IN WHICH BEARS FINDS ANOTHER BEAR, CREATED IN A CUBE FARM*

Purloined from Sylvia Ney of Writing in Wonderland — 

whose blog you would benefit from reading!

* NOTE 

        Cube farm: title given to an office divided up by cubicles in which employees work. Or "work, in theory." If a cube, any cube,  is meant to be inviting, it does not get this Bear's mark of approval! Utterly barren den if ever I saw one. Fit for neither Human nor Bear! 

See what Humans create when resigned to living in a cube? Someone should learn something from this.

IN WHICH BEAR IS "LIBERATED"!

Blessings and Bear hugs!

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

IN WHICH BEAR SHARES AN "INTERESTING" DISCOVERY

I came home from Blogland Lane to pick up some more supplies and check around. It was a 'interesting" decision, in terms of reading some of my mail.

There are those in this world who would describe the Bear as seriously disturbed or seriously demented. I, of course, reject those titles. I am, properly speaking, "wondrously peculiar." (Though Pooh Bear might say, "Same thing."[1]) 

However, I have a writer friend named Lana, who is about as peculiar as I am. Her blog is called Fiendish Serendipity. If you're not reading it, I think you should be. I discovered it, serendipitously, during last month's A -Z Blog Challenge. 

To the point: she shared the following picture recently. It is, I believe, a Hyena, or a Dingo. She says (if I remember correctly) it was attached to an e-mail note from a writing partner. 

Yes, well, um. . . . 

I think I need to remember that phrase. 

Blessings and Bear hugs, friends!

Addendum

Have you noticed my new portrait at the top of the "About the Bear" section of this blog's right column? I think it's from my pal Wendy at the "Bear With Us Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre for Bears." It's a Facebook page about saving Bears, and how people can get along with Bears so Bears don't have to be killed. I would encourage you to check that out, too.

As I said I think it is from Wendy. But I'm not sure. Lately I've been filing too few things in my brain's Memory and too many in its Forgettory. Sigh!

Footnote
    [1] The phase pops up on a number of occasions in the book, The Tao of Pooh. I have been encouraged to read that. It is a "fascinating" book, as Mr. Spock might say. 

IN WHICH BEAR OFFERS A BRIEF APOLOGY

I try very hard to keep up with friends and their blogs, both reading  and commenting (with comments sane or absurd). 

The truth is that I'm having trouble with words. (Those who have know the Bear for a bit may indicate I have "spoken an untruth" for saying that.) But in fact, yes, I am having trouble with words. 

Specifically, I cannot get ideas into words. (There you have it, friends.) There are few things in this world which well and truly scare me, but this does.

I first became aware the problem towards the end of the A-Z Blog Hop Challenge. It was a simple matter, hardly noticeable, really. But as time progressed, this situation became obvious, at least to me. It had gone from frustrating to frankly dismaying. 

I initially thought this was perhaps the onset of some kind of dementia. I just happened to have had tea with a friend yesterday, and he ran me though a "mini-mental" test. (This man is not only a very effective counsellor, but also a very wonderful trainer of counsellors.) He assessment was/is that I am no more demented than usual. (Did I mention he and I have been friends for about 25 years?)

I do not know what to make of all this. I shall try to be non-verbally absent (as in reading your blog without commenting, etc.). 

In the meantime, I'm going to sneak over to Blogland Lane, sleep in my tent, sit by my fire, and swim in the lake. When I re-discover my mind and voice, I'll be back as usual. At least I hope to be.  

Blessings and Bear hugs, friends. 

IN WHICH BEAR UNDERTAKES A PUBLIC SERVICE PROJECT FOR MOTHERS' DAY

Today is called Mothers Day in North America.

A day set aside to remember mothers.

Mine died about nine years ago. I still think of her often — the way she was, the things she did.

But we all have, or had, mothers. In fact, many of you are mothers. You are the traditional keepers of home and family, even if that is a shared responsibility in your household.

If, for some peculiar reason, you have been overlooked, forgotten, ignored — Bear presents the following public service message: 

Blessings of home and family life!

May you experience them, today and always!

