APRIL 30, 2025 ~ Are We Having Fun Yet ?

 

"I run the Country and the World."

... so said the man who would be king in a recent interview in The Atlantic.

and shortly thereafter, "and I'm having fun."

After just 100 days, with 1,360 left to go,

are we ~ are you ~ having fun yet?

Though never a believer in the accuracy of polling, the most recent polls

even from conservative pollsters (including Fox News) show that

48% disapprove of his job performance and if given a 

"report card" 45% would grade him with an F, 

and another 7% would give him a D.

But, he's having fun ...

Fun! Fun destroying thousands of lives and institutions that have made

this country great for nearly 250 years.  Supported by acolytes, aides

and the most unqualified, self serving cabinet ever,

an impotent Senate and House, plus

 too many who care not about the future of this nation and all it holds dear.  

Over these 100 days, those who have paid attention

have seen attacks on education, health, climate, our military,

our shared history ~ human and civil rights ~ the judiciary,

science, the arts.  

"Six degrees of separation", do we not all trace

our roots back to another time and place, the method, the manner

of the immigration issue is inhumane in every way possible.

100 days.

1360 day to go.

LET'S HAVE A HAPPY DAY!

I am sitting under a chair.

Mine Mommy is sitting in the chair that I am sitting under.

It is still very early in the morning.  It is dark outside.

Like 4:30 a.m. dark with the street lamps still on.

Mine Mommy is still sipping on her coffee.  

She is also reading some news on her cell phone.

I've already had my breakfast.  

And she already put fresh water in my bowl.

I always sit by my bowl after my breakfast.  

It reminds her (she's forgetful, you know) to put fresh, cold water

from the refrigerator in it because that's what I like the best.

I will stay sitting under the chair for awhile longer.

Maybe until the sun starts to rise.

Then I'll sit in my rounder by the window and watch the city wake-up.

Mine Mommy will have finished her second cup of coffee by then 

and she will probably turn her computer on and start the day.

This is our morning routine.

Oh, I almost forgot.

When I am sitting under the chair,

like this,

and meow and look up at her,

like this,

she pats me on the head and says,

"Good Morning, sweet June, lets have a happy day!"

HAPPY TUESDAY

 

ABUNDANCE of AWWWS

"ABUNDO"

Doesn't that word tickle your tongue?  

Isn't it fun to say?

ABUNDO!  

And doesn't it, in a word complete the picture?

 The abundance of Xander's full, furred and overflowing ears!

Abundance, derived from the Latin verbs, 

"abundantia", fullness, plenty, and also

"abundo", to overflow.

I am blessed with four wonderful grand pups, and always

awesome when I receive photos of them ...

there are two Samoyeds, Chewy and Fiona, 

the chocolate Lab, Dougie Dog, all the big kids on the block.

And here today, the not-so-big one, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Xander.

AWWW MONDAY

IMAGE-IN-ING

 

SUNDAY with JUNE

~ wearing my heart on my sleeve,

not just on Sundays, everyday ~

CATURDAY ART ~ and ~ SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

 

Apologies for re-posting art from 2022 ~ mine Mommy has had a busy week 

(so she says!) and did not design new art.  

She also said as I'm the "star of Zoolatry" it's okay to share this again!

And we will add to the wonderful images displayed over at

CATURDAY ART

the creative blog of Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty and Marie.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We are also joining the wonderful (and somewhat new to us) blog hop

SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

sponsored by Viewing Nature with Eileen.

For all pet and animal lovers, if it is not familiar to you,

please consider visiting.

Again, our image is not new, originally posted spring 2023.

Heading up the steps to Mount Vernon Place park next to where we live.

Though "not new" this is what happens each and every time

one walks those steps ~ up or down.

These Blog Hops,

along with other weekly hops and their direct links,

are listed on our sidebar.

ARBOR DAY

Sherwood Gardens Park, Baltimore, MD

We have often shared the poems of SHEL SILVERSTEIN here.

