Leaving Neverland

When did we stop wanting to be grown-ups? Why do we equate "Ma'am" with being old, and going to bed before midnight with being somehow past our prime?

Watch how kids approach growing up. Kids can't wait to be another year older. They want to be taller, smarter, and more independent. Kids can't wait to reach double-digits, then 13, 16, 18, 21. But sometime after that 21st birthday, the attitude starts to change. 25 is worrisome, 30 is depressing, 35 is more depressing, and 40 is AAACK!

Think about that for a minute. The last happy-to-be-older birthday milestone is at 21?!?!? If you live to be 84 then that is only one-quarter of your life! 40 is only half of your life. There's still quite possibly another 40 years to go!

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Odyssey of the $6 Shirt

I love cotton. Cotton dresses, cotton shirts, cotton pants, cotton sweaters. Too often I go clothes shopping -- even at a store like Nordstroms -- and find mostly polyester or poly-blends. Target, on the other hand, tends to have a lot to offer in cotton. So I've started taking a spin through the clothes section whenever I stop in.

The one problem I see at Target is that the good stuff seems to go fast-- at least in my size. When I do find cute items in my size, there's often only one left. Like today.

I took my youngest to Target for PJs and modeling clay (I love one stop shopping!) and took my usual quick spin through the women's section. A simple black blouse caught my eye and it happened to be in my size. Yay!

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Three Photo-Ops and No Camera

The boys and I went for a walk yesterday. Despite the sunny blue sky, there was rain in the forecast so I opted to leave my camera at home. Storms have been known to blow up suddenly and I didn't want to be a mile from home with my poor exposed camera if the weather turned ugly.

Besides, I enjoy talking with the boys when we go for walks and didn't want to be distracted by looking for photo-ops. The last few times I brought my camera I hadn't had much luck. True, there were ducks, heron, and flowers, but I have enough pictures of ducks on the lake, heron across the lake, and close-up flower shots.

I didn't give my camera a second thought as we headed out around the lake. We were chatting pleasantly about all sorts of things. The sun was warm and the breeze was cool. Contrary to the weather report, the sky was a bright blue and the clouds were large, puffy and white.

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Harry Potter and... Who Was That Again?

SPOILER ALERT: This post is about the 6th Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It contains spoilers about both the movie and the book.

I never expect movie adaptations to be exact duplicates of the book on which they are based. Books and movies bring different experiences and changes have to be made to convey the same message effectively through each medium. A good adaptation is not necessarily one that follows every moment written in the book, but rather one that stays faithful to the message of the story.

In many ways, I enjoyed the 6th Harry Potter movie. There were funny moments, particularly when Ron and Harry were under the influence of potions. The awkward teen-love moments were well done, and Rupert Grint's performance as Ron was particularly memorable. (Especially his terrified/confident moments on the Quidditch field.)

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Poor Mangy Red Fox

I made myself a cup of coffee this morning and was walking toward my laptop, when I caught a glimpse of an animal in the backyard.

For a split second, my brain said "Oh, another deer." (We get a lot of deer.) Then quickly, "Wait, it's tiny... a baby deer... no, a fox!"

I have seen a fox in the yard from time to time. It's very rare and usually just a quick glimpse as they are darting away, bushy tail swishing behind.

This fox was different. For one thing, he was lounging in a patch of sun, apparently in no hurry to be on his way. For another, he had practically no fur, a thin scraggly tail, and he was scratching-- a lot.

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Beam Me Up, Scotty

I think I might be part Vulcan. I don't have pointy ears and I can't drop a man by pinching his neck, but I'm a huge fan of logic and emotional control.

Logic is pure. Logic is straightforward and dependable. If emotions were a brightly colored kite, logic would be the frame that holds its shape and the string that tethers it to the ground.

Yet true logic is sorely lacking in our society. Faulty logic we have in abundance. It permeates every subject -- politics, religion, philosophy, and even science. "Facts" are often based on personal anecdotes, emotional appeal, or stretched analogies.

Here are some examples of several types of faulty logic. (a.k.a things that drive me insane when trying to have a logical discussion with an illogical person.)

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