Cheese orphans at Central Market. (photo by Tui Snider)

You found me how?

Most of the time, new readers find this blog by searching for travel-related terms, such as “Cafe du Monde history,” “road trip to Paris, Texas,” or “how to make good coffee while traveling.” These phrases lead to popular articles on my site, so the search traffic makes sense.

Even when the search terms are more cryptic, most of the time it’s fairly obvious which article readers are looking for. People often wind up here from odd-sounding searches such as, “cat poop coffee shops.” Strange as that sounds, I did include an article about civet poop coffee in my bi-weekly blog carnival Traveler’s Show and Tell, so even that makes sense.

Sometimes, however, I get hits from Google for truly puzzling search terms, ones that leave me wondering what on earth those people hoped to read about. This, in turn, made me curious if other bloggers get a kick out of crazy search terms leading to their site. Turns out that they do:

Strange Search Traffic

I saw a fun meme over at M.A. Brotherton’s site while doing some #Reverb11 blog hopping. On the last day of each month, M.A. Brotherton and some other bloggers write a post about the weirdest search terms people have used to find their site. At the time, I thought, “Fun idea! I’ll join in next time.”

Then, of course, I promptly forgot about it.

Yesterday, however, my blog got a bunch of hits from the search term, “barbie cow,” which reminded me of the #YouFoundMeHow meme just in time for the end of January.

Want to play along?

Here are the rules as laid out by M.A. Brotherton (although I added number 4):

One: We link back to GeekinHard because Brad invented the idea, really.

Two: We look at our analytics and examine the keywords people used to find the site.

Three: We mock them. For Funsies.

Four: Use the Twitter hashtag #YouFoundMeHow when tweeting your link.

And if you just said,  “But doesn’t that mean you’re mocking me, your reader?” Obviously I’m not talking about YOU. You’re special and awesome. Everything you do makes perfect sense.

My Top 5 Strangest Search Terms for January 2012

1. ancient Texas mosque

Not only have the flags of six different nations flown over the Lone Star State, but apparently there are historical mosques here, as well. You know, back in ancient Texas.

2. electric cars chick magnet

This is an odd search term, and yet, it’s one that I heartily endorse. All too often, in films and TV shows the dweeby character is the one who drives the energy efficient vehicle such as a Prius or Insight. (Kinda like how every nerdy person on TV and in the movies wears glasses and carries an asthma inhaler with them 24/7.) I think it’s time we re-branded electric cars, don’t you?

3. traveling live crab

I get a lot of travel related searches, but this one made me wonder. More than likely, someone wants to take live crabs home to cook. On the other hand, someone could be looking for a way to take trips with their pet crab. After all, I saw a book about a guy who drove all over the USA with his pet chicken. Maybe this same guy found my site while doing research for a sequel to his chicken book.

4. inflatable friends

Are you happy with the overall quality of your friendships, yet disappointed by the fact that so few of them can also double as a flotation device? Me, neither. Oddly enough, this search term appeared the day after I watched the surprisingly kind-hearted movie, “Lars and the Real Girl.”

5. pictures of poop land

I am the first to admit that as much as I travel, my sense of geography is not the best. Even so, I had never heard of Poop Land. Is that where Scatman was born? Do eco travelers visit Poop Land to view endangered feces? Perhaps, if you are exiled from Candyland, this is where they send you.

Your turn!

What about you? Do you even notice people finding your blog using weird search terms? Let me know if you decide to play along.

Faceburger in Messina, Sicily (photo by Tui Snider)

Welcome to the January 21, 2012 edition of Traveler’s Show and Tell.

This week’s Traveler’s Show and Tell blog carnival features thirteen travelers. Read on to find out:

• … why folks in New Orleans drink coffee with chicory root added to it.
• … how to make the most of a trip to Jamaica.
• …why the Amalfi coast is worth visiting – again and again.
• … what life is really like in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
• … and much, much more!

This Week’s Travel Photo

This burger joint’s blatant ripoff of the Facebook logo gave me a double take as my husband and I were exploring the side streets of Messina, Sicily last fall. I thought it would be fun to update my Facebook status while in a Faceburger restaurant, but they didn’t have wi-fi, oddly enough. But hey, I’ll always have this photo as a souvenir, right?

This Week’s Travelers

Tui Snider (Hey, that’s me!) presents New Orleans’ Cafe du Monde: A Taste of History posted right here at Mental Mosaic: Even Home is a Travel Destination, saying

“When you enjoy a cup of chicory-laced coffee and a plate of beignets at New Orleans’ famous Cafe du Monde, you’re ingesting a bit of history along with your sugar and caffeine. Coffee played a big role in New Orleans’ history, and at one point in the 1800′s there were nearly 500 coffeehouses in the French Quarter. Cafe du Monde is the sole survivor from that era, with a menu that is virtually unchanged since it first opened in 1862.”

April D. Thompson presents What’s Going On in Jamaica posted at The Absolute Travel Addict, saying

“My time in in JA isn’t just one big vacation. I’m still working…on several projects (a girl’s gotta eat), but taking every opportunity to explore and learn more about the island and its people. There’s so much to see and do in Jamaica and I’m not just talking beaches, jerk chicken and rum punch either (though I love them all).”

