photo friday

twitter is a grand vehicle to spark creativity!  take a look at the art of twitter:
http://irkafirka.com

thoughtful thursday

there's something about the feeling that swells when returning home from a journey.  the anticipation that grows as home nears, is palpable.  once through the door, the envelopment of the familiar environment embraces.  then the ritual of settling in again begins.  when all is as it should be, a cup of tea and a visit with the kitty cats (who are so happy to see mommy again) completes the welcome home.

whimsical wednesday!

snatched sentence poetry.  my submission, composed of selected tweets:

got anything to perk me up?
i would like to eat 345 plums.
an exceptionally sharp type of cheese.
two lawn tickets should never cost $70.
i can speak some french, lady!!
real names can cause real damage.

a little music, a little dance, a little salsa in your pants!

keep 'em coming, guys, this is fun.....

i'll send it in a minute;
drinking coffee at benzhaus.
emma looked stunning.
unimpressed cat is unimpressed.
risk it;
luckily no damage inside.
maybe he was holding out for some ranch dressing.
words fail the civilized.
this made me feel smart today.
does anyone want to go halfsies on a giraffe with me?

get ready.....

everyone reads a great deal of bits of prose from various sources in the course of a day.  this whimsical wednesday, pay closer attention to what is read.  snatch sentences that really grab then assemble the sentences into a poem.  share your poem on the blog.

photo friday

what is more whimsical than to find a sunflower growing where none was planted? not planted by humans that is. but definitely planted when sunflower seeds in the bird food fell to the earth from the porch rail and sprouting!

thoughtful thursday

it's been so hot, the temperature almost pushes away everything wonderful about summer.  summer brings an abundance of everything! there are fresh fruits and vegetables, often fruits and vegetables we grow ourselves.   the art of gardening brings such satisfaction.  there is also the opportunity to makes pies, ice cream, jams, pickles, spaghetti sauce, salsa and other delights as well as "put up" fruits and vegetables to enjoy during the cold months of the year.  the variety of flowers that bloom is breathtaking.  flowers are everywhere.  gardens burst with shapes, sizes and colors that fill the senses like nothing else seems to.  particularly joyful are the wildflowers along the roadsides; happily growing where a flower shouldn't be able to grow.  the birds sing louder, the frogs croak and the insects scratch out their music incessantly, fireflies wink, butterflies playfully flutter midair, young animals learning about their world abound.  activities that are typically only enjoyed during the summer are eagerly looked forward to.  the summer evenings stretch into forever making the cares of the world fall away if only for awhile.  when it's cold and gray, the memories of the abundance of summer sustain.

whimsical wednesday!

home again from the excursion to town for lunch, errands and, the most important task of the day, looking for an ugly truck for whimsical wednesday.  my day was almost over before an ugly truck was spied.  it seemed i wouldn't have seen one at all when this one appeared.  it was old with a dull red color.  it looked as if the body had had the paint removed (perhaps rust?) and painted with a yucky orange colored primer.  the tailgate was black.  all the chrome was pocked and marred. overall, a decent ugly truck but also somewhat disappointing as i was primed to find a really ugly truck.  soon after i saw the ugly truck an extremely ugly car came into view.  wow was it ugly!  it was a large older car.  the original color was white.  all along the sides of the car were several different colors of paint.  these colors also seemed to be primer covering removed rust.  the windows were covered with cracks and decals of very shapes and sizes.  it's doubtful either of my ugly vehicle sightings would win any prizes in ugly vehicle competition, however, i had fun looking and was glad to have seen even one slightly ugly truck.  no doubt i stop searching for ugly trucks because i'm still on the lookout for the rest of the state license plates that have yet to be spotted!

miscellaneous

it is sooooooo hot!  we do what we can to stay cool.  choosing foods like salads, ice cream, fruit, popsicles and iced tea are just some of what we consume during the summer to be refreshed.  to add to the summer menu choices here are beverage recipes from my daughter, libby:

Frozen Hot Chocolate (makes about 6 cups) - 1.5 c milk - 1/4 c chocolate chips [or approx that amount chocolate of your choice] - 1 packet hot cocoa mix [or 1 oz from a can] - 3 trays ice [around 3 cups or just keep adding if you like the mix freezier] Melt chocolate chips in 1/2 c milk. Add cocoa mix & a bit of sugar to taste as milk heats; continue to stir & blend while everything melts. As with cooking of things dairy, don't allow to boil or singe, just cook on low until all ingredients are uniformly blended. Dump chocolate mixture in blender with the remaining 1 c milk. Give it a few whirls to mix. Add ice, as much at a time that your blender will happily crunch into, until all ice is gone. Whirr a bit longer to fully blend. Pour into containers of choice. Serve with a spoon, as it does separate a mite once resting. This recipe is easy enough to tinker with to your preferences. A bit more chocolate if you like it more chocolaty, more cocoa mix if it doesn't have enough of that cocoa flavor, add in mint liqueur or some other sort of alcoholic deliciousness.   (recipe inspired by frozen hot chocolate advertisement at dunkin donuts; saw the sign and thought I could do better!) Frozen Lemonade  (makes about 6 cups) Just lemonade and ice crushed in the blender. I start with 2 cups of lemonade, add lots of ice, and might add more lemonade if it needs more wet to blend easier.* *here's libby's fresh lemonade recipe to use as the ingredient in the frozen lemonade: 6 lemons, juiced 1 to 2 cups of sugar (to taste) 1 to 1 1/2 quarts of water (to taste) tip:  bring at least 3 cups of the water to a boil to pour over the combined sugar and lemon juice. stir until the sugar has melted.  add the rest of the water to the lemon juice/sugar/water mixture in a pitcher.  chill. ALSO....... check out the beautiful jewelry made by a twitter friend: http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurelmoonjewelry

get ready.....

