BoredPanda.com – Miguel Ordonez, Ingrida Masiukeviciute, and Gabija Palsyte
Tuesday, 2-10-2026
@spiritualrefuel.bsky.social
We’re just back from visiting my husband, Harvey, at the nursing home. I’m grateful that he was comfortable (except for a bit of a cough) and wasn’t in any pain or upset.
There is very little left of the man I married almost 57 years ago. He lives in his own world now. He can’t tell you how old he is, what country he’s in, why he’s in a nursing home, and has no interest in things he used to care about. He did recognize us, though, and that’s good. The rest of the visit was a complete bust.
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These are my latest painted sketches. I have one more in my sketchbook, and I’ll try to work on that today.
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Airswift
Khun Nong is coming to clean Brian’s place today, so he’ll bring dinner to my place this evening. We’ll also back up my phone data and my computer data while he’s here. That has become routine now, and I’m pleased I don’t even need my notes on how to do it now!💪🏻 😁 I love our visits after dinner and backups. He’s such an interesting man, with a quick mind, sharp sense of humor, and interesting world view.
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Anne Grady Group
Well, our big street event for which a large sign was posted – saying to be off the street from 5am to 9pm Feb. 8th and 9th turned out to be a non-event. Nothing happened that we could see. Brian thinks it had something to do with one of the university’s graduations, and we did see a few dressed up people, but all I could find on the computer was that the general elections were happening at the same time.
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Today was Day 2 of going back to the gym after being sick for a week with a cold. Yesterday I added yoga stretches and the stairs. Today is arm exercises with water bottles and the stairs I’m officially back!!!!
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We will visit Harvey again this week. The usual “every-3-day” visit would be this Friday; but Friday is our busiest day, so we usually go a day earlier or later so we can have a good visit and ease the Friday schedule. Whether we end up going Thursday, Friday or Saturday, I will take the Valentine’s picture I made for him –
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Put some fun into your day or evening!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Stunning Sculpture 2
http://www.marblesculpture.com
“Within every block of wood and stone, there dwells a spirit, waiting to be released. Direct carving is a way of freeing the spirit – my own and that of the stone or wood.”
— Hap Hagood
Phillipe Faraut-PCF Studios
“Metal is somewhat forgiving, stone is not. With stone, my exploration is done through drawings and time, lots of time studying the rock. Even with that, the rock will often reveal its hidden self, exert its will, change my direction, sometimes in a surprising discovery. These are “ah ha” moments.”
— A. Wayne Hooker
Phillipe Faraut-PCF Studios
“Where did I learn to understand sculpture? In the woods by looking at the trees, along roads by observing the formation of clouds, in the studio by studying the model, everywhere except in the schools.”
— Auguste Rodin
Phillipe Faraut-PCF Studios
“A sculptor is a person obsessed with the form and shape of things.”
Henry Moore
1898-1986
Phillipe Faraut-PCF Studios
“The best artist has that thought alone Which is contained within the marble shell; The sculptor’s hand can only break the spell To free the figures slumbering in the stone.”
Michelangelo
Filed under sculpture
On a Smilier Note…
Indian Hills Community Signs – Vince, the Sign Guy
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Joy
I have been lucky to meet Bill, a fellow enjoyer of Substack lately. His writing and the photos he chooses to illustrate his thoughts really resonate with me. He gave me his permission to share one of his pieces with you!
“Be the one who adds more joy to the world than you take from it.
The one who notices—who offers warmth in small, quiet ways that ripple outward.
Joy doesn’t have to be loud or grand; sometimes it’s a gentle presence, a listening heart, a kindness given without an audience.
Be the one who chooses light even when the day is heavy.
Who understands that happiness can be planted—word by word, gesture by gesture—like seeds scattered along an ordinary path.
You may never see every bloom, but they will grow because you passed that way.
In a world that often rushes, be the pause that softens it.
Be the laughter that reminds others they are alive.
Be the reason a moment feels a little less lonely, a little more possible.