Ella presents a lush photo essay Amalfi Coast posted at Home & Landscape *design fix, saying

“Around this time of year, I usually start dreaming about where to travel next. The few months ahead are going to be the darkest and coldest ones, so this sort of daydreaming activity keeps me warm. “

Rekha presents The Temple Trio of Trivandrum (Part 1) – Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. posted at The Road Less Travelled, saying,

“A tour of the famed Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Trivandrum , Kerala , India”

Bastiaan Reinink presents Cuzco, where the catwalk got it’s claws » Perpetual Wonder posted at Perpetual Wonder, saying,

““I’m helping to organize a fashion show here in Cuzco and we are still looking for tall, slim models. Would you please audition?” Right. That’s how I got suckered into being there, at the Hotel Cuzco, a week later. Cold fear running down my back (hoping that I wasn’t staining the designer’s outfit too badly), as my calves cramped up from the way-too-tight pants”

Katie Loat presents Fiji – Bula! posted at A World Outside Wolvo, saying,

“Most of the time we would be in the water or sun bathing, whether we went snorkelling, kayaking, diving or simply just swimming in the pool! Pretty much spent the whole week barefoot with wet hair!”

Michael Turtle presents Life in one of Rio’s favelas posted at Time Travel Turtle : Stories from the world, saying,

“In the alleys and walkways of the Vila Canoas favela, it’s easy to lose your sense of direction, height and time. There are no roads in this community and at times residents navigate their way through passageways that suddenly descend into the plumbing under a building. There are tunnels of staircases cut into stone filled with smoke and illuminated only by the light at either end. And throughout it all is a warren of paths split off in every direction as dictated by the needs of the locals. But for the people who live in this slum on the side of one of Rio de Janeiro’s mountains, this is home and they know it as well as anyone knows their neighborhood.”

Juliet Jones presents 9 Things That Were Awesome About Air Travel Back in the Day posted at Business Insurance,

“In the good old days, there was something intensely romantic about the idea of air travel. Not only were you leaving your home to discover somewhere new, but you were high above the clouds in a grand silver machine, populated only by the most glamorous travel companions. Similar to traveling the ocean liners of their day, air travel used to be something in which people took pride. It was an excuse to dress up, to hobnob, to flirt. Nowadays, as Orson Welles famously quipped, ‘there are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror.’”

Brooke Allen presents Big Sky, Montana, New Year?s 2012, Part II posted at Rambling Brooke, saying,

“When I travel, I usually visit a place, thoroughly enjoy it, and cross it off my list…However, Montana might be my current exception, just like Switzerland was my exception when I lived in Europe.”

Stephen Vanderpool presents Honest Airfare is Coming One Disclosure at a Time posted at NerdWallet | Travel, saying,

“Airfare is rarely what it seems…New legislation is working to untangle the costly, convoluted clutter of half-hidden charges, demanding fair and upfront disclosure of baggage fees. The new regulations are a small but satisfying victory for travelers, a vital step toward coherent airfare.”

Megan presents Costa Rica-Nicaragua 2012 Budget posted at La Vida en Viaje, saying,

“This is a post about budgeting for a big trip! It contains general tips for budgeting as well as specifics about my upcoming trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.”

Theresa Torres presents 5 Ways To Fund Your Travels posted at Travel Corner, saying,

“Planning on a new adventure but don’t have enough funds? Here are some ways on how you can earn enough to start on your journey.”

Sush presents MIAMI BEACH posted at Flag On Globe, saying,

“Miami Beach: Just after one glance at the beach, i realize why it is world famous beach.”

Iain Manley presents Vestiges of the Hippie Trail posted at Old World Wandering: A Travelogue, saying,

“The Hippie Trail overland to Kathmandu may have faded into the past, but in Western views of India and the backpacking industry, its vestiges remain.”

Transatlantic cruise sunset. (photo by Tui Snider)

Where do you get your ideas?

One of the first things people ask when I tell them I’m a writer is, “Where do you get your ideas?” I find this kinda funny, because to me, ideas are like spores; they are everywhere, but seem invisible until they suddenly pop up into your mind like tiny mushrooms. For instance, I recently wrote Is Transatlantic Cruising Right for You? for The Traveler’s Way. Where did I get that idea? From a conversation I had with a vacuum cleaner salesman.

It was the night before our most recent transatlantic cruise. When the doorbell rang, my husband was busy explaining all the quirky ins and outs of our dwelling to the house-sitter, so I answered the door. I expected to find either a neighbor or a religious zealot on our stoop, but instead it was a young guy in nice slacks, shiny shoes, a button down shirt (no tie) and a leather jacket. Something about his business casual attire and over-eager smile screamed salesman so before he could get a word out, I jumped in with, “What are you selling tonight?”

I think this caught him off guard, because instead launching into a smooth sales pitch, he stammered, “Good evening, ma’am. Uh, my name is Blake and it’s a, well, we’re selling, what, uh, we’re presenting to you tonight is a premium vacuum cleaner. No, uh, obligations, but I’d like to offer you a, um, demonstration of all its capabilities.”

Transatlantic cruise sunset. (photo by Tui Snider)

His vacuum cleaner cost more than our entire vacation

As someone who has done a lot of selling in her life (from Girl Scout cookies to newspaper advertising) I know how tough a cold call can be. I glanced down the driveway and noticed a car with a passenger waiting inside. “Is that your boss?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m in training, and this is my first, uh, time doing the demonstration by myself, well, I hope it will be,” he added with a laugh. “No one’s actually let me in their house yet.”

Call me a sucker, but I took pity on the guy. “I don’t want to get your hopes up, because I really don’t want a new vacuum cleaner, but why don’t you come in and give me the demo for practice.”

He thanked me profusely before stepping inside and opening his demo box.

“How much do you sell this vacuum for, anyway?”

“$3,000.”

“$3000? I’m leaving for a transatlantic cruise tomorrow morning, and I’ve gotta tell you, Blake, our whole trip is not gonna cost that much.”

