This Musical Message is For Contemplating Singing Them

Merry Christmas!

And since it is a Wednesday...

Feliz Navidad

OR

Joyeux Noel

Ho! Ho! Ho! 

Happy Festivus

Festivus for the rest of us. Have you put up your Festivus pole? I hope everyone gets a chance to participate in Feats of Strength and the Airing of Grievances today. May you enjoy a Festivus Miracle!

This Musical Message is for Open Your Heart

I Can Find My Way From Here

Hello, Saturday and hello people traveling through Saturday and the days to come! Today's Saturday Scavenger Shots word is HUMOR (or HUMOUR) chosen by Diane, who is on Twitter @Littlebird_db

I have grown up here in the States with fewer "U"s than those in, say, England or Canada. So, HUMOR it is! :)

Let me show you some things that tickle my sense of HUMOR -

We try to keep ourselves amused at work. We used to have a rotating schedule for dressing up this little plush hamster. That whole thing has fallen by the wayside, but here are couple of my favorite HUMORous Hamsters...

Honey Baked Hamster. Just in time for the holidays!

M. C. Hamster. Stop...hamster time!

Even when I am alone at my desk, I try to keep a sense of HUMOR...

I call this scenario "Nancy & Albert Get Busy"

It is nice when someone understands HUMOR and gives you presents celebrating such HUMOR...

These are my Xmas gifts from DR from, I think, three years ago. We definitely share a sense of HUMOR.

Of course, I can never get down around these three...

They bring HUMOR to everything!

And finally...this one is some HUMOR for Jasen @ Swamp Gas & Moonlit Reflections . He is my co-conspirator on Saturday Scavenger Shots and he's one of my favorite people in the whole world...

Of course, I stole this joke, but I wrote it on a post-it and photographed it just for Jasen (and you guys too!)

Happy Birthday, Jasen!!!!!

This was a long post with a lot of photos. Hope you were able to keep your sense of HUMOR during the whole of it. Now all that's left is to see who Diane tags for next week. Thanks for stopping by and keep on laughing! 

And We - We Got Upsot

Ho Ho Ho and a very Happy Choose and Defend Wednesday to you! By next Wednesday, it will actually be Christmas. Therefore, today seemed like a good day to do a very Christmas-y Choose and Defend. Let's say you want to gather together some neighbors, friends, relatives...whatever. Which of these activities would you Choose to do?

Caroling

OR

Cookie Exchange

Perhaps you are a very social person and have both of these activities scheduled and more! In that case, simply Choose your favorite out of the two and tell us why it is your favorite (Defend). Perhaps you don't care for social activities and these both sound awful. In that case, simply Choose the least objectionable of the two and tell us why it is your least objectionable (Defend). It is just that easy to Choose and Defend! Thanks :)

This Musical Message is For the Joy of a Welfare Christmas

Fa La La La La

'Tis the SEASON. So says, Jasen @ Swamp Gas & Moonlit Reflections for this week's Saturday Scavenger Shots. Right about now, you can't go wrong with a word like that!  Sure, I took it in a bit of a different direction, but I am still reflecting upon the reason for the SEASON.  It's food, right?

Here is part of my collection of herbs and spices with which I SEASON my food. 

I had to feature prominently, my very favorite reasons to SEASON. You gots to have some fresh pepper...and okay, maybe some salt too! SEASONs Greetings!

Here is perhaps a more traditional shot for this festive SEASON. For some reason, the backs of our heads figured quite prominently in many of the photos taken at the City's Holiday Party. It's a good thing that's my best side! Oh, what a jolly SEASON it is :)

I hope you SEASON your food beautifully and that this holiday SEASON is full of joy for you and yours. If you aren't participating in Saturday Scavenger Shots already, please feel free to do so! Now all that's left to do is see who Jasen tags to choose next week's word. Ho Ho Ho!

Friday 5 - Seeds

Decided to pop over to Friday 5 today to see what's been up. As usual, scrivener was ready with another fun series of questions!  Let me see what I can bring to the table today.


1. When did you last have sunflower seeds? I can't think of the last time I had sunflower seeds. I want to say that it has been at least a couple of years. When I was a teenager, I remember eating them until my tongue and lips burned from the salted shells. I just can't take the pain anymore :)

2. What do you think of the idea of sipping coconut milk through a straw, right from a fresh coconut? If coconut milk right from a fresh coconut tastes like the commercial coconut water I've had, I would not be into it. I do NOT get the appeal. However, I prefer to imagine that it tastes different and better...and I love the whole idea of being on a beach, coconut in hand, sipping languidly as a cool tropic breeze blows through my hair. I mean, come on!

