Howdy-hi, folks! This is a jam packed post, so be prepared to be bored or amazed. I’m not sure which but I hope its the later for you! 😉
Rain does a fabulous job picking general themes that last a whole month. I wasn’t surprised at all with her direction for October. Today’s art theme is ‘Alien Worlds’. Perfect! This is a good time to use one of my A2Z Looney Tunes’ art sketches. You probably know where I’m going if you followed my series in April so it comes as no surprise to some to know that I went with my favorite alien, Marvin the Martian and K9 in living color conquering a distant world.
Yesterday, I shared another colorized Looney Tunes art sketch in my newest A2Z Road Trip update in case you missed it.
This week, I’m thankful we managed to make a huge dent in the yard work. One thing or another has kept us grounded so to speak and unable to tackle this job which makes all the more challenging. We decided when our bodies said enough is enough then to listen for once. That’s so much easier said than done and although a few times we both found ourselves stretching our limits before saying, nope not gonna do it. We put in 4 hours. I stayed mindful the entire time to not twist or pull with my back and when I needed to pick anything off the ground, I bent at the knees to retrieve it. I made a zillion trips up and down our drive placing the debris in the ditch for the city to pick up. Exhausted and achy when we quit, I was happy with our progress. Neither of us didn’t expect to get near what we did to get done and that was a good feeling, but the biggest thankful is the next day neither of us weren’t laid out on the sofa unable to move, especially me. I’m so excited!
I’m thankful that I managed to incorporate daily elliptical training sessions into my routine without any complications or complaints. I averaged an hour each day as of yesterday and hope to log another hour today. I’m excited about getting active again.
I’m thankful DH got approved for time off for the first two weeks in November. We’re looking forward to some R&R time. It’ll be more the same ole thing we’ve done in the past, except there won’t be any dining out or going into businesses unless we feel we it’s at a time when it’s not crowded. I’m okay with day trips to the mountains picnicking, photo ops, movie marathons, and such. As long as I’m spending the time with my favorite fella then I’m happy.
Borrowing from this week’s prompt, I’m inspired to go write a little something about serendipity.
Serendipity is a word that somehow makes me feel good. I don’t know why but perhaps it has a whimsical sound to it which conveys a sense of fun to my brain. One of the disadvantages to not be an avid reader is your vocabulary is limited. I really need to work on improving in this area before I get too old, right?
The dictionary tells me it means the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
Okay, my thinking wasn’t too far off base and learning the meaning behind word inspired me to look for happy accidents.
Today, I’m going to share the backstories of 3 happy accidents.
It’s hard to imagine a world without chocolate chip cookies, but the delectable dessert wasn’t actually invented until 1930. On the day that the cookies were created, Ruth Graves Wakefield, co-owner of the Toll House Inn, was preparing some chocolate cookies for her guests when she realized that she was out of baker’s chocolate. Thinking on her feet, Wakefield decided to chop up a block of Nestle semi-sweet chocolate, assuming that it would melt and spread evenly throughout the batter. Instead, what came out of the oven was the very first batch of chocolate chip cookies, and modern dessert was never the same. Source: Best Life Online
Why not make a batch of cookies happy accident of your own? Here’s my recipe!
Post-It Notes
In 1968, scientist Spencer Silver at the 3M company created a very weak adhesive that would peel off when removed from any surface. The funny thing was that he was in fact trying to create a super strong adhesive No one thought there was any use for such a product, until another scientist, Art Fry, realized that the little pieces of paper made great book marks for his church songs without leaving residue on the page. Source: Story Pick
In 1943, Richard James, a naval mechanical engineer stationed at the William Cramp & Sons shipyards in Philadelphia, was developing springs that could support and stabilize sensitive instruments aboard ships in rough seas. James accidentally knocked one of the springs from a shelf, and watched as the spring “stepped” in a series of arcs to a stack of books, to a tabletop, and to the floor, where it re-coiled itself and stood upright. James’s wife Betty later recalled, “He came home and said, ‘I think if I got the right property of steel and the right tension; I could make it walk.'” James experimented with different types of steel wire over the next year, and finally found a spring that would walk. Betty was dubious at first, but changed her mind after the toy was fine-tuned and neighborhood children expressed an excited interest in it. She dubbed the toy Slinky (meaning “sleek and graceful”), after finding the word in a dictionary, and deciding that the word aptly described the sound of a metal spring expanding and collapsing. Source: Wikipedia
You learn about some of these and more happy accidents on How Stuff Works. What sorts of happy accidents come to mind? Maybe you have a personal happy accident to share. I’d love to read about it!
