elf starts with e

This is my favorite Christmas movie...

It was the first Christmas movie we watched... as soon as we got home from Thanksgiving dinner. I laugh every time. Every time. Scouring the clearance tables at the book store, as I often do... I found a little self help book written by... Buddy Hobbs. Even if you are not an elf... he has some pretty good tips for Christmas...

Make gingerbread houses...

Shiny things are nice...

We all have different talents and each one of us in extraordinary in our own way...

There's room for everyone on the nice list...

New York City is a magical land with traffic lights, steam, scaffolding and the Empire State Building. (and Radio City Music Hall!)

There's always room for dessert!

Christmas spirit should never become a limited resource...

And something that you might not think about...
If you see gum on the street, leave it there. It is not free candy!

I missed A to Z Monday last week... but I squeezed my "F" is for family up there on the nice list! Skip on over to Jen's Unglazed for some more "E" fun!

gingerbread starts with g

**updated with new pictures!**

Gingerbread is a long standing tradition in our family.
Gingerbread cookies, dressed in royal icing overalls and aprons...
but most especially gingerbread houses.

Somewhere in that ever-creative mind of hers, my Mom dreamed up a gingerbread house design, and went to work. She sold them at craft fairs... and by word of mouth. They were as delicious as they were beautiful. Some years there were 300... and other years many less. Some years they sold... and I remember one year when they didn't. Boxes were piled high by the door... to be donated somewhere. Thinking back, I can only imagine a fraction of the pain in her heart, as I am sure we could have used the money from the sales... or even just for the supplies. But she gave them away... and never let on her disappointment. And every fall, the Big Bertha mixer would be fired up once again... and the scent of cloves and ginger and molasses filled the house.
I do remember a summer... when the mixing started early. For just one house. My Mom entered the Good Housekeeping gingerbread house contest. It was a mansion. Two stories. A veranda with a gazebo and delicately piped railings. A Pez chimney... and royal icing fir trees. It was... beyond spectacular. And we all just knew that this house would adorn the front cover of the magazine. Somehow... we were wrong. And when the issue was delivered to our house we were astonished. The winning house may have been deserving... to their eyes, not ours... but it was the second place house that boggled our minds. It was a roughly made version of the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe. And I knew that not even rose-colored glasses would make it appear more lovely than the mansion that my Mom had built with hope and anticipation.

Making the gingerbread houses became a family affair. When we were too little to place the candies just so, we sorted them. Buckets upon buckets of Necco Wafer "shingles" were sorted piece by piece. And we could only eat one if it was broken. We did graduate to placing the candy on the house... and that is one of my favorite memories. Mom would squirt out the royal icing and my job was to come along behind and place and space the M&M's just so. I was used to doing things quickly to please my Mom... and so I did my best to be fast and accurate. It became a racing game... which made us both laugh. And to this day is we start a task together she will say No Racing! But I can't ever seem to help myself.
As the years went on... my Gramma took over the shingle sorting job... and my sister & I helped more and more with the decorating. All sorts of jobs... snowing at the base of the house... planting gumdrop flowers and candy canes... even playing Mother Nature and snowing on the roof. Beautiful memories... every one.
Florida's humidity is too much for gingerbread houses... and the special order cookie cutter no longer punches out villages of houses. But on the morning of Christmas Eve... my Mom will make gingerbread houses with her grandkids. It won't matter where the M&M's get placed... or if the snow covers the entire roof. It won't even matter if one of the kids licks their fingers before they touch the candy. It is just a tradition... carrying on in a new sort of way. And it makes my heart smile.



It is A to Z Monday at Jen's... I wonder what she has cooked up over there.

helping hands start with h

Two H's.
Six hands helping her two.
And a lot of fun.



