Prattlings
Like a lion, without fear of the howling pack; Like a gust of wind, ne'er trapped in a snare; Like a lotus blossom, ne'er sprinkled by water; Like me, like a unicorn, in solitude roam." .
Hymn of Buddha
Good Thought for the Day
If you pass along one smile you may receive many in return.
Random Thought for Today
Legends are not always the stuff from which dreams are made.
Quotes of the Day
People
"Now I will believe that there are unicorns..."
William Shakespeare
Movies
"Oh she'll kill me one day or another. But she will remember forever that *I* caught her, and *I* held her prisoner. So there's my immortality, hey? "
The Last Unicorn - Mommy Fortuna
"Oh, she should never have meddled with a real harpy! Or a real unicorn for that matter. Because the truth melts her magic, always "
The Last Unicorn - Schmendrick
Literature
"There has never been a time without unicorns. We live forever! We are as old as the sky, old as the moon! We can be hunted, trapped; we can even be killed if we leave our forests, but we do not *vanish*. Am I truly the last?"
Peter S. Beagle - The Last Unicorn
I have forgotten that men cannot see Unicorns. If men no longer know what they're looking at, there may be other unicorns in the world yet, unknown, and glad of it.
Peter S. Beagle - The Last Unicorn
http://www.eonline.com/Facts/Movies/0,60,9778,00.html
Lyrics
When the first breath of winter
Through the flowers is icing.
And you look to the north,
And the pale moon is rising.
And it seems like all is dying,
And would leave the world to mourn;
In the distance, hear the laughter,
Of the last Unicorn!
Last Unicorn Soundtrack - America
Lyrics by
http://www.lyric-index.f2s.com/r-z/lu_lastuni.txt
Cool Sites for Today
The Last Unicorn (fan site) http://celesstar.osiriscomm.com/unicorn/unicorn.html
Nothing Ends: links to the Last Unicorn http://hometown.aol.com/ellosub/lastuni/TLU.html
Deanna's World: Realm of the Unicorns http://www.dworldonline.com/unicorn/
We now return you to the regularly scheduled rambling LJ entry for the day......
Legend, there's a word that brings to mind different things to different people. To some, the word brings images of Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio or any number of sports or screen stars to mind. Yet others have visions of more traditional things. Unicorns, faeries, sprites and all sort of things.
With the rediscovery of Tolkien's masterpiece also comes delving into other lessons and tales. A favorite of mine is the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. While the tales are geared toward pre-teens and young teens they are for anyone who enjoys fantasy. I was first introduced to the series when I was in sixth grade via a PBS show called Cover to Cover. I was introduced to some wonderful books that way. I used to read aloud to my kids all the time. While other kids were listening to "Cat in the Hat" my oldest was also listening to Little House on the Prairie.
Having children often opens opportunities that some people don't consider. They say you should not live through your children, however, this is not to say you shouldn't introduce your children to things you enjoy doing. I think that's one of the things that gets misunderstood in the proverbial translation. To teach your child something or introducing them to something because you enjoy it and hope they will find their own interest in it is one thing, to shove it down their throats is another. A prime example of this is the little league parents I've seen that forget it's a game and force their kids into it. I still recall one of my cousins telling me he only played because it made his father happy. While that was indeed a noble gesture, I never understood why he made himiself miserable over it. If he liked the game, it wouldn't be so bad, but he never gave the impression of even liking it.
To this day, I recall trying to learn to crochet with my great-grandmother. Note, I said trying. Nana was right handed, I'm not. She was tenacious though. I think that's were I get it from. I didn't exactly pick up the art of crochet, but many years later, I learned to do a proper single crochet when someone was teaching a few of my Girl Scouts. Incidently... this was on the quiz. While I am adept with a needle and embroidery floss or yarn, the crochet hook is not among the tools of the crafts that I am even good at let alone skilled.
When my friend, Becky, and I ran a Scout troop together, I had this thing, I would not ask any of the girls to try something I couldn't bring myself to. The girls were often braver then I have ever been. It's amazing how inspiring it can be to work with these young women and watch them blossom. It hits you when you have watched them grow from very small children into their teens.
In my own daughters, I have seen them follow through when I wasn't quite sure it was possible. There's a great sense of pride in that, knowing that your children have the physical strength and strength of character to do what must be done. Jessica tends to be the get out of my way and let me do my job type. She's a just a bit over five feet tall and isn't afraid to move people out of her way if she has to. She says it's often easier to do that than wait on any help that might end up to be half assed. The hard part for her is she was always encouraged to do that despite her size. Some people, especially the sailors in her department aboard ship are often surprised by what amounts to a pint sized powerhouse then they are told... "She's in charge."
Elizabeth just got her first job. She's thrilled! She's going to be working at a restaurant in town after school. We'll be taking turns driving to get her there and back. The story that often comes to mind with her is being caught in a rainstorm after a day at Texas Renaissance festival. We had planned to camp overnight and head for home in the morning. Liz and Tom we settled in and asleep a good hour before the rain started to come down heavily. My friends and I were told by someone that had been there the previous week that come morning we'd be ankle deep or higher in mud. We decided we'd pack up and head to local hotels or those that lived close would head for home. Four hours isn't exactly close, but I figured I could get part way home and get a hotel. So... I woke the kids, they weren't pleased, but once they knew it was Mother Nature making it necessary, they both moved and fast. In less than five minutes, my daughter had the tent and its contents down, rolled and packed. My poor son was told... "Fold cots and get out of my way." That was a turning point of sorts for her. She proved that she could do when she had to.
Now... for quizes....
See which Greek Goddess you are.
You are Hestia
Hestia was the sweet goddess of the hearth. She was never married, but only because too many people liked her and she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. She was the most gentle of the Greek Pantheon, and she was way cool. Like her you make people around you feel content and loved, go you.