For more creative writing, consider visiting Eugenia. She has a passion for poetry and each week she offers a word prompt to pull out one’s inner poet. If you’re inspired, just let her know by leaving a comment on her site with a direct link to your post. Now, go visit my girl! 😉
Tomorrow look for my double feature Moonraker BOTB Showdown Results and Friday Funnies post. I’m heading over to Rain’s Garden to browse the gallery of artistry. I’m leaving you with this week’s TBT tune with John Williams’ “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” theme song from the 1977 blockbuster film. Can you guess where my inspiration came from? 😀 Have a doodletastic day! X💋X💋, Cathy
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…Marvin the Martian never looked so good.
Thanks, Tom! 🙂
So very cool. Marvin is a hero of mine.
Patrick,
Marvin is a funny. 🙂
I love your cartoon … you are quite good and my fav is K9. I love your happy accidents as well … especially the chocolate chip cookies. Oh what would life be if Ruth hadn’t stumbled into that oh so perfect recipe. I haven’t even started my yard work. I was planning to last week and it rained off and on all week making it an impossible mess to work in … so I have procrastinated and will pay the price, sadly. Good for you though, all that work and no pain. I am impressed 🙂 Did you ever get rid of the tingle in your leg? Anyway, it is Saturday already and I have a long list of to dos, so I will wish you a good week and look forward to meeting again next Thursday 🙂
Andrea @ From the Sol
Andrea,
Oh I had some pain after the yard work but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be which made me especially happy. As for the tingling, yes it’s gone for the most part. Sometimes I feel it in my feet but over all I’m sooo much better! Thanks for visiting, my dear!
Andrea,
Yes, we should Ruth to thank for that happy accident. I love it when I pull a pan of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven, I let them rest for a minute or two then I sample one. The chocolate is all melty and delicious!
Wow, I had no idea that’s how chocolate chip cookies came about! That is a happy little accident that we have been benefitting from for years!!
Kat,
I love happy accidents, especially if it involves delicious things to eat! I love learning the story behind every day things. Thanks for the return visit, my dear!
Hi, Cathy! Such a fun and informative post! I couldn’t live without post-its! I think before 1968 I was scotch taping things down. Your sketch of Marvin the Martian is great! Those chocolate cookies made my mouth water. Since Terry had his heart attack in April, I haven’t baked much, but now I’m thinking that chocolate chip cookies would be so good. Have a happy and safe week!
Louise,
I remember as a teen I had a bulletin board to pin all of my notes on but I did use my share of scotch tape before the invention of Post-It notes. I’m sorry to hear about Terry’s heart attack. Is he doing okay now? Maybe, you’ll find the time and energy to scurry up a batch of fresh baked cookies. Mmm, I love freshly baked goods.
Slinkys are so much fun, and so is your art. Marvin is my most favorite Martian ever.
Mimi,
Low technology toys were delightfully amazing, weren’t they? And, those old Looney Tune cartoons were the best!
Very cute art work. Yay for you doing the elliptical , I am such a sloth. XO
Ellen,
It just takes one step to get started and then another and before you know it you’ve created a new habit that’s enjoyable. 😉
Well, that’s it!
Without further ado, I am off to have a very close encounter with a batch of chocolate chip cookies…while watching that movie.
And, maybe, with some luck, I’ll be the one waving good-bye as the mothership takes off for planets unknown.
