“Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.”― Eckhart Tolle

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Reasons To Be Cheerful (When Everything is SO Dull.)

I don't know about you, but I think La Niña should've stayed in Mexico, or Spain, or Brazil, or wherever she came from.  This is the most boring weather I've ever encountered.  Not that I've encountered that much weather, I guess.  I am only five.  Nonetheless, weather here, B-O-R-I-N-G.

So, with that in mind, it seems doubly important to find something to be cheerful about this week.  Be sure to pop on over to Planet Penny, here, to see how others are dealing this week.  Hmmm ... I see that Penny is on No. 11.  I think I'm only on 8, and I was cheerful at least twice through the holidays when she wasn't, so I must've slept through a couple somewhere.  Or maybe it was alien abduction.  Yes, that's probably it.  Please excuse me while I check for any extra holes.

All-rightey then!  Reason No. 1 to be cheerful this week:


... and ...



These are the Snow Jars.  That would be because that is almost literally what they are.  The lady who made them, used old glass jars and then used a sponge with white paint to dab the outside.  She then painted the cute faces, filled them with miniature lights, and topped them with little hats.  The first one's hat is actually a knitted wine bottle bag, and the second one's hat is a red sock.  Aren't they cute?  And since there is nothing inherently 'Christmas' about a snowman, they get to stay out to cheer the place up.  I wanted one in the barn, but the Goatmother said nothin' doin'.  I really don't understand why not.  She has two.

Anyway, on to reason No. 2 (or is that 3?):


This is the Goatmother's fish tank.  Let me ask you, have you ever tried to take a picture of fish in an aquarium?  Seems like the camera wants to focus on everything but the fish.  Anyway, the Goatmother got the aquarium for Christmas last year, and it has been making everyone feel all tropical ever since.  Tropical comes in really handy right now.  I want one of these in the barn, too, but do you think she will let me have one?  Oy.

So, that leaves us with reason No. 3 (or 4, depending on how you choose to count them):



No, this is not an invasion of the aliens who probably abducted me and then erased my memory with that flashy-thingy.  At least we get to participate in this bit of cheerfulness, although I am not really sure we want to.  These are some of the wild ducks that follow the Goatmother around so she will feed them.  It started out when one pair of ducks had ducklings in the pond.  The Goatmother decided she ought to give them a little grain.   You know, just to help them grow.   They grew up all right, and came back with all their relatives in tow.  I suppose I don't mind too much. Watching their waddling antics is rather cheerful, albeit sometimes a bit noisy.  I do wish some of that grain would fall over on our side of the fence once in awhile, though.  Oh, well.  The Goatmother enjoys them, and anything that keeps the Goatmother sane and in a good mood really is a good thing in the long run.  I do wish, however, the ducks had that same affect on Ella.  She could use a good mood once in awhile.

Oh, well, as I said, be sure to visit Planet Penny!  May your week be of the most cheerful variety possible and Alpine free!

19 comments:

J (tealess and nonfunctional) said...

I like the Snojars, festive yet timeless. I wonder what the ducks think about them? Do they look through the goatparent's window at night and wonder if a new guru has come to town? Maybe, that is why there are SO many ducks. You could ask for offerings or love gifts and, well, you get the picture. The sky is the limit. Marigold you are witnessing the birth of a new religion. Try to get in on the party. Those fish will one day be worth a fortune.

Mimi Foxmorton said...

You do such lovely things!


(and seriously....worm moon? not the beaver moon.......?)

xo

Marigold said...

Dear J,
Tealess? This is an emergency situation. You need to rectify this right away. It is almost as bad as being Peanutless, although nothing could be that bad. A new religion, huh? Holy SnowJar, Batman!

Dear MiMi,
Worm Moon, yes. Why not? Worms deserve iconic status too.

Mimi Foxmorton said...