That is how joy survives—
because someone, somewhere, decided to be its keeper. 🌱”
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Filed under Blog Repost - Wonderful Posts
Sunday 2-8-2026
Nature Nomad-@naturecompass.bsky.social
Isn’t this lovely? So calming. It almost makes me like winter…
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Something is due to happen on our street today and tomorrow. A sign was posted, asking people to stay off the road, but not what was happening. Brian thinks it might have to something to do with graduation at one of the universities – a parade of the graduates and their parents? Anyway, I check out my windows from time to time. It’s a lot quieter than normal with only more “necessary” traffic.
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I slept in again today – my final day of healing from my sore throat and cold. I really feel fine, though I’m still bringing up a small bit of stuff. I will start back to the gym in the morning. I’ve been a true sloth this week.
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I’ll enjoy writing my posts to you and I also plan to paint a sketch or two. I have one I finished yesterday to show you –
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Facebook – our eggs were on the bottom with the chicken and sausage arrranged in a circular fashion on top.
Brian and I usually eat what I call a “Breakfast Burrito” for breakfast – scrambled eggs, bacon, and a lot of salad rolled up into a tortilla. Delicious! This morning we had 2 fried eggs with chicken slivers and sausage slices fried into them, plus a side of some watermelon. YUM!
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I’ll let you know tomorrow if we get a parade, party, or whatever in the street. Take care and make the most of your time. Fine a reason to smile!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Dream Craft Rooms 2
Lina Marie Liscano
I love a craft room that feels like an escape, first of all. A place where you leave other concerns at the door and treat yourself to a place that feeds all your senses, makes you smile, and starts your creative juices flowing.
This room does all that. I love the design of the room, the fact that it looks like you can open windows and sky lights and get fresh air flowing, or feel wonderful as you feel dry and safe when it’s raining, or snowing, or…
The plants let the outside in. I even love the shadows created by the sun on the floor!
Pirjo Haqpalahti
This dream craft room is more workmanlike, but it seems like a good design to me. The drafting table is wonderful. The light is good. The table with storage right beside the drafting table would make it easy to draw, paint, or do do anything else you wanted to. I had a drafting table in my bedroom-turned-art-room in Arkansas, and I loved it for doing my woodburning, painting, etching designing, etc.
Shanie Kuphal
Another good design with the large table, especially for projects that require many stages. I like the windows in here, too.
Unknown
This is another of my favorites because of all the plants and the beauty of the design. A greenhouse type escape area, where hours would pass while you dreamed of what you wanted to do, or began work. It’s not clear from this picture whether the lighting is good if it’s not daytime or it’s a cloudy or rainy day, but I could sure figure out solutions to that…
Maureen Abell
A more workmanlike design here. It doesn’t look like there are screens on the windows, which in Arkansas would need to be addressed because open windows without screens are an irresistible invitation to all the wasps and mosquitoes on the planet..
Filed under Dreams
Stunning Sculpture
Amazon UK
“Sculpture is an art of the open air. Daylight, sunlight, is necessary to it, and for me, its best setting and complement is nature.” ~ Henry Moore
Andrew Cullen QLD_Rustle_SxS Bondi 2025_Charlotte Curd-3-1.
“Authors can write stories without people assuming that they are autobiographies, but songwriters and poets are often considered to be the characters in their works. I like Michelangelo’s vision, ‘I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
― Criss Jami, Salomé: In Every Inch In Every Mile
Art Digest
“The key to understanding any people is in its art: its writing, painting, sculpture.”
― Louis L’Amour, Education of a Wandering Man: A Memoir
Blue Thumb
“Bleed me of art, and there won’t be enough liquid left in me to spit.” – Michelangelo”
― Irving Stone
Mora Taara
“Just like a sculptor takes time to mould a sculpture, take your time to hone your skills too.”
― Mitta Xinindlu
Filed under sculpture
Saturday, 2-7-2026
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Brian and I went to visit my husband, Harvey, at the nursing home this morning. It was a better visit than many times. He told us that he was glad to see us, and later, when I told him I loved him, he looked at me and said, “I love you, too.” May not sound like much, but it meant the WORLD to me.
It was a mixed bag, though. He can’t comprehend his changed physical condition. He is completely bedridden and it takes three nurses to get him out of the bed and into a wheelchair. He was asking today about the shower in my place, acting as though he would be able to use it. He also wanted to come home. He said he was comfortable, though.
