100 Day Project 2021

Friday, January 24, 2014

Friday Finds and Random Facts


I spent a couple of hours in a flea market this week. I needed to get out of the house for a while and since it's been so cold again I choose a nice warm place to walk around in!  In the back corner stood this rocking horse. I loved it. If I had a place for it, it might have come home with me. Anyway, this find brought back memories of an old saying that my mom said to me repeatedly. You see, as a child I was always wishing for this or that. She'd say, "If wishes were horses, we'd all ride away."


Fact #1
"If wishes were horses, we'd all ride away." It seems there were many different wordings of this quote that can be traced back to the 16th century. The first version that is close to the modern wording was in James Kelly's Scottish Proverbs, Collected and Arranged in 1721, with the wording "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride". I'm fascinated with the picture below. It looks like I did something painterly to it, but I didn't. It's pretty much SOOC. I did bump up the color a little and add just a smidgen of HDR.  


Fact  #2
I have three sewing machine and I use each of them. My old 1972 Sears Kenmore doesn’t run real smooth, the motor is slipping, but it still appliques beautifully. My 2005 Viking is my go to machine for almost everything else. I love, love, love the sound of this sweet purring machine. And, my 1952 Featherweight Singer I use for all my quilt piecing. This little machine sews such perfect straight stitches.




Fact  #3
The average January temperature for Arkansas is 30.8°F (low) /49.5°F (high). We are well below average this morning...10 degrees. Can you see why I don't mind winter so much? I think and pray for those of you in the extreme cold. I pray that you are safe and warm!



Fact  #4
These annoying little acorns come from a Pin Oak tree. They're tiny and there are bazillions of them! I didn't pile these up, this is the way they cover the ground. I've been trying to get them raked up so I don't have bazillions of tiny oak trees next spring. Only a very small bush rake will gather them up, because they're so tiny they fit between the tines of a regular rake. The leaves are also hard to rake, they're thin and slick.  They're well shaped and shade-giving trees, but they are a lot of trouble. So, if anyone ever asks you if you want a Pin Oak tree...say NO! Although, they do make the squirrels happy.




Fact  #5
I very strongly dislike people who dump their trash along trails and roads. They are just too lazy to do the right thing.  That being said, I think this picture of the sky makes a nice abstract image. It's a broken mirror I spotted beside the trail I walk on.


 Instructions for living a life:
pay attention.
be astonished.
tell about it.
~  Mary Oliver  ~

 Kim is not linking her Friday Finds this week. Her husband who has been in the hospital for an extended period of time is coming home today. I went ahead and posted my finds anyway. I'm so thankful this family will be together at home again!
 
Linking with Nancy for Random 5 Friday
 
          Kim Klassen dot Com              http://aruraljournal.blogspot.com/

19 comments:

  1. I love that horse and the different sayings concerning wishes and horses! Well that Pin Oak tree gave you a really nice picture besides making the squirrels happy!
    Have a lovely weekend Cathy! They keep promising us snow here and we keep getting sun and blue skies instead!

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  2. Great photos and focus on your bobbins. For Christmas my husband gave me a Viking and I'm loving it.

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  3. That horse is so cute.
    My Live Oak last year dumped a gazillion acorns and got stuck in our St. Augustine (weed) grass, what a mess.
    I've been thinking of dragging my little sewing machine out from under the stairs and having some fun with it.
    Our feel like temps here on the gulf coast is 21 - c-c-cold for here.
    I love that abstract of the broken mirror, great eyes on that on!

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  4. You always keep my interest in these posts Cathy and that is a lot to be said because I have been to a lot of blogs where I will just pass right by. Love the horse and yes I have heard that saying also from my mom. I love pin oaks but have never had them in a yard so guess that is the way to do it have it in someone else's yard to admire. Great find in the mirror, stay warm.

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  5. Love these. Very cute horse and love the reflected sky in the mirror pieces (although not that the mirror was dumped on the trail, that drives me mad too). Happy Friday. :)

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  6. Loved that old rocking horse and the old saying. My daddy would say 'wish in one hand and *** in the other and see which one gets full first.' Oh my, and now I am smiling remembering my dad!

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  7. Fantastic photos today --- I can imagine how difficult it was NOT to bring that beautiful horse home with you. Thanks for sharing it with us. :)

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  8. I love your captures of the rocking horse and the explanation of the sayings...that's a new for me.....I am glad to know someone else has three sewing machines. I too use mine for different kinds of sewing and can't part with either one of them.....I hope you have a wonderful weekend...

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  9. that is a gorgeous rocking horse. it looks so nice & new? great condition. ( :

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  10. Love, Love, Love these. The horse is the coolest. We are so alike, except that I don't sew :)

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  11. Your random facts and Friday Finds are always so interesting. I'll be sure to say "NO" to any Pin Oak tree offers that come my way :) Love you fractured sky abstract. And Mary Oliver is one of my favorite poets - such a wonderful set of life instructions.

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  12. You defintiely followed Mary Oliver's instructions with these photos and your random facts. I can almost hear the horse snorting! Love the abstract sky, though I agree about litterers.

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  13. Your photos are incredible. That is a cool temp for you it sounds like but comfortable for me:) I do wish this extreme cold would go away. Nuts oh yes the squirrels would be happy. I love my 1947 Singer Featherweight and I own two Bernina's too both old. I love the old ones metal not plastic and a nice purring sound:) B

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  14. The close up of the horse is astonishing. It looks like a painting. You have a very good eye when you take a picture of a broken mirror because you see the reflection. Keep the pictures coming.

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  15. Oh that Rocking Horse is awesome. You got some great shots of it. Even if you didn't bring it home (which you should have) you have great photographic memories of it.
    Wow you've got some old sewing machines. I have an older Singer machine but rarely get it out. Why....I can't sew for the life of me. I've tried but it's just not my thing.
    Now I know what those small acorns I gathered for the squirrels come from. I gathered larger ones as well but found some of these and thought they were pretty small, I just didn't realize they came from a different type of Oak tree.

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  16. How fun! I love that macro shot of the thread bobbins. Just perfect!

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  17. Beautiful photos, love the horse (its close up is great) and the saying. The photo of the thread bobbins is just fabulous, made me think of my mother who loves her sewing machine...

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  18. The broken mirror and reflection is wonderful! I also don't appreciate people who litter but I'd be delighted to find that mirror so I could take a few photos. ;))

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  19. I truly enjoyed reading your post. I'm fascinated with the etymology of words and phrases--I'm not sure I ever heard the one you used, so learning it and its history was double-good.

    I'm also amazed at our similar experiences. I too once had a Kenmore sewing machine and now have a Viking. I don't sew as much as I once did, but I certainly appreciate having a sewing machine for the odd project or repair.

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Thanks so much for stopping by!!