Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving - Blessings to All


May we be thankful for all of the blessings we have gathered this year.
May we share them with our friends and family.
Happy Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Wednesday - My Art - Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, and Photography

One of the google groups that I really enjoy are Wednesday Bookmarks / Marque-pages du mercredi curated by VĂ©ronica Riboulot.  
Readers will love the variety of different bookmarks created by many different photographers.  

Take a look and make a few of your own.  They will be a great addition to any book you are giving. 


Crow in Snow


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Sunday - Not so funny to me!

As we approach the holiday season I have a minor rant that I want to vent. 

SELF SERVE CHECKOUTS

Any time I see one in any store I get a little angry.  All I see is a lost job for a human being.  We live in an age where more and more of our lives are given to interpersonal exchanges taking place with a machine. There are new robots that are being created that will be able to function as friends, companions, and care givers.

What are we losing and what have we already lost? I was in the grocery store yesterday picking up the last few things I needed for a photo. The checkout person had their head down and was pushing stuff through as fast as they could. This was not the first time I noticed this. It was as if they had someone over their shoulder with a timer clocking exactly how much time it took for them to scan all of the objects, take my money, and thank me for shopping and on to the next.

Why is this objectionable to me? When my Dad started to show signs of his Alzheimer's increasing my Mom's only interaction with other humans was at the various stores she visited. She didn't take up too much of their time but I do know she appreciated their service. I hate to see this vanish from what used to be a family run store, the post office, and any number of businesses.

I was in the grocery store when the new scanners had just arrived and a very nice lady asked if I would like to step right this way and she would show me how it worked... As nicely as I could I told her that I only work with humans.


Do I find machines fascinating??? Yes, do I want them to take the place of the human hand? No.  All of you service providers out there I want to thank you very much for your service.  It is not easy to stand there and listen to people, try to do your job, listen to complaints, and on and on it goes. I will get in your line and I will wait quietly and patiently as you wait on someone that needs your cheery hello and short visit about the weather. I know that at some point in time I am going to be that person that needs to have just that little bit of human contact to make my life worth living for that moment in time. 

My shopping spree was all about chocolate!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Squirrelly Thursday - Eye to Eye


Here we are eye to eye!  Respect for others and animals start young.
I am not sure which one is more interested in the other.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Wednesday - My Art - Fantasy, Sci-fi, Horror, and Photography


I started taking photos of animals last winter.  I have had so much fun watching what they do.  I am still learning and still enjoying their personalities  and the ways they relate to one another. 

This is my winter bunny from last April.  We seem to be having winters that do not want to end.  This little bunny is peeking at you from over a snow covered step on my back deck.  I know that so many people have gotten not only inches of snow but feet of snow in the last days.

I hope that everyone is safe and warm.
I will be out to shovel again when the snow stops.
I am glad that there is always hot chocolate to warm the heart, body, and spirit.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Saturday Stories and Illustrations for Children - Making a fairy house out of a carved coconut mug

I found this carved coconut mug in a thrift store.

I took off the handle and turned it into a garden arch.

I had a wooden bracelet that I added glass stones, grout, and a wooden step.  I cut a circle in the mug to make a doorway and used that piece to make the triangular piece to hold the door in place. I took off the base and used that as a door.

Here is the garden arch among the fall leaves.

Here is the house without the door in place.


See if you can find this house with the door on in the garden.  I went to the garden shop and bought several miniature plants and created a fairy garden for a variety of fairy houses. 

Create your own place for your own fairy tales.  Check out thrift stores and craft stores for ideas and interesting objects you may adapt for elf, gnome, and fairy houses.

Next on my list will be a fairy door for inside my house.  It will be a great place to leave notes for my grandchildren.   








Thursday, November 6, 2014

Free Book Friday - My Free E-Books

Welcome to Free Books Friday.  The holidays are coming. 
I have 3 books online at Smashwords.com

Please visit my page and feel free to use these codes to download a free book. 

Go to:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MBorell

These codes are good until January 1st, 2015.

hugs to all,
marcia
PS - want to publish something - check out Smashwords.  Another writer recommended it to me and I will be using it for more of my books.

My Free Book Codes:

Your coupon code is YZ66H (not case-sensitive).


The Peep Of Wilde Chicz


Your coupon code is LZ26Y (not case-sensitive).




Your coupon code is NM36A (not case-sensitive).

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Monday, November 3, 2014

Monday Meditation - Teyata Om Bekanze - Medicine Buddha





I have found that Medicine Buddha and mantra work very well with my Reiki practice.  I also use headphones to screen out room noise and other distractions.