Happy 2016

Happy New Year!

I have been thinking about this blog for quite a while and really wasn't sure what to do with it.
I have been 'writing' letters to my family to express what I have been going through, but I'm not 100% sure I want to post them for anyone to see.

You see, I am a very private person, but writing has always been an outlet for my dreams, my fears, my disappointments, etc (You get the point)

I also have an addictive personality so what happened when I started blogging is that I set certain expectations for myself and then couldn't, wouldn't or didn't want to live up to them which in turn made me shut down the blog.


What I think I have realized is that this blog is for me, about me and me-centric. I think I lost that when I participated and even hosted weekly memes that had nothing to do with that.

I used to be obsessed with comments and how many I could get but now I'm not sure I care anymore.

I guess what I'm saying is welcome to 2016! Let's just see what the future brings.

Shutting down

Dear anyone.....

Life has taken so many twists and turns with me that I am going to shut down my blog.


Who knows...there might be more stories in the future...but right now I need to concentrate on my own story.

To keep in touch you can always reach me at brendagladden@yahoo.com or my facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/brenda.youngermangladden

wishing you all happiness along the journey...............................

What club are you in?

Time to Ponder yet again.  You know the drill... I post a prompt that has multiple meanings and we get see what you write! Add you post to the linky and wait for the magic!!

(If you want to send me words that you would like us all to ponder - please feel free to do so!)

Today's word is Club you can always grab the prompt early by visiting the Pondering Page


I always wanted to be a part of a club that meant something....didn't happen.
When I was in 2nd grade I became a Blue Bird which in turn became a Camp Fire Girl.....have you ever heard of this club?  Didn't think so..... but you have heard of the Girl Scouts....wrong club for me!!!

Then I joined an organization called BBYO --- ever heard of it... didn't think so!

I guess I always joined the wrong club....

But that is not to say that I never went clubbing (well, actually, I never did! the bar scene was never really for me.)

But the real reason I came up with this word was because of all the police brutality that is occuring all over the US ---what with billy clubs (excuse me??) and Tasers and Shootings.. that is one club I don't want to be a part of.


Please let me know what you think of this diverse word and link up.

Happy Pondering!

Crude to you too!

Time to Ponder yet again.  You know the drill... I post a prompt that has multiple meanings and we get see what you write! Add you post to the linky and wait for the magic!!

(If you want to send me words that you would like us all to ponder - please feel free to do so!)

Today's word is Crude (you can always grab the prompt early by visiting the Pondering Page

Why is it called crude oil? Does that mean it is before it is refined?

So does that really mean is before refinement?

A crude comment is certainly not refined.

Nor is a crude person

But then why wouldn't a diamond straight out of the earth be called a crude diamond?

This is indeed an interesting work.

Happy Pondering....

Sunday Fiction - Chapter 23

All previous chapters can be found on the fiction page

Methodically Bruce went through the crew members to determine what he knew about them. Starting with Stuart he knew that he as in his early twenties and this was his first expedition. He had studied cartography at a college near his home in Missouri. He had always been fascinated when his dad told him stories.

Growing up Lyle had been absent more than present as he was constantly on expeditions; but the times he was home were the best for Stuart. He decided to follow in his dads’ footsteps and then maybe get to spend more time with him.  It didn’t really make sense that the two of them would have been on this ship since 1993 because Stuart would have still been in high school. That did not mean, however that Lyle hadn’t been attached since the beginning. He might be a good resource to speak with.

Matt appeared to be in his early forties and his background was military. He had left the Navy in the early 90’s and found that commercial flying was just not in his nature. He’d hired himself out since then. He had no family waiting for him at home, so long voyages meant nothing.

Joe had a similar background to Matt. In fact they had both been in Navy Seal training together.  From what Bruce had gathered, the two men reconnected after they had left the Navy and sold themselves as a team. Joe however, had a wife and family waiting for him in Tennessee. Bruce was unclear whether or not Joe had actually been on the mission since 1993. He would make a point to ask him at dinner.

Carl, the ship’s captain was in his mid fifties and had always been at sea (so to speak). He had no family waiting for him and could definitely been with the expedition since 1993. His overall non-knowledge of the excursion left Bruce with no reason to question him again.

