thoughtful thursday

e. o. wilson:

nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.

whimsical wednesday

let's do an art activity for whimsical wednesday! grab a page from a magazine that's very colorful and dense with objects such as a scene from nature.  tear the picture into small pieces. no need to be precise or careful, just rip away! then take that pile of pieces and adhere them (i like using a glue stick) in any pleasing arrangement to another piece of plain paper, such as copy paper. you created a collage abstract! 

a busy day ahead had me on top of creating an abstract collage as soon as whimsical wednesday posted. a magazine was lifted from the top of the pile. the pages were flipped and the first page that caught my attention was ripped out; that was page three. the page was torn without consideration to size or shape. then the pieces were glued to the base paper. the goal was to select pieces quickly using only contrast for selection. the entire process took less than 30 minutes. my collage abstract:

trivia tuesday

from @qikipedia:

actors' brain change when they are in character.

miscellaneous monday

behold! huge cats...

https://themindcircle.com/maine-coon-cats/

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. i continue reading howard goodall's the story of music. i'm learning much about music history as well as refreshing long unused knowledge of music theory.  what are you reading? share your book with the whimsey project! 

silly saturday

from @uberfacts:

oklahoma's official state vegetable is the watermelon... which is a fruit!

photo friday

 lovely 

thoughtful thursday

allen ginsberg:

our heads are round so thought can change direction.

whimsical wednesday

it's the first whimsical wednesday of april! it's our day to make connections. call, write a letter, send a card, text, email, visit with others, have a craft session or gather others to join you in playing games. especially seek out those you wish to connect with but do not have the opportunity to do so as frequently as you might like. every month of this 2019 project, please connect with someone who really needs a connection due to illness or isolation or trying circumstances.

my connection activities for whimsical wednesday:

*friends have been ill so homemade soup is ready for delivery. *several cards and letters were put in the mail.
*easter cards will be made. 

trivia tuesday

from merriam-webster:

the RUTH in ruthless means "compassion for the misery of another" or "sorrow for one's own faults". thus, if someone is ruth LESS they have neither compassion nor sorrow. 

miscellaneous monday

daniel tiger is an animated pbs television program; an off-shoot of mister rogers' neighborhood. the creators developed an awesome app, "daniel tiger's grrr-ific feelings" to help children learn about emotions and how to express them appropriately. (adults can always use a refresher course in emotion application so they could also benefit!)  read about it:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/expert-tips-advice/2018/07/how-daniel-tigers-grr-ific-feelings-app-helps-kids-learn/?linkId=100000005613403

solitude sunday

solitude sunday. our day to spend time with a book. my read is howard goodall's the story of music from babylon to the beatles: how music has shaped civilization. in the first paragraph of the introduction the author writes, "...everything that had to be discovered to produce music, its chords, melodies and rhythms-- had already been discovered by around 1450". and i thought, oh! but what has been done with chords, melodies and rhythms since. what are you reading? share your book with the whimsey project. 

silly saturday

from @omgfacts:

"slang" is slang for shortened language. 

photo friday

hello!

thoughtful thursday

charles dickens:

it was one of those march days when it was summer in the sun and winter in the shade.               

whimsical wednesday

it's national "write a quirky country music song title" day! 

take some time to come up with the best country music song title ever, either by yourself or with others. for ideas: use an experience or experiences you or others have had to compose your title. the more mundane the experience the better as country music is all about the everyday.  share your song title with the whimsey project!

wednesday night my cyber crew and i riffed on song titles for a few hours. we even wrote a few songs to go with our titles. it was fun, fun, fun! here is a sample of our collaboration:

*red wine vinegar and a bit of sugar
*the letter she wrote only said do not use
*hack up that hairball and get to livin'
*my feelings match the color of my ol' chevy; blue
*she shredded his heart to a petite dice
*all that's lost isn't a loss
*where are you, parrot birds?
*thanks for saving me
*it's all pork rinds, beef jerky and beer
*i traded love for cash
*like i need your approval, junior
*country and quirky don't blend

trivia tuesday

from @omgfacts:

the national animal of wales is the dragon.

miscellaneous monday

awesome amenities in educational settings via the mind circle:

https://themindcircle.com/clever-school-inventions/  

solitude sunday

solitude sunday. our day to spend time with a book. my book is written by bessel van der kolk, md: the body keeps the score: brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. as the title implies, this book is about the effects of trauma on every aspect of the human being. 

