Taking a Cue From Mourning Doves

MOURNING DOVES ARE FEATURED IN WIOB

The other evening after the sun went down, I noticed at least seven mourning doves sitting in my rooftop garden. Due to their coloring and the darkness of the sky, they nearly blended in with the blacktop surface; so it was hard to observe their behavior and impossible (given the constraints of my camera equipment) to photograph them.

Tuesday's Truths Week 192: What a difference a week makes!

IMAGE CREDIT

As many of you may know, a number of people were impacted by Hurricane Isaias, which took place in NYC, one week ago (on August 4th 2020) and I was no exception, in fact I had a Wizard of Oz moment.

Valentine's Day 2020

A SIMILAR IMAGE IS FEATURED IN MY HT  ARTICLE

My visiting Cupid figurine featured in the image atop this entry (where he is standing amongst succulents that grow within my indoor garden) joins me in saying Happy Valentine's Day from my place to your place.

He has been coming to my place annually for a number of years now, therefore, you may recognize his face from prior entries here on Blogger or from an on line HT article that I wrote for in bygone years.

National Umbrella Day 2020

Today, February 10, is National Umbrella Day and in honor of the occasion, I'm posting a photo of a figurine holding an umbrella atop this entry.

According to a number of holiday themed sites, including National Today, "the origins of the utilitarian holiday remain a mystery, it’s been celebrated since at least 2004."

Not only does the umbrella help keep us dry from the rain, but it also protects us from the heat of the sun as evidenced in my next picture taken at a beach in Ocean Grove New Jersey nearly eight years ago.

National day goes on to proclaim, "Umbrellas can also be used as a fashion accessory. While the umbrella is primarily practical, they also decorate cocktails. These brightly colored paper umbrellas make for fun party favors especially when visiting sunny locations.

New Year's Day 2020

It's the first Wednesday in 2020 as well as my first blog post of the new year. My scantily dressed figurine and I are starting the day off by wishing you and yours all the best.

Monday's Musings_2 Saint Jude

I can't let this day end without paying homage to Saint Jude on his feast day (which is always observed on October 28th). I have a small statue rendered in the likeness of him above my desk.

The figurine of him can be seen in the photo atop this entry and in the picture, he is the second one from the left, standing between Saint Francis (to his right) and Saint Joseph (to  his left).

In bygone years I've written about each one of them on Blogger, if you'd like to refer to any of my entries, please click on their names.

Fyi, the other three statues (to the left of Saint Joseph respectively) that are included in this picture, are renditions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Anthony, and Saint Lucy.

If you'd like to refer to any of my entries, please click on their names. Each of them have separate feast days, but this Friday, November the first, they will be honored together with all the saints in the annual, world wide celebration of All Saints Day.

Sunday's Sentiment: National Black Cat Day (An Excuse to Celebrate Black Squirrels Too?)

Today is National Black Cat Day. According to many sources, including holidayscalendar.com, this occasion is "celebrated on October 27th, just four days before Halloween... National Black Cat Day is a holiday which celebrates an animal (who) has an image problem. Black cats are not only considered bad luck in the United States but they are also one of the cats that is the least likely to be adopted...

While no one is exactly sure when National Black Cat Day was founded, what is known is that the attitudes about these particular felines are different during different parts of history and in different parts of the world. For example, in Great Britain and Japan, a black cat is considered good luck. However, in the United States, it has come to symbolize bad luck or evil forces. In some parts of the world, if a black cat crosses your path, then it’s considered to be a bad omen. In folklore, black cats are often depicted as agents of evil or even evil itself. In some parts of Europe, they were considered so evil that they were burned alive by superstitious villagers in giant midsummer bonfires..."

I don't have a black cat (or any cat for that matter), but I do have a figurine of someone dressed as a black cat for Halloween.

He/she can be modeling his/her costume in the pictures atop this entry.