Steve had been very clear with him that he had nothing to hide and would give him straight answers. That left Monica and Jack. What did he really know about them? He knew that Monica was in charge of the expedition and that Jack said he was a linguist. Was that a lie as well?  Jack had straight out told him that they were in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. That was definitely not true. He had told him he was a linguist and was there in case of indigenous tribes. Didn’t indigenous tribes exist in the Amazon region? Why would there be indigenous tribes on islands in the Atlantic?

Bruce thought hard about what he remembered from school about geography. If he recalled correctly, there used to be a land mass called Pangaea where all land was connected. It took centuries to separate the land masses into what were now considered continents. Wouldn’t the existing islands have been a part of the original mass? And wouldn’t that in turn make it so that all of the tribes on the islands were one time associated with the tribes on the mainland? There wouldn’t be a need for a linguist.

But if the real target was the Amazon River in the first place, a linguist would be necessary. There were areas along that riverbank and inland from there that had never been visited by modern man. Bruce remembered the stories of cannibalism and sacrifices from the movies. What if they were true? If they were, why would this team be involved?  Bruce did not think that Jack would answer any of these questions honestly, but he could always try.

Monica was the biggest mystery of all. She appeared to be in her early thirties. She had said she’d been hired to map out uncharted islands, but she certainly knew they were in the middle of the Amazon and not the middle of the Atlantic. She had seemed to be interested in finding the remains of the wrecked shipped his family had been on. Was that normal curiosity, or was it more than that? What was her purpose for lying and why was she so generous to offer him such a job? And what was his job?

It seemed to Bruce when he’d finished going through the list that he needed to have a serious talk with Lyle, Joe, Jack and Monica.

Cap it off!

Time to Ponder yet again.  You know the drill... I post a prompt that has multiple meanings and we get see what you write! Add you post to the linky and wait for the magic!!

(If you want to send me words that you would like us all to ponder - please feel free to do so!)

Today's word is Cap (you can always grab the prompt early by visiting the Pondering Page


This is such a great word to play with!!!

Baseball cap - love them!!

Graduation cap ----






Caps for when it is cold:

Caps of uniforms:

Silly Caps:
  

Lipstick Cap

Cap off a leak

Cradle Cap


Did I miss any?

Happy Pondering!

Sunday Fiction - Chapter 22

All previous chapters can be found on the fiction page

Bruce had no idea where to go from there. Carl was the captain; but he didn’t know the real reason for this excursion.  Bruce knew deep inside his sole that someone on this ship knew the real reason for the expedition. He hoped that Jack had not lied to him; but one could never be completely sure of that. His dealings with Stuart seemed to be straight forward and he didn’t really think that Lyle knew anything different. The father and son team seemed to be symbiotic.

That left him with the helicopter pilots – Matt and Joe.  They seemed to be exactly what they purported to be, helicopter pilots. They were sent out to look for things and most likely had no idea of the general plan. The pay was good, and they had no family. Why not join a crew for two years?

Steve had mentioned to him that he would be more than willing to answer any questions he had, and that he would be straight with him. Perhaps now was the time to ask Steve the pressing questions.

He left his cabin and went to find Steve. It was mid-day so Bruce figured that Steve would be preparing the evening meal. He headed towards the galley and it appeared to be empty. Entering the door that Steve came through each night at dinner he figured he would find the kitchen. What he found behind that door stunned him.

Charts and maps covered the wall. There were different colored pins and threads interweaving and connecting them. But that was not the strangest part. There was also a time line that had the same threads leading to the pins on the maps. The timeline began in July of 1993.  He had been told this ‘expedition’ was a two year endeavor, but looking at the times he realized he had been lied to yet again.

Head throbbing, Bruce attempted to make any sense out of the charts. What he could determine is that everything started from Texas. Was that a coincidence? He could have sworn Monica told him they were based out of Washington D.C.

Leaving the room with more questions than answers he decided it was time to go get some fresh air and clear his head.  Aiming towards the helipad he had not anticipated running into anybody. Although he was not clears on everyone’s responsibilities, it was obvious that everyone was occupied most of the time. For all he knew they were in their individual cabins.

The helicopter was not on the deck, so that meant Joe and Matt were not here. He ambled over to the chart room and noticed that neither Lyle nor Stuart were in there. He’d never been very good at geography, but he thought he might determine something from the maps. He saw that there were several binders with different dates on them. He started at the first one he could find. It was dated July, 1993.

