Project 365: Day 192 -- What's In My Bag?

A little play on the Capitol One commercials, What's in your wallet?

I don't wear make-up every day since I stopped working out in the corporate world. But I do wear it if I will be seeing anyone other than my dear husband. So what's in my cosmetic bag?

Lancome Teinte Idole in Ivoire 4
Lancome Dual Finish in Matte Claire II
Lancome Maquicomplet in Ivoire
Lancome Blush Subtil in Mauve Coquette
Lancome Virtuose Mascara in Black Carat
Lancome Color Fever Shine Lip Gloss in Old Flame
Clinque Blush in Breathless Berry
Clinique Blush in Hurry Honey
Clinique Intensive Lip Treatment
Clinique Lipsticks in Toasted Rose & Delovely & Black Honey
Mary Kay Chestnut Brow Liner
Mary Kay Deep Brown Eyeliner
Cover Girl Fruit Spritzer Lip Gloss in Watermelon

Project 365: Day 191 -- A Cold Summer Treat

I had to run a few errands in Kingston Springs today...the post office, the little market, the tanning bed...and since it was so blasted hot out, I stopped at Sonic for a cold treat--I chocolate milkshake! I haven't had one of these in over a year. Oh my gosh was it good!

Project 365: Day 190 -- My Guilty Pleasure

Romance novels. Guilty pleasure. Especially the ones with vampires, Celtic Gods, and other supernatural beings. My latest find? The Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. My good friend, neighbor, and colleague Sherri Reno actually photographed Sherrilyn for the book jackets. There are currently 13 books in the series, and I am finishing up #3. I've read all 3 in the past few days. Man, I could just sit and read all day long...

Project 365: Day 189 -- Cleaning

Who really likes cleaning their house? Who enjoys cleaning toilets? Mopping floors? Scrubbing soap scum? No one I know. I hate cleaning. But the cleaning faeries don't visit my house, so I have to do it myself. And I have a cleaning product for every blasted surface in my house. I really need to go more organic on the cleaning products, and as I use up and replace things, I will. I have a friend who cleans her whole house with vinegar and baking soda. I haven't gotten that hard-core yet. Maybe one day. But for now, I'll just grab my rubber gloves and get busy with this dreaded chore...

Project 365: Day 188 -- The Morning Commute

Well it took more than a week, but Kelly's car is finally finished being repaired. For those of you who drive diesels, whatever you do, don't ever let the timing belt break! It damages all the valves. So this morning, I had to take him to work so that he could drive his car home this evening. If you know me at all, you know I am so NOT a morning person. But I had to get up at 6:30 AM, and drive all the way across town. Here are some snapshots along the way...

Project 365: Day 187 -- The BFF Session

This morning, my best friend Rebekah and I took her daughter Aleah, and Aleah's best friend Molleigh, out for a photo shoot. We went to Edgehill Village early in the morning, when everything was still closed. We were disappointed that it was so overcast, because this area would get some really great light with a little sun. But the girls were great, and seemed to have a really good time. And I got to get some more practice in handholding that long lens--which I need!

Project 365: Day 186 -- Spicy Shrimp & Lobster Linguine

Kelly and I cooked dinner together tonight, and made Spicy Shrimp & Lobster Linguine. And we added some big Sea Scallops, too. So I guess it's Spicy Seafood Linguine, lol. It has a little more prep time than some of my other recipes, what with having to shell the shrimp and pull the lobster apart and all. But all in all it only took us about 45 minutes. We also used fresh basil out of our own garden. basil and tomatoes are one of the best combinations in nature, don't you think? And the best part was there was plenty left-over for another meal!

Project 365: Day 186 -- A Walk in the Garden

Kelly spent the day building a decorative concrete walkway to the garden. The rain held off until about 4 PM, at which time we had to cover everything with plastic tarps since the concrete wasn't completely dry.

