Words to the Wise

A few years ago I bought one of those blank books you see in bookstores. I've never been one for journaling, until blogs came along, so instead of using it for its probable intended purpose, I have used it as a mini scrapbook. It contains interesting cartoons, obituaries of people I know but are not related to (the related ones would be filed in my family notebooks), articles clipped from newspapers, and a miscellany of quotes that could be used to fill in small gaps in family newsletters.

So, here is a sampling of my collection, for thought or a smile:

Every year is a souvenir that slowly fades away - Billy Joel

Your friends will know you better in the first minute than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.

Never confuse having a career with having a life.

Kids are like boomerangs -- the harder you throw 'em, the harder they hit the house when they return.

There's no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat. - Wesley Bates

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog. - Franklin P. Jones

A skeptic is a person who when he sees the handwriting on the wall claims it's a forgery. - Morris Bender

It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you're finished.

Every murderer is probably somebody's old friend. - Agatha Christie

If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time. - Edith Wharton

I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity. - Edgar Allen Poe

It is the friends you can call at 4:00 a.m. that matter. - Marlene Dietrich

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's this day to day living that wears you out. - Anton Chekov

If you have an unpleasant neighbor, chances are he does too.

One of the greatest tragedies of life is the murder of a beautiful theory by a gang of brutal facts. - Benjamin Franklin

A good man will take care of his horses and dogs, not only while they are young, but also when they are old and past service. - Plutarch

Happiness is the art of making a bouquet of those flowers within reach. - Goddard

The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future. - Herbert Spencer

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. - Anatole France

And finally,

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

LSW