silly saturday

homage to the best tee shirt ever!

photo friday

barley

thoughtful thursday

gary snyder:

nature is not a place to visit. it is home.

whimsical wednesday

it's whimsical wednesday! we are celebrating the first day of spring as well as the international day of happiness!

after a long, hard winter we welcome spring. go outside! look around for signs of the season of the earth's renewal, take a walk, sit in the sunshine, listen to the birds, observe other wildlife who are also, no doubt, welcoming spring.

the united nations established the international day of happiness in 2015. follow the link to learn more about how you can be a part of this international event:

https://www.dayofhappiness.net/#join


for whimsical wednesday i used the link above and joined the international happiness organization. while doing so i read about the mission and the activities they offer. the goal of the organization is to create environments in which people can be happy. to that end, i gathered plastic lids and took them to the local library. the library's project, which i learned about this week, is the creation of an outdoor bench for the library grounds made with the donated lids. 

it has been raining on this first day of spring but i was still about to enjoy being outside in between rain showers. trees are beginning to bud, grass is growing and becoming very green, the birds are merrily singing and the turtles are hanging out lakeside! when the turtles emerge it is spring. and the daffodils are about to bloom...

almost!

trivia tuesday

from @qikipedia:

the first recorded use of almond milk was from a baghdadi cookbook in the year 1226.

miscellaneous monday

keeping a daily whimsical moment notebook! that's one of our on-going activities here at the whimsey project. each day we record a daily moment of whimsey in any type of notebook: pocket calendar, loose leaf notebook paper, old envelopes, journals, whatever! throughout the year we take time to share some of our moments on miscellaneous monday and today is one of those days! (if you haven't been keeping a whimsical moment notebook today is a great day to begin!) 

my selected moment:

sunday, february 17th, my grandson said, while visiting for the weekend, "i love this house. it's cozy and homey." 

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. my current read is special as the author, bob tarte, is my friend. his memoir, feathered brained: my bumbling quest to become a birder and find a rare bird on my own, is funny, thoughtful, charming. 

silly saturday

from @omgfacts:

the pillsbury doughboy's name is poppin' fresh. 

photo friday

sign of spring...

thoughtful thursday

english proverb:

live the way you want to be remembered. 

whimsical wednesday

it's national "open an umbrella indoors" day! get out your favorite overhead rain protector and have at it! 

we had an "open an umbrella indoors" day party! card games and dinner and, of course, open umbrellas indoors!

trivia tuesday

from @qikipedia:

the "night of the radishes" is an annual festival dedicated to the carving of radishes, held in oaxaca, mexico.

miscellaneous monday

from merriam-webster; words inspired by dogs:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/word-histories-related-to-dogs/canary

solitude sunday

solitude sunday; our day to spend time with a book. my book companion continues to be peter ackroyd's, london, the biography. this history of london is fascinating.  share your book with the whimsey project!

silly saturday

can you spell silly?  an article from twentytwowords.com:

https://twentytwowords.com/the-most-insane-and-hilarious-typos-to-ever-exist/?utm_source=deck&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=influencer&utm_campaign=dm3

photo friday

thoughtful thursday

as read online:

how NOT to make an apology:

"i'm sorry that your terrible behavior caused me to act out of character. you should work on that." **

**or, put more simply, "i was wrong but it's your fault."

whimsical wednesday

our ongoing project for 2019 is to connect with others. therefore, on the first wednesday of each month we do just that. it's the first wednesday of march so get to connecting: call, email, text, put a card or letter or two in the mail, get together with someone(s). everyone is a candidate for your attention, however, consider reaching out to those people you aren't able to visit with very often. and maybe seek out new friends as well. 

trivia tuesday

from @omgfacts:

in welsh folklore, corgis are the preferred method of transportation for fairies.

miscellaneous monday

national geographic offers amazing views of america's national parks:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/lists/parks/national-parks-from-outer-space-aerial-photos/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=social::src=twitter::cmp=editorial::add=twt20190223travel-resurftravelnatparksfromspace::rid=&sf208224480=1

solitude sunday

solitude sunday is our day to spend time with a book. my book is peter ackroyd's london, the biography, an 800 page volume of the history of the city of london. it's an interesting read. what are you reading? share your book with whimsey project. 

