Perception

My last post was on the heavy side. Since I like to mix things up, I thought I would post another funny to counter the heavy. Today is March 19th. The windchill outside is below zero. Spring, WHERE ARE YOU!!! In the spirit of positive thinking, I am holding faith that spring is mere days away. In honor of spring, I have been researching planting and gardening ideas. 

I have a son who loves cactus and succulents. He actually collects them, or at least tries. Believe it or not, we have a cactus eating cat! You heard that right. My cat eats all plants, including cactus. This has caused my plant loving household to become plant barren as he has gotten deathly sick off of several of the plants he ingested. Being plant lovers without the ability to grow houseplants is depressing. Being plant lovers not able to have houseplants in a state that has an outside growing season of what feels like two months is even more depressing! Still, we do what we can and that means grow as much as we can while we can!

I was researching plants for my garden, flowers for Darling Daughter's Fairy Flower Garden, and hardy plants for my cactus/succulent loving son. I came upon a site that had these awesome spherical succulent collections. I became intrigued, engulfed, obsessed in figuring out how to grow some for our patio this year. I was so fully engaged in the process of learning how to make them, I didn't notice the name they were given. Actually, I had read the name many times, it just never struck my funny bone until I stepped away from the page to get some coffee and sat back down. At that moment my perception of the name changed and I had a laugh-out-loud-alone-with-self moment. I had spent the last twenty minutes with my face inches away from Succulent Balls! Ha ha ha! (click link for awesome garden idea)

Get it? 

No?

Did you click the link?

Now do you get it?

Never mind. 
(sporting sheepish grin as I slink away)

☺

Silent Listening

"The word listen contains the same letters as the word silent." 

~Alfred Brendel

I really love that quote. I have been sitting with it for some time. I have been reading (slowly) a book about listening. "Seven Thousand Ways To Listen; Staying Close to What is Sacred" by Mark Nepo.

Slowing down, appreciating all that is around me, practicing silence, learning to really listen. Silent listening certainly allows for a closer connection to life.

I am not a silent person. I am a talker. Whether I was born that way or it is a condition, a reflex, a coping mechanism I developed due to the harshness of life, I cannot be certain. This past year has found me to be much quieter. I have been doing a lot of soul searching, reflecting and personal growth. I have been trying to discover my authentic self in order to save myself. I am learning the importance of listening. Not just listening to all the 'noise' that slams at our ears every day (chatter, the blaring radio, traffic), but genuinely, slowing down and taking notice of the most minuscule of messages listening allows for.

If you slow down and really listen, you can hear the subtleties of life that might normally pass you by. The slight sigh from a loved one that lets you know they are content, or perhaps the sound of a slightly heavier sigh that declares subtly but certainly, "I need a hug". 

You hear the true meaning behind someones words. What used to sound like gossip now sounds like someone who is unhappy with their life, therefore talking about others to take the focus off their own issues.

You hear your own heart. Its happiness and joys, the fears, the sadness. You hear it more clearly allowing for changes to be made.

Mother Nature offers a plethora of sounds to meditate upon and if you sit in silence listening long enough, your soul will answer in response to all that nature provides.

Last night I insisted the entire family pile into the van in snow gear with sleds in the rear. We drove to a local sledding hill. The sun was setting, the snow on the hill packed to a solid, slippery base. Luck had the hill empty upon arrival. The sun was setting. I stood at the top of the hill and silently observed.

The sun was setting. Orange filled the horizon stacked with yellow, followed by a baby blue sky. Dark cirrus clouds completed the top most layer. The colors were brilliant. There was a line of trees in front of the setting sun. Deciduous trees barren of their leaves while they stood sleeping the winter away. They appeared black standing majestically up against the magic sunset.

In front of me were five amazing, lovely, brilliant human beings sailing down the hill over and over. Whoosh went the sleds. Screams and/or silence on the way down exchanged with laughter upon landing safely at the bottom. Chattering their way back up for another round, traded for huffing and puffing the closer they reached the top of the climb. Sitting, shifting, preparing. Down, down, down again.

The sky filled with darkness. There is a light at the top of the hill. As they made their way to the bottom, they appear to disappear as the darkness enveloped them one, two, three, four, five. After some time, a train was heard off in the distance, its whistle piercing the cold, quiet air. The kids stop, turn, listen, wait, watch. Weighing heavily on the cold steel tracks, the earth moves and rumbles and shakes.

Reaching their fill of observation, the family turned once again to climb the hill. Once again they sail to the bottom with only the sound of sled on snow, reaching their destination upon which time the chatter and laughter would begin again.