Stay safe,
Patty
Patty,
Now, that’s what I’m talking about a closer encounter of the chocolate chip cookie kind! Hey, as crazy as things have gotten here on earth, I’d almost be happy if an alien abducted me to some far away planet. lol
Love the sketch and we’re big fans of that movie too. Lawn work is so much fun…NOT, but good for you two. Thanks for joining our Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
Brian,
Lawn work isn’t all that fun but getting the job done makes me feel good and in a weird sort of way that makes it fun. Plus, I like the activity.
OMG I loved that movie, and haven’t thought of it in so long. Thank you!!! Great job honey! HUGS!!!!
Marie,
Thanks! Maybe y’all can stream the film for Halloween. 🙂
Marvin was one of Dads favorite cartoon characters. The first? Top Cat of course with Benny and the crew. Great post thanks
Timmy,
Marvin is a funny little alien and although he’s out to destroy the earth, you can’t help but love him. 🙂
Lol, I used a LOT of post it´s at work when I was told to design a new system for our help desk. 🙂 I had a wall full of them. 😉
And, the slinky, it is still popular I did see a new, colorful, one not long ago. Almost bought one!
Can´t remember seeing the Marvin the Martian. I was merely watching Star Trek. 🙂
I´m sorry if my alien world scared you. It was just ment to be a Nightfall on a different landscape. I never seen the Alien movie so I can´t tell if it makes one think of it. I never watch horror movies at all. When it comes to different world´s. I don´t think they are spooky or evil at all. I was thinking about that the other day actually. On Earth we have all kinds of different landscapes. I have a hard time thinking that there is landscapes on other planets that we don´t have on earth already. I think we have most of them. Bits and pieces. 🙂 So, the difference might be we have them all, other planets might have just a few. Our solar system is a bit like that actually.
Have a gret day.
Monica,
Post-It notes are ingenious! I never thought they might be a happy accident but am happy that they decided to market such a new invention. I’m not a huge horror fan, especially of slice/dice flicks. Monsters I’m okay with and while the movie might scare me, I know there are no such things and bounce back easily. Evil people who do evil things I can do without. That’s a real nightmare! Thanks for visiting, darlin’!
Love your Marvin sketch, and those cookies look delicious. I haven’t seen Close Encounters for a while, I think I need a rewatch. Elle/EOTC xx
Elle,
I haven’t watched this film in years. I like your idea of having a close encounter of the cookie kind. 🙂
Cathy
This was a fun themed post! I really enjoyed reading about the happy accidents. Thanks for joining in the Throwback Thursday with me.
Mary,
I’m always happy to join you when I can. I love that you host musical connections twice a week. Thanks for visiting, my dear!
Love your alien world piece Cathy! And those inventions were happy accidents of the best kind. Very interesting.
Thanks for the return visit, Christine. So, happy to share fun and interesting things with my friends.
Wow what a great post. I love you art. You really have a talent. You are lucky your city picks up yard debris. Glad you got so much done and stopped when you needed to. I did know that about the chocolate chip cookies and the post it notes. I didn’t know about the slinky. Thanks for the history. Have a great day.
Nicole,
The city picks up every other week which isn’t bad. They will even take off old appliances and other big items if left near your trash on pickup day. Refrigerators have to have the Freon removed before they’ll take away, so we usually let home delivery take our old ones off when we buy a new one.
Love your sketch and I loved that cartoon.
Slinky. I had one and I loved it. We had stairs and that slinky came down them many times. What a happy memory and now that Slinky song is in my head.
I loved that movie. You made me smile.
Have a fabulous Thankful Thursday, Cathy. Love and hugs. ♥
Sandee,
I remember the year my folks got me a slinky for Christmas. I took it to Grandma and Grandpa’s because they had stairs so I could let my Slinky walk down the staircase. That was so much fun!
Happy Thursday, Cathy! Love Marvin the Martian and the cool factoids. Thanks so much for the mention and have a fantastic day! ❤️
You’re most welcome, Eugenia! Thanks for joining me, my friend.
😊
…oh and yes, Young Frankenstein – one of my absolute favourites. Have you seen the outtakes on YT? I think you can find them, they are hilarious!
Rain,
Yeah, I’ve seen the outtakes for the film. I’m not sure that they include them on the streaming version but we have the movie on disc and I do recall seeing them. Great stuff!