Every year my Mom makes a hundred (or so!) cheese balls for the church bazaar... along with a ton of other fantastic goodies! This year...she planned on mixing up the cheese balls on a day when I was off of work, and school was out. So... on a breezy Monday morning, Laura, Cam & I set out to lend our helping hands.
She was all set up to start... and when we arrived she sat down with Laura & Cam to explain their jobs. Doubling recipes. Measuring spices. Using the big knife... and the food processor. Laura & Cam loved being in the kitchen... and having some independence. I... was nervous. That our "help" would actually be not-so-helpful and the job would take twice as long to do with so many hands. Getting in the way, rather than speeding up the job. But there was no need to worry. We laughed. We worked. We played... and we finished hours earlier than if my Mom had done it all on her own.
I really hope my kids remember this day. I hope they tuck this memory into their hearts... and smile whenever they come across a cheese ball. I hope that someday... they will have the chance to work in the kitchen with their own grandkids... and that they will show the same patience that their Gramma showed them. Because working together... hand in hand with your family... is certainly a memory worth cherishing.

Happy A to Z Monday!

imagination begins with i

... and so does ice.

My Florida boy dreams of snow. I sometimes think there is nothing he would like better... to see it snow... to live where it snowed... to live in an igloo. It didn't surprise that he was attracted to this pile of ice... dumped after a long night at the concession stand. And I wasn't too shocked that he wanted to play in it. Scooping it up in his hands, he tossed it up into the air over and over again... making it "snow." Didn't matter if clunked him on the head... in fact, I think he thought that was just as much fun.
Watching the joy and excitement on his face filled my heart with laughter. Try as I might, I could not capture the moment on film, and decided that the best way to hold the memory close to my soul was to put down the camera... and join in the fun.

It is A to Z Monday at Jen's Unglazed...

journey starts with j

I'm pretty certain that journey is the same "j" word I chose last time around... but as I have voiced, time and again... it is my blog and I can break the rules if I need to! And today... I had to find a word to go along with what I really wanted to share. And so... journey it is.

This year, the chosen theme for the Marching Pride is Around the World... hence, the globe... that incidentally, after searching hi-and-low for one and asking everyone he had a number for, Mr. Best-Band-Director-Ever, was still less than impressed with this one. But I had one... it was free... because it was in my son's closet. Anyway... the theme is our Journey. The band marches their way through songs from Cuba, Great Britain, France and the USA. Of course, they have to make a stop at the Holiday Inn, which is a great crowd pleaser. Please... do not look up the lyrics for this song. Please. Mr. BBDE was completely unaware that there was a version other than the "clean" one he found on itunes!
Saturday, all of the county bands gathered and showed off the hard work they have been putting in... and it is the highlight of the marching season. But the highlight of the show? It has to be when all seven bands join together and play our National Anthem. It was an amazing moment. Standing with my hand on my heart... the tears rolled... Along with the sweat. A beautiful fall day, for sure. But I would have ordered something less than 90 plus degrees...



I can't believe that marching season is almost over. It is always too short... but all the more the reason to sit back and enjoy the journey.

Turns out... I did not use journey last time... I chose Jesus. I wonder if anyone else had to repeat their word!? Find out at Jen's Unglazed for A to Z Monday!

kiln starts with k

Obviously... this is not a kiln. But it did come out of a kiln. And please, excuse the faux flower arrangement. I have not had the time to find the proper blooms for this very special piece made by my daughter's own two hands... but was too anxious to set it aside completely unadorned.

Laura is enjoying this ceramics class... in fact, I think she is living for it (and yearbook.) And I love to listen and hear her go on and on and on... about this piece and that. The process of the rolling and sculpting and carving. The way you hand over a piece of yourself to the kiln... all the while hoping that your work was not in vain, and the kiln will be kind. And the relief mixed with complete and utter joy when her piece emerges from the kiln intact. She heartbreakingly relayed that her friend's castle was not so lucky...

She may be living for this class... but me? I am living for those eyes that sparkle with delight. I am living for her voice that bubbles joyfully. I am living for those pieces, embossed with her very own fingerprints, that are an extension of who she is... and just maybe... who she dreams she will be.

It is Monday... and so I join my A to Z friends over at Jen's Unglazed. I'm anxious to see what the others have chosen this week... and especially wondering if Jen has found a photo of a a "K" bird!

lighthouse starts with l...