He asked for some highlighters in two colors to mark sentences in the book he’s finally trying to read. He doesn’t realize that there is no way he’ll be able to mark a sentence. His hands shake really badly and he’ll mark up the entire page trying to highlight a sentence. We got the highlighters when we got back and will take them to him when we go back Tuesday. He does seem to be using the bookmark I took him last time.
I told him about the Jake Moriarity Series I’m reading by R. G. Ryan and he wants to read the first book in the series. He isn’t able to work a Kindle anymore, so we will see what we can do about ordering a paperback copy of “Watercolor Dreams” on Amazon, even though the shipping will cost twice as much as the book and we’re not sure how long it will take to arrive. We’re grabbing at straws to find things that interest him and getting whatever we can. The other thing we’re looking into is magazines featuring guns and/or motorcycles…
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Made for Mums
Now that I’m home and free the rest of the afternoon, I’m going to try to do some painting of my sketches. I did several from yesterday and a couple more waiting from before that, so I’m looking forward to diving into that
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HouseDigest.com
I have the windows open and the breezes are blowing all over the place. I just love it. Technically it’s 87 degrees F. outside, but it feels wonderful, particularly since I’ve spent the last month or so cold most of the time. I just walk around smiling. Brian says it won’t be long until I’m griping because the heat will become oppressive and there will be a haze orginating from the farmers burning off crop residue, so I won’t be able to open my windows, but I’m enjoying every day and hoping what he’s forecasting will be delayed somehow.
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Trademark Lawyer Magazine
I’m going to try to catch as much of the Olympic games as I can starting today. I LOVE watching the incredible athletes competing. It’s exciting that the world came come together for this, concentrating on sports, hopefully not anything else, and celebrate the dedication and long hours these people have put in to try to compete here. Celebrating excellence!
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Happiful Magazine
I hope that your weather is such that you can get outside some and enjoy some sunshine and fresh air. Breathe in – breathe out – AHHHHHHHH!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Jade
I spent much of yesterday in quiet contemplation of what kind of person our dear Jade might have become.
I didn’t do child bearing well. My husband and I married in 1969. We waited for a couple of years to try to have children until both of us had steady jobs and we had purchased a home. I lost two babies before we finally had our son Brian in 1978. (RH negative negative for me and positive for our babies was the main problem). We lost another baby after Brian and finally had our beautiful daughter, Jade. Our family was complete. My husband decided to have a vasectomy so I wouldn’t have to carry the burden of birth control – though that was a bit ironic with our history.
I came home from a community college night class to see all the lights on in my home and my in-laws’ car in the driveway. When I entered the house my in-laws stood up and said, “She’s gone.” In a panic I ran all over the house, not only not finding Jade, but all of her things were gone. The Lewises had decided that while waiting for me, they would gather up her stuff so I wouldn’t have to. My husband was gone, too. He had been taken to the police station because Jade had died under his care.
While we sat in silence, our then 2-year-old son Brian came out dragging Jade’s blanket. He had been crying and his sweet eyes were swollen. He walked to the trash can and threw the blanket in, saying, “Broken.” My husband returned home. The coroner had determined she died of SIDS. (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.) He simply crumpled when he came to me, buried his face in my lap and sobbed.
We both seriously contemplated suicide the pain was so great. Finally, we realized that we had others to think of. We talked and decided we would live for each other, help each other through this, and raise Brian with all the love we had. I learned that night that nothing could ever hurt me like that again.
I got to share two months with her. Each year I sit and think of her particularly on February 5th, the day she left us. Some people said it was God’s Will. I didn’t accept that then and still don’t. I just can’t. What I do believe is that we will meet again some day, recognize each other, and spend eternity together.
I hope that the experts will one day solve the mystery of what causes SIDS and what, if anything, can be done to prevent it, so that others won’t have to go through this. I’m thankful that it caused us to be stronger as a family, to cherish Brian even more, and actually be able to find joy in life again.
