The Weekly Smile for the 22nd of May, 2023 #weeklysmile

Hi All! This was an odd week all around. Nothing bad happened, but it was what I call “one of those weeks…” Sure work isn’t necessarily bad, it is just unrelenting, so I feel I can’t pause for a breath. I know, I am complaining, though I don’t mean to – as I said, right now it isn’t anything bad, like it was in the not too distant past, it is just that I’ve been too tired to do a lot. But I did do a few smile worthy things :)

So, yes, this is another “Its’ the Small Things” post.

Over the last week I joined two gathering of friends, just because. You know, sitting around, chatting, etc. for a few hours. Always nice. The second included a couple I haven’t seen in almost a year.

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If We Were Having Coffee on the 20th of May, 2023 #weekendcoffeeshare

Hello and Welcome! Come on in and I’ll get you a nice large mug of super strong dark roast, a cuppa tea or other beverage. It isn’t bad outside, but obvious that rain is on the way. Most of the week was pretty nice. Wednesday was cool and it was unusually cold Wednesday night into Thursday, but beyond that, pretty typical for this time of year. In fact, the week started more like early summer than mid Spring. Oh, where are we? Some of you may recognize the photo at the top as coming from New Hampshire.

It was a very busy week at work. I didn’t feel as beat up as some recent weeks, but it did dictate things like I had one blog post on Monday and that was it. I just did not want to be sitting in front of a computer when not at work!!! So no reading blogs either. (some limited exceptions).

I was able to run a couple of times. Not totally back to the routine, but it was great stress relief. I did my exercise routine once – way off track there! I walked the dogs, though no walks during work hours (might be obvious, but I usually try to get at least two short walks in during the day – when I don’t, my blood pressure goes up – my body is not made for sitting!!). I had massage on Wednesday. I read some and did other things like that. I did spend an hour editing a story I wrote for a project, but writing has been down recently…

The big thing I did was play music. I just picked up a new synthesizer and have been playing around with it a lot. I did two recordings already – yes, I’ve now had it almost exactly two weeks. I will post my “First Impressions” video at the bottom of the page. Funny, but after being out walking, playing around with an instrument like this is the biggest stress release I can imagine. (The sounds are created from the ground up using sine waves… To program, you have to be in that zone that all creatives hit, only it is easier here)

I have a lot to do this weekend – some visiting, I have to mow. I need to get out and explore. I will make that second video and perhaps do more creation… And be outside, exploring or not!

Thanks for stopping in! If you have a coffee share, I will try to visit. I usually hit all of those posted in the share, though rarely comment on the non-WordPress ones.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Natalie the Explorer is the host of the weekend coffee share and she is doing a wonderful job. Stop in at this week’s main share page or go to the InLinkz-Linkup to see all of the other shares!

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(Click here if you don’t see the video below)

The Weekly Smile for the 15th of May, 2023 #weeklysmile

Hi All! This has to be quick as I have been staring down over 300 email and hundreds of texts on Teams that are demanding my attention – yeah, one of those mornings. But there is a good reason for it :)

The reason I have a full inbox at work is that I took two days off of work! It was really nice and super relaxing, even though I did a lot of work around the house(s). For example, ripping out a ceiling:

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If We Were Having Coffee on the 13th of May, 2023 #weekendcoffeeshare

Hello and Welcome! Come on in, or, it being so beautiful, sit in a chair in the back yard. I will get you a nice mug of super strong dark roast, a cuppa tea or other beverage. It is nice! Warm, but not hot. A slight hint of a breeze, but pretty calm. The birds are singing. Ahhhh…. Oh, where are we? Some of you may recognize the photo at the top as being from Cape Cod.

The first three days of the week were ultra busy with work. But then I took Thursday and Friday off…. I drove to the Cape on Wednesday night.

The reason I took time off was to do a project on the house. We have been having plumbing issues – there are two tiny (full) bathrooms on the second floor. There has been some water, and it was getting worse. I called in a plumber and he said I’d have to take down the ceiling before he could give me an estimate. Fair enough.

So, this was taken on Thursday morning:

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The Magical Book

PHOTO PROMPT © Jennifer Pendergast

“Ack, it’s smoky in here!  Why’d she light a fire in the summer? Where is she?”

