New Year Resolutions Woodland Style | Sylva Fae

January 1, 2015 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

New Year’s Resolutions. Most people prepare them. Few seem to stick with them more than a month or so. Even fewer complete them. My very talented writer friend Sylva Fae has prepared her New Year’s Resolutions in an extraordinary way. My money is on her to see them thru, too.

Please visit Sylva’s blog thru the link below to view her delightful take on resolutions for the New Year!

New Year Resolutions Woodland Style | Sylva Fae.

Major Oak– 1000 Year Old Major Oak Tree in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire. by VJLF on Flickr

First Annual Report for the Blog– “2014 In Review”

December 30, 2014December 30, 2014 / jrmilson / 2 Comments

The WordPress.com folks, who host my blog site, prepared a 2014 Annual Activity Report for this blog.

“Here it comes.” — Waiting for the Activity Report (Photo credit- Ron Niebrugge, Wild Nature Images)

Here’s an excerpt:

“A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 2,800 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 45 trips to carry that many people. This blog featured 51 new posts and was visited by readers in 67 countries in 2014, with the United States leading the way, and the United Kingdom, Italy, Ireland, Australia and Brazil close behind.”

“Little Red Bear”– Pleased as Punch!
(Photo credit- by Wildlife Photographer Marina Cano)

This blog began as a way to share creative works and writings in May, 2014. With that in mind, and considering most days I am still figuring out step by step what I am doing in the social media and tech world, and that the above report reflects activity starting from ground zero for only a little more than half a year, I am very happy with that. Or, as my good friend Siobhan Daiko would say- I am “really chuffed!”

Special thanks to Siobhan Daiko , Lesley Sky, Kim Gosselin, Frank Clark and Adele Wilson for being top commenters in the year, to Sylva Fae’s “Sylvanian Ramblings Blog” for being one of the top referral sites right behind Twitter and Facebook, and to the wonderful artist Christine Southworth of “Bear Prints Studio” who provided original artwork for my primary blog image– “Milson, the Steampunk Bear“, top right. And another special thank you to Matthew Milson, my author son, who pushed me into starting the blog in the first place.

Bear Hugs! Perfect in all Sizes!

And a big Bear Hug and Thank You to all who have visited and continue to follow along. Your support and encouragement is what keeps it all going. Onward now to an exciting New Year, featuring many new creations, writings and the upcoming release of the first collection of “Little Red Bear” stories.

We’re off to a great start. Let’s keep it rolling! — Jim (and Red!)

“Little Red Bear”– Story Research in a Tree (Photo courtesy of National Geographic)

Setting New Year’s Resolutions– Be Specific, Bob!

December 29, 2014 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Thinking about New Year’s Resolutions this week? Taking steps to Better Health, perhaps? Exercise? Healthy Eating? Better Job? Travel? Volunteering? Charity Work? More Family Time? Reading More? Planting a vegetable garden to grow your own produce? Learning a new musical instrument or foreign language? Finding time to paint or a hobby? Finally write that novel in the back of your mind?

Whatever your resolutions may be, when developing your list of annual New Year’s Resolutions this week, please be sure to put a completion date on them to help stay focused and on a timeline. As they say– things with deadlines get done.

Also, please remember to be specific. It makes all the difference. Being specific forces you to clearly identify what it is you want to accomplish with the goals, helps to visualize in helping to bring them about, and makes them more quantifiable and easily measured to monitor your progress towards achieving them. It’s very important. Be specific.

For example, I am in growing need of an assistant in the workroom, so asked Santa to please bring me a Pug for Christmas this year. To help with smaller tasks, help keep me motivated and moving. I was not specific in my request- male, female, young, old, black, fawn- didn’t matter. Any friendly little helper in need of a new home would be fine.

Pug Dressed For Christmas with a Red Bow Tie

Or, if Pugs were in short supply, fully appreciative of the fact that children should come first on the Christmas Gift List, I asked Santa to please bring me a St. Bernard in need of a good home, instead. To help with the bigger tasks around the workroom.

St. Bernard in a Field

Again- I was not specific- male, female, puppy, young, older, short hair, long hair, color- did not matter. Just a helper. A big one. Now here’s the point. Again, I was not specific in my request. Here is what Santa brought.

Toy St. Bernard, “Ho, Ho, Ho!” to you too, Santa.

So, yes. Now I have a St. Bernard. A very cute, fuzzy, little St. Bernard– Toy. Quiet, great disposition and temperament, but not very helpful beyond being cuddly.

Now, I admit to having tweaked Santa Claus a bit this year in a few blog posts, all in good-natured humor and fun. Maybe this was the Old Boy’s way of getting me back. Lighter to carry than the traditional lump of coal, perhaps. On the other hand, maybe it is because I was not specific and clear in making out my Wish List.

