Because Sometimes It’s Important To Look Within Yourself & See Who You Really Are

/ Ally Bean / 20 Comments

I am an Otter.

  • I mix easily with a wide range of animal personalities.
  • Lazy? Let’s just say I get easily distracted.
  • A lover who wants to impress me should know that I love to eat out and have a predictable penchant for sushi.
  • Although intelligent and witty, I have a tendency to suffer from self-doubt and fear of failure can prevent me from living up to my true potential.
  • As a worker, I am dedicated and capable and always eager for a chance to prove myself.
  • My dexterous hands are useful in a wide range of careers, and I’m ideally suited for work in engineering, advertising, and design.

What kind of animal are you?

The Tale Of The Potted Pothos In The Pretty Pot On The Porch

/ Ally Bean / 17 Comments

ONCE UPON A TIME ON A FINE SPRING DAY… the lady of the house went to the store and bought a small pothos.  She brought it home and planted the pothos in a beautiful terra-cotta pot that featured smiles & dots on its rim.

The lady of the house was very happy with how her new pothos looked in her favorite pot, so she put the potted pothos in the screened-in porch of her home.  There, the lady of the house was certain, the potted pothos would thrive.

 And it did.

WHEN SUMMER CAME UPON THE LAND… the lady of the house decided to take her early morning mug of coffee onto the screened-in porch, sit in her favorite wicker chair, sip her java and gaze upon her potted pothos in the pretty pot on the porch.

And all was well in the land.

UNTIL ONE MORNING… the lady of the house realized that there was something new & different about her pothos.  That during the previous hot, humid night the potted pothos had changed in a very weird way.

At first the lady of the house did not like this transformation.  In fact, the man of the house suggested that she get a paper towel and immediately remove the strangeness from her favorite potted pothos.  [Please note that the man of the house was not put out enough by the strangeness of the potted pothos transformation to do anything about it.  He merely suggested to the lady of the house that she should do this.]

But the lady of the house ignored the man of the house’s advice and decided to look very carefully at the mushrooms that had formed on her favorite potted pothos.  As she did this she realized that the mushrooms were a pretty shade of yellow that just happened to match the tiny yellow stripe on the pillows in the screened-in porch.  Such attention to detail delighted the lady of the house.  Yes, the mushrooms were an interesting development to be sure.

And suddenly the lady of the house had an idea.

FEELING THAT THERE MUST BE AN EXPLANATION FOR THIS TURN OF EVENTS… the lady of the house found a link to a webpage that explained exactly what was going on with her potted pothos in the pretty pot on the porch.  She discovered that her beloved potted pothos had a fungus called Leucocoprinus birnbaumii, aka Lepiota lutea, the yellow houseplant mushroom.  Further she learned that this fungus, which had created these yellow mushrooms, was harmless as long as it was not ingested.

And there was learning in the land.

AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE… the lady of the house had absolutely no intention of eating these mushrooms.  Or of letting her precious morning mug of coffee come in contact with them.  The lady of the house had common sense– and then some.

So she let the yellow mushrooms be & allowed them to go through their 48 hour [more or less] life cycle.  During which time she enjoyed the unexpected, color-coordinated bit of beauty that they added to her potted pothos in the pretty pot on the porch.

And once again there was peace in the land.

THE END


The “Ray Of Sunshine” Meme

/ Ally Bean / 8 Comments

Last week Polly of caughtwriting tagged me with a lighthearted award known as The Sunshine Award.  It’s a fun little award/meme that lets me tell you, my gentle readers, a bit more about myself.

The rules are as follows: 1.  Thank the person who gave me this award;  2.  Answer the questions below – its all about favourite things;  3.  Pass on the award to other sunshine-y bloggers and tell them about it.

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1.  The Thank You.

Thank you Polly for thinking of me.  It’s always fun to find out what other bloggers have to say about the same topics.  I think that’s why I like memes so much.  They are a pleasant little peek into someone else’s life.

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2.  The Questions.

Favourite colour

Today it is aqua + cyan + teal.  Turquoise jewelry.  Ocean waves.  Soothing and relaxing colors that seem to call to me as the heat of summer is upon us.

Favourite animal

Cats.  First of all I think that cats are very handsome animals.  Then, of course, I  like how a cat with one disparaging glance can put anyone or anything in its place.  Good looks + attitude.  What’s not to admire?

Favourite number

Eight.  What I think is really cool about eight is that if you write it numerically, then lay it on its side, you will have the symbol for infinity.  Such versatility charms me.

Favourite drink

Vodka.  Preferably Grey Goose on the rocks with a twist of lemon.  It’s a simple and straightforward drink– easy to make, nice to sip, pretty to look when served in a cut crystal tumbler.

Facebook or Twitter?

Twitter, definitely.   I find it more informative than FB.  I like how Twitter’s 140 character limit forces everyone to get to the point.  And it just seems more fun to me.  In the moment.  A little wacky.

Your passion…

Interior design.  Over the years I’ve gotten more interested in knowing about design principles & color combos & furniture styles.  Then using what I’ve learned I’ve been slowly redecorating our home so the it is more inviting + cheerful + livable.  When I’m not stressed out about all the expensive choices I’m making, I rather enjoy being an active amateur interior designer.

Giving or receiving presents?

I find the idea of giving or receiving presents problematic.  I don’t enjoy shopping for anything, ever– nor do I feel like anyone needs to give me a present for anything, ever.  All of which means that I’m uncomfortable with both the giving and receiving of presents.  Truthfully, I’d rather spend time with the people who I love than spend time messing around with presents for them.            

Favourite day

Tuesday.  Don’t know why.  I just like it.

Favourite flower

Lately I’ve been on a daisy and zinnia kick.  The former because they seem to grow anywhere– and the latter because I’m determined to get them to grow somewhere.

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3.  The Award Ceremony.

As for passing the award along to other sunshine-y bloggers, here’s what I’m going to do.

If you are a self-described ray of sunshine [or you’re looking for something to do on your blog], then by all means do this meme.  It’s fun.  It’s light.  It’s a perfect sort of meme that puts all other memes to shame.  YES, gentle readers, this is the meme for you.

And with that, I have fulfilled my obligation regarding Rule #3.  See you later, meme-a-gators.  It’s beautiful outside today– and this little ray of sunshine wants to be out in the garden.