Transatlantic cruise sunset. (photo by Tui Snider)

It was his turn to be surprised. “Really? I thought cruises were super expensive.”

“Anything can be super expensive,” I replied. “There are vacuum cleaners out there that cost three grand.”

“Yes, there are, ma’am. But wait until you see all this one can do.” As Blake continued to wrestle much with all the hoses, cords and other attachments in his huge box, I could see that it was going to be a while. I tried to be patient, but I still had some packing to do.

“Why don’t you just tell me what’s so great about this vacuum?”

“Yes, ma’am. For starters, it cleans every kind of surface, from wood to thick rugs. Plus, it even gives you a head and foot massage. Just imagine how – ”

Transatlantic cruise sunset. (photo by Tui Snider)

Things got even more absurd

“A massage? Are you kidding?”

“No, ma’am,” he said, digging through the packing material in the vacuum box. “If I can just find the right attachment, I’ll show you.”

With the absurdity factor increasing by the moment, I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry, Blake, but am I the first person to crack up when you told them you were selling a vacuum that gives massages?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, before admitting, “But it’s only my second day on the job.”

“I’m no Howard Hughes, but doesn’t it sound a little gross to massage yourself with something that has been sucking dirt off the floor?”

Transatlantic cruise sunset. (photo by Tui Snider)

This time, Blake laughed. “Actually, my mom said the same thing.” He was still struggling to assemble the vacuum cleaner, but my patience had run out.

“I really don’t have time for your full demo tonight, Blake, but I want you to look good with your boss. How can I do make it seem like you tried hard enough in here?”

Blake grinned. “My pitch is supposed to take 25 minutes, at the least.”

“How are we doing?”

He checked his watch. “We’ve got 15 minutes left.”

“It’s gonna take you that long just get all that stuff back in the box,” I said. “Let’s just chat a little.”

Transatlantic cruise sunset. (photo by Tui Snider)

So I told him about transatlantic sunsets

“I want to know more about your cruise,” Blake said. “Does it get scary or boring in the middle of the ocean? Is food included? Do people get seasick? What is there to do on the boat all day long?”

So I spent the next 15 minutes answering his questions about traveling, in general, and cruising, in particular, while Blake-the-salesman crammed stuff back into his demonstration case.

I sometimes wonder if Blake ever managed to sell any of those $3000 vacuum cleaners. As for us, about a month after returning from our fabulous trip, we bought a Roomba. It doesn’t massage our feet, but is cost a fraction of what that fancy vacuum did, and it keeps the floors nice and clean.

Beautiful facade in Tenerife, Canary Islands. (photo by Tui Snider)

Welcome to the January 7, 2012 edition of Traveler’s Show and Tell.

This week’s Traveler’s Show and Tell blog carnival showcases seven traveling bloggers:

• Tui Snider stretches her tourist dollars in New Orleans.
• Andy Hayes takes us to Peacock Lane in Portland, Oregon.
• Nicole Black describes Christmas traditions in Denmark.
• April D. Thompson offers tips for making the most of a layover in Paris.
• Nine shares a poetic description of her wanderlust.
• Megan touches on the importance of traveling and what gives her the travel bug.
• Dr. Dean Burke offers ways to liven up long road trips.

This Week’s Travel Photo

I snapped this photo on my iPhone while wandering the side streets of Tenerife searching for a shady outdoor cafe with free Wi Fi to sit at and sip espresso on a sunny afternoon. Tenerife is a cute little city in Spain’s Canary Islands, and there were lots of contenders to choose from.

This Week’s Travelers

Tui Snider Yes, that’s me. Thought I’d join in on the blog carnival this week with Stretching Your Travel Dollar in New Orleans posted over at The Traveler’s Way, in which I write,

“Some of the best things in New Orleans are free – or nearly so. I recently visited at the end of a long trip, when finances were getting low, and discovered a few tips that kept my budget in check while allowing me to experience the city to its fullest.”

Andy Hayes presents Photo Essay: Christmas on Peacock Lane, Portland Oregon posted at Travel for Christmas, saying,

“One of the classic Portland, Oregon Christmas traditions is to stroll and marvel at the Christmas lights on Peacock Lane. It’s a tiny street in southeast Portland that turns into a Christmas wonderland, with nearly every house on the street lit up for Christmas.”

Nicole Blake presents God Jul fra København (Merry Christmas from Copenhagen) posted at nicole is the new black, saying,

“This is a post about my Christmas in Copenhagen with my bf and his family”

April D. Thompson presents Six Tips to Maximize Your Layover in Paris posted at The Absolute Travel Addict.

“The next time you find yourself in Paris Charles de Gaulle airport with an extended layover, consider these six tips to maximize your time outside of the airport walls.”

Nine presents Gumboot | Abyssinia, Henry posted at Abyssinia, Henry, saying,

“I am on the other side of the planet (again). I am about as far away from home as I could be. Often, I don’t know how to start explaining to people what I’m doing or how it all came to be like this. I don’t have a long-term plan but I’ve gotten used to that and I know that it’s okay. I listen to music that links me up with past times and past places and sometimes I feel electric because of all the memories.”

Dr. Dean presents Road Trip: Florida Style! posted at Dr. Dean’s TheMillionaireNurse.com Blog, saying,

“Traveling by Lear jet not in your budget? Read about fun and frugal ways to pass the time on long road trips. You’ll want to plan a trip and join in the fun!”

Megan presents Daily Travel Inspiration: December 22, 2011 posted at La Vida en Viaje, saying,

“This blog post is about inspiration to travel as well as using travel as an opportunity to spread global awareness and broaden our own understanding of what is going on around us.”

