Many many things.

"To achieve great things, 
two things are needed;
a plan, and not quite enough time."
Leonard Berstein
Happy 100th birthday today.

Another 

THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC

our theme is

Many, many things.

Many, many times

"Saying nothing, sometimes says the most."
Emily Dickinson

"You're incredibly, absolutely, extremely, supremely,

unbelievably different."

Kami Garcia

"The dream is to keep surprising yourself,

never mind the audience."

Tom Hiddleston

Standout and be you.

"There's only one place I want to go and it's to all the places I've never been."

Nikki Rowe

"Being different is a revolving door in your life

where secure people enter and insecure exit."

Shannon L. Alder

Push Pin Art 
many, many ways one can play.

Stuck with all those melons are a few Yellow Jackfruit.

Every mystery of life has its origin in the heart.

Hans Urs von Balthasar

"A word is dead when it is said, some say.
I say it just begins to live that day."
Emily Dickinson

"Our thoughts remember many, many events.
Just a sound, a sight, a touch, or a word
nurtures our soul
many, many times."


Thanks for stopping by
enjoy your weekend and take good care of you.

Floored Meets Critters

Ain't no way 
we're ever going to forget Aretha.

"Sometimes, what you're looking for is already there."
Aretha Franklin


Welcome it's been awhile but I'm playing along with Carmi's

THEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC

and to lend a hand critters
for
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

and our theme is

Floored.

"Be your own artist,
and always be confident in what you're doing.
If you're not going to be confident
you might as well not be doing it."
Aretha Franklin

"I just love being floored by

sunrises

and 

Hollyhocks

and critter faces

and

 beautiful words."

What's that
Rising above the ocean floor?
Okay perhaps not really the ocean floor.
Yet rising upward!

"Come on floor it! Must catch Yogi and the stolen picnic basket!" 
cried the Ranger.

Flooring it comes in so many various ways.

About 45 mph was the highest speed for these oldies 
but the hood ornament seems to be enjoying the ride!

It's easy to see when someone is 
flooring it
by their body expression.

We floored it Cat!

... and she nailed it!
Across the yard she floored it!

Put the treat on the floor please,
and back away Kitty Cat, treats are for pups only!


My what shiny floor for bouncing balls.
What groomsmen do while the ladies get ready.

So whatever take floored it does in your world
it's your perception. 


"The world is full of magic things,
patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."
W.B. Yeats


"You cannot define a person on just one thing.
You can't just forget all these wonderful and good things
that a person has done 
because one thing didn't come off 
the way you thought it should come off."
Aretha Franklin

"People don't really have to give you anything
so appreciate what people give you."Aretha Franklin

Every day is a gift.

Ain't No Way by Aretha here.

Critters Inside and Out

Welcome to

SATURDAY'S CRITTERS
inside and out.

Summer sunshine warms even a dog's soul.

Vision doesn't depend 

just on your eyes alone.

Critter reflection
By artist's design.


"A good problem will gather you up at your tender, growing
edge and change who you are."
Robert Kegan

Jasmine just out ran Rusty, who sits before her
 knowing she has treats yet to be eaten.

By the way it says, "Princess" on my birth certificate!


"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus."
Mark Twain

Yeti or not, here they come!

See why Minnesotans put up with all that winter nonsense?
It's complicated I know.

"Until we accept the fact that life is itself founded in mystery,
we shall learn nothing."
Henry Miller

"Animals. Of all the animals man is the only one that is cruel.
He is the only one that inflicts pain for the pleasure of doing it."
Mark Twain
Lets live like animals!

"Adopt the pace of nature
(and animals)
Her/their secret is patience."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a dark room
especially if there is no cat."
Confucius

You'll never find something that isn't there BUT!
You can have a perfectly wonderful day and blessed weekend to all!
Take good care of you.

Happy Critters on Saturday

No hour of life is wasted 
that is spent in the saddle.

