Wednesday, April 30, 2014

whimsical wednesday

we're playing history detectives for whimsical wednesday. the catalyst? a product from the kitchen that has the company's founding date on the package.  for example, kikkoman soy sauce since 1066.  after the date has been determined, do a web search of web search for events that happened in that year (1066 in our example).

in my kitchen cupboard i grabbed a bag of chocolate chips.  the brand is ghirardelli. according to the banner on the package, the ghirardelli chocolate company was founded in 1852.  my history searched focused on that year, 1852.  here's what i learned:

*1852 was a leap year.
*uncle tom's cabin by harriett beecher stowe was published.
*the netherlands issued postage stamps for the first time.
*napoleon became emperor of france.
*the uncle sam cartoon made his debut in the new york lantern weekly.
*roget's thesaurus, first edition, was published.
*both loyola college (america) and university of sydney (australia) were founded.
*the flaked cereal industry began with john kellogg's corn flakes.
*emma snodgrass was arrested in boston for wearing pants!

what history did you discover looking in your kitchen cupboards or refrigerator this whimsical wednesday?

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

trivia tuesday

trivia tuesday at the whimsey project! our day to share all manner of trivia. we have trivia categories:
*NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY!  experiences that are most unusual and gobsmacking!
*you did not! experiences you have and share with others and they don't believe you because it's amazing!
*what's in a name? surnames that match a person's profession.
*general trivia; facts that are fun to share.
*your category.  add a category of trivia to share on trivia tuesday.

my trivia is in the "what's in a name?" category: a dude i know who runs a landscaping business is named busenbark; his name is pronounced bush n bark!

Monday, April 28, 2014

get ready.....

get ready for whimsical wednesday! we are taking a history adventure via a product in the kitchen! more on wednesday!

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),  a themed journal, a personal journal, a notable notebooks (any notebook in which to record facts, trivia, quotes, ideas and so forth) or any other type of reflection notebook you may keep.  we connect by reaching out to others: call, write, visit, email, send a card or flowers.

today i reflected by writing in my themed journal, the journal i keep about the farm; new trails in the meadow, first hummingbird sighting, kittens! there's always something about the farm to record in the themed journal.  i connected by sending cards, letters, email and making phone calls.

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

Sunday, April 27, 2014

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project! our day to spend time with a book.  pull a book off the bookshelf that you have been meaning to read for awhile now. devote as much time as you wish to your book.

i began a new book this week. the first in a series, the hinges of history, by thomas cahill.  i'm reading volume one, entitled, how the irish saved civilization; the untold story of ireland's heroic role from the fall of rome to the rise of medieval europe.

it's difficult to select standout details in such a book.  it's all so woven together that there's not one fact that can be pointed to as more important or interesting than another fact.  what is wonderful about this book, this series, is mr cahill delves into those aspects of history that has gotten little to no attention.  reading this slim volume, i'm learned so much about the greco/roman civilizations, the history of ireland and how fascinating the irish people were (are?). i've learned how patrick, a kidnapped member of nobility in roman britian and made slave in ireland, became st patrick.  one of the most important historical figures for ireland, he set the stage for ireland's progression from barbarians to a learned, sophisticated civilization.  a civilization that saved world civilization.  how? by saving the written word from all over the world.

what are you reading? share your book with us at the whimsey project.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

miscellaneous

the leaves of trees are bursting forth.  everything is suddenly greener! the dogwood and redbud trees are blooming so there's vivid white and red amid the bright green.

the hummingbird feeders were hung this week in preparation for the arrival of those wee friends.  first hummingbird sighting this morning!  oh, how i love the hummingbirds.  zip and zoom time!

kittens! we have kittens.  three of the outdoor kitties were full in figure and now they aren't.  i knew there were babies but didn't know where they were.  waif doggie sniffed out some of them, close to the house. i peeked at them and thought, "oh, i don't want more kittens!! aren't they cute!?"

the screened porch is tidy and ready for guests.  come sit a spell.  we'll have tea.  hot or iced, with or without lemon, whichever you prefer!

Friday, April 25, 2014

photo friday

new york city's smallest park visited by libby, jacob, megan and sarah!

Thursday, April 24, 2014

thoughtful thursday

albert einstein:

there are only two ways to live your life.  one is as though nothing is a miracle.  the other is as though everything is a miracle.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

whimsical wednesday

it's national "take a chance" day for whimsical wednesday!  take a chance on something, anything, great or small.

i took a chance this whimsical wednesday.  i took a chance on saving a transplanted african violet.  a transplant from mom's main african violet was brought home in january.  it did well enough, slowly re-establishing itself in new soil, in a new pot, in a new environment. then i was gone for more than a month helping mom after her fall. in the meantime, unable to tend the transplant, it languished.  when i got home i was sad it was limping along but watered it and hoped for the best. today i took the transplant from the pot and removed all the withered leaves.  that left two obvious starts of a few green, supple leaves.  those were divided and planted in two separate pots. after getting a drink of water the "new" plants were returned to the shelf under the sun room window. just seeing them, looking hopeful, made me glad i took a chance on saving the transplanted african violet for whimsical wednesday.  film at eleven!

what did you take a chance on for whimsical wednesday? share!

