SPARK on Monday

Monday again?  Yep – seems impossible that a week has gone by but it has.   In MY case, two weeks has gone by as I didn’t post a SPARK last Monday.    I think you all know by now that the creator of SPARKS, Annie of McGuffy’s Reader, is no longer blogging – we hope she will return one day when she’s ready.   Meanwhile we’re carrying on sharing inspiration every Monday – something that inspires us and hopefully inspires YOU.

I love looking for the “perfect” quote to share on Mondays……………..I’ll show you my SPARK for today then explain it just a bit!

 

This is one of those “easy to say but not so easy to do” kinds of thoughts maybe but if you really TRULY think about it, isn’t this the “embodiment” of being positive?   Being grateful for our blessings allows us to be positive and keep open to MORE positivity in our lives.    I have so much to be grateful for.    I’ve had a rather spotty health history as many of us have.   Cancer is no stranger to me.    Dating back to the mid 80s……..in various forms but most recently those days of sun worshipping BEFORE sunscreen are taking a toll.    From melanoma AND recurrent melanoma,  to basal cell and squamous cell…….and I really am staying on top of things with regular checks.   Still I’m about to have my second surgery in the short space of two weeks and I find my “well of positivity” sometimes  to be a little low.    When I feel that sneaking up on me I remember how GRATEFUL I am to be here.    To have been SUCCESSFUL in beating this so far through so many years and to have friends and family who have listened to my occasional whining, AND I’ve also been honored to hopefully have supported some dear friends of mine who are fighting their OWN battle with cancer now.    It’s a MEAN disease but it can’t take away our ability to stay positive.   AND grateful!

Hope you have a GRATEFUL Monday.    The blessings we all have are out there – recognize them when you see them, enjoy the feeling of having them………and hold them close to your heart.

Love, Pam

P.S.   While my health journey has been for the most part about cancer, YOURS may be something else and I don’t mean to diminish your situation by only talking about cancer.   There are so many things that can go wrong with our super complicated bodies – some we inherit and some we earn all on our own!   But whatever YOUR battle may be, may you face it with faith, hope and SUCCESS…………..

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Pre-Tease Monday

Good Morning Students!  Time to get prepped for tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the day we tease you here in Geography class with a photo that you will be required to figure out WHERE it was taken.   Sounds easy right?   Well sometimes it is and sometimes “not so much”.    Here’s how we play the Teaser game in class:

Our Security Guard here at Ding Dong School will bring in the photo and display it on the bulletin board then you guess.    There are badges to be won if you’re GOOD enough to get one – including one for the FIRST COMMENTER.    What’s that?    Well, tomorrow’s post will be popping up at some unknown time and if you see it arrive and you get here and COMMENT first, you get a badge!    Then there are badges for FIRST RIGHT GUESSER, RIGHT GUESSER and the world famous GREENIE which is what you win if you try but are wrong.

You just might get one of your very own tomorrow – so be sure and be here!    The Teaser photo we have for you this week is a Guest Teaser photo.

OH NO! GUESTS TEASERS ARE USUALLY TOUGH!

Yes well we feel confident that you can handle it!

OK Professors, if you say we can handle it – we’ll TRY!

Part of our usual Monday PRE-TEASE rah rah rah sis boom bah class to prepare you is bringing in the cheer team (if they are recovered from their weekend that is) to give you all a rowsing cheer to get you in the MOOD for class.   Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t.    Let’s see if the team is GOING to fire you up today!

The Professors said to warm up the crowd
So we’ll do our cheer and we’ll do it LOUD!
Tomorrow you’d better be sharp as a tack
You might just win and get a pat on the back
No parties tonight – we know that never works
Just makes you feel silly next day like you’ve been a real jerk.
Read your class books and study and make Mom proud
You’ll feel so excited to win, you might shout out loud!
We’ll be back tomorrow for another cheer
Unless we go out to breakfast and have a nice cold beer!

 

Now Team, you know you don’t drink beer and especially not for breakfast………you may give the students ideas!!!    By the way, we love your Easter outfits but it’s NOT Easter.