Project 365: Day 185 -- Independence Day

Well, its a holiday, and everyone who knows us, knows that Kelly doesn't do holidays. While the intent of this holiday is to celebrate our country's beginning, our freedom from England, and the start of our Representative Republic, the reality is this has turned into a day of binge drinking and dumb-asses losing their fingers shooting off fireworks illegally in their back yard. The lake is one of the worst places to be on the Fourth of July weekend. So we tend to stay close to home, avoid the drunks and the crazies, and try to comfort our fur babies when the neighbors start shooting off fireworks until all hours of the night.

The holiday has so little meaning to most people anymore, that I find it appropriate to discuss during this time of great change in our nation. This wonderful country of ours has been on a path away from freedom and away from the Republic that was originally created, for quite sometime now. In recent years, the speed at which we travel that path has increased dramatically. Our government has been slowing taking away our freedoms and replacing them with government dependence. And we the people have allowed it, and even encouraged it. When our founding fathers formalized this nation, Benjamin Franklin was asked "What kind of government did you give us?" His response was "We have given you a Republic, if you can keep it." We haven't been working very hard to keep it, people. It's slipping away from us day by day.

So during this holiday that was designated to celebrate our freedom and independence, our sovereignty as a nation, don't forget the sacrifices made over two centuries ago that made it possible. Don't forget the sacrifices that were made during all the time since, and continue to be made today to maintain that freedom. Don't let those sacrifices be in vain. Thomas Jefferson said:

"... God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty.... And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 (C.J. Boyd, Ed., 1950)

It's time to refresh that tree of liberty.

In other news, former Tennessee Titans quarterback and NFL co-MVP Steve McNair was found shot to death today. The police aren't saying much at this time, but there are indications that perhaps he was having an extra-marital affair, since there was 20 year old girl who wasn't his wife found dead with him, in a condo he rented just 20 minutes from the home he shared with his wife and kids. Steve was a skilled and respected athlete, and a fan favorite here in Nashville. Even after signing with the Ravens for his last two seasons, when he retired he settled back here in Nashville, and opened a restaurant.

It seems that lately, being a celebrity can be fatal.

Since we don't do holidays, I don't have any photos of fireworks, parades or picnics. We spent the day like we spend most Saturdays--doing chores around the house, working in the yard...we did grill some steaks last night and watch a really bad movie. In case you haven't seen it, Syriana sucks. It's a convoluted plot with too many characters whose connections to each other are difficult to decipher, and the story never really goes anywhere. That was 2 hours and 8 minutes of my life I will never get back.

But I do have a photo of my favorite lens these days:

Project 365: Day 184 -- A Lovely Day

Today was just beautiful for July here in the south. It was sunny, 85 degrees, and low humidity. It was so pleasant that when I met Pam and Rebekah for lunch, we decided to eat outside on the patio. Of course we met at City Limits, and all had that delicious Lobster Bisque they only serve on Fridays. Rebekah and I had not seen Pam in quite some time, and almost didn't recognize her. She looks fantastic! Great new hair cut, significant weight loss, nice tan, and very stylish. Way to go, Pam! You are amazing.

Pam brought a fun little toy for me to try out on my camera--which I brought with me of course. The Canon 500D Close-up Lens. Since I have been doing more close-up/macro-type work lately, she thought I might really like this little tool. She was right. Now I have yet another thing to add to my Wish List at B&H Photo. The list never ends...

On my way home from lunch, I stopped and photographed my neighbor's horses. I l0ve horses, and I always enjoy seeing his horses.


And when I got home, Woofey was just so cute, I had to grab a few shots of him, too.

Project 365: Day 183 -- What is it?

Fresh grated ginger. It was a uneventful day.

Project 365: Day 182 -- Market Day

Today was my day to plan the menus, make the lists, and do the shopping. So I pulled out all the cookbooks and planned the meals for the next week:

1) Spicy Shrimp & Lobster Linguini, Salad & Garlic Bread
2) Herbed Chicken in Pastry Puff, Mashed Potatoes & Garlic Pepper Asparagus
3) Blackened Tuna with Remoulade, Sticky Rice & Steamed Pea Pods
4) Rosemary Chicken & Wild Rice, Steamed Broccoli
5) Mahi Mahi w/ Crushed Pineapple & Toasted Coconut, Baked Potatoes & Salad
6) Chicken Parmesean over Linguini w/Burgundy Splashed Asparagus
7) Tacos

Before I could go shopping, I had to stop at Goodwill and drop off 6 huge bags of clothes. They completely filled the back of my SUV. And I expect to make at least 2 more trips with just as many clothes in the near future.