Filed under Family
Dream Craft Room
My personal experience is that there is never enough space or storage or supplies in my art room to fully satisfy me. When I moved to Thailand in April, I was forced to sell all my stuff – kind of a heart breaker. A lot of the things went to a lady I met from down the road from us. We instantly bonded, so that made it much easier. My stuff was going somewhere it would be appreciated and used. She ended up not only buying some things, but adopting our beloved yellow lab, Amber, giving her a home any dog would dream of, with a house, yard, boy to play with, another dog as a companion, and two loving parents.
Now I have a teeny tiny art alcove where I’m trying to teach myself to draw and then painting the sketches. I have a child’s watercolor set, a sketchbook, some pastel chalk and some colored pencils. I love spending time there!
But since we’re going to DREAM…
Dream Box
Dream Box
Isalunahe
Lady Lifestyle
Your creative juices flowing yet?
Filed under Dreams
Friday 2-6-2026
“Pancho-The Pine Marten”–Remy Michaels – @remyscameraeye.bsky.social
I can’t say enough about Remy Michaels’ talent in photography. He gets me every time with photos that are unusual and beautiful. You can find him on BlueSky.social
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Vecteezy
I’m at about 90% this morning. I feel even better since I just came back to my place from a massage (ahhhhh!) and another of Brian’s doses of Vitamin C. My plan is to get back to the gym starting Monday morning.
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This afternoon Brian and I will go to the cafe to get out of Khun Nong’s -my housekeeper’s – way while she cleans my place. As usual, I’ll take my sketchbook and supplies, Kindle, plus sweatshirt with me. I now have some ear buds to use with my phone to listen to music on YouTube, but it’s a little much to try to use those with my hearing aids in. (One of the many perks of getting old. 😁) If I can snag the table at the front window, I’ll enjoy goggling at the insane traffic…
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I took some thank you cards to my massage therapist (Khun Weaw) and the lady who also works there who substituted for my therapist once (Khun Sulee.) I remembered how to say ‘thank you’ in Thai (sounds like, “cawp coon ka’ah!” plus bow and do the ‘wei’🙏🏻 while the cards were in both of my outstretched hands together to show they were for each of them. 🙂 I can’t WRITE ‘thank you’ in Thai, so just hope they have a translator on their phones. From their faces, I think I got it across how thankful I am for them.
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These are my two latest paintings.
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It’s a beautiful day here in Chiang Mai. It was 63 this morning and is supposed to get to 89 this afternoon. (The only reason I’m taking my sweatshirt to the cafe is that they tend to keep the temperature like a freezer for some reason, and both Brian and I tend to freeze after being there a while 🥶)
Make this a great day!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Squirrely Times
@christianthiels.bsky.social
It’s easy to smile when you have a squirrel’s intellect.
CoreySeeman-@cseeman.bsky.social
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And, though the photo below is by an amateur, this is MY squirrel, who visited me outside my art alcove window and allowed himself to be photographed quite briefly before heading on his way –
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography
Thursday 2-5-2026
Cristina Pedrazzini-Science Photo Gallery
I’m better, but still ‘blowin’ and goin” as my mom used to say. I think I’ll be good in another couple of days. I have been drinking large doses of Vitamin C in orange juice since I woke up with the sore throat a couple of days ago. I have to say that it seems to have stopped the sore throat in its tracks, and lessened the severity of my cold.
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Since I was home, instead of at the gym this morning, I captured a picture of the dawn here to share.
These are my latest painted sketches.
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Today I’m doing my ‘chores’ to get ready for my housekeeper, Khun Nong, to come clean my place tomorrow – changing the sheets on my bed, changing out the towels, gathering the trash.
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We met my husband, Harvey’s, new nurse in the nursing home yesterday. Her name is pronounced, ‘la moon, la my’ and she has a very kind face and nice manner. She and Brian will be in good contact via phone, and that brings us peace of mind. Yesterday’s visit was challenging. Harvey just wanted to watch TV (the news in Thai – when he doesn’t understand a thing going on. ) He wanted to talk about investments, plus was talking about building our new ‘estate with a pool, with banana trees in the front yard and lots of dogs.’ We will go and visit again Saturday.