Ha-Lizzie is a riot!
But she hasn't a clue that she's a cow! lol

"Share" my goat pattern...?
I would LOVE to......except that I don't have it actually written down. lol
The best I can say is print it out....enlarge it....and "count".....
Sounds stupid but that's how I did it looking at a goat pic. It's sort of like drawing with yarn.
It is all double crochets so just switch colors when required. I'm happy to walk you through it if you get stuck.

My worst problem is centering it.
I always screw that up.

Tapestry crochet is soooo much fun! I got....hooked! Arr! Arr! Arr! :)

Mrs. Micawber said...

The snow jars are EXTREMELY cute. Perhaps the Goatmother entertains the unworthy notion that you might try to eat the hats. Why else would she not share? (Same goes for the fish. Are you a vegetarian, by the way?)

It's hard to resist a flock of ducks, especially when some of them have beautiful shimmering green heads. I suggest getting hold of a green marker or some green paint, and colouring your own head. Perhaps then the Goatmother will let you follow her around the yard, or at least throw you some grain once in a while.

Keep up the cheerfulness! La Nina has relented and is allowing us some snow at last. Perhaps you'll get some too.

denise f said...

You are delightfully cheerful, Marigold. I am cheerful that the Luckless sister came back...can I be cheerful that since she has no tail feathers I can tell her apart from her sister?

Millie said...

Those snowmen are very cheerful! I think they would look lovely in a barn. Hope you get some of that duck grain.

Marigold said...

Dear Mrs. Micawber,
I would never eat a snowperson's hat. Sample maybe, but not eat. Same goes for fish, although I certainly wouldn't even sample that. A green marker, eh? Worthy of some stump time, that thought. Thank you for the suggestion.

Dear Denise,
I would like to pass on Mrs. Micawber's suggestion to you. If you were to mark the tailless sister before her tail actually grows back, you will then be able to know who is who. By doing this you could certainly raise their self esteem. Who would want to be known as 1 or 2? Besides, maybe they can't tell themselves apart. Did you ever think of that?

Marigold said...

Dear Millie,
Don't tell, but I'd really just rather have Peanuts.

Planet Penny said...

What cheerfulness! Althoough not being allowed a snowjar is very harsh...
Make sure yu don't end up sharing your barn with those ducks, although it could be quite cosy!

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Oh Dear Marigold, you liked my red plaid boots! Would they make you cheerful? Even if you don't look like you need snow boots there? I would gladly send you 4, like you'd need.

Who knows? Seeing you in them, might just make Ella a bit more cheerful!?!
-giggles-

"There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting."
- Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Oh and those Snow Jars are the cutest!!!!!!!!!!!! Precious!!!!!

And perhaps, even un-crafty me, could manage to make one???? ,-) I love to have any excuse, to use little Faerie Lights. :-)

"There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting."
- Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Marigold said...

Dear Penny,
That's the Goatmother for you! Harsh, harsh, harsh! And, no worries. I refuse to let a noisy grain-pilfering duck anywhere near my Peanuts.

Marigold said...

Dear Auntie,
Yes, your boots are waaay cute! They are saying we will get snow this weekend. We shall see. By the way, nothing makes Ella in a good mood.

Marigold said...

And, yes, Dear Auntie, I believe you could make one. The paint she used with the sponge was a flat finish paint. They are very cheery!

* said...

We too have been tea less this afternoon, I can just about handle it, but hubby has been fidgeting away like a shaken bottle of pop....thankfully normality returned in the shape of the milkman and all is right with my husbands world.

I like your ducks, we get some like that on our pond, Canada Geese I think, but I am rubbish a birds.

The snojars are very clever indeed!

Marigold said...

The Goatmother could not handle being tealess. She'd never get anything done! The duck horde are Mallards. Quite the noisy bunch when they see the Goatmother. :) See, if you could make a snowjar, you could crochet his hat! No doubt it would be very awesome! Gee, you actually still have a milkman? I wonder if we could find a Peanutman to come here? :)

Anonymous said...

All wonderful reasons to be in a good mood!!!

Marigold said...

Dear Goats and Hounds,
To be sure! Thanks for stopping by!