cheerfulmonk.com

of Kaitlin:

And here she is with Zoe:

Why the pink bunny ears? Click on Tempi’s picture to read her post about it.

January 11, 2025

gocomics.com/boundandgagged

I’m a sucker for puppy eyes, so it wouldn’t be healthy for either the pup or me if I had one. So I get my doggie fixes via the internet.

January 10, 2025

January 9, 2025

Earlier in my life I thought the things that mattered were the things that you could see, like your car, your house, your wealth, your property, your office. But as I’ve grown older I’ve become convinced that the things that matter most are the things that you can’t see — the love you share with others, your inner purpose, your comfort with who you are.
—Jimmy Carter

Amen to that!

January 8, 2025

gocommics.com/speedbump

January 7, 2025

I agree with Pastis, the cartoonist, on this one. He’s panning the idea that people should keep away from the internet. (Click on the picture for higher resolution.)

gocomics.com/PerlasparalosCerdo

Pig: I studied all the ancient texts, religions, and philosophies to determine the key to happiness.

Goat: And what did you find?

Pig: Get off the internet!

And in the last panel,

Pig: Ironically, I used it for all my research.

Clearly it depends on how we use the internet. One key to my happiness is to keep learning new things and to broaden my view of the world and life. The internet is my most powerful tool for doing that. (In addition to being my main access to most of my friends!)

What about you? What’s your key to happiness? How does the internet fit in?

January 6, 2025

Kobe was the pup in yesterday’s post:

Do you think he would agree with these pups?

gocomics.com/theothercoast

January 5, 2025

January 4, 2025

Birds&Blooms

A couple of weeks ago Kaitlin and Torben were in their living room when they heard a thunk at the window. They looked and saw a snow bird dropping to the ground. They ran to the window to see if it was hurt and were relieved to see it was already up.

Then while they were watching, a hawk swooped down and carried it off.

Not all stories have happy endings. That’s why I keep looking and looking for ones that do.

January 3, 2025

Rose was right yesterday, of course,

Animals may not hate, but some fight to death over who gets to mate with the females..dogs will fight just to establish who is dominate, and there is more but too much to type on phone with.

Not all pups are as kind and patient as Sola,

and Toby,

So how can I, an ex-science major, justify some of my overly romantic visions? That’s easy, I don’t pretend they’re true. I’m with Ashleigh Brilliant,

I have given up my search for truth. Now I’m looking for a good fantasy.

I spend a lot of time reading and trying to understand what’s going on in the world. To keep from getting depressed I balance that time with uplifting stories — often true, but sometimes idealized. Stories that keep me strong, happy, hopefully more kind and loving, and engaged in life. As Merle Shain wrote,

The answer doesn’t lie in learning how to protect ourselves from life—it lies in learning how to become strong enough to let a bit more of it in.

Amen to that.

January 2, 2025