We know it’s not Easter
We’re truly not as dumb as that
We got dressed in the dark this morning
And put on the wrong HATS!

OK………….well thanks for explaining yourselves.

I’m so confused

Well before things get out of control, shall we just break for lunch?   Let’s do that – then you can go out to recess and come back in and study……………..perhaps a little food in your tummies will inspire you to crack open your books (either that or it will make you want to nap).

WE WILL SEE YOU ALL HERE TOMORROW AT A SURPRISE TIME!

YAY!   It’s Italian day………..Miss Dingleberry, Professor Sammy

and I would like two orders of ravioli please!

Since the students will be outside, we’ll just eat here in class!

Good Luck Students!   

Professor Angel Sammy and Professor Teddy

Sunday Selfie Hop

Yippeee!  It’s Sunday Selfie time!

 

Happy Sunday everybody.   I’m joining the Sunday Selfie Blog Hop hosted by our good friends at The Cat On My Head for some good old fun.   Sunday is a great time to check in on your friends and see a photo they’ve chosen to “strut their stuff”.    Mom, Dad and I were outside for a while yesterday and Mom had her camera with her so she got some new photos of me.    I was lounging in the DIRT which is on my top five favorite things to do outside list.    We have a lot of dirt in our backyard – the incessant rains we’ve had pretty much washed all our grass away……!   We have a major erosion issue in he backyard as it’s all “downhill”…………we have a lot of trees back there too so grass doesn’t grow well but I’m not complaining!   I like dirt.    My Dad doesn’t like it though and my Mom doesn’t like having to clean her yard shoes off constantly but hey – I don’t wear shoes so I’m good to go.

Anyway, my selfie today is one of my “dirt shots” from yesterday.    I’ve got the “normal” photo and a jazzed up version Mom did along with a jigsaw of the jazzy one.    She likes to torture people I guess……..jigsaws are always challenging!

This is after Mom Lunapic-ized me using the RedBlush art effect which she’s NEVER used before.   Below is the jigsaw of this jazzy version of me if you’re up for a little challenge this Sunday morning!    If not – have a super fabulous day anyway!

Click this “mini-me” to do the puzzle!

If you click The Cat On My Head’s badge at the top of this page, you can join in the SELFIE FUN – just use the Linky tool and put your link in – we’ll come visit you……………….!!

 

Love, Teddy the Dirtball…….

 

Bacon on Saturday

Greetings from the Kitchen of Castle Baconia!   I am your King – TEDDY!

I’m here to share another fabulous (and this week fabulously EASY) recipe using our most favorite food item here in my Kingdom – BACON.   Some recipes are toughies and some are just the opposite – incredibly easy – THIS is one of THOSE!   Ready???

Bacon Crackers

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package buttery round crackers  (like Ritz or any other buttery type cracker)

• 1 pound sliced bacon, cut into thirds
• 1 pound brown sugar  (you don’t need ALL of it – use as much as you like)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
2. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Top each cracker with 1/3 slice bacon, and sprinkle desired amount of brown sugar over all.
3. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until browned and crisp. Serve warm.

DOES IT GET ANY EASIER THAN THAT???????????????????   No and while it’s ridiculously EASY to make, it’s surprising how delicious it is.   Just a quickie snack or appetizer when you can’t find anything else to snack on OR serve those pesky last minute drop in neighbors!!!

Of course here at the Castle Baconia, we rarely have drop-in neighbors………….heck, we don’t have any neighbors anyway………..the moat around the castle keeps everyone away!!!

 

Yep – pull up your food bowl pup and have some bacon crackers!

One of our favorite HA-HAs…………..!!

You better believe it!    Even a KING can be rather possessive about his BACON!!

Enjoy you stay at Castle Baconia won’t you?  Just don’t disturb me as I nap in my Royal Chamber please!