3. When did you most recently consume some kind of seed? Wednesday night, my burger, deliciously prepared by DR, was on a sesame seed bun. 

4. What’s the seediest-looking nearby neighborhood like? I actually live in one of the seediest parts of Glendora. Not that it compares to other seedy neighborhoods, but in the blocks surrounding me there are more apartment buildings than individual homes and there is the stereotypical trailer trash trailer park where a good half of my family lives. So, I gots that going on! Housing is expensive in So. Cal. I guess we do what we must to get by...even live in the seedy portion of a lovely city.

5. When did you last plant some metaphorical seeds, and has there been germination? Upon reflection, I realize that it has been quite some time since I have planted seeds of any kind...even metaphorical seeds. Doing that requires specific intention and for quite some time now I have felt rather untethered as far as specific intentions. I seem to be just floating like a dandelion seed.

"Thanks for participating, and may you reap what you sow this weekend!" So says scrivener and so say I.  You may want to answer Friday 5 questions on your blog as well...or perhaps in comments. Or not. That's cool too. Please stop in tomorrow for a full SEASON of Saturday Scavenger Shots.  Thanks!

Later On We'll Conspire

Welcome to a wintry Choose and Defend Wednesday! Warm weather lingered this year in this part of the country. But there has been a cold snap and we Southern Californians are, depending on our constitutions, either suffering or enjoying temperatures as low as 40°F. Okay, go ahead and scoff! But I've lived here all my life and to me, this is cold :)  At least it is cold enough to really feel that winter has arrived.

This made me think about winter activities. I thought I'd see what you'd like to do on, say, a snow day! We don't get those. But about an hour of travel will get me to snow if it is what I want...well, not now...in a few weeks maybe. Anyway, this week's Choose and Defend is about snowy, wintry activities. Which of these two things would you prefer to do (Choose) and why?(Defend)

Build a Snowman

OR

Go Sledding

These activities may actually be available to some of you. And even if not, you can surely imagine. Please, Choose and Defend! Also, feel free to talk about other winter activities you enjoy in comments. Thanks!

This Musical Message is For Made My Way Back Home

Stay Alive Until You Die

It is a TRADITION here at What Fresh Hell is This? to post weekly Saturday Scavenger Shots. Today is Saturday, so here I am. I chose this week's word - TRADITION. I guess I chose this word, mostly as a nod to the season. Lots of TRADITION surrounds Christmas and other winter holidays.

Here are a couple of nods to TRADITION from my house.

Here is our little Christmas tree. A TRADITION in many homes. When I was a child, the TRADITION was to go out to a local Christmas tree farm and get a fresh cut tree. So much fun! As I raised my own family, the tree TRADITION varied from year to year depending on finances. But we did always manage something! It is TRADITION after all. Now that my children are fairly grown and I'm living in a fairly small apartment, we have a fairly small artificial tree. I still think it is very pretty and I enjoy carrying on this particular TRADITION in this smaller way :)

Here is a kind of fuzzy picture of DR and I wearing seasonal elfin hats after returning home from the City's holiday party. Going to the party has been a TRADITION for me for the past 11 years. Wearing goofy hats for Christmas photos is a long TRADITION! Being happy is a TRADITION I highly recommend.

I am, for the most part, kind of Scrooge-like. Christmas tends to make me feel pressured and anxious. But I do, at heart, enjoy the TRADITION that surrounds this time of year. And I will be happy when I've experienced each one and can look back on it fondly :)  

I will go ahead and tag Jasen to choose next week's word. Thanks for stopping by!

So I Turn Myself to Face Me

Time for Choose and Defend Wednesday and time to make a change! That is this week's challenge. We can all stand to improve something in our lives, right? Well....maybe not you...or you....but the rest of us! So what would you most like to have more of, in the quest to improve your life?

Awareness

OR

Confidence

Maybe you'd prefer to make some other sort of personal growth, and I am happy to hear about that in comments! I so enjoy learning more about you. But still, make sure you Choose and Defend from the two choices presented here. It's what we do. Thanks!

I Was Nowhere in Sight When the Church Bells Rang

It is Monday, but don't despair. I am finally getting to my Saturday Scavenger Shots post. Thanks to the long weekend I avoid much internetting over the past four days. Now I am back to the grind and back to the fun of blogs and such.

