jacket pocket, but that did not mean that we served lunch fast enough for Buddy.
Ears down mean he is getting tired of waitingHolly and White are more patient
All the donkeys were greedy guts, gobbling/dropping food and slurping fingers as soon as it could be shoved into gaping mouths. I barely got a chance to take any pictures during lunch. Even Buddy condescended to eat food as it dropped from his or Whitey’s mouth. Holly and Whitey also did their share in making sure no food was left behind. This applied to sweet potatoes, apple slices, and fig newtons.
Burrish Burro?I faithfully promise to let no food drop in vain.
Whitey looked even more burr-infested, while both of his parents looked like they may have been groomed. David was not in the store for us to ask about it.
Each bowl makes a different sound Size really does matter So does construction material Deep bong Higher bing Harmony preferred Over dissonance When played together
Walking the rainbow labyrinth woke me to several new perceptions: color brought me in on the third ring of a 7 ring labyrinth, labyrinths can be 3-15 rings I have trod a 5 and 6 ring labyrinths with both of them entering on the third ring Labyrinths can be in or outside. The inside ones are usually cloth with one or a variety of colors (sometimes rainbow). The outside ones are often dirt, stone, or painted concrete. I personally decide if the labyrinth exudes male or female power but that is unimportant. I have never questioned the sexuality or purpose of any labyrinth. Would that be considered woke?
Bold vibrant saturated colors of tight geometric circles, square angles of redirection, broken only by strong black lines nothing like the feminine pastel colored curving turns of the rainbow labyrinth of my imagination, Normally at each turn I bow to the feminine goddess but the spirit god of this labyrinth was definitely male. Did not encourage any wanton urges except the strong desire to learn how it could frighten anyone. What did it represent?
Saturated color rainbow labyrinthPastel colored rainbow labyrinth
This quiz is a good chance to find out whether or not you are up on your meteorological terms. Discover if the results leave you in the doldrums or reward withcrepuscular rays
Light breezes blew through the corridors of crosses Flanking both sides of Point Loma Rustling the long palm fronds And carrying the faint sounds of Navy planes Landing or taking off from nearby North Island The slow rhythm of The Navy Hymn captured The gentle ebb and flow of waves along the Coronado Shores Home is the sailor home from the sea Being laid to rest on the hill overlooking San Diego Bay Where 90 something Hal Simmons Had served his country and it's citizens for decades Including a final tour of duty as a volunteer on the USS Midway Museum
For many of us December is dark and cold with the shortest day of the year. Are we the Christmas lights? Beautiful to behold but offering no warmth except in our hearts and minds. Are we candles, which offer less light and warmth but can be shared without diminishing the original light? Are we the Decenber full moon, offering a lot of brilliance but called the Cold Moon because we offer no warmth? Are we the Christmas Star shining brightly and guiding Wise Men to a Savior? Do each of us light up a life because we are someone's Beloved? Are we light fingered or light minded?
Since it is also National Bean Day, please don’t chow down on beans before you decide to cuddle up.
Beans, beans the musical fruit the more you eat, the more you toot the more you toot, the better you'll feel so eat some beans for every meal
*Note-I did not make this poem up, and heard it from my husband…
Many of you may have heard of Three Dog Night (the group), but did you know that a three dog night is a night so cold that you need three dogs to cuddle with to try to stay warm.
From the website on the benefits of cuddling:
Cuddling releases oxytocin. This hormone alone has tremendous health benefits. Besides giving us warm and fuzzy feelings, oxytocin reduces pain. So when the cold has made those muscles and joints ache, cuddling can help reduce those aches and pains.
Oxytocin also helps reduce heart disease, lowers blood pressure, stress, and anxiety. Of course, insurance carriers would probably cover cuddling if it weren’t free since it’s such a huge health benefit!
Communication is more than just e-mails, texts, or conversations. Physical touch also communicates trust, commitment, safety, and reassurance. This goes for human-to-human contact as well as human-to-pet contact; cuddling expresses all these things, which are vital to a healthy relationship.
Please don't tell me to suck it up when I prefer to cuddle up Butter cup
I'll take a bath and will not bite if we might cuddle up tonight The temperature dip is no delight
On night when the heater blew cuddling up next to you was the only reason I got through
Chicks rule In Key West Both hens and roosters Running freely between The beach side bars And the adjacent Beach. Bar chicks and beach chicks are interchangeable
It’s thought that January’s Full Moon came to be known as the Wolf Moon because wolves were more likely to be heard howling at this time. It was traditionally believed that wolves howled due to hunger during winter, but we know today that isn’t accurate.
Howling and other wolf vocalizations are heard in the wintertime to locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, define territory, and coordinate hunting.
Because it is a Supermoon—occurring when the Moon is at perigee, its closest point to Earth—it will appear noticeably larger and brighter than a typical full Moon.
At a Full Moon, the Moon is located on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, so the face of the Moon facing towards the Earth will be entirely illuminated by the Sun’s rays.
Look for the January Moon to rise from the eastern horizon around sunset that evening. By midnight, the Wolf Moon glows bright and round overhead. By sunrise, it will disappear into the western horizon.
The full winter moon is a harsh mistress, light without warmth, cold nipping at your heels like a wolf chastening you homeward in a hurry, Not the time for dallying and romance Save that for the warmer months when both the temperatures and your blood are inflamed.
Who tolled the tale About the jingles Perhaps a Key West Kris Kringle In another part of the Reach Three handed stud played just off the Beach Another Hemingway history to teach
Papa’s PicturePapa for Whom the Bell JinglesA younger Hemingway playing three handed poker
Wine Library combining two of my favorites in one delightful combination No surprise the books are both a tree and presents under the tree
Wine Library Book Tree Decorated for ChristmasWine Library Decorated for ChristmasKissing Balls in the Wine LibrarySee the real wine books under the Christmas tree in the Wine Library at Barboursville
e-Quips 