FORKS





my garden fork

Once again I find myself being led by the up-coming "photo of the day" prompt in helping me choose my topic for the Thursday 13.

 

Consider all the different directions you can go in doing a quick brainstorming exercise around the word FORK.  For instance, think of all the different geographical locations with the word FORK in the name: Forks, WA, Roaring Fork River in Colorado, Grand Forks ND, and then there is all of the ranches with the word FORK in the name, the most famous being Southfork from the televisions series Dallas. Intrestingly enough, the Southfork ranch is now a conference and event center located in Parker, Texas.   

In doing a little research I learned an amazing fact: there are 13, yes, I said exactly 13 different dining forks. Now how convenient it would be to just make the list and share the photo and we'd be finished with the list for this week.

illustration of various forks types by Julia Rothman

Hold on there, Tiger. Not quite so fast. Let's make our list of forks a little more personalized and see what I can come up with on my own just brainstorming all the different kinds of forks I've used in the past and maybe, just maybe, even have nearly all of them in my home at this very moment .. I wonder ... beginning with the obvious and then moving to some that may be a little more obscure ...

 

 

1. salad forks, luncheon forks, and dinner forks ... I use the salad forks the most; not because I'm eating a lot of salads, but because I feel like I could be scratching my tonsils when I  use the dinner forks with their loooonnng tines!
2. dessert forks ... I threw all of these in together but I did learn and interesting fact today: that odd shaped fork in the buffet silverware drawer is an ice cream fork. Personally, I have a hard enough time eating my pie or cake with a fork so I can't imagine trying to eat my ice cream with a fork. Moving on ... the list wouldn't be complete without mentioning the ubiquitous
3. fork in the road ... and then there is the ...
4. pitch fork for the barn
5. spading fork for the garden and
6. gardening fork for scratching in the dirt on my hands and knees ... and back to the kitchen ...
7. foley fork (my mom gave this one to me and I love it!)
8. fondue fork
9. pasta fork (a weird scoop shaped spoon/fork that works great for scooping noodles out of the pan)
10. lobster fork and oyster fork
11. pickle fork, relish fork, and olive fork ... MIL always gets out her olive fork when serving up the relish trays during the holidays and family gatherings ... and, of course, I don't have one of these in the garage but I do love it when my neighbor brings his over to help me load in the pellets for the winter heat ...
12. fork lift ... and what musician family could possibly be without a ...
13. tuning fork!

Forks did not receive a warm welcome in the dining halls of the western world for many years. In fact several religious leaders declared forks to be immoral evil utensils of the devil. To quote the opinion of several prominent religious writers of the early 17th century, "God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks – his fingers. Therefore it is an insult to Him to substitute artificial metallic forks for them when eating."

 

Go here to learn more about the history of forks and to see some beautiful museum pieces of a common everyday tool, a must-have for every kitchen. And, have fun with the dinner table conversation next time you get together with friends.

 

... go HERE to read more interesting lists from the Thursday 13 players ...

STRIPES

The prompt from the photo-a-day challenge with #fmsphotoaday today is STRIPES and that got me thinking ... STRIPES also serves as a fun prompt for the THURSDAY 13 list.

I am most pleased any time I can combine challenges and prompts into one task ... can you come up with 13 things that naturally or almost always have stripes? Don't forget to click on the links above for more info about each of these challenges and to see what fun things others came up with in response to the prompt.

Here's what I came up with ...
 

1. flags
2. sargents
3. zebras
4. the road
5. referees
6. tigers
7. watermelon rind
8. barcodes
9. tv test patterns
10. bumble bees
11. barber poles
12. skunks
13. candy canes

... a fun mental diversion and exercise ...

FRIDAY FILL-IN 011113

Besides filling in more blocks for this quilt top ... it's also time for the weekly FRIDAY FILL-IN time. I am just a little more than halfway finished with the blocks I need for this project. I'm making quilt curtains for the laundry area in the upstairs bathroom. When we installed the front loader the doors would no longer close. Currently we have simple plain curtains to just get by. The quilts will be so much more attractive and homey.

For links to see what others are thinking these days visit HERE ...

And...here we go!