  He has been a favorite and though his poems and art and stories are meant mostly for the young, 

they speak strongly to the young at heart who choose to open eyes, ears, hearts and minds.

THE GIVING TREE is a classic.

 Published by Harper & Row in 1964, it initially garnered controversy and negative reviews 

for the story told, and criticism for its simplistic art style.  

As time passed, and many others praised and honored Silverstein's book, 

it grew in popularity, was translated into more than thirty languages 

and is often listed among "best children's books".  

For indeed, THE GIVING TREE tells and teaches of responsibility 

toward nature, of sharing, selflessness and always ~ giving.

It begins ~ "Once there was a tree ... and she loved a little boy."

And ends ~ "And the boy loved the tree ... very much.  And the tree was happy."

If you've not read this wonderful story, we suggest adding it to

your list ~ and if there are young ones in your life, it is a beautiful

story for sharing with them.

And on this Arbor Day, and every day ~ make a tree happy!

 

THANKFULS on THURSDAY

 THANKFUL THURSDAY

at Brian's Home Blog

WEDNESDAY WORD PLAY

posting a post of a cat by a post

 

EARTH DAY 2025

Walt Kelly (1913-1973) well known, popular and often political cartoonist, perhaps best known for POGO, was beloved in his time and still.  Kelly, in looking back to the War of 1812, drew upon a report from Master Commandment Perry (US Navy) to Major General Harrison (British Navy), when Perry wrote "we have met the enemy and they are ours."  

Kelly reimagined the quote some 150-plus years later for Earth Day, 1970, and then in his POGO comic strip the following year.  And as is said, the rest is history.  It is often noted that as political commentary it speaks strongly that the damage we do most often is the damage we do willingly and knowingly to ourselves.

Walt Kelly (c. 1970/1971)

And here we are, some 55 years later.  Surrounded by an even bigger and more destructive enemy.  One attacking NOAA: the source of study for climate research, weather broadcasting and more of critical value.  Budgetary and staff cuts to the EPA, deep and severe, which will have wide reaching impacts on our environment for years to come.  Basic destruction of the U.S. FORESTRY SERVICE and again, budget and personnel cuts in the DEPT of INTERIOR impacting those who care for, manage, protect our public lands, our natural resources, and cultural heritage sites nationwide.  

Without even doing a deep dive into actually "reading" some of the 130 Executive Orders signed since January 20, I found at least a dozen directly related to the environment. I did read some.  And to use a cliche, the devil is in the details, with much that is critical deeply buried.  That is to say: orders that will either roll back long standing environmental achievements that protected our natural resources and encouraged serious research and study (grants awarded, now rescinded) for climate change issues now impacting us worldwide.  

So.  What can be done?  With our voices we can protest, in our local communities in whatever ways are in ones comfort zones.  With our votes, we can vote from the local level all the way up to the very top for those who will return sane and good policies to our government.  Politicians (yes, there are some out there) whose goals are not pride or profit driven, but have chosen to serve for the greater good.  Do not sit out the next time.  

On a lighter note, (this was told me to not long ago) ... 

as Smokey the Bear, said, "only you can prevent forest fires ..."

No, I mean it.  Only YOU can prevent forest fires.

And by extension, all this damage to Mother Earth.

Don't let our world burn down.  It's up to you.

PEACE BE WITH YOU

 

JUNE'S EASTER EGG HUNT

I went on an Easter egg hunt.

I found a very special egg.

It was meant just for me.

A big topiary bunny was holding it in her paws.

The topiary bunny lives at Ladew Gardens in Monkton, Maryland. 

It is a very beautiful place.

You can CLICK HERE for a visit at the gardens.

HAPPY EASTER

CATURDAY ART: PAINTING EASTER EGGS

Me and mine Mommy are painting Easter eggs today.

Can you guess my two favorite ones?

A hint ~ one is already in my basket!

CATURDAY ART

FELINE FRIDAY or MAYBE FLASHBACK FRIDAY?

