Inspiration Wednesday is the inspired idea of The Weaver of Grass! Do click on her name to visit her blog, see her own post and the list of other participants ...The idea is to blog about who or what has inspired us. Of course, I have to start with Maureen! My serene and beautiful wife, pictured above, who has been my biggest inspiration and encouragement all our years together. I've been moved to create a new header especially in celebration!
And our children! Pictured here house-hunting before finding Necky Knoll House, you can see that even though we do not always seem to be looking in the same direction, we are all sticking our necks out together!
My former work-colleagues at Storey and Tawle Accountants also gave me great encouragement in my decision to leave to follow my dream of setting up Giraffe World Tours. (They've been regular customers ever since - so it wasn't that they were glad to see the back of me!) Their gift of my lovely new telescope reminds me of them every time I use it to look across at planet Earth from our Camelopardalis constellation!
I can list so many who have stuck their necks out to follow their dreams: My glamorous sister Nektareeni, initially a lawyer, who set up her own boutique and jointly owns the Gleeful & Greedy Restaurant with her partner Girth, pictured below.
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Our dear friend Trachelus Aplombus, engineer with AFF Gas and local historian.
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His apprentice, Nukkle, who plays drums with The Stiffnex band in his spare time - often getting his spanners and drumsticks mixed up!
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And of course all my dear human bloggy friends, without whom there would be no motivation to blog across the intergalactic space! Thank you all so much for your inspiring blogs and your encouraging comments.
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I hope you will join in with us in our song, 'With Our Necks Entwined' which tells of our decision to move house and set up our family business. It has an easy to sing chorus, sung by Maureen and Nexi, and maybe you will be able to identify the rest of our family's voices in the verses!
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Stick your necks out for your dreams!
90 comments:
Whatever it is that inspires you, it certainly is of the "tallest" order! Just keep sending your brand of happiness across the galaxies!!
Your blog and your family are greatly inspiring, Raph. Your voices are all so lovely too. Thank you for sharing with us.
Kat
I am so totally in love with this incredibly creative blog land.Ah...to visit is to dream of all things creative!
If , like Mary Jane and Sniffles , I could say Poof Poof Piffles and step into your World I would be there in a heart/drum beat.
Love what you do and how you do it!!
Linda
Heehee! Storey and Tawle. What an appropriate workplace! Very inspirational post, Raph.
Raph, you are an inspiration, not just your beautiful wife Mauree.
I have been hoping for one of your posts as a welcome relief from doing our farm tax return and am very glad you have not been too neckered with all your summer doings to bring us your inspirations. Such a beautiful family!, and friends too. I have fallen in love with the drummer in the Stiffnecks Band, my g-son is also one and whenever he is home there are decibels hiking up the hill and floating into my inner sanctum. Although rather overpowering, I am always glad to hear it and know that he and his vichicle are not exposed on a rode somewehre. Funny how guard rails manage to jump out and hit at the cars of passing 19 year olds!
Request more family doings forthwith.
What a feast of delights!
I so enjoy these posts from your neighboring galaxy; your words and dear faces stay with me - but it's so greedy and gorgeous to bask in a new long-necked post from our dear Mr. Neckman.
To know that such a place exists fills me with inexpressible hope, and silly silly joy!
Summer-tastic! I love the view from up here, my bloggy friend.
aloha from Waikiki!
Comfort Spiral
YeY! Let's!!! X:-)
Ha! Giraffe World inspires me - and I AM going to stick my neck out - I want to buy a B&B - one day! Sooner rather than later! I'm gonna hold onto that! :)
Intergalactic happiness order accepted, Lyn! We'll keep sending it across :)
Thank you Poetikat! I'll tell the family about their voices, they will be really pleased.
Hi Raph,
You certainly are an inspiring lot! It's good to see the gang again. Now I'm going to see if I can hear you all too. Don't seem to have much luck in that area!
Thank you Linda! I'm honoured that you love our land so much and you are always welcome to visit!
Mary Jane and Sniffles? I have not met them yet, but will keep a look-out for them and their magic words!
Thank you Willow! My fellow-giraffes at Storey and Tawle were lovely, but it was the best decision to leave to set up Giraffe World Tours!
Thank you Arija! I'm so pleased you find us inspiring, and will keep you posted about the family's adventures!
Nukkle says hi to your grandson. The Stiffnex practise in the cellars here at Necky Knoll House. The walls and floors are reasonably sound-proof, so I can manage to read the paper in peace, especially if I wear the tea-cosy on my head ...
Cloudia, thank you so much! It's a real honour to know you are greedy for my posts! I too like to bask in inexpressible hope and silly, silly joy and it is so wonderful to be able to share this. Giraffitude!
