Looking For Amazing

Are you omazing? I’m omazing. At least that’s what I discovered when one of our kids made an acrostic for the word “mother.” I forget what the “M” stood for, but I had to laugh when nothing came to mind for the letter “o” and I became omazing. That’s fine with me, because I’m pretty sure omazing ranks a step above amazing. Believe it or not, some of the most ordinary things that surround us are amazing. Take a look:

                                          http://youtu.be/LvoEHmjJwac

 Only this species makes the arduous, annual trek each fall. It’s odd how they’ll travel to Mexico while other species fly shorter distances or hibernate locally for the winter. Perhaps they’re hard-wired to do what they do. Do you believe we’re like that, too? What do you think human beings are naturally compelled to do?                

Free Greeting Cards

Several years ago a friend gave me a birthday greeting card. The envelope lacked a name and the card had no signature. This seemed odd, but my friend assured me that it was no accident. She described how often people read cards, display or frame them, and eventually stuff them in a drawer, or (gasp) in the trash. I suppose her plan had triple benefits.  She recognized my birthday, gave me a gift to use in the future, and provided a good laugh. Kind of quirky, yet it made sense. What would you say if someone gave you a blank greeting card?  What if you received one like this?     

 http://youtu.be/ixc_oGml5L4

I can see this greeting card generating fifty different reactions—some positive, some not. I’m okay with cats, but I almost groaned when the kitties paused and then meowed some more. Somewhere, somebody wants that card. It just goes to show that whatever you enjoy, someone else is bound to dislike it—and that’s okay. What do you love that seems unpopular?

Not Just Monkey Business

I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. Why would anyone say that? It seems the saying became popular in the 1920s when people use it to indicate unexpected surprise, the way we might say, “Amazing, imagine that!” Here’s a better explanation of being a monkey’s uncle.  English is peppered with idioms that make no literal sense. I can imagine the confusion these sayings cause for anyone learning to speak English and seeing this video wouldn’t help. Take a look:

                                          http://youtu.be/X8Ofgy5btNY

 I wonder how railway management came up with that idea. Did you catch the seriousness of the gentleman surrounding Mr. Miyan?  I love the way no one seemed shocked by him. It reminded me of New York City where you can witness all sorts of interesting sights.  The scene may look odd, but Mr. Miyan claims his method works. What’s the most unbelievable thing you‘ve heard, and realized later that it made perfect sense?     

The Reawakening

Welcome to the season when hibernating creatures reappear. A family member spotted this warning on a hotel door up north: watch out for bears in the parking lot. So that means forget about hiking for now. After such a brutal winter, promise you won’t complain about bears or the drenching spring rain showers, and I’ll try not to complain about the newly-awakened creepy crawlers. Here’s the important the question on everyone’s mind (or maybe it’s only on mine): Will our snowy winter guarantee fewer insects this spring? Bug experts say it’s a mixed bag, depending on the species. Overall, bugs have lots of ways to adapt to harsh temperatures so we shouldn’t expect unusually low numbers. That’s fine, as long as we don’t get these:

                                  

                                               http://youtu.be/HVeNX-uWIGA

Spring brings bears, and apparently bug swarms. As you can see, this man has a bit of a problem. On the bright side, experts say the boxelder bugs should disappear within a few weeks. Despite these types of challenges, the season still gives us a lot to appreciate. As we bask in nature’s beautiful reawakening, which aspects of spring are you grateful for?