City Statues - Why Not Photos for a Saturday

Happy Saturday. I'm dressed for the gym, but since it doesn't open until 6:00 am on Saturday, I have more time than usual to put together a blog post. I'm in the mood for the unusual, but still public. So I'm looking for images of city/municipal sculptures. Here's what I found, I hope you enjoy.

These statues are called the "Rock Garden of Chandigarh", located
in Chandigarh, India. What's really unique about these is that they
are made 100% from municipal waste. 

The "Spirit of Detroit" is a large sculpture commissioned in 1955. It stands
outside the Coleman A Young Municipal Center in Detroit, Michigan (USA).
He holds an gilded bronze orb in one hand and a family grouping in the other,
symbolizing God and family, the foundations of the city and humanity.
Originally costing $55,000, it is currently valued at $1 million. 

Here's a lovely young woman basking in the sun, a statue
along Playa Madera, Mexico. There are seven bronze statues,
each slightly larger than life, along the shore between
Playa Madera and Playa Municipal. Each sculpture
represents one of the seven indigenous peoples in the area. 

Here's something a bit different. This wonderful elephant
is located at Hat Yai municipal park, Thailand. Isn't
he just wonderful? 

And finally, here's a lovely botanical statue pair to end today's post. These are plants blooming and growing around metal frameworks. I'm not sure what the creatures are, but they're very pretty.

My best guess is these are snails or something similar, but I truly have no
idea. The sculptures are located in Tennoji Park, a botanical park in Japan. 

And on that note, I'm off to the gym. Have a wonderful weekend, I'll be back on Monday.

Rose Windows, Because I Need Color Today

I need color today. I'm tired of looking outside and seeing neutrals everywhere - brown, grey, dirty white, black, more brown, ... ICK! So, since I need color, I'm sharing it with all of you. What better method to get color than that used for hundreds of years - cathedral stained glass windows. And what better window style than the rose window.

You don't often get to see one of these windows really close up. This pic is
from The Cathedral of St John the Evangelist in Spokane, Washington, USA. 

Rose windows aren't called that because they are in the shape of a rose. No, they are actually called wheel windows and the term "rose" wasn't applied to them until the 1600's. But they are spectacular and used in buildings from old to new, starting with the classic Gothic cathedrals in Europe. Here's a selection of rose windows to brighten up your day.

One of the most famous rose windows is the south window at
Notre Dame Cathedral in France. This window was a gift from
the King Saint Louis and was built in 1260 AD. There's a bunch of detailed
and interesting information on it. Just follow this link. 

This modern rose window is from Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix,
Arizona, USA. I love the sense of movement here. 

Although blues predominate in rose windows, this bright and happy
combination of lighter colors is in the Strasbourg Cathedral. I love the
outer peach tones following the yellows and oranges closer to the center. 

And finally, because we should all have some fun today, print this guy out, or
pull it into sketchbook or another program and play for a bit. Pull out your
colored pencils or crayola crayons. Grab your colored markers or pens.
Color it in and have some fun on a Friday. 

Well, got to get to the gym. It's a Drowning Guppy day and the pool waits for no-one. Have a wonderful day and I'll be back tomorrow for the last post of February, 2015. Happy Friday!

When I Get Tired, I Get Cold

When I get tired, I get cold. I'm sitting here in front of my computer dressed for the gym in sport bra, long-sleeved t-shirt, hoodie and over that I've thrown a cardigan. And I'm still cold. It's 11 F outside, so not too bad as this winter has gone. Yesterday's promised snow hit south of us, so my streets are still wonderfully clear and safe to drive, and I'm shivering. But there's nothing to watch on TV tonight, so after some computer work, I'm going to call it an early night and allow myself an extra hour of sleep. I suspect I need it.

There's just something about Grumpy Cat that always makes me smile. Here
he is, all bundled up in some pretty gnarly fake fur.  

Here are some bundled up pics to share with all of you. I hope you have a warm and productive day ahead of you.

I don't know who she is, but I really want that coat. The hoodie is
gorgeous and the cut of the coat is drool-worthy. It probably costs more
than I make in a month. *sigh* - this is what clothes dreams are made of. 

This Chihuahua probably should find a different stylist. The coat is
classic, but the hat needs some work. 

Here's another really beautiful coat, although I can't say how warm it
is. This is actress Emma Roberts clutching her morning coffee, and I'm
sure the coat, once again, is past my budget. But a girl can dream ...

Here are the Johnson Triplets all bundled up for the cold. Apparently
they are 14-1/2 weeks old in this pic. Cute, and SO much work! 

And finally, a few very funny animals bundled in their sweaters (or jumpers) just for a good laugh today. Let's start out with this turtles. Or are they tortoises?

I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so silly, but what fun! 

A knitted sweater for a Guinea Pig? Really? But I love the pattern in the
knitting. This is something well made and totally custom. 

Who can resist this tiny hedgehog? So cute in a knit
of turquoise blue. 

And finally, this squirrel is just too perfect with the colored sweater to
match its ears. 

And now I'm running late once again. Happy Thursday everyone. Stay warm!

What Day Is It Again?