This week's word, WIND was chosen by a new player in the game. Her twitter handle is @VesuviaAdelia . Quite a challenge to provide photos for something unseen! Doesn't mean it can't be done though...just have to get creative.

Well...I didn't get all that creative. But I did happen to have on hand a couple of fine pictures that illustrate a certain phrase -

This is my oldest son, Kick Back Dude, about...gosh...ten years ago! He was a runner all through high school. He was the very essence of someone who could run like the WIND! I was sad that he gave up running, for the most part, after high school. He had a real gift for it.

Here is my youngest son, Handsome Lad, a couple of years ago when he was a Freshman. The three kids in between these two never considered running, like the WIND or otherwise. But Handsome Lad gave it a try. He was a very good runner too, but I think his coach was a little hard on him because he was so enamored of Kick Back Dude. I feel bad that he decided not to continue with running. Siblings shouldn't be compared to one another, really. It just isn't fair.

And that's it...two of my kids running like the WIND! 

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, if you're into that. I hope you had a lovely weekend and are planning for a great week ahead! I'm not sure what is going on for this week's Saturday Scavenger Shots, but when I do I will post it on my Saturday Scavenger Shots page. Thanks!!! 

This Musical Message is For I Laughed and Shook His Hand

You Know My Dreams

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the States, so let me just wish you all a preemptive Happy Thanksgiving! Since Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday, you must know that today is Choose and Defend Wednesday. So how about a sort of a Thanksgiving themed question for this week?

Let's imagine that you've prepared and enjoyed your magnificent Thanksgiving feast with your family and friends beside you to make the day extra special. Ah, very nice! But now you are forced to make a decision about your post-feast activity. As always, there are only two choices and the rules of Choose and Defend compel you to make a choice between the two...and further, you must defend your choice to the rest of us!

What will you do after eating?

Go Shopping

OR

Watch Football

You may well have some other fabulous activity in mind. That's fine and I'd actually love to hear about it in comments. However, please also tell us which of these two activities you'd prefer (Choose) and tell us why (Defend). It's the American way! 

By the way, one thing I am definitely thankful for is those of you who stop by my blog. Thank you so much. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Musical Message is for Fight Those Demons

How Did I Get So Many?

Hello and welcome to my Saturday Scavenger Shots post. This week's word was chosen by a  new Twitter friend called Diane @Littlebird_db. She chose the word SOCKS. How cool is that? Thank you, Diane!

I decided, once again, to go traditional this week and post...you know....SOCKS. This post illustrates one of the differences between men and women. Or at least one of the differences between one particular man and one particular woman. 

Here you go!

His SOCKS

Her SOCKS

See what's going on here? I mean, if all you knew about us was what kind of SOCKS we had to choose from, who would you think was more fun? haha! Well, I know it isn't a very good indicator. After all, my tie collection is pretty bleak :)

Aaaannnnndddd....that is my SSS post for the week! I hope you enjoyed a peek in my drawers. Comment if you like. Go ahead, SOCK it to me...I can handle it :)

Now, Diane may tag someone to choose next week's word. We did get a shoutout from @VesuviaAdelia, so we may be all set for next week as well! This is all very exciting. Anyone reading here is welcome to play along. I have a whole page devoted to explaining Saturday Scavenger Shots in this blog. Take a look at it if you have any questions...or just ask in comments. I'm listening, er, watching. Something.  Thanks!

When the Pretty Birds Have Flown

Hey, it is Choose and Defend Wednesday, so I hope you're here to Choose and Defend! This week's post is partly inspired by Jasen's post about non-transitive Grimes Dice. It is also about the fact that I sometimes have a hard time just making up my mind :)

If you have to decide something quickly would you rather....

Flip a Coin

OR

Play Rock, Paper, Scissors

Now, I realize neither of these options may be a sound idea if you are making a BIG decision...but if you're waffling between going out for Chinese food or Pizza a quick solution may be a perfect solution.

Which of these methods do you prefer and why? Choose and Defend! Thanks :)

This Musical Message is For the Hell of It

Real's the Dream

Saturday is here and it brought with it this Saturday Scavenger Shots post. This week's word, TOY, was chosen by the delightful Cindy. She is a great Twitter friend who tweets as @twindy5. Thanks for a fun word, Cindy!

I TOYed with the word a bit, but in the end decided to just go old school and show you the TOYs I have on my desk. They blend into the background a lot of the time, but they are always there when I need to divert myself with a little happiness. I know I have featured most of these TOYs on my blog at one time or another, but here they are again!

