Last Sunday morning threatened rain, but the sunrise was glorious. I drove all over town trying to find an unobstructed view. I sat in the parking lot of the local middle school as the sun broke through the clouds… well worth the hunt.
For more skyscapes from around the world, check out SkyWatch Friday.
Heading out to Tennessee today. I’ll have limited WiFi access, but should have tons of stories from the ol’ family reunion… and pix, lots of pix.
This trip I planned ahead. WK and I are not staying in the boondocks with the parental units. Instead I reserved us a room with free Internet access so I don’t have to drive around until I can find a signal.
(That’s not the only reason, I thought it would be good idea to have a neutral homebase to go to if the kin folk were a little overwhelming for The Boy… kinda like Switzerland. That, and if my brother happens to come for the festivities too, we won’t have to leg wrestle over the extra bedroom at Nana’s – I would so win!)
I love my family, but they can be somewhat eccentric. I have more aunts, uncles and cousins than I can count and many of them I’ll be honest, I won’t remember.
It’s like when Hubs introduced me to his extended family for the first time… it was also at a family reunion. He had taken his mom aside and explained that he might not immediately recognize some of the people there because it had been a while since he had been home, and for her to stick close in case he forgot a name.
She takes my arm, leads me to the front of the pack, and announced ‘This is Tara, WE’s fiancee. Introduce yourself to her because WE doesn’t remember who you are.’
I think that is when I began to love her.
This trip is more of a distraction for WK. He needs to do something that is completely un-school related and enjoy some of his summer. Decompress a little, give him a chance to relax and breathe.
We hope to also get to the Knoxville Zoo or the Chattanooga Aquarium. We’ll do some shopping, some walking in the the woods, eat out once or twice, hang out with the grandparents and sleep in.
I have some posts scheduled, but prolly won’t be online too much. I plan to take lots of ‘pitchers’ of the beautiful Tennessee scenery and reclaim my glorious southern accent, just in time for another trip two weeks later up north. They are gonna love me.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend!
(Backstory re: Vivian Leigh avatar ~ Vivian = Scarlet O’Hara = GWTW = Tara Plantation = Tara, my real name. Please to pronounce Tahr-ah and not Ter-ah)
It’s not what I would characterize as a full blown phobia, just a serious aversion. I’ve spoke of it before, but will mention it again, with emphasis, I HATE GETTING MY PICTURE TAKEN.
(I hate all caps too, but that’s really how grave this personality quirk is.)
Having said that… there are a few hundred dozen people who really should know what I look like. See, I’m going to Chicago in a couple of weeks, meeting some friends face to face for the first time. The good thing is that I do know what they look like… adorable each and every one… because they have shown their faces to the world. I have not. Well, once, for a second and it was smaller than a thumbnail ~ a real thumbnail. (This phenomenon of photo-fixation is lessened somewhat if I’m in a group shot, I can hide behind other people.)
There are a couple of wonderful people who have graced me with their company on a few occasions, and could possibly pick me out of a lineup, but I can’t follow her around all weekend like a puppy.
But, now I am faced with a unnerving dilemma. These friends I’m meeting ~ my roomie, several lovely ladies who are allowing me to hang out with them, and my cyber-daughter, ~ may all walk by me without a glance. These much anticipated rendezvous are in peril of not happening ~ if they can’t find me, because…. yes… they don’t know what I look like.
Avoiding photos… FAIL.
I asked WK to help me out. One recent morning, freshly coifed, make up applied and not yet rubbed off, clothes still unwrinkled, The Boy forced a smile out of me and snapped a photo. I still can’t bring myself to look directly at the camera, but I guess you’ll have to take what you get.
Get a good look, I may just have to take the photo down in a couple days.
When I was around six or seven, I lived in the same town as my cousin Connie. We were the same age, give or take a couple months, and went to the same elementary school.
We could not have looked any different. I was blonde, she was dark, her hair almost black.