silly saturday

from fancast.com:

Q: what sound do porcupines make when they hug?
A: ouch!

photo friday

art, unintended

thoughtful thursday

byron katie:

can you be happy right now? 
not tomorrow, not in ten minutes?

whimsical wednesday

it's february 27! for whimsical wednesday do something that contains the number 27. write the alphabet plus a number, read a poem 27 lines long, listen to or sing 27 songs, color using 27 crayons or colored pencils, send 27 texts, bake 27 cookies, cook 27 green beans, count 27 birds, look up 27 bits of information on the internet, draw 27 shapes. whatever you do make it 27! share your whimsical wednesday experience with the whimsey project; and share it 27 times if you wish!

my day proceeded differently than planned so i changed my 27 somethings activity. words became the focus. for 2 hours and 7 minutes (27) i recorded 27 words that i read or heard that caught my attention. they were recorded in order of hearing/reading:
*exponential
*whammy
*oblong
*outraged
*scorched
*glaceau
*messy
*precisely
*certificates
*assumed
*eclipse
*testimony
*simultaneous
*umbrage
*conceal
*citrouille
*precious
*maximum
*falcon
*hilarious
*timehop
*headstrong
*astonishing
*badger
*automatically
*artifact
*potentially

trivia tuesday

from mental floss:

debbie reynolds had no dancing experience before acting in the movie, singing in the rain.

miscellaneous monday

all the awesomeness for a dog from the his mom via the mind circle:  

https://themindcircle.com/room-for-chihuaha-dog/  

solitude sunday

more time to read this last week allowed me to finish the book about world war I so today, for solitude sunday, i am spending time with a book i found at a thrift store. i thought i had read everything jackie, however, in looking through the book i discovered i have not read stephen birmingham's jacqueline bouvier kennedy onassis. it is interesting even though out of date and i have learned new information about the former first lady. what are you reading? share your book with the whimsey project! 

silly saturday

from @uberfacts on january 31, 2019:

there is a town called hell in michigan and it literally froze over due to the polar vortex!

photo friday

through the window

thoughtful thursday

dalai lama xiv:

do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.

whimsical wednesday

we are celebrating s.o.b month for whimsical wednesday! what is s.o.b. month? follow the link for enlightenment:

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/February/spunky-old-broads-day.htm

if you are an s.o.b do something wonderful for yourself! if you know an s.o.b do something to acknowledge them. make it a group celebration by having an s.o.b gathering of some sort. share your s.o.b experience with the whimsey project!

trivia tuesday

from a fellow postcrosser:

the dutch word for rainbow is regenboog.

miscellaneous monday

are you putting items in your 2019 memory collector, a time capsule that will be looked at on new year's 2020? to recap, we have procured a container of our choosing into which we are placing things throughout the year. the items placed into the container is a personal preference but might include such mementos as playbills, ticket stubs, a special greeting card, a note. anything you have done or someone gave you or something you found that you can look at on new year's and remember the experiences of 2019 that made you smile. if you haven't begun your 2019 experience container, today is a great day to do so.  

solitude sunday

solitude sunday is our day to read a book. i continue with barrett peck's the great war in america: world war 1 and its aftermath; of which i have progressed through half of the book. what are you reading? share your book with the whimsey project. 

silly saturday

what one can do with spare auto parts as presented by atlas obscura:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/schaefer-s-auto-art?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=atlas-page  

photo friday

my handmade books; less than 1" square

thoughtful thursday

fred rogers:

when we say that people are special we mean that one never has to do anything sensational for them to be loved.

happy valentine's day!

whimsical wednesday

tomorrow is valentine's day. do whatever you wish to do to prepare for this special day.

my young best buddies (whom i consider grandchildren) and i baked cookies for valentine's day. after cookie baking we were joined by parents and one set of grandparents for a yum soup and salad supper with chocolate covered strawberries and their freshly baked cookies for dessert. everyone took home the remaining cookies that they will all be enjoying again tomorrow! 

trivia tuesday

from merriam-webster:

abstruse means difficult to comphend.

miscellaneous monday

animals make for such awesome artistic muses! from the mind circle.....

https://themindcircle.com/funny-animal-sculptures/

solitude sunday

we read a book on solitude sunday. my book continues to be garrett peck's the great war in america: world war 1 and its aftermath. what are you reading? share your book with the whimsey project.

