Musings of a Whimsical Realist

One of my poems, and my LAST Project 24 blog post.  14 months ago I started on these and completed 16 topics out of 24 (some were SO photo-specific that I didn't feel inspired to write).  Overall,  it was a fun experience.  Since I've never done the Creative Photography Challenge #1, I may go back and borrow those topics at some point.  For now, I have quite a few other topics that I look forward to exploring. Potential  An acorn, bead from necklaced trees Falls gently to the ground It burrows into mossy soil And grows without a sound Like lovers on their wedding day A small seed planted new With lace and song and flowers bright To help it grow up true The acorn grows throughout the year Oft buried under wintery frost Kind seasons bring a pleasant breeze Tempestuous the rough accost The couple meets its seasons too The times emerge both sweet and harrowed As they attempt to grow together Before their views have dangerous narrowe...

Glowing screens. Flashing lights.  Chiming alerts.  The modern age is indeed amazing in its plethora of technology.  There is almost always “an app for that.” Then there are those of us who cling willfully to the past.  I am writing this blog entry in my notebook with a pen (my favorite G-2 gel pen, itself a technological wonder).  And until September of last year, I had a paper calendar.  I’m not referring to wall-calendar type . . . one still hangs on my wall for quick reference and enjoyment of the attached scenery.  But a spiral-bound calendar that functioned as my second brain.  The type that you would find in the day planners so popular in the 1990's and early 2000's.  And I stubbornly refused to give it up despite my husband’s pleading (and often disparaging) attempts to convince me to let go of such “ancient” technology. So what changed my mind?  Several things, honestly, but mostly a diabolical and long-reaching “plan” on th...

This is certainly an apt topic for someone who calls herself a whimsical realist.  The side of me that speaks whimsically had been put on mute more and more in recent years of my life.  As a mom of 3 young children, the tyranny of the urgent absorbs almost all of my “spare” time.  And potty-training the twins (just turned 3) and teaching reading to Firstborn (almost 7) has made this semester the busiest of my parenting to date.  So when do I find a moment for whimsy? 1. Taking out the garbage.  That’s right – I am alone outside, usually at night, and I can drink in the outside air and appreciate the twinkling stars! 2. When my children say “Catch me” or “Neener-neener.”  I can’t always do it, but when I can, I put down what I’m doing, turn into the tickle monster, and chase my giggling victims. 3. The victory when all offspring are settled in bed.  This is the golden hour of the day.  The deep-sigh moment when I get to take off my Momm...

So I am PAINFULLY behind on my Project 24 blog posts . . . mostly due to beginning homeschool for a 1st grader but also in part due to a rather strenuous undertaking that we began in September.  After almost 5 years in our own home, we finally were able to take out the hill that we planned on removing our first year here.  We blame job changes and the arrival of twins for THAT particular delay.  And as any "good" home improvement project goes, it took longer than expected and presented unanticipated issues.  Of course. Here is the hill just before we bought the house. As you can see, it consumes half the width of the yard, excluding the sidewalk.  We knew that we wanted to put in a wall to push back the yard and give us more room . . . and almost 5 years later, we got to begin that process! The first obstacle was dealing with the city and building stuff, etc . . . I won't bore you with all of THAT, but suffice it to say, it was a lesson in futility. Fin...

This was an interesting topic to contemplate.  I debated writing about my current attempts to purge the excess, to clean out the junk.  We are getting ready to transition to homeschooling full-force, with a full-blown elementary student (1st grade!).  So it's been a good time to throw off that which hinders.  I may yet present a blog on organization and clearing out the clutter.  But for today, I am sharing another poem.  A poem in which each "line" is one word.  Minimal.  Yet I found it to be effective! Sunrise green blue morn's hue gone lost night's cost calm dark owls hark black grey moon's ray night's work shades lurk what? bright! morn's light sun's ray dark AWAY!

