Smiling With Daisy

Jumping to Johnny

2012-02-11T20:20:00.001-05:00

Bounce, bounce, giggle, bounce, bounce, giggle

For Book Lovers Like Me

2012-02-04T18:48:00.000-05:00

I really like this. The description of it from the vimeo site covers it well, and says it much better than I could.

This is what they had to say about it, "Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, 'Morris Lessmore' is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story.

Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation), award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a new narrative experience that harkens back to silent films and M-G-M Technicolor musicals. 'Morris Lessmore' is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.

'The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore' is one of five animated short films that will be considered for outstanding film achievements of 2011 in the 84th Academy Awards ®."

If I were allowed to cast a vote, it would get mine. By internet standards, it is a little on the long side (about 15 minutes), but if you have the time to spare, I think you will like it.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Are You My Mother?

2012-01-22T13:45:00.000-05:00

I would say this is a VERY patient dog. Just the term "milk pants" made me laugh, but to see a dog wearing a pair and to see why, well...you can watch and see for yourself.

Cowabunga! (or maybe --"Crowabunga?")

2012-01-16T22:14:00.000-05:00

I've never seen anything quite like this before. Snowboarding anyone?

Who's Your Favorite?

2012-01-14T19:36:00.000-05:00

Some creative editing here makes for a bit of fun between a Dad and his baby daughter.

Friday Fun

2012-01-06T08:06:00.001-05:00

You are sure to find a laugh (or several) in this one, and it's a good way to start your weekend! Thanks to my friend Cary at List Of The Day for this.

Twelve Christmas Songs in Four Minutes

2011-12-23T18:05:00.000-05:00

This is a very talented young man. His music makes me smile. He has other videos on Youtube if you'd like to hear more of his work. Merry Christmas, everybody!

Girl Talk

2011-12-13T22:19:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you just need to sit down and share a little girl talk. I'm not sure what they are saying, but they seem to have a lot to say!

Goodnight iPad!

2011-11-26T12:03:00.000-05:00

This is brilliant! I love it!

Beware the Shredder!

2011-11-19T09:53:00.000-05:00

We have a paper shredder too, but ours plugs into the wall, and we use it to shred sensitive documents that have our private information on it. This is a whole new take on paper shredding!!

Go, Daddy-O!

2011-11-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

I thought about putting this on my other blog, but then decided to put it here. Watching this made me smile, and I especially liked the way it ended. This is from my friend Cary from the blog, List Of The Day. Thanks to him for sharing this feel-good video.

Interview With a One-Year-Old

2011-10-30T00:16:00.000-04:00

I found this young couple and their baby in numerous funny videos on youtube. Many of them are very clever and amusing, and I may eventually post more of them here. I thought this one was particularly cute.

Way to Go, Einstein!

2011-10-23T23:24:00.003-04:00

I don't remember if I have posted this here before or not, but if I have, it's been a while. I hope it makes you smile.

I'm going to a librarian's convention in Toledo for three days this week, and I also have parent meetings to attend to for my son's school which isn't going to leave me any extra time for blogging. I'm going to be away from my computer most of the week and will be taking a short blogging break, but I'll be back before you even have time to miss me. I hope you all have a good week.

While I'm gone, you might want to go over and visit Kimberly's blog, Camp and Cottage Living. She is celebrating the fact that she has reached 100 followers by having a giveaway. Included in her giveaway is a pair of toasty mittens, some wonderful magazines, and a lovely calendar. The picture below is from the front of the calendar, and it is called, "Home Sweet Home." Stop by and comment on her blog to enter the contest!

This Will Keep the Kids Busy for a While!

2011-10-12T19:51:00.001-04:00

What fun to watch! They call this a stick bomb or a cobra weave (see how it looks like a snake raising its head?). I can't help but wonder how long it took for them to set this up. I wouldn't want to be the one who has to clean up the mess afterwards, either.

Also, although this says it is a record, there are others on Youtube with even more sticks if you want to search for them.

And, just in case you want to make one of your own, this video will tell you how!

I'm a Marionette, Everybody's Pet...

2011-10-10T22:29:00.000-04:00

Watch this street puppeteer brighten a little girl's day. It brightened mine just watching this.

The Man Song

2011-10-04T08:30:00.000-04:00

This gave me a giggle or two. So, who's the boss at YOUR house?

A Clean Sweep of Cute Kittens

2011-09-29T08:34:00.000-04:00

Kittens and vacuum cleaners--who knew the two could combine in so many ways with such different results!

This first video shows what I would expect is a frequent reaction of kittens to the scary monster that is a vacuum cleaner.

In the next video, the owner of the kittens writes, "The kittens would constantly get on and all fall asleep til one of them hit the button on the top til it turned on. " Watch and see what happens.

Finally, take a look at this video where a vacuum actually saves the life of a tiny kitten.

Thanks to my friend, Mo for sharing with me the first video on this list.

Pass It On!

2011-09-25T21:45:00.003-04:00

When someone smiles at you, doesn't it usually make you want to smile back? That's the way it works for me. With that in mind, here are a few smiles from around the web to brighten your day. I hope they leave you with a smile on your face as well.

A laugh is a smile that bursts.

Most smiles are started by another smile.

A smile confuses an approaching frown.

A smile is a language that even a baby understands.

The shortest distance between two people is a smile

A smile happens in a flash but its memory can last for a lifetime.

Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.
by Mark Twain

If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours.

A smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you are at home.

A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.
by William Arthur Ward

Smile, it's the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart.

A smile is a powerful weapon. You can even break ice with it.

A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A--O!

2011-09-07T21:08:00.000-04:00

Watching this little guy made my day.

"That's My Boy!"

2011-09-02T08:19:00.000-04:00

Well, OK, to be honest, this made me cry. But it also made me smile. It made me smile big. I love the part where his mom says, "That's my boy!"

Thank you to my friend Sandy who shared this one with me.

Last Round of Yabba Dabba Doo

2011-08-29T08:03:00.000-04:00

This is the last round of my silly Photoshop animal helpers for now. (See my last two posts here to catch up!) This post is for Margaret and Ginny. Margaret requested an electric eel to generate power for her neighbors who lost their electricity when hurricane Irene blew through.

