who needs Dr. Phil when there's Dr. Seuss? :)

Or self-help books for that matter. I have a shelf full of the genre, but having been deprived in childhood of the excellent literature provided by Dr. Seuss, how was I supposed to know that all I really needed could be found in Oh, the Places You'll Go!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy [gal] who'll decide where to go.

That pretty much sums it up, does it not? Snort.

(click here for the full version)

p.s. posting may be sporadic for a while as I start steering myself in the right direction…

indeed again

indeed

"Inserting a Q-Tip deep into your ear is a great, undiscussed pleasure." —AMY KROUSE ROSENTHAL

not an ordinary book

Remember that library book I was telling you about? The one that I kept putting down because I wanted to have my own copy? Well I did finally end up reading Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life as I wasn't sure when I'd be able to buy it, and with some reluctance returned it the other day. I'm going to miss having the book around, and my place feels just a tiny bit emptier. Kind of like the way it does after a good visit with a friend who has just left.

There were many moments when I'd exclaim, "me too, me too!" after reading certain facts or entries, delighted to discover that not all of my quirks are exclusively my own. What also emerged is that we both prefer coming up with an idea, rather than executing it, like writing down moments, memories, lists, quotes, and thoughts, and instead of fiction, tend to write about stuff that actually happened. Somehow, this gives me hope. :)

And in case you ever end up reading the book yourself, here are 21 of my favourite entries:

BAD MOVIE
DOING SOMETHING
EITHER
FICTION
GROUP PERSON
HAPPINESS
JACKET BIO
NOTHING
OTHER PEOPLE
PHONE, GETTING TO KNOW SOMEONE ON THE
POTATO CHIPS
RED GINGHAM TABLECLOTH
RETURN CALL
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
SILENCE
STATEMENT
TA-DA!
THANKFUL
TUESDAY NIGHT
WABI-SABI*
YOU

* The neat thing about this term, by the way, is that both the author and I discovered it in the same place: Utne Reader magazine.

(wabi-sabi: "As a single idea, wabi-sabi fuses two moods seamlessly: a sigh of slightly bittersweet contentment, awareness of the transience of earthly things, and a resigned pleasure in simple things that bear the marks of that transience.")

when all else fails

Sometimes, when you have a really difficult decision to make, and the usual pros and cons list just doesn't seem to help (don't you just hate it when they balance each other out?) try asking what it is that your spirit needs right now. Not necessarily wants, but needs. In other words, what would be a good soulution? Okay, I didn't make up that word myself, and can't quite remember where it came from, but it's a term I really like.

And if that doesn't work, envision as fully as you can the outcomes from whatever decision you're trying to make, and see how each one makes you feel. Imagine that you've already decided the course of action you're going to take. Do you feel lighter, relieved, and happier, or disappointed, or worse, left with a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? Your feelings often point the way as to what you really want to do, and this may be one way to reach that difficult decision.

Okay, off to follow my own advice. ;)

enjoy what's left of summer

Because before you know it:

Come, little leaves, said the wind one day,
Come over the meadows with me and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold;
Summer is gone, and the days grow cold.

—GEORGE COOPER

Mind you, at 34C at the moment, I probably won't be mourning the end of summer too much! ;)

what can I say about season 3?

Season 3 of The Mary Tyler Moore Show (she sheds the wig she wore in the first two seasons making her look older) proved to be just as enjoyable as Seasons 1 and 2. The only disappointment was the lack of bonus features.

I still love the theme music, the opening and closing credits, Mary's apartment, the house it's located in (gotta love THAT house!) and the acting of course. Episodes were funny, or poignant, always smartly written, and one of them even made me cry. I especially love how the characters of both Mary and Rhoda mature and evolve and reflect the changing times.

Episodes of note include Rhoda The Beautiful (where Rhoda finally recognizes her own beauty), You've Got A Friend (a touching episode about Mary and her father—this is the one that made me cry) and My Brother's Keeper (where a guest character is revealed to be gay—an issue not often addressed back in 1973).

But do you know what I really want? To be able to get a peek inside Mary's bathroom. Her apartment is a set of course, but I still want to see ALL of it! This season I was lucky enough to see the hallway and the stairs that lead to Rhoda's apartment, but I can't seem to stop wishing for a glimpse into the room that's never been shown. Snort.