In a Crack?

When I headed out for my walk the other evening, this sweet violet
caught my eye. It was stretching it's pretty wee head out of a crack,
of all places, smack dab in the center of the asphalt drive. The old
adage "bloom where you're planted" came to mind. (Actually, this is
a wise ancient Afghan proverb.) So, no matter what cracks you may
find yourselves in, dear bloggy friends, take some advice from dear
old Mother Earth; just hold your heads high and bloom, bloom away!

Not mother?

Since next Wednesday is Earth Day, I was wondering why we
sometimes speak of Earth as "great Mother Earth". Among almost
all peoples, the Earth was at one time reverenced as the "mother"
of all. The Romans, for example, tell the story of how the two sons
of Tarquinius, together with Junius Brutus, asked the local Delphic
Oracle which one of them would succeed to the throne of Rome.
The oracle replied, "He who shall first kiss his mother." The two
Tarquinius sons raced home to find their mother, but the clever
Junius Brutus fell to the ground saying, "Thus I kiss thee, oh Earth,
great mother of us all." And the rest is history. Brutus, indeed, did
become the ruler of the Roman Empire.

Well, there you have it, dear bloggy friends. I knew you were just
craving this earthy little tidbit of knowledge, weren't you? And on
a lighter note, here's one of the funniest scenes from the film Dirty
Rotten Scoundrels. "Not mother?"