Well, Margaret, instead of creating an imaginary picture for you, I found the real thing. If it works to light a Christmas tree, I guess it could power a house too-- if you had enough eels!!

For my friend Ginny, who is so talented in the kitchen, I created the picture below. She requested a robot to do all her canning for her. Everyone knows that a robot could never do the job as well as Ginny, but perhaps he could load them up on a tray and carry them off to put them away in the pantry for her. So here is your robot, Ginny. (Yes, that is actually your own tomato juice. I borrowed your picture to create this new one with the robot.) Thanks all for playing along with my silliness.

Yabba Dabba Doo Time (part 2)

2011-08-28T15:17:00.001-04:00

In my previous post, I had a little fun with Photoshop and created some Flintstone-like animal helpers. Then I asked my readers if they had any suggestions. M. Lane requested a monkey to clean her gutters and Karen thought a porcupine ought to be put to good use. So I gave it a try and this is what I came up with.

For M. Lane's request, I took this picture:

and combined it with this picture:

and added a few finishing touches to create this picture--a gutter cleaning monkey!

For Karen's idea, I took this picture:

and combined it with this picture:

and came up with this picture, a porcupine street cleaner!

Thanks for playing along with this game, ladies. This was fun. Happy Sunday everyone!

Having a Yabba Dabba Doo Time!

2011-08-27T21:15:00.000-04:00

Do you remember the old Flintstones cartoons where animals were used in various ways to help out with everyday chores? For example, in the show's introduction, Fred used a dinosaur to help dig out the rock quarry where he worked and a bird was used as the quitting time whistle when his tail was pulled.

For fun, I played around with some photos in the Photoshop program and tried my hand at creating some modern-day animal helpers. Wouldn't it be nice to have a helping hand (or claw) when you are folding laundry?

If you want to be like Donald Trump and have a fuller head of hair, you might like this squirrel toupee.

Is your floor dirty? This dog mop should come in handy.

Having a bonfire? Are you grilling out? This large needle nose gar will be perfect to use for skewering your kabobs and holding them over the flames.

Summer is winding down and soon Fall will be upon us. You know what that means. We are going to have a lot of leaves littering up our yards. Here's the perfect solution: an elephant leaf blower!

Can you think of any animal helpers that you would like to see? If you can think of any, please suggest them in the comments section below. If my readers can come up with any that I think I can create with Photoshop, I'll give it a try and post them on this blog.

Honey, There's Someone at the Door. Could You See Who It Is?

2011-08-19T13:46:00.000-04:00

Today is my husband's birthday, and my 21-year-old son sent this to him as his birthday gift.

Hahahahaha!

Yes, I know you're jealous, but really there is no need to be. Mr. Stormtrooper won't be living at our house. He's going off to guard my husband's office (thank goodness!).

Have a good weekend, everyone. May the force be with you!

"Now There's Something You Don't See Every Day, Chauncey!"

2011-08-12T22:13:00.001-04:00

A romp through the sprinkler in the yard is a good way to cool off on a hot summer's day, don't you think? These two little ones are having some fun, and it made me smile to watch them.

Mother moose's reaction to this man's request gave me a giggle too.

"Go on, shoo." hahahahaha! I believe that request fell on deaf ears.

"Now There's Something You Don't See Every Day, Chauncey!"

Persistence Pays Off!

2011-07-25T10:24:00.000-04:00

You really can't blame Gus. We HAVE had quite a warm spell recently.

Thanks to my friend Frank who shared this clip with me.

Tickle Me, Terrier

2011-07-22T22:18:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if the noises in this video are being made by the dog or the dog's owner, but it's cute either way.

Beware the Green Apples!

2011-07-08T22:37:00.000-04:00

You can't let your guard down for a moment! You must be ever vigilant!

My friend Mo shared this one with me. Thanks, Mo!

As Long As We're Together, Who Cares About the Weather

2011-06-29T21:13:00.000-04:00

Listen to the falling rain, listen to it fall...

Let Me Tell You About My Best Friend...

2011-06-28T20:28:00.000-04:00

Sometimes friendships are formed where you would never expect them.

He ain't heavy, he's my brother...

What Were We Thinking?

2011-06-19T19:13:00.000-04:00

While looking for photos of my Dad to post on my other blog for Father's Day, I came across some other old photos that made me laugh. There's nothing like seeing yourself in the fashions and hairstyles of days gone by to make you realize just how long ago those days were. Perhaps these will give you a laugh and help you remember some of your style sensations from former years.

Do you like the puffy skirts of the dresses my sister and I are wearing? We are ruffled out to there and back again. My sister is on the left, I'm the short, pudgy one in the middle, and my brother is on the right.

We are still all dressed up in our good clothes, but now we are out on the swing set. Maybe we got too rambunctious inside. I'm on the left here. How do you like that one big curl right smack dab in the middle of the top of my head!?

The puffy skirt of my sister's dress looks like she is smuggling a dodge ball under there! My brother's clothes in this picture make me laugh too. The bow tie and suspenders, the jacket, and the pants pulled up to his armpits remind me of that little old man that used to dance around for the Six Flags commercials.

This picture taken in one of those photo booths where everyone crowds in together made me laugh too. My sister and I have such lovely glasses. My sister is in the middle and I'm on the right hand side.

Here are a couple more gems that show what fashion sense we had. Do you like my red knee socks and my dress with the white collar and cuffs that looks like it is made from a tablecloth? Those glasses actually had very light blue frames, but they look white in this picture. The curls in my hair and in my sister's hair are amusing too.

We were visiting a neighbor of ours who just had a new baby, so we were all fussing over the newborn and taking turns holding him.

Next up is this unforgettably bad photo of my sister and me sitting on the sidewalk in front of the garage with a basket full of kittens. As usual, Dad has us posed staring and squinting into the sun. My sister has the short hair, and I have the long hair, and we are both sporting bangs. And, of course, we are wearing our lovely glasses--always the glasses!! Aren't we gorgeous! Oh well, the kittens are cute at least.

This one of my brother and me would have been when we were both just out of college, I believe. This was at Christmas time. I know that, because it looks like I stole the red pants right off of poor old Santa Claus. The wild patterned red sweater looks like one from the old Cosby TV show.