"A horse loves freedom
and the weariest old work horse will roll on the ground
or break into a lumbering gallop
when he is turned loose into the open."
Gerald Raftery


"In times of darkness remember to bring more light."

Or just spend more time with critters.

Carved or otherwise.

Welcome to 

SATURDAY'S CRITTERS

and who doesn't love goats?

"You have goats to be kidding me!"

Unbelievable how this came to be, and just for the record I wish it had been in my neighborhood.

NPR story here In honor of the recent well let's say goat rally in Boise, Idaho 

Kids these days.

It's not a home without fur-kids.

So Sunday I thought I'd catch some critters out and about on such a gorgeous day hoping by the time I ventured around town, the sunshine might join me. Well these photos pretty prove the sun stayed in hiding.

Truly, I wouldn't trade one single day in small towns. 
 I just ask for a bit of sunshine to lighten up my shots.

The Popcorn sales folks weren't even on duty. No popcorn for sale. Bummer.

"A place belongs forever
to whoever claims it hardest,
remembers it most obsessively,
wrenches it from itself,
shapes it, renders it,
loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image."
Joan Didion 

That pretty much explains my thoughts on my 
enormous list of favorite places to visit. Sometimes we tell ourselves 
stories in order to experience again that nostalgic sense that gives our life
so much meaning.
Long live the places that bring us life. 

Yep, not even a duck wandered by my viewing area.

Although you'd never know it, but standing on this bridge I could hear a guitar player singing at a local hamburger spot right behind me. 

Thanks for stopping by and sharing your comments

take good care of you.

Back From Our All Family Vacation

"I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery...
air, hills, trees, people,
I thought, "This is what it is to be happy."
Syliva Plath

Without even knowing, Our family vacation together included
the joy of
Hygge

They say Hygge is why Denmark is one of the happiest nations on Earth.
Simple pleasures.
Hygge is about seeing beauty in the everyday and savoring
each moment by spending time with loved ones 
or that well deserved me time.

Going unwired
especially from social media.

Absorb as many simple pleasures that you can weave into you life
for a daily dose of hygge.

"An optimist is a man who plants two acorns

and buys a hammock."

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny

Hygge Norwegian word meaning 
"To give courage, comfort and joy.

"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale."
Hans Christian Anderson

Did somebody say, "Danny, get back in the water to warm up!"

Laugh if you will but this is one of my happy places!

"To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,

To gain all while you give

To roam the roads of lands remote,

To travel is to live."

Hans Christian Andersen

Open Fires!

"A hearth of one's own is worth gold."
Danish proverb

Jack has the art of bonfires down pretty well!

 Open fires

A simple pleasure of life,

relaxing in front of a fire,

a warm, cozy atmosphere

as it crackles and flickers

the aroma of wood smoke

it all calms and soothes 

evoking a primal connection

 and sense of belonging.

Just lose yourself in the reverie of watching

the flames dance.

How about items to craft 

for instant Hygge?

Whether it's making something from scratch

or just creating with your own hands 

it always oozes character and orginality

and gets your imagination flowing

 filling you with hygge happiness.

"A good handicraft rests on a golden foundation."
Danish proverb

Hard at work waking up all their inspiration juices.

Smile for my camera artists!

"Ta-dah! Your very own gorgeous
handicraft!"

We also had a birthday to celebrate for Karina!
and Cindy Bear, being Karina's favorite character came to help celebrate!

Gosh we love you Cindy Bear!

Cindy even autographed their decorated shirts!

"Family, like branches on a tree
we all grow in different directions
yet our roots remain as one."

The more hammocks the better
to amuse and enjoy yourself! 


After every trip it's always good to return back home.

Downtown Minneapolis.

Give this a thought tonight when evening falls,

"There they stand,
the innumerable stars,
shining in order
like a living hymn,
written in light."
Nathaniel Parker Willis
and 
"To catch the thrill of a happy voice
and the light of a pleasant eye!
Stirs every heart."

Thanks for stopping in
and take good care of you.