Of all the lighthouses in the world... the ones I have visited... or ever will see... this is my favorite.
Why? Because it is speaks of home.

The Scituate Light shines out over my hometown... and will always be a part of me.
Growing up, I felt... kind of special that this lighthouse was in our town. Perhaps the reason was the stories that surrounded it. The story of Abigail & Rebecca saving the town... my Gramma's memories of the summer house, and my Mom's, too. My Gramma also told how my Grandpa & uncles worked on the lighthouse, making repairs. But it wasn't just the stories. It was the place. It was the summer houses in all states of repair... and the view of the harbor, with sail masts bobbing, just beyond. And there, at the point, she stood proud and tall. I have always wanted to climb the light, but have never had the chance. But just being in its shadow was enough. Navigating the huge rocks of the jetty... out to the end and back. Eating Maria's subs while enjoying the view. Exploring the narrow beach for sea glass and colorful stones.
One day... I will climb the steps and take in the view. But for now... there she sits on my ledge... reminding me of that place which once was home.

What else begins with "L"? Find out at Jen's Unglazed as we work our way through the ABC's... backwards.

meringue starts with m

Using her new lime green Nintendo DS(that would be DS #5... thank you extended warranty!)and its cooking game, Laura made a pavlova... which is a meringue shell topped with a sweet cream and beautiful fruit. An Australian dessert. It was... as delicious as it was beautiful. And I loved that she was busy in the kitchen... cooking away. One and a while she called out for a hand, but she really did it on her own. I was impressed... probably because she was not daunted by the thought of trying something completely new... and not once did it travel through her mind that she might not be able to do it. Me? I would have leafed right on by that page in my cookbook. She is growing up in so many ways... and her confidence is growing right along with her. And I am thrilled.

Glad I am not missing out on A to Z Monday! I'm so glad Jen puts up with me! Happy Monday.

ordinary starts with o

Sea shells, broken or whole... a stray feather that has fluttered its way into the wet sand... tiny pebbles that poke at the undersides of your feet as you are exploring. Ordinary beach finds, or extraordinary treasure? It depends how you look at them...

It's the simple joys, the simple pleasures the heart remembers and dearly treasures. -Hadin Marshall

Working our way from Z to A with Jen @ Unglazed... Happy Monday!

pelican starts with p

These pictures are courtesy of my son... the CAMera Guy. He took them a few years ago with his Gramma... and I love them. Of course, I do love pelicans anyway. They are part of my first Florida experience... and when Florida comes to mind I automatically think pelicans and palm trees. I never thought that I would actually live here though... and that those pelicans and palm trees would be a part of my everyday life. Yes, I am a lucky girl.

I fell in love with pelicans on the pier in St. Petersburg. The was this ramshackle bait shop... selling bait, of course, but also trying to make the most of his hungry pelican situation by selling fish as "Pelican Food" and offering the opportunity to feed the pelicans. We did buy a little bag of fish... and those hungry birds flocked to our feet... beaks open and ready for their snack. I don't think I had the guts to touch one of those fish, but my parents fed the pelicans and we laughed outrageously at the pelican who stole the plastic bag that had once contained the fish. (Suz, I'm sure he was just going to recycle that baggie... no hate mail, please!)

Last summer on the beach we watched them fly so close to the water that their wings would just skim the surface... or we'd laugh as they spotted a fish in the depths of the ocean and dive straight down. Bombers! Cam would yell... and he dubbed it the the summer of peace, love and pelicans.

Pelican starts with P... and they make me happy.

I was so sorry to miss a couple more weeks of Jen's Z to A game... hopefully I am right back on track. I'm headed there now... to see what other things start with P!

sunset starts with s

One of my very favorite things in life is...
loading everyone up in the car on a beautiful evening and heading for the beach. Eating a simple dinner in the sand, watching my kids splash in the waves, taking in the golden glow that the sun casts across the beach as it starts its descent... and then, the glorious sunset. I am continually amazed at the brilliant colors of the sky as the sun sinks down into the sea... and the unique beauty of a sunset. A gift. For us.
I want to believe that Fall is not quite here yet... even though the pencil marks on my calendar show otherwise. But I hope that if a free evening comes along... that I might remember, and have the energy, to head down to the beach again before Spring. Because when my toes are covered in sand, and the sky is alive with the colors of the setting sun... breathing seems a bit easier and God feels a little closer to my heart.

