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| happy thanksgiving from my family to our tennessee family! |
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
whimsical wednesday
it's get ready for thanksgiving day for whimsical wednesday! do something fun that will contribute to your holiday; by yourself or with others.
the grandchildren and i created a centerpiece for the table. we simply scouted about the house and outside for plates, candles, small natural items like acorns, rocks and pine cones. then we arranged them on a tea towel on the table. we also cut out turkey shapes to put on the holiday table. on these we will write our blessings.
what did you do to prepare for thanksgiving this whimsical wednesday?
the grandchildren and i created a centerpiece for the table. we simply scouted about the house and outside for plates, candles, small natural items like acorns, rocks and pine cones. then we arranged them on a tea towel on the table. we also cut out turkey shapes to put on the holiday table. on these we will write our blessings.
what did you do to prepare for thanksgiving this whimsical wednesday?
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
not something you see every day!
it's tuesday! time, once again, for NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY! share your funny, unusual, interesting experiences at the whimsey project today!
Monday, November 25, 2013
get ready.....
for whimsical wednesday, do something to prepare for thanksgiving! whatever would be fun for you or you and your family, have a happy day before thanksgiving on whimsical wednesday. my grandchildren will be here so my plans are to do something to prepare for thanksgiving with them.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
miscellaneous
more blooms on the thanksgiving cactus! the first time the cactus began to bloom in early november i was concerned the blooms would all be gone before thanksgiving. no need for concern as the blossoms last a very long time. they will be enjoyed well into december.
my christmas cards are ready to be mailed!
the countdown to thanksgiving and a house filled with those i love has begun. every day, beginning today, a task is addressed to get everything ready; especially the thanksgiving feast!
hopefully readers are enjoying the twitter photos. there's nothing like a sweet animal or gorgeous landscape to soothe and/or provoke mirth. here's a few for today:
https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/404029208458194944/photo/1
https://twitter.com/fabulousanimals/status/402950126551195648/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/402920163747840000/photo/1
my christmas cards are ready to be mailed!
the countdown to thanksgiving and a house filled with those i love has begun. every day, beginning today, a task is addressed to get everything ready; especially the thanksgiving feast!
hopefully readers are enjoying the twitter photos. there's nothing like a sweet animal or gorgeous landscape to soothe and/or provoke mirth. here's a few for today:
https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/404029208458194944/photo/1
https://twitter.com/fabulousanimals/status/402950126551195648/photo/1
https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/402920163747840000/photo/1
Friday, November 22, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
thoughtful thursday
the art of gratitude. being thankful, grateful for whatever good is in one's life, however simple, is an important component in living a healthy life. this is not a platitude or to discount the truly negative events in life. the old saying, "i complained i had no shoes until i met a man who had no feet." is an inadequate summation of gratitude but will have to do for the purpose of thoughtful thursday.
a bit of psychological background via the theory of abraham maslow's hierarchy of needs. maslow posited that an individual cannot even begin to reach for self-actualization until basic human needs are met: food, water, shelter, security, safety. only once these needs are met and continue to be met over time can a person strive for the abstract needs of being fully human: love, friendship, belonging, esteem, morality, creativity, acceptance of self and others. this process occurs naturally, not by any force of action by the individual. all of these needs are tied to the characteristic of motivation. we do not choose to be motivated; we are, like breathing, motivated. what we are motivated toward changes with our needs.
citizens of more modern societies more or less have their basic needs met. therefore, it's a given that those needs are rarely thought of as anything more than normal. even though, for everyone, basic needs can be withheld for just about any occurrence; such as a extreme natural disaster. until the norm changes, individuals are automatically motivated toward higher level human needs. this is the point at which the old saying about no shoes versus no feet becomes important. it is even more critical for living a healthy life to remain focused on gratitude for all that is good in our lives. be thankful for what makes quality of life possible while striving to met continued needs.
i'm grateful for soap, hot water, vision to look at all the wonders of nature that surround me daily, a brain that more than adequately allows me to think and ponder about such concepts as a hierarchy of needs for human beings. the list of what i am grateful for is longer than i could impart in this space. it's enough to state that i am mindful of my extreme good fortune to live as i do. today and during the next week leading to my favorite holiday, thanksgiving, make your mental list of all that is good in your life.