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I hope you’re doing well, staying safe and warm, and hopefully grinning from ear to ear sometime today.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Annie Quigley Ceramics
I discovered this woman’s work yesterday and was completely blown away. She says she started learning to throw pots and quickly started carving on them.
As you can see, her work is completely unique and exquisite.
I can’t imagine learning when the proper ‘time’ is to do the carving, or to get it to stay in one piece. My mind is completely boggled.
Annie Quigley – Quigley Ceramics
Filed under ceramics
Dream Pantries
Color Harmony Palettes
When we lived in Greenwood, Arkansas, we lived on top of a ridge line on 8 acres outside of town. Our driveway was 650+ feet long and STEEP, so when the weather was bad, such as snow and ice, we would be stuck up on our hill until further notice. Sometimes it was so bad we lost public power and water for several days and had to chainsaw our way down to the road. For two old geezers, this got to be more and more of a problem.
We prepared seriously for winter, with whole house generators, a well for water, a fireplace for heat, etc. AND a room off the kitchen that was our pantry. It wasn’t ‘pretty,’ but we filled it with all kinds of stuff we would need if we were stuck up there and I loved it.
I DO love the idea of ‘pretty,’ though, so these pictures made me dream, even though we don’t need such in Thailand…
Genesis Allistair
What I look for is flexibility in design. I want to be able to store onions, potatoes, carrots, etc., as well as flour and other baking supplies, canned goods, frozen stuff, and more. I have to admit that I have no clue what the hanging stuff is in the above pic, but it looks impressive –
Love Art USA Outfit
This is small, but I like the counter space and different types of drawers that could be adapted for storage of all kinds.
Montresor
I like the counter top with the cabinets and shelves built in. The baskets could be used for all types of things. NICE.
Sixber Home Decor
This is more regimented, but I find the stoves in here interesting. I’m not sure if this is a good idea or not…
I love this one. I like the fridge/freezer, the baskets for fresh herbs, the pasta containers, the straw bins for potatoes and such.
I really like this one, too, although I would include a ladder on a slider like you see in bookstores or libraries with good rails so you (I) don’t fall on your (my) head trying to retrieve something from up high…
Filed under Dreams
Wednesday, 2-4-2026
I don’t look this good today. With the two big doses of Vitamin C my son mixed up for me in orange juice yesterday, my sore throat is relieved, but I seem to have degenerated now into an old fashioned common cold. UGH.
Brian and I went to visit my husband, Harvey, at the nursing home this morning, and I was very careful not to touch him, hoping I wouldn’t give this to him. When we got home, Brian mixed me up another dose of Vitamin C and I took a long nap. I hate being sick…
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These are the latest painted sketches. Painting today is helping distract me from how yucky I feel 😁
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I signed up for Substack about a month ago. I am really enjoying looking at the articles on there and meeting new, interesting people.
Sheila Murrey – @sheilaspiralsister is my friend, and she writes articles for Substack. She is a multi-talented lady I am proud to know and I’m happy to recommend that you look for her there. She just included a chapter from a book she’s writing that discusses sounds and frequencies and how they affect us.
R. G. Ryan – @rgryan is an author I met through reading his Jake Moriarity books via X, and then he decided to start writing serious opinion articles on Substack. I followed him there and was happy I did. Now he has changed his focus from opinion pieces to ones such as, A Lot to Carry Pain Is Not Passive, where he is focusing on what we as ordinary people are carrying around on our shoulders that is affecting our ability to live life to the fullest and to interact with others.
AND there are several people who post pictures and videos that make me laugh or bring me to tears, or both. Very talented artists and photographers post there, as well. I find this platform well worth my time. I thoroughly recommend it. Substack.com
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I hope that Mother Nature has decided to give you a break now, and will let the ice and snow melt, raise the temperatures, and allow you to enjoy your days more.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Flower Festival in Chiang Mai
The 49th Chiang Mai Flower Festival is expected to take place from February 13–15, 2026, with primary events held at Suan Buak Haad Public Park.
Kappa Tabino
Key Details for 2026
- Dates: February 13–15, 2026
- Location: Suan Buak Haad Park (southwest corner of the old city)
Paros Suebpasayeesa
- Key Highlights:
- Saturday Morning Parade: Features elaborate, flower-decorated floats, marching bands, and dancers.