Her mother was my mom’s first cousin.. her grandmother and my grandfather were siblings.
Also living close to us were our cousins Linda and Lisa, twins. Even today it’s difficult to tell the two of them apart. They were a few years older than Connie and me. Their mother was also our grandparents’ sister.
Coming from a large extended family, one of the added benefits was a seemingly endless supply of clothing. Back in the day, my mom and aunts sewed nearly everything my cousins and I wore. It was well-made and could last through not only several wearings, but several wearers.
The outfits I inherited from my older cousins were one, or rather two, of a kind. Because it made little sense for me to have two of every outfit, Connie and I would share the hand-me-downs from Linda and Lisa.
On school nights, Connie and I would call each other, ‘if you wear the blue dress tomorrow, so will I.’
We would cause a lot of stares when we dressed alike. Teachers would even stop us in the hallway to ask if we were related.
She and I always answered the same…
“We’re sisters… twins!”
This weekend I head home to Tennessee with WK for a family reunion. It will be the first time in close to ten years since I’ve seen Connie. I think I’ll call her, ask her to wear the blue dress.
I received the nicest award from Surprised Mom the other day (thank you so very much!) and was offered the opportunity to share a keepsake, a special memento from my past. Please check out her post about six special rings.
As per usual, there are rules attached:
1. Post a funny or sweet keepsake that tells something about myself.
2. Pass the award on to 10 other bloggers that I think are keepers.
This is George.
George has been with me since I was about five.
He was more than just a stuffed animal, more than a mere toy. He was my constant companion well into my elementary school years. He was my guard dog against the bogey man and monsters under my bed. He dried my tears when I was sad, and kept all my seven-year-old inner most secrets.
He had to go through the humiliation of being dressed in my doll’s clothes, swaddled and carried around like a baby, and drooled on by a sick kid.
He underwent emergency surgery at the Mommy Hospital when our family dachshunds got a little jealous and chewed off his right eyebrow. And, he has a chronic seam leak, dropping little bits of styrofoam occasionally.
The hardest thing I did as a kid was to voluntarily give up George as my ‘comfort blanket.’ I slept with him until I was at least 10. I didn’t get a good night’s sleep for a week.
Even once I was able to fall sleep without him on my pillow, if I was sick or scared, convinced the monsters were back under the bed, I’d take him off my shelf and put him back on my pillow… just for the night.
Through the years, through every move, every new home, every new state, George made the move with me.
I’m surprised the he’s weathered the years as well as he has, and hasn’t completely disintegrated. Yet, like any good, true friend, George has stuck by me, thick and thin, good and bad, in youth and… not youth.
Maybe that’s why I still keep him, he reminds me that old friends will always be with me. A little worn perhaps, a little worse for the wear, but still there to listen to my sad stories, dry my tears or keep the monsters away.
As for passing this on to other bloggers… I’m only tagging a few friends, but all of my blog pals are keepers, so if you would like to share a special keepsake, grab the bling and tell us your story.
Cyndy – Putting the Fun in DysFUNctional
Heather – Singing with my Heart
Devyl Gyrl – Random Musings and Thoughts
More Weekly Winners photo galleries can be found at Sarcastic Mom. While you’re there, please leave our hostess Lotus some comment love.
For June 21-27
(Shot with a Nikon D60)
From Saturday’s PhotoHunt & SOOC
(click on images to enlarge)
From Friday’s SkyWatch
(click on image to enlarge)
PhotoHunt: Flags
For June 27, shot with a Nikon D60
This photo is deceptive as to how truly huge this American Flag is up close. This was taken from my third floor office window.
Find more photos at PhotoHunt
Straight out of Camera
You can see just a bit of the 4-mile bridge I have to cross every day on my drive to and from work.
Visit Melody at Slurping Life for more Straight Out Of the Camera shots. Photos shared without editing, without cropping, without alterations of any kind.
I’m tired of being sick and tired, but it’s so hard trying to live just for today and not worry about the future.
