In 1984, Kurt Wenner, an ex NASA illistrator invented a new form of pavement art that amazed many. Anamorphic or 3-D pavement art is a two-dimentional drawing that, when viewed from the correct angle, appears as if objects are floating on, rising or falling from the pavement. Although Wenner’s works consisted of mostly Classical type pieces, it wasn’t long before other artist used Wenner’s techniques and infused them with modern culture. The outcome is amazing.

 Here are some of these amazing pieces of art.

These two above were created by Julian Beever. Below is a piece by Edgar Mueller. You can see how Mueller created this piece by clicking here.

-JB

Living in Florida for the past 15 years, it still amazes me how many odd and interesting creatures we encounter regularly. One of the most interesting is the Lovebug. For as long as five weeks, twice a year, we floridians are visited by swarms of this unusual insect. But as quickly as they appear, they seem to disappear even faster.

As a member of the march fly family, the lovebug is also known as “the honeymoon fly” and the”double-headed bug”. The reson for this is quickly made aware, simply by observing them. During and after mating the male and female lovebugs remain connected at all times, even in flight. This lasts for several days before death.

In Central Florida, we see them in April/ May and again in August/September. The larvae feed on decaying vegitation and live in the thatch of grass so they are rarely seen. After they take flight, mating begins almost imediately. They are usually attracted to bright colors mostly white, and strangely enough have a fascination with asphalt roadways, as I notice personaly. In some areas I work, I can find my work van covered in them. A swarms can consist of thousands of lovebugs. They don’t bite or sting, but because these pests gathers in large groups on highways, they die in large masses, making a mess as they stick to car bumpers, grills, and windshields.

Due to lack of funding to research the lovebug, there is a myth about where they came from. It is rumored that they are a synthetic insect, created by the University of Florida in an effort  to control the mosquito population. This, however is not the case, since there is documentation describing the migration of lovebugs to Florida from neighboring states. Some believe that, around 60 years ago, they may have been castaways on shipped cargo from another country that found the southeastern states habitable. Wherever they came from, I guess they are here to stay.

-JB

Anna loves goldfish. She really loves the rainbow colored ones. Mostly the orange and red, not so much the green. I recently came across the Goldfish My Way site and discovered that I could custom create a bag of goldfish for Anna and even put a photo on it. For special events, I can customize party favors! I bet this will be a big hit a Anna’s next birthday party! Here are the sizes available on the site:

• 4.5 gift boxes
• 1 oz party favors
• .8 oz to 1.2 oz party cups (set of 25)

They have a variety of occasions to choose from Congratulations, Happy Birthday, various Holidays and even Father’s Day, which is just around the corner. You simply upload a photo, choose your colors, size and write a message. I can’t wait to try it. It looks like shipping takes about 2-3 weeks, so keep that in mind. Let me know if you try it!

Today starts summer work hours. That means early mornings and late nights. It also means a shorter work week, so overall, I am happy with that. It also means that the crockpot comes out to help get meals on the tables as early as possible with the new schedule.Don’t be surprised to see several simple meals making their way through the summer menu plans either. Time is of the essence for the next couple of months!

Monday: Hotdogs served with tator tots, baked beans and fresh fruit

Tuesday: Spaghetti and green salad

Wednesday: Crockpot Pot Roast with mashed potatoes and gravy and carrots

Thursday: BBQ Chicken with macaroni and cheese and green beans

Friday: “Snackerday” and a movie (cheese, crackers, pepperoni, popcorn, fruit and mini cupcakes)

Saturday: Eat Out

Sunday: Ham and scalloped potatoes served with peas and hot rolls

What are YOU having for dinner?

A bad cold can make your child miserable. Children’s Mucinex® can help.
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Children’s Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold relieves stuffy nose, cough and chest congestion.

I was recently provided a free sample of Children’s Mucinex to try. I was thrilled because as an adult I use Mucinex to help with congestion when I have a cold. It ALWAYS helps me. I was very pleased to find the Children’s Mucinex is just as effective! I also like that the sample I received was flavored. As we all know, children (and adults!) are thankful when medicine doesn’t always taste like medicine.

Children’s Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold liquid comes in a very Berrylicious flavor
You can feel confident knowing that Children’s Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold liquid is safe and effective when used as directed, so Moms and kids can move on and have a great day.

It is important to remember:

• Always read complete warnings and information on Children’s Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold liquid
• Only use the dosing device that comes packaged with the medicine
• Do not use more than directed
• Intended for use for children between the ages 4-12 years old
• When used as directed, relieves stuffy nose, cough, chest congestion, and also thins and loosens mucus

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For complete drug facts, uses, warnings, dosing chart, and active ingredients, click here

Please call the toll free number 1-866-MUCINEX (1-866-682-4639) if you have any product related questions. If you are unsure about using Children’s Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold liquid for your child, talk to your pediatrician.

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of Children’s Mucinex to review from Smiley360. All opinions regarding this product are 100% my own, as always.

While You Were Blogging is helping celebrate the 1,000 Facebook Giveaway sponsored by Erica Start Walking!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:   While You Were Blogging was not compensated for this post.  This giveaway is no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

I often wonder what our dog and cat do while they are alone in the house.

 -JB

Did you know that there is a fairly simply way to identify a tree? Back in highschool, I participated in a project where I had to catalog as many trees as I could find. Living in Pennsylvania at the time you could imagine how big the project was. Luckily it was brought to my attention that there was a book that could help me out. It worked like a flow chart. By answering the apropriate questions like how the leaves were shaped and which patern the leaves grew on the branch, the unknown tree could be identified.

Now that we have the internet, these type of tree identifying media are available online. Websites like Arbor Day Foundation.com have created a great identifier tool. It is very similar to the book I remember using in highschool. With around 1,000 known species of trees in the United States, these tools make tree identification a lot easier. 

In case you are wondering, I got an “A+” on that project.

-JB

I am once again participating in a great blog hop featuring books! The Showers of Books giveaway hop is hosted by Books a la Mode and I am a Reader, Not a Writer.

As you probably know, I LOVE to read! I can spend hours reading a good book and often do when I get the chance. I keep a little list of books I want to read in my purse and look for them at the local library or the bookstore when there is a great sale. For all of you out there who love to read, I am offering a $10 gift card to Walmart so you can purchase something on your own Want to Read List.

Entering is easy! Just use the Rafflecopter form below. U.S. entries only. Contest runs April 24th through April 30th. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to check out the other blogs participating in the hop!!

I know. It’s been awhile since I’ve done this post. It’s not because JB and I stopped the plan or anything, I just forgot to post. Ok, maybe February was a little rough too, but just for me. But, I wanted to let you know what progress we have made, especially since we are are about to hit 3 months already. Can you beleive that? 3 months of Weight Watchers already. So, how have we done? Let’s look.

3 month check-in:

JB has 30 lbs! Seriously! He looks fantastic! He needs new clothes because his pants do not fit anymore. He needs a new belt too because he ran out of holes on the one he has. Haha. Shopping time! JB only has 5 lbs left to lose I think. Maybe he will go another 10, though he is looking pretty slender now.

Charity has lost 16 lbs. I got into a smaller pair of pants, which is always exciting! No shopping for me yet though. Maybe in another 5-10 lbs. We will see. I have another 15 lbs to go. Slowly but surely!

I hope all of you are doing well with whatever goals you have as well. Feel free to let us know how you are doing. We would love to send you our support!