As Easy as Pooh, Part 2

Your friend is back!

He (she) , your friend -- the cartoon character, fictional literary figure or nursery rhyme star -- has come back over to show you all the rest of his presents, the stuff he got after he left your place. Now he needs your help with something. It's almost New Year's Day. Can you help your friend to come up with a fitting new year's resolution? It's okay if you didn't post on the first one, or if you want to pick a new friend....

On Christmas Day, In the Morning....

Just a short question about your Christmas morning.

What time did you get up?

I am guessing the answer will be more than one or two words (for example, getting up & staying up are two different things.... or maybe someone wouldn't let you GET up, but you were wide awake....)
So we'd love to hear your response! And then, go on back and enjoy your family.
May your Chistmas Day be blessed by the One whose birth we celebrate, and may He be honored in all we do today.

As Easy as Pooh

Hey, I loved your responses to that one! And such a successful challenge is pretty hard to follow, but I'll try.

Okay, step one: Think of a cartoon character, fictional literary figure, or nursery rhyme star. Tell us your choice (you might want to read ahead before you choose) .

Step two: The character you've chosen has just called you, and he/she is going to spend Christmas Day at your house! Planning for the day, and desiring to make him / her feel completely at home, you want to come up with :

a) Something yummy (entree, dessert, etc. ) your friend would love to sit at your table and share,
OR
b) A fitting gift,
OR
c) A great game to play while he /she is there.


Think hard.... I can't wait to hear your great ideas!

Your Match

A snowman.
A toothbrush.
An exercise bike.
A goldfish.
A calculator.
A combination lock.
A dictionary.
A volleyball.
An orchard.
A piano.
Monkeybars.
A zipper.
Bagpipes.
A CD.
Fingernail clippers.
A picture frame.
A beluga whale.
A toaster.





Okay, ready? Here is your challenge. Pick 2 of the above. You may not pick the same pair someone else has picked, but you may choose one that's been chosen, just not the same combination.

Now, tell us what you have chosen, and then list 5-10 things that those two things have in common. If you are feeling particularly clever, you may also list one or two (or more!) important differences.

Okay, got your thinking cap on?
Go!

Fa La La La La La La La La

Ha Ha, that must have not been a great idea.... I started a couple of times myself and didn't manage to get it done!
Ready for another challenge? (Bet you thought I'd retired from this job, huh?)

Well, the season is upon us.... or the interim between seasons, maybe, between Thanksgiving and Christmas. A good time for your opinion. Which holiday do you like best? And why?

Is it Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even Easter? Or maybe there is another you prefer. We'd love to hear.

And let's see, we need a twist. Well, if I've counted correctly, today there are 26 days until Christmas, so how about making your answer 26 words? Yep. Exactly. Have fun!

Once Upon a Time....

....when I was very young, I loved to listen as my mother read to me from a big red book of fairy tales, which was Number One in a ten-volume encyclopedia-type set called Collier something (if I remember it right). Eventually I learned to read the books myself, and Red Number One became the most worn volume. I can still remember the old-fashioned, whimsical illustrations in The Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff. What was it about threes?

Here's your mission (should you decide to accept it) :

Come up with a new fairy tale (nope, it doesn't have to have fairies or magic in it), titling it something like The Three _______ or The Adventures of the Three ___________.
Your "three" can be animals, but they don't have to be.

Wait, wait.... let me get my jammies and my teddy bear....
Okay, now I'm ready to listen.

What's Cookin' At Your Place?

"Happy Home Recipe"
Mary H. Knopinski

4 c. Love
6 c. Understanding
2 c. Loyalty
5 T. Hope
3 c. Forgiveness
2 T. Tenderness
1 c. Friendship
4 c. Faith
6 c. Kindness
1/2 c. Laughter

Mix Love and Loyalty thoroughly with Faith. Blend in Tenderness, Kindness, and Understanding. Add remaining ingredients and sprinkle generously with Laughter. Bake in sunshine and serve daily.

Okay, I (briefly) searched the internet and found the above "recipe." You've seen them, plaques or needlepoint samplers on the walls of homes, or maybe on throw pillows, with "recipes" for happy homes, happy kitchens, etc. And the ones I've seen really make pretty good sense.

So it's your turn. Please compose your own. It might be a recipe for friendship, a recipe for a boring day, a recipe for a healthy family, a recipe for a good book, a recipe for grandparents (or grandchildren), a recipe for a great pet (no, we're not cooking the pet!), a recipe for getting older (or staying younger), a recipe for success, a recipe for failure, a recipe for misery, a recipe for a great marriage, a recipe for a perfect afternoon, a recipe for -- oh, why not? -- mudpies.

Or a recipe for something else entirely.

Use your imagination..... what "recipe(s)" can you share? And no - in case you find the example somewhat, uh, mushy for your taste - yours doesn't have to be. It can be sweet; it can be tongue-in-cheek; it can be witty. Make yourself at home.

(By the way - in case you were wondering - the man in the picture is Roland Mesnier, who was born in France and grew up to be the White House Executive Pastry Chef for 25 years, before retiring in 2004. The things you take for granted! I didn't even know the job existed.....)

More or Less

I love to read all that you write! I wish I could really give the trip away....... Okay, another challenge. I hope you'll be brave and take this on. I want every challenge I give out to be fun for you, and if you make an honest effort to contribute, that's it.... you get an A. (Yep, you can tell your mom that; ask her to count it somehow :)




Today, I want you to write a short comparison / contrast piece. Think about 2 pets, 2 uncles, 2 trees in your yard, 2 books you've read, 2 ways you've schooled, 2 outfits, 2 books you've read, 2 of ANYTHING. But choose your topic, and as with any writing task, you've done the hardest part. Next, think about ways those 2 _________s are alike, and how they are different. And tell us. Use 5 - 10 sentences. Don't stress over it, just give it a try and see what happens. Waiting to read!

Tickets to Dreamland

Okay, there's this IMAGINARY (sorry) mini-essay contest.

Rules are: In ten sentences or less, you are to tell the three places in the WORLD you'd love to visit - and WHY - or WHAT you'd love to do or see there . . . . and if you win, VOILA! -- "they" will hand you the airplane tickets (for yourself and ten or twenty others that you'd like to bring).

You'll get to stay at each location for a week, and "they" will also provide travel money to cover meals, lodging and souvenirs! So, what would you say in your (hopefully winning) short essay?

(If I find out who "they" are, I'll let you know!)

Sweet Dreams. . .

Summer and Winter, and Springtime and Harvest...

Today as I stood in the yard, with my back to a rather rare and rambunctious wind, I found myself bewildered. Were the clouds trying to rain? If so, I never saw a drop. Was it just time to usher in the fall? (The leaves were definitely getting busy ....) I'd forgotten there was a hurricane - Gabrielle, I believe - coming in somewhere.

But the thoughts of fall and its impending arrival have made me think. And now I want to make you think.

Tell us: What is your favorite season? And why? And just for fun, use exactly twenty-eight words.

Waiting to hear!