- Floral Displays & Competitions: Showcases local blooms, particularly orchids and temperate flowers.
- Cultural Events: Includes the “Miss Flower” and “Miss Flower Blooming Beauty” contest, along with local product fairs.
- Atmosphere: The park transforms into a vibrant, open-air, flower exhibition with live music and, food, and, handicrafts.
Sandy Fournier
The annual, free-entry event features a grand,, floral parade on Saturday, February 14th, at 8:00 AM, alongside flower exhibitions, contests, and local vendors.
Shirley Planter
This festival is one of the most popular during “The Cool Season” also known as “The Tourist Season” and is 40 minutes away from us. We have found it’s very difficult to get Grab transportation during these events so we will probably not attend in person this year.
I imagine this is spectacular – but all of Chiang Mai is spectacular to me, with flowers blooming everywhere we go. They even put flowers on top of shrub medians on the highways, and plants are a foundation of most of the buildings here, not just a decoration. It’s truly a delight for the eyes.
Filed under Seasons/Holidays in Chiang Mai, Thailanf
Wondrous Woodcarving 3
Thai Boxer – YouTube
“Mistakes become character marks”
Royal Thai Handicrafts Center
“Wood teaches what books cannot”
http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com
“Progress over perfection”
“Every master was once a beginner who refused to give up”
Quotes from http://www.asayasculpture.com/
Filed under When Wood Comes Alive
Tuesday, 2-3-2026
“Sloths” – Justin Mott – “Kindred Guardians” on Substack
AWWWWWWW!
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Sorry I didn’t post yesterday. I’ve been sick, first with one thing and now a sore throat. UGH. I just went up to Brian’s to drink orange juice with extra Vitamin C to ward off whatever I’m trying to get. I’ll drink one more dose tonight and then hope for the best, with a nap in-between…
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I feel I have a lot in common with the sloths above yesterday and today.
I hope you are safe and smiling.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Dream Kitchens
Chique Home Living
I like all the windows in this design, and the fact that people could sit at the island and talk to you while you cook, and then enjoy eating in a comfortable place.
Color Harmony Palettes
Color Harmony Palettes is proving to me that whatever fantasy room I’m researching, I end up drooling over their designs. I love the countertop on this island, and the whole color scheme. The lighting is wonderful, too.
Color Harmony Palettes
Here’s yet another droolworthy by the same company. I love everything about this one!!!! I WANT IT!
Poster Art
This is a light, airy, welcoming design. I love the plants inside and out.
Poster Art
And finally, a plant happy design with lots of sunshine pouring in the windows. I like the shelves, too.
Filed under Dreams
Never Enough of Peter Hogarth Art
I just can’t say enough about Peter Hogarth’s drawings. I think they’re simply stunning. Contact him about a commission of your pet.
Peter Hogarth Art – @peterhogarthartist.bsky.social
Peter Hogarth
Filed under drawings
Sunday, 2-1-2026
MsgWords.com
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Yesterday I had fun drawing and painting “thank you” cards.
Friday I will give these two to my massage therapist and the other lady who works in the shop, and even substituted for my therapist one time when she had to be out of town. I just want to make sure that they know how much I appreciate them.
I give my housekeeper, Khun Nong, a thank you card each week for the wonderful job she does in cleaning my place. She is amazing. She even washes and dries my bar of soap! I come back and it’s the only time that everything is perfectly aligned all the way through my place. All is scrubbed within an inch of its life. Priceless. AND she leaves me flowers….
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Today we visited my husband, Harvey, at the nursing home. We had a difficult time getting transportation today and our trip took much longer than the 40 minutes each way we usually spend. Brian researched it later and thinks it might be because of the nationwide election that is going on.
It was a sad visit today. Harvey wasn’t feeling well, and was almost unresponsive. He did know we were there, but hopefully it will be better when we visit again Wednesday.
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It’s after 4pm in the afternoon here and I’m just now writing blog posts. The day has gotten away from me. I hope that you have a wonderful first day of February.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Dreamlike Living Rooms 2
Jorge Alanis
“Finding joy in the little moments.”
I love the color in this living room and the oversized pieces inviting comfort.
