thoughtful thursday

summer is newly arrived.  the beginning of the season is when summer is at its best. if there has been enough spring rain, all the vegetation is lush; vibrant in various hues of deep green.  the flowers are vivid and perky.  the wee offspring of the animals that inhabit the land are beginning to emerge from nests.  they are so cute in their awkwardness in learning how to navigate the environment.  butterflies, lightning bugs, seasonal birds, lady bugs. frogs and insects making music.  most days are still comfortable as there isn't yet unrelenting heat and/or humidity, making it possible to enjoy being outdoors.  early summer is fresh and new yet with a fullness not present during spring.  welcome, summer!

whimsical wednesday!

our activity this whimsical wednesday was to pay careful attention to the sounds that occur around us as we go about our routine day.  the focus was on sounds we create or sounds that are made around us in the environment.

once the activity was posted on monday, it became impossible for me to NOT to hear those sounds that appeal to me; making my whimsical wednesday activity an ongoing process since monday.  no doubt others have also experienced this.

one of the twitter followers offered that listening to the sound of rain pinging on the roof and windows while snug in bed was a favorite sound.  that is indeed a grand sound.

these are my favorite sounds to date ("to date" for, as with other whimsical wednesday activities, this one will continue to be something something i am very aware of):

the sound of the refrigerator ice maker dumping ice cubes, then the ice tray refilling with water.

the sound of the ceiling fan whirring on high speed.

the sound of the dishwasher rumbling when it is washing the dishes.

the sound of a new email message to the inbox alert.

the sound of tea being poured from the teapot into a cup.

the sound of the screen door creaking as it is pushed open.

the sound of the scoop being plunged into the bin of shell corn when getting the ducks their breakfast.

the sound of chopping vegetables for a salad or stir fry.


what are your favorite sounds?

miscellaneous

the whimsey project also posts on facebook and twitter.

it was decided to stop posting on facebook, therefore, we have invited all facebook friends to follow us at the blog or on twitter.

the number of followers on twitter is approaching 150. thank you twitter friends of the whimsey project.  it's great to have you with us.  your participation in whimsical wednesday activities is gratifying.  and daily tweets together about birthdays, rainbows, sunsets and other happy experiences have been wonderful to share.  you are welcome to also post here on the whimsey project blog.  

get ready.....

there are everyday sounds that we hear but don't pay much attention to.  however, these sounds are often whimsically pleasing to hear; musical in fact.  listen carefully to the sounds created from your everyday actions and those that surround you this whimsical wednesday.  which ones made you smile, giggle, happy?!

photo friday

the bird feeding station that attracts all the birds i delight in observing.

thoughtful thursday

the big move for my sister prompted a discussion about the stuff a person has.  the conversation was a different take on the topic of possessions.  it was agreed that the items a person fills their home with is, in and of itself, a statement regarding the people who dwell within that environment.  she and i agreed that we both enjoy being in the home of others and observing what they have about them:  the furniture, the accessories, the wall colors, flooring and all the rest.  a home filled with an abundance of art, books, music, photographs of friends, family, places speaks volumes about a person's personality and interests.  so does a home that is devoid of any or all of these items.  of course, there is no value judgement associated with a home that is all, nothing or somewhere in between.  it is just another opportunity to get to know about a person.  it becomes an avenue for conversation as, when i visit someone's home and something catches my attention (curiosity), i want to know all about it.  my desire to know allows the host to share the history of the object and what it means to them.  a connection is made!  for me, it's a fascinating treasure hunt.

whimsical wednesday!

creating was the assignment for whimsical wednesday; in any medium with any materials.  this was given consideration for part of the morning until it was decided to create rose shaped pins with strips of fabric.  my sister, the fabulous paper crafter, had given me the directions for these and other flowers about a year ago.  while i have made some of the other flowers, the fabric roses hadn't yet been attempted; even though this was one of the flower projects i most wanted to tackle.  

here are the directions for the fabric flower:

cut fabric 1 1/2" wide and 14" long.  begin with the center of the rose by folding down one end of the strip on an angle and then fold fabric in half.  the flower is formed by twisting and folding fabric into a spiral formation.

those innocent seeming directions should have yielded several flowers in a short period of time given that i pulled fabric from my stash that was already cut into strips.  it would seem so.  however,  after two hours of attempting to twist, fold and roll the fabric strip into a spiral formation, only one fabric rose was created!
what it is about this particular manipulation of a single piece of fabric that i could not master is beyond my comprehension?  the effort has left me tired, perplexed and feeling somewhat defeated.  then i look at the little flower i did manage to create and think, "i did it!".

now my determination to master this craft is intense.  however, i will need reinforcements in the form of another person to create with me.  next time i am able to visit with my sister, we shall have a fabric flower creating session.  maybe mom will play with us as well!  =]

miscellaneous

summer begins today!  and it's the longest day of the year.  on the other side of the earth, it's the shortest day of the year and winter begins.  isn't that amazing?     happy summer!  happy winter!  today you both arrive having changed places from one side of the globe to the other.  on this day in the mid1990s i was in australia.  it was hot and steamy and didn't feel like winter at all but it was winter nonetheless. modern life afforded the opportunity to experience winter in australia while everyone at home was celebrating the coming of summer.  experiences are priceless.

get ready.....

