happy birthday, Mom!

My mom turned 51 today! What a happy reason to celebrate! She and I had both been invited to Tamela's for lunch. {Tam hosts a delicious ladies-only lunch each month for those that have birthdays in that month! Isn't that awesome of her?!} She had everything looking festive with Coca-Cola decor and fresh flowers. We feasted on grilled hamburgers, great northern beans, and potato salad. Dessert was a double-fold delight! Both Oreo and Nutterbutter ice cream desserts with your choice of chocolate or peanut butter sauce.....what rapture! Twas a lively group; we didn't lack for topics to chat about! All too soon, it was time to be on our way back to mom's house for the next celebration! Aunt Donna and Aunt Tricia came to join me, Mom, and Mel for a Pool Party! We floated and had fun in the sun talking and laughing. True to Smith style, we also had lots of food!!! Party mix, mixed nuts, popcorn, cheese, congos, chocolate crinkles, and chocolate oatmeal bars! I decided it would be a perfect time to debut the above pictured watermelon lime frosties too! Of course, the finished product was quite different from the original recipe. I'll post the original and put my tweakations in parentheses. I also doubled the recipe!

Happy Slurping!

Watermelon Lime Frosty (or Margarita)

adapted from Happy, Healthy, Life

makes 2

3 cups watermelon, cubed and frozen

1 ripe banana, peeled and frozen  (didn't have! substituted 2 T. sugar)

2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup (white sugar)

Zest from 2 limes (only had 1/2 lime)

Juice from 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)

1/2 cup water (used 1 cup)

Blend all ingredients until smooth, adding more water as needed to keep the mixture moving. For margaritas: add 3-4 shots of silver tequila (used ginger ale!)

zippers!!

Thought I'd quick type a line here before bed while Danl is out stealthly sneakin' around attempting to assasinate a pesky armadillo! Sure hope his mission is succcessful since more holes are appearing every night! I just finished up with this years zipper cream peas. 27 bags later I'm feeling like a virtuous housewife! Starting the pea fiasco at 8 o'clock wasn't my best idea, but finally the kitchen is back in order and we are ready to call it a day! (danl returned; mission update - no armadillo...)

keep calm

I LOVE this! :) In fact, I'm gonna go find some chocolate right now! Wanna join me?

the princess and the pillowcase

I had a crafty attack the other day and followed this tutorial detailing how to turn a plain ole pillowcase into a posh shopping bag! :) It was fun; I want to make a few more and jazz them up a bit. Mine was very plain other than a decorative stitch on the hem. Then I humbly gave it to a much craftier friend who I'm sure could've effortlessly given it much more razzle-dazzle! Anyway, here's the link if you get the urge to primp up a pillowcase!
http://growmama.blogspot.com/2010/10/take-vintage-pillowcase.html

questions

Sometimes life feels like a woolen cloak draped over your shoulders; too hot, too heavy....
But you can't shrug it off...
Confusion, sadness, perplexities, reign.
How to be better instead of bitter?
Is it possible?
Change, or acceptance....
How to live in the light; how to walk in the right.
Why is life crazy and beautiful but tragic?
Why is there peace and pain?
Where are the answers....where is the magic?
But like the songbird at the bottom of the well,
God is there.

sharon faircloth
06.23.12

a moment of sadness

Flo-Flo the Beta fish has passed.....let us have a Southern moment of silence accompanied by a slight dip of the head as we contemplate this tragedy.
She was a lovely fish. Her brilliant colors of mottled blue, purple, and green cheered the days as she calmly swished about in her clear plastic high-rise home on the wall.
The cause of death remains unknown, although speculation would lead to the conclusion of old age being the culprit. A simple flushing ceremony at the home was held in honor of her passing.

R.I.P

Flo-Flo

You will swim forever in our hearts.

a (somewhat) pithy post

Because I know how verbose I can be when I have a lot on my mind, I will relieve my thoughts with a few concise bullets here instead of in a rambling post that gives you "Finger Scrollitis!"

1. We are back home! :)

2. Guntersville is a great place to spend Father's Day. (or any day for that matter!)

3. Diesel and Leroy are now "Blistering Bulldogs!" That bleaching shampoo they use at the K9-Kleaners really does the job.

4. I am the ripe, old age of 26 years and 3 days.

5. Dad's poor blackberry bushes were glad to see the last of me! I scoured them relentlessly for ripened fruit.

6. My chocolate birthday cake with chocolate frosting was scrumpdiddlyumptious! (thanks, MomDenise!)

7. We love Lake Guntersville! Wednesday was the BEST!

8. Flying 10 feet in the air over the water after losing the tube is quite exhilarating until you come crashing down.

9. Wake-boarding is harder than it looks.

10. I am not particularly graceful when it comes to scaling rocks and jumping from a 15 foot peak. (what ever happened to the pretty, pointed-toe, ballerina pose I had in mind?!)

11. The "Princess and the Pea" developed a small blister while masquerading as the "Princess with the Pick Axe."

12. Danl is a much better ditch-digger than I. (too bad the swimming pool was under construction during our short but sweet vaca. We tried to help!)

13. Oreo Fluff is every bit as good as it sounds! (comment if you want the recipe, and I'll post it asap!)

14. Why does pale, white, ghastly, human, skin have to turn red, blotchy, pink, crackly, crispy, and blistered when exposed to extensive sun rays?

15. While in North AL, we were privileged to consume the following foods: (not necessarily in this order) T-bone steaks, blackberry pie, ham, mashed taters 'n gravy, Georgia salad, THE BEST raspberry jam, homemade vanilla ice cream with peaches, grilled hot dogs and sausage dogs, biscuits and gravy, breakfast egg casserole, BBQ ribs, grilled corn, sub sandwiches, great northern beans, nachos, Oreo fluff, choc. bday cake, ice cream sandwiches, more jam :), blackberries by the handful, and Diet Cokes sprinkled amidst it all! (I'm sure I didn't even get all the wonderful delicacies we stuffed our faces with listed either!)

16. One of my favorite places in the world to be is behind Danl on the 4-wheeler hangin' on for dear life!!!

17. Molly and Ginger are the sweetest horses. (Thanks for putting up with a novice rider, Ginger!)

18. The image of Dad's lil bass pond complete with the backdrop of a mouth-dropping, mountain sunset on the horizon is quite picturesque if you overlook the cow dung lining the pond banks. (Lol, we had a blast fishing catch and release though!)

19. We have the most wonderful family, near and far....wish we could spend a few days with each and every one of you!


20. Deet Deet and Seezoy LOVE their new, pink, "pig" dog toys!


 21. I need to wrap this post up so we can hit the hay and start snoozing; we both feel like a wrecking ball took a few swings at us.

22. There is nothing quite like your own bed. (no offense "O, thou most wonderful of Coleman air mattresses!")