Working my way from Z to A with Jen @ Unglazed.

tree starts with t

Banyan trees make me smile. I remember the first one I ever saw... in St. Pete while I was on vacation, visiting my Grandparents. It was a marvelous tree... wider around than I had ever seen... with its roots stretching and reaching back into the soil. At the time, I thought it was so extraordinary that perhaps it was the only one of its kind... but now I know better. Many of the Naples streets leading to the beaches are lined with them... and to me, they are more magestic than a row of waving palms. So steeped in history and memories, if you were sitting quietly, you just might hear them whispering their stories in the breeze.


Saturday was a geo-caching adventure day... and both of my kids ended up climbing high in search of treasure. I stood down below, in the shade of these beauties... watched the smiles burst forth... and snapped away.

Working my way from Z to A with Jen @ Unglazed.
(So sorry I missed "U" Can "U" believe it? But I have a good excuse... it is even a "U" word... urology!)

variety starts with v

A variety of pizza toppings... chosen by my family members. Since summer is for taking time to do the things the rest of the year maybe doesn't allow for... we decided to make pizza. From scratch.
From scratch? What's that, Mom?



Ahhh... from scratch. We proofed the yeast. We measured the flour. And we set our hands to kneading. It was messy... and it was fun. Not to mention, a reminder that from scratch is really pretty great.

We each loaded up our pizzas with a variety of yummy toppings...

...and there were smiles all around.

Working my way from Z to A with Jen @ Unglazed.

x-traordinary doesn't really start with x

Once in a while... you just have to stop the car and get out... to capture such an extraordinary sky.

Maybe someone else found a real "x" word... the ony way to know is to hop on over to Jen's Unglazed for Z-A Monday!

yearbook starts with y

In just a few weeks, my high school class will meet and catch up on the last twenty years. I have to say that I am not going. I had originally planned on it. I was excited to be there. But finances got in the way. And I just felt like if I had an extra $800 laying around (hahaha!) wouldn't I rather spend it on spending time with the people I love? You know, rather than spending it on seeing people I haven't spoken to in years and years... and can visit on Facebook (yuck) if I feel the need? If I lived around the corner... or even a few states closer, I think I would go. Because yes... there are people I want to see... wanted to maybe renew a friendship with.

But I wonder... if those people I used to know... would they know me now? Would they recognize the girl who was in the woman I am? Because I have grown... a lot. I am more outspoken... more fun... more aware of who I am, and who I need to walk through each day. And if they read my words and saw my heart... would they recognize me? Or would they wonder? Years and years have passed... dreams have come and gone... life has molded and shaped me. Am I the same person? Am I different? Or am I just more?

True friends carry on... and on into your life. Those are the people who know me best... and recognize me today... as that same girl from long ago. And as I glance through my yearbook, I realize again that there is a time and season for everything...

Working my way from Z to A with Jen at Unglazed!

zebra starts with z

The first photo is from Cam's room... but the second? My Mom actually took that photo in Africa... real zebras, even though here you can only see their backsides! My Mom has some really amazing pictures of the animals she has seen on safari (this is a cast off photo that she gave to the kids because it wouldn't fit in her scrapbook!) and I really love that she has had the chance to actually go to Africa... twice.

My Mom went to Africa to see the animals... elephants, giraffes, leopards, birds, lions... and zebras. And while she was there, loving the animals, she unexpectedly fell in love with the people. The customs, the stories, the way of life, the wide eyed wonder of the children. Never has she gone back to a country she has traveled to... but almost as soon as she arrived, she knew she would return. Her dream is to take her kids to Africa... to be able to share it all with us, through experience, not just photos. My stepsister & her husband went this past fall... and our family is next. Someday. And then, when someday arrives, we'll have to talk Laura into the shots before we can actually go...

Working my way from Z to A with Jen at Unglazed!