Stats

Even though I do nothing whatsoever to grow my blog, I still find my stats fascinating. I check them out every now and then and wonder who has been reading my blog in say... Indonesia, Russia, Israel, or the Ukraine, to name a few. My little brother, Mr. Google Expert Extraordinaire, bluntly suggested that most of my traffic is probably accidental- which I must concede. But deep down I still like to think I have worldwide audience and that my posts are being intelligently discussed over a dinner table of vienerschnitzel or pita bread.

What I find most amusing about my stats are the "Search Keywords" that people are putting in search engines and leading them to my blog. Specifically, I have been surprised to find there seems to be a high interest in Amish people and adoption as those keywords are regular entries. It seems this post is hitting high on their google searches- and probably disappointing them. I don't know how this post will affect things... 

Here are some of my favorite keyword entries:

• amish adoption for free
• amish adopting babies 
• adopt amish
• how to meet President Uchtdorf
• amish and adoption 
• where do amish adopt babies

Wise Words Read While Waiting For An Oil Change

"You have to be willing to let go of the life you planned in order to live the life you're meant to live."

-Maria Shriver 
AARP Magazine, Dec 2013/Jan 2014

Pulling My Leg

The other evening, I decided to wear a pair of knee length boots that I hadn't worn for at least 5 years. When I originally bought the boots, they were the only ones in the store that could zip up due to my large calfs, but as I attempted to zip my boots up I realized there was a problem. Neither boot would zip up more than half way. After tugging and manipulating the zipper on my right leg I was finally successful. The left leg, on the other hand (or leg...haha), was a bit more stubborn and I had to enlist the help of my husband. It was a scene reminiscent of "Gone With the Wind" when Mammy helped new mommy Scarlet O'Hara into her old corset... only less glamorous. Finally, we were triumphant.

I was confused by this new turn of events with my once roomy boots and I considered the possible explanations: 1.) my legs are buffer than they used to be,  2.) I have gained weight, or 3.) is it possible that the leather shrank from standing unused for so long? I pondered what this could mean all evening. It was not until the next day that I realized that I had fallen victim to a practical joke! George Clooney must have had my boots taken in a small amount, just like he did with Matt Damon's pants when he was trying to get in shape for a movie! Luckily, I had just read about the stunt or else he would have completely gotten away with it.

That George is such a joker.

The Little Prince

I reacquainted myself with "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery last week and enjoyed it very much. It's a very quick read. Here are some of my favorite quotes (which I will update as I get time to find the rest):

• "And, in fact, on the little prince's planet there were- as on all planets- good plants and bad plants. The good plants come from good seeds, and the bad plants from bad seeds. But the seeds are invisible. They sleep in the secrecy of the ground until one of them decides to wake up. ... As it happens, there were terrible seeds on the little prince's planet... baobab seeds. The planet's soil was infested with them. Now if you attend to a baobab seed too late, you can never get rid of it again. It overgrows the whole planet. Its roots pierce right through. And if the planet is too small, and if there are too many baobabs, they make it burst into pieces.'It's a question of discipline,' the little prince told me later on. 'When you've finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend your planet. You must be sure you pull up the baobabs regularly, as soon as you can tell them apart from the rosebushes, which they closely resemble when they're very young. It's very tedious work, but very easy."
• "I need to put up with two or three caterpillars if I want to get to know the butterflies" -The Rose
• "The little prince went to look at the roses again. 'You're not at all like my rose. You're nothing at all yet," he told them. 'No one has tamed you and you haven't tamed anyone.' ... 'You're lovely, but you're empty,' he went on. 'One couldn't die for you. Of course, an ordinary passerby would think my rose looked just like you. But my rose, all on her own, is more important than all of you together, since she's the one I've watered. Since she's the one I put under glass. Since she's the one I sheltered behind a screen. Since she's the one for whom I killed the caterpillars (except the two or three for butterflies). Since she's the one I listened to when she complained, or when she boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing at all. Since she's my rose.'"
• "'One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.' ...'It's the time you spent on your rose that makes your rose important.' ... 'You become responsible forever for what you've tamed. You're responsible for your rose...'" -The Fox