1. Wake up excited to greet the new day ... that's me!
2.  An album packed with treasured memories of all the fun we had.
3. Every picture brings a torrent of remembrances.
4.  The worst: the volume is a little too quiet and I strain to capture the message.
5. Stay with the task at hand.
6.  Distraction can happen in a nano-second in a thousand ways.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a good home cooked dinner - maybe even a new recipe, tomorrow my plans include a dinner show in Great Barrington with the Mister, and Sunday, I want to harvest the past week's goodness and sow seeds for the upcoming week.

THURSDAY 13 011013

I am a reader. In the eighth grade I won an award for reading the most books in our small class of 18. My favorite reads that year: Gone With the Wind and Uncle Tom's Cabin.  I have always been one who devours books savoring every tasty morsel of action, suspence, and thrilling intrigue, a touch of romance, a bit of thoughtful insight. I love books for their entertainment, but I also love books that make me think - books that challenge me to look at a familiar situation with fresh eyes from a different viewpoint.

I enjoy books in a variety of ways. Technology provides a wonderful array of opportunities for supporting my reading habit. I love to hold the book in my hand (if it's not too heavy) and there is nothing better than stepping into an old bookstore and inhaling the musty smell of old print on vintage paper. Takes me right back to our hometown local library that was all of maybe 12 feet by 15 feet. Small but packed with adventure, dreams, and a journey to escape to a whole new world any time I wanted.

Today, in addition to reading the actual printed page, I love to "read" by listening to my ipod. My daughter tells me that's not real reading. We agree to disagree on that point. I have a first edition Nook - HAD to have one of those because of all the flying I was doing at the time, but have since switched to reading on my ipad. And the best of all, the sweetest indulgence: reading along on my tablet while listening to the same book on my ipod.

But enough ... on with my list of 13 ... the books I read last year:

1. The Racketeer by John Grisham
2. Winter of the World by Ken Follett
3. The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
4. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
5. The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory
6. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
7. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
8. Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell
9. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
10. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
11. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
12. The LItigators by John Grisham
13. The Shelters of the Stones by Jean Auel

I read bits and pieces of others that caught my eye or as I searched for specific information over the last year. And, of course, there are two books on my nightstand begging further study at the moment: Coach Yourself Thin (Hottinger & Scholtz) and The Path of Practice (Maya Tiwari)http://kay-mntopquilting.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html

UNCONSCIOUS MUTTERINGS 010813

2013: is about more, wanting more but not in a greedy way ... in a way of wanting more FROM myself rather than FOR myself ...

   MORE writing ...
   MORE connected ... 

   MORE thinking ...
   MORE journaling ...
   MORE blogging ...

Searching through the internet for writing memes that resonate helps to open up my spirit to inhabit my thinking spot and dig just a bit deeper to find the all of me ... the whimsical, the serious, the prankster, the spiritual, the searching and sometimes ... the wandering and exploring me ... being courageous enough to come out and play in the light of the day ...

 

1. Resolution :: intention, goal, practices ... no matter what you call it, it still boils down to the same thing ... you've just got to dig down way deep within and DO IT! Every day ... just show up and DO IT!
2. Fortunate :: so many blessings, so much to be thankful for
3. Humid :: crazy weather ... air is so very dry - time for the humidifier
4. Instantaneous :: wish I could see instantaneous results but must remember: the harder I work for it, the more I appreciate it, the greater the blessing
5. Bug :: get my flu shot NOW - don't want to catch this nasty bug. 
6. Mocking :: the past, the inner critic ... listen ... learn ... let go ...  believe, trust
7. Ball :: snow, soccer, gown ... a gala affaire 
8. Fluid :: GOOD: like water, ever changing - a dynamic entity BAD: like water: formless, without shape or conviction GOOD: like water: a powerful force BAD: like water: eroding and distructive
9. Interest :: so many - so little time ... where to start.
10. Mattress :: I always have a hard time remembering mattress sizes when designing quilts. 

Want to know more about Unconscious Mutterings?

 

 



MUGSHOT MONDAY 010713



010713: POWER UP

What a fun challenge especially for one who owns as many mugs as I do. I have my seasonal mugs, my comfy cozy mugs, my don't-mess-with-me-today mugs ... you name it - I've got it.

