National Pig Day

March 1st is National Pig Day.  If you know me, you know I like to celebrate some of the more obscure holidays and this is one of them.  I prefer to call it Flying Pig Day as to me, the flying pig is a symbol of accomplishing the impossible.  One can say that it expresses hope, perseverance, and determination.

I have my reasons for celebrating this holiday and they began several years ago.  You can read about that in my post from last year.  But it has become even more personal to me over the course of this last 14 months and, as luck would have it, I now owe a bit of my health to a pig.  (They used a pig's pericardium to repair the hernias I had in my hysterectomy incision.) 

Of course you know the phrase "when pigs fly" is a figure of speech that is, to quote Wikipedia "in the form of hyperbole taken to such extreme lengths as to suggest a complete impossibility".  But did you know that that has a name too - it's called Adynaton.  Another example would be "when hell freezes over".  These things that express the impossible.  I love finding new words that define the trivial things.  It doesn't always follow that I'll remember them, but in this case I just might. Call it a "when pigs fly" moment.

I have made some cards and tags to celebrate this year.  I have a list that keeps growing of my "pig ladies".  Those that may or may not at the moment need some encouragement or have in the past.   My message to them this year - The Sky is the Limit!  I hope they find something inside themselves to push ahead and overcome the things that they feel are impossible at this time. 

These are the earrings that HWNSNBP got me for Christmas and a pin that I recently found on Etsy that I got for myself.

Last week HWNSNBP and I went to a flower show and he insisted that we get this bird feeder.  I'll be putting it outside later today. 

So if you're reading this today, do me a favor and wish someone a Happy National Pig Day.  You never know, they just might need a little encouragement.  And I'll leave you with this.....

A pig that has wings

Does impossible things!

Over clouds it can fly

In the wink of an eye!

She may tickle you pink

But she wants you to think

Of her messge to each

"Nothing's out of your reach!"

©LMastalski 2007

National Pig Day

I don't know how it originated but there is a reason that I have started celebrating National Pig Day. Several years ago a friend of mine was at a particularly low point in her life having been diagnosed and going through treatment for breast cancer. She didn't want any sappy get well cards, she wanted to be reminded of the humor that life holds. So I thought it might be a good idea to celebrate some not-so-common holidays, National Pig Day being one of them.

The image of a flying pig has always intrigued me. There is the negative aspect of saying "when pigs fly" but I chose to make it into something positive because I thought it must take some kind of determination to be able to grow wings and get that little pig to fly.

I had some little angel pig ornaments that were not quite finished and had been set aside years ago when I stopped doing craft shows. I got them out and finished them and sent them on their way to what I call my "pig ladies". The list at that time was rather small (determined by the amount of pigs that I had on hand) but the message that I sent with each one was that on National Pig Day the flying pig was the symbol of accomplishing the impossible. The list has grown every year.

I made little pig pins the next year and last year I made a paper punched ornament. You can see them both here. This year I was lucky enough to find a couple of pig momento's - a little pig snack container at $Tree and some cute little glass ornaments at Oriental Trading. So I stocked up on them and this year I was able to celebrate National Pig Day again with my "pig ladies".

And, thanks to the kindness of my friend Linda's daughter Michelle who is currently in Germany with her husband, I was able to share these Fred Ferkel gummy pigs. (Thanks Michelle - I have a pig ornie for you too!)


This is the card that I made for National Pig Day.

The sentiment on the outside says "Dream A Little" and on the inside I included:

March 1st is National Pig Day

The winged pig ~

Symbol of accomplishing the impossible.

Do you dare to dream a little?

Set your sights, spread your wings and fly!

I've named the Pig Persistence because.....

Persistence is what makes the impossible possible,

The possible likely,

And the likely definite. (Unknown)

So even if you didn't receive one of my packages or cards for National Pig Day, I hope that you will consider yourself among my "pig ladies" and "dream a little" - you never know when, with a little Persistence, those dreams will come true.

P.S. Sadly I lost my friend recently. She fought the hard battle and persisted until the end but passed away while I was in hospital following my surgery in January. I did not get to say good-by to her but I know that she has wings of her own now and she'll always be an inspiration to those of us who loved her.

Celebrate Pig Day

(This poster was from the Crayola Factory I visited in 2009)

"When pigs fly."  You've heard it and more often than not it's been said in a negative or sarcastic way, but for the last several years I've been collecting flying pigs and use them as a symbol of determination and hope.  There is a backstory to it and if you check my post from last Pig Day you'll see why I celebrate.

This little pink lovely came from my daughter Rachel at Christmas. I have added her (the pig) to my gypsy rod above my kitchen sink.  Isn't she so sweet.

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. 
Giving up is what makes it permanent." 
MARILYN VOS SAVANT

This silver and crystal pig was a gift from HWNSNBP.  You should see it sparkle in the sunlight.  It too has been added to my gypsy rod.

