A pithy comic strip about life, love, lust and puthy cats.

Est. 1985

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Literary Achievement

By Jimmy Johnson


Buy the new book, "Beaucoup Arlo & Janis!"Today's "Arlo & Janis!"
I’m still mining Sundays from 10 years ago. I thought you might be interested to know that the big Web-page makeover that I’ve talked about recently (and have talked about off and on in the past) might really happen this time. If it doesn’t, I just wasted money on a retainer I paid to some fine young people who’re going to help me put it all together technically. Of course, I learned I’m still going to have to provide the content. Sheesh! It isn’t scheduled to roll out until spring, possibly even late spring, and I have no idea what it will look like, because I’ve yet to come up with a concept and the artwork to support it—that “content” bugaboo I mentioned. However, I will keep you posted as events warrant.

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442 responses to “Literary Achievement”

  1. Debbe Avatar
    Debbe

    Good morning Villagers….

    GR 😉 I oozed with sweetness, but I never had a hub cap diamond star halo….wore a lot of black though.

    Ah, Monday morning. and it’s Groundhog Day….wonder who originated that idea. I know, Google it

    emb….I remember you posted that at one time, because the last three sentences has stayed with me. I had copied and pasted it to my ‘quotes’ files back then. Somehow it disappeared, will be doing another copy and paste. Thank you.

    No snow here, just wind chill temps in the single digits….get the Carharts out again as I have to run into the one hen house and get paperwork, back into car…go to my hen house and turn the heat on….go inside the hen house to warm up. Some time back, some one called and wanted to know how we heated our hen house….I told him….the hens’ body heat, some 75,000 btus.

    Gal…thoughts and prayers will be with you today.

    love to all

  2. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Galliligo, stay strong for there may be others there who are not. Much love, Jackie

  3. Nodak Wayne Avatar
    Nodak Wayne

    GR, while listening to that one, this one on the side caught my eye.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR2JtsVumFA

  4. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Wayne, I can see why. The 1970’s were full of great songs, weren’t they?

  5. Mindy from Indy Avatar
    Mindy from Indy

    I was just singing “Dragging the Line” yesterday – one of the suggestions. Day off, meant to go to Ohio – we’ll see what roads look like later. Got to sleep in!

  6. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Yep, NW, that’ll get your heart started. The song, too. And of course, who can forget it’s “companion piece”?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMeu3R0RdqI

  7. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    And Hooray for sleeping in, Lady Mindy.

  8. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Galliligo, this is what I found this morning, a gift from my friend the boat designer, Jim Michalak.

    Sometimes we are fortunate enough in life to find a real prince after we’ve kissed enough frogs, a hero that rescues you from the tower. Real heroes don’t wear signs on their chests usually to give you a clue when you are searching.

    My hero never changed, he lived until he died, as I am sure Jerry did. I am the overweight aged blonde “trophy wife” with the Playboy Bunny locked inside trying to get out again.

    Mike would say, “Hell of a time to decide to do that!”

    Just know that someday you can laugh through the tears that are probably falling today. And may it not take long for that to happen.

    http://www.jimsboats.com/#Laguna

    Love, Jackie

  9. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Scroll backwards from south to north, I linked the tribute from Jim to Mike backwards of course, like most of what I do in life!

  10. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    While reading today’s A.Word.A.Day, clicked on this. Old, but interesting.

    http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2011/06/god_caught_backing_multiple_go.html

    Blasphemy? Peace, emb

  11. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    OF due within the next 16 min. emb

  12. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    EMB, I don’t consider that blasphemy what so ever, just indication the almighty might have a party line that gets picked up by more than one subscriber.

  13. Ruth Anne in Winter Park, FL Avatar
    Ruth Anne in Winter Park, FL

    Jackie – great collection of pictures. What a fine-looking cat!

  14. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Today’s TIP BlogSpot and comic are the same:

    http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/

    Jackie, I think maybe most who claim God is on their side are taking the name of the Lord in vain, much more than those who say G–D— and such.