So much to listen to on that hill.  The sound that stood out the most in that moment of presence, of silent listening, was the sound of my own heart filling with joy, happiness, pride. Love was swooshing from chamber to chamber, whispering "This. This is what life is about."

My Little Pumpkins...

... carved their pumpkins!

 

 

List it Tuesday 10/9/12

Today I am tagging along with a prompt from Artsyville. What fun! A "list it Tuesday"! Today's list topic is  "I am a sucker for..."


Here is my list!

Kids Ask The Cutest Questions

Kids ask the cutest questions and I adore them for it! Here is a conversation with my 3rd born son from last week.

C-man (with a rather inquisitive look on his face): "Mommy?"
Me: "Yes honey."
C-man: "Is there really such a thing as stink lines?"
Me: "Stink lines?"
C-man: "Yeah. You know. The lines that come off of someone who is really smelly."
Me: "Oh." trying desperately hard not to laugh "No honey. No such thing."

This particular son of mine is quite the sensitive soul and does not care to be laughed at. I remained stoic until he left the room at which time I ran directly to his father....

"OMG!!!! You'll never believe what C just asked me!!! OMG!!! He is so stinkin' cute!!!!"

I tend to be quite visual. A big part of the reason I found the question so funny is due to the fact that I instantly imagined him walking around this whole time looking for 'stink lines' on people to see if they truly exist. I honestly don't believe I ever thought 'stink lines' were a 'real' thing. Then again, I wasn't obsessed with Garfield cartoons either.

In honor of C-man, I would like to introduce you to Candy!

If ever there were a creature worthy of stink lines, it would be Candy. She's an old beagle that lives in our neighborhood. We became acquainted with her through numerous yard escapes. The first time she showed up at our door she stunk to high heaven! You could hardly get near her as she was covered in something with an unGodly smell. We called the vet on her rabies tag. They tracked down the owners. Several years later and many more visits, (we have since exchanged info. w/the owners as they always call us when she disappears and we now know where to return her), she shows up as if visiting old friends, always stinking.  It's as if she stops and rolls in all the local dog piles on her way over.

Darling Daughter walking Candy on one of her visits.  We had to wait for the owners to return home to return her.

Candy, you are such an absolute sweetheart but that scent you wear does not do you justice!

Quick Share

I just had to share this fun find with you.

People's creativity never ceases to amaze me!

I found the funnest shop a few days ago.

~pause~

(Sorry. Had to take a moment to pause and tell y'all that spellcheck seems to think "funnest" is not a real word! Really? How can it not be a real word? I use it, like, daily! Whatevs.)

Anywho...

I was out with a friend of mine (lunch date, light shopping) and we happened upon the coolest set of stores! The Villager is a really great framing shop which also carries work by photographers, handmade jewelry, THE COOLEST lamps made from vintage cameras and musical instruments and more and more and more sweet goodness (wish I would have taken pictures downstairs but I didn't so you'll have to trust me and pay them a visit). 

Then... we saw a steep staircase inviting us up to another uber cool store. I am IN LOVE people! My Apt. @ 429 is sooooo fun! They have gently used vintage and vintage style clothing, vintage kitchenware, books, jewelry and so much more. It is hands down the coolest resale shop I have ever been in (and I have been in loads). It is set up to feel like a ginormous upstairs apartment (more like a flat as it is the entire upstairs of an old downtown building). I wanted to move in instantly!

One of the most creative items for sale were these skirts.

Someone took a whole bunch of men's ties and assembled them into skirts! Some of the skirts had ties simply sewn side by side. Others were designed a bit more roomy and flowing by taking the seams out of the ties, spreading them wide and then assembling the ties together. How fun and cute is that? Do you see the decoupage collage of vintage pages on the wall heading up the stairs? Seriously! The walls were full of fun art, there were dress displays hanging from the ceiling, there were animal crackers and candy sitting out for customer consumption pleasure, and fun signs all over. Example? Sure! Here's one now!

Too fun! 

I know I said it would be a quick share and then I went on and on and on and on and I know that this was an exciting post for me because spellcheck is having a hay day with my choice of words-

funnest

Whatevs

Anywho

uber

ginormous

-so I will let you off the hook and sign off for the day. In the event that you enjoyed this post and the stores I have mentioned, I will leave you with more fun pics! So many creative ideas here!

(sorry in advance for the shoddy photography, my little digital takes horrible inside shots)

Fairy-est

Crystal Ball,

Crystal Ball,

Do tell all.

Who's the fairy-est of them all?