silly saturday

animal rock bands from the mind circle; work hard not to laugh:

https://themindcircle.com/animals-album-photos/

photo friday

we are a family of puzzlers!

thoughtful thursday

maya angelou:

life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away. 

whimsical wednesday

it's whimsical wednesday! we continue with our 2019 project begun last month. that list you created of persons you wished to be more connected to this year will be utilized today. 

select the persons you wish to connect with and the means by which you will make the connection. perhaps you will select one or a few persons and you might connect with each one by different means; such as calling, texting, sending an actual letter or getting together. 

share your experience with the whimsey project! 

trivia tuesday

from @uberfacts:

writing a to-do list for the next day can help promote a good night's sleep. 

miscellaneous monday

it would be neat to visit this whimsical place featured in atlas obscura:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/buckle-island?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=atlas-page

solitude sunday

we read a book on solitude sunday. my run of quick-read memoirs has ended and a serious history begins. the book is garrett peck's the great war in america: world war 1 and it's aftermath. the book is dense and requires thought. this will be my book companion for awhile.

silly saturday

from funny-jokes.com:

Q: what do you call punxsutawney phil's laundry?
A: hogwash!

happy groundhog day! 

photo friday

total lunar eclipse 1.21.19

thoughtful thursday

hugh prater:

it's this simple. if i never try anything, i never learn anything. if i never take a risk, i stay where i am.  

whimsical wednesday

for whimsical wednesday we will journal as we always do in months that have five wednesdays. what do we write? we write about what suits us individually. for example, i keep several journals:

*notable notebook in which to record random neat stuff, such as quotes, projects, ideas.
*themed journal. i keep a journal about my farm and country living.
*personal journal. 
*art journals in which i combine art and words.
*memories notebook in which to record random memories. 
*whimsical moments journal in which a moment of whimsey experienced each day is recorded.

if you haven't begun keeping any type of journal consider doing so as writing is a useful tool for us to employ. one need not keep as many journals as i do and one need not write volumes in any given session. just writing is worthwhile for the self. 

trivia tuesday

from @uberfacts:

if the earth didn't have a moon, days would be about six hours long.

miscellaneous monday

eye popping photography of storms!

http://mentalfloss.com/photos/546297/7-awe-inspiring-photos-storm-clouds

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. my book is allan lokos' through the flames: overcoming disaster through compassion, patience and determination. the author, the leader of a meditation center in new york city, survived a plane crash. although he survived the crash he was very seriously injured. he details the crash, it's aftermath and his very, very slow road to recovery. he credits his wife (who was also in the plane with him and herself badly injured) and his training in meditation for having made it.

silly saturday

it's a thing! 

photo friday

it's snowing! 1.1.19

thoughtful thursday

me:

when stung by the behavior of others, be certain not to behave likewise.  

whimsical wednesday

it's national handwriting day! here's a bit about the event:

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/January/handwritingday.htm

for whimsical wednesday engage in some handwriting! for fun, try writing with your non-dominant hand and enjoy the results. learn to write in new styles using the link:   

https://www.drawyourworld.com/blog/examples-of-handwriting-styles.html

write tiny, write large! write in pen! write in crayon! write silly! write serious! just write!! 

later...

it was a very busy day for me; no writing until eight thirty pm! my efforts included different writing instruments and i used my non-dominant hand! the writing looks better than my usual handwriting with my dominant hand. here's the results:

trivia tuesday

from @uberfacts:

the word "photography" comes from two greek words that mean "writing with light". 

miscellanous monday

last month i wrote about fika, the swedish ritual of sharing tea with others: 

https://thewhimseyproject.blogspot.com/2018/

fika is such a grand ritual i decided to initiate fika for myself and others. last friday marked the first fika gathering i hosted.  it was impromptu, as i only extended an invitation a few days prior to the day. it was simple; i baked brownies and offered hot tea, iced tea and hot chocolate.  

our gathering numbered seven including me. for a few hours we sipped, munched and shared conversation. it reminded me of how the moms in my growing up years got together for coffee and conversation. i'm looking forward to the next fika gathering. 

solitude sunday

we read books on solitude sunday.  i read one last week and posted about it, however, i don't know what happened to it! my technology challenged self must have struck the wrong key and it disappeared. no matter.  