I awakened this morning and it took me a little bit to remember that it's Wednesday, not Tuesday. I'm really grateful that it's Wednesday, I don't think I have the strength to add another day to my work week. But today is a busy one. It's my "day off" which means that I have errands all day and a nice break to talk with Aearwen late this afternoon. Hopefully today the gremlins can keep themselves out of our talk.

By the time Aearwen and I had been interrupted or had our phone call
dropped for the fourth time last week, we finally gave up and stopped
our conversation early. Hopefully today will go smoother. 

It's rather frightening - February is almost over and I look back over the month and wonder what I've accomplished. Sure, I've written some things, but nothing of any real impact (except, possibly my Olorin tale - "A Recipe for Success"). I've really been concentrating on getting the rhythm of the gym every morning and seeing what I can do to fold writing into that schedule. I'll need to have this down to a fine science by the time NaNoWriMo comes around, or I'll have to skip NaNo, which would be disappointing.

I want a sense of accomplishment! I want, I want!
(And I want the skills to produce a pumpkin carving this good!)

But I feel remarkably unaccomplished so far this year. Maybe that will change in March. DH is continuing to fight his way back to good health and with both of us focused, I do feel as if we're actually getting somewhere on that, but me? Meh!

Maybe I accomplished something after all. All three of today's
random pictures are colored in similar fashion and make a really
nice grouping. HAH! Take THAT, feelings of unaccomplishment! 

Maybe it's just a "Meh" kind of day. I'll feel better after an hour in the pool. Have a great Wednesday everyone.

Yikes! Running Late!

Those of you who love Jordan Castillo Price's books as much as I do will be pleased to know that the third (and final) book in her 'Mnevermind' series is now available through the usual sources (Amazon, B&N and others). I quickly hopped over to B&N and got my digital copy.

This is romance with a twist, but it is M/M romance, so
be aware. This is NOT erotica, however, but a wonderful
exploration into characters who have flaws and serious
personality issues. She handles them beautifully, as I
would expect her to. Wonderful author. 

And "The Voice" is back on and better than ever! Last night's blind auditions had me glued to the screen while contestant tried to get one or more chairs to turn. Tonight is the second night of blind auditions and so far Adam Levine doesn't have a single person working with him. If you're interested in listening to auditions you might have missed, you can catch performances here. So far I like Sara Potenza, Sawyer Fredericks (only 15 and what a voice) and Cody Wickline. This season Christine Aguilera returns along with Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. I don't like "American Idol," but I love "The Voice".

The Voice Season 8 judges: Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Christina
Aguilera and Pharrell Williams. 

Now I've got to make this quick so I can get to the gym on time, so have a great Tuesday, enjoy yourself, and do one kind thing for a stranger today. We need some kindness in our world.

What Did You Do This Past Weekend?

I want carpeting and need my house cleaned and organized. Thus, my living room currently has boxes around it labelled alphabetically and each one, now, contains one or more books. Paperbacks. From my hallway bookshelves which have to be cleared off and moved before carpet can become a reality.

We have half-high bookcases down our hallway, similar to these. They
extend the entire length, are golden oak in color, and have books throughout
the shelving as well as on the top of the shelves. I managed to clear the
top of the shelves yesterday in four hours of work. Baby steps ...

More than just pulling books off the shelves and putting them into boxes by author's last name, I want to know what I own. So, I'm cataloging the books at the same time using an app on my phone and an ISBN scanner (when applicable). I'm using "Book Catalogue" as my program. I had tried it out with my previous phone for a little bit, and it had worked, but I'm a bit more experienced now. I know what to do with older books that don't have a current ISBN or, in some cases, that don't have any cataloging numbers at all. I know how to change the cover pics, enter books manually, and which fields I want filled in.

I researched several apps, but Book Catalogue seemed
the best supported and had the best reviews of all
the apps out there. It works on Android as well as iPhone
based phones. 

Sunday afternoon was spent working on this project, and I got a lot done. But there's still a lot to do so I'll be working at this every spare minute for quite a while. I'm happy with what I've accomplished so far, though. Now to read through their directions for how to back this up to my computer. I'd hate to go through this and not have a way to retrieve it if my phone broke or was stolen.

Jennifer Lopez wore Elie Saab. I don't think J-Lo can
ever look bad, and this dress - was pure Princess. I loved it. 

Last night I watched the gowns on the runway for the Academy Awards and the very beginning performance by Neil Patrick Harris, then called it quits and went to bed. It's bone-chilling cold today, which means my bed is also cold. I ended up sleeping in my t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants under the covers. I should probably hunt up another cover for tonight.

Another dress I really liked was this dazzling number worn
by Emma Stone. Again, the designer was Elie Saab. I guess
I really enjoyed her design choices this year. 

It'll be -10F (-23.3C) when I leave for the gym in half an hour. It's a Drowning Guppy day, but it might be better called a "Frozen Guppy" day. I think this will be the worst of the cold, though, and we'll actually warm up to 20F (-6C) by mid-afternoon. If nothing else, this state keeps me entertained with its weather and temperature swings. Hope you had a great weekend, and have a happy and fulfilling Monday.