 

About this picture: it was early, very early in the morning.
I jumped up on the table to help mine Mommy do my bloggie post for the day.
I had seen her scrolling through pictures, old pictures and new pictures, trying to decide,
and I figured she needed my help.
When I got close, super-real close, the monitor was blank.  All white.  What happened?  No pictures!
Instead, she picked up the camera (well, really her phone) and took a new (?) picture!
This was it! This is it!

I heard her say, "oh cool, I like the way your fur is all sharp and cool on the screen and all
the rest of you is blurry, this is our photo for today!"

But neither of us remembers if that happened yesterday, or today or

a really really long time ago ...

a photo is a photo is a photo, and if'n we don't remember we're

betting you don't either, meow.

Me?  I think it's a stupid photo!  I don't look cool or good or pretty or nice at all.

. . . or . . .

truth is, we're not sure if this picture is new, or old, or posted before or not

you see, mine Mommy has a wholabunch of files and folders and

sometimes my same pictures are in different files, like duplicates she says,

ooops, so this could be a flashback friday , or maybe not, but for now we're

pretending it's not, so it's feline friday

are you confused, i am, meow, and it probably doesn't matter anyway, meow

PUT YOUR HEAD ON MY PILLOW

I don't often nap on our day bed.

But when I do I'm thankful, because

there's a polka dot pillow just purrfect to put my head on ...

THANKFUL THURSDAY

 

MARCH ON

. . .  SUPPORTING OUR FRIENDS TODAY . . .

HAPPIES for TUESDAY

Mine Mommy has always said that when I first wakes up in the morning

before anything else ~ well, I do stretch a little first ~

but then really, meow, the first thing I should do is think about the day ahead,

be happy for my good nights rest and be happy for this new day. 

Think a happy thought to start the new day, 

this is the happy thought I share with you on this new day ~

Happiness is not about getting all you want.

Happiness is about enjoying all you have.

 HAPPY TUESDAY

PAWS

 

SUNDAY MORNING TALK SHOW

Sunday Morning Talk Show ~ and no, I'm not talking about all the ones on TV.  And there are so many.  They're on the regular networks and all the cable channels ~ but me and mine Mommy figured out that with "whatever" the news of the week was (and last week it was purrty bad) ~ all the shows will be saying the same thing!  She used to flip, flip, flip from one to another to another.  No more.

Now the Sunday Morning Talk Show is her talking to me!  Meow she says.  Meow I say.  It's much more fun.  Wouldn't you agree?  Sanity reigns.  Let the sunshine in!  I sit up here atop my polka dot chair, I turn into a bobblehead kitty and watch her do this (like put away last nights clean dishes) and watch her do that (like make the bed) and each time she walks by she pets me and we kiss-bump our noses and say "meow".  Meow means I love you.  It's our very own purrsonal Sunday Morning Talk Show.

Gotta go now, we got some talking to do ... meow!

THE ARTS

Beautiful inside and outside, and historically significant,

the Baltimore School for the Arts makes it home in the former Alcazar Hotel (1924)

 and a brownstone mansion (1850) next door, once the residence of H.L. Mencken.

It is located about two blocks from where I live in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood

of downtown Baltimore.

Recently, my friend and neighbor, Linda and I, enjoyed a wonderful

Sunday matinee production of  music and dance in the magnificent theater there.

HAPPY IS

HAPPY IS  

Because mine Mommy sometimes gets all upset with the way the world is, 
I thought to share with her my thoughts about how to be happy.

Happy is: getting a bit of fresh air, I so enjoy that here at my window

Happy is: remembering even on a cloudy day the sun still shines somewhere

Happy is: a birdie will fly by if I'm patient, 
good things come when you just wait a bit

Happy is: the church bells will ring again on the next hour, just listen

Happy is: flowers are beginning to bloom in the park, 
take a walk, see them, smell them

Happy is: share a smile and a kind word with someone today
and oh, remember to pet my furs,

petting is like hugging, it's a magical kind of happy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

... and before I forget, it will make me happy if'n you'll put all my

springs back on the window rim, I had lots of happy-fun in the night

putting them all in my rounder ... meow