This last photo is of me when I was one of the bridesmaids at my brother and sister-in-law's wedding. Do you like my hat? This hat was as close as I ever came to looking like a Southern belle.

How about you? Do you remember any crazy hairstyles or fashions from your younger days that make you wonder, "What were we thinking?"

Revenge is Sweet

2011-06-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

Well now, this is just silly! It made me laugh.

Can YOU Touch Him?

2011-06-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

"He's beautiful!"

I Brought You a Stick...

2011-05-29T22:13:00.000-04:00

Don't you want to play with me?

Ready, Set, GO!

2011-05-28T21:35:00.000-04:00

I remember when my boys were toddlers, there were days when they had what seemed like endless energy. On those days, I always thought, "I might as well let them run. It will wear them out, and they will sleep better later."

I have a feeling this little guy slept well after his trip to the zoo.

Like the Shirt Says, "All You Need Is Love"

2011-05-09T21:45:00.000-04:00

I saw this on my friend Frank's blog and thought it was adorable. It definitely made me smile. I hope you like it too. Thanks, Frank for sharing this one!

Such a Tease!

2011-05-08T20:30:00.000-04:00

I've been seeing this video everywhere I look lately. Just in case you missed it, I thought I would post it here. It made me laugh, so I wanted to share it.

Librarian Humor

2011-04-27T23:36:00.001-04:00

Most of you know that I work at the library. I like to collect bits of library humor as I run across them here and there. I thought I'd share some of them with you. This first story happened to me. The rest are just bits and pieces that I've found in different places over time.

* * * * *

As the Marketing and PR Coordinator at the library, part of my job is to take pictures of various people and events important to the library and send the photos along with press releases to the local newspaper.

Recently I was taking a picture of some ladies representing a local organization. The organization had donated some special books to the library. After I took their picture, one of the women pulled me aside and asked me if I could photoshop out her wrinkles before I sent the picture in to the newspaper. I was surprised at this request and caught off guard. I mumbled something like, "No, that's not something I would do." She was disappointed, but didn't push the issue.

The truth of the matter is that I do have access to the Photoshop software on my office computer and probably could have taken out some of her wrinkles. I didn't, however, feel confident that she would like the results of such image altering. I also wasn't comfortable with the idea of sending an altered photo in to the newspaper for publication.

Perhaps the most compelling reason for me to deny her request, however, was that when she asked the question, I honestly didn't know if she was referring to the wrinkles in her skin or the wrinkles in her clothes!! She had many of both, and I was quite sure if I asked her to clarify which wrinkles she was referring to that she would go away offended.

* * * * *

Ask, and a librarian will tell you where to go.

* * * * *

I am a librarian. To save time, assume I know everything!

* * * * *

(Written in very small print on a badge that is pinned to a shirt) "ha ha, made you read"

* * * * *

Don't make me shush you!

* * * * *

My Lucky Day!

2011-04-25T22:25:00.000-04:00

I was chosen the winner of Paige's stupid blog party post contest. Must have been my lucky day!

Paige sent me this wonderful apron with the Stupid Blog Party badge printed on it, along with a book mark, also bearing the party badge. Thank you, Paige! It was a fun party!

Here are a few more people who had a lucky day. I hope your day is a lucky one today too.

No Vehicles Beyond This Point

2011-04-15T21:07:00.000-04:00

My friend Paige is having a Stupid Blog Party and has invited me to join her. She gave me that picture up there to include with my post. (That looks like turtles having a LOG party, not a stupid blog party to me, but don't tell Paige I said that. ;-) )

Seriously, she's serving leftover spaghetti and crackers and limp celery, and I think I'll take some stale Peeps over when I go, so you don't want to miss it. She's also giving away some cool prizes, so you might want to join in too.

If you're in a partying mood, post a stupid blog post, and link up with Paige's blog. Go and leave a comment on her blog too, so she knows you're there mingling with her other guests. You have from now until April 18th to post a stupid post. Visit her blog to learn more about it and read the rules. Come on and join us, it will be fun! Now for my stupid contribution, read on.

Sorry the picture is so dark, it was at dusk when this photo was taken. Oh well, a

photo with bad lighting seems to fit right in with this being a stupid post, don't you think?

Do you see this sign? It says, "No vehicles beyond this point." As you can see, it is posted at the entrance of a little driveway that goes back to a picnic table. The table is next to the concession stand at one of our local baseball fields at the park. Every time I walk by this sign, it troubles me.

I wonder whether that little driveway was there first, or if the sign was there first. Why is there a road there if vehicles aren't allowed on it? Why would someone build that little road and then taunt people by telling them they can't drive on it? Is that sign really necessary? Obviously, even if a vehicle goes on that road, it isn't going to go very far, is it? I mean, there's a PICNIC TABLE blocking the way, for heaven's sake.

Also, I can't tell you how many times I have walked by there, and a vehicle was sitting there parked on that little road beyond the point of the sign. People are NOT paying any attention to that sign. They are going beyond that point, no matter what the sign says. So every time I walk by this sign, it troubles me, and I think about how stupid it is for that sign and that little road to be there.

So there you have it. That was my stupid blog post. If you want to read more stupid blog posts, go visit Paige and see who else has linked up there.

* * * * * * * *

P.S. Since this post came about because of Paige, I wanted to add one more thing. This part of the post isn't stupid, though. I entered a contest on Paige's blog and was chosen as the winner. She sent me a super cool bookmark and a lovely handmade note tucked inside a nifty poetry book called "Cocktails" by D. A. Powell. Thank you, dear Paige for this lovely surprise in my mailbox. It is a very thoughtful gift, and I'm sure to enjoy it.

You are sure to enjoy Paige's blog too, if you visit there. She is witty and sweet and wise and her blog posts reflect all of those traits. Thank you, Paige!

I Called For You, But You Didn't Come...

2011-04-12T08:28:00.001-04:00

This is an oldie, and I may have posted it here before, but I have been reminded of it by events occurring in my own household of late, so it seems appropriate to post it again.

Some Friday "Joy"

2011-04-08T11:13:00.001-04:00

This seems like an odd way to advertise a cell phone, but I thought it was very creative, and I liked it. This is a commercial for a cell phone made in Japan that is made from wood. The song being played is J. S. Bach's, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."