Take a look -

Here is a collection of tiny TOY animals who populate my desk. They seem to get along just fine.

My bobblehead TOY collection is small, but mighty :) Dwight Schrute and the Penworthy Bear are great friends, in spite of...or maybe because of Dwight's fearful respect for bears.

Princess Unicorn is another Office related TOY. I know you have seen her before, as I was so tickled when my daughter made her for me one Christmas. 

Of course, we cannot forget my action figures. I love these guys very much. From left to right, say hello to Casanova, Albert Einstein, Librarian Nancy Pearl, and the Male Nurse. Each TOY is special in its own special way. They are a diverse group, but they've learned to make it work in their little desk top world. 

As you can see, my TOYs are well worth being featured on Saturday Scavenger Shots! Thanks again for a great word, Cindy! 

Now, what will happen next week? Who knows? TOY with the idea a bit and if you feel inspired to post your own TOY photo and/or choose a word for next week, please let me know! Thanks :) 

With All the Merchandise and Sunglasses I Could Ever Need

Welcome to Choose and Defend Wednesday. This is a weekly event that encourages making a choice and perhaps even discussing your choice! The important thing to remember is that there is no wrong choice and no wrong defense. This is a safe space :-)

This week you can become a collector, right here, right now. Maybe you already collect something. Maybe you even collect one of these two popular collectible items. But if you don't, pretend that now you MUST! Which of these two items would you Choose to collect? And tell us why...Defend.

Will you collect...

Coins

OR

Stamps 

Remember...you can't win if you don't play!  Oh wait...there are no winners here.  Okay...this is coming out badly. When we participate, we win!  There you go. Be a winner. Choose and Defend.

I Really, Really Wanna Thank You...For Being Born!

Happy Birthday to my Dear Richie DR! He makes life fun. ♥

This Musical Message is For I Really, Really Wanna Thank You

Will My Last Hope Fall

Here with my Saturday Scavenger Shots, yo. It is what I do. Well, it is one of the things that I do. I do other things too. I swear. Um, okay. Anyway...today's word is LEAF. Very appropriate for this time of year, right? Right! Thanks to my partner in crime, Jasen aka AlienCG aka webmaster @ Swamp Gas & Moonlit Reflections for choosing this week's fantastic word!

There is lots of beautiful fall foliage, of course. I didn't have anything on hand in that arena. However, I gave the word a little twist and managed to find a LEAF or two for you.

Each sheet in a book is called a LEAF. Each side of the LEAF is a page. LEAF through a book with me and let us run away into whatever world is created therein. Isn't reading just the best? It is. It is the best.

This LEAF laden vine hosts the delightful In-N-Out burger. I created this as part of a wall promoting the reading program they sponsor each autumn. The kids love getting free food and we love getting them to read. This LEAFy vine is a winner all around! All hail the burger LEAF!

Hope you found this LEAF strewn walk through Fresh Hell fully satisfying in every way. I hope you feel so drawn to what I've done here that you are compelled to post some LEAF photos too. If not, that's cool. I appreciate you just stopping in. You're welcome anytime. Wait! Don't LEAF yet! Oh...very well. See you soon :-)

Clothes Make the Man, Man

Just stopping in quickly on the last day of my stay-at-home vacation to give you a quick Choose and Defend. It is Wednesday and it is what we do here at What Fresh Hell is This?  This week, I thought maybe you'd like to adopt a sort of sartorial trademark!  Or maybe you wouldn't like to, but pretend you were compelled. And pretend that these are you two choices...because today they are! Which ever accessory you Choose, you will be required to sport it whenever you go out in public. Keep this in mind :) Which will you Choose....and how will you Defend your choice?

A Fedora

OR 

A Superhero Cape

It will be the new you! What will it be? Choose and Defend!

I am back to work tomorrow.  I know it sounds wrong, but it is oh, so right, that it will also be back to a more regular internet experience. I have a few days of lost time to make up for on your blogs and other social media....so see you soon in your space! Thanks!

This Musical Message is For Little Silver Discs

Wanna See My O Face?

Welcome to a slightly late edition of Saturday Scavenger Shots. I picked this week's word and went for something super simple. Any fool can play this game...even you guys! ;-)  The word is ORANGE.  Easy ORANGE carrots and green peasy!

Okay...as promised...here is my O Face -

Of course I meant my jack-O-lantern face! Or perhaps my ORANGE face. Isn't it hawt? Ah, I crack me up.