a bit of psychological background via the theory of abraham maslow's hierarchy of needs. maslow posited that an individual cannot even begin to reach for self-actualization until basic human needs are met: food, water, shelter, security, safety. only once these needs are met and continue to be met over time can a person strive for the abstract needs of being fully human: love, friendship, belonging, esteem, morality, creativity, acceptance of self and others. this process occurs naturally, not by any force of action by the individual. all of these needs are tied to the characteristic of motivation. we do not choose to be motivated; we are, like breathing, motivated. what we are motivated toward changes with our needs.
citizens of more modern societies more or less have their basic needs met. therefore, it's a given that those needs are rarely thought of as anything more than normal. even though, for everyone, basic needs can be withheld for just about any occurrence; such as a extreme natural disaster. until the norm changes, individuals are automatically motivated toward higher level human needs. this is the point at which the old saying about no shoes versus no feet becomes important. it is even more critical for living a healthy life to remain focused on gratitude for all that is good in our lives. be thankful for what makes quality of life possible while striving to met continued needs.
i'm grateful for soap, hot water, vision to look at all the wonders of nature that surround me daily, a brain that more than adequately allows me to think and ponder about such concepts as a hierarchy of needs for human beings. the list of what i am grateful for is longer than i could impart in this space. it's enough to state that i am mindful of my extreme good fortune to live as i do. today and during the next week leading to my favorite holiday, thanksgiving, make your mental list of all that is good in your life.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
whimsical wednesday
it's whimsical wednesday and our activity is to hunt (learn) something new about thanksgiving. perhaps use this new found knowledge to incorporate into your thanksgiving celebration.
this morning i took an extensive tour of the internet seeking information about thanksgiving. several sites touted themselves to be about the REAL thanksgiving. those i read thinking i would find out a lot about thanksgiving. i did. it's a given that a lot of what we "know" about all sorts of celebrations, persons, events are a mixture of fact and fiction. it just evolves that way over time, whether by concerted effort or happenstance. but what i discovered new about thanksgiving nearly ruined my (our family's) favorite holiday of the year:
*there was a first thanksgiving that was good between native americans and english settlers but it was a singular event.
*thanksgiving was offered by the english settlers for having successfully murdered hundreds of native americans and themselves "spared".
*some native american nations observe thanksgiving as a day to remember the murder of their ancestors and/or protest against the injustice to them by the american government.
*president franklin roosevelt deemed the official thanksgiving the fourth thursday of november. to please merchants, novembers with five thursdays offered one more week of christmas shopping. this changed the official thanksgiving day put into place by president abraham lincoln.
*the most famous parade, the macy's thanksgiving day parade orginated in order to bring attention to the store and entice more customers.
*professional football has been played on thanksgiving since its inception. collegiate football has been played on thanksgiving for at least a century.
*this week, in the news, it was announced that major stores will be open on thanksgiving day instead of waiting to open for business on friday after thanksgiving. this is hardly a surprise. while black friday has been a thanksgiving holiday weekend tradition for many years, last year some stores opened for business on thanksgiving night.
it seems thanksgiving was about slaughter, shopping, self-promotion and sports. how disheartening. then i read an article about thanksgiving by a native american. the author allowed that, yes, the history about thanksgiving cannot be changed and it's best to accept reality. however, he offered further, that giving thanks for what is good about life is a long held tradition by native americans. the day set aside on the fourth thursday of each november was as good as any other day to observe a special day of thanksgiving. i was encouraged.
moving along, i turned my attention to looking for ideas for thanksgiving table decor; thinking festive would brighten my mood. as i browsed different websites, i came across one idea that caused me to laugh out loud. one idea was to use a canning jar to house a medium sized column candle. the material used to hold the candle in place was pop corn kernels. my first thought upon seeing the pop corn was that the heat of the candle would cause the pop corn to pop and what a mess that would be! of course, the candle's flame would not be hot enough to pop the corn kernels but it was fun to think of the possibility! perhaps i will utilize the idea of the candle in canning jars but will use small rocks for the stabilizer.
whew! what did you learn about thanksgiving this whimsical wednesday?
this morning i took an extensive tour of the internet seeking information about thanksgiving. several sites touted themselves to be about the REAL thanksgiving. those i read thinking i would find out a lot about thanksgiving. i did. it's a given that a lot of what we "know" about all sorts of celebrations, persons, events are a mixture of fact and fiction. it just evolves that way over time, whether by concerted effort or happenstance. but what i discovered new about thanksgiving nearly ruined my (our family's) favorite holiday of the year:
*there was a first thanksgiving that was good between native americans and english settlers but it was a singular event.
*thanksgiving was offered by the english settlers for having successfully murdered hundreds of native americans and themselves "spared".