After shopping, I cleaned out the freezer. You know how some things just keep getting shoved to the back and you forget about them? I threw away quite a bit of food that was just too freezer-burned to eat. Then wiped down the whole inside of the freezer and re-organized it. Then did the same thing with the refrigerator.

Earlier in the morning, I photographed this HUGE beetle on the outside (thank God) of my kitchen window. It's at least 2 inches long. Anyone know what it is?

Project 365: Day 181 -- One of my most dreaded chores...

Most people despise cleaning the toilets, washing the dishes, or putting away laundry. I hate doing those things too, but the chore I tend to dread is changing the bed linens. Mostly because our mattress sits inside the bed frame, and it's very heavy memory foam. And I can't stand for the sheets--especially the bottom fitted sheet-- to be loose with wrinkles in it. And sheets are always too big for the mattress. So I use those elastic straps on the corners and one long one going all the way across both vertically and horizontally to keep the sheet on tight.

As you can imagine, changing the linens in these circumstances takes a lot of energy, and about 30 minutes time to completely make up the bed. So every week, when it's time to change the linens, I just dread it. Today was that day.

On a funnier note, Woofey refuses to get on our bed when the sheets are off because he can't stand the way the memory foam feels on his paws. It's like velcro to him!

Project 365: Day 180 -- What a difference a few days makes...

Look how much thicker the baby grass is already! Of course, I still don't expect it to make it through the summer. But it sure is pretty right now.

And here are more flowers from the garden.

Project 365: Day 179 -- Goodbye, Fiat

Today we say goodbye to the Fiat. Kelly purchased this car 8 years ago, hoping it just needed some tender loving care. Turned out it had some major body damage underneath that he just wasn't willing or able to repair. So after being rather unattractive driveway art for a few years, he finally sold it on ebay to a guy who wants to put the engine in another body. Said guy picked it up this morning, put it on a trailer, and drove it back to Illinois. I had fully intended to photograph it being hauled away, but they had it on the trailer and gone before I was out of the shower at 7 o'clock this morning. So this photo is several years old, taken before we knew how severe the damage was.

On a lighter note, Kelly decided to cook tonight. He's a great cook, but rarely has the time anymore. Tonight, he grilled chicken with some kind of sauce made from fresh cherries. Turned out pretty good, too. Also enjoyed fresh organic corn on the cob, and organic steamed carrots.

Project 365: Day 178 -- Baby Grass

Here's the baby grass we water three times a day...

Project 365: Day 177 -- Bees

Two of my goals with this Project have been to expand and improve my skills as both a photographer and as a writer. I have never been particularly interested or skilled in nature photography. But when I am forced to photograph something every.single.day and write about it, you start running out of willing human and feline models pretty quick. So I have expanded my portfolio to include creatures of the six-legged variety today.

This fat and sassy bumble bee was making the rounds on the cone flowers this morning, right outside my front door. So I grabbed my camera and my 70-200mm lens--because I am afraid of bees and wasn't willing to get any closer-- and started shooting. In my nightgown. Because I hadn't bothered to get showered and dressed yet, even though it was 10:30 in the morning, and I had been up for more than two hours. Yes, I was a lazy slug.

Anyway, this fuzzy (and scary) little guy was fairly cooperative, and I managed to get a number of fairly good shots, considering I'm not skilled with macro/nature shots, and I am afraid of bees. I can't stress that enough.

Project 365: Day 176 -- A sign of getting older...

It's been one heck of a day. Three major icons dead in the past 48 hours. Two of them today. It started yesterday with Ed McMahon. Famed for his role on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, then as a professional spokesman for things like Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes, host of the original American Idol--Star Search. He died at 86 years of age. Lived a long life, had a successful career, a family.