Not everyone appreciates tulips (unlike me). Tuesday's Truths WK 120

The figurine (picture above) who was intent on planting some bulbs (within my indoor succulent garden) and I were comparing notes re our experiences with flowers that are produced by them including; Muscari, crocuses and tulips. Over the years (more than ten) of maintaining my rooftop garden with the help of JV, bulbs for many varieties of the aforementioned flowers have been planted in my place.

Penguin Awareness Day 2019

In honor of today's holiday, Penguin Awareness Day, I'm including images of my penguin figurine ("modeling" his vest) atop this entry and a link to a post within Discovery Blog that lists five fun facts re this amazing bird type.

I would love to travel to the areas where they are found, in the meantime, I saw them in the Central Park Zoo many years ago. There something a little sad about seeing them in that situation, in my opinion.

Monday's Memo: It's the Festum Asinorum (AKA asinariafesta) AKA Fête de l'âne AKA "The Feast of the Ass"

The donkey figurine seen in the pictures here is all dressed up in honor of today's holiday: The Feast of The Ass, known as Festum Asinorum (or asinariafesta) in Latin and Fête de l'âne in French.

This event is always celebrated on January the fourteenth!

According to checkiday.com, "The Feast of the Ass was a Christian feast during medieval times, which was mainly celebrated in France. It celebrated all of the donkeys of the Bible, especially the one that was believed to have brought Jesus and his family into Egypt after Jesus' birth, during what is known as the Flight into Egypt. At that time, the family was fleeing the killing of young boys by Herod the Great. Another example of a donkey in the Bible is the one that Jesus rode on into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. It is also believed that a donkey was in the stable in which Jesus was born. First celebrated during the eleventh century, the holiday is connected to the Feast of Fools, and was inspired by the pagan Roman festival Cervulus..." 

Please join me, dear reader, in wishing my sweet figurine well on her holiday!

It's now 2019 + also the 8th Day of Christmas! (Tuesday's Truths WK 108)

Happy New Year, dear reader. Hope you had a joy-filled New Year's Eve! As for me, I spent part of mine watching the fireworks in Central Park. It was quite a rainy Eve but that did not deter people from enjoying the display, and at least we could have umbrellas! 

I'm told umbrellas aren't allowed in the areas where people go to view the ball drop in Time Square, but as I said in an FB post, that event has never interested me. 

Bringing in a New Year by being in nearby Central Park with mostly 'hood people who are viewing the display of fireworks (some pictures of this year's"show" can be seen directly below) has been my standard for many years; and in fact, I wrote about this event a number of times here on Blogger, including a 2011 entry.

On another note, not only is today the first day of 2019, it's also The Eighth Day of Christmas, the day when someones's true love (according to a song) gave to them eight maids a milking, seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.

A Day To Celebrate the Beauty of Corn (Tuesday's Truths WK 100)

Today is National Candy Corn Day, a holiday which I've discussed in a few entries here on Blogger, but since this year it coincides with my Tuesday's Truths series (for which I've already published a post) the figurine featured in the image atop this entry has asked me to remind readers that this holiday (as I mentioned in my 2017 post) "is intended to celebrate the beauty of corn..."

As you can see, she is carrying a Jack-O-Lantern-style container to hold any treats she might get when trick or treating — which might include candy corn!

It's #NATIONALBLACKCATDAY!

I would be remiss to not mention that October the 27th (today) is known as National Black Cat Day, a "holiday" (according to a web-page) that "is all about celebrating the beauty of these sleek creatures... these felines deserve the love and attention just as much as their tabby counterparts.  Old notions have given these furry critters a bad reputation.  National Black Cat Day is about turning that reputation around..."

One of my figurines who is visiting my place to attended a vow renewal ceremony came dressed as a black cat as his way of paying homage to these creatures, he can be seen in the picture atop this entry, bearing candy corn. 

Frankenstein Must Share His 2018 Holiday! (National Pumpkin is also today.)

Today is the last Friday in the month of October, which means it's Frankenstein Friday, and if you'd like to see what I said about this holiday in last year's post here on Blogger, please click this link.

This year, as a way of honoring of this occasion, I'm posting a picture of a figurine rendered in the likeness of Frankenstein.

