get ready.....

get ready for whimsical wednesday!  it's national peanut butter and jelly day and the international children's books day! let's celebrate by being kids:  eat something peanut butter and jelly while (re)reading your favorite children's book.  if you are celebrating with kids, read books with them and snack on pbjs! however you celebrate, make it whimsical!

moments monday

moments monday at the whimsey project.  our day to reflect and/or connect.  we reflect by writing in our memory books (any notebook in which to record random memories).  beginning today reflection will include journaling.  perhaps you want to records thoughts or ideas or quotes or anything else you want to keep in written form.  i do so with a notebook i call my notable notebook!  more personal thoughts can be recorded in a separate journal if desired.  we connect by calling, writing, visiting with others.  or connecting with others in any way that works best for the persons involved.

there has been and will be a lot of connecting with others for me today.  i am home from being with my mother for six weeks. she took a tumble and ended up with broken vertebrae.  with much assistance from many sources she is now almost back to herself, allowing me to return home to the farm.  i've been calling friends and will have visitors.  i wrote letters too this morning. my reflection has come in the form of just reveling in being home.  there's no words i could record in any notebook today that could contain the feelings of being home.

did you reflect and/or connect today?  tell us about it here at the whimsey project.

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project.  our day to spend time with a book.  

my time with bill bryson's, the mother tongue; english and how it lot that way, continued with chapters nine, ten and eleven. these chapters explained how english became even more standardized with the advent of dictionaries. the spellings of words have come and gone and come again.  the most interesting fact in these chapters was the british wanted nothing to do with any american english words after the revolutionary war. there was even a push to banish words that had originated in britian that some thought were purely american words.

 tidbits worth considering:

*the nine most used english words:  and, be, have, it, of, the, to, will and you.

*the discussion of OK was given three pages of the book! that's how important that small word is. it is now a universal word, used in just about every language spoken around the world.

what are you reading?  tell us about your book!  

miscellaneous

my last full day in tennessee.  it's rain, rain, raining at a steady pace.  i've mentioned this before but whenever it rains like this i think of the song in the pooh story,  ".....and the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down....."

one feature prominent of southern lawns in the early spring is onions! there's more onion greens than grass. people bring out the lawn mowers and cut their onions. the entire neighborhood smells pungent after all that onion mowing.

now the dandelions have popped out.  mom's front yard is almost a blanket of yellow.  this i enjoy very much. it will be so cool when the flowers become puff balls because then everyone will be mowing onions and dandelions gone to seed.

being in a neighborhood is so different from being on the farm.  so noisy and active. the road is so close to the house.  so much light.  so many people! and it's just an average neighborhood.  it will be grand to return to the farm and all there that sustains me.

my twitter shares for the week:

https://twitter.com/awwcuteness/status/449861022711828480/photo/1

https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/449761649923473408/photo/1

https://twitter.com/BobTarte/status/449636817420029952/photo/1

https://twitter.com/SPACEdotcom/status/449632869481058304/photo/1

photo friday

whimsical wednesday found us celebrating "create your own holiday", therefore, my holiday was celebrating little mouse day.  little mouse and i were invited to join my sister and our friend for a crafting holiday.  suzi and i crafted here in tennessee while kathy crafted at the same time in illinois. the results: double holiday for me!

thoughtful thursday

ira glass:

we live in a world where joy and empathy and pleasure are all around us, there for the noticing.

whimsical wednesday

it's national create your own holiday for whimsical wednesday!  celebrate something you'd like to celebrate; something unique to you and yours beyond traditional holidays and birthdays.  and make it whimsical!


my create your own holiday is celebrating little mouse.  my little mouse was an orphan toy found in a parking lot at a cracker barrel restaurant while visiting family in tennessee.  he was spied on the pavement as we were walking toward the restaurant.  i picked him up and put him on the hood of the car nearest to where he lay. when we returned to our vehicle after dining, little mouse was still on the hood of that car!  he looked so lost and lonely that i decided to adopt him. for several years now he has lived in my tote and goes everywhere i do.  he gets his picture taken doing all manner of activities with me and some by himself.  you'll find him featured for photo friday here at the whimsey project blog at least once a month. happy little mouse day!

