This list started as a collection of my favorite quotes. Quotations are often used as embellishments to scrapbook pages when journaling just isn't enough to express the sentiment behind the story. Occasionally, quotes can be used as the page title, too.
MANY thanks to YOU who have sent me your favorite quotes to add to the list. A special thanks to Jen Harder and Amy Pierce who were the first to send their favorites! More are welcome! If a duplicate quote is sent, the first one gets the recognition. All additions are at my discretion.
AGE
Give yourself permission to go out and play. You will never again, for the rest of your life, be as young as you are today.
Happy days roll onward leading up to golden years. – Alfred Lord Tennyson
I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one!
Mostly, what I have learned so far about aging, despite the creakiness of one's bones and cragginess of one's once-silken skin, is this: Do it. By all means, do it. – Maya Angelou
Old age ain't no place for sissies. – Bette Davis
There is nothing more beautiful than the cheerfulness in an old face. – Jean Paul Richter
Those who love deeply never grow old. – Sir Arthur wing Pinero
ALICE IN WONDERLAND [favorites of and contributed by Adele]
Alice: Well, after this I should think nothing of falling down stairs.
Daisy: What kind of a garden do you come from?
Alice: Oh, I don't come from any garden.
Daisy: Do you suppose she's a wildflower
Cheshire Cat: If I were looking for a white rabbit, I'd ask the Mad Hatter.
Alice: The Mad Hatter? Oh, no no no…
Cheshire Cat: Or, you could ask the March Hare, in that direction.
Alice: Oh, thank you. I think I'll see him…
Cheshire Cat: Of course, he's mad, too.
Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
Cheshire Cat: Oh, you can't help that. Most everyone's mad here.
[laughs maniacally; starts to disappear]
Cheshire Cat: You may have noticed that I'm not all there myself.
Alice: It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change
Mad Hatter: Would you like a little more tea?
Alice: Well, I haven't had any yet, so I can't very well take more.
March Hare: Ah, you mean you can't very well take less.
Mad Hatter: Yes. You can always take more than nothing.
Alice: Curiouser and curiouser
Alice: I simply must get through!
Doorknob: Sorry, you're much too big. Simply impassible.
Alice: You mean impossible?
Doorknob: No, impassible. Nothing's impossible
Alice: When I get home I shall write a book about this place… If I ever do get home.
Alice: Of all the silly nonsense, this is the stupidest tea party I've ever been to in all my life.
ANIMALS
Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened – Anatole
If I tried to tell you how much I love my cats, you wouldn't believe me – unless your heart is also meow-shaped and covered in stray fur. – Lexie Saige
It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens. – Cynthia E. Varnado
Kittens believe that all nature is occupied with their diversion. – F.A. Paradis de Moncrif
No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch. – Leo Dworken
The smallest feline is a masterpiece. – Leonardo da Vinci
There is no more intrepid explorer than a kitten. – Jules Champfleury
Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o' fur? – Irish Saying
ART & MUSIC
And life is what we make it. Always has been. Always will be. – Grandma Moses
Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. – Picasso
Every artist was first an amateur. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato [a favorite of and contributed by Cynthia]
Fashion is a kind of communication. It's a language without words. A great hat speaks for itself." (author unknown) [a favorite of and contributed by Adele]
BIBLE VERSES
All things were made by Him. – John 1:3
At their wits' end – Psalms CVII:27
Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. – Matthew 10:16
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord. – Psalm 127:3A NASB
Bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh – Genesis 2:23
By their fruits ye shall know them – Matthew 7:20
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him – Psalm 127:3 NLT
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. – Mathew 6:28
Do not despise small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. – Zachariah 4:10
For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:2
He hath made everything BEAUTIFUL in His time. – Ecclesiastes 3:11
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still warm waters. – Psalms 23:2
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. – Ephesians 5:24
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. – Psalms 4:8
It is more blessed to give that to receive. – Acts 20:35
It is not good that man should be alone. – Genesis 2:18
Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice. – Psalms 5:11
Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. – Matthew 6:3
Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they be withered. – Solomon 2:8
Let us eat, and be merry. – Luke 15:23
Let your light so SHINE – Matthew 5:16
Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it. – Ecclesiastes 38:2
Peace be to this house – Luke 10:5
So encourage each other and build each other up. – I Thessalonians 5:11 NLT
Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. – Mark 10:14
The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork. – Psalms 19:1
The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. – Psalm 19:1 NLT
The joyfulness of a man prolongeth his days – Ecclesiastes 30:22
The price of wisdom is above rubies – Job 27:18
The very hairs of your head are all numbered. – Matthew 10:30
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh. – Genesis 2:24
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. – Ecclesiastes 3:1
We spend our years and a tale that is told. – Psalms 25:9
We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. – Psalm 126:6 NLT
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. – Matthew 6:21
BOOKS
A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever. – Martin Tupper
If you have a garden and library, you have everything you need. – Cicero
CHOICE
Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power. – Blaine Lee
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. – Martin Luther
If we restrict liberty to attain security we will lose them both. – Attributed to Ben Franklin [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
It is vain to expect our prayers to be heard, if we do not strive as well as pray. – [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility. – Oprah Winfrey [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
Words – so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.- Nathaniel Hawthorne
A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. – Nelson Mandela
COURAGE
A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.
Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Courage consists not in blindly overlooking danger, but in seeing it, and conquering it. – Jean Paul Richter
Courage is the mastery of fear not the absence of it. – Mark Twain
Detours happen. Remember your destination.
Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high, look it squarely in the eye and say, "I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me." – Ann Landers
Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first, and then the lesson afterward.
I love the man that can smile in trouble, then can gather strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. – Thomas Payne
I will embrace today's difficult tasks, take off my coat, and make dust in the world. – Og Mandino
I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship. – Louisa May Alcott
If you are going through hell, keep going. – Sir Winston Churchill 1874 – 1965
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. – Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968
Resolved, to live with all my might while I do live. – Jonathan Edwards
The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
The lightning and the thunder they go and they come but the stars and the stillness are always at home.
There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction – John F. Kennedy
To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable. – Helen Keller
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
When one has not had a good father, one must create one. – Albert Camus
When you stumble, make it part of the dance.
You miss 100% of the shots you never take. – Wayne Gretzky
Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic. ~ Anonymous Twain [a newfound favorite of and contributed by Cynthia]
To die – now that would be an awfully big adventure. – Peter Pan
THE DARK SIDE
Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats. – Henry Louis Mencken 1880-1956
Fear God, and your enemies will fear you. – Benjamin Franklin
Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee. – Mohamed Ali
He is one of those people who would be enormously improved by death. – H. H. Munro (Saki) — 1870-1916
He would make a lovely corpse. – Charles Dickens 1812-1870
Heav'n hath no rage like love to hatred turn'd, Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn'd. – William Congreve 1670-1729
"Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness." – Allen Ginsberg
I am not afraid. I was born to do this. – Joan of Arc
I worship the quicksand he walks in. – Art Buchwald
I've had a wonderful time, but this wasn't it. – Groucho Marx 1895 – 1977
I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it is nothing trivial. – Irvin S. Cobb
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. – Napoleon Bonaparte 1769-1821
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for the good men to do nothing. – Edmund Burke 1729-1797
What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly. – Richard Bach
You can't say civilization isn't advancing; in every war they kill you in a new way. – Will Rogers
DREAMS
Dreams are the soul's pantry. Keep it well stocked and your soul will never hunger. – Cindy Williams
It is the morning of your life and all your dreams are just beginning.
It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. – Paulo Coelho
The first step is the dream.
The greatest achievements were at first and for sometime dreams. – James Allen
There is nothing like a dream to create the future. Utopia today, flesh and blood tomorrow. – Victor Hugo
Dr. Seuss [favorites of and contributed by Adele]
I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!”
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
ENOUGH
What is enough? You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough. – William Blake
When it is dark enough, men see the stars. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
FAMILY
If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable — each segment distinct. – Letty Cottin Pogrebin
A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on.
A child fills a place in your heart you never knew was empty.
All mothers have intuition. The great ones have radar. – Cathy Guisewite
Grace was in all her steps. Heaven in her eyes. – John Milton
Little girls, like butterflies, need no excuse. – Robert A. Heinlein
When you teach your son, you teach your son's son. – The Talmud
Children are gleeful barbarians. – Joseph Morgenstern
FRIENDS
A friend loves at all times. – Proverbs 17:27
Friends do not live in harmony merely, as some say, but in melody. – Henry David Thoreau
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they are OK then it's you. – Rita Mae Brown
Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.' – C.S. Lewis
FUN
2+2=5 for very large values of 2
Forget love… I'd rather fall in chocolate!
Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain. – Martin Mull
I like rice! Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2000 of something. – Mitch Hedberg
If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one? – Abraham Lincoln
Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
Laundry increases exponentially in the number of children. – Miriam Robbins
Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution. – Mae West
People never grow up; they just learn how to act in public.
Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. – Roger Miller
Start every day off with a smile and get it over with. – W.C.Fields
When in doubt-accessorize
You sound reasonable… time to up my medication.
GOAL
Set your course by the stars not by the lights of every passing ship. – General O. Bradley
The tallest mountains have been conquered by men who literally inched their way to the summits.
Whatever your goal, it will yield to the same approach; one step at a time. – Michael Gore
You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream. – C.S. Lewis
You start the longest journey by placing one foot in front of the other.
HAPPINESS
A good laugh is sunshine in a house. – Philip James Bailey
Among those whom I admire, I can find no common denominator. But among those whom I love I can; all of them make me laugh. -W.H.Auden
Happiness is not a station to arrive at, but a manner of traveling. – Margaret Lee Runbeck
Happiness is not so much in having as sharing.
Happy days roll onward leading up to golden years. – Alfred Lord Tennyson
It is a happy talent to know how to play.
Laughter is the closest distance between two people. – Victor Borges
Make a dark day seem bright, find the one that makes your heart smile.
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter. – Mark Twain
The place to be happy is here. The time to be happy is now. – Robert Green Ingersoll
There is nothing more beautiful than the cheerfulness in an old face. – Jean Paul Richter
Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. – Sir James Barrie
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. – Norman MacEwan
When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
HOPE
A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you. – Irish Blessing
Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation your presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power. – Blaine Lee
Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come. –Rabindranath Tagore
Do your best. Work for the best. Expect the best.
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. – Martin Luther
He who plants a tree plants a hope. – Luch Larcom
I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being. – Hafiz
INTEGRITY
Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are. [contributed by and a favorite of Amy Pierce’s]
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears the sound of a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away. – Henry David Thoreau
INSPIRATION
Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.- Ben Franklin
He didn't tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it. – Clarence Budington Kelland
John Kennedy once said to an assembled group of scholars in the White House, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." (for historians, no, TJ never did live in the White House, but we know what JFK meant.)
Joy is not in things; it is in us. – Richard Wagner
Live in the sunshine.- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Money often costs too much. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar. – Helen Keller
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. –Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson
The beginning is always today. – Mary Wollstoncraft
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched…they must be felt with the heart. – Helen Keller
The best way out is always through. – Robert Frost
The journey of a thousand miles begins with One step – Lao-Tzu
The wisest mind has something yet to learn. – George Santayana
The work of an individual still remains the spark that moves mankind forward. – Igor Sikorsky
The world is before you, and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in. – James Baldwin
There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. – Albert Einstein 1879-1955
There is nothing so strong as gentleness, and there is nothing so gentle as real strength. – Sir Francis de Sates
There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. – Howard Thurman
To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science. – Albert Einstein [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
We can't all and some of us don't. That's all there is to it. – Eeyore (A.A. Milne)
Worry looks around. Sorry looks back. Faith looks up.
Your spark can become a flame and change everything. – E.D. Nixon
Miracles are to come, with you I leave a remembrance of miracles. – EE Cummings
LAUGHTER/SMILE
A good laugh is sunshine in a house. – Philip James Bailey
All life is an experiment. – Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows will spring. Renewed shall be the blade that was broken… from Lord of the Rings
Laughter is inner jogging. – Norman Cousins
Smiles are the soul's kisses. – Minna Thomas Antrim
A smile from a child is packaged sunshine and rainbows.
A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. – Phyllis Diller
Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available. – Jim Beggs
Smiling is infectious you can catch it like the flu, someone smiled at me today and I started smiling, too.
Whenever I see your smiling face, I have to smile myself, because I love you.
