Category: Quirkiness

Projects – Crayon Chips & Wax Paper = Stained Glass Valentine Hearts

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I am re-blogging this post on Stained Glass Valentines. Happy February! ❤

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My grandsons and I created beautiful Waxed Paper Stained Glass Hearts to put on our windows. First we used pencil sharpeners and created shavings of pink, red, and violet crayola crayons. Yes, our crayon box is now depleted of these colors…must buy more.

I used the back of a cereal box and cut out a heart shaped pattern. We traced this onto waxed paper with a Sharpie, and then dribbled bits of the shaved crayons into the outline.  We covered the shavings and paper with another sheet of waxed paper, and I ran a hot iron over them very briefly. This melted the crayons into a beautiful pool of swirled and translucent colors. I carefully picked it up and laid it on the garage floor to dry. When they had hardened we cut them out and hung them on our window with double sided tape. (I have since realized a glue stick is…

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People – Mark Hirsch/That Tree

On By TimelessladyIn Quirkiness4 Comments

My sister recently sent me a terrific link. I had mentioned to her that I was photographing a pathway into a nearby woods once a week. I thought it would be fun to post it in a blog page (The link to “The Path” can be found in the top left sidebar of this blog) I love the link she sent me in return of “That Tree,” the oak that Mark Hirsch photographed with a smart phone for 365 days in 2012.

Quotes – Snow

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The Northeast and much of the USA is blanketed in white and frigid weather. Here are a few quotes that celebrate the snow.

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“January brings the snow, makes our feet and fingers glow.” Sara Coleridge

“True solitude is a din of birdsong, seething leaves, whirling colors, or a clamor of tracks in the snow.” Edward Hoagland

“Step softly, under snow or rain, to find the place where men can pray.” G.K. Chesterton

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11

“I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair until now had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm, one Sunday morning, while I was going to a certain place of worship. When I could go no further, I turned down a side street, and came to a little Primitive Methodist Chapel.” C.H. Spurgeon/His testimony on how he came to the place where he found salvation through Jesus.

Problem-Solving – Roaring

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Dreams…they can be good, they can be bad. I had some fun tweaking the photograph of this calla lily to include a downhill skier. I thought it a fun way to show how a commonplace item  and events in your life can combine and become the impetus for a dream. I don’t know about your dreams, but I have found what I read, view on television, or dwell upon before I sleep will sometimes become fodder for a doozy of a dream. Take Saturday night for example: I watched a thought provoking movie, “The Bucket List,” starring two of my favorites, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. There was nothing even remotely frightening about the movie even though the main theme was sad. Along near morning I was embroiled in a scary dream involving the Abominable Snowman. How do I get Abominable Snowman from such a benign movie? Well…in the dream the characters visit the Himalaya Mountains, where…you guessed it…resides the Abominable Snowman.

The dream had my garage as a backdrop, the evil Snowman was inside trying to harm my cat, suddenly he turned toward me with those evil eyes glowing…well…I roared. I don’t mean roared in lower case letters, I mean, “ROARED!!!” Trouble is even though sound asleep, I ROARED in real life too. I awoke myself, and woke my husband too. Don’t feel too sorry for him, he is used to this reaction to a bad dream happening from time to time.

If perchance the snowman gets in your dreams tonight too…have a little ROAR in solidarity with me. Happy Dreaming!

Phun Phacts – Spider web or Cobweb???

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IMG_9337 With all the craziness of the holidays, illnesses and injuries in the last few weeks, it was not hard at all to find an example of today’s post to photograph. In my craft room, in the corner with my watercolor paper, I found the perfect example of a cobweb. My husband and I had wondered only a day or two before why a web with a spider is called a spider web, and why an abandoned web is called a cob.

Here are the answers I found on Wiki-answers and Ask.com

Wiki answers: “The Middle English name for a spider web. Origin of the word is coppeweb, coppe pronounced ‘cobbie’ being the Middle English word for spider, which was introduced to England by invaders and originally pronounced ‘kab’ in the Netherlands. Contrary to popular belief, cobwebs only form when dust collects on wayward pieces of silk produced by spiders or other insects.”

Ask.com: “There is no difference between a cobweb and a spiderweb. They are both different words for the same thing. The usage of the word cobweb was more commonly used to refer to a spiderweb that was not in use.