little mouse took time to smell the crocus on the first day of spring!

trivia tuesday

trivia tuesday at the whimsey project!  it's our day to share all manner of trivia; facts, experiences, different, gobsmacking information to tell us about!

here's a bit of information i learned in the last week:  a bunch of baby bunnies is called a fluffle.  a bunch of baby hedgehogs is called a prickle.  if we put the two together, soft and sharp, they would be the ying and yang of baby animals!

get ready.....

get ready for whimsical wednesday!  it's the national day to make up your own holiday and we are celebrating! think of something special that you and/or your family would like to celebrate besides traditional holidays and birthdays. since it's anything you want it to be make it very whimsical!

moments monday

moments monday at the whimsey project.  today is our day to reflect by writing in our memory books (a memory book is any notebook in which to record random memories).  today is our day to connect with others;  call, write a letter or send a card, visit or connect in any way that works best for you and another.

i wrote letters, thank you notes and birthday cards. these are now in the mailbox awaiting the mail carrier to collect them.  i recorded a memory about niagara falls in my memory book.

how did you connect and/or reflect for moments monday?

solitude sunday

solitude sunday.  our day to spend time with a book.  just about everyone has a book on a shelf that they have meant to read.  that's the goal of solitude sunday. take those long awaited reads and dive right in; even if it's just fifteen minutes once a week on solitude sunday.

my reading session with bill bryson's the mother tongue continued today with chapters six, seven and eight (short chapters and more time!) which delved into pronunciation, varieties of english and spelling.  

*coined description of how we talk:  slurvian. wetalklikethis.  we. don't. talk. like. this.
*fashion rather than science influences how words are pronounced.
*the british don't move their lips when they talk.
*there are two forms of symbols to represent words: alphabet and pictographic/ideographic.
*spelling was flexible until the advent of printing.  then spelling became fixed and more or less standard.

what are you reading?  share your book with the whimsey project!

miscellaneous

it's official.  spring has arrived!

yay! i found two paper clips while cleaning around mom's chair.  surprises to add to whimsical wednesday's paper clip chain!

this week's twitter photos for your amusement:

https://twitter.com/fabulousanimals/status/447119018697441280/photo/1

https://twitter.com/awwcuteness/status/447233722493186048/photo/1

https://twitter.com/awwcuteness/status/447112949019475968/photo/1

photo friday

libby took photo of professional photographer taking photo of her diorama!

thoughtful thursday

jeffrey eugenides:

biology gives us a brain.  life turns it into a mind.

whimsical wednesday

we're making paper clip chains for whimsical wednesday!  the best chains are created with "found" paper clips, as in those laying around the house.  since i am still at mom's, i knew my paper clip chain would be diverse.  a tour though the house yielded paper clips from almost every room but the bathrooms.  and i even looked there!  one of the best places to find paper clips are at the bottom of pencil holders.  there's a multitude of pencil holders in this house, thus a multitude of paper clips.  my whimsical wednesday paper clip chain consists of large, small, rusty, dull, shiny and colorful (yellow, purple, green) clips! no doubt more could have been collected, however, i stopped at twenty-five.  tell us about your paper clip chain!

trivia tuesday

trivia tuesday at the whimsey project!  share all manner of facts, information and experiences!

have you been watching the new cosmos series?  the episode that aired last night featured a remarkable creature.  it can exist in any environment no matter how harsh.  it's the tardigrade.  awesome! here's a link about it on wikipedia:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade

get ready.....

get ready for whimsical wednesday!  we are starting a paper clip chain!  make yours festive with lots of colored paper clips and various sizes. the best paper clip chains are made from found clips.  get ready to dig around the house in drawers and boxes to find the clips for your paper clip chain.  

moments monday

moments monday at the whimsey project.  our day to reflect (write in the memory book; any notebook in which to record random memories) and/or connect. connect with others:  call, visit, write, send flowers.

i wrote about st patrick's day in my memory book.  mom and her multitude of kelly green crocheted shamrocks that have been given to people in many states and abroad.  i am wearing mine today because it's st patrick's day!  i connected with others by writing a huge pile of letters and cards.

how did you reflect and/or connect for moments monday?  if you have ideas for how we can connect with others, please share your suggestions here at the whimsey project blog!