 

I do freely admit I have a love-affair with Starbucks mugs. Plain and simple - they fit my hand and are perfectly balanced so no fears of spillage while sipping from these babies. AND THE BONUS: they match the color scheme of my kitchen (green with red accents - but NOT Christmasy unless it's December.)

 

I learned about the collabrative challenge while reading on of my favorite blogs the other day A Year in the Life of an Art Journal. Adding their own special spin to fit their format (monthly afrt journaling prompts, inspiration, and challenges, they've teamed up with a facebook group called Monday Mugshots for this year-long event. I don't know if I'll be able to get all of the art journaling stuff in, but I think I can have some real fun collecting MUGSHOTS over the next year.

 

Their suggestion: at the end of the year compile all of the photos into a photo book. What a great coffee table book! 

CURRENTLY 010613

I accepted a challenge to myself to take a photo each month of the same view ... from  the same place as a way of marking the passing of the seasons, and as a way of helping to savor the uniqueness of each of my days. I love all the variations of blues and lavenders in the sky. I'm always surprised by our weather here in MA ... so very cold and yet blessed with the amazing warmth of sunshine.

 

Another way I am savoring life is completing a weekly "what are you noticing" kind of journaling by responding to each of the single word prompts.

 

LOVING: having no where I have to be or go

ENJOYING: the quiet and solitude of the snow-covered landscape; perfect for much time of reflection and introspection before moving forward.

DRINKING: way too much orange juice; must switch to water

EATING: too few green veggies and greens; grrr ...

LISTENING: to  Heavenly Harmonies - Music of Thomas Tallis & William Byrd

WEARING: yoga pants over my silk leggings, heavy socks, long sleeved shirt and a heavy sweater ... and I'm still cold

READING: just finished The Racketeer (J. Grisham) - a good read that keeps one guessing all the way through.

FEELING: good to be back into walking; Yeah treadmill - no ice there.

WEATHER: partly cloudy and 36 F today; had snow flurries overnight but nice most of today

WANTING: to stay up with my projects plans and goals this year.

NEEDING: a quick wasolution for organizing all my digi supplies

WISHING: the abover were possible - quick being the key word.

THINKING: of ways to integrate my projects.

What's happening in your world these days? I love the various "currently" prompts out there on the web as a quick way to stay in touch with  each other.  Send me a link in the comments to your "currently" post and I'll come check it out.

FRIDAY FILL-IN 010413

... and here we go ...

1. Let me go at my own pace without pressure from the expectations of others.

2. I can not imagine going through the pain and anguish, the suffering of the parents of Newton CT.

3. Listen here: I could say a thing or two about how the design of refridgerators could be improved after having to replacement mine that died over the holidays.

4. The fiscal cliff settlement - that's what everyone is talking about.

5. When I was younger, I thought I would never live anywhere else but in Oregon and now here I am on the East Coast.

6. I am so thankful to have a husband who makes me laugh!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking foward to some quiet organizing time in my studio; tomorrow my plans include attending the noon (EDT) chat with MMEW, and Sunday I want to get all caught up and current with my Project Life album.

... go HERE for more on the Friday Fill-in prompts and list linkies ...

THURSDAY 13 - 010313

Many of us choose to use a word to guide our intentions for the upcoming year following the guidance of Ali Edwards and her ONE LITTLE WORD program. I have done this for two years now. The first year for me was a little more focused and I was more actively involved with my word. (create order)

 

Alas, not so much last year. (balance) I plan to take a more active role this year with my new word ... more than the occasional think about it and then go on about my day  kind of participation. The first step in owning my word and being more accountable to what that could mean is declaring its existence and presence in my life for all the world to know with regular check-in posts to follow throughout the year. (why is it that I squirm in my chair when I write those words ... commitment issues?)

 

The word I chose as my word for this year this year is savor.

 

Definitions: verb: taste and enjoy completely;

noun: a characteristic taste, flavor or smell - especially a pleasant one.

And now for 13 synonyms for my one little word:

1. delight in
2. enjoy
3. respect
4. treasure
5. appreciate
6. luxuriate in
7. relish
8. admire
9. applaud
10. cherish
11. praise
12. revel in
13. adore

Do you have a word chosen for the year? Are you a "one little word" follower? I'd love to learn what word you chose and hear how your "one little word" works into your life from day to day

... go HERE to read other THURSDAY 13 posts ...