Belly Plop - Not Flop

IMG_4687, originally uploaded by mycatgizzy1.

High-flyin on vacation this summer. Who would have thought that she could do such a good belly flop?

Hallie was quite impressed with her newly found water skills. She loved splashing and jumping under the water. She didn't like holding her nose and often ended up water logged but she never let that stop her.

One of Many "Firsts" in Your Life

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Originally uploaded by mycatgizzy1

Today is your "first" day of kindergarten. I can't believe how big you, my daughter, have gotten.

I took this photo on the bridge on the way to school. This is a huge bridge that crosses over Curlew road to my daughter's school. If we make it out the door every day on time I promised we would walk over it. Only rain will deter us from this small delight.

I was so proud of how good you did. I was the one who got a little teary eyed but only once when the crossing guard explained how we would cross the road every day.

I'm glad that I was with you to experience just one of the many "firsts" that you'll get to experience in your life.

Success Ole'!

Any one who truly knows me knows that I hate to cook. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I'm not a big food person so their isn't much of an attraction for me when it comes to the kitchen. This normally wouldn't be an issue but I married into an Italian family. My Mother-In law is a very good cook but to hear my husband tell it she is every famous chef rolled into one. Now I love the women but who can even compete with that. Why would I even try?

You would think that after eight years of marriage I would just give up but for some reason I still keep trying to please him in the kitchen. I'm good everywhere else! OK, well, maybe not with house work but truly good every where else. So after eight years of marriage I'm still attempting to be Betty Crocker. I'm sure that the new kitchen we, I mean he, put in for us, I mean me, has something to do with it.

Last night I tried to make a simple pot of soul warming baked potato soup. The recipe was simple, fast, and dinner was on the table in 30 minutes. Baked potato soup with crumbled bacon, melted sharp cheddar and some warm crusty bread. What else could you even ask for? I thought it even tasted like baked potatoes. My husband's response, "this isn't how my mother makes it" and "where are the chunks of potatoes?" Ugghh! Needless to say he wasn't impressed and didn't even like it.

Well, Thursday rolls around and I thought I'd give it another go and try to make another meal to please my husband. This time I would try my hand a home-made chicken enchiladas. This recipe called for cooking the chicken in a slow cooker for most of the day to cut the cooking time in the oven down to only 30 minutes.

Once I arrived home from work the chicken was done and shredded, my husband was kind enough to do this part so he could say that he helped, and just had to be assembled in the soft tortilla shells to then be baked in the oven for half an hour.

During the last ten minutes in the oven I even called my mother in-law to see if she had ever prepared enchiladas. To my relief she had not. YES! I wouldn't be hearing "this isn't how my mother makes it" out of my significant other tonight.

It was the moment of truth. The enchilada was on his plate, the fork was in his mouth.........and he wasn't complaining. I kept waiting for the smirk, the comment, something but nothing ever came. Well, I asked? Finally he asked me how much work it was for me to make them? Not much I said as the crock pot did most of the work. Well, he said, I like them and I'd like you to make them again. What? What's this I say? Do my ears deceive me? He, my husband who hates everything I make, actually liked dinner and wanted me to make it again.

Needless to say I was quite pleased as he actually enjoyed something I cooked and asked for it again. What more is there to say than OLE'

It's not such a Black and White World

Sometimes something happens that makes you realize that the unexpected can happen at any moment. Things aren't as "black and white" as they may seem. Miracles are right around the corner. They can also be right outside your own front door.

We planted a weeping hibiscus tree in my front yard about two years ago. It's one of my most favorite plants that I own. It's always blooming beautiful white flowers on it's willowy branches. Pure snow white flowers. Ordinary, void of color flowers. Imagine my surprise when I noticed a splash of pink out my front window. Upon closer inspection I discovered that one delicate blossom was not so pure and was half white and half pink. This one blossom mutated into something so beautiful and special that you couldn't help but not notice it.

There's a price for such beauty though. When ever these hybrid blossoms appear they only last for one day. 24 hours to open their petals and offer their pollen to any flying friend who might be blinded by their dazzling beauty. 24 hours is a very short time to make some sort of impact.

This one flower made me realize that life isn't just black or white, issues aren't just right or wrong and there's more to a person than good or bad. If we just stop to open our eyes we might just see find the unexpected and be dazzled by it.

