miscellaneous monday

follow the link to "house and garden" and download free prints of lovely watercolor paintings:

https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/article/susannah-garrod-art-things-to-put-in-frames

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. my book is lion. written by saroo brierley, it is his incredible story of being lost at the age of five and being found 25 years later.  

silly saturday

these signs posted at a gas station will make you giggle:

https://uber-facts.com/this-gas-stations-hilarious-signs-make-the-entire-town-laugh/

photo friday

friendship

thoughtful thursday

zhuangzi:

the sound of rain says what i think.

whimsical wednesday

it's may and may has five wednesdays! in months with five wednesdays we write in our journals for whimsical wednesday. what journals do we write in? what journals do you keep or would like to keep? if you don't keep a journal this whimsical wednesday is a great day to begin. your journals should be as unique as you are. by way of example of what you might consider these are the journals i keep:
*a notable notebook in which to record random interesting stuff like facts or quotes or ideas.
*a memory notebook in which to record random memories from my life and those in my life (because i don't want any great memory to escape me i keep a running list of memories as they come to mind).
*a themed journal. i write about life on my farm.
*a personal journal.
*a whimsical moments notebook in which to record a daily moment that really caught my attention or made me laugh or was particularly thought provoking. 

trivia tuesday

largest number and longest word!

miscellaneous monday

want a road trip in your near future but don't know where to go? just want to enjoy armchair travel by reading about interesting places to visit? this mental floss article is just the remedy:

http://mentalfloss.com/article/83360/day-trips-50-states

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. my book is pen and palate. written by lucy madison and tram nguyen, this memoir is about two friends navigating adulthood through writing and cooking. interspersed throughout the narrative are family recipes from both authors, food of their growing up years. 

silly saturday

chillin' man-a-tea

photo friday

barley in a bucket

thoughtful thursday

byron katie:

true generosity happens without any awareness of being generous.

whimsical wednesday

we are preparing for mother's day this whimsical wednesday! suggestions? make and send cards, put together a basket of useful items selected just for the mom in your life, remember someone who is like a mom to you, select a memorial to an organization you like to honor a deceased mom, gather up children and help them make gifts for their mothers, support mothers with small children by offering a day of childcare, visit a (grand)mother at home or who might be in a nursing home or hospital!  

trivia tuesday

from @omgfacts:

chromophobia is a fear of colors.

miscellaneous monday

let's take a peek into our whimsical moments notebook! what is a whimsical moments notebook? any notebook, calendar, index card, recording system devised in which to scribble one daily moment that really made you laugh, smile, think, took you by surprise. periodically we review our whimsical moments on miscellaneous monday. today i will share a moment recorded may 1st: "a flower was in the grocery cart pulled for use at kroger." it was a surprise and it was may day, the day of flowers! share a whimsical moment from your notebook. if you do not keep a whimsical moments notebook, today is a great day to begin.

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. i am reading erik larson's thunderstruck. in this book, larson weaves murder and invention in the early 20th century. as with the other larson books i have read, this one enthralls as he pulls the reader into the story so completely one actually feels involved. 

silly saturday

from @qikipedia:

FLENCH: when it looks like the weather will improve and then... never does.  

photo friday

jacob plays ball!
(photo by sarah)

thoughtful thursday

laozi, tao to ching, chapter 64:

a tower of nine stories begins with a pile of dirt.

whimsical wednesday

it's the first of may and our monthly "connect with others" day. perhaps, since it's also may day, your connections with others might include may baskets! or if you are sending card/letters, use a basket and floral motif; perhaps handmade. 

trivia tuesday

from @uberfacts:

the chills gotten when listening to music is caused by the release of dopamine in the body. 

miscellaneous monday

the lonely planet's best botanical gardens around the world:

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/earthly-delights-the-worlds-best-botanical-gardens/40625c8c-8a11-5710-a052-1479d2757a56?utm_campaign=article&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=Earthly%20delights:%20the%20worlds%20best%20botanical%20gardens

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. my book is caroline knight's frank lloyd wright. the volume is a visual and descriptive compendium of wright's most famous or groundbreaking structures.

silly saturday

from @omgfacts:

song lyric?

"sweet dreams are made of cheese, who am i to dis a brie?..." 

photo friday

tunnel of cher
(photo by amanda)

thoughtful thursday

b.d. schiers:

silence is the hardest argument to refute.

whimsical wednesday

share something about you for whimsical wednesday! what phrase do you say so much that others would identify you closely with those words? you might not even be aware of how much you say something until it is pointed out to you. so if you are uncertain what your words might be, ask those you talk with most frequently. what say you about you?

without a doubt, the phrase "i read somewhere..." would be what others say is my go-to discussion/sentence opener! i do say this a lot because i read a great deal and the subject matter is wide and varied. and it sticks in my brain when what i would like to remember often does not! not enough space left because of the "i read somewhere..." files?

trivia tuesday

from @qikipedia:

50 to 70% of germans have reportedly experienced FRUHJAHRSMUDIGKEIT: a listlessness or unspecific illness brought on by the coming of spring. (spring fever?)

miscellaneous monday

now THIS is a sandwich!

https://www.myrecipes.com/news/elsies-pickle-sandwich

solitude sunday

happy easter!

silly saturday

from www.kidactivities.net

Q: how did the soggy bunny get dry?
A: a hare dryer!

photo friday

sam at work. (photo by windy)

thoughtful thursday

swahili (african) proverb:

he who complains much does little.

whimsical wednesday

to prepare for easter, we are creating bunnies from washcloths for whimsical wednesday! an internet search produced several links for bunny folding instructions. i selected the one below as the directions and diagrams were simple and easy to follow. the materials list is short and can be improvised using stickers and other items you might already have on hand. 

http://www.auntannie.com/Easter/WashclothBunny/  

trivia tuesday

from @omgfacts:

a day is two years long on mars.

miscellaneous monday

i love crows! from bored panda, this article reveals why, in part, crows are so awesome:

https://www.boredpanda.com/man-feeds-family-of-crows-receives-gifts-stuart-dahiquist/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=BPTwitter

solitude sunday

solitude sunday at the whimsey project. our day to spend time with a book. what are you reading? share your book with us. with so many spring chores to do and so little time to read, my book continues to be howard goodall's the story of music. 

silly saturday

from @andyrichter:

it would not surprise me at all if there is a language in which the word for "home" translates into taking pants off immediately. 

photo friday

birds decorate a friend's bath! 

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.