I can hear you singing along from here, Nollyposh! :)
Stick your neck out for your dreams, Janet! We'll all book in to come and stay in your new B & B if we can find a portal!
Hi Derrick! Maybe we should all squeeze through the secret portal behind the cacti and do a gig in the grounds of Melrose Abbey! :)
You win the inspiration stakes by a long chalk - or do I mean neck?
Thank you Jinksy! (The words 'chalk' and 'neck' together immediately make me think of Giraffe Hopscotch - a great game for a summer's afternoon!)
I had been so looking forward to this post ... and am quite enraptured with your giraffe world, Raph.
Sheer brilliance, utter delight, truly inspirational and such fun - esp. after torture at the dentist :(
Warm (if wet) Welsh greetings!
Lovely post Raph and I do hope the weather on your planet has not put paid to too many holiday tours. At least Girth's restaurant would be alright as people could cheer themselves up with a good meal.
Maureen is looking particularly elegant today, I can see why she is your muse!
Greetings to you too Coastcard!
I'm overwhelmed by your compliments! Thank you so much.
(I wonder if you could get through a secret portal here to attend Neckelchester Dental Practice in future? Minnty McShyne is so gentle - we treat our visits as an afternoon out!)
Thank you Heather!
We're adapting our Tours to the weather - Maureen has taken a group to the beach today - it's 'Welly-boot Wednesday' here! We had a painting competition at Necky Knoll House to see who could paint the most innovative design on their wellies, and now everyone's showing them off splashing around, followed by noodles at the Gleeful & Greedy!
Ralph, this was wonderful and so unexpected! Thank you.
I will pass your compliment to Maureen when she gets in, Acornmoon - thank you! She is indeed elegant even in wellingtons and muddy waterproof coat!
Thank you Titus! Now you know a little more what to nexpect, I do hope you will visit us again!
good morning Raph - such a fabulous group of friends and family that have inspired you and I so love the idea of sticking our necks out for our dreams - I think about it often, so that would mean you have insprired me! :)))))
Am sticking my neck out to say "Brilliant" Rap! So many people (sorry, giraffes) have inspired you. I must say you look very elegant in that pin striped suit - and that restauranteur needs to get a bit of weight off or his thin legs will buckle by the looks of things.
Thank you so much for taking part - hasn't it all been an interesting read?
I am so trying to stick out my neck! I think itmy neck is getting longer.........no spots yet tho. Hoping to make it across the galaxy............. one day............
Bravo! Very entertaining.
Oh Jeane - what an honour, to have inspired you! Do keep sticking your neck out for your dreams. Giraffitude! :)
Thank you Weaver - I wore my best suit specially for the occasion!
Girth's legs are very strong from all the exercise he gets running round the kitchen and restaurant. He eats very healthily, (just a little too much ...), he must be a naturally plump giraffe!
It has indeed all been an interesting and fun read. I've still got lots of blogs on your list to read - I keep doing a few inbetween work! Thank you for setting up Inspiration Wednesday.
Rosemary - I do hope you are able to visit us! It is not necessary to turn into a giraffe though, just find a secret portal! :)
(Maureen says that if your neck does grow very long, she has some wonderful knitting patterns for hi-necked jumpers for those cold winter days! :))
Thank you Sara! Glad you enjoyed the post!
Fabulous to see these inspirations. I feel suitably inspired myself by the delightful portraits on display.
With so many inspirations, your life must be glorious indeed!
I have loved reading all these inspiring posts today especially when the weather has been so dismal.
Yours has brightened up the day.x
Thank you Madame DeFarge! Inspiration is contagious - there must be waves of it spreading intergalactically through space!
There are so many glorious and fun inspirations, Tom, for which I am most grateful!
Glad I've brightened up the day for you, Kayla Coo! I'm reading more posts now, which are brightening up my evening - on my way to yours now!
Maureen has such long eye lashes! Your family is full of colorful characters with interesting stories. Great illustrations, as usual.
Thank you Bindu! We giraffes do have long eye lashes, but Maureen's are particularly long and graceful!
I had no idea that there was another world out there populated but such inspirational and beautiful giraffes. Your wife, Maureen, is inspiring me to tidy myself up a bit, her elegance is sublime.
What a wonderful world you live in! I shall be remembering to stick my rather short neck out more often in blog-land! Thanks for visiting me, by the way!
Thank you Eryl! I will tell Maureen, she will be pleased.
I ought to tidy myself up a bit too - I've got bits of scone and jam down my neck, and Hals our neckshund has been chewing my slippers!
Thank you Jane - you're always welcome here at Necky Knoll House!
Tall Announcement:
I have added your link to my blog roll.
Everyone should spend time here, Raph!
Aloha-
Comfort Spiral
Oh my goodness - big Thank you to The Weaver for setting up the meme that brought you to my attention. Your site is gorgeous and I look forward to coming back for another visit soon.
oh what a wonderfully entertaining post, giraffe inspirations all round!