Always Chasing a Number

Why is it do I feel that I'm always chasing a number? Is is just me or do other women, men and our fellow mankind fall into this never ending trap?

I was thinking about this the other day while I was searching for gas. Cheaper gas that the $3.69 a gallon that was offered by our home. I did find gas for cheaper, one cent cheaper at $3.68 a gallon. In these tough economic times I'm sure we all seek affordable fuel but in my quest for cheaper gas did I really win by saving one cent per gallon? Not really. It was then during this thought process that I realized I was chasing a number and that chasing numbers applied to my whole life.

People on the whole are always looking to increase their salary, grow their wealth, diversify and multiply their investments. I don't think we are ever really satisfied with our income, if so not for long, as we strive to make more and do less in our day to day tasks. Not once have I ever heard anyone say "No, I make to much money as is. I can't accept that bonus or rage increase." When it comes to our careers our gratification is tied to our justification to grow our rate of pay. I think we are all guilty of chasing the all mighty dollar.

I'm currently blessed with a beautiful daughter that I love dearly. I waited a long time to have her and she means the world to me. In the same breath I will also tell you that I want more, I want a second child. What is the void that makes me long for another child? Why is she not enough? I see pregnant women at work and feel a twinge of jealousy that they have a life growing inside of them while I do not. I'm truly happy for them but I think why not me? I know that I have much to be thankful for and I'm blessed with a family and child while many people can't or don't have what I get to go home to everyday. Even with all that I have I know I'm chasing descendants to add to our family tree.

We live in a two bedroom, two bath home in a decent subdivision. We have a nice house, wonderful neighbors and no association fees. Yet, I strongly feel like we need to move to a bigger house. If that second child ever comes where am I going to put them and all of their stuff? I don't have a guest room per say so wouldn't it be nicer to have a room just for guests? What about a scrapbooking room, toy room, pool and lush landscaped backyard? Not 100% fulfilled with what I have I dream of adding on to our home. A second floor, a two car garage, walk-in closets and a master bath with a jacuzzi tub. Why is a roof over my head, four solid walls and green grass underneath my feet in our backyard not enough? Is my current home not where my heart is? It seems I'm chasing a castle in the sky.

It's 11:56 p.m. now. It'll be later than that by the time I finish this post. I still have a million things to do and no time to do them. Put away laundry, something I truly fail at every week, pack my daughters bag for school, pay bills, make food for a potluck tomorrow at work. This is just the small daily list. What about trying to finish college, hike the Appalachian Trail with my father before he dies, see my daughter graduate college, get married, have grandchildren and fulfill all of my goals, dreams, and own personal bucket list? There isn't enough time in the day to do everything I need to do or that I think I need to do. Tick tock, tick tock, the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years continue to fly by and I don't know where they've gone. I'm chasing numbers that will ultimately measure the length of time for my life on this Earth.

As a women I feel like I'm always trying to lose a few pounds. I want to be slimmer, lighter, healthier and I think that by achieving this weight lose I'll be happier. For me this is a skewed thought process even though I can't stop the madness. At my lowest weight, 115 pounds eight years ago, I still thought I looked fat in a bathing suit. My best friend on the other hand thought that I looked like a victim from a concentration camp. At my heaviest, when I was pregnant with my daughter six years ago, I felt great and I thought I looked radiant. Hey, my feet didn't swell so life was good. Now as I struggle to lose a few pounds, a few clothes sizes, several inches, I wonder if chasing these numbers will truly make me happy. Will this race of chasing a lower number on the scale ever end?

I doubt I will ever be able to end this cycle of chasing numbers within my life. My hope though, lies here with this picture of an Elephant that I took while on vacation. The African Elephant, the largest land mammal on Earth. Massive, majestic and magnificent. This animal I photographed was scared, old and yet so beautiful. Like it, I one day hope that I can find contentment in my life with myself. Then maybe my days of chasing numbers will end.

Afternoon Siesta

The King of the Jungle should really invest in a better pillow to lay his mighty head!

Photo shot at Disney's Animal Kingdom with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 75-300 mm lens.

Friends & Foes

Sometimes they are at odds with each other, more often than not, but on this day they were the best of friends and don't they look the part.