Empathy for Charlie Brown's Lucy

I was doing a bit of cross stitch while watching a movie with the fam when I needed to get another length of thread. As I'm measuring and cutting, a length of it lies over my lap and dangles towards the floor. The cat of course thinks it's a cat-toy. And I just think it's funny as she bats at thin thread.

I get the two threads I need and I lick the ends prior to

The Saga of Tortoise and the Hare

I must really like this Aesop's fable because I've adapted it for the stage three times.

The first time was in 1996 when I was directing children's shows at Miss Mella's Drama Theatre. Because I had no idea how many children would come out for auditions, I needed the script to be flexible in terms of number of cast members. I also needed it to last about 45 minutes. So Adaptation 1 was included in the script Four Fables of Aesop, which could have a cast of 6-25, or more. The Tortoise and the Hare portion included other animals in the forest--Tortoise was polite to them and Hare was rude.

I Like Playing Left Field

(disclaimer: I don't play a lot of softball anymore, but when I did...)

I liked playing left field. When chosen for a team, with no idea what I could or couldn't do, the team "captain" would usually place me in left field, especially if it was a co-ed team. I was okay with that because I would just wait my chance. I watched good hits send the ball to right field; many balls stopped at the infield, and I still waited. All I had to do was keep alert. Be ready. Sooner or later, a fly ball would come nearer to me than to the right fielder and I had my chance--I ran all out to get under that ball. I watched that thing until

Hare's Blunder

Once upon a time there was a non-runner who played the Hare in a performance of The Tortoise and the Hare. There were 300 children in the audience. What fun! How silly the non-runner was with the Hare, zipping around the stage and through the audience, delivering lines at the speed of light, and boasting--because that's what Hare does in the fable. Then Tortoise challenges Hare to a race, because that's what happens in the fable. A child is brought up to say

GOALS! GOALS! GOALS

I read constantly--a must for any writer? Usually fantasy. Usually a middle grade or young adult novel. Sometimes, I go on a non-fiction kick--The Idle Parent; Drive; A Whole New Mind, Eat to Live. Oh, those are sitting in my to-be-read pile. Right now, I'm reading The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. Oo, I want tobe successful. I finished the chapter on goal-setting--I'm supposed to have 101 goals! Dang it shoot,