let it snow! let it snow! let it snow!

it's snowing.  really snowing!  while weary of winter, it's too beautiful not to enjoy it.  the world seems so "other-worldly" when it snows.  a hush like no other settles over the earth.  living here in the country makes it seem even more so as, all around me, there is nothing but the earth and its wonders covered in a blanket of snow.  because i feed the birds so many come to have a meal.  i welcome them all, even the ones others call a nuisance.  the multitude of birds are incredibly vivid in the snow.  the red of the cardinals is redder, the blue of the blue jays is bluer.  the largest birds that come are the wild turkeys.  oh, those are impressive creatures.  and i feel so incredibly fortunate to glance out the window at just the right moment to watch them.  they scratch the snow to find the corn.  they saunter across the frozen lake.  they disappear into the woods.  the deer come to feed on the corn that is supposed to be for the ducks (as do the turkeys).  the many stray cats get fed as well.  that brings the smaller critters, like raccoons, to dinner as well.  some would complain about all those intruders.  i love them all; especially in the snow.

whimsical wednesday!

copic markers, paper and a cup of hot tea were gathered for engaging in today's whimsical wednesday activity of doodling.  thinking i would have a midday break of about 15 to 20 minutes, i looked up from my doodles to discover that an hour had passed; the cup of hot tea cold!  the finished product was held up and admired with giggles.  it's just a piece of paper with colored doodles on it but it felt like a masterpiece!  to be completely engrossed in selecting colors to use in each step of the doodling and then seamlessly blending the colors to complete the unplanned project was wonderful.  to be able to engage in and concentrate on an activity that took me completely "away" from a busy day's chorelist was so relaxing.   now i am more than ready to tackle the rest of the day's tasks.  did you doodle today?

    

get ready.....

someone who reads the blog but is not yet a follower has made a whimsical wednesday activity request.  we shall accommodate this week.  we shall doodle!  please take at least 15 minutes to enjoy this activity that seems mindless but isn't at all.  just let your mind wander and your writing utensil will follow.  after your journey on paper enjoy (and be surprised) where you traveled.

whimsey continues

the last month or so of whimsical wednesday activities have been on going, it seems.  quiet time each day continues and it is so renewing.  nurturing that wee evergreen tree seed has been a beacon of spring amid all the ice, cold and snow of winter.  watching the birds enjoy their epiphany suet treat and the treats of the pinecone, apple and orange of this week has been a joy.  i continue to scan license plates for different states whenever i drive, even if it's just a trip to town.  playing that road trip game keeps me close to my grandchildren because when i see a new state to add to our list, that's something i can share with them even at a distance.

having whimsey as a priority; thinking about activities for future wednesdays, then looking forward to participation in these adventures and enjoying the results of that participation has been such a pleasure.  some wednesdays have been extremely busy or stressful but i have not failed to complete the offered activity.  it's a commitment i keep to the project and myself.  in doing so those very busy and stressful days become less so when the time is taken for whimsey.  the community wide activities are such fun in the planning and doing and sharing with others.  as the whimsey project continues, i look forward to more adventures and more followers to join in the whimsey along with me.

whimsical wednesday!

the birds are happy!  my day began with making my whimsical wednesday bird treats.  monday three suggestions were offered for making a bird treat.  i made all three!  a mixture of peanut butter, bird seed, orange and apple bits were blended together to form the treat.  some of the treat was spread on the pinecone, some tucked into the polka dots made in a whole apple and the rest filled the two halves of an orange.  the pinecone and apple  were placed at the bird feeding station in the back yard and the orange halves were placed in the half log feeder on the rail along the porch off the sunroom.  all were placed where they were because i can see them readily from the sunroom, where i spend most of my time.  as i sipped a cup of hot tea (tea is grand!) i watched for birds to discover their newly offered treats.  it wasn't long when one, then two, then several birds began feasting on the apple, pinecone and orange.  oh joy.  happy birds, happy me!  

seeds

this is the week of seeds, it seems.  i've been tending the wee evergreen tree seed planted last whimsical wednesday.  and this week's whimsical wednesday's activity is to create a treat for the birds using birdseed and other ingredients.  the garden catalogues began to arrive in the mail, full of seeds for spring.  all seeds of whimsey........

get ready.....