This picture was taken in bygone years when he spent time in my indoor succulent garden.

In subsequent years after that Frankenstein and his bride (seen in solo photo-ops below) went to a vow renewal ceremony that took place in my armoire!

Because this year's Frankenstein Friday falls on October 26th, it coincides with another holiday, which is National Pumpkin Day, a favorite of the characters from the PEANUTS comic strip, as evidenced below in an image from a webpage known for BIOLOGICAL.

IMAGE CREDIT

According to the aforementioned webpage, "The pumpkin is a cultivar of a squash plant native to North America. As one of the most popular crops in the United States, 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year...  Illinois is one of the top pumpkin producing states with 95% of the U.S. crop intended for processing is grown in Illinois. Nestlé, operating under the brand name Libby’s, produces 85% of the processed pumpkin in the United States, at their plant in Morton, Illinois."

This year in my research re National Pumpkin Day, I studied the relationship of Jack-O-Lanterns and pumpkins and I learned some interesting facts!

Halloween will be here in 2 weeks! Wednesday's Wisdom: Get your cards, invitations + gifts NOW!

They're baacccccck! A number of my annual Halloween "guests" (figurines)* have returned to my armoire for the upcoming 2018 holiday. You can see some them on the top shelf, where a bride and groom are in the midst of rehearsing for a vow renewal ceremony as the wedding-renewal party (surrounding them) oversees the event which is scheduled to take place on Halloween night.

The "folks" on the bottom shelf plan to attend the ceremony in their Halloween costumes and are currently comparing notes as to who is wearing the most ingenious costume.

And this is how my visitors are preparing for Halloween! What about you, dear reader? Do you have plans to send greetings to those near and dear to you or to host a soirée?

Saturday's Sentiments Glinda the Good Witch Gets It: There is no place like home!

The quotation, "There is no place like home," is mostly associated with Glinda, the Good Witch, from the Wizard of Oz. 

A figurine rendered in her likeness can be seen in the photograph atop this entry (which was taken in 2016, when she posed for a photo-shoot).

April's ALSO National Kite Flying Month! (Tuesday's Truths Week 80)

It's already the third Tuesday in April, and so for this week's Tuesday's Truths, I'm calling on the figurine featured in the image atop this entry to help me remind peeps that the month of April is National Kite Month. It is also known to be National Gardening and Lawn Month (which I wrote about in a prior entry here on Blogger) as well as being known to be National Poetry Month (which I also discussed in a previous posting here on Blogger).

In any event, according to a web-page, "Every year in April Kite enthusiasts across North America celebrate the history and the future of the world’s favorite pastime by letting their kites fly.  It is a month to celebrate the joy and happiness that comes from letting out the line, letting your kite catch the wind, and letting that kite soar high into the sky."

Of course if you are like Charlie Brown, your joy and happiness can turn into frustration, as evidenced in the Peanuts comic strip (which was evidently published on April 12, 1956) that is posted directly below.

Monday's Musings: Dyngus Day 2018 ETC

Today is Easter Monday and on 2017's Easter Monday I wrote about the significance of the Monday after (here on Blogger) Easter, saying, "according to Wiki, 'Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday and is a holiday in some countries. Easter Monday in the Western Christian liturgical calendar is the second day of Eastertide and analogously in the Byzantine Rite is the second day of Bright Week.'"

In the country of Poland, the Monday after Easter is known as Dyngus Day, which is also spelled Dingus Day. A web-page within Holiday Insights (HI) describes this occasion as "a fun Polish Holiday (and explains that )"it is very popular in Poland, and in Polish communities across America. After the long Lenten holiday, Dyngus Day is a day of fun. And, perhaps a little romantic fun. It is always celebrated on the Monday after Easter." 

Happy New Year — Chinese New Year that is.

The figurine, who is featured in the image directly above, joins me today in wishing you, dear reader, a very  Happy New Year — Chinese New Year that is. This date of 2-16-2018 marks the beginning of the Lunar Year, which happens to be The Year of the Dog.

