Howdy, Clam Bakers.
Some of you may have already seen the cryptic tweet from the Home Office indicating that, due to circumstances somewhat beyond our control, the main campfire at Bonnywood Manor has been temporarily shuttered until the local Hazmat Team can attend to the situation. I can’t really go into the details, as there may be pending litigation, but suffice it to say that the extravaganza of entertainment for this evening has been put on hold and the casks of elderberry wine have been stoppered until further notice.
(Subtext to the above paragraph: I spent too much time today piddling around with ideas for a fresh post that the hour has grown late and I must now resort to illusion and smoky-mirrors in the hope of cobbling together a feasibly-interesting submission.)
Therefore, and with greatly-muted fanfare, I now present quotes from folks that are not me. This diversionary tactic reeks of desperation and a yearning need for relevance, of course. But at least my possible transgression ties into last week’s Clam Bake, thus somewhat supporting the questionable possibility that I have a minimal degree of method to my madness. Besides, perusing the quotes that another person relishes is often the best way to get to know them. Then again, it can also be the best way to realize that perhaps you have gone a click too far.
In any case, please peruse and reflect. It’s the right thing to do until something better comes along to occupy your time.
“The mere attempt to examine my own confusion would consume volumes.” – James Agee
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost
“I’m not like a poker player. I’m not into bluff. My way is to look someone in the eye and tell them the way I’m intending to go. My cards are always on the table.” – Tori Amos
“There is nothing new except what has been forgotten.” – Marie Antoinette
“Beware of the person of one book.” – Thomas Aquinas
“Once you start asking questions, innocence is gone.” – Mary Astor
“We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don’t know.” – W. H. Auden
“Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.” – Jane Austen
“A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.” – John Barrymore
“I learned compassion from being discriminated against. Everything bad that’s ever happened to me has taught me compassion.” – Ellen DeGeneres
“I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice that it always coincides with their own desires.” – Susan B. Anthony
“Nothing that you do will ever feel good if you let people convince you that you have no choice.” – Fiona Apple
“The things that we love tell us what we are.” – Thomas Aquinas
“A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood
“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“When people are laughing, they’re generally not killing one another.” – Alan Alda
“The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any.” – Fred Astaire
“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.” – Douglas Adams
“Nothing is ever the same as they said it was.” – Diane Arbus
“If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot tell it about other people.” – Virginia Woolf
Cheers.
Categories: Hope
Bonnywood Manor 
Love the Degeneres and Alda quotes: I am a firm believer that happiness is gained through compassion for others and a sense of humour is essential in navigating this life while stumbling over obstacles and confronting problems and prejudices 😊👌🏻 Have a lovely, obstacle-free weekend 🌻
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I completely agree with your philosophy. Compassion and humour are key elements to a successful life, and I will do my best to avoid the annoying obstacles… 😉
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Wonderful selection. Almost impossible to pick a favourite.
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And that’s how it should be, yes? 😉
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Such a beltingly brilliant selection … all wit and wisdom contained herein and one need hardly be surprised since you are the gatherer and you are a man of such great wit and wisdom yourself. I single out for particular praise Auden (natch), Emerson (oh how I wish the many would take THAT one to heart) Astaire (Oh crap …. if things were bad then what hope now) and tip top to Susan B Anthony … in so few words you speak precisely why I don’t do religion in any conventional sense. I will leave your splendid imagination to work out what I do make of religion 😉
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I sense that your thoughts on religion will fit quite snugly with mine. There is a post that I’ve had incubating on the back burner for quite some time that I think will confirm our status as star-crossed, platonic lovers… 😉
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I shall be sitting comfortably waiting for you to begin when the post has perfectly perculated. Over to you oh platonic Romeo ☺
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Alan Alda, Fred Astaire, Douglas Adams – who would have thought they would all work together 🙂
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Interestingly enough, all three of their last names begin with “A”, further confirming that our friendship is kismet…
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Well, you are much more observant than I am – thus confirming that our friendship was meant to be – so stick close by and keep observing so that I don’t get eaten by rampaging alligators, aardvarks or armadillos. 🙂
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Love the Alda quote!!
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It’s just so real and true…
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“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Wow. How come THIS isn’t more widely known? It might have saved what’s left of the United States….
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It’s a perfect quote, one that a whole swath of humanity needs to read and, more importantly, absorb…
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Wow, these are all fantastic. Worthy of printing and framing (Lordy, I’m tired of seeing Live, Laugh, Love everywhere. How bout something with depth, people?!)
The Barrymore quote really hits me where I live. I have a tendency to dwell of things – that cant come as a shock – and I try, oh how I try, to catch myself and turn the thoughts elsewhere. “Okay, that’s who you were then, that’s not who you are now” or “So you don’t want that to happen again, what do you want to happen? How can you make it so?” Flipping regrets into dreams for a better future, it’s both challenging and invigorating, yes?
Also, Emerson… did the man walk around spouting quotable thoughts all the time? 😌
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First, the Barrymore quote has been especially resonant with me lately. I don’t like growing old (who doesn’t?), but I hope that I can retain the proper spark. As for Emerson, well, I think , if I may be so bold, that we both have some of his passion in us. We’re just fumbling our way to the point where we can bring that to fruition. Baby steps…
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At least it wasn’t the horribly over-used “Eat, Pray, Love”. I mean the movie was okay, but let’s cut back on the cutesy phrases…
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“The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any.” – Fred Astaire
So dark, & so very true. Not sure why so many people keep popping out children when
they just leave them to the wolves & let them fend for themselves with a “smart phone”
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Exactly. One of the saddest developments in the past few decades has been the abandonment of responsibility…
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That John Barrymore quote….wow.
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Isn’t it great? I hope I never get to that point, and I plan to fight against getting there with every breath that I have…
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It really is.
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Great quotes. Alan Alda’s does have an exception (sadists)….and speaking of exceptions, I like this quote: “Education teaches us the rules, while experience teaches us the exceptions.”
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Yep, that is a great quote. Adding it to my burgeoning compendium… 😉
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I forgot to attribute the exceptions quote to Evan Esar.
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https://gainpoker.wordpress.com
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