The phone is a combined effort between Sharp, Olympus, and the "more trees" project.

"So far, 'Touch Wood' production has used wood that was culled from the Shimanto forest in Kochi prefecture. According to the NTT Docomo press release, wood that is acquired during thinning operations has limited applications, but the 'Touch Wood' series gives the wood a commercial use." This information came from an article in Dailytech.com.

The culling operations are designed to help maintain healthy forests. The body of the phone is made of Cypress Wood and is touted to be durable, water resistant, and mildew resistant.

If you are like me and want to know more about how this commercial was created, this video shows some of what happened behind the scenes to bring this giant self-playing, gravity-assisted xylophone into being.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Whatever Happened to Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

2011-03-25T21:22:00.000-04:00

Um...I plead the fifth. Excuse me, I need to go call my attorney.

Don't blow it, Mommy!!

2011-03-15T21:52:00.002-04:00

There's a very fine line between scary and funny sometimes.

P.S. Thanks to Frank for sharing this with me. :-D

Be Not Dismayed...

2011-03-10T06:52:00.000-05:00

This one really made me smile. I hope you like it too.

Photoshop Withdrawal!

2011-03-06T23:54:00.000-05:00

Because of the computer woes I've been having with my computer at the library, I haven't had access to Photoshop software for about three weeks. I think I am having withdrawal symptoms from not being able to use it for a while!!

I did find this fun site on the web that lets you do lots of very easy but cool looking photo effects by just choosing the effect you want, uploading a photo, and creating the picture. The site is called Picjoke.net. I played around with it a little bit today and wanted to show you the results.

Coffee?

Tea??

Or me?

Well, I have been told on occasion that I am a puzzle...

and some have said that I have my head in the clouds.

I'll be watching you.

I didn't find one with daisies, but these roses were pretty.

For that book I'm going to get published someday?

Don't worry about anything, I'm on the ball!

I don't think I'd fit in too well with the vampires of the Twilight crowd, but this one made me laugh.

This was a fun site to try. One small complaint I had about it is that the effects are listed by the date they were added to the site, so you have to click through the random dates to find the one or ones you are looking for, but other than that, I thought it was a really cool website. There are many more effects at the site that I didn't use here. Give it a try if you have some photos you'd like to experiment with.

Snap Decision

2011-02-22T23:22:00.001-05:00

Snap Decision

Two small boys

on a summer's day

finished their breakfast

and went out to play.

They saw something dark

in the corner of the yard.

It was moving slowly,

as if walking were hard.

They went over to it,

and, oh my, what a surprise!

It was a snapping turtle,

GIGANTIC,

ENORMOUS,

COLOSSAL

in size!

The boys walked around it,

taking a really good look.

They knew what it was

immediately,

(having seen pictures of one in a book).

One of them found a stick

and poked at the turtle's shell.

The turtle snapped that stick in two,

and the boys let out a yell.

I've never seen those boys move so quick

as they did on that summer's day.

They ran for safety to the house

deciding, perhaps,

INSIDE

was the best place for them to play.

Five Odd Things From My Kitchen

2011-02-21T20:57:00.000-05:00

Margaret who writes Bellathena's Blog has started a meme, and I'm joining in with her. This is what she has to say about it, "Pick five things from your kitchen that you think are weird, odd, or just plain funny. It can be food, utensils, artwork, whatever. Take pictures and share them on your blog! "

Visit her blog to see her version of the meme and to find out the others who are playing along. If you'd like to join in too, let Margaret know on her blog.

So here are five odd things that are in my kitchen (other than me, of course!).

This first one is a pot handle to use on pots and pans that have no handle on them. You grip the edge of the pot in between those two pieces at the top to hold it still while stirring something or to help you lift it off of the top of the stove when it is hot. It is a handy little gadget that I use quite frequently with a set of handle-less pans that I have. Why would anyone design pans without handles? I don't have an answer for that one.

This is freeze dried ice cream like what they feed the astronauts, supposedly. There's a story behind this one, of course. It used to be, that when I was going to go to the grocery store, I'd ask my husband if there was anything special he wanted me to get for him.

He would often reply, "Yes, get me some space food sticks, please," as a joke. (Funny guy, right? If you are old enough, perhaps you remember when drinking Tang and eating Space Food Sticks was a cool thing to do so that you could be like the astronauts. When I was a kid, you could find both Tang and Space Food Sticks in the cereal aisle at the grocery store. Well, I don't know if they still make Space Food Sticks, but they don't sell them at our local grocery store. My husband knows this, of course.)

Anyway, in the gift shop at a science museum we visited a few years back, I saw these packages of freeze-dried ice cream for sale. I thought since it was made for astronauts that it was probably as close to Space Food Sticks as I was ever going to find. So, for laughs, I bought a couple of them for my husband. He got a kick out of it and took a big bite out of one of the ones I bought. Well, judging from the look on his face, this substance tasted nothing like ice cream. In fact, it apparently tasted quite vile. One bite was all he took. The rest of it was promptly thrown away. So after my husband's reaction, this other package was never opened. It has remained in the pantry shelf, though. It is a reminder of a part of our history, and the memory of why we have it makes us both smile.

This next mishmash of items came in a box all together. I don't remember where we got this. It seems like it came in the mail as an extra "gift" accompanying something I ordered. The main item in this box was the thing at the top which is a gadget to make a blooming onion or onion blossom as it is sometimes called. For some reason it came with an orange juicer and a slicer/dicer/grater gadget. Looking at this stuff, I immediately hear that as seen on TV guy's voice saying things like, "Wait there's more! Now what would you pay?" and "Order before midnight tonight!" I have never, not even once, used any of these items. So why are they still in my kitchen cupboard? Hmm...that's another question I don't have an answer for.

This little red stuffed dog is about three inches tall and belonged to one of my sons, although I don't remember which one. I think they both had one like this. My kitchen is painted yellow, but it has red and white checked curtains and other red accessories. At some point, I don't remember when, one of the boys put this little dog up on the windowsill in the kitchen. The red color went well in the room and I thought the dog was cute, so I never moved it. The boy it belonged to left it there too. That's why it is a part of my kitchen today. It's a nice little reminder of my sons' little boy days. Seeing it makes me smile.