I'll stick my neck out with heartfelt - congratulations with this post!
Thank you Cloudia for your Tall Announcement, much appreciated!
Thank you Pondside! You are always most welcome here!
Thank you Crafty Green Poet! I'm glad you enjoyed my post and hope you will visit again!
RuneE, I'll stick my neck out with heartfelt thanks!
'Stick your necks out for your dreams.'
Wise words indeed. Many thanks for such an inspiring post about your inspirations.
Greetings from London/
Thank you, Cuban in London, glad you enjoyed the post. May your dreams be achieved!
My first visit to your zoo and what a fantastic inspirational post it has been. I'm on the 'Weaver' tour of course. How brave of you to give up your safe accounting and grab the giraffe. Wonderful, I'm still smiling. Oh, I will be back. I love your family and the wonderful plumber/drummer.
I enjoyed your post with pictures so much today. You are very creative and deserve such a wonderful family. I shall return when I have time.
Wonderful post to remind us of those who assisted in aspiring our motivations. This blog is inspiring good cheer all round the world, Raph.
Another thank you for the comment - yes the acoustics is supposed to be wonderful, and with steep auditorium long-necked persons in the audience should have no problems whatsoever with more low-brow ones.
Thank you so much BT, we're all glad you enjoyed us! The family, and also Trachelus and Nukkle send their regards. Look forward to your next visit!
Thank you PERBS - glad you enjoyed the post! Looking forward to seeing you again soon.
Thank you so much, Barbara - I love to think I'm spreading good cheer around the world! Giraffitude!
I'm glad about that, RuneE - I wouldn't want to block anyone's view with my long neck! :)
Glad you "stick your neck out" and leave comments, Raph. I always enjoy your part in the discussion over at WM. :^)
Thank you Willow! I love being part of the discussion too! My human bloggy friends always make my day!
I have just discovered your wonderful blog through Cloudia at Comfort Spiral. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit and I shall enjoy coming back. I adore your Giraffe family.
Thank you Denise! I will tell my family, they will be so pleased! You are most welcome here and I look forward to your continued visits.
Stick ou your neck fo your dreams- what a wonderful world you have made :)
Thank you TFE! Our world is a wonderful place to be - but it made us! :)
Hi Ralph,
I love coming to this blog and being apart of the Giraffe World. It always makes me smile. Such an inspirational post-The sky is the limit!
Thank you Choices! You are always welcome in our world.
The sky is indeed the limit - stick your neck out for your dreams!
Great post :) It is always wonderful to hear about people following their dreams. Often it is tough work, but it's worth it :)
Thank you Lauren! Following one's dreams can be daunting, but sticking your neck out and doing so anyway is exhilarating!
Raph.
I am glad I found your blog and the folks who live there. The more I read it the more I appreciate it!
Linda
Linda, thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy us and our neccentric adventures, and you're always welcome here.
First time to visit via The Weaver of Grass. Thoroughly enjoyed your Ramblings, Ralph. Like you, I too have stuck my neck out, except I am not a tall giraffe, much closer to the ground, mind you, not along the ground.
Thank you Sylvia!
Glad to hear you have stuck your neck out! I'm intrigued.
I must apologise. I spelt your name incorrectly, Raph. Thanks for visiting my way.
No worries, Sylvia, a lot of people do! :) I enjoyed my visit to your blog.
Raph -- escaping to your world is an inspiration to me. I never fail to laugh and smile when I visit. Thank you!
I'm really glad to hear that, Olivia! We like to share our gleeful inspiration!
You are also an inspiration, dear Raph. To get out of our comfort zones and create, create, create! I do hope you still read this...you have 84 comments! A testimony to the delightfulness of your blog.
I am certainly reading this, Eleanor! Thank you - it's a nice treat after helping Girth and Nektareeni at the Gleeful & Greedy Restaurant today.
Sticking our necks out of our comfort zones is great - and one has to keep on doing this in so many different ways!
Oh, Ralph. Why is it that I never remember to come visit you? Your posts are lovely.
Fun what you did with your sister's drawing!!
Thank you Country Girl! You're always welcome at Necky Knoll House!
Dear Raph,
First, I'd like to apologize for having spelled your name incorrectly.
Secondly, I would like to THANK Y OU for becoming the 300th follower on my blog. In honor of you, I am holding a giveaway on my site this weekend. I will be giving away an 8x10 or 8x12 print of one of my photos (there will be several to choose from).
You have already won one. I will come back and comment when the post is up in order for you to choose.
THANKS AGAIN, RAPH!!!
~Country Girl
Whooopeee! Giraffitude - thank you Country Girl! I'll be tying my neck in knots until the weekend!
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