Until next Saturday!    Teddy, King of Baconia

 

 

Friday Fill-Ins

YAY!  It’s Friday!   Time for the fill-in-the-blanks Hop co-hosted by Four-Legged Furballs and 15andMeowing.    We do have fun with this hop and from all appearances everyone ELSE who plays along does too.   It’s also an easy hop.   Just fill in the blanks – but first you need to JOIN US by clicking on the badge above and filling out the LINKY TOOL so we will know we need to visit you and see your fill-ins.

Here are the four sentences we have for this Friday.   Two from each co-host.    I decided to be the one to fill-in this week instead of getting Mom to “go for it” !    My fill-ins are in BLUE.

1. I am going to be super happy for my whole life with my Mom and Dad – they take such good care of me.

2. I want to be more outside than inside but Mom and Dad think I’m out ENOUGH!

3. Once in a blue moon, I catch a skink in my garage and I play with it until it goes to sleep forever (Mom uses the words Rainbow Bridge for Skinks instead of SLEEP!).

4. I have a large collection of toys that belonged to Angel Sammy and lots of my OWN toys but I am drawn to HIS!)

So there you have it – me filling in the blanks and me wishing all of you a happy Friday!

Hugs, Me and Mom too!

 

Thankful and Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

It’s Double Bubble Blog Post Day!

Thankful Thursday AND Poetic Thursday too…..

Thankful Thursday is hosted by my friend Brian and it’s our chance to let the world know all the things we’re thankful for.   I look back at my week and remember all the thankfuls and share them here – you can too if you click on their badge and use the LINKY TOOL to join in the thankfulness.

I’m thankful that my Mom got her little skin surgery taken care of yesterday with no problem – my Mom has more than a “passing” relationship unfortunately with The Evil C……skin cancer is so easy to take care of when caught early and Mom’s an early bird.    She will have more surgery next month but for now – all is well.    I am taking good care of her post-surgery believe me.   I didn’t even make her take me outside for walks when she got home yesterday OR this morning – Dad is on “TEDDY DUTY” !!!

As for my other thankful – it’s the usual – what’s the usual?   The usual is that I got an email from Angel Sammy with this week’s poem and NEXT week’s photo inspiration.   He just never, EVER lets us down does he?!    Below is his email to all of us:

♥♥♥

Hello Fellow Poets and Fans of Poetry!  

It’s time for our usual Thursday gathering – sharing our poems we wrote this past week of course based on the “photographic inspiration” that I give you on Thursdays for you to think about.    I know more than a few of you wondered WHY I was giving you another monkey photo for this week when not that long ago I gave you the “monkey with the camera” photo.   Well, monkeys are pretty interesting little characters with such expressive faces – and they give me ideas for fun poetry and I sort of thought they might do that for you too.   That’s why this was your inspiration this week:

I think this is a great photo……………these two are totally enjoying that wedge of watermelon.  I love the one guy taking a taste and I’m guessing the other one has just taken a chunk out of the top!   So many animals enjoy watermelon – bears, elephants, just about EVERYONE loves it.    Anyway, here’s my poem based on this photograph AND after my poem I’ll give you a photo for NEXT week.   You have a week to come up with a poem of any type to share with all of us.   YOU CAN DO IT.   

“Summertime Treats”

By Angel Sammy Kimmell       August 16, 2018

 

On a hot summer day when your energy is low

I recommend off to your refrigerator you should go

Hopefully inside you’ll find a treasure

Which will benefit you in ways you cannot measure!

A nice cold watermelon hopefully is there

Just slice it with your knife – be sure to take care!

The pink goodness is juicy and sweet as can be

All feelings of discomfort from the heat will flee!

Each bite is delicious and better than the last

It also reminds us of summer days of the past

Playing in the sprinkler and giggling with glee

Mom brings out the watermelon and sets the FUN free!

All manner of humans and animals alike

Agree that watermelon is BEYOND a delight…………….

(put it on your Mom’s grocery list after reading this poem!)

◊♦◊

That’s my little ode to watermelon and these two little guys who are happily devouring their summertime treat totally inspired me.    Now I’m going to give you what I hope will be an inspiring photograph for all of you for NEXT Thursday.   If you wrote a  poem for this week like I did above, just tell us in comments that you did and give us your link so we can visit and read it ASAP!

