ttmms... (things that make me smile)...

Most people who have known me more than just a few days probably have discovered that I can be pretty easily entertained and amused.  I get a kick out of small things (not like midgets and such!) and enjoy finding quirky bits in life.  I'm an avid reader-of-license plates and actually have a list of fun ones I've seen.  I love strangely colored or shaped fruit or veges or just things that look out-of-the-ordinary.  I have the carcasses of several brightly-colored bugs in a box on my dresser.   I see faces on cars, either front end or back.  

All these things make me smile and give me joy.

I think it's a good thing to be able to find fun and to take pleasure in the small things in life.  I mean, isn't that what our lives are really made up of-- an occasional big thing here and there strung together with many many small things in between?  I know I don't wait to wait around for a big thing to enjoy when I can delight in so many other little things along the way.

And that is what this blog is really about-- experiencing the daily life stuff and looking and listening for God's hand and voice in it all.  And seeing what delights He has put here for us to enjoy if we will allow ourselves to be easily entertained.

In light of all of that, I present to you today one of the many Things That Make Me Smile...  

I have recently discovered ...the happiest cars on earth:

Tell me that doesn't make you smile!! : )

I am grateful for smiling cars...

A joyful heart is good medicine...

~Proverbs 17:22a

fitting in...

I ran across this photo one day, and for some reason I was struck by it...
Yes, it's definitely cute. And fun.

But, it also reminds me what I feel like sometimes... like I'm trying to fit in, trying to find a place where I belong.

No matter how I hard I try to be like the others, I'm still a cat...not a raccoon. I can put on a mask... but it doesn't change who I am.

This applies to our Christian life-- we are not of this world. We will never completely fit in here. We will never be completely at home here.

It also applies to my own life and how I see myself. Sometimes I feel so out of place, so not-belonging... and I want to wear a mask to fit in. I want to belong. I want to be a raccoon and fit in nicely with the other raccoons. But, I'm not a raccoon. God has made me unique...in just the way He wants me to be. He has made me just as it pleased Him... and I must remember and delight in who He has made me to be!

"For You created my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful,

I know that full well. "
~Psalm 139:13-14

I will praise Him... for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I know that full well. Thank You, Father, for creating me as I am and for loving me as You have made me!

curiosity...

I don't know about you, but I am the curious type. I like to know things... to investigate... to explore... to discover! I love to use my macro lens to see into the micro world. I love to look under rocks and logs and behind trees and into the center of flowers. I pick things up and put them in my pockets. I've always been that way. My mom said I was always curious as a child. I guess it's the way I was designed... with an extra measure of curiosity.

So... what does one do when one is created with a huge amount of curiosity and one finds a hole in the ground?? Questions fly faster than Mercury.... what made the hole? what lives in there? I must know!! I must investigate! I must find out!!

My nephews found this hole while I was visiting them in Georgia, and they were as curious as I. They patiently stone-still and waited by the hole... and waited ... and waited...

...and waited...

and then...

there it was....

...the inhabitant of the hole!
...so fuzzy...

...so leggy...

...so many eyes!!

...and curiosity satisfied...

{sigh of contentment}

God made the wild animals according to their kinds,

the livestock according to their kinds,

and all the creatures that move along the ground

according to their kinds.

And God saw that it was good.

~Genesis 1:25

the deep...

I know God has a great imagination! If you have any thoughts of doubt about that, just take a look at the platypus...or the ostrich... or the venus flytrap...or so many other strange and wonderful creatures that can be found on this earth...or under the earth...or in the sky... or, as I saw today... IN THE DEEP!!!

I watched an amazing dvd today of THE DEEP (BBC's The Blue Planet, "The Deep")... some of the very deepest parts of the ocean. There were incredible and strange worlds down there that only the greatest Creative mind could have imagined and designed! Creatures adorned with beautiful colors and lights, wild and wacky toothy creatures, and entire ecosystems existing--living, growing!--without any use of sunlight whatsoever!