"People who pray for courage, for strength to bear the

 unbearable, for the grace to remember what they have

left instead of what they have lost, very often find their

prayers answered.  They discover that they have more

strength, more courage than they ever knew themselves

to have." 

HAROLD S. KUSHNER

These little guys I picked up myself at Crate and Barrel at their after Christmas sale.  They don't have wings but they fly above the sink also.

"It is important to seize wonderful moments as they happen. 

Recognize when people are nice to you or recognize that

something is particularly pretty or know when something

makes you smile.  If that can happen once or twice a day,

you have it made." 

MARY-ELLIS BUNIN

We'll need some treats - some little piggy cupcakes.

And some other goodies.

Some got packed up and mailed

with precious cargo inside.

Happy Pig Day!  Remember "The Sky is the Limit!"

Pigs Fly and THE WRITTEN WORD

Pigs flew in from New Zealand last week.  They had a long flight but they made it.  The envelope they came in suffered a little mishap but all the contents were intact. My blogging friend Sunshine, one of my "Pig Ladies" send me this adorable package of flying pig seeds.  (I added the link to her blog but I think she's been having some computer issues lately.  But check her out anyway.  She's got some great projects.)

On the back were the handwritten directions............

And don't you just love the stamp on the bottom where she signed it!  I giggled when I saw it.

She always puts so much detail into her creations.  Just look at those sparkly wings and the shiny snouts and hooves.

Not only were there seeds, but she sent me this beautiful card too.  

I just love those silhouettes with that tiny butterfly.  And I'm going to have to remember to try that background on one of my next floral cards.  Thank YOU Sunshine for sharing your talent with me.

Today's photo prompt is THE WRITTEN WORD.  As I was moving things around in the stamp cave the other day - notice I did not say cleaning - I came across these newspapers that I picked up at a garage sale a few years back.  They were from 1969 - the day of the moon landing.  The pictures are not that great, but the papers are authentic.  

HWNSNBP still picks up two daily newspapers on his way to work and he has been complaining lately that the content is dwindling so much that it's almost not worth buying them when he still has to go on-line to find out things like the scores of the local sporting events.  Whether he's reading the paper in hand or on-line, he still relies on THE WRITTEN WORD.

There Be Pigs!

Catch a flying pig and put it in your pocket, save it for a snowy day...........

Well it may not be snowing today, but it is time for pigs to fly!!!!!!

My Flying Pig card for this year - a tee-pee card with the message to Imagine the Possibilities.

Complete with a curly tail.

A little etsy purchase I treated myself to.  A pincushion that came in such a cute bag.

This card and beaded letter opener I received from my friend Dawn in North Carolina.  Dawn participated in "Pigs on Parade" a couple of years ago.  She makes such beautiful cards and I see that she has become quite a beader too!  Thank you Dawn!

Though not a flying pig - this slice-formed pig was something I picked up at Crate and Barrel after the holidays.  With the markdown I couldn't resist it.  Took me about an hour to assemble the other night.  I'm thinking it will be pretty easy to add wings.

And this last one for today was found at Home Goods.  I had a gift card from a student that I hadn't used and it was between this white one and a pudgier teal one.  Since I didn't know where I'd put the teal one, this one came home with me.  I just love it when I can get in the car with a bag and tell HWNSNBP that I didn't spend a dime!

I'm sure I'll find more pigs to share over the weekend - they seem to be magically multiplying.

I hope you are enjoying Pig Day and I hope that you will take the Flying Pig message and continue to  "Imagine the Possibilities".  I know it's not always easy.  But just think of how much freer you'll feel if you let the negative go and let the positive lift you!

Pigs on Parade

A little more than a month ago I celebrated my Blogoversary and posted a challenge of sorts involving some papier mache pigs that I had found while attempting to clean up my craft room.  I offered the pigs to those who would like to have one to decorate with the following stipulations:  1) they had to have them done by March 31st, and 2) they had to send me a picture or post it on their blog so I could share it.  I was thrilled to have 7 requests from far and wide - Sabrina in Ireland and Sunshine in New Zealand, Clare in California and Michelle in  Colorado, Lauri in Connecticut and Dawn in North Carolina, and Dorrie a fellow "Jersey Girl".  (The participant's individual blog posts will be highlighted below.  Please visit them to see the details up close and personal.)

And of course I kept one for myself to decorate too.  

So without further ado, let's get the Parade going!  Get your seats in the Grandstand.

Leading the parade we have Dorrie's Pig.  Dorrie, like me, is from New Jersey and we are both in agreement that there is a lot of talent here in this small state.  You'll see what I mean.  Dorrie's Pig comes complete with her own carrying case and she is holding a little purse in her mouth.  Now I'm quite certain that since this is not a silk purse, it was not made out of a sow's ear, so the rest of our parade participants should not be afraid.   Don't you just love her little headpiece!

Dorrie's pig has a wonderful little traveling home also.  The flowers on top match her wings and headpiece, each one lovingly rolled and placed so perfectly.  (And if you look closely at the left side by the handle you can see a beautiful array of charms that are so meaningful to me!  A lighthouse, a jingle bell, a flying pig, a teapot, and a bird.)

