people are strange
...tact. But there's some unknown time factor involved, too. You touch her, she cries. If you touch her again immediately, she doesn't cry. But after a certain period of time passes, touch her and she cries again. I've never tried to figure out if this time period is static or changes according to her whim, but it's really funny. We call her our squeaky toy. It's been sort of a strangely unsettled night. When I got home I went upstairs to my desk and played with the rubber stamps for awhile, stamping a few snowmen to color later, and designing and stamping a couple of postcards. Bob had a meeting at 6:00, so he had said not to expect him before 8:00. But he was home by 6:30. I came downstairs and made guacamole, which we shared, then made him a couple of sandwiches, and sat down to work on my essay for November. Then I got distracted playing with the audio files, and before I knew it it was 10:00. So here I am. I was looking for a quote to illustrate the essay I'm writing, and I picked up "Everyday Tao," by Deng Ming-Dao. I found this great essay on the subject "Eccentric," which has nothing to do with what I was writing, but I loved it. It talks about how those who follow the way of Tao will be perceived to be, no, will be, eccentric: Why will you be this way? . . . you, unlike others, will plow the field of your heart. You will gain the growth that only the earth of your heart and the light of your mind can produce. You will till that ground over and over again, cultivating it as no one else can do. That ground will change forever. Others will tell you that they do not farm the way you do. You won't care. Others will comment on your choice ...