A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

challenge

BWF: Carrots from the eyes of a mischievous youngster

When I was a kid, we lived in a small neighborhood. The summers were spend playing with friends — baseball, football, riding bikes, exploring the woods, and jumping around in streams.

This was before the internet age, so … we had to actually find things to do outside.

We’d leave in the morning. Then we’d all go home around noon (we knew when that was as the fire whistle went off) for lunch, and then back we went for the second half of the day. That would be much the same, and sometimes a trip to the village pool on the best days.

To say we were mischievous would be an understatement. Though we never did anything really criminal (my father was the chief of police … I was a bit too scared to do anything bad), we still definitely caused trouble.

That included carrots.

How, you may ask, could you create trouble with carrots?

Simple, I say. You visit people’s gardens for an afternoon snack.

Now, we didn’t do this often. But there were times when we were hungry and there were some neighborhood gardens that weren’t so hard to sneak to and snag a carrot. (Others grabbed peas or whatever else… but I stuck to carrots).

We’d get things cleaned off and would have a healthy snack to get you through the rest of the day.

Not bad.

But yes, totally mischievous.

I still like carrots. But mine pretty much all come from a store, rather than yanking them from a garden. It’s something that does always make me chuckle though, when I think back more probably like 35 or so years ago.

Here’s some DYI, though.

Cleaning garden veggies from a mischievous kid:

  • Sneak into a garden
  • Find the veggie you will eat (remember not to waste)!
  • Find the closest creek
  • Wash off your veggie
  • Have your snack
  • Get a drink from the creek
  • Go back to your daily activities

How about any of you? You ever do anything like this as a kid?

Blog With Friends: April 2020
Blog with Friends is a themed collaboration challenge where a group of bloggers get together and publish a project based on a theme. Please see the others who have taken part for this month’s theme carrots. Links to their posts can be found below the image!

Check out what the others did with carrots!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen here, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! Starting up is the Food Photo Challenge and the Can of Corn Challenge. We’d love to see you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Reading, writing, and learning to journal in middle age

Throughout my life, I’ve always been a writer.

Sometimes it was professionally. Sometimes it was personal stuff. But I’ve always been that writer.

The one thing I haven’t been good at … was journaling.

That being said, one could argue that blogging is a way to journal — but I wanted it a little more traditional. The idea of bullet journaling has interested me for a while. I love seeing spreads and ideas on what people do. What I like about it is how it can work not just as a version of a traditional journal, but as a guide for life. I don’t look at it as a planner as many might. I look at it as a tool to document your doings, while still kind of keeping with your current life and staying on task. 

It’s funny, though. Sometimes one has to watch where they say things like this. Much like every other thing a person can do, when you get out in social media, things can get rather nasty – even with something like a bullet journal. Not to get on a soapbox – and I will keep this brief – but as I was learning about the different aspects and facets of bullet journaling, there are people who get downright forceful in their belief that their way; or maybe that of the originator’s way; or some other way – is the only way to do this. And if you go off that path, you are doing it wrong and so many internet people will lash into you over it. 

It’s a journal. Nothing more, nothing less. People will make it their own and do it their own way. Deal with it and move on. Better yet, if you feel the need to slam people over how they do things – move along. 

Anyway, I digress. 

I don’t need a lot of room for daily thoughts. I just need to make sure I stick with it!

I’ve never been successful with journals. I didn’t keep up or I didn’t get a flow. A bullet journal seemed to be something that could help me. (I have been working on a larger post about my path in bullet journaling in more detail and that will be coming out soon). I think it’s more about sitting down and trying to put personal thoughts to pen and paper more than anything, 

Reality is, the world is a crazy place, It can be amazingly good or shockingly bad. There’s a lot of middle ground, too. There’s heartbreak and joy. So much goes right and wrong in this world. But in the end, it’s not a bad time to be alive. Keeping that in mind, it’s also a time when the world needs to focus on people, be it good or be it topics like mental health. 

I work in schools and see a lot about mental health issues and what we can do about it. I’m very cognizant of my own mental health and realize sometimes you can’t keep things bottled up. I also know there needs to be an outlet of sorts where I can get thoughts out and understand my own path in life. 