IN WHICH BEAR POSTS MORE POETRY ON HIS POETRY BLOG

As promised, it's there! Part Two of "The Night."

Now, if I can just catch up with my other responsibilities life would be dandy. 

However, I'm also aware that Robinson Crusoe was the only one who got all his work done by Friday. (That's what he named his manservant.)

Sigh. Yes, that was a bit of a stretch, wasn't it.

Blessings and Bear hugs!

Bears Noting

Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

IN WHICH BEAR STARTS GETTING READY FOR THE SUMMER, ELSEWHERE

If this is Spring, Here Comes Summer!

Some time ago (actually quite a few posts ago) I said I might be spending part of my summer at my tent on Blogland Lane. 

I made the first move yesterday. I went and checked my tent. It survived the winter wonderfully. I found where my camp fire ring was and got it set up. I put up a little note saying that I would around, and that people ought not get too unsettled if they see me swimming in the lake, or sitting by my campfire. I'm planning to have coffee and bannock there, on a regular basis, for visitors. I'm trying very hard to be a sociable Bear. Which I think some people recognize, when they say I'm very trying.

Anyhow, if I'm gone more than overnight, I'll leave a note, letting you know where I am. If you're wondering about Blogland Lane, you can check here, and you will be transported there, magically. Also, if I am away for a bit, I'll check in at your blog when I get home (or I'll try some high tech equipment at the Lane, if they have an uplink).

Meanwhile, Elsewhere . . . 

Also as promised, I've been busy with some poetry. I thought it would be ready for today, but it isn't. 

Tomorrow, perhaps most likely. 

I hadn't expected to be this busy, but, well, I am. Strange how life unfolds; very strange.

"And that," said Bear," is that."


Oops. I just remembered, about my homework from yesterday. Well, I guess it will get done. Sometime. Here I won't lose marks for being late. On the other hand, will I lose readers? 

Hmmmm. Difficult question, that. It needs more thought, by this Bear of Very Little Brain.


Blessings and Bear hugs!  xoxo (as Humans would say.)

IN WHICH BEAR CONSIDERS RECENT WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS

The Weather

You may remember a week or so ago, Bear was worrying about the temperatures struggling to get above freezing. (Well, I was, even if you don't remember.) 

Yesterday, the temperatures got up to almost 30°C (which is about 86 F).

Somehow, it seems to me we have been picked up and re-located in Texas. For the record, Houston hit 84 F yesterday. So, here in the Great White North of Canada, we were hotter than Texas. I'll bet that doesn't happen too often. But with all the global environmental changes, it's not worth betting on whether that will happen again. 

Strange things are happening. Strange; very strange. None of this makes sense to your Bear. Perhaps the problem is that Bear thinks things should make sense. Sigh!

Meanwhile in Saskatchewan

A friend was talking yesterday about the changeability of the weather here. Which recalls a bit of wisdom.

If you change the environmental system in your house from heat, to air conditioning, and back to heat in the same day, you may be living in Saskatchewan, Canada. 

Strange, but true. On a day like yesterday. 

Blessings and Bear hugs, folks!

IN WHICH BEAR DISCOVERS THE IDEAL POST FOR TODAY

I cannot think of a better start for today!

(I do not remember from whom I purloined this beauty. I think I know, but I forgot to make a note. If it's yours, I apologize, and I'll give you credit of you let me now.)

Blessings and Bear hugs, everyone!

IN WHICH BEAR DECIDES IT'S TIME TO DO HIS HOMEWORK — TOMORROW

Strange things keep occurring.

I wasn't expecting another award, but, well, something just happened. Out of the clear blue sky, so to speak. And not just one of them, but two.

Wonderful Zoe, at Rewritten, has given me a Liebster award! Such fun.

And then thoughtful Lisa, at Diary of a Square Toothed Girl, gave me another Liebster! Wow! 

I'm very touched by the kindness of these two excellent bloggers. Thank you so much, Zoe and Lisa!

For those of you unaware, these awards have quite a bit of homework related to them. That's not bad; it's quite a bit of fun, actually. But today (Sunday) is not the best day for this. I am so medicated that walking from one end of the apartment to the other is a veritable odyssey. I could Bearly write this "Thank You" note.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll get my "homework" done. Maybe.