I asked for — “a St. Bernard.” I got — “a St. Bernard.”

Santa brought what I had requested and checked me off the list. Job done. But not at all what I had in mind when making the request. So being specific is important. More so with Santa Claus than I had imagined, apparently.

Good luck setting your goals and resolutions for the New Year. And wishing you the very best of luck and success in achieving them all. Please remember to put a date on them and to be specific. It really does make all the difference in achieving your goals.

Thanks as always for reading!– Jim (and Red!)

Big News! “Howie the Hound Dog” Planning a Return?

December 27, 2014 / jrmilson / 1 Comment

Hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas, Holidays and Festive Time!

A lot to do here. Working hard with Red to finish the first collection of short stories in his upcoming “Adventures of Little Red Bear” series. Preparing a new Blog Post for Monday morning—about being specific. (Gee, thanks Santa!) And Charles Dickens is back again after the holiday, working with me on that poem started awhile ago. Much to do.

And this morning, to top it off now– there’s more! I awoke an hour early this morning with my writing muse going a hundred miles an hour in my head, got up and going, and made breakfast figuring to get an early start on it all. I opened the front door to get some fresh air and found a “Special Edition” of the local “Owl Hoots & Toots” backwoods newspaper at my doorstep.

Big news! Word is that Howie the Hound Dog over at the old Cooper place on Flint Crick is fixin’ to get a new band together! Howie’s last group broke up when . . . . . . . . .

Well, before we rush into a rumor with our overalls half pulled, let me check it all out first and get the whole story together before I bother you with the background details. But if it’s true (the “Owl Hoots & Toots” is very reliable) then toe-tapping times may be coming back to the holler!

I will do some digging around, see what I can find out and let you know more about it all next week. Rusty the Fairydiddle is busy fact-checking the Owl’s article too, and trying to get a confirmation from Banjo the Bluegrass Bunny. In the meantime, you might want to retrieve your dancing shoes from the back of the closet!

Remember, you can always sign up to follow the blog for Free and have notifications of all new posts delivered directly to your email inbox. There is an easy link in the right column. We surely don’t want you to miss out on Howie the Hound Dog’s return and getting a new band together! That ol’ boy could bark and spark all night!

So I will get busy and be back next week with more. Best wishes for a wonderful, safe and healthy holiday season! – Jim (and Red!)

Howie the Hound Dog.
(Photo credit- Christina Talley)

Fireside Questions for Santa

December 24, 2014December 24, 2014 / jrmilson / 4 Comments

With Christmas Day drawing nigh,

I have some questions and wonder– “Why?”

Like, what is it about Santa that makes little kids cry?

And how in the world does he get reindeer to fly?

How high do leaves go when they “mount to the sky”?

How many toys do elves make versus having to buy?

So going to stay up late, or at least I’ll try,

And will hide behind the sofa, on Santa to spy.

I want to face him– eye to eye,

To directly ask the jolly elf guy—

“With no disrespect or meaning to pry–

How is it a fat old man can be so spry?

And get down the chimney without bruising a thigh?”

So busily hanging stockings by the chimney to dry,

While waiting here for Santa with questions to ply,

But for now I’m hungry and will bid “goodbye”,

Here anxiously awaiting the Old Boy to drop by.

Goodness, gracious, me oh my.

I wish that I had some Pumpkin Pie!

Wishing a Merry Blessed Christmas to all– “and to all a Good Night!”

— Jim (and Red!)

Santa Claus Drying Socks By The Fireside

Steampunk Ripples & Bearpunk Pranks!

December 18, 2014 / jrmilson / Leave a comment

The Christmas and Holiday Season is all about giving and sharing. Kindness. Stories of random acts of kindness and their far-reaching effects are in the news every day this time of year. But they are there the rest of the year, too. We just need to look for them. When one does an act of kindness, passes along a smile, compliment, comforting touch or gesture, there is no telling how far the positive effects may reach. It could change someone’s day. It could change a life. It could change the world. It’s all about– ripples.

So I thought it would be appropriate and fun to share a few treasured gifts received from some very good friends this year- the artist Christine Southworth and her daughter, the writer Sylva Fae. And– ripples.

As modern times and the internet would have it, Christine and Sylva are two wonderful, charming people who I have never had the pleasure to actually meet in person yet, but who have nevertheless inspired and influenced my life over the past year in a very positive way thru their shared artworks and writings. Which makes it all even more incredible. It is a perfect example of creating ripples, and watching a single act multiply and impact others one by one in turn.

