Smacksy Saturday Photo: The Pickin' Stick

Mr. Rosenberg received this in the mail today from my cousin in Texas. It's a Pickin' Stick, related to the mountain dulcimer. He had never seen one before. Isn't it lovely?

The Structure of Joy

Bob spent the week at Dodger Camp, a baseball skills day camp put on by the LA Dodger organization. He got to practice with MLB coaches and meet some Dodger alumni and current players. He had fun. Joy has been oozing out of him since Monday. (Oozing joy is more appealing than it sounds)

Tonight, we went to a game: Dodgers versus the Rockies. Our seats were next to the Dodger bullpen and just as starting pitcher Rich Hill walked on the field, he stopped and signed a ball for Bob. The woman we were sitting next to told us she has season tickets and has had her same seat next to the bullpen for fourteen years. She told Bob that in fourteen years, she had never seen any pitcher agree to sign an autograph while in the bullpen. Cue The Ooze of Joy. We also ate churros we bought from the churro guy who walked through the stands waving warm churros at the crowd yelling, "Churrrrrrrrrrros!"

When you locate the thing that causes you to ooze joy, figure out a way to do a lot of that thing. This past week of All Baseball All the Time was an amazing one for Bob. Now let's figure out our thing, you and me. I have a couple of ideas. What should you be doing?

Behold the Cousin of Rodrigo

My friend Anna L has a mug named Rodrigo. A few years ago, Anna L gave me a mug that looks just like Rodrigo, but is in fact his cousin, who I named Joaquín. Joaquín is the mug I pull out of the cabinet when I need a lift because it's impossible to stay down when you're holding a steaming cup of coffee wrapped in a rainbow unicorn.

It has also been my experience that if you are trying to argue while holding Joaquín, no one will take you seriously. Sometimes that is a good thing. There's so much turmoil and rabid argument going on in the outside world, is it necessary to carry the arguments home? I think not. Enter Joaquín, the peacemaker.

Top me off, Joaquín.

A Pretty View

Mr. Rosenberg is in Seattle this evening. This is the view from his hotel room and it was still light outside there while it was already dark here even though it's the same time both places and that's yet one more thing I never knew was a thing.

I See the Moon, the Moon Sees Me

I take a lot of photos of the moon, usually from my front steps. All the pictures look about the same - same moon, from the same steps. The only thing different is me, I guess, but the part of me that loves looking at the moon, always stays the same.

Sunday Love

Yesterday we spent the day at The Gentle Barn. It's an incredible place that explains what they do like this: "The Gentle Barn rescues animals from severe abuse and neglect who are too old, sick, lame, or scared to be adopted into homes. We are sanctuary to horses, donkeys, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, turkeys, chickens, llamas, peacocks, emus, cats and dogs. Once rehabilitated, the animals help us give hope and inspiration to children with the same stories."

On Sundays, the general public is allowed to visit. Mr. Rosenberg and Lela the goat were quite fond of each other. Bob was really into an emu he hung out with named Earl. We all got hugs from a sweet cow named Karma. It's a good place full of good people doing good things for good animals.
Mr. Rosenberg says it's like church. I agree because the best kind of churches are about love and so is The Gentle Barn.

Smacksy Sunday Links

Waiting in line.

Mary Moon's I don't know what we've become.

How far behind?

The dos and don'ts of growing basil. 

John Derian lives in a sea captain's house.

Do you have a favorite poem?

And a cat covered with baby chicks. 

Happy Sunday.