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project.  our day to spend time with a book.

my time with the mother tongue, bill bryson's book about how english got to be what we know it today continues with chapter five.  chapter five reveals how words got the way they are.  words are formed in six different ways:  error, adoption, creation, change without overt action, adding or subtracting to words, blending words to form compound words.

bits of information about words that caught my fancy in chapter five:

*velleity:  a mild desire, wish or desire that is too weak to lead to action.
*in 1290 nice meant foolish.
*davy crockett coined the word blizzard!
*asparagus was originally sparrow grass.

what are you reading?  share with us here at the whimsey project!

miscellaneous

the flowers bloomed backwards this year.  the daffodils came first, followed by the crocus. crocus brings to mind fairies.  they are fairy flowers to me.

the variety of birds that have been visiting the feeder have been delightful.  the squirrels visit too. and eat all the food!

the forsythia is in bloom and leaves are evident on the weeping willows.

the calendar indicates that actual spring is coming soon!

pictures from twitter that delight:

https://twitter.com/CoolestCritters/status/444850991410597889/photo/1

https://twitter.com/fabulousanimals/status/444664822450647040/photo/1

https://twitter.com/CoolestCritters/status/444542601832562688/photo/1

photo friday

libby's diorama, created at the natural history museum, new york city.

thoughtful thursday

douglas adams:

i may not have gone where i intended to go but i think i have ended up where i needed to be.

whimsical wednesday

it's napping day for whimsical wednesday at the whimsey project.  grab some zzzzzzzs sometime during the day.  and savor the moment of relaxation!  my nap is scheduled for early afternoon, post-lunch!  zzzzzzz.......

trivia tuesday

trivia tuesday at the whimsey project!  our day to share all manner of interesting and unusual experiences and/or facts.

tidbit.  i've been using that word a great deal of late; which prompted me to look up the precise definition. a tidbit is a small bite of food or a small piece of news or interesting information (merriam-webster online). therefore, trivia is tidbits!  also tasty!

get ready.....

we are celebrating national napping day for whimsical wednesday.  napping day is a day to grab a nap and catch up on sleep lost to the daylight savings time change. enjoy some zzzzzzzzzs this whimiscal wednesday, even if you have to schedule that nap!

moments monday

moments monday at the whimsey project.  our day to reflect and/or connect.  we reflect by writing in our memory books.  what's a memory book?  any notebook in which to record random memories.  how do we connect?  we call or visit with others; we send cards and letters.  how will you reflect and/or connect today?

the memory i recorded in my memory book was about lazy meat.  i connected through cards and letters to others.

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project.  it's our day to spend time with a book. what are you reading?

my reading of the history of english by bill bryson continues with chapter three. the blending of various languages due to movement of various groups of people helped form english.  and that's all i have to offer about chapter four.  favorite tidbits from chapter four:

the very first sentence in english:  this she-wolf is a reward to me kinsman.

as with formal latin versus spoken latin, english was the language of peasants.

1582, richard mulcaster stated of the english language: "the english tongue is of small account, stretching no further than this island of ours, nay not there over all."

miscellaneous

it's felt like spring here in tennessee this week.  we won't be too excited as yet since the weather channel tells us another winter storm is afoot.  however, we shall enjoy the warmer and sunshine while we have it.

the critters are enjoying it as well, it seems.  all the birds are singing. the robins are hop, hop, hopping on the lawn. the squirrels are romping and very playful.  as with the bird feeder just outside the den window, it's a pleasure to peek out and see such activity.

since that first daffodils bloomed last week, the rest are following in rapid succession.  suzi cut a bouquet for me to enjoy in the house.  she also cut a bouquet to take home.  we both like dad's daffodils very much. i've noticed buds on the forsythia bush so it won't be long before we have the pleasure of that plant's glory as well.