    Peace, emb

  15. Denise in Michigan Avatar
    Denise in Michigan

    Things to ponder while shoveling 15″ of snow:
    Why do my neighbors look stylish and perky while shoveling, and my husband and I look like a couple of lumbering sasquatch?
    How did I get lucky enough to marry a man who, though exhausted, shovels a path to the bird feeder, fills it, then scatters peanuts (along the shoveled path) for the squirrels?
    How can I possibly be thankful enough for a home, warm clothing, a tender-hearted man, and hot coffee?

  16. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist

    Debbe:

    I’m on somebody’s list of quotes! Thank you.

    Two of my favorite quotes are nonsense, but still carry messages.

    “I feel more like I do now than I did when I came in.” [A former student and houseguest, perhaps not original with her.]

    “Ice is really a vegetable organism that forms on the surface of water to keep it from freezing solid.” H.L. Mencken, original, I believe.

    Peace, emb

  17. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    No surprise there, Denise. You’ve always been on my list of people who’ve “got it right”. 🙂

  18. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Sasquatch? Sasquatches? Sasquatchi? 🙂

  19. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Ashes showed up in my yard abandoned the day Ashes I had died, almost identical cats. Took us a few years to lure him to porch, then into house. he lived in my old ditch and was supporting himself on captured prey. Which is remarkable, as he has no claws and was neutered. He sleeps with me now.

    The guy holding him wasn’t bad looking for a gray haired cat whisperer.

    Love, Jackie

  20. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    EMB, remember the immortal words of those with a poor connection and a bad/poor cell tower.

    “Can you hear me? Can you hear me?”

    Reception of communication is often poor and one only gets alternating words.

    Love, Jackie

  21. emeritus minnesota biologist Avatar
    emeritus minnesota biologist
  22. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    “If one advances confidently in the direction of his choices, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

    Henry David Thoreau

  23. Ghost Rider 6 Avatar
    Ghost Rider 6

    Important Things I Learned As a Teenage Carny Worker*

    * Well, OK, it was just selling ducats for the Tilt-A-Whirl ride, and it as just for a week during the summer before college, when I learned modern survival skills by gypsying around out of state for two months and picking up odd jobs, but still…

    The midway opened at four o’clock in the afternoon and closed at ten. At closing, we took our ticket rolls and cash boxes to the office trailer and waited while everything was balanced and boss man released us. (He had hired me when he learned that I was headed for college at the same school where the man who designed his rides and much of his other carnival equipment was an engineering professor. Small world.) That afternoon, they had set up another trailer just feet from the office trailer, one that opened up with a food prep area in the middle, surrounded by counters and stools, and sold “fair food”. Leaving the office trailer that first night, I noticed that, being after hours, it was serving the carny workers. I was hungry and the chili most of them were ordering smelled wonderful. Hopping up on a stool, I told the cook. “I’ll have some chili, please.”

    “Sorry,” Cookie said. “We’re only serving workers now.” I left without my chili.

    The next night as I left the office, I stood watching the cook trailer and coveting that chili. After a few minutes I noticed something and took a stool. When Cookie came over, I said, just as had the workers I’d been watching, “Gimme a bowl.” I returned his nod as he served me my chili. And it was good. And it was every night the rest of the week.

    Lessons learned: Don’t accept rejection; be observant; be persistent; be confident; always act like you know what you’re doing…and you’ll get a lot of things in life you wouldn’t get otherwise. (Some of them soft, warm and cuddly.)

    Hey, perhaps that was what Thoreau was saying.

  24. Jackie Monies Avatar
    Jackie Monies

    Like divine messages, we can each get Thoreau’s a little differently.

    Seemed appropriate for the thread of literary achievement. You write really well Ghost and convincingly! Now that I am learning who many of my friends from the Village REALLY are I find we are a group who has followed Thoreau most of our lives.

    Jimmy should be proud of us, I know I am.

    Love, Jackie

  25. sandcastler™ Avatar
    sandcastler™

    GR6, excellent lessons learned, especially the point on observation. When in Eastern Europe I always practice the Warsaw Pact Stare. Never make direct eye contact, just a quick glance. Never let your gaze linger. And on public transit avoid conversation.

    I do find those under the age of thirty are more willing to speak with foreigners. This can lead to memorable encouters. 🙂