Opening the binder and slowly turning the pages he was able to determine that this was not just a map of the area, but a map of the journey as well. It appeared as if 1993 was spent in the Gulf of Mexico.

Pulling down the binder marked 1994 he saw that the journey led this crew to the Caribbean. It appeared as if they made stops at several of the known islands as well as several of the unknown islands. There were notes on new islands they had discovered.

These binders also provided Bruce with more questions than answers and at this point he wasn’t even sure whom to trust to get the answers.

When the bough breaks....

Time to Ponder yet again.  You know the drill... I post a prompt that has multiple meanings and we get see what you write! Add you post to the linky and wait for the magic!!

(If you want to send me words that you would like us all to ponder - please feel free to do so!)

Today's word is Cradle (you can always grab the prompt early by visiting the Pondering Page


With Grand Baby #4 due in three months it is time to pull the cradle back out - not that these children of mine have given me much time in between babies!

A cradle is something that a baby can sleep in, or you could actually cradle the baby in your arms. 



And then of course there is cradle cap - which is a very misleading name as it has to do with the head of a baby!

Have you ever seen an animal cradle a prized toy, treat or person?


Can you explain why a hammock is called a hammock and not a cradle?

Happy Pondering!

Sunday Fiction - Chapter 21

For previous entries please visit the fiction page

Steve told Bruce that he should remain bed ridden for a couple of days and to take it easy. He was not completely sure what had caused the black out, but he wanted to make sure that it didn’t happen again.

While Bruce remained in his room the questions swirled like a tornado in his brain. Who would really know what they were doing? Would Carl have the answers? After all how could you be captain of a ship if you had no idea what the mission is? Or did Lyle know? It was fairly obvious that if they were in the middle of the Amazon River, which was a river, there would not be islands present. There was either the shore, or the other shore.

Perhaps they weren’t really charting islands, but were in fact charting indigenous tribes? If that were the case, why make such an elaborate showing of ‘charting islands?’

Would Monica tell him the truth? He doubted it as she’d been lying to him the entire time he’d been there. But the one he mistrusted the most at this point was Jack. He thought the man had been truthful and it turned out this was all part of one very large charade.

Did Matt or Joe know? How could a helicopter crew not know where they were? But when Bruce thought about it, they had never told him what they were doing. They simply appeared and picked him up. Perhaps they were telling the truth when they said they’d seen his fire and went back to investigate. The biggest problem right now was that no one seemed to know where he’d been picked up from. There was absolutely no way that the boat had drifted to the Amazon River, and there was no way he’d been stranded on one of the shores. He had definitely been on an island!

Steve brought him lunch and dinner for two days; no one else came by. On the third day he left his room and began to explore the ship. Because all the doors looked exactly the same it was difficult to determine what was behind them.  He went up the deck and then went in search of the captain’s perch. He knew where the galley was, as that was where they shared meals; but other than that he did not know what was on that level.

There was the helipad, which took up nearly one third of the deck. As he walked away from the helipad he saw a door that led inside, but on the same level. He entered the door and discovered another set of halls. He did not know much about the structure of boats or ships, but logic mandated that the captain would have to see the way the ship was going; therefore he had to be at the other end of the ship from the helipad. It did not take long to find the door. He knocked on it before opening and was stunned when he did. This room was definitely at the front of the ship. It had windows just like the galley; a whole bank surrounding the room. Carl was sitting there reading what appeared to be a newspaper. At the sound of Bruce entering he lifted his head. A bright smile crossed his face at the sight of the young man.

“Well, well, you found your way to the hub of the adventure!”

Bruce smiled back and said, “Yes I did. It took me a while, but I found you.  The view up here is amazing.”

“Well you can’t very well commandeer a ship if you don’t know what lies ahead. We have maps and charts, but this area can be quite tricky.”

Bruce asked, “Have you done this before?”

“What? Captained a ship?”

Bruce laughed, “No. Taken a ship up the Amazon.”

“Oh yes, many times,” Carl replied. “But how do you know that is where we are?”

“Steve told me.”

“Ah.”

“Can you tell me why we are riding up the Amazon? I don’t really believe it has anything to do with charting unknown islands. There wouldn’t be any islands off of a river.”

