"Ker-Chog," "Whoo," and "Bubble Bubble"

Twenty Froggies

Twenty froggies went to school,
Down beside a rushy pool.
Twenty little coats of green,
Twenty vests all white and clean.

"We must be in time," said they,
"First we study, then we play;
That is how we keep the rule,
When we froggies go to school."

Master bull-frog, brave and stern,
Called his classes in their turn.
Taught them how to nobly strive,
Also how to leap and dive.

From his seat upon a log,
Taught them how to say, "Ker-Chog!"
Taught them how to dodge a blow,
From the sticks that bad boys throw.

Twenty froggies grew up fast,
Bull-frogs they became at last.
Not one dunce among the lot,
Not one lesson they forgot.

Polished in a high degree,
As each froggie ought to be.
Now they sit on other logs,
Teaching other little frogs.

~GEORGE COOPER (1820 - 1876)

My dad sent me this delightful poem and I think it's a good segue into this post.

This is the beginning of a list of animals that I'd like to incorporate into my Victorian/steampunk weird and wonderful surroundings. The list is as follows (in no particular order.)

1. Octopus
2. Owl
3. Frog/Toad
4. Moth
5. Cat
6. Bee
7. Extinct Animals
8. Raven
9. Mouse
10. Dragonfly
11. Some Exotic Animals (but only in art/picture form) (i.e. Crocodile, Elephant)

This is just the beginning of the list and it does not include plants that I like (I will post those later) but I think all these creatures have a relatable side as well as mysterious side.

Now most of them of course would not be good to have living inside my treehouse. Although I did play with the idea of getting an octopus. (Glad I didn't follow through on that thought though.)



One of my favorite things is seeing animal art where the animals are dressed up in clothes. I don't think it's good to do this in real life but you put a little top hat on a mouse, or give a raven some cuffs, or a frog a pair of spectacles then you got yourself something downright adorable. There are a million pictures I'd love to post to illustrate this but obviously I wouldn't have room for so many. So for now just picture your favorite animal and put a piece of clothing on them. They will then transform into something quite delightful.

Rene's Recommendation: Do Not Skimp on Good Tickets

Today I wanted to give more of a piece of advice then a recommendation. When an awesome show comes into town like a Broadway play, an epic concert, a big annual conference, etc. my advice is to get the most expensive tickets you can possibly purchase. I say this because I have been on both ends of the spectrum. I have decided to skimp and save a little money and I have gone all out and bought the most costly ticket I could buy. I have never regretted buying the more expensive one.

Now if what you want to see is not that important to you then go ahead and save but if you've waited your whole life to see Phantom of the Opera, Cirque Du Soleil or attend the Austin Film Festival my advice is to splurge. No one can steal memories from you (except in the case of a head injury). And the experience will be worth it!