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The Daily Conundrum

The thing about having a blog is that, on a daily basis, I have to think of something creative to talk about. Or at least something mildly interesting. Funny works, too. And I have to come up with an image to accompany the post because, as I have said a million times, image-less posts are just not as interesting. In my opinion.

I am usually able to find a shot of my own to use. Or I just go to Flickr and use someone else’s. (That’s not stealing, by the way. Most pictures in Flickr have a BLOG THIS option for that specific reason. In case you were wondering.)

Weirdest Discovery: This week I stumbled across a blog post that in itself isn’t weird, it is what the author innocently exposed that still has me marveling at the strangeness of humanity. After you read through her post, look at the 8th comment. If you don’t look at the 8th comment, you totally won’t get the strangeness I am referring to.

Interesting Pictures (someone else’s): I forget how I stumbled across this lady’s blog. Maybe through the Shutter Sisters blog, which I have to give Shannon credit for pointing out to me.

Cool Video: This really isn’t a video. It’s a slide show I did a while back featuring my dogs, Meg and C. Some of you have seen it before. Sorry, but I really like it.

Wanna know what’s coolest about it? At the end of the slide show, I mentioned that both of my dogs came to us through American Brittany Rescue (ABR). Soon afterward, I noticed other rescue groups posting slide shows and/or videos of dogs available for adoption. Like this one, which is very well done, from someone at the National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network (NBRAN). That’s not a rival group; ABR and NBRAN work together frequently, especially on transports.

Most-Helpful Writing Tips: I could share some tips of my own or just take the easy way out and point you to sites like this one.

Subtle (and not-so-subtle) Humor: Or point you to sites like this, which Hubby introduced me to, that regularly features offbeat news (weird, strange, crazy and odd stories) and photos.

Useful Tools: I could be really boring, too, and point you to sites like this one, which for some strange reason I don’t have bookmarked even though I refer to it frequently. Or this one, which could be really useful in deciding where to go for your next vacation.

Interesting Links: I could just fill my blog with lots of different links (like I did here).

Cliffhanger: Or I could be really mysterious and say something like…

Have you noticed a theme with frog pics lately? Wanna know why I keep posting pictures of my stupid frog tchotchkes? Do you think there is an actual reason? Stay tuned to find out…

Or… I could do all of the above to save myself from having to make such an important decision so early in the morning.

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P.S. – In case you missed the previous frog pics, the first was at the very bottom of this post, the second was posted yesterday, and the third is at the top of this post. I might post a fourth, I haven’t decided yet.

P.P.S. – I did have to go to that unbookmarked site again to find out how to spell “tchotchkes.” In case you were wondering.

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I Have Decided to Share…

…some images. I have TONS of pictures floating around on this computer network of mine. And I keep taking more. After all, the more photos you shoot, the better you become, right? I just need to learn to DELETE some of them.

Anyway, I have decided to be generous and share my images with the world. Not just via this Blog or through my photo sharing sites, but on my Web site.

I figure folks might appreciate some different wallpaper images. Or images for their own Web site or Blog. Whatever. We all know I’ll never become a professional photographer. So why not just share?

The first shot you see on this post is my favorite. I darkened it with Photoshop a bit. (You gotta love the BOKEH!)

I really like this one, too.

That’s one of the benefits of having an 8 megapixel camera. The photos are huge. So you can zoom in on a specific segment of a photo, crop it, and you have a separate, very cool image. You can do the same thing with photos shot at lower megapixels, the final image will just be smaller.

Here’s another example…

That’s a neat, colorful, textury shot. It’s just a small piece of this photo…

If you’d like some FREE WALLPAPER or just want to see the rest of my wallpaper images, just follow one of the links I conveniently place in the first half of this sentence.

Let me know what you think! And be sure to tell your friends. About this Blog and about the aforementioned FREE WALLPAPER.

By the way, HAPPY FALL!!! It’s my favorite time of year. The colors fascinate me. Can you tell?

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Embarrassing Moments

We all have moments in our lives we’d rather forget. Right? C’mon, think hard. You know you do.

Perhaps it’s a photo? Like the one below, which just totally cracks me up every time I see it.

My brother, Tom, and father are in the back row. Left to right, of course. In the middle are Aunt Bertha, my sister-in-law, Sharen, and Mom. Front and center is my nephew, Joshua. They were waiting patiently, I thought, for me to get the camera set up so I could join them for a nice family photo. I tripped the shutter by accident. But I’m so glad. ‘Cause in my book, this is a classic. Those expressions are priceless.

Maybe it’s something you said you’d do. Something very public. Then you didn’t come through. So now everyone can say, “Ha! Remember when you said you’d do that!?!” Like me promising to exercise. You know, saying I was going to lose some weight. So I could get all svelte and stuff.

Confession time… I haven’t been exercising. I’m a loser. L-O-S-E-R.

I have an excuse, though. I’m having back issues. As soon as we get regular health insurance coverage and not this COBRA crap, I’ll get it checked out. I only have to hold out about two more weeks. Maybe then I’ll get back on track.

Until such time, go ahead and call me a loser. I don’t embarrass easily.

Maybe you have a funny story? I have lots. I’m not necessarily the subject of all of them. The first that came to mind (I guess because of today’s photo) as I was contemplating this post happened quite a few years back. My son, Eric (now almost 19), was about 7. Maybe a bit younger.

I was with the folks pictured in this lovely photo. We were playing cards and somehow got on the subject of old-lady pill containers. You know, those strips of little plastic compartments all fastened together with the days of the week on them in sequential order? We were telling my brother he needed one of those because he was getting OLD.