*some native american nations observe thanksgiving as a day to remember the murder of their ancestors and/or protest against the injustice to them by the american government.
*president franklin roosevelt deemed the official thanksgiving the fourth thursday of november. to please merchants, novembers with five thursdays offered one more week of christmas shopping. this changed the official thanksgiving day put into place by president abraham lincoln.
*the most famous parade, the macy's thanksgiving day parade orginated in order to bring attention to the store and entice more customers.
*professional football has been played on thanksgiving since its inception. collegiate football has been played on thanksgiving for at least a century.
*this week, in the news, it was announced that major stores will be open on thanksgiving day instead of waiting to open for business on friday after thanksgiving. this is hardly a surprise. while black friday has been a thanksgiving holiday weekend tradition for many years, last year some stores opened for business on thanksgiving night.
it seems thanksgiving was about slaughter, shopping, self-promotion and sports. how disheartening. then i read an article about thanksgiving by a native american. the author allowed that, yes, the history about thanksgiving cannot be changed and it's best to accept reality. however, he offered further, that giving thanks for what is good about life is a long held tradition by native americans. the day set aside on the fourth thursday of each november was as good as any other day to observe a special day of thanksgiving. i was encouraged.
moving along, i turned my attention to looking for ideas for thanksgiving table decor; thinking festive would brighten my mood. as i browsed different websites, i came across one idea that caused me to laugh out loud. one idea was to use a canning jar to house a medium sized column candle. the material used to hold the candle in place was pop corn kernels. my first thought upon seeing the pop corn was that the heat of the candle would cause the pop corn to pop and what a mess that would be! of course, the candle's flame would not be hot enough to pop the corn kernels but it was fun to think of the possibility! perhaps i will utilize the idea of the candle in canning jars but will use small rocks for the stabilizer.
whew! what did you learn about thanksgiving this whimsical wednesday?
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
not something you see every day!
time, once again, for NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY! share your silly, gobsmacking, unusual experiences with the whimsey project today!
Monday, November 18, 2013
get ready.....
for whimsical wednesday, we will be hunting! hunting for something new to learn about thanksgiving! look all around for history, ideas for decorating the table, a craft project for kids and/or new recipes, anything new about thanksgiving you can find! some of that new information could be used to enhance this year's thanksgiving celebration.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
miscellaneous
the thanksgiving cactus is beginning to bloom! that means thanksgiving is close and getting closer very day. the blooms on the cactus are elongated and bright pink. they remind me of shrimp in the shell!
there is light at the end of the bedroom transformation! everything that doesn't belong in the room, namely boxes, is gone! more stuff has been sorted into place, toss, give away. the bookcase and desk are cleared of stuff as well; except for the stuff that belongs on each. yay!
the best photographs are posted on twitter. this one made me smile:
https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/401653931895697408/photo/1
there is light at the end of the bedroom transformation! everything that doesn't belong in the room, namely boxes, is gone! more stuff has been sorted into place, toss, give away. the bookcase and desk are cleared of stuff as well; except for the stuff that belongs on each. yay!
the best photographs are posted on twitter. this one made me smile:
https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/401653931895697408/photo/1
Friday, November 15, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
thoughtful thursday
a few days ago, my sweet wee doggie, waif, walked over and stood next to my chair. she looked up at me as she raised herself on her hind legs, beseeching me to pick her up. i obliged and she sat on my lap, allowing me to stroke her and talk to her for quite some time. this would not seem unusual to anyone who loves dogs. however, this is the first time waif has done this in the few years she has lived with me. while i was pleased about her want for my company, it caused me to wonder why this moment for such an interaction. regardless of why, she choose a particularly poignant time to initiate closeness.
people are amazed at the love and closeness of inter-species relationships, like a giant turtle and a goose being inseparable. we humans are amazed but we rarely take notice that, with our dogs and cats, we also have inter-species relationships. the love and closeness we feel with and for our animals makes them a member of the family. when we experience the loss of these very loved family members, a huge gap is left in our hearts and in our homes. perhaps waif sensed that i was experiencing sadness when she came to me; sadness for friends who recently lost their beloved dogs.
waif and i send love to all who love special animal(s) and we honor the memory of those animals who have left our company. our lives are enriched because of them.
people are amazed at the love and closeness of inter-species relationships, like a giant turtle and a goose being inseparable. we humans are amazed but we rarely take notice that, with our dogs and cats, we also have inter-species relationships. the love and closeness we feel with and for our animals makes them a member of the family. when we experience the loss of these very loved family members, a huge gap is left in our hearts and in our homes. perhaps waif sensed that i was experiencing sadness when she came to me; sadness for friends who recently lost their beloved dogs.