They said that more people have been into space than have ventured into these worlds in the deep sea. What an incredible thought! And, to me, even more spectacular is that God created all of these unusual and crazy and lovely creatures knowing that very few human eyes would ever see them--for His own delight and pleasure!

" So God created the great creatures of the sea

and every living and moving thing

with which the water teems..."

~Genesis 1:21

These photos are of just two of the wild and crazy fish found in the depths of the sea! Look at those giant eyes and that glowing "fishing lure" (on the head of the Anglerfish)!

I found a short clip from the dvd, and it is well worth watching just to whet your appetite for the strange and wonderful world of THE DEEP!!! (I especially love the amazing red jellyfish in this clip!)

(if you would like to see more incredible discoveries, watch the other clips on Youtube or order the dvd on Netflix! it really is amazing!)

things that make you go "hmmmm????"

When I was in the Munich airport, I saw something I hadn't seen before-- smoking lounges. They are completely enclosed areas in the middle of the airport with places to sit --couches and chairs, desks and stools -- and to just leisurely "hang out" or work while you do your smoking in an otherwise-non-smoking place. Though I cannot imagine what the air-quality must be like INSIDE the smoking lounge, it is wonderful to us non-smokers that they have a completely sealed container in which to do it!

They are very well-appointed and look like a delightful place to pass the time while waiting for one's flight...

But, wait a minute...

What is that in the "fine print" on the sign?

Those words right under the cigarette brand name...

Uh.... that's not so subtle!

and I must admit that I LOVE it!

That's something "more" to "discover"-- Smoking Can Kill.

Hmmmmmm....

a quiet beach...in Michigan??

Whenever I go to visit my family in Michigan, I seem to have to see at least one of the Great Lakes. Maybe it's because I'm so used to living by the ocean... or maybe I just really like giant bodies of water across which one cannot see land. I usually end up taking a day trip drive with someone (most times my mom) to see Lake Michigan. (on my most recent trip I made it to the Lake twice!! and I accidently called it the ocean at least once--and was laughed at by my niece!)

On one visit, my mom and I drove to the lakeside city of Grand Haven. (I called it a coastal city and was once again laughed at by my niece!) Grand Haven is a wonderful little city that has a lighthouse that you can walk out to on a long cement walkway. If you squint and look through the sea wheat (or beach grass, or whatever it's called!) in the picture below, on the right side, you can see the lighthouse beacon tower at the far right, and a bit to the left of it, the little 'house' part of the lighthouse. (they're both bright red)

After photographing the scene above, I looked a bit further to the right, and what...?!!

Wait a minute!! I thought I was in Michigan!!

What the heck is THAT tree doing there?!?

Yes, THAT one!

The one with the fluffy green fronds instead of leaves!!

It IS a palm tree!

And I was being laughed at for calling it the coast and the ocean??

Hmmmm.

I had to investigate this strange appearance of a tropical tree growing on a beach in the Midwest...

Well, a palm tree it was indeed.

A REAL palm tree it was not.

But, someone was sure enjoying their tropical view

of Lake Michigan!

I enjoyed their creativity,

and definitely delighted in their sense of humor!

Whatever it takes to get that warm tropical feeling ...

You just gotta love it...

eggs-actly how I like it!

This evening my mom and I had dinner with a friend at a pancake house. I didn't end up with pancakes; I decided to have eggs with biscuits and gravy. (please, let's not think about the cholesterol or fat content...this was just pure eating fun!)


My order included two eggs, and this is what my plate looked like when it arrived:

Ummmm.... I don't know about anyone else, but I believe I'm seeing FOUR eggs here!


When I started to ask about the eggs situation, the waitress, already anticipating the question, quickly said, "We only serve eggs with double yolks here!"


WOW! My favorite part and double the deliciosity!! (yes, I'm sure that is a word! if not, it should be!)


Just thought I would share the oddity of the day and my doubly-delightful dinner...eggsactly how I like my eggs!!

seeing the miraculous...

