It's July! The Fourth!

Happy 4th of July!

I tried to get cute Natalie and Daddy photos.

Then I tried to get pictures of Natalie alone. (Tommy refused. Pictures “embarrass” him these days.)

Natalie, however, was keen on taking photos.

Um. Not.

“I’m just a sad girl right now.”

Seriously. The child already has PMS. She was JUST smiling a second ago.

So I ran into the side of the house.

And all was well.

So what are you doing for the 4th of July?

Happy 4th of July

The Fourth of July, or Independence Day, is a federal holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of the Independence on July 4th, 1776. The Declaration of Independance was drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776.  It was at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in "self-evident truths" and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country.  Fifty-six signatures follow the body of this document,  It is an amazing piece of work.  Have you ever read it?  If you haven't then click here and read through it.  It is only one page.  Today there will be parades in many towns across the country, there will be fireworks once the sun goes down at homes and in public places, and there will be countless grills firing up to cook hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, etc.  Potatoes will be consumed in the form of potato salad and chips.  Families and friends will gather and spend time together in celebration of this day.  What will you be doing?  We are going to a cookout at a neighbors house.  I love being an American.  I love the freedoms it gives me.  I cry when I hear the National Anthem.  My heart bursts when I see the American flag unfurled and flapping in the wind,  Today is an important day in my world.  How about in yours?  It is more than just bar-b-ques, fireworks, and parades....it is about  freedom, sacrifice, and a dream.  The four verses of the National Anthem pretty much sums up my feelings on this day.

National Anthem Accapella performance

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

God bless you all today, stay safe, and have a wonderful 4th of July....no matter where you may be.

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post.

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To want to see that new movie Ted. Seth MacFarlane wrote it and Tom and I are fans. We love Family Guy.


To hate unpacking.


To not like any of the men in Magic Mike. I know. That probably means my vagina is broken or something. But I prefer the nerdy types. Like John Krasinski. Or Jason Segel.


To, however, have seen Magic Mike on Monday. I went with my friend Angie. More about that this week.


To have LOVED the movie Brave. We saw it on Friday. Natalie was like, “I’m so glad Merida didn’t get eaten by the bear!”


To not be surprised that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are divorcing. He weirded me out because he kept calling her Kate. That’s NOT her name.


To have created an e-card over at someecards.com:

Sorry if that offends anyone, but I have a lot of people on Facebook who LOVE to post anti-circumcision articles. Or comments. So I had to say something. Or create something, in this case. I feel what a parent does to THEIR kid is THEIR choice but some people get nuts if you don't agree with them.

What Are You Watching These Days?

I have grown tired of television.  I can't wait for the Olympics.  Every channel you turn on is nothiing but reruns( you can only watch NCIS reruns so many times) or shows that weren't that good to begin with.....well....I have discovered that I have some unusual and crazy television tastes.  Last year I became addicted to Storage Wars.  There was something about hearing one of the main players yelling, "Yea....up!"  I went from that show to Deadliest Catch....mainly to hear the intro song by Bon Jovi, "Dead or Alive."  Then I found Pawn Stars, Cajun Pawn Stars, American Pickers, American Restoration, Duck Dynasty, and (hangs head in shame) Swamp People.  I love the hear the cajun voice of Troy and see Homa Indian character R.J. and his son Jay Paul.  Out of all the hundreds of television channels I have with my Direct TV.....I watch 2 maybe 3 channels.  The main reason I enjoy these shows is that you really don't have to watch them....you can multi-task easily with them on.  The other night I decided to watch other channels....and thought I had found my favorite movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".....nope, what I had found was "My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding."  Did you know there were gypsies in America?  I did not!  I have seen them in Europe....even had one try to pick my pocket in the Piazza in Venice.....but had no clue.  I thought I was up on American culture.....obviously I am not. I sat spellbound for a solid hour and watched as the events and drama of the gypsy wedding unfolded.  I was amazed with a capital A.  I mean, come on...the gypsy stories I heard as a child said they were in England, Ireland, Europe....nowhere do I remember U.S.A. being a choice.  But here they are....living all over the U.S., but to name a few places, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina and West Virginia. Their lives are all about tradition, and they keep their families closely guarded to prevent gypsy culture from being forgotten. You'll find American gypsies in campers, trailers and homes. They may work in the same office as you or shop in the same grocery store. What I gathered from the show is that there are girls barely 14 years old already on the hunt for a husband. Families planning holiday dinners for hundreds of cousins. Women dropping thousands of dollars on the shortest, sheerest, most blinged-out dresses you've ever seen. There was even a designer who caters to Rom weddings and knows exactly what they are looking for when they come looking for the dress.  So, I have become a Discovery Channel junkie.  It has been an eye opening experience.  Hi!  My name is Karen and I am a reality television junkie it appears.   sigh!  Maybe my tastes will change again when the fall lineup comes out.