create!  create this whimsical wednesday.  create anything that you desire; be it simple or complex, with any medium and any materials.  be surprised by what others create and surprise yourself!

photo friday

dragon/soda can pull tabs

as a found object artist, i am struck by how awesomely whimsical this piece is!

thoughtful thursday

thoughtful thursday is coming to a close as evening is here.  this is the last task of the day.  and it will go incomplete as i find i have nothing to talk about today.  not that there's nothing to talk about; there's just nothing i want to talk about.  see you tomorrow for photo friday.

whimsical wednesday!

the cosher planned for this whimsical wednesday was a small going away party for my sister, who is moving to another state in a few days.  wednesday is the usual day a friend and i have lunch at a favorite restaurant.  my sister sometimes joins us. since today would have been her last opportunity to participate we decided to make it special and surprise her. 

however, today was the day the moving company was to pack her belongings and load them into the moving van.  with this in mind we made the meeting time an hour later than usual, indicating we would wait for her even if she couldn't get there at the appointed time.  there we were with balloons and presents, anticipating her arrival so one of us could meet her at the door in order to pay for her meal.  alas, it was not to be.  she called to inform that the moving process would last much longer into the afternoon than would be practical for us to wait for her. 

we ate our meal, then gathered the goodies and made our way to her house.  if she couldn't come to the party, the party would come to her!  she wasn't surprised to see us as we said we might come by after lunch, however, she was surprised to see balloons and gift wrapped presents!  she liked the balloons and loved the presents.....the ingredients for m&m casserole and a wall hanging our mother cross stitched (and i framed) for her new house.  it was a special way of saying farewell; cosher "mission accomplished" this whimsical wednesday.  

miscellaneous

heat, heat,and more heat was ever present for the last few weeks.  it was summer before spring had an opportunity to shine.  over the weekend, the heat broke and it's been marvelously cooler since.  perfect weather for sipping tea and watching the hummingbirds, gold finches and other friends of feather that visit the farm.  imagine my excitement when, yesterday, i verified three hummingbirds visiting the feeders.  wow!  that's one more than has visited the farm over the last several years.  this morning i thought i saw a fourth hummingbird!  this has not yet been confirmed; it could be a wishful sighting on my part or just confusion in the very nature of how the hummers zoom from feeder to feeder and feeder to trees.  however, the time will come that will allow for independent verification of the new visitor.  my friend has over 200 hummingbirds visit her many, many feeders.  certainly there needn't be that many here for happy hummer viewing, however, more than one or two sure increases the pleasure of watching these amazing little creatures.  this time of year much of my conversation revolves around hummingbirds because they are so delightfully whimsical.  are you feeding hummers as well?

marvelous milestone.  the whimsey project has reached and exceeded 100 followers!  we love our twitter community and invite them to visit the blog!  everyone welcome!

get ready.....

COSHER (KOSH-er) verb;  to treat with special fondness.

isn't this a great word?  cosher someone in any whimsical way you desire this whimsical wednesday!

photo friday

the photo is a baby numbat, at the perth zoo.  before seeing this numbat i never heard of the creature!  the name of this critter is very whimsical to me.  there might be a future dog or cat or water fowl here on the farm graced with that name.  numbat!  numbat! numbat!  (say that three times fast! giggle.......)

numbat!

thoughtful thursday

just do it is more than a slogan.  it is an emphatic call to urgency (overly dramatic perhaps?  giggle!.......).  not an urgency that is hurried and NOW but the suggested necessity to live in a way that encourages doing; involving oneself in those activities that are valued as important to the individual.  there is so much that must be done, making the "want to" happen is the balance that life requires.  additionally, it is also important not to let the urgency make the doing a chore.  each day just do it, however briefly.  for even a few pages of that great book read or one row of knitting added to a piece or bird watching for five minutes is time spent doing what derives  pleasure..... which makes life whimsically grand.

whimsical wednesday!

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miscellaneous

travel over the weekend was very fruitful in the state license plate game department.  the list of sighted plates grew to include nevada, new hampshire, iowa and wyoming.  it was a hoot to spy new hampshire while driving through nashville instead of having spied it in the northeast during a recent visit there.  it seemed we had spotted alabama when going south  months ago, however, it hadn't been entered or dated on the list so when it came along this weekend, alabama was officially included as sighted.  i can't remember if i declared somewhere on the whimsey project site that new york, new jersey and massachusetts have been seen.

it's very hot.  licking sugar free fudgesicles like a little kid is one of the few pleasures of a very hot day!

should anyone have an idea for a whimsical wednesday activity, please share.

get ready.....

do you have a favorite punctuation mark?  i do.  this whimsical wednesday create a design or pattern using the punctuation mark favored.  it will make a neat yet simple blog post.  no words necessary! 

photo friday

my family enjoying the new hammock during memorial day weekend......

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thoughtful thursday

memorial day weekend was spent mostly on the screened porch.  meals, tea, visiting, watching the activities everyone was involved in, enjoying sunrises, sunsets and the wildlife.  so peaceful and relaxing;  so "other" time and the world disappeared.  each moment savored.

whimsical wednesday!

blind spinning photo taken in the living room

the living room, full of art, was selected as the site for blind spinning photo taking.  several were snapped and all that were captured were neat, however, this was my favorite.  enjoy!