Tuesday, November 7, 2017

'Toon Tuesdays: Older than ...





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Toon Tuesdays feature animal (and sometimes human) humor created by the peeps over at Shoebox Greetings (Hallmark approved. Sorta.) - where our mom works, too!




Monday, November 6, 2017

Monday's Visitor

Maxwell: Guys, check it out! We have a new visitor.


Maxwell: Oh, this is so cool. It's a Limenitis arthemis astyanax (Fabricius).
Faraday: It's a Lemon-WHAT-is?
Seriouslies, Maxie. Not interested. Lemons are totes sour.


Maxwell: Dood. It's not a lemon. It's a Red-Spotted Purple butterfly.
 You'd like it, Allie. It's pretty and blue. And it's all blinged out and everything.


Allie: *sniffs* Yes, but I only do pink. Does it come in pink, Maxie, hmmm?


Maxwell: *sigh-h-h* That's okay Mister R-S-P.
I appreciate you.

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Sunday, November 5, 2017

Picture Me This Photohunt

Created for friends, fellow bloggers and anyone who enjoys a creative challenge, Picture Me This is a weekly idea-starter for social media posts. Any platform, anywhere.

No following, no submitting required. And certainly no pressure!

We're just filling a void made when last year's Photohunt host went on hiatus.

This Week's Theme:




Be sure to tag your entry with #PMTphotohunt so others can find you.

If you tag us as well (@tonkstail on Instagram & Twitter, @atonkstail on Facebook) we'll be sure to like and share your entry.

Enjoy!

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Saturday, November 4, 2017

Peace in 3 Steps #blog4peace


We know we've posted this for the annual Blog Blast 4 Peace in the past,
but it's such a powerful message, we thought it worth repeating.

Along with a few photos.
(Okay, and a cat. But forgive us, we're making you wait til the end today!)
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For many years, the U.S. had a governmental affairs office in D.C. headed by a man named Moshe Shearer. This man, a rabbi, had a very interesting insight into the concept of peace.  One of the oldest practices in Judaism, he said, involves a prayer that concludes with a phrase known as Oseh Shalom.

Oseh Shalom is probably the most famous prayer for peace in the Hebrew language – and in my opinion one of the most beautiful, especially when you hear its melody. Translated, it goes something like this:
“May he who makes peace in the high places make peace for us…”

Interestingly, tradition requires that you begin by taking three steps back, then as you say the prayer, you bow to the left, to the right and to the front. Rabbi Sherer taught that the reason for this was to remind us that there is only one way to truly achieve peace among people.

Stepping back represents stepping back from oneself, dropping personal agendas and willingly letting go of those strongly held personal viewpoints. This helps remove obstacles that stand in the way of objectivity.

And while pure objectivity may never be achieved, this practice helps you to better understand the viewpoint of your adversary.

Keeping an open mind and striving for objectivity are a critical first step, true, but if we truly want peace we need to be willing to bend.
A little bit of compromise, whether it’s the left, the right or the center, may just be the necessary component to achieving true peace.

May we all learn to step back and be willing to bend.

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The photos were from a morning walk in our neighborhood.
We hope they bring you as much serenity as they did us when we experienced them:

• a tree, resplendent with berries
• fresh pears, just harvested from our front yard
• pumpkins, resting against a tree trunk






Oh, and yes, one kitty, sleeping peacefully. And for the moment, the house is at peace as well. (subject to change when he awakens)

Friday, November 3, 2017

Allie's Fashion Faux Paws

Allie: The Fashionable Feline always take time to look her best.


Eyes, nose ...


Ears ...


and toes.


Yes, Fashionable Felines are civilized.
Unlike some other utterly uncouth Tonkinese I won't name.


... *cue slobbery, slurpy noises* ...


Faraday: Wait, uhhh. Allie, were you throwing me some shade just nows?


No comment, dood. No comment.


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Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Ahhhhhh, November.

Warm sunpuddles .... crisp, cool air.


The perfect weather for napping.



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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

'Toon Tuesdays: Bad Idea, Guys





That had to hurt.

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_____
Toon Tuesdays feature animal (and sometimes human) humor created by the peeps over at Shoebox Greetings (Hallmark approved. Sorta.) - where our mom works, too!