Beach Kids

Not even an hour into our drive to the beach and Natalie goes, “Are we almost to my Nonna and Papa’s house?”

Uh.

“Sorry, we have seven hours to go,” I explained.

Natalie, who doesn’t really grasp the concept of time went, “Okay, so almost there then?”

Uh.

“Sure. Yeah. Almost there,” I agreed. I handed her a new DS game to keep her amused. Brave, naturally. Then I opened my new Kindle Fire and started to read the newest Jane Green book. Sometimes I feel guilty reading. Should I be talking more to Tom, who was doing the driving? Or should I read in peace, something that I rarely get throughout the day?

Yeah. I read in peace.

Oh, I still talked, don’t get me wrong, but I did a lot of reading.

My parents live around San Antonio so we hit a little bit of traffic, and then we were pulling up in front of their house.

“I can’t wait to see my brother. I hope he still remembers me,” Natalie said.

Tommy had been with my parents for about two weeks. He had attended a zoo camp. I missed him too. It was weird not having someone spout out weather facts throughout the day and asking if Oklahoma City was bigger than New York City.

I expected my boy to run out, arms outstretched, because hello, the woman who had given him life had arrived.

But..

It was just my Mom coming out. No Tommy.

Apparently he had gotten so nervous waiting for us that he had gone upstairs to watch TV. Oh well. So I went upstairs thinking that he’d come barreling into my arms shrieking, “I missed you, Mommy!” Instead he looked up from the paper he was drawing on and went, “Hey,” as though I had just been gone for like an hour or something.

Okay, so I get that he’s TEN now. But still.

However, he did give me a big hug and said that he missed me. There we go. Then he showed me all the power lines that he’s been drawing and told me that he was excited about going to the beach the next day.

Ahh, the beach.

The following day we did set off. We stay around Port Aransas. My kids, they are total beach people.

I think my entire family is. Here is everyone that was there:

My cousins, their kids, my aunt and uncle, my 91 year old Grandma (who told me quite frankly that she loved me anyway even though she didn’t care for my red hair), my cousin’s girlfriend from China…

It’s always nice to see everyone.

And it’s always nice to see the beach.

Natalie, she’s a daredevil, and would try to run out into the sea. I’d be chasing her going, “Come back!” so I imagine the people laying out on their towels LOVED me.

(That swimsuit is from Janie and Jack. I LOVE retro swimsuits with matching hats...)

And what was Tommy doing?

My Dad came out to take Natalie further into the ocean.

And then they fed the seagulls:

You know how I said I hoped I didn't get eaten by a shark?

Well.

I can't wait for next year!


Do you go to the beach over the summer?


WAIT!

Do you have Facebook? If so, could you please go to www.100carsforgood.com (or click here) and vote for the Saddle Light Center. It's a place my Mom volunteers at and with enough votes, they can get a new truck.

What exactly is it? It's a theraputic horse center. Children with autism or other developmental delays can ride horses as it's scientifically proven that riding horses helps relax them. They have an old truck on their last leg (it has over 100,000 miles on it) and need a new one to help transfer hay and other supplies. A new truck would tremendously help them out.

So please! Go vote! Remember, please vote for the Saddle Light Center. It's only up today, July 2nd. Help them win a Toyota Tundra full-sized pickup!

Thank you.

