Hypermagical Words and Critters

Greetings on this incredibly warm day 
that pretty much every Minnesotan has been dreaming of.
Of course all this bliss is nearly to an end
since there's a winter storm warning is in effect. 
It's supposedly arriving tonight.
Oh joy!

 Early mornings are a blessing, after coffee of course.

As if by magical light
they dance in delight.
Until they're covered in snow.

Snowball fight anyone?

SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

Mr. Tin Man
Enjoying a day without rain.
(pulled him out of last year's vacation.)

and for all the Lovers of

Words and pictures
here are a few random photos to enjoy.

Snowman photobomb.

"There are things 
We live among 'and to see them
Is to know ourselves.'"
George Oppen

"I have always imagined that Paradise 
will be some kind of library."

Jorge Luis Borges

I see you too!


Yep, I had to add this oldie but goodie
especially on this second day of 
Our Government Shutdown

I sure miss these Obama years.



At least we still have geese and ducks and other critters.

There are words that mean nothing

But there is something to mean

in everything we see.

Not a declaration, which is truth

But a thing,

Which is. It is the business of the poet

and photographer

"To suffer the things of the world"

and capture the fascinating attention 

of simple splendor

And to speak them and himself out.

George Oppen and Me

It's all about
How we look at things.
Our mind shifts between
the sense of things
or the nonsense of them.

It's highly likely these pups wish you hadn't seen them
 until they fixed their hats!

Hello family of smiley faces!

Stand tall, stand strong for what you believe in.

"Don't talk unless you can improve the silence."
Jorge Luis Borges

Ah, the smell of
Cinnamon 
is everywhere
this morning.

"Anyone who gives you a cinnamon roll
 fresh out of the oven is a friend for life."
Lemony Snicket

Who looks outside,
dreams;
who looks inside,
awakes.
Carl Jung

Enjoy your evening
 and take good care of you!

Pictionary

I hope this post finds you enjoying your winter 
or summer depending where you live.


Currently this is my world today.

I'm sharing a bit of photos with a bit of quotationary fun
 I hope it brightens your day.

One picture can tell the whole story.

Cold. 
Empty of people.
For the moment.

Want to meet at the lake?
Nah, let's go inside.

Downtown Minneapolis.
Before the snow arrived.


"We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny.
But what we put into it is ours."
Dag Hammarskjold

Lucky us, if we dine outside, no waiting for a table today!

"The longest journey is the journey inwards."
Dag Hammarskjold

Plenty of parking as well.

Some Sage advice.
"When the morning's freshness has been replaced by 
the weariness of midday, 
when the leg muscles quiver under the strain,
the climb seems endless, and, suddenly
nothing will go quite as you wish
it is then that you must not hesitate."

Ready to learn new things.

The lesson which life repeats
and constantly enforces is
'look under foot.'
John Burroughs

"Go, learn things." Agent Dwayne Pride
from NCIS New Orleans
10 pieces of wisdom here from Agent Pride
one of my favorite characters and show.

Cold weather brings so much creative play don't you think?


I especially enjoy winter projects, and especially knowing
The Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts will be accepting our artwork soon!

Wine-cork-man is one of my favorite pieces that was accepted two years ago.
I don't remember this artist's name but I've heard more work is in progress.

Just have to share a wee bit of blue skies and clouds.

Creative Kidstuff bubble-blowing-bear but 

No bubbles today or until spring arrives.

Winter strolls are the way to discover snow and ice art out and about.

Looking forward to this year's ice castle in St. Paul and other ice art.

"Most people are like a falling leaf that drifts and turns in the air,
flutters, and falls to the ground.
But a few others are like stars which travel one defined path:
no wind reaches them,
they have within themselves their guide and path."
Hermann Hesse

Our paths with others create a winning life.

Yep, we were told to make funny faces! 
Something I need to work on. 
Thanks for stopping by
and take good care of you.


How do you like my poinsettia, so far still surviving?

Sweets or Soup and Critters

Hello everyone 
and
what is your pleasure today, reading 
sweets or soup?

(Did I hear off in the distance, spring, dreaming of spring?)

Or catching critters stuck in books!

Be brave sweet snow bunny, spring is coming

in about 64 days, on March 20th.

Sweets?

or

Soup?

With all these frigid temperatures, I wonder if the Cannon River has "lily Pad" ice forms again? My photo here is from January 2015.

and of course
more critters for

SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

Sweet baby faced Alabama baby in the summer time on green (grass known to Alabama) it's different from our grass here in Minnesota, and who knows maybe else where for that matter.

Crocheted by my daughter.
(and now I have the pattern!)

Meet Madame Alexander's Robin Hood

"Who you are speaks so loudly
I can't hear what you're saying."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Meet Madame Alexander's Wizard of Oz doll.
"You can judge a man's true character 
by the way he treats his fellow animals."
Paul McCartney

I caught Misty trying to make doggy snow-angels in the snow!

"Character is what we do when no one else is watching."
R. Alan Woods

Oops here's a non-winter photo!
It's Olaf and his little snowman playmate.

Real or art?

Happy boys ( a friend's boys) right after one memorable win 

for our Minnesota Vikings last night at the game!

Realize it's not just your surroundings in life,

it's also about the labor of love and the people in your life.

The more you give the more which comes back to you.

Be Human Kind.

I'm leaving a quote I read today from another Minnesotan.

You don't need a weatherman

To know which way the wind blows

Don't follow leaders

Watch the parkin' meters.

Bob Dylan

from 1965 but we can relate today

entire song heard here.

Return Trips

Good morning everyone!

On this windy morning while it snows outside 
I'll be thinking of many more warmer thoughts to share for you.

"The world always seems brighter when you've
 just made something that wasn't there before."

Neil Gaiman

Playing with food has many benefits.

Remembering the Minnesota Renaissance and 

wishing for weather that doesn't require winter coats.

Truly divine! 

I'm looking so forward to delicious fares at my daughter's house soon!

In case you're wondering from my last post,

I haven't forgotten about Dear Edmund either.

Edmund Pettus Bridge Selma, Alabama

and 



The Edmund Fitzgerald
still a mystery since 1975
Listen to The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald  
by Gordon Lightfoot here

and why not share some
Architecture 
A few of my favorite buildings
and genius designs.

Boston trip (planned)

This water tower is always about 30 minutes away from me.

If not visiting delightful things what else is there?

"Somewhere between the start of the trail 
and the end is the mystery
why we choose to walk."

Boston has so many things to offer for every visit.

A great way to endure the icy edge of January

 is to think about trips for our new year.

Alabama, Savannah, Boston, Salem and New York are on my list for this year.

Hopefully I'll make them all. I have my tickets purchased for Alabama later this month!

An extremely important goal is to capture as many statues as I can.

"We are the silver lining in any and every dark cloud
we could ever find.
There is no need to go looking for the light
when you bring it with you."
Tyler Knott Gregson

Take a frozen lake and make it better.

Always, visit old haunts that will disappear.

"Fairy tales are more than true
not because they tell us that dragons exist
but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."
Neil Gaiman

This
is what's happening right now!

Thanks for stopping by 
and take good care of you.