Hi Cathy! ☺ Great post! Oh we are on the same wavelength with Marvin the Martian!!! I love yours! And all of those happy accidents factoids are wonderful! (I tried to make the word “fact” sound alien-ish hee hee)…I think I will make some cookies today. Oh the yard work, congratulations on that. We have lots to do and like you said, things keep popping up to stop us, but we need to get out there as we’re having frosty nights now. I’m so happy to hear you can be active again. I’d love to hae an elliptical machine in my home, that was my favourite exercise to do when I used to go to the gym! ☺☺
Rain,
Yes, I’m very excited to be active again. This is the best I’ve felt in months. I hope it just keeps on improving. Thanks for the return visit, my dear.
Hi, Cathy!
Happy Thankful Thursday Art Date With Rain, dear friend!
I always smile the moment I lay eyes on your artwork, Cathy. Thanks for bringing back Marvin the Martian and K9 in living color. I love the shades of green used on the rays coming down from their space ship, on K9 and on Marvin.
Yessum, I like how you described your lawn cleanup project with DH. I find that if I can just get motivated enough to begin a task of that kind, I wind up sticking with it and getting more done than expected by the time I call it quits. That’s a good feeling of accomplishment. I don’t know how someone as busy as you are can fit in a one hour daily elliptical training session. I admire you for carving out that block of time and working to stay fit, toned and trim. You’ll thank yourself a thousand times in coming years.
Yessum, I think the word serendipity could describe the talented man you and I have been discussing in recent weeks, landscape artist Bob Ross, and his “Happy Little Accidents.” I love the story of how chocolate chip cookies came about. Seems many exciting food treats and other products were invented by accident, not design. Some of the great popular recordings of the 20th century are the result of happy accidents in the studio. I also enjoyed learning about the invention of Post-It Notes. Why didn’t I think of that? As a boy, I had one of those Slinky walking springs. I would place it at the top of the stairs that led to the basement and watch in glee as it traveled down the steps. The problem is, as I found out, if you aren’t careful, the coils get tangled and the toys ceases to function. That commercial reminded me that the spring was soon placed inside animal toys. I had forgotten all about them. It’s important for us to remember how low tech child’s pay was back then compared to today. Nowadays kids as young as those are already addicted to their phones and other electronic gadgets.
I enjoyed the John Williams instrumental featuring the mewsical tone sequence used by the earthling scientists to communicate with the visiting mother ship in Close Encounters. It’s one of my favorite movies. Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon and Teri Garr were all wonderful in it.
Thanks for the smiles and entertainment, dear friend Cathy. Believe it or not, I am getting ready to head out the door to another doctor appointment this morning involving a drive to another city. Have a wonderful and Thankful Thursday!
Tom,
Thanks for squeezing in a visit before you head out the door for your doctor’s appointment. I hope everything is okay.
It’s difficult some days to block off an hour to do my exercise routine. Initially my plan was to start out for half an hour but like yard work, I just keep going. I felt some discomfort in my lower back but am experimenting with stretching my legs every time I get out my chair. My early impression is this may be just what I need to do to keep the kinks out of my back. We’ll see.
You and I grew up in a low-technology world but the toys we had spurred our imaginations and creative side. I was talking to my daughter one day and I could hear LA in the background babbling about something when I asked who’s she talking to my daughter said, “She’s FaceTiming with one of her friends.” I like technology just as much as the next person but it concerns me that that’s all youngsters know anymore. Hands on, real-world experiences can’t easily be replaced with electronic gizmos.
We remember going to the theater to see Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I think we own it on disc, too. Richard Dreyfuss is a great actor. I love him best in the Stake Out movies. Teri Garr is another talented actress. She was fabulous in “Young Frankenstein”. Every time I see a woman with large breasts, not that hers are particularly big, I’m reminded of Gene Wilders line, “What knockers?” In which Garr, replies in her German accent, “Thank you, doctor!” LOL That’s such a good old movie. We will have to watch that for Halloween weekend.
I hope your day turns out to be a nice one despite the need to see the doctor, my friend.