LIFE
But now I have learned to listen to silence. To hear its choirs singing the song of ages, chanting the hymns of space, and disclosing the secrets of eternity. – Kahlil Gibran
I cannot believe that the inscrutable universe turns on an axis of suffering; surely the strange beauty of the world must somewhere rest on pure joy! – Louise A. Bogan
I wish to live because life has with it that which is good, that which is beautiful, and that which is love. – Lorraine Hansberry
If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it. – Lucy Larcom, American poet (1826-1893) [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable. -Helen Keller [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
One must care about a world one will never see. – Bertrand Russell, British mathematician and philosopher (1872-1970) [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
Seek the wisdom of the ages, but look at the world through the eyes of a child. – Ron Wild
Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these. – Susan B. Anthony
The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that outlasts it. – William James
The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future. – Herbert Spencer
True life is lived when tiny changes occur. – Leo Tolstoy
There is no death, only a change of worlds. – Chief Seattle
The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea. – Isak Dinasen
“To die – now that would be an awfully big adventure. Peter Pan
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?—every, every minute?" —Thornton Wilder, Our Town
Morning is nature's way of saying: "Live life one more time, make a difference, touch one heart, encourage one mind and inspire one soul."
LOVE
Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire. Absence is to love what wind is to fire, it extinguishes the small & kindles the great.
Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. – Bobby, age 5
Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other. – Karl, age 5
To be loved, be lovable. – Ovid [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
What's the earth with all its art, verse, music worth compared with love found, gained, and kept? – Robert Browning
Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. You get week in the knees. Your head starts to whirl. Before you know it, you’re knocked for a loop. – Bambi
She discovered with great delight that one does not love one's children just because they are one's children but because of the friendship formed while raising them." – Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera
LUCK
Chance favors the prepared mind. – Louis Pasteur
If you are lucky enough to have a cabin in the mountains,you are lucky enough.
May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun and find your shoulder to light upon, to bring you luck, happiness and riches today, tomorrow and beyond. – Irish blessing
The more you prepare, the luckier you appear. – Terry Josephson [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
MEMORIES
In the chamber of memory are beautiful treasures,
Enticing us often to enter its doors;
Its pictures are full of the dearest of pleasures,
O how we long just to live them once more.
How swift sped the hours! How bright was the sunlight!
How happy the seasons these pictures recall!
Through the veil of the past, their radiance glimmers,
Like the glow of the sunset when night shadows fall.
Memories are postcards from the heart.
They tell of the many roads we have traveled
and the many people we have loved
along the way. –Flavia
Memory is a child walking along the seashore. You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things.
Memory, that library of the soul from which I will draw knowledge and experience for the rest of my life. – Tove Ditlevsen
A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. – Eudora Welty
MILITARY
ALPHA BRAVO CHARLIE DELTA ECHO FOXTROT GOLF HOTEL INDIA JULIET KILO LIMA MIKE NOVEMBER OCTOBER PAPA QUEBEC ROMEO SIERRA TANGO UNIFORM VICTOR WHISKEY XRAY YANKEE ZULU
A nuclear war can ruin your whole day – Unknown
Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value. – Marshal Ferdinand Foch [Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre] (circa 1911) He was Supreme Commander of Allied forces, 1918
All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us…they can't get away this time – Lt Gen Lewis B. Puller, USMC
Always remember to pillage BEFORE you burn – Unknown
Anything worth fighting for is worth fighting dirty for – Unknown
And maybe just remind the few, if ill of us they speak, that we are all that stands between the monsters and the weak. – Michael Marks
Army: A body of men assembled to rectify the mistakes of the diplomats. – Josephus Daniels
Better you than me. – Animal Mother (Full Metal Jacket)
Draft beer, not people – Unknown
Hard pressed on my right; my left is in retreat. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver. Situation excellent. I am attacking. Attaquez! – General Ferdinand Foch (to General Joffre during Battle of the Marne)
I never trust a fighting man who doesn't smoke or drink. – Admiral William Halsey
If two people can't see each other, then it's impossible to communicate – Unknown roman warfare expert (63 ac.)
If your bayonet breaks, strike with the stock. If the stock gives way, hit him with your fists. If your fists are hurt, bite him with your teeth – General Mikhail I. Dragomirov, "Notes for soldiers" 1890.
In war I would deal with the Devil and his grandmother – Joseph Stalin
Just drive down that road, until you get blown up – General George Patton, about reconnaissance troops
One of the serious problems in planning the fight against American doctrine, is that the Americans do not read their manuals, nor do they feel any obligation to follow their doctrine…- From a Soviet Junior Lt.s Notebook
Onward we stagger, and if the tanks come, may God help the tanks. – Col. William O. Darby, U.S. Rangers
Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student. At least they can find Kuwait. – A. Whitney Brown
Never underestimate the power of world domination! – 1. Lt. Rekve's solution to all the problems in the world.