Welcome to our fairy garden!

M's Fairy Garden

cupboard

seating for four

shh... I see one now!

welcome!

The boys abandoned the sandbox below the swing set long ago.

After years of trucks and shovels excavating the prime real estate,

Darling Daughter and I thought it was time to develop.

No high rises here! We created a welcoming little neighborhood for flowers, bunnies and fairies! Shh... I think I see one now!

Busy, busy, dreadfully busy...

My first born graduates this weekend.

I had full intention of putting out a heartfelt,

well thought out post about this mountain of a milestone.

As would be expected, I'm too busy to blog about it!

Instead, I will post a picture of the pretty beanbags I made for the beanbag toss.

So quick and easy and it turns out the family loves them! 

They've been practicing juggling, playing catch,

and making up various games aside from the originally intended beanbag toss.

It doesn't take much time to make them.

If you have some scrap fabric laying around, I highly recommend you make some!

Fun for the whole family!

p.s. I cheated. They're really filled with rice.

Odd One Out

Cutesy, little, fun encaustic piece.

Odd One Out

Speaking of fun...

The kids and I went for a walk on a local trail.

We spotted a vine that hung from the trees across the trail.

My son tried it first.

Darling Daughter was second.

Doesn't it look fun? Yeah! That's what I thought.

This is me thinking I'm young and light like a child!

I grab the vine, head up the little hill...

What you don't see is me lying flat on my back on the

right side of the path!!! Oh the vine worked alright. 

I didn't get enough height so I yanked real hard trying to

pull myself higher. SMASH!!!! Down went the vine.

Down I went. Flat on my back lying in the ditch on the

on the right side of the path. It knocked the breath out of me,

jolted my neck and cut up my arm! Am I getting too old for this stuff? Never! I got right back up and laughed my butt off!

My son (bless his heart) came rushing over out of concern.

If it would have been my oldest, he would have seen this as

the perfect photo op!!! Can't say that I would blame him!

"You cannot always wait for the perfect time, sometimes you must dare to jump. Life is all about risks and it requires you to jump. Don't be a person who has to look back and wonder what they would have or could have had. No one wait forever."   ~ Mark Twain (I believe)

Fun Job

Last week a friend was fretting.

She was completely bent out of shape over others opinions of her.

So I stated a long known truth.

She loved what I said so much she hired me 

to make a sign for a friend's bar.

It was to look rustic and worn and state the simple truth.

Some jobs are so much fun!

It's your choice whether you care for other people's.   ha ha ha!

Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.  ~John F. Kennedy

Apologies

 

 

My apologies in advance for the ten tons of snow.

I woke this morning and looked outside.

It was pitch dark and as still as the pages of a bible in an atheist's bookshelf.

But it's coming.
Oh boy is it coming.

I owe an apology to everyone living even remotely close to me.

Darling daughter made me do it.

She read it in a book (children's) so you know it has to be true.

She forced me into a snow dance.

The book said, if the weatherman predicts snow,

in order to guarantee a good amount, before bed you must...

 1. 

put your pajamas on backward and inside out

2.

put a spoon under your pillow

3.

tape a penny to your bedroom door

4.

get up on the bed and do the craziest dance you can imagine.

You should have seen us!

It was partay time at our house!!!

I got so wrapped up in the fun, I forgot the point.

Snow? Oh nooooooo!

We shouldn't have danced so hard!

But we did.

So.

I apologize in advance for the snow.

On the Road Again

Hello Blog Land!

I'm hitting the road.

Off to the Rocky Mountains.

Business not pleasure.

Although...

I'm going to make it my business to find pleasure.

To start out with, I'm dragging the whole family along.

We'll be returning October 3rd

I have an old dinosaur laptop I will try to get working.

If not, we'll catch up later.

Missing you already.

Love, 

Me

 Travel Quotes

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.  ~Anatole France

I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.  ~Lillian Smith

And that's the wonderful thing about family travel:  it provides you with experiences that will remain locked forever in the scar tissue of your mind.  ~Dave Barry 

(Ha ha ha!!! That last one set me off in a giggle fit! )

...and what better way to start off a long distance trip than with good ol' Willie!

Am I A Loser???

I need your help! 

 I fear I may be a loser!

Twice Over!!! 

Indulge me, if you will, in two debates.

Debate #1

The age old "over or under" debate.

Toilet paper.

Over (front)?

Or under (back)?

Debate #2

Magazines

Okay to read from back to front?

Or ONLY acceptable front to back?

If you reply, you MUST answer honestly!

No sparing my feelings.

I'm a big girl.

