Funny Junk Two Zen monks, Tanzan and Ekido, traveling on pilgrimage, came to a muddy river crossing. There they saw a lovely young woman dressed in her kimono and finery, obviously not knowing how to cross the river without ruining her clothes. Without further ado, Tanzan graciously picked her up, held her close to him, […]

I am a huge fan of TED Talks. If Jane McGonigal and Malcolm Gladwell are correct, I may one day have a Masters degree in TED. I really like Jane’s outside-of-ordinary-reality thinking style. I like that she is willing to allow for possibilities that “rational” people may not be comfortable with.  I like that she […]

Courtesy of DSGNMomOnline I’ve always enjoyed the tales of the fine Irish lads who come across the gnarled, grizzled, tiny bootmaker, also known as the Leprechaun. There are a few versions, all ending the same way. An underlying theme is the young man’s desire to achieve success “the easy way”, forcing the Leprechaun to give […]

Courtesy of Children’s Literature Network Nasrudin, that wisest of fools, manages to get right to the heart of any matter. In this story, he is asked by an excited, young friend of his who is himself about to be married, whether or not the Mulla had ever wished to be married. Nasrudin relates that he, […]

You can purchase this print at Art.com It’s ironic to me that the Brothers Grimm were so named, since so very many of the tales they put to paper have very grim elements.  Recent programs, Once Upon A Time and Grimm are attempting to recapture that original spirit.  It hasn’t been apparent from the whitewashed […]

Courtesy of The MerBlog One of my favorite tales is a selkie story I found years ago in a book of folktales, by Katherine Briggs.  The selkie is a being that takes the form of a seal when in the sea and sheds it’s skin to walk about as a human on land.  It’s said […]