It's a healthy fear.....

"It's a carcaradon carcharias. It's a Great White" -Jaws

I don't have a solid reason that I am so fascinated with not only sharks, but creatures of the sea in general.

I remember watching Jaws on HBO, surrounded by sisters and cousins, at my Grandma's house. We were all so excited to see the movie that I can't think of any other time that we did not move a muscle, or make a sound, for almost two hours.

Shark Week begins this Sunday on the Discovery Channel, and I'm already searching for episodes to record in the event that I can't watch them "live".

Maybe it's because Sharks are so unreachable (and uh, I'll keep it that way thank you),  or are so out of the norm from what I can see in my daily life. You won't find me joining expeditions where one can "swim with the sharks", I'll just continue to admire them from afar, that is, through my t.v. screen or at an Aquarium at some random city by the sea. If I'm on a large enough boat, out on the ocean horizon, and I'm able to see one, I don't think I would mind that. But that's as far is it goes.

They simply fascinate me.

Wikipedia says:

Sharks are a group of fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head.

Scientific name: Selachimorpha

Rank: Superorder

 

Random fact-based reading produces all kinds of Shark trivia, such as; A shark can hear a fish in the water from more than a mile away. Or, there are over 350 different kinds of sharks!

 

It's amazing to think of how many sea creatures we may not even know about yet. I think shark fascination has come a long way these days. With scientists and oceanographers, marine biologists and the like, studying them, swimming with them, observing their behavior in their own habitat. 

 

So here's to Shark Week 2013! (of which I will comfortably participate from my living room). It's a healthy fear people. 

 

Until next time,

Tiffany

 

PS I watched Sharknado during Breakfast last Saturday morning. I'm not sure that I can put into words what I think of this "movie". How about no, and don't. =) 

 

I just hope I'm using all of my gifts....

Last Saturday morning dawned bright and early for me. I normally like to sleep in a little as the work week catches up with me to the point that I'm not only drained mentally, but physically too at times. It was a pretty morning, puffy white clouds hovering over the horizon as if they were suspended by invisible ties to the universe. I've been doing a lot of cloud gazing lately, I see something in each cloud every time. I think this one looks like a grandma in a hurry, she's wearing her hair in a bun. Do you see her?

As I drove to Starbucks, because, hello weekend, I had to pull over for a funeral procession to drive by. Car after car, with their flashing lights, slowly going by.....each one filled with people that were probably not having the same kind of morning that I was.

It's not that I never think of death, and losing loved ones. Of course I do, I'm human. I don't dwell on the thoughts, but this morning I remember thinking, I hope whoever is gone did all they could. Used every gift they were given. Shared love and all of their happy, with those around them. I felt sad.

These days, every time I turn on the news, I feel sad. I want to shout, "for once, tell me something good!" That sounds like I've given up hope that this world we live in, is void of anything good, any great news to share. The thing is, I can't ever give up hope like that. I absolutely refuse.

So every night before my eyes close, I'm thinking thankful, grateful thoughts. No matter what madness the day brought, no matter what bad news the interwebs and television reported, I'm still happy to be here. "And I think to myself.....what a wonderful world"

I just hope I'm using all of my gifts. And sharing them. Even when I feel like I don't have any. Everyone has something to offer, don't you think?

Have a good week friend,
Tiffany

PS It's becoming a little too warm for breakfast on the patio in North Texas. But so far, I've refused to give it up. Take that mother nature!