Carl’s smile had left his face. He looked straight and Bruce and answered with earnest, “Honestly son, I have no idea. I was hired to run the ship. I was not told about the mission and truth be told, the pay was so good I didn’t really care. I spend most of my time by myself in here. I don’t have much interaction with anyone else. This has actually been a fairly easy adventure for me. We move a few hundred kilometers and then we put down anchor and stay put for a month. Then we do it again.”

Bruce’s eyebrows arched, “And you never wondered why?”

“Son, I don’t get paid to wonder.”

Lay the brick

Time to Ponder yet again.  You know the drill... I post a prompt that has multiple meanings and we get see what you write! Add you post to the linky and wait for the magic!!

(If you want to send me words that you would like us all to ponder - please feel free to do so!)

Today's word is Brick (you can always grab the prompt early by visiting the Pondering Page


I have been paying much more attention to yards as I will have to create a brand new at my new home. I will have approximately 12' x 60' worth of area and am determining what I want to do with it.

When I had this opportunity before I built brick planters - old fashioned style with the red bricks layered 3 high. But this time I have been looking at other types of bricks

I really like these:   I actually always have. With the rounded edges a straight line is not imperative

Then there are these:   I'm not sure that these are really considered bricks, much more like sculpted rocks.

Now there are other uses of this word, but I really believe that the term brick might just mean something that is shaped - well like a brick!

How about you? Any thoughts today?

Happy Pondering

Sunday Fiction - Chapter 20

For previous entries please visit the fiction page

With freedom to roam, Bruce started exploring the ‘ship.’ It felt good not to be confined in his room and as he started walking more he realized that he had lost some of the muscle tone he’d garnered on the island. The first day we explored he headed for the fresh air. All the hallways looked exactly the same, so it took several attempts to actually find the correct door. He didn’t mind though as he went from hall to hall with matching décor and doors.

By the time he found the right door he was sorely disappointed to exit and be barraged with rain. The skies were a deep gray, bordering on black, and the rain fell in big droplets. He raised his head towards the sky and accepted the water, but only for about two minutes.

Although it was raining, it was not cold. That didn’t really phase him until later in the day when he remembered that is was November, or even December by now. When he had been on the island he noticed there was a slight changing of the seasons and in the winter when the rain came down there was a definite chill in the air. Were they not in the same region as the island he’d been stranded on? Had this whole thing been a rouse?

That evening at dinner Bruce asked Stuart if he could check out the maps the next day.  He intimated that he’d always been interested in geography and looking at the way the world was put together was fascinating. Stuart agreed and after dinner showed Bruce where the map room was. They agreed to meet first thing in the morning.

As Steve put out another amazing dinner of beef stew, buttered noodles, fresh corn and strawberry shortcake for dessert, Bruce asked, “Do you ever catch and eat the local fish?”

The room immediately went bone chilling silent. Steve looked straight at Bruce and replied, “There are no edible fish within a thousand miles of here. I would strongly recommend not entering the water as that will be the last thing you do.”

Bruce stared back and just said, “Okay.” But his head was spinning. He had lived off of the fish he’d caught off the island and if what they had told him was true, it was not over one thousand miles away. So that meant either Steve was lying to him, or both Jack and Monica had.

He said his ‘good-nights’ immediately after dinner. After seeing where the map room was located he made his way back to his room. He paced the room and tried to piece together all of the information he had at his disposal. He had lied to Stuart about his love of geography. Truth be told, he couldn’t even tell you where the seven seas were, much less all of the known islands in their vicinity. But, he had never heard of dangerous fish in the Atlantic Ocean other than sharks. Bruce had this sinking feeling in his stomach that this floating island was nowhere near the Atlantic Ocean.

After a restless night of very little sleep, Bruce met Stuart in the map room. Lyle was sitting at a large drafting table with bright lights above it. Stuart explained that his dad was charting the new course for the next month based upon what they had already found. Bruce looked at the paper that was spread out and all he could see were grid lines and blue spots.

“How do you even know what you’re looking at?” Bruce asked.

Stuart smiled and answered, “The grid lines are longitude and latitude, and the dots are either known islands or discovered islands. Although you can’t see it, the dots actually have numbers and there are corresponding charts of those spots. Come on over here and I’ll show you.”

They went over to a smaller table and Stuart pulled out a chart that had an island shape configured. There were notations of water sources, jungles, vegetation and inhabitants.

“You do this for every island out here?”

“Yes, that’s our job,” Stuart said.