I have been thinking quite a bit the past few days about miracles... how they are more commonplace than we think--if we but have eyes to see...

Earth's crammed with heaven,

And every common bush

afire with God;

But only he who sees

takes off his shoes.

The rest sit round it

and pluck blackberries.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

God, we ask that You would mold us into those who would see Your presence and take off our shoes...

orange you glad?

Orange you glad it's Saturday??

Orange you "LOVIN' " it??

My friends who live in Phoenix found this in their grocery bag and were wonderful enough to do as I would-- PHOTOGRAPH it!! They then sent this "love"ly juicy photo to me! My heart is warmed by their message of "love"!

Happy Saturday, all! : )

God's hand...

(In a new image from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, high-energy X-rays emanating from the nebula around PSR B1509-58 have been colored blue to reveal a structure resembling a hand reaching for some eternal red cosmic light.)


I love this photograph. I discovered it today online, and I think it is absolutely amazing!! It is beautiful and mysterious and fascinating!


It was described as "a hand reaching for some eternal red cosmic light." But, as I look at it, I see a picture of God's hand reaching for my heart. Across the vast expanse of space and time, He reaches for me.


Today I was feeling a little down, a little blue, and God reached across the expanse of space and time and touched my heart--by having a friend unexpectedly call me to come to her house so she could make dinner for me tonight. And my heart glowed with an eternal red cosmic light.


This week, as we meditate upon and celebrate the Passion Week and Easter, we are reminded of how God reached across the expanse of space and time and touched our hearts--by the unbelievable gift and sacrifice of His Son. And our hearts glow with an eternal red cosmic light.


God is continually reaching across the expanse of space and time ...reaching for our hearts... reminding us of His amazing love, of His amazing grace. Let us place our hearts in His hand that they may glow with His eternal light....

(see the article about the nebula)

things that go bump in the night...(or, under the stove!)

How many of you like to reach your hand into small, dark, hidden places? (I'm thinking Indiana Jones here and cockroaches, rats, etc!) Though I'm pretty brave about creatures and crawling things, I do have my limits. I don't like any bug with too many legs or those which look like something from the prehistoric eras, for example--earwigs, cockroaches, centipedes, cave crickets, jerusalem crickets (hey! those aren't JUST in caves or in Jerusalem!), etc. I think you get the idea.

I don't normally mind soft furry little creatures that many women scream about like mice or moles or shrews or even bats. (sidebar: for some reason, though I had terrible nightmares about vampires through much of my childhood and, as an adult, I steer far clear from ANYTHING at all vampirish, I LOVE bats!! Sorry, Mom!) I do, however, prefer not to stick my hand into dark places where these things may be residing.

Well, a couple of nights ago, I was making a cake, and I needed my little cooling racks. I have an electric stove with a big drawer in the bottom, and that's where the racks live. When I pulled out the drawer to get the cooling racks, one of them slipped behind the drawer and fell into the darkness of "UNDER THE STOVE!" HORRORS!!

I was going to have to reach my hand into the dark and potentially creepy netherworld of "UNDER THE STOVE!" Now, I know, I could have pulled the drawer completely out of the stove, so I could see behind there before sticking my hand in, but well, have you ever tried to get those drawers back on the tracks correctly?? And, I know, if I were a bit more obssesive-compulsive about cleaning UNDER the stove and refrigerator, perhaps this little venture wouldn't be quite so intimidating. (do any of you really DO that??!)

So.... all that said, I decided I couldn't possibly have anything THAT scary under my stove and reached my bare hand back behind the drawer and into the darkness UNDER THE STOVE. I tentatively tapped around with my fingertips in the general vicinity of where I thought the rack would be. I couldn't feel it, so I reached further into the darkness and used my whole hand to feel around.

AND
THEN
IT
HAPPENED!!!

I TOUCHED SOMETHING SMALL AND FURRY!!!

I yelped and yanked my hand out of there so fast! That weren't no dust bunny under there, folks! It was something much more solid, much more furry feeling!