I wear big girl panties.

I can take it.

sniff ~ sniff ~

No really.

I need to know.

Do I win the debate?

Or am I a loser?

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

In my circle of friends, I have failed miserably.

Here's my take.

T.P. should be put on the roll so the tail drapes down the BACK!!!

I guess that would be "under"

I don't want the tail flapping over the top at me.

Mocking me.

Taunting me.

"Here I am!!! Hanging over!!! Look at me looking sloppy!!!"

I want it neatly placed under (to the back)

where it will lie silently against the wall

neatly in line with the vertical lines of the cabinets and walls.

Anal? A bit. Correct? I believe so.

My husband and (as I have recently found out)

a couple of close friends find my way completely unacceptable.

They are of the "over" crowd.

Swearing it only makes sense that the extra paper tail be resting atop the roll.

Whaaaaat????

Can this be???

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

As for the magazines. 

I get them. I love them. I devour them.

I read them back to front.

Not religiously, but 90% of the time.

Now I'm not a total freak.

Books, letters, mail, everything aside from magazines

gets read the proper way from top to bottom, left to right.

There's just something about magazines.

I pick them up and they demand I start from the back!

Magazines scream,

"scan me"

"leaf through"

"dabble"

"play with me"

I read them bits and chunks.

Willy nilly.

Starting in the back, flapping toward the front.

Whatever grabs me I read.

Next time it is picked up, I do the same.

Like a lottery of entertainment.

Then....

my world was shattered.

A friend told me that reading a magazine from back to front

was a freaky thing to do.

"NO ONE reads from back to front"

She declared.

"I beg to differ! I do! And I'm someone!"

"Well that's just plain strange."

"What about all the people leafing through at the doc office? Do you think they pick them up and read front to back? Or do they pick something willy nilly? Perhaps EVEN starting at the back?"

"No One starts at the back. It's just wrong."

She even pulled in another friend. We were at a party when this ugly debate started. The friend? Agreed with her. Then again, it was HER friend. They actually started laughing at me and saying how ridiculous it was. They were asking around and guess what???? I was the ONLY one to read back to front! Of course I have no clue if everyone was being honest with me. After all, it was my friend throwing the party. Perhaps they all agreed with her as not to risk being kicked to the curb on the night of the party!?!?

Once again, my circle of friends claimed

I was the loser.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Sooo...

dear bloggy friends....

I reach out to you.

Two debates

in need of two answers.

#1

t.p.

over (front) or under (back)

#2

magazines

acceptable to read from back to front?

yes or no

I will be anxiously lurching around patiently waiting for the results to see if I have won the debate (yes!!! winner!!!)

or

if, in fact, I am a loser.

;)

Thanks for playing along!

Have a happy, safe, brilliant weekend!

Sweet Freedom!

Took this shot while riding a roller coaster

with Darling Daughter this past weekend.

Aaaaah!

The feeling of sweet freedom.

What makes your soul fly free?

Capture it. Follow it. Do it.

Fantastical Fun!

A

weekend

full of

fantastical fun!!!

Ferris Wheels.

Fabulous Finds

 

Fun with photos.

What did you do with your weekend?

 (I searched for a good quote about weekends but found none worthy of adding. Instead I will search the comments to this post for brilliant weekend ponderings. Care to indulge me?)

 

Sunday

Sunday

Day at the beach.

Grey day.

 Family in the water day.

Toes in the sand day.

Fun shot day.

 

Wonder what today will bring.

What A Weekend!!!!

I had a whirlwind weekend

full of

busyness

fun

inspiration

laughter

enjoyment

exhaustion

fulfillment

joy.

There were

epiphanies

quiet moments

great conversation

and love.

I was trying to capture a moment to share

 but it seemed an impossible task.

 The weekend sits in me as a

discombobulated flurry of good feelings

and I would rather like to keep it that way.

Rather than explain,

I will share a glimpse.

Pardon the picture quality.

My P&S (or should I say POS) camera

is very temperamental lately. Grrrr!

This lovely old building...

 housed this lovely art show...

with lovely live music!...

 

A visit to my friend's flip home almost ready for market.

Yay Crimestoppers!!! Thank you for hosting an electronics recycle!!!!!

YOU ROCK!!!!!

 

 Oh yeah!!! Junk shopping.

How cool is this bike?!!!!

Aaaaaahhhh books!!!!

 

Family...

 

...and fireworks!!!

 

Little friend's birthday. He LOVED the cape & mask I bought him!!!

 Cactus LOVE!

I hope you had an amazing weekend as well.

Care to share???