Paper-work will ruin any military force – Lieutenant-General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller
Peace — It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.
Samuel Morse must have lost his mind if he believes in this idea himself! – Senator Oliver Hampton Smith, (1842) after having seen a demonstration of Morse's new invention.
The best armor is staying out of gun-shot. – Italian proverb
The best tank terrain is that without anti-tank weapons. – Russian military doctrine.
Hit the other fellow, as quick as you can, and as hard as you can, where it hurts him most, when he ain't lookin'. – Unrecorded British sergeant-major, (On the definition of strategy)
The day of parachute troops is over – Adolf Hitler, after the heavy losses suffered by the airborne units on Crete in 1941
The future is bought with the present. – Samuel Johnson
The Iraqi people are capable of fighting to the victorious end which God wants… the blood of our martyrs will burn you! – Saddam Hussein, August 1990.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, and a lot of bitching. – Unknown
The Lybian army is capable of destroying America and breaking its nose. – Muammar Qaddafi
The Pope! how many divisions has he got? – Stalin In 1935, a French visitor asked Soviet leader Josef Stalin if he thought Pope Pius XI might prove to be an ally.
Tell my son Josef that he will meet my divisions in eternity. – Reply from the Pope when he heard the story years later.
The reason the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices it on a daily basis. – from a post-war debriefing of a German General
There is no problem that cannot be solved by the use of high explosives. – Bumper Sticker
There is no room in war for delicate machinery. – Archibald Wavell, British general
They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist…. – Major-General John Sedgwick, 9 may 1864. Killed by a sniper during the battle of Spotsylvania.
To throw bombs from an airplane will do as much damage as throwing bags of flour. It will be my pleasure to stand on the bridge of any ship while it is attacked by airplanes. – Newton Baker, US minister of defense (1921)
We are going to find a solution to the Middle East conflict as soon as the Arabs agrees with us.. – Moshe Dayan, Israeli Minister of Defense during the Six Day War (1967)
We're surrounded. That simplifies the problem. – Chesty Puller, USMC
When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. – Elayne Boosler
When you see a rattlesnake poised to strike, you do not wait until he has struck before you crush him. – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Which brings me to perception. Some of you may remember Commander General Conway's speech before we left Kuwait, he mentioned those who don't support us. To quote him he said: 'Piss on them'. – Lieutenant Colonel Piers Hankinson, commander of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment
You can have my gun when you pry it from my paranoid, mentally disturbed, physically-abusive, cold, dead hand. – Bumper sticker
PERSISTENCE
Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then…find the way. – Abraham Lincoln
Never give up. Keep your thoughts and your mind always on the goal. – Tom Bradley
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. – Calvin Coolidge 30th president of US (1872 – 1933) [a favorite of and contributed by Jen ]
We can do anything we want if we stick to it long enough. – Helen Keller
Well done is better than well said. – Benjamin Franklin
"Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something." – Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
PROVERBS
A kind word is like a spring day. – Russian proverb [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
A friend loves at all times. – Proverbs 17:27
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. – Proverbs 22:1
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. – Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance – Proverbs 15:13
A tree depends upon the root; a man depends upon the heart. – Chinese Proverb
A wise son maketh a glad father – Proverbs 10:1
Blessings are upon the head of the just. – Proverbs 10:6
Her children arise up and call her blessed. – Proverbs 31:28
Learning is weightless, a treasure you can carry easily. – Chinese Proverb
The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm. – Swedish proverb [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
The Lord blesses the abode of the righteous. – Proverbs 3:33 NRSV
The memory of the just is blessed. – Proverbs 10:7
Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart for it. – Proverbs 22:6
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6
What ev'r thou art, act well they part. – Scottish Proverb
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding. – Proverbs 8:11
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. – Proverbs 3:27
All sunshine makes the desert. – Arab Proverb
He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever. – Chinese Proverb
SCRAPBOOKING
"I am a page planning, sticker art making, punch art assembling, scissor cutting, acid free testing, supply shopping fool" Author: Unknown
"If all else fails – add another embellishment!"Author: Unknown
"May All Your Dreams Be Filled With Bling! ;)" Author: KellyCali
SEASONS
Daffodils come before the swallow dares, and take the winds of March with beauty. – William Shakespeare
It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold; when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. – Charles Dickens
Life is checkered with shade and sunshine. – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Silent, soft and slow descends the snow. – Henry Wordsworth Longfellow
There is no time like Spring, when life's alive in everything. – Christina Rossetti
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. – Ecclesiastes 3:1
Winter is the time for comfort… It is the time for home. – Dame Edith Sitwell
Optimism is the personification of spring. [a favorite and contributed by Dawn]
Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. You get week in the knees. Your head starts to whirl. Before you know it, you’re knocked for a loop. – Bambi
SHADOW
Between the conception and the creation, between the emotion and the response, falls the shadow. – T.S. Elliot
We are but dust and shadows. – Horace
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. – Maori Proverb
SORROW
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition and of unspeakable love. – Washington Irving
There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!