The History of Umbrellas What a marvelous invention!  Iconically, we have to nod to Disney’s use of the umbrella (talking, no less) to transport Mary Poppins into London in the movie that cemented his genius. For Valentine’s Day this year, I bought all 3 of my kidlets umbrellas (replacing Firstborn’s first rather beat-up and beyond-repair one).  Each child immediately applied his or her umbrella to a unique and personal use. Firstborn, lacking any rain to test on the umbrella, opened it, turned it upside down, and began to load it with toys.  At 6 years old, she is into packing random items from her room into any and all containers available.  I had to disappoint her by pointing out that loading her umbrella would quickly reduce it to the state of her first one.  She sadly unpacked it. Boy-Twin was thrilled with his umbrella, “oh”ing and “ah”ing over the Buzz Lightyear on the handle.  I demonstrated how to open it, which he mastered almost instantl...

GREY ~ “An intermediate color between black and white, a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally a color ‘without color’” (Wikipedia). Whimsical realism isn’t the only way that my personality is a study in contradictions.  I am also what I like to call a “rule-following nonconformist.”  What that means is: I love grey areas! I remember as a child hearing a comment regarding my favorite animals at the time – panda bears and orcas: “That is fitting.  They are black and white like you.”  I followed rules almost obsessively.  I had a strong and persistent sense of fairness.  I loved facts and spouted them off like an encyclopedia.  So I understand how people assumed that I am a black and white person.  The obvious signs pointed to “yes.” But internally, a war was taking place.  If something was popular because “everyone wanted it,” it was the LAST thing that I wanted (my high school wardrobe attested to that).  “Titanic” was THE...

A Rose entices simple interest -  Piqued by the blood red Silkiness and scented air - Mother Nature disturbs not But man lives for such loveliness - To beautify false structures Of stark barrenness It often dies a slow - slow - Death of cut torture. Yet to those who yearn to capture Its graces - A careless stroke Leads to pain - Behind beauty Lies piercing defenses - All splendor has its costs - Sharpness among magnificence. Oh sweet guarded Siren,  Rustle with the air the wind blows - Bend but do not break - For the Creator of Resplendence Gave you charm and danger - To Him, rise up and sing His glory through your presence.   [Project 24 is a Creative Photography Challenge that I am applying to my own art form -- writing -- and pursuing with several photographer friends via Facebook.]

I was not excited about this topic when I first read over the list.  I am most certainly NOT a girly-girl.  My least favorite color is “pink.”  Ruffles and hearts on clothing make me squirm.  I wear make-up and style my hair on special occasions only. And yet, not wanting to delve too deeply into the feminist aspects of such a question, I realized that I don’t have to look any further than my two girls to see the wonderful diversity of what is feminine. Firstborn is my “tomboy.”  She runs and plays and climbs and bikes like a maniac.  She dances ballet grudgingly, eagerly awaiting the day when she is old enough for the hip-hop class.  She has taken to crying whenever I force her to wear a dress, wanting to be “cool” instead of “pretty” (I wonder at times if she is 6 or 16).  Yet she also “mothers” her siblings on a daily basis.  She loves her long hair and is again growing it out from mid-back to low-back.  Her favorite color is yello...

Almost caught up with the Project 24 fun for April!  The "end" of cold and flu season certainly wasn't March for us!  But Hubby and I managed to sneak in our Christmas present of a weekend without kids.  We enjoyed 3 days around our home while our 3 kids enjoyed grandparents, an aunt, and 3 of the cousins.  Great things come in 3's! "With a Prop" isn't exactly a topic that needs explaining.  It was, however, a fun topic to pursue with my camera phone and Hubby during our weekend of freedom.  He takes the best picture when he has something to pose with . . . and we found a lot of great props in Old Sacramento and the Lassen Volcanic National Park area. At Ikea.  We started without a cart, and I just kept adding and adding and adding.  We also eventually left with two HUGE boxes containing Firstborn's new loft bed. The hat!  Oh, the hat!  I could go on and on and on about Indiana Jones' hat . . . perhaps it deserves its o...

