Summer's almost over

These are the fruits of my labor, well veggies in this case. I planted 2 tomato plants, 1 grape tomato plant, 1 cherry tomato plant, 2 green pepper plants, 2 squash plants, and 2 zucchini plants. From the 2 large tomato plants we haven't even gotten 1 edible tomato, from the grape tomato plant only one, a slow but steady stream from the cherry tomato plant, only 2 actual squash, quite a few very yummy green peppers (which I get to keep all to myself since my hubby can't eat them, sorry babe!) and zip-zilch-zero zucchini. In fact I think both zucchini plants are completely D-E-A-D. Yesterday I picked the smallest cherry tomato I've ever seen! Here it is compared to a dime!And in case you missed the sunrise this morning, it looked like this:

Unexpected Guests

Our neighbor Ed called me yesterday and told me to look out my front window, I wasn't sure what I'd see but I never expected 2 peacocks! They were just taking a leisurely stroll through my front yard. I hopped off the right hand side of my porch to take a few pictures when the brightly colored one came straight for me! As I back up I heard Ed yell across the street "Where ya gonna go now?!" I hopped right back up on the porch! They walked down my driveway, nibbled at the curb and then took off down the road and up my parent's driveway.They picked at blueberry bushes, contemplated walking up the front porch steps until they settled on going around to the side of the house. I watched as they sauntered and got a little worked as I saw our cat taking a nap under a near by tree!Thankfully she paid them no mind, after lifting her head, taking a quick look at them she just laid her head back down. Later that evening my mom told me one was up in the top of one of their trees so I grabbed my camera and went over to have a look. I walked around the base of the tree to get a picture of the one still on the ground until it too decided to fly into the tree and land on a branch above my head! I thought it was coming after me and I ran up their front porch steps taking two at a time!

Red, White, and CAKE!

Today I made my first attempt at making a Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. I figured with July 4th being tomorrow what better than a red and white cake! Maybe I should serve it on blue plates. I used Paula Deen's recipe that a friend recommended and as far as I can tell it turned out right, I've never made a cake from scratch to compare it to!

I started with this: It turned to this: It ended like this:

I thoroughly enjoyed baking this cake. I think my new goal will be making one new cake a month! I'll be sure to take a picture tomorrow as we cut into it's yummy goodness!

Appreciation

"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean." These lyrics ring in my head every time I set foot in the sand. I think sometimes I forget the vastness of our planet. Coming home from our recent trip to the beach I realize how much we take the beauty of creation for granted. Going to the ocean there's anticipation, excitement, joy in the memories the salty air and crashing waves brings us. I believe if you live at the beach you eventually lose the wonderment it brings you, unlike if you only visited it once a year. I pondered all of this as I walked my dog last night, looking up at the mountain to the left of my house. I looked up with appreciation and a smile at the place that I call home. The mountains I take for granted. Some days I wish I lived in the city where I didn't have to go into "town," curvy roads were optional, and a quick trip took less than an hour. I live in a place that others (usually from Florida) come to for vacation in the same way that I got to the beach to get away from the normalcy of life. Why is it that I forget to appreciate these mountains every day?Daisy woke around 6AM this morning and after I brought her to our bed I saw the most amazing sherbert orange glow out our bedroom window. I grabbed my camera and as I ran in my pajamas and barefoot across the wet lawn I prayed my neighbors were still sleeping.

Long time, no see.....

Well here it is, June 13th, almost 1 year since I took a hiatus from this little blog of mine to focus on the baby growing inside of me and share my excitement over at Oh Da Baby! Motherhood is simply breathtaking. It's all I imagined it would be and much more! Becoming a mom and focusing day in and day out on my daughter has made me also think a lot about myself. Where would my life be if I hadn't moved back "home" 3 years ago. Would I have experienced all the things I long for deep down in my soul? Would I have made up for lack of marriage and a baby with traveling and writing? Would I indulge my love of photography more, paint more, have more close-knit friends? I've thought a lot about "What ifs" as I've had extra time on my hands during long naps and playtime on the living room floor. Would my life be more or less? LESS. Much, much less!

In knowing this I also know my life is more than just diaper changer, "milk wagon", rattle shaker. I am my own person, more than just a mother. I can't just finish were I left off and now live vicariously through my daughter. Yes I have many hopes and dreams for her. Hopes that she'll live adventurously with reckless abandon and the smarts of a woman who knows her heart. I dream that she will get to do some of the things I never did, things I was too afraid to do. I pray she won't make some of the horrendous decision I made in my past.

In pondering all of the things I want for my daughter I have opened my eyes back to the things I wanted for myself. I want to volunteer at a hospital, gather a team for Relay For Life, start an Etsy shop, give more gifts, write a children's book series, tell stories through photography, see the world, own a VW camper, learn sign language. The list doesn't end in these words I write, it is ever growing and changing. I want to make sure I remain involved in hobbies I love so that one day when my children go off, get married and begin families of their own I don't end up saying now what? I know there will not always be tomorrow, so I better get a start on things right now.