My darling son chimed in and swore I owned one.

“No I don’t,” I said.

“Yes, you do,” he insisted.

We went back and forth like that several times. He was quite adamant. Then he finally said, all loud (he may have even stood up)…

“You do, too. In your bathroom. You know, the little round one with the days of the week all in a circle?”

Everyone but Eric realized he was, of course, talking about my birth control pills. We were laughing hysterically. Not just because of what he said, but because he was laughing, too. Really hard. But he had no idea what was so funny. How do you explain birth control to a 7-year-old?

It wasn’t really embarrassing. But it sure was funny.

If you have an embarrassing moment to share, even if I am the subject, add it to the comments. I’m sure all of my faithful fans can use a good chuckle.

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Bits and Pieces

I stumbled across a well-written story on CNN, written by a woman, describing a motorcycle road trip. Imagine that. AND their trip included the Blue Ridge Parkway, which made it very reminiscent of the trip Hubby and I took in late 2007. Even down to the picture of Mabry Mill that accompanied the article. (The one shown here was taken by Hubby.)

Speaking of CNN… some of their headlines kill me. Especially the teaser-type ones they use on their “latest news” list. Like this one: State official resigns over underpants dance. Of course, I had to read the story. Boy, people can sure be stupid.

Post Secret is one of those blogs I read periodically. I even have a Post Secret book. In case you aren’t familiar with Post Secret, and even if you are, you should watch this video. I think it was made to promote some appearances by Frank Warren, the guy that came up with the idea. It’s an entertaining way to learn more about the Post Secret project, how it came to be, and how big it has become.

Some of the secrets people submit are heartwarming. There are just as many, if not more, that can be heart-wrenching. So read the blog at your own risk. If you have a propensity for depression, avoid it all together.

ToadMama fans who are interested in photography–taking pics, not just looking at them–might be interested in the Digital Photography School Web site I stumbled across. I haven’t spent a whole lot of time there, but it seems to be chock full of interesting stuff like Portrait Photography Tips. And not just your average, everyday run-of-the-mill tips everyone likes to share, but cool things like Posing Tips – Waistlines, Thighs and Bustlines. And Give Your Subject Space to Look Into. I’m going to have to set aside a whole day to absorb the info Darren Rowse, the dude behind the Digital Photography School, has chosen to share.

The very last “gem” I’ll share is this goofy site I found that sells all kinds of frog stuff (like the lovely Frog Poop pictured). It is The Frog Store.

Need some frog-shaped pasta? They sell it.

Got a hankering for some caramel creme chocolate frogs?

How about frog clothing with the dual purpose of celebrating frogs and telling the world about God? Like this shirt? Or this one?

There’s even a Useful Frogs category, which toadally restores my faith in humanity. The site owners know some of their stuff is a bit ridiculous, but also take time to point out USEFUL stuff like: this set of 6 froggy candles, and the CD holder, and this nite lite.

Those who know me can tell you I have my share of tacky froggy stuff. And if I stumbled across some of this stuff in a store, I’d probably buy it. I don’t know if I’d go on-line to buy a bunch of frog tchotchkes, though.

I have to admit, there was an interesting dice game on the site. And some fun wallpaper border. I might even buy this doorbell if I thought it would fit on our front door (it amazes me how many people knock instead of ringing the bell).

Happy Friday!

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I Made Something Interesting

The other day, I was lamenting the fact that I’d missed posting for two days because nothing interesting had happened. Shannon, my oldest, said I should try to make something interesting happen.

She was right. The problem is, I couldn’t think of an interesting thing to make happen.

Instead, I just made something interesting. In a Flickr interestingness kind of way. That is, an everyday thing I could photograph that would be cool because of the colors, and the angles, and the light (if I am lucky). Not to mention the fact, that not a lot of people would think to take pictures of…


… my lunch fixin’s!

I was hungry. Short on time, too. So I decided to multi-task.

I am not mimicking the Pioneer Woman! Although I do enjoy her blog. And she does inspire me to take lots more pictures. I am not sharing my recipe, though. Just my ART.

The tomatoes were given to me by my Dad Tuesday night. They’re home-grown. Store-bought tomatoes, even the vine-ripened ones, never look this red.

Seriously. Doesn’t that look like a yummy tomato?

Nothing says “summer” like home-grown tomatoes. Except maybe corn on the cob. And steamed blue crabs. And snowballs. And frozen blue margaritas! And eating Dolle’s caramel popcorn on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland…

Um, moving right along.

I realize letting you see the salt and pepper is dangerously close to divulging my recipe. But I think the close-up is cool. It is sooooo red and juicy. Can’t you just taste it?

It was fabulous. Simple, but still fabulous. I forgot to mention I was having potato chips on the side, too. With a glass of ice-water to wash it all down.

Maybe something interesting will happen to me tomorrow…

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What’s So Funny?

You know, everyone has a different sense of humor.

Some people, like me, find this funny. (It’s not a political thing for me. I just think it is pretty well done.)

Others like stuff like this. Hubby gets all the credit for finding that one!

There are folks who just need simple little pictures to brighten their day. If you’re one of THOSE people, you have to check this one out, too. And this one.

Me, I’m more of a video person. I mean, images are funny. But there are some videos that just crack me up. No matter what mood I’m in.

This one is GUARANTEED to make you smile.

If you don’t smile at THAT last one, well, you’re just a big, miserable dork.