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Quirkiness – Happy New Year

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The balloons were flying high last night, the sign in place, I was pleased with my New Year’s greeting to the neighborhood. So…woke up this morning and the balloons were twisted and tangled around the hitching post, my sign was on the ground…oh well…”best laid plans…” they sometimes fail. I guess I didn’t take into account the strength of the winter wind. Oh well…started the year off with a laugh at being foiled again…HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

Quirkiness & Pressed Flowers – Mailings

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An interesting and very secure way to mail pressed flowers or pressed leaves through the mail is in a children’s board book. I usually can pick them up for a quarter or less at the public library donation table. A paperback novel or hardback book will also work, but will usually weigh a bit more. I enclose the leaves or foliage within the book, wrap in some type of paper to hold it flat and taut, slide package into a padded envelope, and mail. One of the perils of pressed flowers traveling through the mail is careless handlers. When I send flowers or leaves in a book I can be assured that no amount of bending will break or shatter what is inside. The bonus: pressed flowers store best inside a book.

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Happy mailing!

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Plantings – Wintering-Over Geraniums

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I’m beginning to bring in my geranium plants in the hope of overwintering them. Last year I pulled several out of the ground and stored them in my garage. The garage doesn’t freeze, but it gets very cold. Half of the geraniums I attempted to overwinter made it, the others never showed new signs of life. I think I would have saved them all if I had kept the boxed geraniums in the basement instead of the garage. I also wish I had labeled my plants last year. When it came time to plant them again I couldn’t remember which one was pink, red or magenta. This year I added a label and attached it with a pipe cleaner.

Here’s a video tutorial from Garden Gate magazine with good advice on keeping your geraniums alive. This short video has excellent tips on storing your geraniums and when to replant for new growth. Happy gardening!
How to Overwinter Geraniums

Plant Tips – Vacationing on the Porch

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Alocasia x amazonica

I enjoy giving my houseplants a vacation outdoors on the back porch in the summertime. The reason is self-evident in the photograph above. Look at the size of that new leaf growing in the small pot. I think I need to repot today!

There are many varieties of Elephant Ears. The smaller types make good houseplants. Here is a bit of information: Growing Elephant Ears as Houseplants

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Peculiarities – Shot Glass & Jack Daniels

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This angelic shelf on a tree gave us quite a laugh…especially since it was mounted on a tree bordering a graveyard!

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Pets and Pleasures – Update/New Kitty

On By TimelessladyIn Quirkiness12 Comments

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The photo above shows a happy kitty-cat having his chin scratched. Hans, the scared and frightened kitty featured in the post about removing pet urine stain and odor: Removing the Odor of Pet Urine, has completely adjusted without any further accidents. He is a joy to us. Sweet, calm and now a companion to our Maine Coon Cat, he has quickly become a beloved part of our household.

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Hans

Project – Repurposed Grill Lid

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When your gas barbecue has grilled its last burger or steak, repurpose the lid into a fire pit. Enclose the lid within brick or another fireproof stone. Make sure the top is level and fits the circumference of the lid. It’s as easy as that. Sharpen a twig and get out your marshmallows and hot dogs. Happy Smores to You!

Quirkiness -Sprouts

On By TimelessladyIn Quirkiness2 Comments

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Which category should I blog sprouts under, I wondered, as I began this post. I finally settled on “Quirkiness” because of the nature of this food source. I love sprouts of all kinds. In 2011 I purchased several packets of seeds for sprouting. Stored in the refrigerator they are still almost 100% viable. Last week I sprouted a tablespoon of the lentil mix.

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The tablespoon yielded all these lovely sprouts. I used them on top of a pasta salad and they really brightened up the look and taste of the meal.

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Sprouting is easy. Many garden and retail stores sell the lids that easily attach to an ordinary mason/canning jar.

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SPROUTING SEEDS RECIPE:

1 Tbs of sprouting seeds

Cover with water for 24 hours

Drain

Let stand upside down at an angle out of direct sunlight.

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I find the silverware cup on my dish drainer holds the jar at the perfect angle. Also by keeping it near the sink I remember to add water and drain twice a day.

Refill with water and drain two to three times a day. Do not allow the seeds and sprouts to completely dry out.