Here are some more ORANGE faces. Mine is a childhood classic and DR's is, like, a scene, man! I'm sure this is very revealing in some way. Mostly in the way that I am much less artistic. But the ORANGE is all good.

ORANGEs! Well, okay...they aren't actually ORANGEs, but rather honey tangerines. Still, they are certainly ORANGE in color. So there you go.

Hope you all had a great Halloween and are having a delightful weekend. Mine is very leisurely. I am currently vacationing from work and just taking it way easy. If you'd like to post an ORANGE photo it is not too late. I am a little late, but there is no penalty! We can all still enjoy it! So. Think about it. And make sure you check out Jasen's offering over at Swamp Gas & Moonlit Reflections as well.

Like an Angel In Disguise

It is almost Halloween! I am a fan. So I thought I'd make this Choose and Defend Wednesday with a Halloween theme. I looked up what the most popular costumes are for this year, picked out a couple of top sellers and thought I'd let you Choose...and of course, Defend :)

Which of these costumes would you Choose, if these were your only two choices in the world

Duck Dynasty

OR

The Fox

In the event that you aren't familiar with the source material, I have included a couple of YouTube links:

Duck Dynasty

What Does the Fox Say?

Have a fun, festive Halloween everyone! And thanks for playing!

This Musical Message is For My Baby, I Know

I Remember When You Stole My Girl

Life in a busy library's busy children's room on a Saturday. It is a hive of activity. This leads us right into my Saturday Scavenger Shots post! This week's word was chosen by the orginator of this little game, Evil-E. Evil-E stopped blogging at some point, but he has a brother who blogs...you may know him as AlienCG or Jasen @ Swamp Gas & Moonlit Reflections :)  The word chosen is BUZZ.

I've had a couple of days to think about this word. I must have forgotten about it yesterday evening, when I deliberately whisked a bee out of the house as it struggled towards the lamp bulbs. I had a bee and I didn't take a picture of it!!! Drat. 

So, I had to go with the other things that are causing a BUZZ around my place most recently.

Here is sullen teen Handsome Lad trying on his Homecoming attire. I might be a little biased, but doesn't he look like he could get the ladies BUZZing? 

Of course we are all a-BUZZ with our Halloween plans. The parties have already begun. Here is Girlie Girl out last night as a hot lady pirate. She doesn't turn 21 until January, so she better not have gotten BUZZed and yo ho ho-ing on rum!

Ah well. I admit that I stretched for this one. But I love these photos and I figure that must count for something. Give me a BUZZ if you'd like to lodge a complaint. Or if you just want to congratulate me on my mad stringing unrelated thoughts together skills. 

As a bonus incentive to anyone else who chooses a word for next week, Jasen is offering $5 in McDonald's coupons to the first person to suggest a word. Can you really pass that by? BUZZZZZZZzzzzz......

Everybody Said It Was a Shame

I am feeling oh so merciful on this lovely Choose and Defend Wednesday. And possibly hungry. So this Choose and Defend will be easy and delicious. Or maybe not so easy. I personally have noticed fine, intelligent people struggling when asked this question. Let's see how you do with it...

Soup

OR

Salad

I know you'll be tempted to worry about your main course or the weather or how hungry you are, but set those things aside! Go with your heart. Please feel free to get specific in comments and answer the questions that invariably come after, ie. "Which soup?" and "What kind of dressing?" Or not. That is your choice too! Choose and Defend. Thank you.

This Musical Message is For Bringing Darkness From Above

How About a Kiss for Your Cousin Dupree

Saturday. Scavenger. Shots. They're so here. They're so now! This week's word, choosen by me, is BLOOM. I hoped this word could be used in several different ways and it can. Not necessarily ways that I have captured images for, but still. I can imagine the BLOOM of color across your face as compliment your way with words or your beautiful, beautiful hair. My voice could BLOOM into song...it would be some horrible flower, but still.

Anyway, here is what I came up with -

This tree is still in BLOOM outside of my apartment. Seasonally, it seems so wrong, but it sure is purty.

 

This is one dangerous BLOOM. Don't get in her way; she is focused on revenge! I owe this one to James @ Why It Matters

 

 Here is the most lovely flower in my garden. Girlie Girl is truly BLOOMing as she becomes a young adult.

 

Thank you for stopping in to check out what the BLOOM is going on up in here. If you'd like to post a BLOOM photo or photos, please do! Big BLOOM County fan? Let's do this thing. Gardener extraordinaire? Don't just talk it, walk it! Tell me where your post is and I will hop right over to admire it. xx