Hence the journal. 

I like other aspects of journaling, which theoretically should help keep me on task.

Let me say that I’m a bit jealous of people who have journaled for years and who have created their own style and way of doing things. I’d love to go back and read my own writing about issues or successes in the past. I’d love to see my thoughts on a more personal level, and not just on my blog. Though I’ve shared some life-altering things in life on this blog, I tend not to get way too personal with a lot of other things. 

So this journey for me, is just starting. I read a lot about how journaling has helped. I’m trying to define a style and a schedule to keep. I haven’t done too well, so far. February was OK, but I haven’t done basically anything in March. April will be a new month and I’ll try to find that flow once again. So far, reading how others have done this is helping, but then I need to get to the doing part of things. 

It’s even harder doing this, though, as a middle age guy. I have so many other things I’m invested in, at times it feels like a burden, and that’s something I don’t want this to be. I’d like it to be something good. Just like anything else, I know I need to make it a routine and find a rhythm. I think if I can do that, I’ll start to feel that flow more. It might be where I need to do it every other day. My memory is good enough where I won’t forget all the good from the day before if I do it every couple of days. I’m not one who wants to do it whenever I think about something as it will then consume me. It needs to be real and organic for it to really work for me. 

I do feel that rhythm will be found, eventually, A few months from now, I’m sure I will look back and know there were just a few speed bumps in the way of getting things the way I need them to be. 

So how about all of you out there? Do you journal (and what form? Regular, BUJO) and, if so, how long have you been doing it? And what kind of routine do you have for journaling?

Blog With Friends: March 2020

Blog with Friends is a themed collaboration challenge where a group of bloggers get together and publish a project based on a theme. Please see the others who have taken part for this month’s theme “Read Across America.” Links to their posts can be found below the image!

Check out what the others did with Read Across America!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen at A ‘lil HooHaa, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! We also have the Food Photo Challenge (current theme listed at end of post) and the Can of Corn Challenge. We’d love to see you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Masks and beads and food and drinks OH MY!

In all the years I’ve been on Earth, Mardi Gras is … not something I’ve known much about. 

Sure, you heard it every year. 

And supposedly it’s one hell of a party each year in New Orleans. 

There are beads. And colors. And drinks. And food. 

So.

Much.

Stuff. 

A bit on the backside of this – when I was younger, I didn’t mind going out for drinks and basic shenanigans. But I wasn’t much on massive parties and craziness. I never wanted to go somewhere south for spring break and I had no interest in places where the main objective was partying and getting, well, shitfaced. 

As I’ve gotten older, I look at things differently. I’m not into that shitfaced part, still, but I look at the whole Mardi Gras thing as an experience. And though I’m sure I’ll never do it, it’s still a bit more interesting to me, even if just for photography purposes. 

But what the hell is Mardi Gras? 

And why do I care about beads? 

I set out to find out, in easy terms what this day is and what kind of things you might be able to expect. 

So what is Mardi Gras? 

Also known as Fat Tuesday, it’s the day before Ash Wednesday and is the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before Lent season. 

Basically, stuff your face and live it up before giving up certain things for lent. 

This is not something observed throughout the United States (it’s different throughout the world, but being I’m in the States, I’ll stick with that), it is something you see in traditionally ethnic French cities and regions. New Orleans is one of the biggest and probably best known. 

Costumes are often part of these celebrations. Masks, costumes, and bright colors – often yellows, purples, and greens. Nowadays, the costumes can become elaborate, using feathers and capes as well. There sometimes are themes with the costumes. 

I know a few people who have done the Mardi Gras trip in New Orleans and one thing they pointed out is that some ladies like to go topless, which apparently has been documented since 1889 according Wikipedia. The French Quarter is seemingly a big place for this, where people will expose themselves on balconies, getting a crowd to form on the street below. 

And this is where the beads and trinkets apparently come into play. I was always curious about this and what the point was. Again, according to Wikipedia, it seems the rise of producing commercial videos catering to voyeurs has helped this, so the tradition is women bare their breasts in exchange for beads and trinkets. A study in 1991 found 1,200 instances of this happening!