Needless to say, I decided to wrangle the drawer out of the bottom of the stove so I could get a view of what I had touched or would be touching on my next attempt to get the rack. I pulled and tugged and wiggled it until I had it off and lying in the middle of the kitchen floor. On hands and knees, I bent over and cautiously, yet oh so bravely!, peered into the darkness UNDER THE STOVE.... and this is what I saw :

Wha..????

Wait a minute....

ok... so, it IS a mouse!!...

...but NOT quite the mouse I was expecting!! :)

This was one of my cat's old toys she had lost under the stove!

I decided to let him help me write this post...

You just gotta love a good laugh at yourself!!

...and maybe you better check under your stove...

what...?!?!

I've spent the last two evenings after work, until just about bed time, at the hospital visiting a friend who is unexpectedly there for a few days. And, it's been a long week at work. I'm a bit tired, and perhaps, a bit punchy as well. It is in that mode/mood I write this post tonight...

I had a couple of "what....!?!" sightings on the way home that I thought I would share with you.

For this first one, I was driving from work and had to stop at a stoplight. I looked at the car in front of me... nice car... an Audi... but WHAT was that riding around on the trunk?!!?!?

I started laughing!! How funny! I think it was play-dough... in a lovely shade of fuschia!

I wonder if the driver even knew it was there?? And, I wondered if the one who put it there just forgot it or if it was meant to be a joke, in which case they're somewhere snickering away? Either way, I enjoyed the stop at that stop light!!

I also had to stop at the store to pick up some milk. When I came out of the store, it was just turning to dusk, and I happened to glance up at the sky. "What...?!" It was a lovely display of moon and star (probably planet, actually...Venus, maybe?) ...

They were in kind of unusual positions, and I thought they were beautiful.

I really loved that a couple of other people were walking to their cars gazing and commenting on how cool it looked! (I do so love it when I catch other people seeing and enjoying the things I see and enjoy!)

And, lastly, when I was walking to the hospital from the parking lot tonight, I happened to look down at the sidewalk in front of me, and ... "What...?!" I saw a bill on the ground, and there was no one else around to whom it could belong. I bent down and picked it up and discovered it was a $5 bill--which is just about what it costs to park in the hospital parking lot for the hours I was going to be there!

God is very cool, don't you think?! ... a laugh at a stoplight, a wonderful night sky, and my parking at the hospital paid for... What more could one ask for in one night?

...and so, with a smile (like the moon) and a wink (like the star), and a thank you to the One Who created them both (and gave me the parking money!!), I bid this day good-night...

surprises in my photos...

Remember the other day when I was thrilling some of you with my stories of taking photographs while driving? (yes, I was chastised by a couple of you who were concerned for my safety--or that of others!-- though I swear to you, I was paying attention to the road! really!!)

Well, the downside of taking one-handed, not-looking, snap-a-picture-out-the-right-side-passenger-window photos is that you just don't know what you're going to end up with. But, that is also part of the adventure of it!

I had a few surprisingly good photos out of those taken in the above-described manner. I also had a couple of good surprises!

Many times I have wanted to take a picture of something we have here in Southern California that I find rather delightful. I, however, have not been able to do so since I only see them when I'm driving. I was quite pleased when I was looking through my photos, and lo and behold! there they were!! Right there in my picture without me trying to capture them and actually without me even knowing they were there!!....

See those funny looking palm trees??

Let's take a closer look...

In case you can't quite tell, they're not actually trees; they're cell site posts! I love it! They look just like palm trees--brown trunks and green palm fronds--but with cell site thingys in the palm fronds! There are also pine tree versions in our area (in appropriate places for pine trees, of course). It is my opinion that ALL cell site antennas should have to be made to look like trees! I mean, why not?! They look far cooler than just antenna posts, don't you think?

And, though I'm not into 'paving paradise and putting up parking lots,' I do think it's a wonderful idea to have them look as natural as possible... far lovelier than metal! (oh, and I have absolutely NO IDEA what that toothbrushy-looking white thing is next to the "trees"!!)

