Friday Favorites * Plunka-plunka-plunka-plunk

I'm a musician only in my mind.  My fingers don't do so well, but that doesn't stop me. Even lack of talent has not deterred me.  I keep trying (and trying.... and trying... you get the idea)

I have several guitars so I can't hardly blame the guitar for my troubles.  It's gotta be me.

In my head, I hear this beautiful (or slammin'.. or funky... or rockin'... depends on the day) music, but when I pick up the guitar all I hear is plunka plunka plunka plunk.

ANYWAY... I do have a couple of favorite guitars, but Michael gave me this one (as he has all of the others) and I love it!!!  I love the sound; the tone - I love the size.

It's a Taylor GS Mini with a laminate back and sides and a Sitka spruce top. It's not as small as a Baby Taylor or a Martin LX-1 or LX-M. I guess you would say it's about 7/8 size. Since I have stumpy short arms (and spine "issues"), it's a great size for me.

You know the bird I told you about last Friday? Well, this is the guitar that I keep in the room with the Bonnie Bluebird. It's a great room for playing the guitar. I think the music sounds better with the lights dim and the house quiet. (and no... it's not better with ear plugs)

I thought maybe I was too old to start playing the guitar BUT... I'm going to be the same age whether I play the guitar or not so... what the heck!  Maybe some day I'll be good enough to play it in front of someone.  (Pray it's not you!)

I think one of the things that makes this one of my favorites is that it represents life to me - that life is meant to be lived - that there is always something new to learn - that there is always hope.

What have you learned lately... or what would you like to learn?

Enjoy your weekend!

Friday Favorites - This is where it all started.

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Friday Favorites * Bluebird of Happiness

Okay... so I know this isn't THE Bluebird of Happiness, but she is my bluebird of happiness (my life is kind of lower case, if you know that I mean).  Her name is Bonnie (Scottish for beautiful? Get it?).

I found this little bird a couple of years ago on Etsy in a shop called TrashBirdMakes - made by a woman named Nicah and I fell in love with it!.

Bonnie is not fancy.  She's not finished with great detail - but she's very special. (Duh!  Obviously!)

Since Bonnie came to live with me, I've been back to Nicah for several more bluebirds to give as gifts.  Everyone I've given one to seems to love it as much as I do (or they lie well).

It's just one of those things that makes me smile.  Who wouldn't want a Bonnie Bluebird?  Really!

At the moment, Bonnie lives in my guest room - on the nightstand beside the bed next to a green glass lamp.  I keep a guitar in that room (Thank you, Michael) and so I stop by to visit Bonnie a couple of times a week and play for her (She never never complains!  Oh! The joy of inanimate objects!). 

SO!  if you like to sing and everyone leaves the room when you do - or if, like me, you play an instrument but you suck at it, you need a friend like Bonnie to be your captive audience.  OR... if you just need something to make you smile... a bird like this would be just perfect!

 
I've sent a convo to Nicah (that's what we Etsians call it - a convo) to see how she is and if she's still making birds.  Her shop is pretty bare, but I'm hoping to find that she's still making the beautiful birds that filled her shop when I bought Bonnie and...  (Oh yes!  I have another bird... but we'll save that for another Friday/)

Do you have something that makes you smile when you look at it?  Do you suck at something and want a non-critical audience?  Tell me, please!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Friday Favorites - This is where it all started. 

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Friday Favorites * Open Wide and Say "Aaaaaaaah"!

Friday Favorites - Every Friday I'm posting a "favorite" thing.  Follow the Friday Favorites link to find out more about what and why.
 

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Michael and I recycle.  We had this big, brown, ugly, round thing in our kitchen where we put our recyclables before they went out to the Big Receptacle in the Garage.  It was ugly. REALLY ugly.  Plus, it looked like we kept a pile of trash in the middle of the kitchen.  Not attractive!

SO... I wanted a stainless steel trash can with a lid  - for the recyclables.  I mean... it's still a trash can but it's not so gross looking.  But... they are so doggone expensive!!

I am an online shopper for the most part.  The mall gets a visit from me a couple times a year, but mainly the UPS man and I are best buds. There are a lot of benefits to online shopping, some of which I previously overlooked (O, but not any more!).

Looking around online a couple of weeks ago, I got a wonderful surprise.  I have had "Cash Back" rewards at Overstock (one of my other favorites - maybe we'll visit there some Friday).  I knew I got 5% cash back at Overstock, but I was in such a shopping frenzy before Christmas that I just shopped... cash back be damned.  That was NOT in my view finder. Silly me!  Lesson learned!

ANYWAY... on one hand there was my Cash Back reward - on the other, a shiny stainless steel (and black plastic) trash can on sale... calling my name.  I mean it!  I could hear it.

I had no choice!  I bought the trash can with my Cash Back credit.  I didn't read a lot about it.  It looked big enough. It had a lid.  It was mostly stainless steel.  I was pumped!   Color it "sold"!

The trash can arrived and Michael promptly put the thing together using 2 sets of blue prints, 3 schematic diagrams, a tool box and a couple of batteries (everything needs a couple of batteries).  That may be a slight exaggeration but not by much.  (I mean it even has an activated charcoal filter!)

Looks normal enough....

BUT....  if you get anywhere near the thing...

Say "Ahhhhhhh"

... the lid flies open - FLIES open, I tell you!

I swear it laughs at me (almost as much as it makes me laugh).

Reach for something on the table... the lid flies open.

Turn the light on coming into the kitchen... the lid flies open.

Pick something up on the floor next to the dear thing... the lid flies open.

And then I laugh.

And laugh.

I swear it seems to have a life of its own.  

The UPS man had better watch out.  I'm in love with this trash can!!

Have you ever had a relationship (or a run in) with a trash can???

Happy Friday!!!

Friday Favorites - This is where it all started.

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