Yowza!

So let’s flip this a little – to something a little more tame. 

Food and drinks. 

When I was originally looking at something for this challenge, my initial thought was to find a recipe and make it. One thing I noticed, though, is what the foods that seem to go with Mardi Gras are like – and that would be not very kind on my blood sugar! Have you seen the King’s Cake? It looks divine, but … it wouldn’t be good for me! 

The drinks… they look strong but tasty. Try a hurricane. I’d say it would be super delicious!

Mardi Gras is an interesting holiday. I honestly can’t say I’d head to New Orleans for this celebration, but I’d like to try some of the food and drinks. 

How about any of you? Have you been part of anything with Mardi Gras in the past? This year it is Tuesday, February 25.

Blog With Friends: February 2020
Blog with Friends is a themed collaboration challenge where a group of bloggers get together and publish a project based on a theme. Please see the others who have taken part for this month’s theme Mardi Gras. Links to their posts can be found below the image!

Check out what the others did with Mardi Gras!

Enjoy blogging challenges? We have several that happen here, and we’d love to have you join us! The Photo Blogging Challenge is one of our main ones and it runs monthly! Starting up is the Food Photo Challenge and the Can of Corn Challenge. We’d love to see you!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

The faces you meet when traveling

The different aspects of traveling can be somewhat daunting to some. Between getting to and from a place, to dealing with arrangements and the such, it can be far more stressful than one hopes. Alas, when you get to your destination, hopefully things will change and it’s relaxing and stress free. 

But then you think about all the people you might come across. Does that add stress? For many it can. In this world, there’s an estimated 7.7 billion people. It took more than 200,000 years of humanity to reach 1 billion – and then it took only 100 more years to reach 7 billion. 

Think about that for a while. Crazy, right? 

Anyway, the people are what can make a trip really fun, all depending where you are and what you are doing. If you are camping in the middle of the woods, maybe you don’t see anybody. But when you are in areas where there are a lot of people, it’s inevitable you will deal with people. 

And each person has a story. 

Years ago, I decided to attempt  the 100 Strangers Project. Basically, it’s a project where you meet a stranger, take a photo of them and write a little something up. The thing is, I did it mainly through Flickr and it was really slow. I tended to forget about the project, or I forgot to bring something with me to give the people of which I was taking their photo. 

And it’s been four years since I added to that project. 

My recent vacation took me to the Pacific Northwest, where we ventured into Canada and hit four states. Last year, two of us did an epic geocaching trip that covered nine states in seven days. 

Along the way, we met a lot of interesting people from all walks of life. 

Talk about missed opportunities. 

Let me tell you about a couple of people from this year. First, we were walking about the famed Lake Louise in Banff National Park. A few times I saw people using a Canon camera, so I offered to let them try my 8-14 fisheye wide angle. It’s a great lens in situations like that and I always like seeing the reaction of people using it. One couple specifically kept saying “Wow!” They were younger and seemed intrigued. There was a language barrier – they were speaking French with a little English. What a great spot it would have been for this project. 

Or …

On our way back to the shuttle area, we saw a girl down near the water, taking a photo of her hand. I realized that she must have just been proposed to, so we stopped and asked. Turns out they were from Connecticut (not far from where I went to grad school) and he had proposed a bit ago in a different spot in the park. She was taking photos of the ring with her phone. We had a nice chat, offered up a couple of hikes we had done, and moved along. But there was definitely a story there.

How great of a 100 Strangers Project addition would that have been?

I have different feelings when it comes to meeting people on travels. Once again, take into mind the 7.7 billion people in this world – and how many of these people you will never see; and for many you do see, think about how many you pass by and will never see again. Then think about how many people you actually interact with and it’s staggering how few that is in the big scheme of the world. 

So why don’t we take advantage of the few we actually interact with to maybe find a little more about them?

With that in mind, I’m going to embark on the 100 Strangers Project once again. 

But I’m going to start from scratch. 