Here’s your inspiration:

Oh boy – this one ought to be fun right?    Good luck – remember, if you think you can’t write a poem -you’re WRONG.   Just let your imagination take you away – poems don’t even have to rhyme – they are just our thoughts on paper!  

I am the Angel Poet in the green beret…..and I hope you join me for POETIC FUN each week!

Have some fun with poetry…..see you next Thursday!  LOVE, Angel Sammy

♥♥♥

 

Thanks Angel Sammy………………I really look forward to hearing from you every week and reading the poem you have written…………..I also love everyone else’s poems.    Make sure and let us know if you wrote one so we can read it!!

Happy Thursday Friends…..Hugs, Teddy

ROADBLOCK!!!!!!

Teaser Tell All Time!

Attention Class!   Time for us to pass out the awards!

That’s right – we had a good Teaser yesterday did we not?   We had some super great guesses and they continued all day even after someone already guessed it correctly……but before we get to that, let’s talk about WHO WAS FAST TO COMMENT yesterday shall we?

We had TWO students who were both here in the first 60 seconds and they were:

ME? ME? Was I one of them????

No you were not – but these two were:

Katie Isabella and Phenny !

YAY FOR THEM!!!!!!!

And they each get one of these:

I was one of only TWO students who were FIRST COMMENTERS on the Teaser of August 14, 2018! YAY!

WOO HOOOOOO KATIE AND PHENNY!

Then we got down to the mission at hand…………….waiting for the first person who figured out where the photo had been taken chimed in……………………..want to see the photo one last time????

Pretty photograph isn’t it?    The only actual clue in this photo was perhaps the super tall tower.   It had a slightly ORIENTAL flair to it and that’s what some of you noticed but that STILL didn’t give it totally away.    We had all kinds of guesses about places in the Far East…………….but where was this TRULY?    It is a photo of downtown Taipei, Taiwan.    The Professors’ Mom lived outside Taipei in the early 1960s (yes she’s old as dirt) and while she didn’t take this photo, she was rather stunned to find it online as it certainly is NO longer the Taipei she remembered.   This is what she remembered:

Her Dad was stationed there with the US Air Force and they live there for two years…………..interesting place indeed.    But it was a FUN Teaser wasn’t it……………and who was our FIRST RIGHT GUESSER who knew it was Taipei, Taiwan?????

WHO??????????????????

Phenny !!

WAY TO GO PHENNY!!!! TWO AWARDS TODAY!

This is for you Phenny:

I was FIRST RIGHT GUESSER on the Teaser of August 14, 2018! WHOOPEEE!

AND there were several others who guessed correctly AFTER Phenny did…………………..if you were one of them, please have a copy of this one for your collection:

Darn! I guessed RIGHT but I wasn’t FIRST on the Teaser of August 14, 2018. Maybe next week???

And if you guessed but were wrong – you STILL get a little something for trying!

I was WRONG with my guess on the Teaser of August 14, 2018 but I got this GREENIE for my collection anyway!

BRAVO FOR ALL OUR WINNERS and actually for all of you students who came to class and gave it a try yesterday.    YAY FOR YOU!

Our cheer team is here to honor our winners as usual………………..let’s bring them on in so we can get to LUNCH today.   I believe it’s BURGER day………………………

We made it through another class
With nobody asking for a bathroom pass!
We’re here to honor all the winners
And hand out hankies to all you sinners!
First Commenters were there and got their spot
Phenny and Katie Isabella were FIRST and HOT!
Then we waited to see who’d guess right
And it was Phenny AGAIN who flew high as a kite!
Congratulations to you all and we’ll see you next week
If you win a badge then, we might give you a TWEAK!

Well I’m sure you’ve inspired everyone to study hard for next Teaser class……………..now why not to take a dip in Sarge’s hot tub?

We’re ALREADY there!!!!!!

