Thursday, April 2, 2015

This and That, Double Dog Dare and March Scavenging

Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in. 
Henry David Thoreau

This and That Days have overtaken my life. I love them. You are probably familiar with their workings. You spend the day busy at a pace where at day's end you couldn't really list all you've done. Nor could anyone walk into your home and necessarily see exactly what has kept you so busy. 

But you know. It accounts for your calmness. For you've put in a full day, yet don't feel like you dragged a steam ship through a mucky channel. 

On my This and That Days I may have cleaned the hairbrushes. Washed the kitchen window. Threw away the grocery sales slips littering my car. Read a short story. Blew the dust off a book shelf. Secured that loose upholstery button on the pillow sham. 

Written in my journal.  Swept the duck crap off the dock. Picked the dead leaves from my plants. Read a few new poems. Scoured the coffee pot to a new clean. Gone through the fridge and thrown away all the jars of expired jams, mustards, horseradish and mayos. Planted the Moonflower seed packet that has sat on the counter for a month. Turned the calendar to the appropriate month.

Rehung the fairy windows on the big tree in the yard. Changed the sheets on the bed. Written five gratitudes for the day.  Washed the rugs in the bathroom. Glued wine corks to the cork board. Fed the ducks and geese. Put a new mattress pad on a bed. Finished a Dot to Dot picture. Pulled a few weeds. Gone through the basket of papers on the desk.

You know. Stuff. Little stuff. This and That. 

Which also provides fodder for this post as it is a little of this and that. RE the Double Dog Dare that ended on April 1. 

tbr dare 2014

You might recall my post in January regarding all the baskets, shelves, and stacks of books on my To Be Read shelf. That I'd taken on the dare to only read from those piles for three months. 

I succeeded.  As of April 1 I've read 15 books from those stacks. I have my To Be Read books down to one shelf and one basket. Okay, so that shelf still has 28 books on it and the basket is how big? But, hey, 15 less than before. 

I even made it to March 25 before I bought any new books except for the two I needed for Book Club.  Broke down late one Saturday night while perusing online. I know, shouldn't buy online, but midnight, husband asleep and too late to plow. Might as well buy a few books. 

Which brings us to the next topic, The March Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunt

A post consisting of your interpretation of a given list whereby you take photos and then link to  the Scavenger Hunt's inventor, Made with Love. 
The March List   - Circle, Card, Window, Art, Skyline, a favorite word, Movement, Bathroom, Car, Plate, Something you made, whatever you want. 

Here is my take.

 Circle


 Card

 Window

 Art 
Dirt road leading to Lake Michigan

Skyline

A Favorite Word
 Take me to the water, always.

Movement

 Bathroom
Waited 16 years in this house for a bath tub. Finally -- last year. I live there now.

Car
My 2003 VW. Thirteen years old. 110,000 miles. Put that top down and it becomes a truck. (My husband will cringe when he sees this. "Couldn't you have washed it first?" Wash it?  Do they last longer if you do that?)

Plate

Something I Made 
A mess

Okay, I needlepointed the seat for this old rocker of my grandmothers. But I did it a hundred years ago.

Whatever I Want
Still Life
No, I'm not the one who picked those bluebonnets. I just helped save them from drying up.


Hope you enjoyed this This and That post. Hope you have many a This and That days coming to you.

Happy Easter

45 comments:

  1. I have plenty of those days. Ones where I'm busy and feel I've achieved but does anyone notice? Satisfaction is my reward. Yet I still feel there wasted days.

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    1. I think that can be a little of the fun, Anna. No one noticing. The most personal kind of satisfaction. Joy in ourselves.

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  2. That was fun!
    And holy crap, you accomplish more in one This and That day than I do in a This and That month!

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    1. Yeah, well maybe because you are painting a painting a day, do you think?

      BTW, you gave me that card. I love it. Have it on the book shelf all the time. You really should come visit me.

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  3. I slowed down today and have avoided doing much of this and that. It's the holiday weekend perhaps, Happy Easter.

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  4. I so enjoyed seeing your beautiful photos. It's the end of the week and I too am running out of energy. But, you have accomplished so much! I wish you a Happy Easter.

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  5. Love the This 'n' That Days–and now I know what to call them!

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  6. This was so much fun! I love the card especially, and the Whatever I Want... you are quite an accomplished This and That'er. So impressed! :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, DJan. I've become quite adept at farting the day away.

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  7. Thanks for taking part in this months scavenger hunt. What a great group of photos, I really like art, window and word that would be one of my favourite words also.

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    1. Thank you, Greenthumb. This Scavenger hunt is most fun. Wonderful creative outlet.

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  8. Congratulations on the TBR Dare! I made it through January and have been enjoying the library and indie bookstore here in FL ever since.