That’s it for this week’s blog carnival, Traveler’s Show & Tell.

As always, if you enjoyed it, let us know in the comments section. Also, please let the author know you liked their piece by leaving a comment at their blog. See you next time! :)

Do you have a travel story to share?

Technorati tags: traveler’s show and tell, blog carnival.

Sunset over Lake Worth, Texas (photo by Tui Snider)

I Was Tagged by Cirque du Mot for the Seven Links Challenge

If you read a lot of blogs, you may have noticed the 7 Links Challenge sweeping through the blogosphere. I am not sure who started the 7 Links Challenge, but I was recently tagged by Susan Silver of Cirque du Mot.

Susan is the bee’s knees! She packs a ton of helpful information into her posts, and writes about social media in a way that doesn’t make my eyes glaze over. When I’m feeling overwhelmed online, Cirque du Mot is my “go to” spot for practical solutions. Plus, she’s kind, lighthearted and delights in obscure trivia. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that, like me, she enjoyed reading the dictionary as a kid. (Heck, I still do.)

We Met Via #Commenthour on Twitter

I often lose track of how I meet who online, but I’m pretty sure I connected with Susan via the Twitter #commenthour folks, a supportive network of folks who meet informally on Twitter each Wednesday evening from 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. CST. It’s a great group of bloggers and you’re welcome to join in, too. For more information, check out @Chasing_Joy (she’s wonderful!) and/or search for the #commenthour hashtag.

Rules for the Seven Links Challenge:

Blogger is nominated to take part.
Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category. This shouldn’t take you long to do – don’t over-think it!

Your most beautiful post

Your most popular post

Your most controversial post

Your most helpful post

A post whose success surprised you

A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved

The post that you are most proud of

Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part.(Feel free to nominate any kind of blog to take part – we want this project to be as inclusive as possible!)

These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another 5 more bloggers And so it goes on!

Most Beautiful Post

I’m calling Weekend Roadtrip to Paris, Texas my most beautiful post simply because I included a bunch of pretty pictures of that photogenic little town. Here are a few fun facts about Paris, Texas:

The city built an Eiffel Tower Replica, which wears a bright red cowboy hat on top.
The local cemetery features a statue in which Jesus is depicted wearing cowboy boots.
The city’s walking/cycling trail, a.k.a. the Trail de Paris features a scale replica of the solar system painted along the way.
The town has an excellent bakery.

Most Popular Post

Since posting Shark Gazing at the Dallas World Aquarium a year ago, not a day passes without search traffic bringing visitors to this article, which includes several photos. Here’s a little excerpt:

My favorite part of the Dallas World Aquarium is a long acrylic viewing tunnel which allows you to watch sharks and rays cruise right over your head. Both times we’ve gone, I’ve loaded up my camera’s memory card there. But here’s a tip: go during the weekday to avoid crowds in the view tunnel. It can get really stuffy!

Most Controversial Post

Let’s face it, you either believe in ghosts or you think the topic is a bunch of rubbish. That’s why I picked True Spooks 2011: True Ghost Stories as my most controversial post. For added controversy, I included an anomalous photo (is it a ghost?), but the best part is that several excellent writers, including Shelly Tucker and Slade Roberson joined in. Here’s a teaser:

What are ghost stories doing on a travel blog? Simple! With Halloween right around the corner, I thought I’d let some masterful storytellers take us for a spooky trip to the world’s most haunted places, from tiny Italian villages, to middle class American neighborhoods. Sometimes the creepiest place of all is your own backyard.

Most Helpful Post

I chose Easy Homemade Solar Oven: Have Fun with the Sun as my most helpful post because I include a step-by-step recipe for making your own bread with the sun. People are so surprised when I tell them how easy it is. Here’s a little excerpt:

I’m often asked if it’s possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk here in Texas during the summer, to which I reply, “Not only can you fry eggs. You can bake your own bread with the sun! Turns out that baking bread with the sun is easy, too. So easy, in fact, that lately I’ve been baking a fresh batch of Sun Bread (as we’ve taken to calling it) twice a week. Each time, it feels like I’m outwitting the heatwave in my own sneaky way, like in a super hero movie where the victim turns the villain’s own powers against them. Bwa-ha-ha!

A Post Whose Success Surprised You

When I wrote Alix’s Story: Chronic Pain and the Power of Stubbornness, I didn’t expect much of a response. The post came about during one of my morning free writes, and I decided to share it on my blog. I was worried, though, because it’s quite a long. Much to my surprise, it got a lot of comments, a big reaction on Facebook, and I even received several private messages from people thanking me. Here’s an excerpt:

A little over 10 years ago, my dear friend, Alix, was in a terrible car accident. This was no mere fender-bender. Alix’s vehicle was struck head-on by a woman who fell asleep at the wheel. The slumbering driver got a broken wrist out of the incident, but Alix nearly died. While waiting for help to arrive, Alix was stuck upside down and nearly drowned in her own blood. They had to use the Jaws of Life to pry her out, and even when they did, they pronounced her dead – several times – on the way to the hospital.

When you have been on as much morphine as is humanly possible to metabolize, addiction is a given. And when the medical professionals decide that you no longer need that medication, they simply cut you off, and expect you to deal with it cold turkey. If you want more meds, they consider it “drug seeking behavior,” and tell you to buck up. I was shocked by this!

Eventually, Alix asked her doctors if she could be completely weaned off painkillers, and was given a resounding, “no.” They told her all the years of pain meds had rewired her brain and that it was physically impossible for her to ever be totally clean.

