Tag: friends

Two Cents Tuesday Challenge: It’s up to You, again – Week 2

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incomprehensibly heart-rending: to think we all made it this far

No matter what part of the calendar summer falls in, everyone looks forward to the season with some anticipation. It may be that few weeks off where one gets to do absolutely nothing or everything they’ve been procrastinating on and not able to get to during the rest of the year, a time to reconnect with friends and family or run for the hills to soak in some solitude. However we use our time, it somehow seems more precious than the hours that slip by during the industrious days of autumn, the slogging stubbornness of winter or the promise of spring.

We had plans. Right off the bat that should have been a warning and some indication based on precedent that a whole slew of other things would get in the way of anything we set out for ourselves to accomplish during this two-month supposed hiatus from the workaday. A detour here, unexpected guest there, some forced socialization (we do not especially play well with others and even less so when it is on their terms and not ours), an unexpected real-world project that, however exciting, is resulting in some unwanted indoor time when the sun is shining: it all takes us away from what we would rather be doing. Perhaps that makes it all the sweeter when we do finally return to what makes us tick, makes the possibilities tantalizing, more brightly coloured and fleshed-out (jotting down a quick note helps to avoid the “remember last week…” syndrome). Some things, like getting up in the morning, are a part of our day and even though recent posts have been, as the Professor put it, formulated on the fly they are necessary to our well-being. The Two Cents Tuesday Challenge is constantly amazed and ever so thankful that there are some constants despite it all.

Last week, we lobbed the ball back into your court, so for all the little gravatars that make us smile as we scroll – “It’s up to You, again…” Choice is a wonderful thing.

Heat    Surprise    Silly    Expectations    Lost    Abstract     Grateful     Bliss     T-shirts     Shoes    Loyalty    Painting    Cook    Wishes    Paths    Writing    Birthday    Wonder    Harvest     Size    Words     Routine    Calm    Curious    It’s up to You    Toys    Clean    Bold     Random    Heritage    Special    Happy    Gifts    Graffiti    Brilliant    Funny    Habit    Resolution    Relax    Sweet    Illumination   Decoration   Morning   Style    Home   Pressure   Temptation    Manipulation    Compromise    Procrastination

We would love to see your vision..

For all those who are new readers to Across the Bored, some great entries and the guidelines for this fortnight’s challenge can be found here. Need more info or want to browse past themes? Have a look at HOW DOES THIS WORK.

F is also for Friday: And now for something…. Sweet

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Sweets for the sweet

Slices of heaven – vanilla never looked so good…

Fridays are usually when Across the Bored highlights art and artists but today is somewhat different in that Travel. Garden. Eat. has graciously presented us with the Liebster Award!  Around the Cake by Wayne Thiebaud – one of the penultimate painters of common objects – is a sweet offering to express my gratitude to Kat and all those who read, comment, follow and inspire me with something new on a daily basis.

Someone once said that we form an opinion about the person from their actions – from what we see of them. Certainly true and often limiting in realworld situations, the multiverse of blogging gives total strangers an idea of who we want to be, who we think we are –  from the words and images we present. By following the Rules for the Liebster Award (see farther below) we throw another wrench into the gears…

11 things very few people know about me:

  1. I had a creative alias as a teenager
  2. Much to my mother’s consternation, I once got off a bus in a rural town looking like Ziggy Stardust
  3. My step-father was an astrologer
  4. I am still waiting for that MG promised to me for my 16th birthday but that is not a problem because
  5. I fear I will turn into Mario Andretti if I learn how to drive standard
  6. I am convinced my ancestors coined the proverb “You can choose your friends but not your family”
  7. which may account for why I am able to trace my lineage on that side over 400 years to one of the first boats that landed in this part of the New World…
  8. I do not hesitate to straighten paintings in other people’s houses
  9. I keep the Christmas tree up for far longer than most people think is sane
  10. I hate IQ tests because I am always finding fault with the wording of the questions
  11. I still don’t know everything my iphone does

11 answers to 11 Kat questions:

  1. A place you have never traveled to that is on your travel bucket list?
    Australia – lovely blogs have convinced me to overcome any arachnid-related doubts…
  2. Book you are currently reading?
    The owner’s manual to my camera.
  3. Have you ever bungee-jumped?
    No, and I never will.
  4. Morning bird or night owl?
    Both, it depends on whether the Professor is home.
  5. How long have you been blogging?
    Since August 12, 2012.
  6. Which movie can you watch again and again?
    Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
  7. One of your favorite quotes?
    “With the arrogance of youth, I determined to do no less than to transform the world with Beauty. If I have succeeded in some small way, if only in one small corner of the world, amongst the men and women I love, then I shall count myself blessed, and blessed, and blessed, and the work goes on.”
    – William Morris, The Well At The World’s End: Volume I
  8. Your favorite recipe (in full or via link)?
    Can’t say I have a favourite but this one is pure comfort food – Gourmet Magazine’s Macaroni and Cheese – best quality bread, cheese and pasta make all the difference…
  9. Pet peeve?
    Where do I begin… people who hang up the telephone without saying goodbye.
  10. If you could invite anyone to join you for dinner — fictional or real, from the past or the present — who would you invite?
    Leonardo daVinci
  11. Your favorite blog post — from your blog!
    Not fair! The first one as it is at the root of all creation…

Now here is the really good stuff:

The Rules for the Liebster Award are as follows:

  • Include a link back to the blogger who gave you this award
  • Grab the badge above and post the award to your blog
  • Post 11 things about yourself
  • Answer the questions below asked of you plus create 11 new questions for your nominees to answer 
  • Nominate 11 people that you think deserve the award and link them to your post (see below)
  • Go to their pages and tell them they have been chosen – please “pay it forward, don’t pay it back”

Due-diligence has unfortunately shown that a few of the blogs up for our nomination already had their Liebster awards while others clearly had over 200 followers eliminating them from this particular award; confirmation of follower numbers was unavailable for many, so being new at all this, we offer hearty congratulations to these 11 Liebster nominees:

So all my lovely lucky nominees, Across the Bored would love to see your answers to these 11 Across the Bored questions:

  1. What is the first toy you remember?
  2. What is your favourite animal?
  3. Sweet or savoury?
  4. What is your favourite item of clothing?
  5. If you could have any car (without having to pay for it, the gas, insurance, etc…) what would it be?
  6. Name one of your favourite books.
  7. Where is your favourite museum?
  8. Who is your favourite artist?
  9. What is the song you have played the most this week?
  10. If you could time-travel, what year would you visit (and yes, you do have a return flight)
  11. Would you travel into outer space?

Have fun!

Back to the usual by next Friday…

Weekly Photo Challenge: Solitary – 2

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I know he’s there

Solitary has as many definitions as entries in this week’s Photo Challenge and is, as we have seen, not a state unique to humankind.  Our barbet, although spoiled and overwhelmed with love, knows the meaning of “alone”.  Lonesome for his friend, even the first snows of winter do not deter him from his vigil – he sends his doggy thoughts across the fence and waits patiently.  The reward is in the simple pleasure of play.

Puppy Love

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Canine hearts beat as ours

We often dogsit our neighbour’s foxhound, a pup who managed to teach our own barbet-poodle mix how to bark.  Being a fowl-retriever the loudest sound to come out of him, up until their meeting, had been a low growl but he quickly learned a full range of barks, yowls, whines and yelps. This is, perhaps, the true nature of friendship – having a buddy who is willing to teach one things not inherent in our essential characters, to be non-judgemental about us whether we are scruffy or groomed and to always watch our backs. Were it so easy for those of us who walk on two feet…