The meaning of me...in humor...

With the 115 degree heat & mighty long days of late, I've found myself cooling off in the glorious solitude of a cool cucumber or lemon bath lately most evenings I get home. I light candle throw many slices into a tub of tepid water & relax.
Birth date 44 is upon the horizon & as usual I get a bit philosophical each time another candle approaches. I mean another year of life & am I any closer to the real me???

We all do wonder, gazing into the mirror, questioning ourselves & if who we are is who we really are. We've all played shapes to fit the nooks & crannies we live in knowing fully well its not our natural place...okay, okay I'm getting a bit to Personal Growth section at Borders but really its true.

me being me in 2006

The one thing I know is screw it, being yourself is happiest. So I'm here to proudly tell you.

I'll never be a glamour queen....

...have a tiny waist...
...wear heels just to look good when flats are needed....
....wear bright lipstick....

...smoke.....
...wear anything but a suit & sunscreen to the beach... ...ignore dessert...ever!!!!!
...dress cute when jeans & no makeup works best...
...be delicately coy, heck any coy for that matter... ...or the suit type...

...or the fur type......go to bed in makeup... ...or wake up looking like a vision of loveliness...

Nope. None of that is me & is great!!! I've tried them all, yup even the cigarettes for like 10 minutes 23 years ago & to that & all the other times I tried not to be the chatty, silly, eats on dates, speaks my mind times...well it all leaves a horrible taste in my mouth & self.

So for now I leave you with my 2 favorite quotes courtesy of Quoteable Cards

Have a glorious week being you!!!
Now back to our regular posting.....

Images courtesy of Quotable Cards & My Vintage Vogue

Seeing red & blue, year 2

Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie & me!!! All American fun is gearing up from sea to shining sea this weekend in the grand olde U.S.A. & along with firecrackers, barbecues, to mention our tastebuds, my senses have been delighted this past year with another sets of red, white & blue true hues. My traipse across the scape last year was so fun how could I not give you another swig.

Dapper men are very patriotic

Miles Redd

Have a firecracker, hot doggy, apple pie eating good ole time with your loved ones this weekend with a special blessing to those serving our country.

Happy Independence!!!!

Time marches on.

Back in Michigan today, my beloved Godson Grant graduated from elementary school. It still seems like just yesterday it was the first day of first grade. Thanks to his Mom I have a photo of that day soo long ago & its still an all time fave of mine. However....

Where does it go & how does it go by so fast??

I remember cutting up oranges to give him a visual for fractions while we did homework. I remember doing the Martin Luther King Day word search with him so the weekend could start. I also remember the issues; his goofiness needing to be tamed, his sometimes lack of focus & knowing how unbelievably smart this boy was & hoping it would all come out for his teachers to see. This is the boy who asked me when he was 5 how his tongue tasted food & wanted specifics so we bought a human body book to learn. I can still hear his little boy voice begging to read about the digestive system instead of a Transformers book one bedtime. Heck he corrected my mom when she pointed out a purple Victorian house..." Liz, that's mauve." This is one incredible little guy.

But he's not soo little anymore. He's 11 & a half, going into middle school & finally found his essence when it comes to school. Focused & succeeding all I could think about today, while I wished I was there was how fleeting time really is. Treasure the moments. I do.

We chat still weekly & always he ends with "love yous" because I'm proud to say he knows how important that is most of all. That's how I know my favorite little boy is now my favorite little man.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Books, books & more eye candy of the literary variety

Ever just go to Amazon & just peruse the cookbook covers?? I use to live for hours in the stacks but as Borders & my alma mater Barnes & Noble cease to carry the title list in house as in my days of the late 90s, that's not possible.
Here's a a few titles right now I'm loving & recommend.

Porch Parties is the newest from Dallas native Denise Gee whose Southern Cocktails was a favorite when published back in 2007. Don't let that cooling watermelon punch on the front fool you. Its chocked full of food too..baby crab cakes with lemon garlic aioli.


If you want to add a Hummingbird cake to the party go with Nancie McDemott's Southern Cakes or Mrs Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies by Mollie Cox Bryan. I'm getting hungry...

Seasonal Fruit Desserts by Deborah Madison is beautiful & works great with the new slo food & locavore food movements. If this book doesn't inspire trips to farms & farmer markets I don't know what will.
Perhaps Chronicle Publishing's Farmers Market Desserts by food writer & activist Jennie Schacht or Janet Fletcher's ( trained under Alice Waters need I say more) Fresh from the Farmers Market.

Cool off with The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbetto from the team behind Ciao Bella. If you've never had their Espresso Chip gelato at Whole Foods...holy moly you are missing heaven on a paddle. Perhaps their Vanilla Bean would go with something from The Perfect Finish from NYT food writer & White House pastry chef Bill Yosses. Get the feeling I'm in a sweet mood???? Well DIY Delicious from Vanessa Barrington does not release until August but it looks wonderful. It elevates scratch pantry cooking adding adventure but still cutting your food dollars down. As someone who makes ketchup I'm looking forward to this one. So what did I buy today?? Fred Plotkins new edition of his masterpiece Italy for the Gourmet Traveler, the ultimate gastronomic guide for our upcoming jaunt & the new Frances MayesEveryday in Tuscany. That's a no brainer. By the way the movie Under the Tuscan Sun murdered any impression one would have of the book if you had not read it. Read the book!!! Humorous, lyrical I devoured an advance copy waaaay back when & returning to the scene of her life again will not disappoint.
Finally... the new Ina Garten book is due in late October!!! Hopefully your week will be filled with treats for the your body & soul. Stay well.

Images courtsey of Amazon.com & Chronicle Publishing