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

trivia tuesday

trivia tuesday at the whimsey project! our day to share all manner of trivia.  we have several categories and invite you to share your own category:
*general trivia, fun facts and interesting tidbits.
*NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY! the most unusual experiences.
*what's in a name? someone's surname that matches their profession.
*you did not! in which you relate an experience to others and they respond with YOU DID NOT! or are otherwise incredulous.

in the YOU DID NOT! category, my experiences in australia provoked this response on more than one occasion! we were in a forest hiking and i saw a koala sleeping in a tree. we were in a nature preserve and i held a koala. we were in the great barrier reef and i saw a purple star fish. i told australians that i saw a koala in the wild and they said YOU DID NOT! for it seems sightings in the wild are rare. after returning to america and shared all these experiences with friends at several opportunities and they all said YOU DID NOT! i did, australia and america. i really, really did!

share your trivia with us today at the whimsey project!

Monday, April 21, 2014

get ready.....

get ready for whimsical wednesday! it's national take a chance day! sooooo....  let's take a chance for whimsical wednesday.  be thinking about what you'd like to take a chance on!

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), personal journals, a themed journal (i keep a journal about life on the farm), notable notebooks (any notebook in which to record interesting facts, quotes, ideas).  we connect by visiting with others, calling, writing letters, sending cards, email or any other way people wish to connect.

my reflections included writing in the farm journal and recording the memory of dyeing easter eggs when a child.  my connections included letter writing, sending birthday cards and thank you notes for kindnesses offered to me.

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

Sunday, April 20, 2014

happy easter!

happy easter!

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project.  our day to spend time with a book.  pull that book off the shelf that you've intended to read and do so; for however time you have to devote to reading

for christmas past i gifted my friend a book entitled a cup of comfort edited by colleen sell. the book is composed of personal experiences. the cover of the book reads:  "timeless stories that warm your heart, lift your spirit and enrich your life." she really enjoyed the book and told me more than once she wanted me to read the book as well. thinking it wouldn't come to that i didn't consider the possibility. however, she handed me the book last sunday, the first opportunity we had to see each other in several months. the look on her face to share this gift with me told me not to disappoint. i picked the book up on tuesday and read part of it. thursday i picked the book up and read more of it.

this morning i finished what remained which wasn't much. it was the perfect read for easter sunday. the personal stories of the authors were very touching and thoughtful.  two of the stories were my favorites. and, no surprise, they featured animals.  miracle fish. the mom somehow managed to, without her knowledge, drain the fish tank.  when it was discovered that the fish were in the dry tank the family assumed the fish were dead.  preparing for fishie funerals, water was put back in the tank so the fish would float to the top of the tank.  instead of floating, they began to move.  slowly at first but breathing and recovering. the family was so happy that they had miracle fish.  sing your song. the author of this story had a bird.  the birdie was out of the cage while she was running the vacuum cleaner. yes, as you imagined, somehow she managed to vacuum the bird into the machine! frantically she turned off the vacuum cleaner and tore into the bag.  there was her birdie! it popped out and flew to a perch and began to sing just as it was doing before it's remarkable adventure with the vacuum cleaner.  with this song, however, the birdie sang minus all of its feathers!

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

Saturday, April 19, 2014

miscellaneous

the grass is dotted with splashes of yellow!  dandelions are everywhere, as yesterday's photo friday attests. either the grass is high or the stems of the dandelions are short because the blossoms are very close to the ground.  often they are nestled in the grass.  when i see them i think pats of butter! that causes me to giggle!

wee squirrels are romping about.  woodpeckers are hopping along tree trunks. birds, mostly cardinals, are flocking to the bird feeders.  watching the gold finches reminds me that it's time to cook sugar water to fill the hummingbird feeders. they will soon return.

the easter eggs begun on whimsical wednesday were completed on friday.  the eggs rested in the food color solution for two days and when they were removed beautiful blue eggs. the factor that thrilled the most, since i was working with natural substances, was the variations of how the different eggs accepted the food coloring dye. after the eggs dried i was tempted to leave them as they were because they were already beautiful.  however, i wanted to play so, using gold and silver metallic permanent markers, i made minimal geometric patterns on the eggs.  the designs were influenced by the dye patterns of each individual egg.  the results were pleasing.  my girls and grandchildren, having viewed the photos i sent them, approved.  well done easter eggs!