The goal is going to be to start seeing the stories these people have to tell. I’ll come up with some basic questions and have them with me when I’m out and about. I’ll start looking to carry my camera more as I think it looks better when trying to do a project like this if not just using a phone camera (though if I get the new iPhone, I may just want to use that …). 

I’ve found, as I get older, I’m a bit more introverted. Dealing with people really exhausts me, and there are times I want to crawl up and not deal at all. I think a project like this helps one get out of a comfort zone. I’m going to get some business cards made up with the blog address, logo, and all that info so I can hand it to the person when I do this. 

This last trip I took made me realize how fun this project could have been. I can think of no fewer than 10 or so people I could have easily added to a project like this and who would have been wonderful subjects. Opportunities like that are lost and likely never to come back again, so it’s time to prepare to make sure these opportunities aren’t skipped. 

It’s about people.

It’s about telling a story. 

Hopefully, this will be a fun and long project. It could take years to complete, but I’d like to get to 100 – and then some.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

A new type of writing challenge …

If you visit my blog at all, you know I’m into challenges. I find, at times, it’s easier to have some challenges to keep the creative juices flowing.

Currently, I run a few:

The Photo Blogging Challenge

This is a monthly photo challenge where I give a prompt and people go take five photos and blog them at the end of the month. It’s a lot of fun and can be very creative.

20 Days of Chill

This is a writing challenge in January, covering 20 weekdays. Again, prompts are given and people interpret and write their posts and come back to link up each day. Lots of fun. This January will be the fourth one.

Rory’s Story Cubes will be the basis for the latest challenge!

Can of Corn Challenge

A couple of years ago, I stumbled across a baseball writing challenge. I liked the idea, but the people weren’t doing it anymore. I decided to start one of my own, with the idea of it running from March-October each year. I did it for two years and the participation has been pretty bad overall. I might try it one more year to see if it works out a bit better.

10 Days of Heat

I truly love the 20 Days of Chill, but during the summer there can be a lull. So the idea is 10 days over the course of a month to write with prompts. We had a lower turnout for this one than the 20 Days of Chill, but hopefully it can grow.

So why not add another? I’m not sure this one will catch any steam, but I think it could be cool way to have some blogging fun.

Enter Rory’s Story Cubes.

For those who don’t know what these are, they are sets of dice with images on them. You roll the dice and then take them and create a story out of them. It can be as bizarre or off the wall as any other. It can be short, it can be long — whatever your heart’s desire.

I have several sets of Rory’s Story Cubes (and will likely add more), so there are SO many possibilities of blog posts. My thought was … say once a month to have a challenge. (If enough people have fun with it, we could always do it every two weeks. If you mix up all the sets of dice, the combinations are infinite! Every two weeks might actually work well because a day could be picked and just stick with it. People could come and go as they please, but it might be fun to do it a little more regular).

I’ll roll nine of the dice, take a photo of them from the top and then everybody can have a week or two to write the post. I’ll do my post on the day of the link up and leave a place for people to put their links.

And, actually, what I can do is at the end of my post, I can put the photo of the next Rory’s Challenge. That way, I don’t need an actual post to announce and a post to link. Just a couple times a month, there it will be.

How’s that sound?

These story cubes (and many others) will be the basis of this challenge.

I’m curious as to what people think and if they would participate. I like the idea, honestly, because it can get people to get writing and using their imagination. I’m sure the majority of it would be fiction, but it would be interesting to see if people could insert “real life” into the dice rolls.

I have a lot of these dice to start, and I’ll be adding more of the smaller packs as I go along. The big boxes (nine dice) I have are the original, voyages, and action. I also have three-packs called “score,” “medic,” and “clues.”

Now it comes to picking a day. Do we do something in the middle of the week? Sundays? Make it random based on challenges going on etc., but give at least two weeks? Any thoughts from those reading would be appreciated.

And do you think you’d take part in this? I mean, I can always just do this on my own some, but it’s always more fun when others come along for the ride. Post in the comments below and let me know if you’d be interested. The more the merrier. Remember, these posts could be short or long — it’s all up to you!

I am not sure when I’ll start this, but once I get a good feel for things, I would anticipate sooner rather than later (at worst: January). This should be a lot of fun and hope to see many of join up!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!