Today, Farrah Fawcett, sex symbol of the 70's, the most famous Angel of Charlies' Angels, even though she only did one season as Jill Munroe. Her image was on posters in every teenage boy's bedroom across the country. She had Emmy nominations for her portrayal of a battered wife. She battled cancer for two and a half years, and lost that battle today at age 62.

Sadly, overshadowing Farrah's tragic death, is the death of Michael Jackson. He entered the spotlight of fame at age 11, as the youngest of the Jackson Five. His career skyrocketed during the 80's, with Thriller being one of the highest grossing albums in history. In recent years, he's been plagued with legal and financial battles, as well as speculations about serious health issues. Such extreme talent, yet mental illness severely affected his life. Because of his fame and fortune, most just said he was eccentric. But we all know the truth--he was seriously mentally ill. He died today at age 50, after paramedics were called to his home for an apparent cardiac arrest. When icons of your youth start dying, it certainly makes you realize how much older you are getting. On top of all this, an old friend from high school lost her father today, as well.

On to less depressing matters, we had frustrating events this morning. When the phone rings early in the morning, it's never good news, right? My cell phone rang at 8:15, about 30 minutes after Kelly had left for work. He was stranded on the side of Briley Parkway, waiting for a tow truck after the timing belt broke on his diesel Jetta. Just 18 days past the warranty. Spending money on car repairs, plus the inconvenience of a car being in the shop, just sucks.

So I had to pick Kelly up after his golf game tonight. It was 8 o'clock before he texted me to drive up there--all the way to his office across town. And what happens? Road construction. It took me nearly 40 minutes to drive less than 5 miles. I was so irritated! So it was past 9 PM by the time I picked Kelly up, and neither of us had eaten dinner yet. So we popped over to Macaroni Grill for a quick bite and headed home.

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.

Project 365: Day 175 -- Butterflies in the Garden

I don't really do nature photography or macro photography. But I was testing some lenses for sharpness comparisons today, and this beautiful butterfly decided to model for me.

Project 365: Day 174 -- Everyone's Doin' It!

Saw this today on Cathy's Blog, and I thought: Hey, I can do that. It's far more interesting than what I had for lunch. (Sorry for the plagiarism, Cathy, but your wording was just too perfect considering I've gotten comments from my mother about my obsession with food on my blog.)

Outside my window... The sun is barely filtering through the thick forest of trees that surround my house.

I am thinking... about how I have so much to do, and so little enthusiasm to do any of it.

I am thankful for... air conditioning on blistering hot and suffocatingly humid southern days. I would literally die without it.

From the kitchen... last night was browned butter spaghetti with Myzithra. Tonight is peachy pork chops.

I am wearing... casual knit skirt, T, and flip flops. And my legs are so white they nearly blinded the neighbor's dogs when I got the mail.

I am creating... layouts for my Ireland scrapbook (the big one) and some marketing emails.

I am going... finish the laundry and start dinner soon.

I am reading... an old Nora Roberts book (from the McKade series) while waiting for my new Sookie Stackhouse and Black Dagger Brotherhood novels...

I am hoping... that hubby doesn't get home as late as he did last night.

I am hearing... The neighbors dogs barking at squirrels.

Around the house... there is still an enormous amount of work to be done in Parrish's bedroom before it can be my new office...

One of my favorite things... air conditioning.

A few plans for the rest of the week... work on cleaning out that room, planning next week's menu, keeping up with my Project 365 and Pea Mornings photographs, and working on my Ireland scrapbook.

And because I have to have a photo with every blog post, here's last night's cocktail for the hubster when he arrived home from a long day.

Project 365: Day 173 -- Groceries and Dinner

Had do do some grocery shopping today, mostly for lunch stuff for the week. Of course, I still haven't kicked my Coke addiction, so had to hit that isle. And the deli. Love Boars Head cold cuts. No preservatives. And they have some wonderful Black Forest Ham, which is really good with the Black Wax Cheddar.