The sides of her home each have a picture and some even have a pig-related quote.

The inside is a wonder also.  Look how snug and cozy she is.

Thank you Dorrie, for your wonderful entrant into our parade today.  She is stunning and I love her.

Next, coming all the way from the "Fringe of Heaven" is Shona, aka Sunshine's Miss Piggy.  To quote Sunshine:  "Here she is, all the way from Titirangi! It is called "The Fringe of Heaven" because I live high up on a ridge on the edge of the Waitakere Ranges. Titirangi is the highest point around & I can see both the East Coast & West Coast of NZ from up the road. I live on a very narrow part of NZ & am surrounded by beaches, which I love."

Miss Piggy has quite a pig persona.  She's a star with those golden locks and sunglasses.  

And, she has a curl in her tail to die for peaking out from that too too cute tutu!

What pig wouldn't love a cute button nose and golden hooves?  

Thank you for your cute and clever little Miss Piggy, Sunshine.  She has made me smile and giggle and is so much fun.  (I just may take you up on that visit someday!)

Coming up next, from the State of Colorado is a figment of Michelle's imagination, and what a wonderful imagination she has.  This little piggy is ready to Take Flight all right.  She is beaded and sparkled and full of whimsy and fun.

Michelle chronicled her process of trial and error in decorating this little pig.  She is not afraid to take chances and certainly is not afraid to fail.  But what I think is that we have learned here that we can benefit from our failures.  

Afterall, the flying pig is a symbol of persistence and boy, did this persistence in creativity pay off.  From the nose to the tail and those beautiful complimentary wings, this is a sparkly spectacular pig.

Thank you Michelle, for your creative perseverance.  I love the way you've "tethered" the pig.  She'll let your imagination FLY for sure.

Next we have another international entrant.  

Sabrina sends us Papillon all the way from Ireland.  I've never seen a more beautifully landscaped pig!

And..... she comes complete with a nose ring and those beautiful butterfly wings.  (I heard from a very reliable source that Sabrina gave up one of her very own gold earrings for that nose ring!)  

Each time I look at these pictures I see a new detail.  It's like finding a little treasure.  How sweet is the tiny butterfly on the necklace!  

I imagine a wonderful field of flowers with butterflies galore  when I look at this beautiful pig.  What amazing camouflage that would be.  I can only think that Sabrina got some of her inspiration from the beautiful scenery around her and the superb photographs that she takes and shares.  I am so lucky to have virtually visited so many beautiful places with her.

Thank you for adding your amazing pig to the parade Sabrina.  It was a small canvas to work with, but you did wonders with it with your breathtaking vista.  (And the eyes are gorgeous!)

Our next entrant comes from one of our southern states, North Carolina, and the very talented Dawn.  Dawn has a special place in her heart for pigs and didn't want to miss out on this parade.  

Having grown up on a pig farm, taking care of the pigs taught Dawn the meaning of hard work and determination.  You can see the fruits of Dawn's determination to get this pig prettied up for the parade today.  What a lovely "coat" of flowers she is wearing along with that precious bow.

Thank you Dawn, for sharing your creativity and hard work.  I'm thrilled to hear that you will be passing this on to someone who needs a lift in their spirits.  That means a lot to me.

Our pigs are flying in from coast to coast and this one is from the west coast.  Specifically, California.  

This is Clare's pig in a pink party hat and she is so precious.  She comes complete with rhinestones, and sequins, and flowers, and glittery wings to compliment the penwork.  Clare, who also has a blog dedicated to folding paper cranes and her 1000 paper crane project, I did not know you were a zentangler too!  

And I didn't miss those bluebirds under-hoove either.

Here is an aerial view.  (Hey, I didn't realize the MetLife blimp was covering the parade on the west coast!)

But, didn't she get some great shots, and just look at that face!

She sure looks all puckered up and beautiful.  Thank you Clare for sharing such a sweet and delightful creation.  The pink touches are perfect with your black and white penwork.  I love it.

Our caboose pig from Connecticut will be by shortly.  Poor Lauri's dog has been sick and family definitely comes before fun, so we hope the dog will be well soon and Lauri will join in later.

To round things up, here's one more glimpse of my pig.  I promise I'll post how I made her soon.

Like most of the participants, I found that this was fun and challenging at the same time.  Our starting product was only about 6" long, so we were limited to using things that would fit that size and not overpower the shape of the pig.  And didn't all of these ladies rise to the occasion!  They are all uniquely beautiful and so, so, creative.  I couldn't have imagined anything better.

Thank you all for being part of the Pigs on Parade.  You have no idea how much I have enjoyed reading each of your blogs, e-mails, and letters regarding this event.  And to see the finished projects was just the icing on the cake!

Today, as it turns out, is not only my birthday, but also my 1000th post on this blog.  What a journey it has been and what remarkable friends I have made through it.  Thank you for making my day special and for sharing so much with me throughout the years.