This occasion has nothing to do with the calendar year being named The Year of the Bird in honor of the one hundred year anniversary of  The Migratory Bird Act.

Tuesday's Truths, the seventy-fifth week. Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day (ETC)

Cupid (the figurine seen in the image atop this entry) joins me today in welcoming you, dear reader, to the seventy-fifth week of my Tuesday's Truths series. He wants to make sure that we heed the certain words (posted directly below) uttered by Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, 

All in the morning betime, 

And I maid at your window, 

To be your Valentine. 

Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes, 

And dupped the chamber-door; 

Let in a maid, that out a maid 

Never departed more.

For indeed, tomorrow is Saint Valentines Day! This year it coincides with Ash Wednesday, which means today is Shrove Tuesday.

Therefore, because Valentines Day is on Ash Wednesday (marking the onset  of Lent), you may not want to give your special someone chocolates, or champagne, but, you probably want to give the person who is near and dear to you a special gift! May Cupid and I suggest giving him/her a version of the book, Words In Our Beak Volume One.

"WORDS IN OUR BEAK" MAKES A GREAT GIFT ANYTIME

Here's the info on how to buy all the versions:

HARDCOVER:
Book Seller Info: http://bit.ly/2AFZDCz
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2zxVujM
Barnes & Noble On-Line: http://bit.ly/2AAnB26
book culture On Columbus: http://bit.ly/2FsC1Uf

SOFTCOVER:
Magcloud: http://bit.ly/2nrBJDj

DIGITAL (TWO OPTIONS):
ePub: http://amzn.to/2kzWGw0
iBook: http://apple.co/2nHZMBq

FALL 2018 ADDENDUM: 

The digital versions of Volume One within the Words In Our Beak book series that are mentioned in this entry may only remain available for a limited time, but hardcover versions of Volume One, Two and Three can now be found wherever books are sold.

Moreover, I no longer actively produce event program covers, invitations and the types of greeting cards described here or on my website but arrangements might be able to be made under certain circumstances. My focus is on the Words In Our Beak book series, pictured below...

WORDS IN OUR BEAK BOOK SERIES

...whose stories are told from the point of view of Cam, a female cardinal, whose photo is on the cover of each book. Words In Our Beak’s goal is to open readers to a simple understanding of the winged world and their environment. Set in my rooftop garden in NYC,  Words In Our Beak is directed to children and adults who are curious about birds, and want to learn about them from a unique perspective. The books include hundreds of images of flora and fauna, links to movies, as well as to informative narratives that have been created by the author.

Please click here to go to my blog post that provides details as to where you can get these books.

Additionally, I have rendered some images from these books into other formats and they are available via Fine Art America (FAA). Some of my other photographs (Black & White Collection, Kaleidoscopic Images and the famous Mandarin duck who visited NYC) can also be found on my FAA pages.

SUMMER 2020 ADDENDUM: 

                             

"Never say never," the saying goes, and I suppose that applies to saying, "I no longer....," which I did in my 2018 addendum and now I'm here to announce at the advice of Chris Deatherage, my book series formatter, who is also my web-master (for patriciayoungquist.com) I now have some versions of the greeting cards that are referenced in this blog post available via FAA, please click here to view them.

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER 2021:

When the third volume of the hard-cover version of Words In Our Beak was released, I withdrew from promoting my former versions of Words In Our Beak. 

The very first one is an iBook and went into Apple's book store in 2015.

This was followed by an ePub version...

... that is available on Amazon and was also published in 2015.

Subsequently, Words In Our Beak's digital versions were published as a soft-cover book (with slight variations) by MagCloud in 2017.

Its press release can be read by clicking here.  

Now with the release of BIRD TALES....

... I've been advised to make mention of my early versions of volume one of Words In Our Beak, they do vary ever so slightly in content from the hard-cover version of volume one.

As of this addendum, I do not intend to create digital or soft-cover versions of Words In Our Beak Volume Two or Words In Our Beak Volume Three.