Here’s a little update on Alix, for those who are wondering: She continues to be completely off of painkillers, graduated from cosmetology school with flying colors and has opened her own hair salon in partnership with her boyfriend, who went through school with her. Hooray!

A Post You Feel Didn’t Get the Attention it Deserved

I’ve picked 5 Reasons You Should Never Work at Home in Your Pajamas as my most neglected post because I think I made some valid points. Here’s the opening:

The first thing people say when they hear that I work at home is often some variant of, “Lucky you! You can work in your pajamas!” to which I just smile the way people called “Otto” smile at yet another car-related pun in reference to their name. Only rarely do I bother to explain that, in fact, the only time I work in my pajamas is if I am sick and have a deadline to meet. Other than that, I absolutely never, ever work in my pajamas, and neither should you. Here’s why:

The Post You Are Most Proud Of

I chose The Italian – Texan Connection as the post I’m most proud of because it was also a guest post over at one of my favorite blogs, Bleeding Espresso, home of the fabulous Michelle Fabio. I’m also proud of this post because not only do the photos work well, but I’ve never read anything before about the similarities between Texas and Italy before. Here’s a little excerpt:

As a recent transplant to the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex (via Naples, Italy and the Pacific Northwest) I must agree with the state slogan of, “Texas, it’s like a whole other country.” It’s not only because the state is huge, or the fact that it has its own power grid. There is just something about Texas that sets it apart from other states. Every time I land in Dallas, for instance, I feel like I should get my passport stamped.
So how does all this fit in with the Gita Italiana? Well, I’ve discovered that the bel paese and the Lone Star State have a surprising amount of things in common. Don’t believe me? Read on!

My Picks for the Next Seven Link Challenge Bloggers

Here are a few of the bloggers I find inspirational, and who I would love to see take part in the Seven Link Challenge. If you are looking for some new blogs, check these folks out. They are quite a crew:

Andarin, from Byteful Travel

Jyllian, from Erstwhile Dancefloor Revolution

Paula Puffer, from Don’t Be a Picklebump

Aeriel, from Gardener’s Roost

Michael Turtle, from The Time Travel Turtle

Shonda, from Abundant Journeys

Hans, from The Ramen Rater

Will Mt. Vesuvius erupt in 2012? (photo by Tui Snider)

My Prediction Tradition

As I’ve mentioned here before, when my step-daughter was little our New Year’s traditions included writing down predictions for the coming year. The fun part was digging up that list the following year and seeing which things came true and which did not. I revived that prediction tradition a couple years ago through posts such as What Are Your Predictions for the New Year? and Last year’s Predictions for 2010 .

So, here we go again, folks! What are your predictions for the year 2012? You can be silly, serious, political or trivial. I don’t care! All I ask is that you take a moment to make a wild (or educated) guess about what you can envision happening during our next trip around the sun and tell us in the comments section below. I’ll keep your predictions safe and sound, then bring them out again next year to see who was right on and who was way off base.

Speaking of…

Last Year’s Predictions for 2011

Last year, three brave folks left their predictions for 2011. What do you think? Was anyone right, or did they all strike out?

Hans Lienesch from The Ramen Rater deserves some serious applause for taking the plunge and making a hefty list of predictions for 2011:

All WikiLeaks documents will be released

Betty White dies

Prominent Atheists become targets of radical religious right

Something major happens involving the Koreas

A knitted product gains lots of popularity

And the topper: Billy Idol dies in car crash involving a monument.

Debby from dtah photography added a couple predictions of her own:

I like the Betty white one and am seconding that one

I’m also adding: 3D-TV fails…BIG TIME

Adena Atkins from An Art Full Life left a hopeful prediction:

Hmm, I’m not exactly known for knowing what’s going on, or for being able to predict how long something will take to happen. So I’ll simply predict that humanities creativity will save us from some of our more urgent predicaments (like, you know, dealing with climate change) and this will happen very very soon. It has to, right?

Leave Your 2012 Predictions in the Comments Section

OK, gentle reader, now it’s your turn! Go ahead, be playful, be zany, let your imagination run wild. What do you think is going to happen in the year 2012?

Do you believe we’re due for a Mayan Apocalypse, The Rapture, or just more of the same-old-same-old?

Who do you think will be the GOP candidate?

I promise to play along, too, and will post my predictions later…

My 2012 Predictions

OK, it’s later! Here are my predictions for the year 2012:

Kim Jong Il will get bored with the afterlife (not enough adulation) so in order to gain attention, he will make prank phone calls on Stephen Spielberg, Brittany Spears and South Korea from beyond the grave – thereby proving that there is life after death (which Kim Jong Il will then claim to have invented.)

Fidel Castro will die while filming a geriatric fitness DVD.

Jon Bon Jovi will become an opera singer, then star in an updated version of Don Giovanni (appropriately renamed Jon Bon Jovi) with a libretto penned by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Julie Taymor will step in to create the first 3D opera set.

Elton John will be caught in an affair – with a woman! His subsequent cover version of Katy Perry’s, “I kissed a girl & I liked it,” will top the charts, leading some to believe it was all a big publicity stunt (until Gloria Allred steps in.)

Speaking of Gloria Allred, in 2012 Ms. Allred will decide to cut out the middle man (so to speak) and have an affair with a famous married man, then sue his pants off when it all goes public.

Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi will endorse a scandalous Wii fitness game called Bunga Bunga Party.

Stephen Hawking will win the Nobel prize for mathematically proving that the world actually ended in 2011, but everyone was too busy watching reality TV to notice.

Happy New Year!