    Love your scavenger hunt photos. I feel the same way about water! May even join in myself next time...

    Happy Easter!

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    1. Please do, JoAnn. I'm thinking with your travels you could truly find interesting subjects. And, thank you for letting me know about James Reads. Thoroughly enjoyed doing the Double Dare.

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  9. Finding and posting all of those pictures in that meme should also be on your list of this and that!

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    1. I don't know. That was a complete creative outlet separate from the tasks. Truly enjoyed the hunt.

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  10. Yes! Most of my life feels like this and that--nothing major accomplished but many odds and ends.
    Congrats on sticking to that pile of already-bought books. That takes more discipline than non-readers can appreciate!
    Pretty photos-you have an eye for beauty.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Green Girl. Odd and Ends. That would make a good name for a day, too.

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  11. Oh yes, I can relate very well to "this & that days". At the end of those days I can sit down with a huge sigh of relief and satisfaction. I'm impressed with your achievement of reading 15 books! I have exactly two unread books waiting for me (which is unusual). I usually devour a book as soon as I buy it. Loved your scavenger hunt pics. I laughed at the mess you "made". If the view out the window is your own, you are a very lucky woman. Wendy

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    1. I am a lucky woman, Wendy. I say thank you for that view every chance I get. I think I need to be more like you -- reading a book as soon as I get it. Perhaps back to the library rather than collecting. A due date might be the ticket.

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  12. Lovely collection of photos for the hunt. The views of the lake are just gorgeous and I'm wishing our sky today was as blue as your first photo - all grey here. Love your bathroom too. x

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    1. I love that bathroom, too. Seriously spend too much time in there.

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  13. I really enjoyed your post, Julie, all parts of it, from the photos to your humor. You perfectly described how I used to feel at the end of a 10 or 11 hour workday at school: like you've dragged a steam ship through a mucky channel. LOL! But your "this and that day" would have left me frazzled. I'd have taken a long bubble bath in the gorgeous tub accompanied with a glass of merlot! Like you, I have scads of books to read, and I have to admit, I'm envious of your bookshelves in mess ~ although I don't see the mess part?! Happy Easter!

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    1. I'm grateful you don't see it as a mess. Truly. Happy Easter to you.

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  14. Great set of photos, I WANT YOUR BATH.. :)
    Amanda xx

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    1. You can't have it. I waiting too long for it. Haha!

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  15. Great photos, I love your Window shot, lovely Skyline and that bath is fab.
    You are kidding me about the car, mine is the same age but yours looks brand new...and it certainly doesn't require washing.

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    1. I think I got a good angle. As my husband would say, look at the wheels all filled with crud. I always say if I were going to clean something, I'd clean my house. Avoid that at all possible moments also.

      Best thing about 13 year old cars? They're paid for. Gotta love that.

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  16. Fiquei impressionada por você ler 15 livros em tão pouco tempo.Tenho muitos livros para ler também.
    Sua coleção de fotos são espetaculares e eu gosto de todas.
    Boa Páscoa e uma linda semana.
    Obrigada :-)

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    1. Happy Easter to you Roseli Rose. I've impressed myself for reading 15 books in that time. I look forward to seeing what you post next month. So enjoyed visiting your March list. Until next time...

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  17. Your busy day made me smile - so many things achieved and great contentment at jobs well done and some reading fitted in too. Sounds like a good day. I'm impressed with your reading and the size of your tbr pile, or shelf and basket, of books. Your Scavenger hunt photos are lovely and I've really enjoyed looking at them and visiting your blog:)

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  18. As I enjoyed yours, Rosie. Such fun this scavenger hunt has become. So many new worlds to explore.

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  19. Replies
    1. Thanks, Nessie. Well worth the long wait. And I do spend way more time in there than I should.

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  20. I love your bath, must admit to a little bit of bathroom jealousy!! :)
    Anne xx

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    1. I appreciate that jealousy. Waited a long time for that tub.

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  21. I'm impressed by your spring cleaning and reading! The photos are fun too.

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  22. Hi! How are you? Well, I hope! I am laughing over your 'Something you've made- mess!!! Genuius! Why didn't I think of that!!!???!! So glad to see this selection. The painting is beautiful for Art and I agree about waterfront, a lovely, lovely word with great connotations!x

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    1. Thank you, Kezzie. Good to hear from you. Yes, that room -- someday I will get it all in order.

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  23. Hmm, I think your This and That days are more productive than most of mine. Maybe tomorrow....

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    1. Well, I didn't write about the other days, now did I? Nice to hear from you, Nancy.

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  24. I really appreciate your professional approach. These are pieces of very useful information that will be of great use for me in future.

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Let me know what you think. Every word you write, I appreciate.

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