Friday, April 18, 2014

Thursday, April 17, 2014

thoughtful thursday

washington irving:

there is a sacredness in tears..... they are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition and of unspeakable love.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

a whimsey project announcement!

announcing a whimsey project give-away!  follow the whimsey project blog beginning today. once there are 100 followers, there will be a drawing for a wonderful gift:

my friend, bob tarte, best selling pet book author, has donated an autographed copy of his latest book, KITTY CORNERED, for the whimsey project give-away.  i am grateful to bob for supplying the gift for our give-away and very excited for the whimsey project follower who will receive his book.

bob has also writted ENSLAVED BY DUCKS, which was a wall street journal best seller as well as the number one best selling pet book on amazon.  KITTY CORNERED was an independent bookstore best seller and an alternate selection in four book clubs in 2012, including the mystery guild book club.  for more information about bob and his wife, linda, and his books visit his website:  http://www.bobtarte.com/

ok, all you wonderfully whimsical persons, become a whimsey project follower today!

whimsical wednesday

it's whimsical wednesday and we're getting ready for easter.  it's an open-ended activity today as everyone will be doing whatever it is they do to prepare for their celebration.

for whimsical wednesday i made easter eggs; or at least began the preparation. what is different this year for easter egg dyeing is the method.  i'm always looking for new processes for traditional activities like dyeing easter eggs. i was excited to find a method i had never tried before. eggs are usually dyed with others, namely the grandchildren, so this passive method of dyeing easter eggs really wouldn't function well as a group activity.

after boiling a dozen eggs and cooling them in a bowl of cold water, they were transferred to a large bowl filled with blue food coloring (plus vinegar and water). the eggs will rest in the blue food coloring bath in the refrigerator overnight. tomorrow i will discover how deeply the blue food coloring dyed the eggs. if they aren't blue enough for me, they'll rest a bit longer. when they are the intensity of blue i'm working toward, out of the food coloring solution they'll come. from there the eggs will dry and then they can be embellished.

the best part of dyeing easter eggs, besides the pleasure of doing so, is the deviled eggs i make with the boiled eggs after easter.  yum!

how did you prepare for your easter celebration this whimsical wednesday?

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

trivia tuesday

trivia tuesday at the whimsey project! share any and all categories of trivia:  not something you see every day, a person's name that matches their profession, unusual experiences, fun facts, whatever you've got! share!

NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY! living in the country, on an isolated 40 acres, there are no curtains on the windows of the house.  one very early morning, as dawn was just breaking, i was in bed. suddenly i had the feeling that something was looking at me!  i turned my head to look out the window. there was something looking at me! a deer was standing close to the house and peering through the window at me!

Monday, April 14, 2014

get ready.....

we're getting ready for easter for whimsical wednesday!  prepare cards, your menu, work on your decorations.  do what you do to get ready to celebrate!

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).  we might write in a personal journal. we could record tidbits in our notable notebooks (any notebook in which to collect interesting facts, quotes, ideas).  we connect by writing, calling, visiting others. or by any means that works best for those involved.

i keep a journal about life on the farm. i wrote about the coming of spring and all the birds i have been seeing. cards are in the mail and sent email to connect with a few friends i haven't talked to in awhile.

how do you reflect and/or connect?  share your ideas as well as your reflections and/or connections.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

solitude sunday

solitude sunday.  our day to spend time with a book.  we all have books on the shelf we have been meaning to read.  solitude sunday is the perfect opportunity to enjoy those books.  no time requirement, just enjoy reading.

my time with bill bryson's the mother tongue; english and how it got that way ended with today's session. the remaining chapters discussed names, swearing, wordplay (games with words) and the future of english.

bits that caught my attention:

*names:  macgillesheathenaich! a real surname.
*surnames came about based on profession or relation:  smith, as in blacksmith.  johnson, as in john's son.
*the japanese, the malayans, most polynesians and native american have no swear words in their languages.
*swear words evolve over time. what wasn't becomes and what is isn't. the euphemisms used for swear words are often silly or become a swear word themselves.
*since language began there has been wordplay.
*the crossword puzzle is the number word game. it first appeared in the new york world newspaper in 1913. the first volume of crossword puzzles was published in 1924 by simon and schuster.

next week i'll be discussing the next volume i stick my nose in. what are you reading? share your book with the whimsey project.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

miscellaneous

the turtles have awakened! they line the bank of the lake, basking in the sunshine. this morning i spied them floating, as if in formation! an impressive flotilla they indeed made.

the gold finches are busily munching at the nijer seed feeders.  it was neat to see at least a dozen pairs of cardinals enjoying the offerings at the other bird feeders.

wood ducks, canada geese, turkeys, the heron, the eagle all made appearances this week.  and many more spring bulb flowers.

it's so nice out that the dog doesn't want to be inside.  she only reluctantly comes in and only when i insist. it's time to get the screened porch tidy for the season of porch sitting is upon us!