Whatever happens in 2012, I’m looking forward to another fabulous year both online and off. Thanks to all of you for stopping by my blog and playing along. Happy New Year! :)

Moon through the iPhone. (photo by Tui Snider)

Today’s #Reverb11 – #Resound11 writing prompts

Today’s writing prompt comes from Jaemie Gyurik who writes:

Best Photo: Today, please post your best photo of the year. It doesn’t have to be the best technically, it doesn’t have to be the best visually, but it should be a photo that you consider the best. Does it have special meaning? Is it of a significant event or moment? Share it with us!

How Instagr.am and an iPhone Rocked My World in 2011

Prior to 2011, I took lots of photos, but they often piled up in my computer without ever being seen. I never took cell phone pictures. Why bother, I figured, when the point and shoot I carry in my purse takes much better shots?

Two things happened in 2011 that rocked my photo-taking world:

1. I got an iPhone

2. I started using Instagr.am (a.k.a. IG)

The iPhone acquisition was purely accidental. I’m not one of those folks who constantly pines for the latest and greatest thing. I love gadgets, but I don’t want them just because they are in fashion; I want them to add tangible benefits to my lifestyle. So the only reason I wound up with a smart phone is that I was eligible for a free one. That said, I quickly fell in love with my iPhone 3G. It’s great for email, Twitter, Facebook, weather info, texting, synching my Google calendar, and so forth.

On the other hand, if the iPhone’s camera were a piece of cheese, it would have been covered in mold by the time I got around to touching it. It was months before I tried it, and even then, the interface seemed awkward and I wasn’t convinced of its quality.

Then along came Instagr.am

As I confessed in, 7 Ways Instagr.am & Travel Go Hand-in-Hand, I became an IG addict in 2011! This simple-to-use app not only lets me instantly share a photo on Twitter and Facebook, but I can also check into Foursquare and geotag the photo with the name of the place I’m at. On a road trip to Paris, Texas, for instance, I was able to share photos on the fly, instead of waiting until I returned home, downloaded the photos, resized them, and finally uploaded them to share with others. Another great thing about IG is that even though it’s an iPhone app, you can check out my personal photo stream at this Statigr.am link.

Choosing My Best Photo of 2011

Taking photos is a big part of my life, so it’s really hard to call one single photo “the best one.” Plus, I like different photos for different reasons. Some are great because they transport me back to a special memory, some are artsy, and some just make me laugh. I especially enjoy photos that wake me up to overlooked beauty, such as a photo I recently took of dried cocoa powder in the bottom of my coffee mug. That dirty dish is a piece of beauty I might have overlooked if I had been sleepwalking through the day and had plopped it into the sink without truly seeing it.

So, with all that in mind, I’ve chosen the moon photo at the top of this post as my best photo of 2011.

A Sense of Connection

I took this photo at a Star Gazing Party hosted at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in nearby Fort Worth, Texas. A dozen members from a local astronomy club had telescopes set up on the sidewalk so that anyone who wanted could check out the night sky. I love nerdy things, and didn’t expect much of a crowd, but I was wrong. I counted a little over 100 people there! One hundred Texans standing around on a hot summer night with little in common, perhaps, except that we could all marvel at the beauty of the night sky together.

While enjoying a particularly clear view of the moon, the owner of the telescope told me I could try taking a photo through the lens if I wanted. I wanted! It took several tries, but I eventually got a keeper. Wow! I have always wanted to take a nice photo of the moon, but have never been satisfied with my results. This time, however, I was even able to see the craters in the resulting photo – and I was using a cell phone camera!

I was still fairly new to Instagr.am at this point, and it’s also one of the first times I used the Geotag feature. Shortly after posting it, I had a slew of comments and even questions from people who lived nearby and wanted to know more about attending a Star Gazing Party. My step-daughter (who lived in London at the time) also commented on the photo right away. This meant a lot to me since we have spent many hours stargazing together.

Not only did this photo help me realize the potential of my iPhone camera and Instagr.am, but it gave me a sense of connection to friends and family near and far. That’s why I’ve chosen this photo as my best of the year.

What do you think?

What about you? Are there techie gadgets you once thought gimmicky, but now adore?

What is #Reverb11?

#Reverb11, #Resound11 and #Relish11 are just a few names for a fun end of the year project that mindful bloggers all over the world are participating in. Each day in December, folks choose a prompt from one of several lists, then use that as a launchpad to express themselves on their blog. The prompts are especially geared towards reflecting back on 2011 and paving the way towards a better 2012.

Everyone is welcome to join in. If you don’t have a blog, respond to the prompts offline through journaling, painting or whatever direction your inspiration takes you!

Unfrosted sugar cookies. (photo by Tui Snider)

Community in my kitchen

I could fill several blog entries talking about all the places I have experienced community in 2011 – online, offline and even overseas – but for this Reverb11 post I’m going to expound upon the sense of family I’ve enjoyed right in my very own kitchen.

My husband has two grown kids, and one of the ways I have gotten to feel like part of the family is through time spent cooking together at our house. I love it!

Our cookie assembly line (photo by Tui Snider)

This Thanksgiving, for instance, we assembled and decorated a gingerbread village with them while the turkey roasted. We were playful and silly (my specialties) and had a great time.

Last week, we had a blast decorating sugar cookies which we’ve sent off as Christmas gifts for our friends and family. We frosted a LOT of cookies. By the time we ran out, we were getting pretty creative, as you can see by these photos.

Our Texas shaped cookies feature a dot to show where we live. (photo by Tui Snider)

It may not sound like much, but working on projects like these is much more relaxed than sitting around the living room trying to keep a conversation going. It really takes the pressure off. No one expects you to say anything unless you feel inspired to do so. As a result, the conversation flows easily and no one feels “on the spot.”

