Celebrate May

The first week this month is inspired by Kurt Johannessen, a very creative Norwegian artist. If you think these are a bit weird, he´s done them all. Including following a snail for an entire day! (Now that might be interesting for someone as impatient as me…)

1. Write a question on a battery-driven boat. Start the boat, and send it out to the ocean.

2. Bake a bread that has the shape of an airplane. Put it outside, and let the birds eat it.

3. Walk along a beach while you whisper moon-sounds.

4. Dig a tunnel and stick your arm through it.

5. Think about something you don´t know.

6. Take a swim in a pool. Afterwards, have fish for dinner.

7. The last post inspired by Kurt Johannessen: Climb up a high mountain. Try to stand on your head. Climb back down again.

8. May is the month of flowers. Plant some today, it´s not too late. Even if you don´t have a garden, get some solid terracotta pot and plant some lovely flowers. How about pea-seeds? The blossom a lot, especially if you keep cutting off the flowers and bring them inside in a vase.

9. Celebrate your mother today. Make her something beautiful, a card is the absolute minimum. Visit her and tell her how much you appreciate her.

10. Dig up a small patch in your garden. Maybe just 3 by 3 feet, and put potatoes in the ground. About August they should be ready for dinner…

Want to have extra fun? Try getting hold of the type “Blue Congo”. They are really dark purple-bluish on the inside, and make the funkiest potato-mash ever!!!

11. This is bike-month, so maybe you should simply go for a ride. Go somewhere you usually drive, and see what you observe now that you are going at a slower pace. What sounds do you hear? Smells?

12. Make a kite. Go to the park and fly it. Then go home and write a limerick.

13. Tulip day. If you haven´t already planted some bulbs, today is the day!

14. Climb a tree. This can not be done often enough.

15. Take a pre-summer-vacation-weekend in your own neighborhood/area. What are the “sights” around you that you´ve always meant to see someday, but just haven´t because you can see them at any time (and then end up never doing). Go to the museum, the gallery, the mountain-top, the old church with the beautiful murals… the list could go on. Bring a camera and be a real tourist!!!

(Here´s the view from a hill in my neck of the woods)

16. Continue your sightseeing from yesterday. And make a visit to the park. with a ball. You can have a lot of fun in a park with a ball. And some friends

17. Norway´s national day! Celebrate with us by having fun with potato-sack-races, potato-in-a-spoon-races, and listen to Norwegian music. Traditionally there´s a lot of brass-band music this day, but why not listen to some really good norwegian music, like jazz-saxophonist Jan Garbarek, or urban-world trumpet-player Nils Petter Molvær.

18. Visit your relatives today. Or invite all of them over to your place. Find your old games. Crocket and badminton and softball and have fun together outside in the garden.

19. Circus day! Put on a red nose and learn to juggle three balls! Have the kids practice their acrobatic skills and put on a show for each other. Don´t forget the popcorn!

20. I´ve said it before, I´ll say it again: May is the month of flowers. Go out and pick some and bring them to your office or your living-room. Anywhere that you can see them. Being around flowers, arranging them, planting them: Flowers make you happy!

21. The Red Cross was founded this day. Have a look at their web-site to learn more about their work. Clean out of your cellar and have a garage-sale, where the money you get in, is given to the Red Cross.

22. Maybe time for a new hobby? I want to start mountain-climbing! I very much prefer climbing real mountains outside, but maybe I should try the indoor-version, just to see if I can excel and do some cooler stuff outside when I´ve been trained?

23. Bring your camera with you today when you go out, hunting for details. You want to take close-ups. When you get back home, download, and print. Take your favorites and paint one ( or a series) of them. In your journal or on canvas.

24. Wear light colors to work today. And add a flower to your hair. If not a real one, than at least a little textile one, just to brighten everyone´s day.

25. Tap dance day. Learn a few basic steps.

26. Make a bowl of “Heavenly salad”. Using fruits and even some flowers (make sure they are edible!) Strawberries, blueberries, apples, banana, pear, grapes, mango, any favorite fruit you have. Remove all the seeds, and add chopped almonds. Should be served cooled and or with vanilla-curt. It tastes like summer! And heaven

27. Golden Gate bridge opened 1937. Find a local bridge (or a photo of the Golden Gate) and make a picture. Paint it in acrylics or draw it. How about pen and ink? The details in arcitecture look great in pen/ ink.

28. Have all your nature-changing pictures from February printed and start making the little book. There are online how-to´s.

29. Invite friends over for the summer´s first bar-b-que! Find the grill, make a big green salad, a potato-salad, steam some rice and make a huge pitcher of lemonade, and ask everyone to bring the meat of their own choice. Find your favorite summer music, and you´ll have a wonderful afternoon/ evening!

30. Ice cream was patented this day in 1848. Make a ice-cream cake, with an almond base. YUM!!! I tried translating a recipe, but it got to complicated, so:

Here are recipes in English.

Here are recipes in Norwegian.

31. Summer is here! Run in the grass without shoes and socks. Feel the grass tickling your toes. It´s raining? Never mind! You´re water-proof, right?

Oh, and send me suggestions for how we can celebrate June!