The rest of us are going to have a little lunch courtesy of Miss Dingleberry’s efforts to keep our energy level high………………today is Burger Day.    Have a good lunch then you may hop on your bus for home.    We will see you next week in class students………….please bone up on architecture, geography, and interesting places because no doubt we’ll have one for you next Tuesday!

Miss D – Professor Teddy and I would each like THE WORKS please!   With fries!

Crunchy fries

Your Professors, Angel Sammy and Teddy

Tuesday Teaser Time

Good Morning Students!  Have you COMMENTED yet??????

We wouldn’t want you all settled in your desk chairs BEFORE you’ve taken a moment to hang up your jackets and backpacks AND commented.    Heaven forbid.    So now that you ARE at your desks, we trust you’re ready to buckle down and concentrate on the TEASER today.

This isn’t a Guest Teaser photo today…………..it’s one of my Mom’s.   She’s not a GUEST after all – she’s our Chief Graphics Consultant, Chief Food Distributor, and Power Behind the Throne.

First thing we’ll do is remind you YET AGAIN of the rules of the game here.    It’s a lot of fun to examine a photo and figure out WHERE the photo was taken but we have rules about that too!

Rules are groovy…….

Yes we think they are too.   Maybe not quite as groovy as the music you’re listening to but groovy nonetheless!

We have badges for those of you who are lucky ducks today in class…….

Well this duck may be lucky but she’s not what I mean by lucky ducks!

What I should have said is that if you are FIRST COMMENTER, FIRST RIGHT GUESSER, RIGHT GUESSER or WRONG GUESSER today you will get a badge…………….and here they are:

Swell badges right?   You KNOW you want one (or more) of these so buckle down and get ready……………tomorrow we’ll have a TELL ALL class and you’ll find out who wins what.   Also you will find out the details on the photo we have for you to examine today.

BRING IT ON!

Let’s see if the Cheer Team can squeeze out a better cheer than they managed yesterday shall we?   I didn’t ask, but I expect there was a BIT too much partying this past weekend for some (or all?) of the team members.

Tuesday’s here and so are we
We’re in a hurry though because the hot tub is free
So let’s get going and have some fun
This cheer is for Ding Dong students, each and every one!
Boomalacka Boomalacka, Ra Ra Ra!
After class join us at the spa
Win a badge and we’ll call you SMART
Have Hot Food for lunch and you might have to………….burp.
GOOOOOOOOO TEAM!

Well Cheer Team I have to hand it to you – somehow when you get yourselves into trouble with your cheer, you managed to SQUEEEEEZE out of it somehow.   You are right though – today for lunch Miss Dingleberry has HOT FOOD on the menu.

UHOH…..I’d better hand out TUMS – I’ve got a big supply I can share!

Let’s get our Security Guard in here with today’s photo so you can begin studying it and getting your guesses in – after all the FIRST RIGHT GUESSER today is getting a badge remember??????

PAGING SECURITY TO GEOGRAPHY CLASSROOM PLEASE!

Hello Professors and Class – here’s your challenge for today!

WHERE WAS THIS PHOTO TAKEN????   WHAT CITY/STATE OR COUNTRY?

So there’s your challenge…………..and Professor Teddy and I wish you GOOD LUCK………………both with the Teaser and with your tummies after you have today’s lunch.    Miss Dingleberry has added EXTRA hot sauce today to FIRE YOU ALL UP!

Fruit juices

Professor Teddy and I will see you here tomorrow for TELL ALL CLASS!  

Professor Angel Sammy

Pre-Teaser Monday Class!

Here We Go Again Class…….another Monday!

Just another “Manic Monday” right?    Well, maybe not manic – not if we take it one step at a time that is.    You know why we always have a quick class on Mondays – it’s so you are PREPARED for Teaser Tuesday.    So let’s get you prepared OK?

We’re LISTENING!!!!!

First off, let’s talk about rules – you know there are ALWAYS rules!    These are important to follow because if everyone follows them, then everyone will have an EQUAL chance to guess the location of the Teaser photo.