My fifth odd kitchen item is this collection of bear paw print magnets on the refrigerator door. They're not so odd, really, once you know what they are. The local high school team is known as the Bryan Golden Bears. So the symbol of the bears is a paw print, obviously. These magnets were given to my sons by the school as incentives or rewards for getting good grades. I think we have more of them around the house somewhere, but these three remain here on the refrigerator. They are handy for holding important notes, papers, and schedules in a spot where they are easily found.

Nothing's Safe With Klepto-Kitty Around!

2011-02-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

Dusty is a "cat burglar" you have to see to believe. Here he is caught on tape. Thanks to Mo for sharing this with me.

Thank you

2011-02-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

It has taken me longer than I expected to get back to posting on this blog, but here I am. Thank you for your prayers, kind words, and expressions of sympathy at the passing of my mother. They were most sincerely appreciated.

I'll be away for a while.

2011-01-30T12:21:00.001-05:00

Suddenly and unexpectedly, my mother passed away this morning. She went quickly, and I'm grateful that she wasn't in pain and didn't suffer. I'll be away for a while so that I can take care of matters here. Thanks to all for your prayers for us.

A Different Kind of Dog Sledding

2011-01-27T15:01:00.000-05:00

These two enjoy the snow WAY more than I do. My friend Michelle shared this with me. Thanks, Michelle!

This One's Just My Size!!

2011-01-17T23:04:00.000-05:00

I laughed myself silly watching this cat. No explanation necessary. I'll just let you watch. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

On Break

2011-01-08T11:31:00.000-05:00

I have decided to take a break from blogging for a while so that I can tend to some other matters. Be kind and take care of yourselves and one another while I'm gone.

"If you're happy and you know it, dance around..."

2011-01-06T08:11:00.000-05:00

You've heard of the Energizer Bunny? I believe this might be the Energizer Penguin.

Master of Disguise

2011-01-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

"I'll put this on. No one will ever know it's me!" Thanks to Mo for sharing this with me.

Dreams Really Do Come True!

2010-12-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

I hope you got what you wished for under the Christmas tree. This dog looks pretty happy with the present he received, but I don't think he wants to share it with anyone!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T12:02:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas from Santa, his reindeer, and the elves!!

Night time....DAY TIME!!!

2010-12-15T21:05:00.001-05:00

One of my son's friends in his string quintet shared this with me. It made me laugh. I hope you enjoy it too.

Four Legged Christmas Elves

2010-12-14T20:38:00.000-05:00

I'm going to show this to my dog, Max. Clearly, he should be helping me out more around the house!!

Janitor's Revenge

2010-12-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

This is just so silly, but it made me laugh. I've never seen so many people afraid to walk across a little bit of snow! Thanks to Mo who shared this with me.

Powdered Poodle

2010-12-05T22:51:00.000-05:00

Powdered Poodle

A blue metal tag

dangles

from a poodle's red collar--

a ball of black fuzz on four feet.

He's been sprinkled with white snow

like a brownie under a sifter

filled with powdered sugar,

fluffy and sweet.

A Secret Love

2010-12-03T20:15:00.000-05:00

Or maybe, not so secret. The look on his face says it all.

Buckeye Fan? Of Course, I Am!

2010-11-27T09:10:00.000-05:00

I am posting this picture for Mildred's husband, John, because I know how much he loves Brutus the Buckeye! ;-)

BUCKEYE FAN? OF COURSE, I AM!

The people all sit around

watching football on TV.

It's the "BIG GAME."

The ONE to see,

The historic rivalry.

I don't watch it at all,

(but, then, that's just me).

For me, it's not a priority.

I'm NOT part of the majority.

Instead I'll read a book

or go for a walk

and look for a slice of serenity.

I'll write a poem about a flower

or take a picture of a tree.

When all the cheering is done

and at last the game is won,

I won't even know about it

in spite of how much you shout it,

I'm so good at blocking out the noise.

(I think it comes from having boys.)

In spite of living in Buckeye country,

I shun the scarlet and grey insanity.

(Oh my goodness! The humanity!)

Kudos to me, I'm football free!!

(But, of course...

I AM a fan of Buckeye candy

because

peanut butter and chocolate together

are, indeed, quite dandy!)

It's Thanksgiving Day!

2010-11-25T09:47:00.000-05:00

It's time to put the turkey on. I've got mine on.

How about you?

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

*****

There It Goes...AND IT'S GOING THE WRONG WAY!

2010-11-23T21:20:00.000-05:00

We recently had a large tree cut down at our house. I'm glad we didn't hire any of these guys to do the job!

It's Time!

2010-11-16T22:48:00.000-05:00

It's Time!

It's time to toss the jack-o-lantern.

He has turned into a grump.

His face has folded. He's angry and mean.

He's just a shriveled-up lump.

He used to glow with the light of a candle.

Now, inside, he's blackened with rot.

Once he was a happy Halloween pumpkin,

and now, well now...happy-- he's NOT!

He braces against the November winds

and cringes against the cold.

His sides have caved, his hat has sunk.

He's crotchety, cranky, and old.

The Resourceful Librarian

2010-11-14T17:21:00.000-05:00

re·source·ful/riˈsôrsfəl/

Adjective: Having the ability to find clever ways to overcome difficulties

While driving back from a library conference last week, one of the library branch managers in our system revealed to me how resourceful she is. She laughed through the entire telling of this story, and I had to laugh along with her.

Since the funding to the library was cut last year, we no longer have any maintenance or cleaning staff. Whatever gets done around our libraries in those areas now is done by the librarians themselves. The branch manager who shared her story with me noticed that the library yard was becoming quite full of leaves and needed to be raked. She was trying to figure out a time when she would be able to get the leaves raked and still keep the library running.

She had a story hour scheduled for that afternoon for kids in first and second grade. Generally as part of story hour, in addition to hearing a story, the kids in attendance would play some sort of supervised game or do a craft. The branch manager came up with an idea to take care of her duties by using the "resources" that she had on hand.

