so, only yesterday

I was thinking about Dr Seuss. . .

. . .and it turns out that today is Dr Suess Day! he'd have been 105 years old today if he was still alive - that's pretty old

I once went to a great-grand-mother's birthday party, she was 95 and had 95 candles on her cake and I remember that someone - and uncle, I think - lit them, starting at the back of the cake, and by the time he'd reached the ones at the front those at the back had burnt right down onto the icing and singed the sugar flower decorations (now I'm a grown-up, I can see that the error was only to have the one person lighting the candles - as a child I just thought it was a terrible waste of icing and sugar flowers)

I digress. . .

. . .back to the good doctor - here's one I like (it's rather long, so this is a little shorter - kind of the edited highlights)

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

.
*
.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
.

*
.

You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3⁄4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
.
So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby
or Brayor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So... get on your way!

say what I feel? well, I have to admit that I'm not really liking the being alone on this journey of mine - and plenty of things along the way scare me. . .

. . .but! by some wonderfully bizarre coincidence, as I sit here doing this, Teen Too (previously known as Middle One, before he turned 13) is sitting at his desk asking questions about his art homework - he's studying Roy Lichtenstein. . .
.

. . .and I know I'm not all alone - I have my lovely children to look after; it's not the same as having someone look after me or having a Brad about (whether I'd choose to ask him to help me, or not) but there you go. . .

. . .or there I go. . .

. . .well, here I am, I guess. . .

and, actually, I oughtn't be here at all - there are chores to be done. . .
.

what is that old saying?
"no peace for the wicked"