wednesday is july 20th.  according to the calendar of daily observances it is national UGLY TRUCK day!  ugly truck day is explained as follows:

Ugly Truck Day
Today many States in the Union will be holding "Ugly Truck" competitions.  While the rules change from State to State, everyone agrees that Ugly Trucks deserve love too.  Entrants range from old wrecks hobbling along on three wheels to trucks ornately decorated with stickers, bugs and mud.


to celebrate, we will be on the lookout for ugly trucks!  happy ugly truck hunting and be sure to look for the whimsey!  

photo friday

today's photo features a card my granddaughter created for me when she was about four years old.  the drawing was so cute and happy, it was definitely a keeper.  about the time she gave me the card, i read the bit of wisdom written on the card.  that wisdom was also a keeper so the two were combined.  when megan saw that i had written on the card she asked me why.  my reply was that her card and those words were keepers so i decided to keep them together.  the card rests on a shelf in my room where it can greet me daily.  and megan is thrilled to find it there whenever she visits.  enjoy!

"don't get older, get better.  live realistically.  give generously.  adapt willingly.  trust fearlessly.  rejoice daily."
                                                                                                                 ........charles r swindell

thoughtful thursday

being interested in a wide variety of what is floating about in the world, everyday i discover something to be surprised and excited about.  because i want to hold on to as many of these discoveries as possible, i began keeping a "notable notebook" in which to record these gems.  the notable notebook is an eclectic blend of quotes, words and definitions, observations of experiences, comments on culture (art, music, theater, dance, books), interactions with others or nature, and anything else that inspires the reaction, "this must be written in the notable notebook!".   it is not uncommon for a morsel from someone i know to be inscribed in the notebook and they are told.  this usually prompts the necessity to explain what the notable notebook is all about and, once understood, they are pleased.  me too.  it's grand to browse through the notebook and enjoy moments all over again.  you can have a notable notebook too.  enjoy!

whimsical wednesday!

our activity for whimsical wednesday is to select the one word that we feel denotes HAPPY; then find related words in the thesaurus.

the word that most denotes HAPPY for me is CONTENT.

the related words to CONTENT found are:

blissful
satisfied
thrilled
comfortable
elated
gratified
delighted
fulfilled
tolerable
pleased
joyous
serene

the range of emotion encompassed within the words mined from the thesaurus to denote CONTENT is revealing as well as somewhat surprising.  my whimsical wednesday word hunt leaves me "content" with the outcome.

what's your word for happy?

get ready.....

words describe.   for whimsical wednesday, think of the one word that best describes any happy feeling you experience.  (please don't rely on the word happy!) after choosing your word, use the thesaurus to find the array of additional words that convey the meaning of your single selection.  you'll be thrilled at all the words you discover that describes your feeling!

happy anniversary!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY WHIMSEY PROJECT!!!!!!!

the whimsey project celebrates its first anniversary.  one year ago, an idea that had floated about for quite some time, became a reality with the first blog post at the newly created whimsey project blog.  over the course of the last year, the rhythm of the blog and what was to be presented unfolded.  a twitter and facebook presence was established.  whimsical wednesday grew to include many persons in many places.  whimsical happenings took place in the local community as well as in other cities such as chicago.  the list of future events and undertakings is long and continues to grow.  please stop by the blog and add your happy anniversary greeting!  thank you for sharing the whimsey project with us.  and remember to keep whimsey in your daily living.....

photo friday

http://www.wimp.com/catdolphins/

this is a very sweet video of a kitty and dolphin getting to know each other.

thoughtful thursday

yips.  noun.  a state of nervous tension affecting a person in the performance of a crucial action.

the yips is that uncomfortable, unsettling, nervousness that one feels in the buildup to taking action.  release from this state of being only occurs once action has begun. everyone has experienced this.  it's negative only if one does not heed the yips and take action!  create that art, write that book, call that friend, tidy that house, plant that garden.  it matters not what action one takes, just do it!  think not of perfection or the outcome or what others might think.  taking action is living.

whimsical wednesday!

an early rising friend was the recipient of my whimsical wednesday phone call. we haven't talked in awhile and it has been even longer since we have seen each other. as soon as i heard her voice i could "hear" her smile!  we had a lovely half hour conversation, catching up on each other's doings and vowing to get together soon. in the meantime, my hello to her and her smile to me will last until we are in each other's company.  "hearing" someone smile over the phone was so endearing that there just might be more calls throughout the day.

miscellaneous

along with the gold finches, blue finches have appeared.  blue finches are beautiful. blue finches and gold finches present at the same time are even more beautiful. guests and i saw many of both while porch sitting, along with the dog and kitties, during our july 4th gathering.  we also watched the hummingbirds vie for superiority at the feeders (even though there's always plenty of feeders that offer plenty of nectar for all of them) and the ducks laze on the calm, mirror-like reflective lake.  we cheered each time the fisherman caught, then released, fish. better than fireworks!  a wonderful holiday shared with friends, both human and otherwise.

get ready.....

call someone this whimsical wednesday.  make them happy and "hear" them smile over the telephone.

photo friday

this little guy is so whimsically cute, i giggle every time i look at him!

can you see me?