Our holiday tradition

Actually this whole “sugar cookie thing” has become a holiday tradition for me and my man. It started on Christmas Eve of last year, when my then-fiance and I listened to my eclectic collection of Christmas music (everything from Elvis, The Nutcracker and the Partridge Family, to a guy who uses power tools as instruments) while baking sugar cookies using a fantastic recipe I found online.

Hipster Christmas elf cookie. (photo by Tui Snider)

This particular sugar cookie recipe comes from the blog of someone who goes by the name of Not Hannah, who – like me – had been on the quest for the ultimate sugar cookie recipe. As she put it:

“…for the past couple of years, I’ve been trying to find THE perfect sugar cookie recipe. The recipe I have in mind yields a soft cookie, slightly cakey, crisp around the edges, sweet (but not too sweet to take a good butter cream-ish icing.)”

Not Hannah, I think it’s time to shout, “Eureka!” because you, my dear, have found it.

Pirate sugar cookie - Argh! (photo by Tui Snider)

Serendipity leads to the best sugar cookie recipe

Yes, choosing Not Hannah’s fabulous sugar cookie recipe out of the thousands which Google offered was a wise decision indeed, because the cookies it produces taste freaking awesome. What really clinches it, however, entailed a bit of serendipity on our end.

We were out of regular salt, you see, so we substituted coarse grain sea salt. I was worried that our cookies would taste salty, but au contraire! That coarse sea salt sent people’s palates over the edge. Everyone we sent them to raved about how well the surprising touch of salt complemented the sweetness in these cookies. Phew!

So, thanks to Not Hannah, our Christmas Eve dinner last year consisted of warm-from-the-oven cookies and red wine as we basked in the glow of our newly-purchased fiber optic Christmas tree. Very festive.

Cat astronaut sugar cookie. (photo by Tui Snider)

Today’s #Reverb11 – #Resound11 writing prompts

The #Reverb11 writing prompt I chose for this post came from GeekinHard:

A Community I Love – Online & IRL we’re all part of a multitude of communities. Tell us about one that moves you.

The #Resound11 writing prompt I combined it with comes from Jaemie Gyurik

Traditions – This is the time of year when families are upholding decades old traditions and working to create new ones. It doesn’t matter what you celebrate (or don’t) … please share with us your December traditions: how they got started, why you continue them, and why they are special to you.

What is #Reverb11?

#Reverb11, #Resound11 and #Relish11 are just a few names for a fun end of the year project that mindful bloggers all over the world are participating in. Each day in December, folks choose a prompt from one of several lists, then use that as a launchpad to express themselves on their blog. The prompts are especially geared towards reflecting back on 2011 and paving the way towards a better 2012.

Everyone is welcome to join in. If you don’t have a blog, respond to the prompts offline through journaling, painting or whatever direction your inspiration takes you!

Piano keys. (photo by Tui Snider)

Santa Meets Synchronicity

What with getting married in the spring and finally unpacking stuff I’ve been carting from one storage unit to another, it’s been a nesty year for me.

Much of this nesting involved discarding clutter, so a few weeks ago, when my husband asked what I wanted for Christmas, I couldn’t think of a thing. Likewise for him. I think we both muttered something along the lines of, “not needing more stuff to clutter up the place.”

That night, however, while doing dishes, a mental image barged in on my daydreams: it was an upright piano. Yeah, right, I thought, money’s tight, and pianos aren’t cheap. Put that in the ‘someday’ file.

And with that, I blew off the idea.

Piano strings - lower register. (photo by Tui Snider)

A couple hours later, I returned to the kitchen for tea. While waiting for the water to boil, that piano image popped into my head again. This time, I indulged the idea a little. I imagined how much homier this place would feel with a piano, and I let myself feel how much I’ve missed living with one.

Wouldn’t it be great to find a decent piano nearby for around $300? I mused. I don’t know why I thought of $300. The number just popped into my head and sounded reasonable – although unlikely.

Back upstairs, just as I noticed a piano in the background of a scene in the movie we were watching, my husband casually asked, “Do you ever miss playing the piano?”

That was it!

On impulse, I hopped onto Craiglist and did a search for pianos. Lo and behold, I discovered a beautiful upright grand piano for sale just a few miles down the road for us with the asking price of – you guessed it – $300!

It was love at first sight!

So, fasting forward a little bit, that’s how Santa met synchronicity this year, because we decided to make that piano our mutual Christmas gift.

Today’s #Reverb11 – #Resound11 writing prompts

Three writing prompts combined to inspire today’s post.

First, Jaemie Gyurik, passed along a prompt from Krissie for #Resound11:

What was the best gift you gave yourself this year? Did you buy big, fluffy towels? Did you have a massage on a day when you really needed it? Did you forgive someone and give yourself the freedom from that grudge?

The next prompt to catch my eye came from Hope Wallace Garney :

What was your favourite gift given and/or received in 2011? Who was the recipient, who was the giver? What was it for (an event, holiday or just because)? Was the gift tangible or something else (i.e. support in a hard situation or laughter when it was most needed)?

I find Hope’s mixed media journals super inspiring. Check out December Daily #Rerverb11 Hybrid Journal Day 6 to see what she created in response to this prompt.

Even so, it wasn’t until I saw the following prompt from Paula Puffer that I knew what direction to take with today’s post:

synchronicity (ˌsɪnkrəˈnɪsɪtɪ) — n
an apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events that are causally unrelated.

Did you experience any synchronicity this year? Tell us about it? Where did it lead you?

What is #Reverb11?