After reading a story to the children, she announced that they were going outside in the library yard to play a game. She then divided the children into two teams. Each child was given a grocery bag. She then instructed the kids that each of them was to scoop up with their hands as many leaves as they could get into their bags and then run out and dump the leaves into a pile at the edge of the yard next to the street. They were to do this over and over again until told that the time was up. The team that gathered up the most leaves in the biggest pile would win the game.

The branch manager told me she just stood and watched and grinned the whole time while making sure no one got too close to the street as those little children, in essence, "raked" the yard free of leaves for her using nothing but their little hands! The kids had a grand time doing it, thinking the competition was great fun. What kid doesn't like to play in leaves after all? The librarian was delighted to have not only found a way to entertain the kids during story hour, but to also get the leaves cleaned up in the yard!! HA HA HA!

This is a picture of my sons playing in a pile of leaves from several years ago. They look like they are having fun, don't you think?

Supermarket Saturday

2010-11-06T22:55:00.000-04:00

Supermarket Saturday

It's time once again

to get the shopping done.

I have my list. I have my purse.

I'm on a grocery run.

It isn't always easy

to put food on the table.

To survive a grocery run

you must be fit, strong, and able.

First, to find a parking spot

in the crowded parking lot.

Wait, a car is pulling out!

Oh no. I guess it's not.

I'm not having any luck.

I drive around a few times more.

Then hallelujah, look at that!

I find one by the door.

I go on in and grab a cart

and head down the produce aisle.

My list is loooong... I sigh.

I'm going to be here for a while.

The bananas are too green.

The apples all have bruises.

Spoiled kids are throwing tantrums,

and their mothers have short fuses.

They're all out of the soup

that was supposed to be on sale,

and my cart has a wobbly wheel.

It happens without fail.

Two old ladies stand and talk

in the middle of aisle three.

Their carts are blocking my way.

I can't get by. Oh mercy me.

I dropped a can of peaches.

It landed on my toe.

OW! OW! OW! OW!

I limp on down the row.

The samples lady is just ahead

passing out something I don't want.

No thanks! No thanks! I wave her off.

(Sometimes you must be blunt.)

I brought along two coupons.

"50 cents off on Coffee-Mate"

Rats! They expired yesterday.

I'm a dollar short and a day late.

How I hate this madness!

There are people everywhere,

and why do they dress so strangely?

Forgive me if I stare.

Why does buying groceries

have to be such a task?

I just want food for my family.

Is that too much to ask?

I'm wearing thin.

I'm almost done.

Some eggs, some bread and crackers.

Oh, and ice cream for my son.

And now it's time to check out.

All the lines are long.

I try to choose the fastest one.

Of course, my choice is wrong.

The cashier in the line I'm in

has run out of paper tape.

The kid in the cart in front of me

just hit me with a grape.

At last I'm to the checkout.

She scans the items from my cart.

She tells me the grand total.

My blood pressure zips off the chart.

I trudge my goods to my car.

I'm SO ready to drive away,

but I'll be back

for the next

Supermarket Saturday.

Pumpkin Carving on the Wild Side!

2010-10-30T17:39:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Just a Couple of Smiles From My Day

2010-10-26T21:56:00.000-04:00

I dumped a pile of clean laundry fresh from the clothes dryer out on the couch so that I could fold it. Then the phone rang. I went in the other room to answer the phone. When I came back, look who I found in the middle of my clean clothes.

It's so good to have someone around who likes to help me with the laundry.

* * * * *

My son...

carved a pumpkin for me.

Do you see a resemblance? Yes, it was an intentional "self-portrait pumpkin." He makes me laugh. It's good to have someone around who likes to make me laugh. I hope you have someone in your life who makes you laugh, too.

Anti-car Theft Device

2010-10-24T21:54:00.000-04:00

Well, most would recommend keeping it locked, having an alarm on it, and making sure your insurance premiums are paid up, but this might work too.

Round 'em up! Yeehaw!!

2010-10-10T09:21:00.000-04:00

You never know what kind of crowd you're going to pull in with an accordion.

Must have been Bavarian cattle!

Sleeping With a Friend

2010-10-07T23:46:00.000-04:00

If you've ever owned a dog who was really just another member of your family, this will make you smile. It certainly made me smile. My friend, Tink, shared this with me. Thanks, Tink!

How Many Daisies Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb and other stories

2010-10-03T16:46:00.000-04:00

   My kitchen has track lighting in the ceiling. The other day, two of the light bulbs in the track went out at almost the same time. This particular fixture requires 40 watt bulbs. I found a box of 40 watt light bulbs in the cupboard. I pulled two of them out and changed the bulbs. When I had finished, the kitchen seemed extraordinarily bright. I chalked it up to the new bulbs, of course, and thought nothing more of it.

   A couple of days later, I was working in the kitchen for quite a long while. It was a rather overcast day so I had the lights on. Suddenly, I heard a loud "POP." Something from above me fell and clattered onto the kitchen tile floor. Upon investigation, I saw that the outer metal rim from the bottom of one of the light fixtures had cracked and then fallen to the floor. When I picked up the metal piece from the floor, it was quite hot.

   I took a closer look at the fixture and then noticed that the bulb in it was not a 40 watt bulb but instead was a 100 watt bulb!! I then realized what had happened. The box of light bulbs was one that I had brought back from my mom's house. At some point, she must have had an extra 100 watt bulb that she stuck into the 40 watt bulb box. Without realizing it, I had put a 100 watt bulb into a fixture that was designed for a 40 watt bulb. Ooops! This apparently caused the outer metal rim to overheat, crack, and fall to the floor.

I pulled the light bulb box out of the cupboard. There was one 40 watt bulb left in it. (Yes, I checked it first to make sure it was 40 watts!) I switched out the 100 watt bulb in the fixture for the 40 watt bulb.

Now I was left with an empty light bulb box that said 40 watts on the side and a 100 watt bulb that needed to be put away in something so that it wouldn't get broken. I could easily see history repeating itself. I took a marker and crossed off 40 watts and wrote 100 watts above it on the box. As I put it back away in the cupboard, I wondered to myself if I would notice that it says 100 watts on the box the next time I needed to change a bulb. Then I thought, "Probably not. It'll be too dark to see what it says with the light burned out again and all."

* * * * *

My younger son asked me the other day, "Mom, what's for supper?"