Those who do not know how to weep with their whole heart don't know how to laugh either. – Golda Meir
Learn to write your hurts in sand. Learn to carve your blessings in stone! – Unknown [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
SPORTS
Karate is a form of martial arts in which people who have had years and years of training can, using only their hands and feet, make some of the worst movies in the history of the world. – Dave Barry
SUCCESS
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. – Abraham Lincoln
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Emerson
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
Success is to stand in the presence of God unashamed.
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission. – Eleanor Roosevelt
TIME
Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. – Diogenes
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain [a newfound favorite of and contributed by Cynthia]
TJ
Banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. – Thomas Jefferson 1802
I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. – Thomas Jefferson
It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world. – Thomas Jefferson
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. – Thomas Jefferson
No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. – Thomas Jefferson
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. – Thomas Jefferson
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. – Thomas Jefferson
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. – Thomas Jefferson
When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become corrupt as Europe. -Thomas Jefferson
TRAVEL
Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion. – Leigh Huntington
He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left – Chinese Proverb
TRUST
Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do. – Dr. Benjamin Spock
You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect. You may have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma. – Steve Jobs [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
TRUTH
And life is what we make it. Always has been. Always will be. – Grandma Moses
Four things come not back: the spoken word, the spent arrow, the past, the neglected opportunity. – Omar Uidn Al-Halif
Listen closely, truth is quiet. We can't all and some of us don't. That's all there is to it. – Eeyore
Wise are they who have learned these truths: Trouble is temporary. Time is tonic. Tribulation is a test tube. – William Arthur Ward
Better to wear out than to rust out. – Bishop Richard Cumberland
Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life. – Confucius
I will embrace today's difficult tasks, take off my coat, and make dust in the world. – Og Mandino
Keep doing some kind of work, that the devil may find you always employed. – St. John Honeywood
Man is born to work and prosper and not to rest and rust. – Vijey Christopher
My work is a game, a very serious game. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
O, How full of briers is this working-day world! – William Shakespeare in As You Like It
Our duty is to be useful, not according to our desires but according to our powers. – Henri F. Amiel, Swiss writer (1821-1881) [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
Our greatest weariness comes from work not done. – Eric Hoffer
The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that outlasts it. – William James
To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness. – Bishop Richard Cumberland
Work is love made visible. – Kahil Gibran
Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow. – Don Herold
This writing business, pencils and what not. Overrated if you ask me. – Eeyore
WINNIE THE POOH BY A.A. MILNE [favorites of and contributed by Adele]
Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would I'd never leave.”
You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
“If there ever comes a day when we can't be together keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever”
Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Christopher Robin to Pooh”
“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.”
Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering. — Winnie the Pooh
If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear. — Winnie the Pooh
Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. — Winnie the Pooh
When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, don't worry; you're probably just a little eleven o'clockish. — Winnie the Pooh
YOU & ME
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. – Theodore Roosevelt
He has achieved much who as lived well, laughed often, and loved much. – Mrs. A.J. Stanley
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. – Douglas Adams
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "Woo Hoo — What a ride!"
Make the most of yourself for that is all there is of you. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Most people search high and wide for the keys to success. If they only knew, the key to their dreams lies within. – George Washington Carver
Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be. -Karen Ravn
There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. – Anais Nin [a favorite of and contributed by Jen]
There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself. – Howard Thurman
Who I really am keeps surprising me. – Nikki Giovanni