waif and i send love to all who love special animal(s) and we honor the memory of those animals who have left our company. our lives are enriched because of them.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
whimsical wednesday
it's memory books and/or notable notebooks this whimsical wednesday! a memory book is any notebook one uses to inscribe random memories about anything. a notable notebook is any notebook one uses to jot down ideas, thoughts, quotes, interesting bits of this and that.
both are enjoyable activities for me. the notable notebook gets more attention than the memory book because i'm always reading something somewhere i want to keep. i have found, with the memory book, if something comes to mind i should stop what i'm doing and write the memory. if i don't, i often lose what it was i wanted to remember. the memory returns, but it's not the same as when i was first inspired. because it takes longer to write in the memory book it's much easier to put off than the notable notebook. that factor is the main reason to set aside one whimsical wednesday a month to pay particular attention to the memory book.
my first activity of this day was to open my memory book and write about the enchantment of a hard frost glistening in sunlight. this fall scene has enthralled since i was a child. it never fails to impress no matter how old i grow. what a pleasant way to begin the day and to enjoy whimsical wednesday.
both are enjoyable activities for me. the notable notebook gets more attention than the memory book because i'm always reading something somewhere i want to keep. i have found, with the memory book, if something comes to mind i should stop what i'm doing and write the memory. if i don't, i often lose what it was i wanted to remember. the memory returns, but it's not the same as when i was first inspired. because it takes longer to write in the memory book it's much easier to put off than the notable notebook. that factor is the main reason to set aside one whimsical wednesday a month to pay particular attention to the memory book.
my first activity of this day was to open my memory book and write about the enchantment of a hard frost glistening in sunlight. this fall scene has enthralled since i was a child. it never fails to impress no matter how old i grow. what a pleasant way to begin the day and to enjoy whimsical wednesday.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
not something you see every day!
greetings on tuesday! time for NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY! at the whimsey project. share your exciting, interesting, hilarious experiences with us!
Monday, November 11, 2013
get ready.....
we're writing in our memory books and/or notable notebooks this whimsical wednesday. if you don't have a memory book and/or notable notebook, this whimsical wednesday would be a great day to start both! what is a memory book? any notebook in which to inscribe random memories about any thing. what is a notable notebook? any notebook in which to jot down thoughts, ideas, quotes, items of interest. get ready to enjoy YOUR written words!
Saturday, November 9, 2013
miscellaneous
one more photo of halloween. these pumpkins cracked me up:
https://twitter.com/ThisIsBriIIiant/status/396647433633284096/photo/1
it is truly fall now. most of the leaves have fallen due to the long, fierce rain on halloween. the air is crisp and cool to cold. frost comes with the morning.
lots of canada geese have been visiting the lake. most likely looking for dinner! they got it.
november! soon it will be thanksgiving, my family's favorite holiday of the year.
a photo in honor of dogs everywhere. and for one sweet doggie, ginger, especially:
https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/386222259587018752/photo/1
https://twitter.com/ThisIsBriIIiant/status/396647433633284096/photo/1
it is truly fall now. most of the leaves have fallen due to the long, fierce rain on halloween. the air is crisp and cool to cold. frost comes with the morning.
lots of canada geese have been visiting the lake. most likely looking for dinner! they got it.
november! soon it will be thanksgiving, my family's favorite holiday of the year.
a photo in honor of dogs everywhere. and for one sweet doggie, ginger, especially:
https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/386222259587018752/photo/1
Friday, November 8, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
thoughtful thursday
isn't it the truth?
caffeine is bad for you. fat is bad of you. sugar is bad for you. but don't worry because that's bad for you too!
caffeine is bad for you. fat is bad of you. sugar is bad for you. but don't worry because that's bad for you too!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
whimsical wednesday
we're wearing the colors of the fall season for whimsical wednesday; red, orange, yellow, gold, green! it's a cloudy gloomy day here so the bright colors of the leaves are vivid outside and the red i'm wearing is vivid inside! what fall color(s) are you wearing today!?
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
not something you see every day!
NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY! share your fun, unusual, interesting experiences today!
Monday, November 4, 2013
get ready.....
fall seems to be in all her glory! for whimsical wednesday celebrate fall by wearing the colors of the season: red, yellow, orange, gold, green!
Friday, November 1, 2013
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