my twitter picks for the week:

https://twitter.com/fabulousanimals/status/454706267572158464/photo/1

https://twitter.com/CuteEmergency/status/454333309536198656/photo/1

https://twitter.com/awwcuteness/status/453862431287431169/photo/1

Thursday, April 10, 2014

thoughtful thursday

william wordsworth:

the best portion of a good man's life:  his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

whimsical wednesday

we're playing "what's in a name?" for whimsical wednesday!  what does your name mean? and if you could name yourself, what would that name be?

theresa.  that's me.  named for my paternal german grandmother. the name derives from the greek verb therizo, which means to harvest. not a very popular name for girls, it was the 852nd name of choice in 2008. it's probably 1000+ by now! in 1952, the decade i was born, it was the 65th most popular name for girls. of all the name variants listed on wikipedia, i liked the name in polish: tesa.

since monday, our get ready day for whimsical wednesday, i thought and thought and thought about the name i would like to have.  such an undertaking is difficult because names are not so easily derived for one, especially oneself!  after much pondering i settled on lauren. i've never felt like a theresa and don't know that i feel like a lauren.  however, lauren feels more like me than my given name (grandmother's name notwithstanding!). lauren comes from the latin, of laurentum, from the place of the laurel trees. the leaves of laurel trees (also known as bay leaves) were used to create victory crowns for athletic events.

what does your name mean?  what name would you like to have? share with us here at the whimsey project!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

trivia tuesday

trivia tuesday at the whimsey project!  our day to share all manner of trivia; unusual experiences, interesting facts, stuff to laugh about.  share your trivia today!

last whimsical wednesday was children's books day.  my favorite children's book was pippi longstockings by astrid lindgren. curious about the origins of the story, i read about pippi on the net.  in the old swedish language her name was pippi langstrump.  pippi meant quirky! her full name was pippilotta delicatessa windowshade mackrelmint ephraim's daughter langstrump.

Monday, April 7, 2014

get ready.....

get ready for whimsical wednesday!  we're going to play what's in a name?  find out what your name means (if you don't already know).  if you could name yourself, what would that name be?

moments monday

moments monday.  our day to reflect and/or connect at the whimsey project.  we reflect by writing in our memory books (any notebook in which to record random memories).  record interesting information in our notable notebook.  (any notebook in which to record interesting facts, quotes or other tidbits of note to you).we connect by calling, writing others or in any manner that works best for you.

i connected by writing a pile of letters.  i reflected by recording a few quotes in my notable notebook.  how about you?  how did you reflect and/or connect.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

solitude sunday

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

chapter twelve of bill bryson's the mother tongue, english and how it got that way discusses english as a world language. one language understood by the majority of the world's inhabitants helps everyone communicate more effectively with one another.  translations take much time and money.  translations often miss the intent of what is said.  businesses need language consistency to run efficiently. english words have found their way into general speech around the world.

my favorite bits:

*telephone is te le fung in china.
*the french go footing; not running or jogging.
*bacon is beikon in japan.
*seaspeak was developed by maritime authorities to keep words to a minimum for ships traversing waterways.  "say again" for repeat please.  "mistake" for error for examples.
 

Saturday, April 5, 2014

miscellaneous

home! home! home!  i've been home for almost one entire week.

being in tennessee then back on the farm has afforded me the opportunity to enjoy the coming of spring twice. i left tennessee having seen the spring bulbs bloom and arrived in illinois to watch them emerge here.

it appears that a few of the female kitties were busy while i was away.  they are expecting.  all kitties are accounted for except one.  hopefully she'll come home as i have called for her several times a day every day.

doggie got home from her doggie friends' house and made herself right at home. she remembered where her treats are!

wood ducks!  lots and lots of wood ducks have been visiting the farm's lake.  also the canada goose pair.

my friend kathy and i were in the driveway upon arrival last sunday evening. movement by the lake caught my attention.  as the heron took flight across the lake i said, "look! the heron!"   wow!  the heron was barely in the sky and i saw a huge bird almost overhead!  "look! the eagle!"  double wow!  such a welcome home!

Friday, April 4, 2014

photo friday

welcome home gift from friend kathy in the largest cup i have!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

whimsical wednesday

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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

trivia tuesday

trivia tuesday at the whimsey project! share your personal experience or factoid with us today.  we enjoy all trivia but have a few categories unique to the whimsey project.  these are, to name just a few:  *NOT SOMETHING YOU SEE EVERY DAY!  in which very unusual experiences are shared.  *YOU DID NOT!  in which experiences are shared with others and their response is YOU DID NOT!  *WHAT'S IN A NAME?  in which a person's last name matches their profession (ex: piano teacher named key).  do you have a category for us to include on trivia tuesday? share that as well.