#Reverb11, #Resound11 and #Relish11 are just a few names for a fun end of the year project that mindful bloggers all over the world are participating in. Each day in December, folks choose a prompt from one of several lists, then use that as a launchpad to express themselves on their blog. The prompts are especially geared towards reflecting back on 2011 and paving the way towards a better 2012.

Everyone is welcome to join in. If you don’t have a blog, respond to the prompts offline through journaling, painting or whatever direction your inspiration takes you!

Shadows and the curve of our street. (photo by Tui Snider)

Synesthesia is my Superpower

I chose Synesthesia as my superpower because, while I find it a positive quality, it is often described as a mental disorder. Check out this article from Discovery magazine entitled, Top 10 Little-Known Mental Disorders, which claims,

“Synesthesia is a disorder resulting in the sufferer experiencing an alternate sense as a result of the first sense.”

Sufferer? Disorder? I love being a synesthete! Makes you wonder how many other things are considered to be abnormal/wrong when, in fact, they actually enrich people’s lives.

What is Synesthesia?

The word Synesthesia has Greek origins meaning, “joined senses.” The “disorder” is defined as an involuntary combining of two or more senses. Synesthesia takes many forms because there are so many ways to combine our senses. This means there is no single way to express this “condition,” although the most common form of Synesthesia, in which a person associates specific colors with each letter of the alphabet, has got a spiffy official name: grapheme-color synesthesia.

In other cases, instead of just hearing music, a person with Synesthesia might also see colorful mental images to go along with the tune, or upon hearing that it’s Wednesday, a synesthete might envision the size and shape of that particular day. To me, for instance, Wednesday is brightly-lit with a smooth texture, like plywood. In my mind, the entire week exists upon a horizontal plane in front of me with the days proceeding in a clockwise fashion.

Not Drug-Induced or an Overactive Imagination

As this Scientific American article mentions,

“For too long, synesthetes were dismissed as having overactive imaginations, confusing memories for perceptions or taking metaphorical speech far too literally.”

I’ve heard the “overactive imagination” thing my whole life, but what really irks me is when people insinuate my creativity is somehow drug-related. (Some of you may recall how I ranted about this a while ago in a post called Do Drugs Make You More Creative?)

Of course, I should add that, despite being touchy about people assuming I’m “high” when I’m just being playful, I took it as a huge compliment when a dear friend told me that during her one and only magic mushroom trip she kept thinking, “This must be what the world is like to Tui all the time.”

Even so, I felt rather validated when I read this section of the aforementioned Scientific American article:

“Synesthetes hear colors, feel sounds and taste shapes. What makes synesthesia different from drug-induced hallucinations is that synesthetic sensations are highly consistent: for particular synesthetes, the note F is always a reddish shade of rust, a 3 is always pink or truck is always blue.”

Exactly! It doesn’t change from day to day. In my case, A is yellow, the number 7 feels like shark skin, and the letter K is not only brown, but has a flaky layered texture, like mica or a Butterfinger candybar.

Synesthesia and Creativity

In the article, “Synesthesia is a Gift, Not a Disorder,” Giby George writes, “It’s no surprise, then, that synesthesia has been found to be most prevalent among creative individuals, specifically among artists, musicians, and novelists.”

Here are some famous creative synesthetes:

Billy Joel
Stevie Wonder
Vladimir Nabokov
Richard Feynman
David Hockney
Wassily Kandinsky
Duke Ellington
Pharrell Williams
John Mayer

(Oddly enough, while studies show Synesthesia to be twice as common in women as in men, I didn’t dig up the names of any female synesthetes while researching this post.)

Synesthesia is a Gift

Far from suffering from Synesthesia, I find that it enhances my creativity, and gives me a more poetic outlook on life. I tap into it often, especially when writing, playing music and learning languages. So rather than think of this neurological anomaly as a disorder, I agree with Giby George, who writes,

“Because of these additional capabilities, synesthesia should be termed a gift rather than a ‘neurological disorder’ or ‘condition,’ despite its physiological irregularity, as it allows the synesthete to appreciate more than simply one facet of a sensory experience.”

What Causes Synesthesia?

While research is being done on the matter, no one fully understands Synesthesia. According to that wonderful Scientific American article,

“Some scientists have suggested that everyone is born synesthetic but that the typical developmental trajectory results in these highly interconnected brain areas becoming far more segregated.”

Now isn’t that interesting? If everyone is born with Synesthesia, could retaining it be akin to maintaining one’s childlike curiosity towards life?

What are your Superpowers?

Before diving into this playful prompt, I decided to poke around and see what other bloggers were listing as their superpowers:

Paula Puffer includes Data Analysis in her list.

MaryBeth Smith possesses an enviable aptitude for sleep.

Kat has the ability to, “hear the stories that are only mine to tell.”

Morgan Dragonwillow was at a loss until her partner pointed out that art is her superpower.

#Resound11 prompt:

Today’s writing prompt comes from Jaemie Gyurik, who created #Resound11 to pick up where #Reverb10 left off.

Superpower: Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound … We know you’ve got one. What’s your 2011 superpower?

For those of you going, “What the what? Stop!” Think about it for a moment: What have you learned that you can do better than anyone you know this year? What can you do that no one else can? Don’t be shy!

What is #Reverb11?

#Reverb11, #Resound11 and #Relish11 are just a few names for a fun end of the year project that mindful bloggers all over the world are participating in. Each day in December, folks choose a prompt from one of several lists, then use that as a launchpad to express themselves on their blog. The prompts are especially geared towards reflecting back on 2011 and paving the way towards a better 2012.

Everyone is welcome to join in. If you don’t have a blog, respond to the prompts offline through journaling, painting or whatever direction your inspiration takes you!