Tried a new recipe tonight--Browned Butter Spaghetti. This came about after finding a cheese at Whole Foods last week that I had never heard of. So I bought the chunk of Myzithra (Mizithra) cheese, and then looked up recipes to use it in. I found the Browned Butter Spaghetti.

Now normally, I substitute butter with the lower fat, lower cholesterol versions. But this recipe specifically states NOT to do that. Those diet butters just turn to oil when you melt them. Real butter browns. So it's not something we would have very often because it's fattening.

Anyway, it's usually just served as a side dish with lamb chops, but I decided to add chicken to it and serve it as the entree.

So here's the recipe:

Chicken Breasts, cut up into bite sizes. (I used Tyson pre-grilled)
about 8 oz Spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained
Garlic - to taste
Oregano - to taste
Black Pepper (fresh ground) - to taste
4 tbl Butter
1/4 cup Myzithra Cheese, shredded

Boil and drain the pasta as you saute the chicken. I added a splash of white wine to the chicken at the end.

While the pasta sits in the collander, put butter in the empty pot and melt, adding minced garlic, oregano, and pepper. Brown the butter lightly, then remove from heat. Then dump the drained pasta back in and toss, coating thoroughly. Add the cheese and the chicken and toss some more. Serve immediately.

Project 365: Day 172 -- The Girl isn't coming back and it's time to move on...

My one and only kiddo is now 21 years old, and a senior in college this fall. She has been living over 4,000 miles away in Honolulu since she started as a freshman at the University of Hawaii three years ago. After her sophomore year, she moved off campus and into an apartment, and then into a house with several roommates. Because of the distance and how long it takes to get from here to there (usually almost 20 hours, with layovers) and how expensive the airfare is, she has only been able to come home at Christmas, and in the summers. This year, she opted to stay in Honolulu for the summer, to take some summer classes and work in a dive shop. And she finally admitted that she never intends to live here in TN again, and will likely stay in Honolulu after graduation, provided she finds adequate income.

So, with that sad revelation (cause, hey--I miss my kid!), which if I have to be honest, wasn't a surprise, I have decided that her room in our tiny house has square footage too valuable to only be used 3-4 weeks out of the year. Well, ok, it's actually been used as a storage room when she's not here. But now, it's going to be my new office! It's slightly bigger than the 3rd bedroom which currently houses my office and craft supplies. And it gets better light, since it has two windows instead of one.

So the daunting and overwhelming task of clearing out that room has begun. There are boxes of books and clothes and old stuffed animals stored in there. Our luggage has been stored in there. All the stuff that I hesitated to put in the attic because of the heat/humidity/cold/dust/spiders/mice...fortunately, I think the mice and the spiders are a thing of the past now. And a lot of those books and clothes just need to be donated instead of me hanging onto them. Because let's face it--I will never be a size 3 again. So I must overcome my packrat tendencies that I apparently inherited from my grandmothers on both sides, and get rid of all this clutter. After all, it's the Year of the Purge, right? And I have woefully slacked off on that goal over the past month or two.

So here's a bunch of stuff that we have to keep until Parrish visits at Christmas and can decide what she wants to keep and what can be tossed. But it's all going to live in the attic until then. This is the third time in the past week that I have filled the hallway with boxes for the attic.

Project 365: Day 171 -- Margaritaville

We decided at the last minute tonight to try out the little Mexican restaurant here in Kingston Springs. The Margaritas, which are an other-worldly shade of green, where actually quite good. The tacos were rather bland and greasy, but the fajitas were fantastic. Not too bad, considering were we live...

Project 365: Day 171 -- Is Summer Over Yet?

Just how hot is it? It's so hot I can't keep the fog off my camera lens and view finder. I kept wiping it off, and it kept fogging back up. It's 95 degree with a heat index of 110. humidity is nearly 80%. It's miserable. Thank God for air conditioning. I hate summer.

Project 365: Day 170 -- Scrapbook Complete!

I finally finished my mini scrapbook for my trip to Ireland! I've been working on it all week.