362 - 364 Fun Things to Do!

362 - Go to a steel drum presentation!  This one was held at Fairlawn-Bath Library in Akron, Ohio and featured Ron Kerns, Co-Owner and President of Panyard, Inc.   They are world leaders in the making of steel drums and their company is in Akron!  For more information, go to www.panyard.com  Ron told a lot about the history of steel drums and how they were invented in Trinidad.  You can play any kind of music on steel drums, including calypso or even country and western.  It is amazing to see how much interesting music can come out of such a simple looking instrument!

363 - Try playing a steel drum.  Ron made sure that every child (and some adults) in attendance, got a chance to play some fun and rhythmical music on steel drums.  My grandsons, Nate and Andrew, were intrigued with the whole idea!

364 - Make sure you collect flyers and brochures from your local library to find out what is happening, not only at the library, but in other places, too!  A big thank you to libraries all over the world for having such interesting activities!  

Zentangle Challenge #77 - "Fiore di Pietro"

This month's Zentangle Challenge touched my heart so much that I invited some of my friends from the Zentangle Club of N. E. Ohio to come over and participate.  The challenge is to do a Zentangle, or Zentangle inspired art (ZIA), using Rho Densmore's new tangle (pattern), "Fiore di Pietro", which she created in memory of her brother-in-law, Peter, who very recently passed away unexpectedly.  She is going to use these images in books that she will be giving to her family in honor of Peter.  Jean, Sophia, and I created the Zentangle and ZIAs below with gratitude for the privilege of joining people from around the world in helping to put together this tribute.  We all give our permission for Rho to use our images.  Rho is a Certified Zentangle Teacher, and so are Jean, Maria, and I.  Sophia is Maria's daughter.  

You can go to www.iamthediva.blogspot.com for more information about "Fiore di Pietro" and about this challenge.  If you click on the individual names, you will have the opportunity to see an amazing array of entries from people who have already contributed.  Entries will be taken until this Saturday night, and all are welcome to participate.

In Honor of Peter by Carol Bailey Floyd

In Honor of Peter by Jean Rogers

In Honor of Peter by Sophia C. Kostoff

In Honor of Peter by Maria V. Copetas

356 - 361 Fun Things to Do!

356 - Take "canopy" photos of your favorite trees!  Have you ever been out in the woods on a hike and looked up through the trees to the sky?  That is always a big WOW! for me.  This photograph is of a white oak in our front yard that we planted in memory of my Mom, who passed away in 1987.  I just love the shape of the leaves, and the buds are glorious.  The tree below is an ash of some type, and it shades our patio, and also provides perches for neighborhood birds as they enjoy our bird feeder.

357 - Declare a theme for a time period!  I decided that this whole Summer would be a vacation for me, even though I don't have a specific vacation planned.  I have declared it to be a "Summer of Fun and Autobiographies and Biographies".  So far I have shared my Summer with Judi Dench (actress), Jane Lynch (actress), John Lithgow (actor), Avi Steinberg (writer and prison librarian), Shirley MacLaine (actress and writer) and others.  Being a lover of reading, having this theme encourages me to take reading breaks, even when I am busy.  This is the first Summer since I was a child that I am making it my business to emphasize fun! Hooray!

358 - Before you go to bed, write yourself a note to see in the morning!  This is a great way to encourage yourself and get some friendly energy for starting the day.

359 - Take a nap with a pet.  We don't have any pets, but my son, Kevin, and his wife, Dyan, have a wonderful, friendly, and companionable boxer named Woody.  Sometimes when I go over early to babysit Nate and Andrew, I have to wait for them to get up.  Once in a while, I take a little nap on the sofa, with Woody as my fellow napper -- very cozy!

360 - Listen carefully to children.  I consider it a privilege to hear any child explain anything!  Kids are usually able to get to the heart of things, and their observations are often quite memorable.

361 - Get up early to hear the birds chirping.  It's as if they have made some kind of agreement to loudly announce their presence to each other, and to you, too!  I picked up my friend Jean about 5 a.m. recently to take her to the airport, and my reward was hearing a symphony of birds sounds that was a delightful musical celebration!

Annual Planting of the Circle Garden!

