a collection of odds and ends - jan. 12

wait, what's that hiding under my couch?! is it a wee troll?! noooooooo, it's a willis! this is how lucas and i spent our weekend - playing with willie, cuddling with willie, feeding willie, laughing at willie. heck, all he has to do is stick is little tail out from under the couch and we drop everything to watch. dog.are.delightful. and after this video, you have no need to see anything else today BUT in case ... here's some linky-links!

i stumbled on this while digging around them internets for work. so simple and oh-so-easy
13 smart and fun ways to enjoy wildlife in 2014

pretty pictures. 100. weather. done
weather.com's top 100 photos of 2013

reason #256 why we all need many, many pets.
30 of the great animal photobombs of 2013

because, why the heck not?
adopt a bison

it's not often that lou and i are impressed with stories on firearms. this one was well done, focusing on the stories and letting the reader use those stories to create their own opinion. as heated as the gun debate can be, it's refreshing to see a piece open the door to conversation for both sides.
firearms in the family

a collection of odds and ends, cont.

i'm writing to you on a lovely sunday afternoon ... in my pjs ... on the couch ... the boys still sleeping ... the house to myself ... the sun 'a shining ... the coffee warm. nice. i think it's high-time for a lazy weekend. the past six weekends i've been traveling ... living out of a large tupperware tub i pass for a suitcase. SIX weekends! yup, i belong on the couch right about now. but enough of my weekend ... how 'bout some linky-links?

• my new kick is to get something like this art van up in the cities. each passing day my confidence in actually making this happens grows a wee bit. we may be back revisiting this topic soon ...
  
  
• i love everything about these photos: at home with the huntress. subtle enough to be badass awesome.
  
  
• anyone else think jupiter is super scary?
  
  
• this article hit a bit too close to home this week ... why free isn't free ... "all nonprofit professionals and volunteers have at least one thing in common - making the resources they have on hand stretch to fill as many needs as possible."
  
  
• well it's good to know i'm not the only one that pays special attention to which side of the dorito has the most seasoning ...
  
  
• made buffalo chicken french breads last night ... mine turned out more like a buffalo chicken subway sandwich ... guess that's what you get for subbing the cheese, leaving out the onions and doubling the recipe ... mah, i tried.

a collection of odds and ends, cont.

the van!!! it lives!!! and it has a canopy!!! everything about this weekend was wonderful ... but the icing on the cake was driving the van out of storage and into my driveway. oh, let the summer possibilities begin :D

• wait ... make a bound book using key rings?! love this! possibly perfect for a crosstown project ...
  
  
• this sounds ideal for our (now 2) canada cabins. nummy.
  
  
• i went here ... sometimes it even amazes me that i was living here for four months. what a dream.
  
  
• well, this sounds too easy not to try: Ultra Epsom Salts for our tomato and pepper plants!
  
  
• when roy and i run away from "the daily" grind ... we'll take this.
  
  
• yes, yes ... i looked into 'how to write a personal manifesto' ... and someday i'm gonna.  here's a couple pointers i found ... here and here and here.
  
  
• and then i spent a million years looking up this. am i using a full choke? extra full? xx full? no. 6 or no. 5 shot? what do i want: 100 pellets in a 10-inch circle at 40 yards.  whew ... 

a collection of odds and ends, cont.

• Oh man ... this video gives me such confused feelings. Am I supposed to be sad that he's not calling his girlfriend? But the dancing ... the dancing is oh-so-happy! But then there's anger ... the punching and rolling and spinning ... what the hell am I supposed to think?!
  
  
• These are three wonderful things all baked together into one creamy mess. I'll take five of them.
  
  
• Holy shizz balls ... looks at those eyelashes. Look ... at ... those ... eyelashes. I spent over five minutes looking at this photo last week.
  
  
• Oh man ... you can go wild bison hunting. Wild Bison!!! I found stories here, here and here and it sounds like Wyoming has one of the best hunts out there. You know, it's only a 1 in 90 shot you'll actually get a license andddddddd it's only $2500.
  
  
• I want this in Richfield ... Musical Swing Sets ... that only work through cooperation ... how fun!
  
  
• I made this for dinner the other night. Won.Der.Ful. Granted, I added heaps more cheese than her recipe calls for ... and subbed in turkey sausage for the chicken (I just didn't feel like dealing with chicken ... ).  Either way, recommended! 

a collection of odds and ends, cont.

• If this isn't awesome / freaky creepy ... well, then I don't know what is. I think someone needs to make a book outta it!
  
  
• Okay, wait ... wait ... feral hogs! 85mph?! Rolled 10 times? Everything about this article scares me.
  
  
• So nice. So sweet. This post makes me want to think back to all those "simple" moments and the people who made them so. I found this through an NPR article and I think they summed it up pretty well: There's a pretty good chance everyone could write an essay just like his, we just don't stop to think about it.
  
  
• My dream. Though - maybe not with Lucas ;0)
  
  
• I'm watching this right now and holy poop. Find me someone who doesn't like this show. Really, find me one.

and i leave you with ... a picture of my dinner last night ... a pork chop the size of my face, yes ... my face.

a collection of odds and ends: pt 2

• I told myself this post was for Crosstown Creativity and promoting our blog over there ... but I'm selfish and figure it's good for SP too. Thanks Ciera!

• Oooo! A new blog to add to my morning reads. As she said - "i plan to keep posting, whenever the thoughts feel like tumbling." I need to take those words to heart!

• My sister-in-law sent this over - The Strange World of Basque Sports. Remind me to tell you about my wedding ... and the Basque Festival ... and the fact that we're still talking about that weekend like it happened only yesterday.

• " ... it's not about whether or not they think you should write, but about whether or not you think you should write ... " Are you getting a theme with what's been on my mind lately. Sarah, at It Starts With, was creepily reading my thoughts this week ... 

• While on my computer today, this link popped up in my URL box ... 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag ... who the hell was searching that on my computer?!

willie made it one block in the snow ...

a collection of odds and ends: pt 1

• Nicole at Nicole is Better with her Cure for Comparing Yourself to Other People ... you gotta stop playing the comparison game - more often than not, you only know part of the story.
  
• I'm a wee bit obsessed ... Apple Cider ChapStick ... super clearance at Target ... three for $1.48.  I bought five packs ...
  
• Look! Look! Our new arts group is slowly gaining some traction! We may not have a website or Facebook, but we're on our way with a Meetup group. Anyone familiar with Meetup?!
  
• The West Wing on Netflix. All seven seasons ... I love me some series ... and considering I tend to lean "crazy conservative", that's saying something ...
  
• My new obsession (which is slowly turning into my new time waster on the web). A place to share goals and resolutions ... chat with others who obsess over lists ... and *possibly* get a sponsor ... wha?!?! Sign me up! 

and i leave you with a pomegranate the size of willie nelson's head