You will notice growth in a matter of a day or two. Allow it grow for 2-3 days, continuing the refilling and draining. When the sprouts have grown to a good size place in direct sunlight. They will green right up and be ready to eat in a day. If you are not going to eat all the sprouts in one sitting, please remember to refrigerate the remainder. Enjoy!

Quirkiness – Upcycled sidewalk/Rock Garden

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On a recent bike ride I came upon this amazing rock garden just waiting to burst into bloom once again. When I took a closer look I saw that it was made up of recycled sidewalk pieces. I love the beautiful light yellow the creator of the garden chose to paint the tops. I also appreciate the wide-eyed frog guarding his sunny turf.

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A note from Minding My P’s with Q: I enjoyed and agreed with this post by Shelley Wilson. I asked her permission to reblog it to my own blog. She graciously agreed, “Thanks so much Shelley.”

Shelley Wilson Art's avatarShelley Wilson

It’s kind of like exercise – if you miss a few visits to the gym it gets hard to go back.  Once you’re going there regularly, it’s easy to keep going.  Oh, in the past few months I’ve done a little colored pencil, some sketching, and a bit of watercolor (a TINY bit).  Yesterday, though, I got out the tubes of oil paint and squeezed a little bit onto the palette.  I didn’t want to waste it if I lost my nerve and gave up.  I ended up going through two more dollops of each color.  Granted – the areas I painted are still very rough, but I’m able to see where it’s going.

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The best part was how it felt to paint.  This time something I read in a book kept sounding in my mind.  The book is called Finding Divine Inspiration: Working with the Holy Spirit in Your…

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Problem-Solving – Naughty Squirrels

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This is my clothesline, well at least a portion of my clothesline…

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This is the other half of my clothesline, as you can see, laying on the ground instead of up in the air.

Considering the chewed end, and taking into account this is the third time I have encountered a downed line this winter, I am pretty sure the resident squirrels are the culprits.

I don’t know if they consider the line attached to their tree to be in bad taste, or if they are using fluff from inside the clothesline to line their nest, or perhaps they are just ornery…who knows? At least they haven’t bitten through while there have been clothes present.

I’m not sure of the solution. Luckily, we have spare rope set aside, and will once again square knot on the amount of line we need. Last time the squirrels stole about twelve feet! I know, I know, what can squirrels possibly do with that much clothesline? I have no idea!

I’m trying to think of something very repellent that I can put on the end this time, but I must be careful, I don’t want it to act as a wick and taint the whole piece. Squirrels! Bah!

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In the meantime, I’m putting out these yarn scraps, leftovers from my hanging seed pots. I saved them for the birds, to soften up their nests. Maybe it will act as a peace offering of sorts, and the squirrels will use the yarn as bedding and leave my clothesline alone.

Planting – Sowing Seeds Part II/Hanging Gardens

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I sowed several varieties of tomatoes and eggplant yesterday. Because these plants love warmer temperatures I decided to forgo winter sowing for them and planted them indoors. Last year, my tomatoes did very well in my sunniest windows, but space on the shelves and tables in front of these windows soon became a problem. Since I save my light table space for lower growing plants, I crossed that option off my list. Instead I decided to put a Pinterest idea into practice.

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To begin, I gathered together a few of the empty juice containers I have been saving. Since I prefer milk cartons for outdoor winter sowing, I have at least two dozen or more  juice containers cleaned and ready to use. I also rounded up an old net scubber, rubber bands, thick yarn, and of course seed starting medium.

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After cutting the juice bottle 1/3 up from the bottom, I was left with a good sized top section. I covered the top opening with a doubled up portion of netting and secured it in place with a rubber band.

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I turned the top portion upside down and added the seed starting medium, planted the seeds, and added a tag cut out of a recycled detergent bottle.

Using a skein of extra thick yarn, I fashioned rudimentary macrame plant hangers over my extra strength curtain rods and hung my gardens. Every time I see them silhouetted in my back window I smile. Hurry Spring!

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Plant – White Lily

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Today the song “Jesus Paid it All,” has been on my mind and on my lips. What amazing truth that beautiful old hymn holds. If I could tell all the world just one thing today it would be those words…Jesus Paid it All…for you, for me. And to that I must say, “Amen.”

“Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.”

Elvina M. Hall, 1865

Copyright: Public Domain