I said, "I don't know. I'm tired of cooking."

My son immediately replied, "Well, I'm not tired of eating!!"

* * * * *

My older son was home from college this weekend. While here, he was telling us about a recent fall party that he had gone to, and that while there, he had learned to square dance.

My husband said, "Ah, square dancing. I come from a long line of square dancers."*

Without missing a beat, my son then said, "Well they must not have been very good because you don't stand in a line to square dance."

Rim Shot sound bite Cool Sounds sound bites

*(Note to my readers: this is completely false. I've never seen my husband or any member of his family do any square dancing or even talk about square dancing. My husband was just joking around. My son was completely aware of this, of course.)

Giveaway Winner

2010-10-01T20:38:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Shelley! She was the winner of my giveaway drawing. If you haven't yet visited Shelley's blogs, you should check them out. She has several blogs, but my favorite blog that she writes is Birding in Michigan. Thank you to everyone who entered!

Shelley, please email me at gratefuldaisy@mail.com so I know that I have your correct email address.

Happy weekend, everyone!

They Like You! They Really, Really Like You!

2010-09-28T21:08:00.000-04:00

Well, apparently the folks at the CSN stores really like my readers. They like you so much, in fact, that they want me to give one of you another gift certificate. This time they want me to give someone reading this blog a $55 gift certificate to use at any one of their stores.

You can buy all sorts of things at their stores, everything from bed sets to kitchenware to items for your kids and pets to home decor and much more. They have over 200 stores so the selection is large. Click on those links and check it out. See if there is anything listed there that you might like to purchase with a $55 gift certificate. If there is, leave a comment on this post before 5:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time) on Friday, October 1st.

I will enter each person who leaves a comment here into the drawing, assigning you each a number. I will then choose one of you using the random number generator at www.random.org to pick a winner. I will count every one just once so everyone has a fair and equal chance. I will be holding a second giveaway, identical to this one on my other blog, though, so you can also enter over there, if you wish.

Here is the "fine print" as it were, although I'm keeping it the same size as the rest of the print so you'll know all the rules. The gift certificate is good at any of the CSN stores. It can not be used towards shipping costs, though, so keep that in mind. There are many items that have free shipping if you shop carefully. The giveaway is open only to those in the United States and Canada. Those in Canada may have to pay international shipping costs, so keep that in mind too. I apologize to my readers who are outside of the United States and Canada. These are the rules from CSN stores, not from me.

So there you have it. It's very simple. If you'd like to be entered in this giveaway, just leave a comment below on this post. Everyone who comments will be entered. After the contest is over, I will announce the winner who will have 24 hours to contact me before I choose someone else. Good luck to everyone!

Monday Colors -- Black

2010-09-26T23:27:00.000-04:00

Black Is...

Soft and fuzzy,

or sometimes, shiny and new.

Letters on pages we can read,

notes on staffs --we need music too!

The arrows of geese pointing in the sky,

and don't forget dear Susan's "Eye,"

Oh my, oh my! Blackberry Pie!

The eyes of peas,

buzzards in trees,

Big soothing cups of exotic teas!

And what would we do

without the black night sky,

against whose backdrop we see,

the light of the moon, bright diamond stars,

and the flickering firefly.

If you'd like to join in this color meme, visit Jen's blog for the details and to see others who are playing along. This is the final week in Jen's color meme. Thanks so much to Jen for hosting and leading our group. It's been great fun, once again.

Monday Colors -- Brown

2010-09-19T20:47:00.000-04:00

Brown

I have found that the color brown
is rather nice to have around.

I like brown sugar on my oatmeal

and cinnamon on my toast.
Don't forget the chocolate cake

or gravy on the roast.

I have found that the color brown
is rather nice to have around.

Brown is good for teddy bears

when a little one needs a cuddle,

and for acorns and buckeyes

and making mud pies from a puddle.

I have found that the color brown
is rather nice to have around.

Brown is good for pine cones

and bark on the trees.

For does and fawns and little dogs,

cow and horses, if you please.

I have found that the color brown
is rather nice to have around.

Just think, if there were no browns

there would be no pecan pies,

and how would I EVER manage
without the spark
of your brown eyes.

I have found that the color brown
is rather nice to have around.

If you'd like to join in this color meme, visit Jen's blog for the details and see others who are playing along too.

Monday Colors -- Purple

2010-09-12T23:55:00.000-04:00

Little Boy Purple

Grape jelly oozing

from a peanut butter sandwich.

Your knees that took a bruising

from jumping across a ditch.

Clutched in your fist,

morning glories just for me.

Your favorite purple shirt?

Just a memory.

Raspberry stained fingers,

a bouncy super ball,

that old stuffed dinosaur,

I remember one and all.

Now you're dressed in purple

from your head to your toe.

No more little boy purple.

Where did the time go?

If you'd like to join in this color meme, visit Jen's blog for the details and see others who are playing along too.

Boom De Ah Dah, Boom De Ah Dah, Boom De Ah Dah

2010-09-11T20:01:00.000-04:00

We do indeed, live in an awesome world. I love these Discovery Channel commercials because they remind me of how much wonder we have to enjoy.

Monday Colors -- Blue

2010-09-05T23:12:00.000-04:00

Blue Sky Day

It's a blue sky day with its blue sky way

that makes you happy just to breathe the air.
White clouds drift by in that blue, blue sky
and you know that there's love to spare.
You just can't feel blue on a blue sky day,
and it's ironic, don't you think?
The way you feel on a blue sky day
is mostly in the pink!

If you'd like to join in this color meme, visit Jen's blog for the details and see others who are playing along too.

How Shocking!!

2010-09-01T22:44:00.000-04:00

I got this one from Frank. Thanks, Frank! Made me laugh.

And the Winner Is...

2010-09-01T20:21:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Chris! She is the lucky winner of a gift certificate from CSN stores from my blog giveaway. Thanks to all who entered and to those who became new followers of this blog. Thank you to DiningRoomsDirect.com and to CSN stores for sponsoring this giveaway!

Monday Colors --Green

2010-08-30T19:35:00.000-04:00

Invasion of the Green Bugs

Sorry, there will be no poems today.

GIANT green bugs have invaded the city!