Kimpton Hotel Palomar
“Sunday snuggles in the living room.”
This design encourages conversation. I would sit beside my friends, drink in my hand, and enjoy catching up.
Paisley H
“A home is made of walls and beams; a living room is built with love and dreams.”
Isn’t this elegant? Over the top, but welcoming. I love the fireplace and the candles and lanterns resembling a fire pit. The combination of wood and stone and glass and views is a fantasy come true.
Scandi
“My happy place, wrapped in warm hues.”
This one is my personal favorite. SO cozy for reading, watching TV, eating popcorn, having kids and animals in your lap…
Quotes from Instagram
Filed under Dreams
Wondrous Woodcarving 2
Lignoma
“Sculpture is the art of removing the unnecessary”
My Modern Met – Mori Kono
“Stone resists, wood cooperates”
Prompt Hero Ai
“The tool becomes an extension of the heart”
“Form follows feeling in wood”
These quotes are from www.asayasculpture.com
Filed under When Wood Comes Alive
Saturday 1-31-2026
Sarah Mills in the UK – @worldwildlif.bsky.social
It’s a beautiful morning here in Chiang Mai. The sun is shining and it’s 71 degrees F. I have just thrown the windows open and am feeling kind of lazy like this sweet fox. 😀
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Otaki Mail
Since this is the last day of January here, it’s time for accountability on my efforts to lose my lard. To date I have lost 88 lbs and 81 inches. I’m 5’4″ and weigh 116 now. I want to lose 6 pounds and then hopefully go to maintenance on eating and concentrate on my exercising more.
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I did a lot of sketches at the cafe yesterday while we were waiting for Khun Nong to clean my place. I plan to do a lot of painting in my alcove today.
Besides my clean place, Khun Nong left this gorgeous display of flowers! I think I have the best housekeeper on the planet.
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As I type, the sweet birds are singing. I’m not quite sure why hearing the birds makes me so happy, but I can feel it as it starts in my stomach and just fills me up. 😊
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Make this a happy day. Take some time out of your busy day and do something fun – something that brings a smile to your face and joy to your heart.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Surgery in Ukraine
I found this article in my travels today. Ukraine is not just a news story that touches us for a moment and then gets lost in our daily lives. People – real people – are suffering and working in the middle of a war. This touched me so much I had tears in my eyes. May these people be blessed and the fighting stop.
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“The heavy door to the staff lounge swings shut behind me, muting the familiar hospital sounds into a distant hum. I lean against it for a second, letting out a breath I feel like I’ve been holding for two hours. It’s done.
The boy is fourteen. His name is _____. He took a bad fall off his bike trying to avoid a pothole—a story as old as time, yet now forever tied to this specific pothole on a Kharkiv street. A displaced supracondylar fracture of the humerus. Nasty, but clean. In the OR, under the bright lights, it was just anatomy. A puzzle of bone fragments, vessels, and nerves that needed careful restoration. My hands moved with a practiced calm—reduction, temporary fixation, the precise placement of K-wires under the C-arm’s silent blue glow. Everything here, in this operating room, is fine. Controllable. Logical.
I pour a cup of lukewarm, strong tea from the ever-present pot. My body aches with the familiar fatigue of focused tension. Looking out the small window, the sky over Kyiv is a deep twilight blue. Peaceful. It’s a dissonant sight. My mind, still buzzing from the concentration of surgery, now fills with the other, louder reality.
I operated on a 14-year-old boy today. A simple childhood accident. But for a moment, when they wheeled him in, my heart clenched with a different, colder fear. It wasn’t the shape of the fracture that caused it; it was his age. Fourteen. The same age as the boy from Mariupol we treated last spring, brought in with a wound that was not from any bicycle. The age of the kids growing up too fast in basements, their childhoods measured in air raid sirens and the sound of distant impacts.
This is our duality now. We are orthopedic surgeons in Ukraine. We still treat the slipped discs, the arthritic knees, the sports injuries of ordinary life that stubbornly persist. We mend the simple fractures of boys being boys. But layered over that, like a persistent shadow, is the other medicine. The medicine of shrapnel, of blast injuries, of complex trauma from forces that have nothing to do with gravity or bad luck, and everything to do with war.
