Random Thoughts

There's no specific theme today...just some random thoughts.

First off, the 2nd family of finches has flown the coop.  I wrote about them earlier, the ones who've been nesting in the tummy area of my cat-shaped wind chime.

It always seems to work that way.  I see them day after day - the babies getting bigger & bigger & then one day I go out & they're all gone.  I suppose there's a metaphor in there somewhere.  It's interesting that I never see them practicing flying.  One day there are three babies in the nest & the next day - none.
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I see on the calendar that Friday, June 25th is Take Your Dog to Work Day.  Trust me, do this only if the dog is well & truly housebroken.  There are some 'presents' that are never meant to be shared.  Dog poop & piss rank right near the top of that category.  Your coworkers will be truly appreciative.
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I love buying books.  It's even better if they're on sale.  And I don't just mean at the chain bookstores.  Some of my best 'scores' have been at secondhand bookstores.  Example:  I've found some autographed copies.  Books signed by Hedda Hopper (oh, go look her up), the Horse Whisperer (whose name has just flown out of my head), and several others.

Equally fun are autobiographies by people I've never heard of but who turn out to be delightful to read about.  Example:  Anna Russell - she was originally training to be a classical musician.  However that didn't work out & she became very popular in the 1950's & 60's as 'the queen of musical parody'.  She spoofed classical music - sort of doing what Weird Al did with pop & rock music.  It's a very funny read.  She did a summary of Wagner's 'The Ring Cycle' - taking several days worth of opera & condensing it down to 20 minutes.  It was totally accurate & showed how absurd the plot of 'The Ring Cycle' is.  Opera lovers adored it.

I'm currently reading an autobiography by Catherine Drinker Bowen - Adventures of a Biographer.  It's a series of essays on what she loved about being a biographer of such people as Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr & Tchaikowsky, among others.  A couple of things make this book fun -- it's a first edition.  It also looks like it was a reviewers copy because there's a card inside that says not to release any reviews prior to the book's release date.'

For me, looking through secondhand book sales is rather like searching for treasure.  Sometimes I find treasure & sometimes I find nothing much.  It's fun & ultimately serves to help stretch my mind.  Keep the little grey cells active & well fed.

Oh, and let's not forget the large softback copy of the entire Chronicles of Narnia that I snagged for just $1.00!  Woohoo!

Papillon