Alligator Tales

I had some of the craziest dreams last night.  This has been going on for several days.  I am pretty sure it has something to do with the DVD I had made from my parents old 8mm films.  Last nights dreams were all about my uncle and his wife who lived at the edge of a canal in South Florida with a fenced in yard on all sides except  where the canal joined the back of their property.  These were the only real relatives I had in Flolrida when I was growing up (Oh I had a ton of adopted uncles, aunts, grandparents).   I have many wonderful memories of bar-be-ques, roller-derby, egg hunts, and Christmases at their house.  One such memory involves their dog, Chico, a ton of bbq, and the canal.  It was a typical South Florida day...you know the kind....muggy, smokey (the Everglades were burning), hotter than blue blazes.  We arrived at their house mid-morning and the men gathered out back and roasted meat on the grill, like men do.  My father was an excellent cook and should have been an award winning grillmaster.  That man could make meat on a grill do whatever he wanted it to.  So with the guys outside the ladies would gather in the kitchen and get the rest of the meal ready.  My mom made the best banana pudding (and my uncle always requested she bring it to whatever function we were having), my aunt would put together her famous potato salad, and the rest of the women filled in the menu with whatever special dish they brought. As a child my least favorite dish was always the green congealed salad with celery, apples, and nuts and the nasty mayonaise topping.  (I would be delighted several years down the road when watergate salad would come about),   Around lunch time the meat was brought in and placed on their large dining room table along with all the sides that had been waiting patiently in the refrigerator or counter.  There would always be a prayer and the ravenous bunch would descend on this spread like buzzards on road kill.  The food was plentiful and if you were hungry when you left....it was your fault.  I digress...sorry.  All of a sudden we heard a thumping noise.  Everyone looked around and no one saw anything out of the ordinary.....when there it went again....this time louder.  The adults got up and walked around the house looking for the source of the sound.....NOTHING!  Once again the sound happened...this time my uncle pulled the curtain to the back yard back and there.....feverishly slamming his little body against the sliding glass doors,terrified,  trying his best to get inside the house, was Chico.....and there....with his mouth open wide and almost upon the tiny little dog was a 6 ft alligator that had been swimming by and decided that Chico looked like a great appetizer.  In the blink of an eye my uncle slid the door open slightly, the dog shot in the house and went straight under the bed in their bedroom, and the alligator bumped the sliding glass door, turned and retreated to the canal.  As the  alligator slid across the ground he would stop every few feet and look at the house.....it was almost as if he was issuing a return warning to Chico....that there would be a next time.  Chico, on the other hand, was trembling under the far corner of the bed, and would NEVER go out back again.  He would go out the front door....but never the back.  Poor little Chico.  I have to admit that bbq's in my family are never drama free.  This one was just the drama of one tiny and terrified little Chihuahua. 

Project 365 Week 26

This was the halfway point of the year....week 26.  It was a miserably hot week here in Rock Mills, AL and it was the kind of week where you wanted to stay inside and try not to feel your skin fry when you went outside.  I did manage to make it outside enough times to get photos for this weeks Project 365.  If you want to look at everyone else's picture you will have to click here and link up with Sara over at her blog. 

Sunday, June 24th

Church sign for the week.  We are doing a bible study series on being disciples and last week our topic was on servanthood.

Monday, June 25th

Monday I went to the Pounds house.  Their cat met us when we arrived and Mrs Shirley shared a set of swarovski crystal panda's.  We then went outside to see what was blooming in her yard.  The bulbous looking flower is the flower of a garlic plant.  The pink rose bud has a green grasshopper hitchhiking on its back.  The leaf picture shows a leaf with a green spider on it.  The last picture is why I went to Mrs. Shirley's house.  It is a peruvian primrose.  Watching it bloom is like watching a plant in slow motion.  It began unfolding at 8pm and then spread open.  I was in awe as I stood there and watching it spin open.  Thanks, Mrs. Shirley for sharing your amazing plants with me.

Tuesday, June 26th

Frank and Beau cut grass early this morning before the heat got here.

Wednesday, June 27th

From my yard I shot a rose bloom and the robins eggs from the church bird house in the front yard.  There are four and I can swear one of them actually moved.  I hope they hatch soon.  I am excited to see them.

Thursday, June 27th

We rode to Auburn today to visit a church member who was in Bethany House and ran a few errands.  We had dinner with the Kramers tonight so it was a quick down and back trip.

Friday, June 28th

Today was a trip to Montgomery for a quick late birthday lunch with Kat.  We ate lunch at Mimi's Cafe and then went to Kohl's.  Before we ate we went to Lifeway.  The top picture is Kat and Brian's new apartment.  The fireplace is in the living room.  The little chickadee was on the sign at the Liberty gas station at the Mitalene Exit.  We had to get gas before we left and it was only 2.93 there.   We had to get back to Rock Mills for a 6:00 pm wedding rehearsal for Clay and Kellie.  Rehearsal went well....the rehearsal dinner was at Pizza Hut in Roanoke.  We got home, I read a while and went to bed.  About 11:00 there was a phone call and we had to jump up and head out.  I had on my pajamas.  The phone call?  It was nothing serious.....Mrs. Betty Jeans flower that only blooms at night...once a year at midnight.  It is called a night blooming cereus.  This flower has a heady vanilla like smell and the bloom is gorgeous.  We went over....and I got several shots of the flower.  We left at midnight and it was a wonderful night.

Is it not gorgeous?  I love this plant.  If you ever get a chance to see one then you need by all means see it. 

Saturday, June 30th

Today was the wedding of Kelli and Clay Veal.  I did not take my camera to the ceremony because I hate to but in on the professional photographers turf....but I did have my cell phone and snapped a few pictures so I would have some memoirs of today.  It was a lovely wedding.  I hope your week was a good one.  I hope you manage to stay cool and God Bless You All today and always.