this week's twitter pictures for your enjoyment:

https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/442012151403016192/photo/1

https://twitter.com/fabulousanimals/status/441999620584259584/photo/1

https://twitter.com/FacesPics/status/441989848912891904/photo/1

photo friday

how sarah's cat wakes her up in the morning!

thoughtful thursday

immanuel kant:

we can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.

whimsical wednesday

we are celebrating national craft month this whimsical wednesday!  craft alone, craft with others.  work on an existing project, begin something new.  learn a new technique.  craft with kids.  craft with the senior citizens. craft away today!

so far today i have worked on my knitting while mom was having a test at the hospital.  after lunch suzi showed me how to work her paper binding machine.  i might have to get one of those. later suzi and i are going to play with the new crafting toys in the big box the ups man delivered last friday.

what did craft this whimsical wednesday?

trivia tuesday

trivia tuesday at the whimsey project!  our day to share all manner of trivia; silly, funny, gobsmacking, unique, not something you see every day, coincidental.  what say you?

the house i grew up in probably has one of the oldest continuing christmas decoration ever.  when we were kids, dad hung christmas tree ornaments from the ceiling in a space in the den.  more than 50 years later, they are still there.  a string of lights (m&ms no less) next to the ornaments as well as a mini christmas tree on the surface beneath the ornaments followed over time.  with certainty, NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY and definitely unique.  i find it rather gobsmacking.

get ready.....

march is national crafting month!  get ready for whimsical wednesday by planning for how you will craft. craft simply, craft involved.  craft by yourself, craft with others. work on a continuing project, begin something new.  perfect a known technique, learn a new technique. whatever you plan to do, happy crafting!

moments monday

moments monday at the whimsey project.  the day we spend reflecting and/or connecting.  we reflect by writing in our memory books.  what is a memory book? any notebook in which to record random memories. we connect with others by visiting, calling, writing.  

i connected this morning as i braved the icy mist to get letters into the mailbox.  and i am still visiting family. i reflected by writing in my memory book.  today's entry was about the kitchen utensils i have watched mom use since i was a little girl; which i am using while i'm with her.  there's a few of those kitchen utensils i would love to have for myself someday!

how did you reflect and/or connect this moments monday?  if you have ideas for additional ways we can reflect and/or connect, please share!

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project!  the day we spend time with a book.

reading for me continues on bill bryson's mother tongue; english and how it got that way.  i was able to read chapters two and three today.  it seems all modern languages flowed from latin.  however, the latin that "went away" is classical latin, used by the few.  the latin of common use evolved into six language groups. english derived from german.  that makes me chortle.  my college roommate was required to study german for her major and she found no relationship between german and english!  a few tidbits i enjoyed:

the japanese have no words for a straightforward yes or no.
the english hate silence during conversation.  a four second pause will elicit more words.
those in the mediterranean area of the world move in closer to whom they are speaking as they converse.
all languages include gestures as part of what is being said.  some of these gestures are universal.
in cornish tourists are called emmets (ants)!

what are you reading!?

miscellaneous saturday

march first; the first day of the meteorological spring!  maybe actual spring will be evident by the time of the spring equinox toward the end of march. the first of dad's daffodils are blooming.  they could soon be covered with ice and/or snow as it's predicted in the next few days.  mom always said the first blooms of the season become snow covered.

thought i could divert the squirrel from getting into the bird feeder by giving him shelled peanuts.  he got me! he eats (or hides) the peanuts first then returns to chow down in the feeder.

a new shipment of crafting supplies arrived via ups yesterday. opening a box of crafting supplies is better than christmas!  lots of new toys to play with.  when my sister visits we'll have a go at them.

for your amusement, photos from twitter:

https://twitter.com/Fascinatingpics/status/439566501172228096/photo/1

https://twitter.com/FacesThings/status/439552868392378369/photo/1

https://twitter.com/CoolestCritters/status/439543509918285824/photo/1

and a hot link to bob tarte's whimsical wednesday's faces in objects find:
https://twitter.com/BobTarte/status/439152007962583040/photo/1