last week my book was patience bloom's romance is my day job: a memoir of finding love at last. ms bloom works as an editor in the romance novel industry. according to her story, her personal quest to find the right dude was a great deal more challenging than being an editor of romance novels! the most amazing part of this book is the author's name; as it could easily be the name of a romance novel's author!

my book this week is ray walker's the road to burgundy: the ulikely story of an american making wine and a new life in france. even if one cares nothing about wine, reading about the process was interesting.  however, as the book progressed it seemed more and more "unlikely" to me as some of it just didn't ring true. after finishing the book i did an internet search of the author.  it seems many others didn't and don't believe his story. one of the articles about him quoted him as saying he had enough material for a second book.  if such a book appears, i won't be reading it.

silly saturday

my grandchildren introduced me to bongo cat. bongo cat is so awesomely whimsical i am introducing bongo cat to fellow wim-zees!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sUpZ0oB07Q

photo friday

from a kitchen window

thoughtful thursday

unknown:

do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?

whimsical wednesday

we have a new 2019 monthly whimsical wednesday project! the goal is to connect with people you do not see or hear from as often as you may like. the first step is to make a list. for whimsical wednesday, create a list of those you wish to connect with. put the list somewhere that will be easily accessible such as tacked to a bulletin board or paper clipped to a calendar or planner. 

trivia tuesday

from @uberfacts:

the opposite of sparkle is darkle.

miscellaneous monday

a genius street artist in new york city:

https://themindcircle.com/street-art-tom-bob-new-york/

silly saturday

the selfie taking cat:

https://themindcircle.com/cat-takes-better-selfies-than-you/

photo friday

i see you. do you see me?

thoughtful thursday

snapped this at a new year's day open house:

whimsical wednesday

we are creating a 2019 time capsule for whimsical wednesday! 

*select a container that will hold stuff from throughout this year; the container can be a large jar with a lid, a bucket, a basket, a box, a tote or handbag. whatever suits.

*you may wish to label your container or decorate it. or not. whatever you feel like doing.

*put items of importance to you in the container. what's important is purely individual. some ideas might include, but not limited to, greeting cards, ticket stubs, photographs, ribbons from floral bouquets. surprise yourself by including items you might otherwise discard. (if you wish, include items from december 2019.)

*keep filling this container throughout 2019. there will be miscellaneous monday posts to remind us to keep filling the 2019 container.

*on new year's eve 2019 or new year's day 2020 we will look at the items we placed in our containers and recall wonderful experiences and special memories. 

trivia tuesday

from @qikipedia:

in 1859 the united states of america and the united kingdom almost went to war over the shooting of a pig.

miscellaneous monday

the whimsey project marks 2019 as the fourth year in the keeping of a daily whimsical moments notebook. a whimsical moments notebook is any notebook, journal, calendar, note pad or other writing material in which to record a daily moment of whimsey experienced. 

there are two very positive aspects of recording whimsical moments on a daily basis:
1. looking for such moments each day raises one's awareness that such moments exist for us to be surprised by and enjoyed.
2. reading the recorded moments are uplifting. it's especially so when one isn't feeling particularly wonderful. try reading through your recorded moments and not feel lighter!

if you haven't a daily whimsical moments notebook, today is a great day to begin. from time to time we share our moments; the whimsey project is looking forward to yours!

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. my read continues with michaela and elaine deprince's hope in a ballet shoe. this story ends well but getting there is rough!

silly saturday

omgjokes from @omgfacts:

Q: why don't penguins fly?
A: because they are too short to be pilots!

photo friday

smudge

thoughtful thursday

angela davis:

i am no longer accepting the things i cannot change.
i am changing the things i cannot accept. 

whimsical wednesday

how long have you had stuff; stuff you keep because of what it represents? for whimsical wednesday, let go of one item that falls into this category. before you remove it from your home, take a picture of it.  there. you still have it without it taking up physical space in your house! what item did you let go of? share with the whimsey project.

this is the item i removed from my house; a wallet received as a high school graduation gift. that life event was decades ago and it was the best wallet i have ever owned. none since have compared but it was falling apart, therefore, no longer useful. but i didn't let it go. until today. 

trivia tuesday

follow the link to the most common new year's resolutions:

https://www.statista.com/chart/12386/the-most-common-new-years-resolutions-for-2018/   

instead of resolutions, just live your best life each day.

happy new year.