Every year, my grandsons, Andrew and Nate, pick out flowers for a circle garden in our yard.  They are 7 and 9, and we started this tradition several years ago.  It's so much fun to go to the garden store, get a double-tiered cart and let them pick out almost whatever they want.  This year we have Gerbera daisies and geraniums that match the color of their Little League baseball teams -- red and orange, along with an assortment of pink, hot pink, yellow, purple, lavender, magenta, and cream fabulous flowers.  Another big part of the fun is in the planting -- Nate said, "We're doing a better job this year because we're older!"  I look forward to this tradition every year, especially in the Winter.  I used to match my flowers and balance out colors, but my creative grandsons have helped me burst through my inhibitions with their enthusiasm and happy energy.  Now I am much more bold in my flower choices and have a much more interesting yard.  Thank you, Nate and Andrew!

355 - Fun Thing to Do!

358 - Attend an indoor fairy gardening class and make fabulous fairy gardens!  Here are some of the results from a recent group's creativity.  There were four adults and four children, and all their fairy gardens turned out wonderfully different and exciting.  It was a fun evening, and I was so impressed with the different styles and approaches.  The conversations during the building process were really fun, too!

347 - 354 Fun Things to Do!

347 - Display a collection proudly!  These hearts are so precious, not only because the heart symbol is very meaningful to me, but because they were all given to me by people I love.  This table in my living room reminds me how very blessed I am to have such wonderful family and friends.

348 - If you can't decide between two kinds of cake -- have a piece of each!  Cake was served after church recently and two of my favorites were served -- red velvet and chocolate.  I remembered how fun it was recently when I faced the same dilemma with pie, and ate two different kinds, so I felt an obligation to follow the same theory!  As far as I can recall, this is the first time in my life when I have gone wild and eaten two pieces of cake at the same time.  Hooray for decision busting happiness!

349 - Make a list of remarkable things that have been invented in your lifetime.  I have seen the onset of the general use television (and then the miracle of color TV), computers, cell phones, talking hybrid cars, organ transplants, talking automobiles, digital cameras, and more!  I wonder what is being invented now that will astonish us all?

350 - Leave a book in  random place for someone else to discover.  Check out www.bookcrossing.com to find out how you can join a community of generous book givers.

351 - Take photos of hotel or bed and breakfast rooms that you occupy.  This will bring back memories of your trips and the times you spent in these temporary homes.  I always take art supplies and books to read, so I have always have a great time no matter where I am.

352 - Have a favorite take-out dinner party.  Ask everyone to bring their favorite take-outs, provide some drinks, and be prepared to have an unusual, fun, and very tasty adventure.  I did this once, and 14 people brought 14 different take-outs, with no consultation with each other.  I will never forget the sight of our kitchen table full of interesting food.   This is also a wonderfully economical way to have a get-together.

353 - If you are going to donate something that has a lot of wonderful memories, take a photograph of it first.  You can even have an album full of things that have made the journey in and out of your life.  This will help you let go with a much lighter heart!

354 - Notice the wonderful sunshine art that is often shown between segments on CBS Sunday Morning News.  Sometimes I even take photographs of them because they are so delightful.  You have to really be paying attention because they flash by fast.  It is one of my goals to get a sunshine accepted by CBS -- so if you ever see me, ask how that's going.  Then maybe I will get coordinated!

344 - 346 Fun Things to Do!

344 - Observe and appreciate flowering bushes and trees as they come into season.  I started the Spring with deep gratitude for the bursts of bright yellow Forsythia here and there.  Then I turned my attention to the fabulous Azalea bushes that started to flourish around town and under my kitchen window.  Next, I noticed the Dogwood trees that were livening up the neighborhood, including the two beloved Dogwoods in my yard.  Now my attention has turned to the sometimes enormous, amazing, and delightful Rhododendron bushes that often go two stories high!  We also have stunning Magnolia trees whose appeal sometimes makes driving a little swervy!  There are even yards that have several of these flowering bushes and trees in glorious bloom at the same time!

345 - Take a photograph of someone you like in front of a flowering bush or tree!  Who needs photo studio painted canvas backgrounds when you have Mother Nature?  This is my friend, Cathy, who loves gardening like I do.  We were having an adventure together that included gardening conversations and spotting Rhododendrons when we got the idea of photographing each other in front of a giant Rhododendron bush in my neighborhood.  Fun!

346 - Trying to decide between two kinds of pie?  Have a piece of both!  I was at a joyful baby shower recently for our beloved Sara, and there was an ecstatic array of delicious food, including many different pies.  I browsed the table, had some pie conversation with one of the hostesses, and narrowed it down to two possibilities.  Then I realized that I had never had two pieces of pie in my life, so the answer was obvious -- first eat one, then the other!  I felt like a renegade pie consumer on a sacred mission!  It was hilarious!  I wouldn't recommend this as a regular procedure though -- it might lead to pie addiction!  (By the way, the peanut butter chocolate pie won the taste test by far.)