I can only do what I can to make a difference and have got to learn how to let go of what I can’t. Worry will suck the life out of you, then you’re left with nothing, and that’s no good.
By wallowing in self-pity and misery, I’ve neglected the positives in my life and perhaps focusing on those will makes these hard times easier.
I am thankful that:
1. I have a strong marriage and a wonderful husband
2. We have two great kids
3. We have a strong support net of friends and extended family
4. We live in a beautiful part of the country
5. Hubs and I still have jobs
6. We have a home and cars
7. I have some of the best Internet pals
8. My family and I are physically healthy (for the most part.)
9. We have the best, and most loving furry pals
10. My parents and Hubs parents are still with us and healthy
11. I KNOW the answers are ‘out there,’ we’ve just not found them yet
12. Even if my worst fears materialize, we will survive it
I need to stop worrying about what is going to happen next week, next month or even next year. I have to focus on today and what is possible today.
It’s hard. It’s really hard to not worry, to not envision all the ‘what ifs.’ I can’t do anything about those, and it’s killing me. But the constant state of panic that I seem to be in isn’t working for me either.
I’m afraid that my trepidation, and my worry is making matters worse all around too. If I can project a sense of acceptance, a feeling that we can weather this storm whole, some of the anxiety spillage can be mopped up.
Deep breath. It WILL all work out.
Taken in early January on the beach in Destin, Florida.
For more skyscapes from around the world, check out SkyWatch Friday.
The Boy successfully turned Sweet 16.
He was initially miffed at me for not taking the day off work for this National Holiday, but determined it was okay after all once Hubs took him to get his main presents ~ we took his project car in to have keyless entry installed and a bazooka sub-woofer for his stereo. It will rattle windows for a two block radius.
JM took him out to lunch and to get some new skater shoes. He was thrilled with the shoes, and they have ‘kissed and made up.’ Sometimes I’ll see glimpses of them becoming friends and it does my heart good.
Later, we went to a local Thai restaurant for dinner. WK invited a friend along and we all ordered enough food to feed a small third world country. Even though we asked for the spice level medium, we also drank gallons of water to put out the heat. Still excellent cuisine.
Can you believe, he didn’t want us to sing Happy Birthday to him in the restaurant?
I did come home early to finish the details on his birthday cake. Even with this simple confection, WK has to be a little different. He wanted cheesecake… Turtle Cheesecake, loaded with caramel, chocolate, and candied pecans.
It was delicious if I do say so myself, and aesthetically pleasing as well.
Turtle Cheesecake
Cheesecake:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
14 ounces individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
½ cup chocolate chips, melted
For pecan topping:
1 egg white
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 dash vanilla extract
4 cups pecan halves
½ cup chocolate chips, melted
Directions for topping:
Preheat oven to 275ºF (135º C). Prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Beat egg white until stiff. Add brown sugar and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add in nuts, stirring until well coated.
Spoon onto cookie sheet, spreading nuts into a single layer.
Bake 10-15 minutes, until browned. Set aside.
(You’ll only need about half of the pecans for decoration, store remaining pecans in a sealed container at room temperature.)
Directions for cheesecake:
Preheat oven to 350° F (175º C), butter one 9-inch springform pan.
Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, press mixture into the bottom and about 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven. Remove and cool.
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine caramels and evaporated milk. Melt caramels, stirring until smooth. Pour this mixture over bottom of cooled crust.
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add each egg one at a time, mixing well.
Melt chocolate chips and add to cheese mixture until well blended. Pour over caramel layer.
Bake at 350º for 40 minutes or until barely set. Let cool. Chill in refrigerator overnight before serving.
Just before serving, top with sugared pecans and ½ cup melted chocolate chips.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
(To pipe on chocolate – spoon melted chips into a 1-quart ziplock freezer bag. Clip off a small corner on the bottom of the bag. Drizzle the top of the cheesecake with the melted chocolate.)