Blessings and Bear hugs, friends!

IN WHICH BEAR CONSIDERS THE NATURE OF SPRING

Spring is sprung 
the grass is riz,
I wonder where 
the grass fires is.

Why, at the high school — 

right across from the Bears' place!

NO, I didn't see the fire engines, but I saw the "aftermath."

I suspect "carless smoking," but it could be something else. I wasn't in charge of the investigation, so I don't know.

Blessing and Bear hugs, everyone.

IN WHICH BEAR FIGURES HE HAS FINALLY CAUGHT UP . . .

Now that the A-Z Challenge blog hop is over, it seems that things at the Bear's place should be back to normal. Watch that word "seems." And "normal." And "should" — "shoulds" are always dangerous words. 

Before the A-Z Blogging Challenge started, I was busy re-habilitating this blog. It has been a while since I used it, and I have decided that, for the foreseeable future, this will be my main blog. I had been setting things in place (in some cases, new places), and getting some elements updated. 

Then I got side-tracked into the A-Z Challenge bog hop. Now, that was very interesting. (You'll notice I got the "Survivors" badge on the lower left column.) It was an opportunity to get my writing "rehabilitated," too. I partly succeeded at that, but I feel I have a long way still to go. I also had an opportunity to read some other blogs (about a hundred or so). That was fun. Especially Jenn's predictions about the Stanley Cup Playoffs (hockey).

Theoretically, I'm back to normal, or as normal as I can be, consider that  
1. I am a Bear, and
2. I live daily with depression (which has it own way of making life "fascinating"). 

Well, that's how I was thinking.

Then, I realized a had a lot of unfinished business to take care of! Holy cow! (No, I'm not going to have a cow; I'm just surprised.) Blogs are like houses; they need to be attended to on a regular basis. What would you house be like if nobody cleaned it for three months? You see my point. Surely.

Challenge 1: Bloggers Block

I've mentioned mentioned that I've been reading other bloggers. Some have even added themselves as fans of this team, which was very nice of them. Now, I'm trying to figure out how to follow them.

Challenge 2: Reading Other Blogs

By adding blogs to my list, I've increased the amount of reading I'm doing. And comments I'm writing. And notes I'm receiving.  Suddenly, the process seems out of control. I'm going every which way but loose, and losing track of stuff, and dropping the proverbial ball. Please be patient! (Bear is slow, but normally gets where he intends to go.)

So, you know what I need to do. And I had best get on with it. Sigh!

Blessings and Bear hugs, everyone!


Addenda (how could we manage without an addendum? Or two?)

1. White milk comes from white cows; chocolate milk comes from brown cows; swiss cheese comes from Holy cows. You read it here, first!

2. Winter ended last week in River City. We had a small spring storm on Monday. Yesterday we had our first grass fire of the year. Not as spectacular as the fires around Los Angeles, but noteworthy enough here, because about ten towns in the area are facing flooding. Yes, it has been a strange April and May (so far). 

I'm not sure how we go from winter to grass fires in a week, or less. Strange; very strange.

IN WHICH BEAR CONSIDERS THAT IT ONLY TAKES ONE

Well, I hadn't planed on posting something so soon, after the exhausting, month-long "A-Z Challenge." But as this long-time journalist knows, things happen when they happen. And if you don't report them, the "news" becomes "olds." It's a process that can actually happen pretty quickly.

So, your faithful scribe is on the job, and has the "news."

I have a wonderful friend, bless her heart, who is both smart and sassy. (Actually, I have a whole lot of them; their blogs are on my boggers block, entitled, "Other Thoughts that Bear Noting.")

On this friend's sidebar, she has a note that "84,999,989 Firearms owners killed no one yesterday." Which may be true. 

However, one did. The five-year-old in Kentucky killed his two-year-old sister. He used a gun he was given last year.

Now some might say, "Well, it was only one death." But, in another life-or-death matter, would they also say, "Well, it was only one abortion"? 

These are the kinds of things that keep your faithful reporter-Bear awake at night, friends.

Blessings and Bear hugs, everyone!