I wouldn’t DREAM of not following the rules Professors! Honest!

Yes Truman, we know you ALWAYS play by the rules………….you’re a good student.    SO ARE THE REST OF YOU!

We’ll drink to that!

Now as you know part of our Tuesday class fun is seeing WHO gets here first at school and leaves a comment.    Some people are super quick to comment and sometimes there’s more than one comment that arrive in the first 60 seconds so we have more than one “FIRST RIGHT GUESSER”…….in which case, they all get one of these:

So if you’re FAST enough you might win one to share/show off.    Then if you are the FIRST to guess the location of the Teaser photo, you get this:

And if you are RIGHT but you are NOT FIRST, you and everyone else who guessed the correct location of the photo gets one of these:

Even you students who guess incorrectly get something – we don’t leave you out – nosireeeeee!

Golly I’ve just GOTTA win a badge tomorrow!

The Cheer Team who will be here shortly to entertain you, will use the names of our big winners in their cheer on Wednesday when we gather together to announce who’s a winner and – well – who isn’t!    We try to make the entire TEASER EXPERIENCE fun for all of you whether you win or lose.    SO – any questions?

Professors when will we be moving to our new school????

Well that’s a good question but it’s not got a thing to do with our mission today which is to prepare you all for Teaser tomorrow…………..I promise we’ll have info on the new school shortly though Bobby, Tommy, Timmy, Fred, Marvin, Mikey, Barney or WHATEVER your name is this week.   (*chuckle*)

Let’s go ahead and bring our cheer team out………….I think you all look a little too sleepy at your desks right now and I just KNOW the cheer will WAKE YOU UP!

So here we are again
Time for us to begin
We’ll say hello and howdy
We promise not to be rowdy
Try to get here early tomorrow
If you don’t have a bus or bike then just borrow!
That growling noise is our poor tummies
We’re hoping Miss D has something YUMMY!

Thanks team – that was a rather short cheer but I guess you all are starving so let’s just finish up class quickly and move on to Miss Dingleberry’s lunch delight shall we?

I said I’d hold my breath until lunch – good thing we’re about to eat !!!

One final reminder for all of you……….AND it’s important!

The Teaser Post tomorrow will be at a SURPRISE time!  Not the usual time! 

Take it away Miss D !!

Miss Dingleberry, Professor Teddy and I would like shrimp tempura and noodle soup please!

GOOD LUCK TOMORROW STUDENTS…………

Your Professors, Angel Sammy and Teddy

Selfie Sunday Blog Hop

Happy Hopping!    That’s right – today is Blog Hop day for those of us who want to share our Sunday Selfie photos.     If you’d like to join us, please click the badge above and go to our host, The Cat On My Head and that’s that.

My Selfie today is silly; my Mom and Dad know that I rarely drink water from a bowl of water or even a cat fountain – I simply won’t do it no matter how fresh and inviting it may be – even when Mom puts an ice cube in it on a hot day!   Nope – I am and always have been a SINK DRINKER.    I politely ask though – I do not ever jump up on a counter – I ask Mom or Dad to please put me up there, run some water into the sink and let me pretend it’s my very own POND.    Sometimes I will settle for running water from the faucet and stick my head under there to drink but hey – I’m twenty pounds of kitty and leaning down to get my big old head under the faucet sometimes is a problem.    But fill the sink up and give me a nice big pool of water and I’m in heaven.    I ask for this every morning FIRST THING.   I like to mix it up too – sometimes from Mom and Dad’s bathroom sink and sometimes from the Guest Room sink – my little way of keeping my parents on their toes!

So Mom jazzed up this photo a bit with Lunapic’s art effect called “FRIDA” and then added a skinny little border with Pizap and VOILA – big old ME ready to have a pond drink.   Of course we HAD to give you puzzle freaks a jigsaw in case you’re in the mood for it today…………..but either way – we hope you have a fabulous Sunday and we hope to see you on the HOP!

Click This Mini-Me photo for the jigsaw puzzle!!

Happy Sunday Hopping!  

Hugs, Teddy