Musings of a Whimsical Realist

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.]

It is often said, “Live every day like it is your last.”  To this, I respond, “Yeah, right!” It is a ridiculous statement.  Or, at the very least, wholly impractical.  The main impetus is to motivate me to do all those things that I’ve been putting off.  To stop procrastinating.  To not waste time.  At the same time, there are a multitude of things that I don’t get to spend every day ignoring because (assuming that I will actually survive past today) they are necessary for continued functioning. Nevertheless, it brings up an intriguing line of thought for me.  If I knew that it were my last day on earth, here is the list of things that I WOULDN’T do! 1. Set my alarm clock .  Hey, it’s my last chance to sleep in (something that I’ve pretty much given up since becoming a parent!). 2. Eat a healthy breakfast .  Bring on the homemade waffles, covered in real butter and warm syrup.  Don’t forget the side of bacon! 3. Wash the dishes ....

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...