Author Archives: maryjane

Snow Quilts

Posted on January 9, 2014 by maryjane

Snow quilts?

Well, not exactly, but “quilts” are exactly what I see in the mind-boggling artwork of Simon Beck.

Take a look:

Snow art by Simon Beck via Hoax-Slayer.com

Snow art by Simon Beck via Hoax-Slayer.com

The delicacy of the designs, the precision of the lines …

Incredible, right?

You’ll be even more bamboozled, as I was, when you realize the scale of these “quilts.”

Snow art by Simon Beck via IBTimes.com

Snow art by Simon Beck via IBTimes.com

Snow art by Simon Beck via IBTimes.com

We’re talking landscapes here.

Blanketing snowy slopes in the French Alps, Beck’s exquisitely ephemeral works are to mountainsides what crop circles are to farm fields.

Photo by FuturePropulsion via Wikimedia Commons

And even though the creator of the snow quilts takes full credit for his work (unlike those pesky “alien” crop circlers!), it’s still a marvelous mystery to me how he executes them so flawlessly with just an orienteering compass and a pair of snowshoes.

Photo of Simon Beck via the artist’s Facebook page

What marvelous meditation it must be.

Needless to say, the next time I’m pecking away with needle and thread, I will be thinking of Simon Beck’s feet stitching perfect patterns in the snow.

You can learn more about Mr. Beck and his unique art form on his Facebook page.

photo-of-the-day

Posted on January 8, 2014 by maryjane

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photo-of-the-day

Posted on January 7, 2014 by maryjane

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speaking of dialects …

Posted on January 7, 2014 by maryjane

Howdy, you ‘uns!

Last Cabbage Night,

Photo by JR Conlin via Wikimedia Commons

Farmer Jane was sitting out on the veranda

Photo by Carl Tashian via Wikimedia Commons

chewing on a homemade grinder

Photo by jeffreyw via Wikimedia Commons

when she heard the spine-tingling scream of a catamount

Photo by Art G via Wikimedia Commons

tearing through the timber.

800px-White_Pines_Forest_State_Park_Pine_Stand5

Photo by IvoShandor via Wikimedia Commons

The sound caused her chickens to pile up in a real gawk block.

Photo by Katie Brady via Wikimedia Commons

Feathers ruffled as the girls gathered to gabble about the clear and present danger.

Jane fled to get her faithful old flintlock

Photo by Andrzej Barabasz via Wikimedia Commons

in case she would need to defend her flock.

But when she returned, all was quiet.

Still prickled with goose bumps,

Photo by turtlemom4bacon via Wikimedia Commons

Jane decided to stand guard a while longer.

She tucked her hair into a horsetail,

Photo by Evil Erin via Wikimedia Commons

popped a PEEcan

(peCON?) into her mouth,

85058891_156b313898_z_-_Flickr_-_USDAgov

Photo by Judy Baxter, USDA, via Wikimedia Commons

and counted the peenie wallies

Photo by Daniel Schwen via Wikimedia Commons

as they began to flash in the shadows.

Just another night on the farm!

…

Jest dabblin’ in the dialects that pepper various regions of the country. Even though we all speak the same language, nuances abound!!!

To pin down your own dialect, take this fun quiz, published recently in the New York Times.

Were you surprised at your results?

photo-of-the-day

Posted on January 6, 2014 by maryjane

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photo-of-the-day

Posted on January 5, 2014 by maryjane

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Quiz Time!

Posted on January 5, 2014 by maryjane

Quiz time, girls!

This is a fun one.

We’re all familiar with common collective nouns that describe groups of animals.

Examples: pride of lions, herd of horses, flock of birds.

Photo by Kumon via Wikimedia Commons

But, there are dozens more descriptors out there that most of us have never heard.

A congress of baboons?

Well, now …

if the shoe fits!

320px-Descriptive_Zoopraxography_Baboon_Walking_Animated_13

Animated image by Edward James Muggeridge via Wikimedia Commons

Seriously, though, I wonder how many of the following you can match up. I’ll list the group names first and the animals below. In some cases, you’ll find that the group name stems from a species’ behavior; in others, alliteration is at work. Of course, some seem to make no sense at all.

Photo by Steven Straiton via Wikimedia Commons

The answers are at the bottom of this post, so don’t peek until you’re sufficiently stumped!

Group Names:

ambush
charm
clowder
crash
descent
grist
hurtle
implausibility
kine (hint: you may have seen this in a previous entry)
knot
memory
mischief
ostentation
rabble
shiver
shrewdness
sleuth
sneak
storytelling
zeal

Continue reading →

photo-of-the-day

Posted on January 4, 2014 by maryjane

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photo-of-the-day

Posted on January 3, 2014 by maryjane

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Hear Ye!

Posted on January 3, 2014 by maryjane

Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)

Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)

My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Sherrilyn Askew!!!

Sherrilyn Askew ( #1350) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Homespun Christmas Merit Badge!

(I know Christmas is over, but honestly, my mother started planning for next Christmas about this time every year just like Sherrilyn does.)

“I made at least 25% of the ornaments on our tree and I made at least 25% of the presents I am giving away for Christmas.

Badges 0088881(4)

I gathered together a good many of the wooden spools I have saved over the years and painted the edges silver or gold. I then wrapper pretty paper around their middles, and used wire to attach beads to them. Partway through, my daughter caught me having fun and joined in to help. Pictured are a few of the ornaments we made. As for the gifts, every January, I make a list of family members and what I want to get them for Christmas, then spend the year finding or making the items. This year, I chose to make nearly half of all the gifts. I have gained a great deal of pleasure from doing this and only have 2 gifts left to complete before Christmas. Keep your fingers crossed.”

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