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"

17 comments:

Sorrow said...

Oh I do so love the good Doctor!
Painted a nursery once in all of his wonderful characters, yertle and fox being my two favorites!
I have a good friend who on her 90th birthday , took my hand and said " oh my! I only have 15 years left!" can you imagine?
she is now rocking in at 96, and other than a bladder that gives her fits, she still going strong.
we should all have her gratitude and attitude!

Rimshot said...

I thought it was "no rest for the wicked"...tho I've heard it as "no rest for the weary" neither of which really make much sense.

AND

As an adult (and I use the term loosely) I STILL think it's a terrible waste of icing and sugar flowers.

Mel said...

Yaknow--after years of being responsible for me, myself and I during a horribly wicked time with life, I have a really, really tough time LETTING himself look after me.
And I mean HORRID time letting that happen.

It's like learning all over again, ain't it......
*sigh*
I still suck at it.

I mean, I know he cares beyond, beyond--
I suck!

*sigh*

No rest for the weary makes sense to me right now.

Mel said...

OH....the places you'll go....

One of my FAVORITEST of the good doctors!
I love Dr. Seuss!
But I'm thinkin' you already knew that, huh?

I, Like The View said...

hi Dave

Mel I'm thinking that you like quite a lot of Dr S! I'm very glad that you have Himself to care for you, even if you don't let him sometimes. . .

shot no peace or rest this end. . . neither yesterday nor today - oh well, can always hope for tomorrow

Sorrow that's a lovely tale. . .

I once painted a nursery with the pictures from "Guess How Much I Love You" by Anita Jeram - do you know that one?

Mel said...

Ohhhhhh......cute bunny!

Hop on Pop
Hop on Pop!!

That's all my brain is gonna chant now.

<-- obviously needs a tune for the day...LOL

I, Like The View said...

the bunny is cute, and the little bunny is cute. . . and all the flowers and mushrooms and butterflies and ladybirds were perfect for a small girl's nursery. . .

(-:

here's hoping you have a good Tuesday, ma'am

X

katherine. said...

"would you eat it in a box?
would you eat it with a fox?"

I was raised with with Seuss.
I raised mine on Seuss.

"This one has a little star...this one has a little car...what a lot of fish there are..."

katherine. said...

seussville

the biography is interesting...educated on both sides of the pond...

I, Like The View said...

oooh! what a great link - thanks katherine. . .

(-:

Sorrow said...

Yep i know that one! I did the image of the dad swinging the little bunny up in the air in my nieces nursery..
thats a Great one!
:)

Mel said...

<-- playing in Seussville

Gosh......bet you're REAL suprised by that one!

:-)

Anonymous said...

You are all so lucky! I never encountered Dr Seuss until I started blogging. But it's never too late.
Shall I tell Youngest about him?

Mel said...

Well, HELLO?!?!

Of course tell youngest about him.

And for goodness sakes......go PLAY.

<-- gonna go play and THEN colour!

:-)

Cuz I CAN!
HA.

I, Like The View said...

(-:

XXX

Anonymous G said...

Hello and Hi and do you remember me?

I had a few moments..dinner will be ready in about 2...and thought i'd pop in. I was even contemplating writing an entry in my so-called blog.

And then I read this post and the comments and clicked on the link where you said you once painted a nursery.(!)

MY FAVORITE! (ok, well, one of my most favorites..) I LOVE this story..the illustrations are wonderful!

When my daughter was a little girl, this was our favorite bedtime story. I'd always manage to tear up a little at the end! My girl would put her face close to mine..her big eyes searching mine.. "Are you crying, Mommy?" which would always make me smile :)

Thanks for that memory!!!

(My son's favorite bedtime story? Goodnight Moon. I can still recite it cover to cover!)

((((((ILTV))))))

I, Like The View said...

oh! dear G

yet again I've lost my link to your place, which is why I don't stop by and say hi - altho I do wonder how you are!

my daughter and I used to have "guess how much I love you" competitions. . . we still do. . . even tho it's years since she grew out of the nursery and we've moved quite a few times since. . . funny the stories that rooms might tell by what's been painted on the walls

and yes, those moments still bring a tear to my eye (or many, rolling down my face)

glad you're doing ok

lovely to hear from you!

XXXXX