Mother Teresa Quote– Ripples

Earlier in the year, I wrote a blog post titled “Expand Your Horizons on a Walk Around the Block!” After reading that post, which apparently resonated with her, Christine gifted me back an original drawing, entitled “Milson, the Steampunk Bear.” This drawing has since been the featured image on my blog here, on the right. Needless to say, I was blown away by her talent, kindness and generosity.

“Milson, the Steampunk Bear”- Original Art by Christine Southworth

A few months later, having fun, Christine’s daughter Sylva surprised me with a poem inspired by the drawing “Milson, the Steampunk Bear.” I would like to share that poem with you here. Again, I was amazed with such a wonderful and creative gift, totally out of the blue. Other bears mentioned in the poem were inspired by earlier creations of mine, available for review in the Gallery, linked above.

“MILSON- THE STEAMPUNK BEAR”

“Hello! I’m Milson the steampunk bear. No other bear can compare.

I’m quirky, fluffy but beware, I have a secret– “Shhh, don’t share!”

When all the grown-ups go to sleep, down the stairs, I do creep.

Through the catflap, quietly sneak, across the step with one big leap.

In sun or rain or snowy weather, I wear my hat with jaunty feather.

Goggles and specs I wear together, with studded boots of shiny leather.

I grab my bike from garden glade, for my nightly escapade.

A steampunk biker renegade, ready for the bear parade.

Meeting at the dead of night, Old Glory bears reunite.

It really is quite a sight, Hats on, pegs up. Hold on tight!

There’s Butterscotch Spike on his brass heart bike.

Horace revs a vintage trike, and Sidecar Elsie’s quite a tyke.

Grumpy Gus on a golden chopper, Old Boone loves his ride in copper.

Gaarrth’s a steamcycle whopper, and Tuffie’s trike is good ‘n’ proper.

All the rest in leather and lace, come and join the bearpunk race.

Engines roar as bears give chase, and Grumpy Gus takes first place.

Taking off at lightning speed, a steampunk cycle is my steed.

I know I can, I will succeed. Head down, ears back, I take the lead.

Engine off, put on the brake. The trophy is mine to take.

We feast on mead and fruity cake, then home before the grown-ups wake.”

—by Sylva Fae

Earlier this week for my birthday, Christine gifted me with another piece of artwork—“Milson the Steampunk Bear Finishes the ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ Chair.” That’s him, the little bear with the wrench in his hand on the bottom right. I was honored to receive such a gift- again. We have had an ongoing discussion thru the week as to whether “housework” might be included in the “Do Anything” operating manual.

“Milson, the Steampunk Bear Finishes the ‘Go Anywhere, Do Anything’ Chair”- original artwork by Christine Southworth

Already inspired and moved to action from the original drawing and poem, this latest piece served to reinforce the message. It has been received, loud and clear, and it seemed time for “Milson the Steampunk Bear” to take form.

This little guy is the first of some new Bearpunk patterns and of what will be a whole new line of work and creations, as “Steampunk Bearpunk Bears and Accessories” will make their way into my store after the first of the year. While a departure from the Traditional, Vintage and Country Primitive stylings I have been making, they will be a fun new complement and addition. And if this first fellow- “Milson, the Steampunk Bear” is any indication, it’s going to be a blast working on them!

Milson, the Steampunk Bear– German Mohair, Glass Eyes, by James Milson, 2014

And it all started from a Blog post, which moved an artist an ocean away to create a drawing, which inspired a daughter to create a poem, which in turn led to the creation of another artwork, which led me out of my own comfort zone and to the creation of new teddy bear designs and store line. Which hopefully leads to more enjoyment and fun for who knows how many more folks in the coming years. A single ripple reaching distant shores and flowing back. And back. And back. If ever undecided about doing an act of kindness for someone—do it. You never know whose world you may be changing.

Here is a link to visit Sylva’s delightful blog → “Sylvanian Ramblings Blog”

Christine is a frequent contributor of original watercolor paintings and other artworks on Sylva’s blog, just look thru earlier posts for beautiful artwork and delightful posts by Sylva there. You can learn more about Christine in a recent Guest Post on Sylva’s blog here → “Christine Southworth Guest Blog Post”

In other news, Red and I are also hard at work finishing his first short story collection for release in the New Year—“The Adventures of Little Red Bear.” Hopefully more ripples. Busy times here. Making waves!

It’s the Holiday Season. Kindness. Sharing. Join in, have fun and go make some ripples of your own! It just takes one act or moment of kindness to get the whole progression started. And sometimes, as in a simple blog post, you don’t really know what ripples you may be setting in motion and what may come back to you in the process.

Sending Ripples Into The World

Thanks as always for reading and following along. Very best wishes from Little Red Bear and I, and the whole gang of critters and story folk here for a very Happy, Healthy and Joyous Holiday Season! — Jim (and Red!)