“So do you have a map that is somewhere in between the one your dad is working on and the detailed map? You know something that shows the islands in proximity to other islands and large land masses.”

“Sure,” Stuart said, “Let me get one for you.”

As Stuart laid out the map Bruce had requested, it was apparent that they were not in the Atlantic Ocean. He tried to determine the exact location, but when he saw the word ‘Brazil’ on both the left and right, he began to feel woozy. Stuart grabbed him just before he hit the floor.

Bruce opened his eyes and saw a bright light shining. “Ah, good, you’re back amongst the living.”

Steve was leaning over him with a miniature flashlight. “Can you follow my finger with your eyes?”  Bruce did as he was asked. “Good, now can you sit up?” Bruce attempted to sit up.

“What happened?” Bruce asked.

“You passed out,” Steve said. “But none of us can figure out why.”

Bruce’s eyes swept the room and did not see anyone else there besides Steve. “Are you a doctor?”

“Yes sir.”

“But you’re the cook.”

“That’s only because no one else on this contraption can cook worth crap. I got tired of eating barely passable food, so I volunteered. Best decision I’ve made.”

Bruce blinked a few times and then asked, “Steve, where are we?”

“The Amazon river.”

Bruce gasped. “Why would Monica and Jack tell me that we were in the Atlantic Ocean if we aren’t?”

“Can’t answer you on that one,” Steve replied. “But what I can tell you is that you can trust me and that if you need straight answers just ask.”

“Thanks,” Bruce said. “I thought I could trust everyone, but obviously I was wrong.” He stopped and thought before asking the next question. “What are we really doing here?”

Bail for fun

Time to Ponder yet again.  You know the drill... I post a prompt that has multiple meanings and we get see what you write! Add you post to the linky and wait for the magic!!

(If you want to send me words that you would like us all to ponder - please feel free to do so!)

Today's word is Bail (you can always grab the prompt early by visiting the Pondering Page

So here is a tidbit from my past that I rarely think about: When I was a little girl our parents (3 bros and I) enrolled us in sailing classes every summer. We would sail sabots (little 8 foot sailboats).  I was quite small and would often capsize. I remember that when I took water into the boat I would be told to bail. So that is my first impression of this word, however now that I've grown a bit older I find that I am constantly having to bail my kids out of financial jams.... (well not so constantly any more - but does it end???)

And then of course there are the Bail Bondsmen all over the place. Never quite understood why posting money was considered bail when I always thought the word was used to empty - or save something.

Around Halloween many mazes are made from a bale of hay.... not sure if I've ever seen that word used in any other meaning...

How about you?  Any ideas on bail?

Happy Pondering!

quick note - sunday fiction

Sunday fiction will return next week.....

To be a brute or not to be

Time to Ponder yet again.  You know the drill... I post a prompt that has multiple meanings and we get see what you write! Add you post to the linky and wait for the magic!!

(If you want to send me words that you would like us all to ponder - please feel free to do so!)

Today's word is BRUTE (you can always grab the prompt early by visiting the Pondering Page

I think of strength when I think of Brute.
It is like Brute force ---but then I wander (ponder) off to Brutus - that is an old Roman name and I am thinking it too meant strength (now how would you know when a child is born that he is going to be strong?)

And then there is just a brute - that is a mean spirited person - sort of like a bully only stronger!

This is what I found when I looked for images under Brute:

   


Not really sure what this is!


How about you...what does this word conjure up?

Happy Pondering

Sunday Fiction - Chapter 19

For previous entries please visit the fiction page

“What if I asked to go home?” Bruce asked Monica. He did not care for her dismissive answer regarding ‘the facts.’

“I would have to tell you that not only do we not have any capacity to get you back to Nebraska, and the best we could do is drop you off in D.C. next time I go to report. But that even if we did get you to D.C. how would you get to Nebraska on your own? Do you have any funds at your disposal?”

Bruce hadn’t thought of that. If he had been gone for seven years he doubted that any of the accounts were still open. But wouldn’t someone have to have him declared legally dead. Was that an automatic thing when there was not activity on accounts? And if in fact he had no money, how was he going to survive?

“I’m not sure,” Bruce answered. “I hadn’t really thought about that.  What are you proposing, if you hadn’t planned on taking me home?”

Monica’s green eyes locked into Bruce’s, searching for some sort of hope and replied, “I was thinking that as long as you accidentally landed in this project that we should make some use of your knowledge.”