“She’s right there, doodling in her journal, as always… Oh.”

“Better writing than talking to that weird old guy, but she isn’t here. Her journal is, though.”

“What are you doing?  That’s her private thoughts!”

“Look at this!  This is just filled with gibberish and senseless scribbles.”

“Hmm, maybe not senseless…”

“This is the last entry. I wonder what it means?”

“Repeat the words the wizard spoke
Grow thin and turn to dusty smoke
Then to their surprise
Up the chimney you will rise”

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by  Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ © Jennifer Pendergastn. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

The Weekly Smile for the 8th of May, 2023 #weeklysmile

Hi All. Hope you had a good week. I’m not sure about my week, but it was a good weekend :)

After a wet and cool week we had a very warm weekend. It felt more like early June than early May. I was able to get out quite a bit and had a couple of very long walks with Fiyero, though he is so sensitive to the heat – I emptied a water bottle, most of it going into the boxer and the rest onto the boxer, and yet he was still overheated.

Anyway, Saturday morning I took a friend for a drive in my new car. We went to a place called Andres Sculpture Park. There are a lot of hiking trails, most with sculpture. Near the top of the hill the density of sculpture greatly increases. It was made by people from all over the world. I had never been, so it was very cool.

Years ago we “fostered” some kids. It was semi-unofficial, not true fostering, but having troubled kids spend a day, a week or several months in our house. Saturday evening we met one of them for dinner. Back in the day she was a good kid, but there were issues, mostly with her parents. Anyway, she has grown into a very nice adult. It was great catching up.

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If We Were Having Coffee on the 6th of May, 2023 #weekendcoffeeshare

Hello and Welcome! Come on in and I’ll get you a large mug of super strong dark roast, a cuppa tea or some hot cocoa. It is pretty nice out there and will turn into a beautiful day! After all of the rain this week, that will be very welcome. Yeah, it was wet and cold, so… Anyway, I am sure you are asking, where are we this week? Some of you may recognize the photo at the top as being from New Hampshire.

Work was, well… Anyway, I am just glad the work week is over!!!

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Minor Stirrings – Soundscape Test

Over the weekend I wrote and posted a new song (what’s new ;) ). I pretty much improvised a few lyrics in the middle section (more about it later), but I don’t think my singing is as cringe worthy as some I’ve posted… Anyway, without further ado:

(Click here if you don’t see the video below)

The story for this is that I was playing with a few string synth sounds. Yes, I love string synth sounds and have “collected” quite a few. I had three new ones I wanted to test in a real world setting out of this world/spacey, Pink Floyd influenced soundscape. The first sound you hear, which is also the “stabs” in the center section, is an attempt to get real close to 1970’s String Synths. The second sound, I just called “Shimmers”, and you should hear those little shimmering tones through the long held chords. The third, which I have used in a recording once before, is a sound influenced by something I heard from an Oberheim OB-Xa. I use it here mostly to thicken the sound. OK, at one point I didn’t think it was thick enough, so I added a “big organ’s bass pedal” sound – I think you can hear the rumble at about 45 seconds in when it enters.

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A World Beyond Realism

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

“I always thought Wile E. Coyote was an underrated artist.”

I laughed.

“No, really.  Not only can the roadrunner enter a tunnel he’s drawn, but a truck can come out.”

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to laugh at this, so I just studied the mural on the building and nodded.

“Here, look at this one,” she said, pointing to another building.

A deep forest turned into a sky full of geese. 

“Cool painting,” I said.

She smiled, stepped into the mural, and was soon lost in the forest.

That is when I noticed the signature.

“Wile E. Coyote”

***

word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by  Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ © Dale Rogerson. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.

The Weekly Smile for the 1st of May, 2023 #weeklysmile

Hi All! If you read my coffee post you know I had an ultra-busy week. Hmm, that was the second week in a row that was so straight out that I couldn’t think straight by the end of the day, and this week is starting off the same with meetings all day. As long as I don’t get 200,000 pings an hour like I have been… hmmm. Any smiles there?

Well a couple :)

First, still thinking work, we met a very important target date in a very important project. plenty of smiles there. Though the work has not paused at all…

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