birds occupy much of my attention during the winter so this whimsical wednesday let's make a homemade bird treat.   remember when we made them by spreading peanut butter on pinecones then rolling the cones in birdseed?  do this.  or, if you don't have a pinecone, use fruit.  cut an orange in half, loosen the pulp and mix seed into the pulp.  the orange itself is the container.  an apple can be used as well.  create holes in the apple by cutting out small circular sections of apple intermittently around the apple.  be sure not to poke all the way through the apple.  after making all the holes, fill the holes with peanut butter and birdseed that was premixed.
you'll have fun with this activity and, if you have children, they will enjoy doing this with you.

happy blogday!

happy half-year, whimsey project!  much is being learned and new friends are being made.  there is now a whimsey project presence on twitter and facebook.   thank you to everyone who has participated.  thank you to everyone who has helped.  i am looking forward to the more whimsical adventures!  

whimsical wednesday!

it's so very cold and a winter storm warning alerts that ice and snow will cover the area later today.  what could be more promising as a sign of the coming spring then to plant seeds, the activity for this whimsical wednesday.  thinking there was the odd packet or two of flower seeds laying about somewhere in the house, there was no effort to purchase any while in town on monday.  when looking for said packet(s) this morning none but evergreen tree seeds could be found.  wow!  why not, i thought?  i've never attempted to grow a tree of any type from a seed before.  out came the throwaway cup, potting soil and a pen.  my name was printed on the cup, potting soil then filled the cup, a small depression poked in the center of the soil, the seed (the largest one in the packet) dropped in, the soil smoothed over the seed, a bit of water sprinkled on the soil and the cup placed in the window.  there.  my participation in whimsical wednesday complete.  however, the involvement will continue for each day there will be the need to nurture the wee seed with more water and turning the cup and looking closely for signs of life sprouting from the seed beneath the soil.  i am hopeful the wee seed will soon be a wee  seedling.  should the seed manage to germinate and survive to a viable size, how wonderful it will be to plant my whimsical evergreen tree somewhere on the farm.

get ready.....

remember in elementary school scooping potting soil into a throwaway cup then planting a few flower seeds in it?  names were printed on the cups before these were placed in the window.  this whimsical wednesday, let's plant seeds in throwaway cups!

whimsical wednesday!

the strategy for getting a bit of downtime for myself each day is to do nothing for 15 minutes.  doing nothing means just that.  i shall set the timer then sit in the quietest space in the house without tv, music or other distractions and just be.  i shall daydream or let my mind rest.  i shall be still.  whatever unfolds from this quiet time may be quite wonderful.

get ready.....

home from a great weekend with the a fraction of my family.  no new license plate sightings.  there's always the next road trip!   the weekend was great, without a doubt, however, it was also nonstop and extremely hectic.  at the end of each day we were all completely done in.  thoughts of this experience were with me during much of the drive today.  typically resolutions are not a part of my new year's ritual, however, this whimsical wednesday select at least one strategy to get a bit more downtime in daily life; time to allow for whimsey.

additional sightings and epiphany

that whimsical wednesday activity of sighting the license plates of the united states continues.  once begun, it is difficult to stop looking in the quest to sight the unsighted.  travel yesterday was no exception.  on the journey from the farm to the big city of chicago, two more states and another from canada were spotted:  quebec, new jersey and new mexico.  the family was just as excited to hear about these sightings as they were when we spied plates together during last week's travels. 

the additional wee whimsical gifts were placed in the grandchildren's rooms for them to discover upon returning home from school yesterday.  they piled in at the end of the day, full of laughter and bursting with news of the day.  after entering their rooms, more delight upon sighting the wee halloween bags filled with treats.  they loved the treat and thought it very funny that their grandmother would give them a treat in a bag decorated with jack-o-lanterns for epiphany.  epiphany lasted a very long time this year.  keep giving. 

whimsical wednesday!

it's whimsical wednesday and the last day of christmas, epiphany.  when my daughters were in college they spent time in spain.  they experienced christmas differently and they really enjoyed it.  epiphany is the day the wise men arrived at the manger and presented the christ child with gifts.  the real christmas celebration in spain is on this gift giving day.  we are outside the norm here in america since we celebrate the twelve days of christmas instead of from thanksgiving to christmas day.  the spanish experience helped cement our determination to continue to buck the trend and stick with tradition.

to honor tradition this whimsical wednesday, the tiny gift of suet cakes were made for the birds.  they really enjoy these homemade treats as the cakes are filled with a great deal of seeds, nuts and dried fruit.  and lard!  as soon as they set, two were put in the suet baskets hanging at the bird feeding station.  they received the physical gift but i am the true recipient because i am enjoying observing all the activity they bring to the bird feeding station.

