inspiration | J.R. Johnson

Posts Tagged ‘inspiration’

Overrun by Adorable

Posted in Likes, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #justaddkittens, cat herding, good people, inspiration, kittens, Thoughts, Writers on December 10, 2021| 1 Comment »

I may have mentioned our adventures in kitten trapping over the past couple of years (short version: hard but rewarding, remote cameras for the win).

Here are two organizations that were great as we tried to keep the neighborhood from being overrun by adorable, yet vulnerable, kittens:

The good people in these groups have done an amazing job even under the stresses of the pandemic, which has increased demand for pets but also restricted a lot of shelters and the vet services they need.

Fortunately, we were able to help our local cat rescue groups get a lot of kittens off the street before winter. Just as an example, take a look at two of the kittens we saved: Comet and Dasher. So cute!

If you’re in the market for an adorable fur friend, check out the adoption pages at these or your local rescue groups. We’re not ready for a new cat just yet but when we are we’ll go through a group like this.

* * *

*Cuteness is our superpower. Photo by Ilse Orsel on Unsplash*

Read Full Post »

Today Days

Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #JoniMitchell, climate change, creativity, hope, inspiration, music, Thoughts, Writers on December 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Some days you take a break from the avalanche of news and realize you’ve got Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi stuck in your head. The chorus can feel too true to remember that there are reasons to be cheerful and the world is not, in fact, on a one way trip to Ugh Town.

But other days? Like today days? With heartfelt respect to Ms. Mitchell,* you realize that the final lines of the song could be rewritten:

“They saved Paradise,
and took out the parking lot.”

And we’re just the people to do it.

* * *

How does one address someone with this level of accomplishment? Award-winner? Multi-Hall of Famer? Fellow Canadian? Doctor (she has three honorary doctorates)? I went with the title that, I hope, conveys fundamental respect across all arenas.

Read Full Post »

Raising a Monster

Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, gardening, home, inspiration, Laura Ingalls Wilder, memories, Thoughts on December 8, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Here’s a memory that would have been perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving, but just came to me when I ran across the video below.

The first thing I planted in a garden (aside from myself) was okra. I’d never eaten it but knew that it was a staple in the South by way of some African food traditions. Once grown, I didn’t know how to cook it. The resulting dish was… ok. (If you’re wondering, I recommend using okra in stew or breading and frying the bejeezus out of it. Very good.)

The first thing I grew that I was really proud of was a pumpkin. This was a year or two later and I was still vertically challenged. That may explain why the pumpkin remains a giant in my mind, but maybe not. I’d read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books and somewhere in there, probably Farmer Boy, they discuss milk-fed pumpkins. Well, who wouldn’t want to try that?

And it worked. Huge, that’s how I remember this pumpkin. Between the vines and the body the plant took up a whole section of the garden. I would ease down the little hill, through the tall grass and into the tilled area, basking in the hot summer sun while hoping to raise a monster.

A strong, bright, delicious monster, of course. A girl’s got to have standards.

* * *

Read Full Post »

Gamgee the Wise

Posted in Likes, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, inspiration, procrastination, Thoughts, Writers, writing on December 6, 2021| Leave a Comment »

“It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

* * *

Read Full Post »

When Sharing Isn’t Caring

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, drabble, Drabble Dabble Do, Fiction, inspiration, short stories, Thoughts, writing on December 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »

As mentioned the other day, I recently read a book starring interesting and complex retirees.* It got me thinking, and now I have a new drabble.

Enjoy!

When Sharing Isn’t Caring
There’s a lot to be said for the “sharing economy.”
My granddaughter DeeDee introduced me to the idea. Say, if you need to cleanup around the yard but don’t have all the tools. Because the neighbor is kicking up a fuss (and poor Mr. Kittikins), wasting Saturdays complaining about trees overhanging his fence.
And the things you can borrow these days!
Order up a tool here or there, pay a reasonable delivery fee and voila, the item comes right to your doorstep.
Like this nice policeman.
“Such terrible news about the neighbor. And no, officer, I don’t own an ax.”

* * *

* Disclaimer: I also happen to be related to a number of interesting and complex individuals of a certain age, but they are in no way associated with mysteries or mayhem!

* * *

Read Full Post »

Sunday Funday

Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, inspiration, murder and mayhem, Thoughts, woodturning, Writers on November 28, 2021| 2 Comments »

I’m heading into the workshop for the first time in ages. On the menu, bottle stoppers and finding the on switch for my lathe.

Later I’ll get back to reading The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. Murder, mayhem and complicated septua- and octogenarians come together in a touching, humorous and well-written package. What’s not to love?

If you’re interested, start with book one in the series: The Thursday Murder Club.

Delightful!

* * *

Read Full Post »

A Day of Delights

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, writing on November 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Our creativity is a wild and unexpected bonus from the universe. It’s as if all our gods and angels gathered together and said, “It’s tough down there as a human being, we know. Here—have some delights.
— Elizabeth Gilbert

* * *

Read Full Post »

Writer Goals

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, writing on November 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »

“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”
― John Steinbeck

* * *

Read Full Post »

Today’s Fun Link Roundup

Posted in Entertainment, Likes, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, fun, inspiration, interesting, internet, Thoughts, wackiness ensuing on November 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »

I accumulate a lot of links. Work links, sure, but on my way to the data mines I often come across fun, interesting, obscure or downright delightful corners of the web. They inform me when I need a bit of learning with lunch, cheer me up when the news is too newsy, and otherwise remind me that the internet, like the world, is not 100% terrible.

What sort of links? I’m so glad you asked:)

* * *

Look Up! An Introduction to Identifying Raptors in Flight

Helpful, although I’ll probably continue to just say “hawk!” every time I see something predatory with wings. My bird enthusiast father’s reply is always (honestly, can he really be right all the time?*) “turkey vulture.” Just once I wish he’d say “dragon.”

* The answer is yes.

20 of the Best History Podcasts to Help Us Actually Learn From the Past

History is cool.

Honest Government Ad | Carbon Capture & Storage – YouTube

Is there swearing? There is. It’s warranted.

Introducing the Icelandverse – YouTube

Look out, Zuckerberg, Iceland is coming for you.

Bohemian Catsody – A Rhapsody Parody Song for Every Cat Queen and King! – YouTube

Since you’re already on YouTube. And like cat videos.

This man won a Guinness World Record for his tree that bears 10 types of fruit

“Hussam Saraf says his record-breaking tree with 10 different types of fruit is a metaphor for how he sees the world. … ‘[It’s] mother nature that’s united us all together. Doesn’t really matter how different we are in colour or culture or tradition. We are one, and we can respect each other as one.’” If that’s not nice then I don’t know what is.

rroll.to