Well, I've gotten VERY behind on the Project 24 entries.  We've had a rough month for illness (colds and flus making the rounds between 3 kids and 2 worn-out parents).  I didn't think of anything particularly brilliant to say about "Depth of Field."  But I did take a picture (Yes, I took it!  Amazing, no?) with my camera phone while in the mountains with my hubby that I thought captured the essence of the topic.  And the best part was, it was right next to a field!  Depth of Field Explained [Project 24 is a Creative Photography Challenge that I am applying to my own art form -- writing -- and pursuing with several photographer friends via Facebook.]

I’ll admit, this subject had me stumped for a while!  Perhaps it’s the sheer scope of the topic.  Happiness or joy.  I could instantly think of 1,000 spins on this, and at the same time, nothing inspired me . . . until today.  I went outside, breathing deeply of one of my favorite scents – rain – and felt a deep upwelling of joy!  The joy of smelling something and having a million memories run through your head at once, the happy and the sad, intertwined and a part of what makes you who you are. The olfactory sense (the sense of smell) is the sense with one of the strongest and most intense links to memory.  There have been many studies on this phenomenon, especially as regards childhood memories linked to scent.  One interesting fact is that the sense of smell is processed in a different part of the brain than the rest of the senses, one very closely situated to the center for emotion in the brain.  Olfaction and Memory Smell and Memory ...

Just remember: I warned you!  Disneyland is my favorite place, and when I read topic #3, “Street Scene,” I tried and tried to think of something different.  But all I could picture is Main Street, USA, the lane that conducts you from the entrance gates into new worlds.  So after several days of trying to find other inspiration, I gave in. “The idea of Main Street was inspired by Walt’s childhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri" (Little-Known Facts About Well-Known Places: Disneyland).  It is said that Main Street, USA, is meant to feel like everyone’s hometown.  It is beautiful and comfortable all at the same time, and I start every trip to Disneyland skipping down it like a 10-year-old.  If I could ever choose one place to spend the night, I think that it would have to be the 600-square-foot apartment over the Main Street Fire Station.  Walt would actually stay there on occasion when he was visiting the park.  What a thrill to be in the spo...

I love learning something new!  When I looked at topic #2 for Project 24, I realized that it must be referring to something photographic.  The Rule of Thirds is a guide for off-center placement of the subject in photographs.  This may even improve my own EXTREMELY amateur photos.  But I also love how it explains why some pictures are aesthetically pleasing while others flop.  Because while I don’t take outstanding photos, I definitely appreciate looking at them. There is something almost instinctive about looking at and liking a photo that follows this rule.  Rule of Thirds -- Explained and Displayed Apart from the photographic applications of the Rule of Thirds, when I first read those words, I had an entirely different thought.  In my home, the rule of thirds is very much active – every time I have something to give to my three adorable little cretins!  Every parent can understand what I mean by this.  “If she gets some, then I get some...

It is said that we all wear many hats . . . husband, wife, son, daughter, father, mother, cook, chauffeur, friend . . . the list would go on and on and on.  But in the literal sense, there are thousands of hats worn every day.  Many of them are distinctive to our occupations, but some hats are just plain fun.  And probably one of (if not THE) most recognizable hats in the world is a simple cap with two round protrusions.  The famous Mickey Mouse ears! Mickey Mouse is the 3rd most recognizable character in the WORLD after Santa Claus and Ronald McDonald.  Between its opening in 1955 and its 50th anniversary in 2005, Disneyland alone sold 78 million pairs of Mickey Mouse ears.  That is enough to adorn every child in America under the age of 18! “The all-time most popular Disneyland souvenir is a pair of personalized Mickey Mouse ears.  While the embroidery is free, the Mat Hatter and other shops that sell them will not allow guests to have them ador...