get ready.....

there are twelve days of christmas, beginning on christmas day.  the last day, this wednesday, is epiphany; when the wise men arrived at the manger of the christ child bearing gifts.  even if you celebrate the christmas season the way most people do now, from thanksgiving to christmas day, please consider offering someone a small gift this wednesday.  make it whimsical.  simply whimsical.

whimsical wednesday! postscript....

on the return journey from our new year's visit we decided to continue to play the license plate game.  we decided to find some of the other half of the states we did not see on the way.  we added one state, louisiana.  we also saw plates from three canadian proviences:  british columbia, ontario and newfoundland.  it was fun and, no doubt, we will continue to look for the remaining states just because.

whimsical wednesday

our journey was such fun for whimsical wednesday.  we played the license plate game.  our trip took about six hours and we drove across large chunks of three states.  we were very surprised at the results of our diligent effort.  during the drive from the midwest to the south we saw license plates from 27 different states! 

illinois, wisconsin, minnesota, indiana, maine, new york, california, washington, pennsylvania, texas, south carolina, north carolina, florida, tennessee, ohio, kentucky, missouri, michigan, georgia, kansas, oklahoma, mississippi, nebraska, askansas, colorado, montana and north dakota. 

wow!  we did not anticipate getting so many.  maybe the holiday season is a good time to play the license plate game. 

while we were at it, the grandchildren were given the challenge by their dad to come up with the names of all 50 states and they could use the license plate sightings as part of that process.  and they had to complete the list before reaching our destination.  the adults in the car could not give clues.  they managed to come up with all 50 with two hours to spare!  on the way home we are going to undertake the challenge of pairing capitols with the states.

get ready.....

i'll be on the road wednesday traveling with my grandchildren and their parents.  we shall play the license plate game.  you play too even if you are just driving around town.  because i'll be to our destination late, it might be thursday before i have the opportunity to post our whimsical wednesday experience on the blog.

whimsical wednesday!

it's sappy movie day.  being a day that i needed to rest, i have already watched (or slept through) two sappy holiday movies and i'm currently on number three.  i have no idea if i'll make it to the end as i'm very tired today and falling asleep sitting up!  the first movie i watched featured a six year old who lived in a hotel.  she was so smart and with it that she practically ran the entire hotel.  no doubt this tot could run the world.  but she did as predicted and saved the day by getting the two in love together and married, on christmas no less.  merry christmas!  the second movie was about a reporter being snoopy about a dude who played santa claus in a small town in mid-america.  of course she fell in love with kris kringle and protected him in her newspaper articles as well as falling in love with the perfect guy in town.  everyone was happy, which is typically the case in sappy holiday movies.  right now i'm watching a modern take on the gift of the magi, based on the o. henry story.  such a wonderful story about two people who give up what they love best to give to each other the gift they most want them to have.  the message of this story really touches me.  love at it's finest....when one loves so much that they care more about what the one they love wants without thought to their own wants or needs.  and in this story these two people feel such love for one another that they are always putting the other first.  not only is this a grand holiday message but it is a blueprint for living each day.  care more about what others need, especially those closest, and somehow personal needs are met as well.  hopefully i'll last long enough to see how this modern version of the gift of the magi unfolds.  however, if sleep over takes me i know how it ends for it can, in any version, only end one way.  with true gifts of love.

seek pleasure slowly

kierkegaard said, "most men pursue pleasure with such breathless haste that they hurry past it".

this is the season for much pleasure for many.  there are decorations to put in place or to look at throughout the town, cooking, baking, shopping, gift wrapping, cards to send, good food to eat, gifts to receive and give, programs to practice for and attend, parties and family gatherings.  it often becomes a rush.  a rush from one must to another.  what does the holiday season become?  an exhausting, harried series of have to and everything that people believe is wonderful about the season is lost.  many years ago i was in conversation with a group of women about three weeks before christmas.  they complained about everything they absolutely HAD to do before christmas day.  their combined list of tasks was overwhelming.  innocently i asked, "then why do it?"  they stared at me in stunned horror and when they recovered from the shock began to speak at once.  "how could they not?!  of course they had to undertake everything!  it's all so important!"  they explained none too gently as if i were from another planet (which could very possibly be!).  from their reactions i understood that they could not enjoy the season on their terms but had to adhere to some notion of what the season had to be as dictated by what or whom that should have no bearing on their lives.  as you enjoy this holiday season, seek pleasure but enjoy slowly.  you won't want to miss a single whimsical moment.