Today, I am grateful it was just a bike. Today, my skill was used to ensure _____ will have full function in his arm, to play, to write, to hug his mother without pain. A small, complete victory. In a few weeks, he’ll be complaining about physiotherapy, and I will scold him with a smile. A normal, beautiful thing.
I finish the tea, the bitterness sharp on my tongue. The pager on my hip is silent for now. I’ll go check on him in recovery soon, speak to his anxious parents with the confident, reassuring tone we’ve all mastered.
But first, I allow myself this minute of stillness by the window. I think of my colleagues in the East, in the cities closer to the front, where their ORs have no respite from that other kind of trauma. Their stamina is superhuman. We support them as we can, sending supplies, sharing complex case advice over secure chats.
Everything here, in this moment, is fine. The operation was a success. The city outside is quiet tonight. My hands, which just set a young bone straight, are steady.
I take another deep breath and square my shoulders. The fatigue is still there, but it’s a good fatigue. The kind that comes from fixing something that can be fixed. A small piece of the world, put right. In the morning, there will be more patients. Both kinds. We will be here for them all.”
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Message from a Ukrainian Orthopedic Surgeon
Filed under Blog Repost - Wonderful Posts
Dreamlike Living Rooms
Carneyvore
“Make your home as comfortable and attractive as possible and then get on with living. There’s more to life than decorating.” —Albert Hadley
Haus-und-gartentrends.de
“All rooms ought to look as if they were lived in, and to have so to say, a friendly welcome ready for the incomer.” —William Morris
Houzz
“All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space.” —Philip Johnson
Houzz
“Where conversations flow and memories are made.” ~ Unknown
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creativeartworksblog 
Monday, 2-9-2026
“I found this picture and it spoke of joy. It made me wonder why people forget the importance of living. Maybe we get busy surviving and miss the simple truth—that life is not meant to be endured alone, but noticed, felt, and quietly appreciated.” –
John Rinaldo– “The Positive Pen” – Substack
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It is a glorious day today here in Chiang Mai. It’s 81 degrees, F. The sun is shining. My windows are open to a wonderful breeze.
DepositPhotos
I went to the gym this morning for the first time in a week! I walked a mile on the treadmill and still felt good. No sneezing, blowing my nose, almost passing out, or any other drama. HOORAY!!!!!
I plan to do yoga stretches later and I used the stairs in my building this morning!
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I’ve started painting a sketch I did Friday, and hope to do several today. Brian and I aren’t going out any more today since there was a sign posted for all vehicles to keep the street clear yesterday and today. I do hope that something happens today on the street; otherwise, people may ignore a sign to stay off the road next time.
We just had a tremendously loud BANG here. I texted Brian and he said it was “probably a transformer explosion.” Apparently, this is quite common, though I have to admit, it will take some getting used to… 💥 I did have to restart my computer before I could continue here, but Brian seemed unconcerned, saying “there might be other weird electrical problems for a bit.”
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In my efforts to lose my lard, my son Brian and I agreed that we would eat twice a day, breakfast and dinner, and have something like an iced mocha in the afternoons, or chocolate drink after we visit my husband, Harvey. Most of the time I do quite well with this, and am now within 4 lbs of my goal. Other times, though, my stomach insists my throat has been cut, demanding food. I usually drink a glass of water, but decided that if I had a bite of beef jerky, that would tide me over on those challenging days. Part of Brian’s text about the explosion included, “Jerky at your door.” I now have a package of “Natural Smoked Pork Jerky!” I will try to only eat a bite when my stomach is really growling after a glass of water. YUM!
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I’m trying to figure out a way to repost an article on cats that made me laugh out loud. It’s being recalcitrant so far, but hopefully I can share it with you.
Have a joy-filled “noticed, felt, and appreciated” day.
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Tagged as beautiful weather, Daddy & Sons Pork Jerky, first day back at the gym - yoga stretches - stairs, John Rinaldo - The Positive Pen - Substack - repost of Joy comments and photo, Monday Thoughts 2-9-2026, mysterious road closing, painting sketches, transformer explosion?