My other wonderful surprise is in the photos below. I was just trying to get a nice picture of the mountains and trees and misty foggy stuff because the colors were great--deep green, a beautiful blue, and a bit of snow sprinkled on the mountains. And, when I was looking throught my photos later, do you see what I found in the shot?...just there, on the right...

Neatly tucked away in the corner of such desert loveliness, in stark white contrast...

I love it.

Delightful surprises.

gotta love this calf!

Knowing my delight in finding God's hidden (or not so hidden to the searching eye!) symbols of His love, a couple of friends sent me this photo yesterday. I thought, "oh, how cute! what an adorable little calf!" and chalked it up to my farm-lovin' country-girl heart as the reason they would send me a photo of a baby cow. And then I did a double-take... just look at the love this little calf is showing off...

(as if he weren't cute enough just as he is!)

"Nineteen-day-old ox 'Heart,' born with a heart-shaped marking on his forehead, relaxes at Yamakun farm in Fujisawa, near Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009. Kazunori Yamazaki, 51-year-old farm owner, said, 'Good timing for Valentine's Day.' " (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

I think God can't help Himself sometimes and does these things just to see who's paying attention! I'll bet He gets a kick out Himself and a great big God-sized chuckle.... I don't know about you, but I love it!

wild (weird?) and wonderful...

On my recent trip to the Central coast of California, we stopped at one of my very favorite places--a little town called Cambria. Actually, my favorite part of Cambria is Moonstone Beach. It is a wonderful stretch of beach with continuous wave song and several miles of boardwalk as well as the beach itself to walk on. The sand is not really even sand but bazillions (I don't know a higher number!) of teeny tiny stones. The beach has been a rock collector's, treasure hunter's dream for me! Most of the stones are rounded and smooth, unlike any other place I've found, and there are quite wonderful colors --but with a predominance of glorious jade-green colored stones.

This time, however, was quite different. As with most beaches, the beach itself can change drastically from visit to visit --shape, height of tide, condition of the beach. This time the great areas of larger stones which usually keep me occupied for hours (as I sit in the middle of a pile and dig through the layers looking for special and unique stones) were not there. The beach was mostly just the teeny tiny "sand" stones.

We did, however, get to see something a bit wild and weird and, I thought, quite wonderful...

Hmmmmm... Check these out! There were many, many of these little objects strewn across the beach right at the water line where the waves had dropped them.
Animal? Vegetable? Mineral? The sun was striking them so that they appeared to be glowing from within. They were quite beautiful, and I liked to imagine that they were many glowing moonstones on the beach.

But, no... Mineral, they were not. And, upon closer look and a bit of curious poking, I determined that neither were they Vegetable...

I had seen these things before, but not in such abundance. They actually are Animal... a type of jellyfish. They do not have tentacles, and I believe they are a much less developed jelly (a lower life form) than what we're used to seeing.
If you poke them (which, I, of course, HAD to do!), they are very firm, like a piece of hard but pliable rubber. They're not gooey or slimey but smooth and cool. And, if you look closely at them, they've got lovely striations running through them... (the following two and the flower one you can double click on and look at them up really close! they're really quite amazing!!)

(you can also see what I was talking about in regards to the "sand" on this beach)

I think the one below looks sort of like a seashell in shape...

And this one was very cool! It was very 3dimensional and looked sort of like a big blobby bulbous flower of some sort! It even has a few streaks of a pinkish-purple color running through it. (unfortunately, Blogger is turning some of my photos; this one and the following one are sideways)

For all you Heart lovers and seekers, check this out... (imagine it turned 90degrees counter clockwise!)....

And the final one ... obviously a treasure just for ME!!.... (ok, I'll share it with you!)

God has such a great sense of humor, don't you think?! Not only does He create such wild and weird stuff, He dredges it up from the deep, tosses it onto the beach, and gives us a little art show with it! And wraps it all up with LOVE.... Ah, He does delight my heart...