Come back next week, and I’ll write you a poem

that is wise and rhythmic and witty.

Happy Monday to you all!

If you'd like to join in this color meme, visit Jen's blog for the details and see others who are playing along too.

Cat Giggles and a Giveaway!!

2010-08-28T23:17:00.001-04:00

I've got a giveaway to share with my readers today, but before I give you the details about it, here are a few LOL cats and kitchen tables from the "I can has cheeseburger" site to get us off to a good start.

(and one from " I has a hot dog site.")

I hope those pictures gave you a smile. Did you notice that they all have to do with cats and kitchen tables?

I wanted to give you a smile that has to do with kitchen tables today because the website DiningRoomsDirect.com is sponsoring a giveaway here on this blog. DiningRoomsDirect.com is just one of the sites that is a part of CSN Stores.com.

A while back, some of you may remember that I did a giveaway here for a prize from CSN stores. Well, they have contacted me again and would like me to do two more giveaways, one from this blog and one from my other blog. (The link to my other blog is over there in the sidebar if you want to enter in that giveaway too.)

So now, one of you, my lucky readers, will win a $50 gift certificate to CSN stores from this giveaway. A couple of restrictions you need to know, I can only give this certificate to a resident of the United States or Canada. Apologies to those who read this blog who don't fit into that restriction. Also, the gift certificate can not be used to cover shipping costs for what you order, but there are numerous items in the online catalogs of these stores that have free shipping, so don't let that stipulation stop you from entering the giveaway contest.

Now, this is what you must do to enter the contest. Click on the kitchen tables link to visit the Dining Rooms Direct CSN store site. Look it over and then click on your back button to return to this blog. Leave me a comment telling me which of the kitchen tables you saw there that you liked the best. That's all you have to do to enter. If you are already a follower of this blog or if you become a follower, I will give you a second entry in the giveaway when you leave a comment telling me which is your favorite kitchen table.

You will have until 5:00 pm Eastern Standard time on Wednesday, September 1st to comment here on this post to be entered in the giveaway. I will use a random number generator to choose a winner. I will notify the winner who will have until 5:00 pm Eastern Standard time on Friday, September 3rd to get back to me with their email address. If I don't hear back from the winner by that time, I will choose another one. The $50 gift certificate which can be used at any of the CSN stores will then be emailed to the winner. If you'd like to comment here but don't want to be included in the giveaway, just don't mention anything about your favorite item from the link in your comment. Also, don't forget I am running a second giveaway on my other blog simultaneously, so be sure and visit over there to enter that giveaway too! Good luck!

Monday Colors -- Yellow

2010-08-24T08:30:00.000-04:00

Pay no attention to the title of this post. Yes, I know it's Tuesday. (sigh) I had to work late at the library last night with hostess duties serving punch and such at a "Meet the Artist" reception, and then, when I got home, for some reason, Blogger refused to allow me to update and finish this post that I had started earlier. In my best broadcaster voice, "We now return to our regularly scheduled programming."

Yellow

What if there were no yellow?

No lemons, no egg yolks,

no morning sun.

There'd be no dandelions

or buttercups.

A world without yellow?

Ohhh...that wouldn't be fun.

Who would want to live in a world like that?

A world without yellow would be listless and flat.

No rubber ducks? No goldfinches?

No lizards like these?

No corn on the cob?

No yellow leaves on the trees?

I need some yellow!

I need it!---PLEASE!

A place without yellow

is a place I'll not go.

In fact, I want LOTS of yellows

all lined up in a row!

I want sunflowers and squash

and yellow Labradors too!

Marigolds and tulips!

No other color will do!

So just let it be known

that if you want ME around

There had better be

lots AND LOTS

of yellow to be found.

If you'd like to join in this color meme, visit Jen's blog for the details and see others who are playing along too.

Monday Colors - Orange

2010-08-15T21:04:00.000-04:00

I will be without my computer for the next two or three days. The library is going to set up my home computer with remote access to my computer at work. As a result, I will need to be offline so that this can be accomplished.

So I am posting my Monday color for Jen's meme a day early. I'll be around to see what everyone else posted for Orange week after I get my computer back. Visit Jen's blog for the details and to see others who are playing along.

Happy Monday and have a good week, everyone.

A Collection of Cats

This orange and white cat

is how it all began.

Who knew that it would mushroom?

That it would get so out of hand?

It was the very first of a collection,

held dear by a MUCH younger self.

Now it sits gathering dust

in a corner on a shelf.

Other cats are there with it,

of every color, shape, and size.

With every birthday came another.

"Another cat? Oh...what a surprise!"

Cats came from everywhere,

from givers who aimed to please,

but soon there were WAY too many!!

(Well, at least, they didn't have fleas.)

"Please! No more!" I had to ask.

"No more cat statues for me!"

"My shelves are full. I'm tired of dusting."

I issued my decree.

At last the cats stopped coming.

FINALLY, my friends understood.

Now, I keep a collection of friends,

and I know that this is good.

Monday Colors -- Red

2010-08-09T20:19:00.000-04:00

I have joined in with Jen's "eight weeks of color on Mondays" meme, and we're starting off with the color red. You can join in too if you like. Visit Jen's blog for the details and to see others who are playing along.

(This flower actually looked much redder to me than this picture shows!)

Summer Red

Nothing quite says summer

like the heat of summer red.

Hibiscus blooms like dinner plates!

Yes, yes! They're as big as your head!

Watermelon, tomatoes,

and vine-ripened strawberries too!

None so sweet, none as good

as the ones your own garden grew.

Great grandma's straw hat
gives her eyes some shade.
Once a bright ruby red,
it's begun to fade.

Aunt Dot wears nail polish
on her fingers and toes,
shiny red like a fire truck.
Her lipstick, deep red, like a rose.

But my FAVORITE summer red?...
It's on the tongue of a little boy,
dripping juice from a cherry Popsicle,
giggling, "Aaaaaaah," with summer joy.

Don't Forget To Eat Breakfast!

2010-08-07T10:02:00.000-04:00

It is the most important meal of the day, you know.

Pete, the Extreme Sports Pooch

2010-08-03T08:46:00.000-04:00

Well, gee...the only thing my dog ever does is sleep and bark at the mailman!