“How would you do that?”

“I would like to officially introduce you to the rest of the crew. They only know that we picked someone up in the middle of the night. I was leery of doing any introductions until you were well rested and had your voice back. Now that you do I think it would be great to let them know who you are and what you’ve been through. We have been out here for almost seven months; you have been out here for seven years! Your knowledge is valuable to this project. I would also arrange to have you paid so that when the project is done you would have some funds to get home.”

Bruce thought about that and responded, “Can I think about this for a little while? It is a bit overwhelming to be offered a job right in the middle of finding out that I have been missing for seven years. If I accept that means I would be gone for over nine years by the time I get back.”

“You can certainly think about it,” Monica said, “But I would advise you to weigh your options carefully. If we have any chance of finding the island your mother is still on, you are the only one who would recognize it.”

Bruce grimaced, “I see your point.” He looked around his room, at the blank walls and the singular bed. “I suppose if you put it that way, I don’t really have any other options but to stay and help you.”

Monica smiled.

“Just out of curiosity, how much are paying me for my assistance?”

“There are seventeen months left on our contract and every member receives twenty thousand dollars for every month they stay, as long as they complete the mission. So in your case, assuming you remain until the end, you will receive three hundred forty thousand dollars.”

Bruce gasped. When he had left for the family vacation he had to postpone a job offer for forty thousand dollars a year. Here is was seven years later and he was being offered a vast amount of money. “Monica, when you put it that way; I’m not really sure that I have any other options.”

“I was hoping you would feel that way! Welcome to the team.”’

Bruce joined the rest of the crew that evening for a meal. Jack had come to his room to escort him so that he wouldn’t be alone. Bruce’s emotions were all over the board. He was excited and apprehensive at the same time. It had been a very long time since he had ‘sat’ down for a meal with people.

Entering the room he saw six people sitting around a rectangular shaped table. The dining area had windows and he saw a vast ocean surrounding them.  As soon as approached the table all of the people got up from their seats. Monica was the first to reach him and said, with a huge smile on her face, “Welcome to the team!”

A fair-haired man, who could not have been more than twenty-five introduced himself, “Hi, I’m Matt. We’ve actually met before, but you probably don’t remember. You and I shared one hell of a ride off an island into a helicopter.”

A man, not much older than Matt said, “I’m Joe, and I was the one making sure that helicopter didn’t fall out of the sky!”

A gentleman who appeared to be in his early fifties grasped Bruce’s hand and said, “Son, I am so glad you are joining us. My name is Lyle and I have been charting unchartered land since before you were born.”

“Hi, I’m Stuart,” A small man with wire-rimmed glasses stated.  “I work with my dad to make sure the charts are accurate.”  Bruce looked from Stuart to Lyle and faintly saw a familial resemblance.

A burly man or short stature appeared in front of Bruce. “My name’s Carl and I am the captain of this ship!”

Just then a man entered the room pushing a cart of steaming food. “Howdy! My name’s Steve and if you don’t like the food….too darn bad!”  The whole room broke into laughter.

Steve proceeded to place plates upon the table. A plate of steaming vegetables, a bowl of mashed potatoes, sliced roast beef, a bowl of gravy and horseradish sauces. Bruce’s mouth watered at the sight of so much food. He took a seat at the table. Jack and Steve did the same.  As Bruce was eating he wondered how and why he got to this place, but the absolute deliciousness of the food he was eating overpowered any other thoughts in his mind.

Branching out

Time to Ponder yet again.  You know the drill... I post a prompt that has multiple meanings and we get see what you write! Add you post to the linky and wait for the magic!!

(If you want to send me words that you would like us all to ponder - please feel free to do so!)

Today's word is BRANCH (you can always grab the prompt early by visiting the Pondering Page


I walked into my branch of the bank and looked at the branches of the plants and trees that surrounded it and I loved this word!

I have this one tree in my backyard (a persimmon tree) that has huge leaves on it, when there are leaves on it; but now it looks lonely with branches and no leaves.... There is something lonely about a tree without leaves, don't you think.

Some branches are thick and some are thin.  check these out:

  


You know that picture makes me think of reindeer antlers - they look just like branches - so why are they called antlers??? or why aren't tree branches called antlers?

Now that is something to ponder!

Link up and let me know what you think!