Mimmi and 3yo working together

"I am working on my I-pad and you are working there." Dean, 3 years old, has a clear view of how he and his "Mimmi" (grandmother) are working. I am babysitting him and trying to get some writing done, while he is busy watching playdough-making on YouTube.

In physics, a force is said to do work if, when acting on a body, there is a displacement of the point of application in the direction of the force. For example, when a ball is held above the ground and then dropped, the work done on the ball as it falls is equal to the weight of the ball (a force) multiplied by the distance to the ground (a displacement).(from wikipedia).

But, that's in physics. In everyday life, defining what is work and what is leisure, varies as much as every individual commenting on it. What one person considers hard work, is easy to someone else. A younger person may have a tight schedule occupy most of the day, while an older person may think that going to the post office is as much as he or she can muster in a day. Ergo, defining what work really is, becomes undefinable and unmeasurable.

The fact is that we all have the same given amount of hours in a day. And true, some people are busier than others. But why does it seem like some of the busiest people we know, still say yes when asked to help out, while others never have the time or energy, even though they have less on their plate.

Judging other is no use. Who am I to decide how busy someone is, or how much energy that person has to help someone else? It's up to me to balance and organize the hours I have been given.

Here are a couple of quotes about work I like:

Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them.

Ann Landers

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_work.html#2Ewpsgar43xgo3BR.99Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_work.html#2Ewpsgar43xgo3BR.99

Photo today: Pappa's secretary. 

Early Morning's Cheerful Blues

Morning cheerfulness is not a given talent or trait to everyone. In our family it seems to have as many faces as the people living in or visiting here at the Duck and Cherry.
We have been blessed with a crowded house here lately. People get up at different hours, breakfast is eaten in spurts and groups. That' s OK. Some go to work, some to school, some are here on vacation.

My parents were early risers, breakfast was always ready when I got up. They were cheerful. In fact one of the sayings at home was, "Easy jumps and bird chatter" (in Norwegian: Lette hopp og fuglekvitter). Whatever that means. But it was said in the early morning hours, probably when they saw my sleepy face and slow-motioned body enter the kitchen.

Here are some quotes by famous people about mornings:

• “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself.” ― Henry David Thoreau
• “Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.” ― Lemony Snicket, The Blank Book
• “Morning is wonderful. Its only drawback is that it comes at such an inconvenient time of day.” ― Glen Cook, Sweet Silver Blues
• Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening. Mahatma Gandhi
• An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day. Henry David Thoreau
• Each day is a little life: every waking and rising a little birth, every fresh morning a little youth, every going to rest and sleep a little death. Arthur Schopenhauer
• Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night. William Blake
• Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them. William Arthur Ward
• Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise. George Washington Carver
• Every morning I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work. Robert Orben
• I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening. Larry King
• Good morning is a contradiction of terms. Jim Davis
• No matter how bad things are, you can at least be happy that you woke up this morning. D. L. Hughley

Todays photo is take at out cabin, Eljarbu. Early, foggy morning in the mountains.
Source sayings: http://sayingimages.com/top-20-good-morning-quotes-sayings/#.VMYDEEeG-T8

Walking the Dog and Other Extreme Sports

Extreme sports are adventure sports that trigger action and dare-devil activities. These activities often have a high level of danger involved, in addition to much physical exertion. They involve speed, height, and specialized gear.
The definition probably originates from the 1990s. But think about it, extreme sport has probably been around as long as man himself.

Take, for example, Harry Houdini. He definitely was an extreme sport kind of man. We had a bird named Houdini a few years ago. For some reason, he always got out of the cage, even though the door was shut. He also liked to fly like the Red Baron into the flames of lit candles on the dining room table.

Stunt performers are the same - wild and crazy, loving adreanalin kicks and audacious exitement.
My son has tried quite a few different things, but is smart enough to tell his mother afterwards - he knows I would worry too much, if I knew of his adventures ahead of time.

Walking Hector, the Wheaten Terrier, a more than average happy dog, is what I would call exteme sport. Not every day. Most days I enjoy trailing behind the joyful little animal, who thinks sniffing, zig-zagging across dirt roads,  and jumping in puddles are all thrilling adventures. No, the risk is on my part these days. As I step outside the Duck and Cherry, I might as well put on my skates. The world is an ice skating rink. Maneuvering a cheerful puppy leaping across ice is crazy sport.

One thing is certain, extreme sport takes you outside your comfort zone - much higher, further, steeper, crazier than normal. But what is normal anyway.