The One Where I Get A Finger Monkey

December 9, 2012 By 11 Comments

A few months back, I mentioned that I really wanted a finger monkey for my birthday.

A what?

A finger monkey. You know, one of these:

ISN’T IT THE MOST ADORABLE AND RIDICULOUS THING EVER?

Well, they can’t get me one because they’re probably illegal and hell, I don’t know if they even exist or not. They’re probably expensive, too. And likely would terrorize our dog and cat and kid.

So I figured I would opt for something else. Maybe a gift certificate for a facial or a tank of gas. Maybe I could sleep in until 7. Something practical.

I woke up this morning to being shuffled off to get a Starbucks Chai, a breakfast at Waffle House, and back home to this.

Look at that beautiful cake! It was tiramisu and to die for! But it didn’t kill me.

I didn’t die until I opened my gift and wondered why the HELL they bought me a monkey charm for my Pandora bracelet.

Then Henry said, “It’s because of your love of the finger monkey. And bananas for the monkey to eat.”

And THEN I DIED!

According to them, this is what went down in the Pandora store:

Pandora girl: Can I help you today?

Henry: Do you have a monkey?

Pandora girl: Sure. Why do you need a monkey?

Henry: Because my mom saw this picture on the internet and it had a pointy finger with a monkey on it. 

Pandora girl: OH! I WANT ONE OF THOSE FINGER MONKEYS!

Henry and Jason: ((dying laughing))

Henry: We’re going to need some bananas, too, because her name is Jana Banana and her finger monkey will get hungry.

After I gathered myself and stopped snorting while laughing, I quickly corrected them and let them know it wasn’t a finger monkey, it would really be a wrist monkey.

Filed Under: Family, Memories Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Pin-Up Girl

October 2, 2012 By 7 Comments

Each of us has a story.

You have one, you have one, even YOU have one. (yes, you, the one in the back saying “I’m just a normal girl.”)

If you’ve been around very long, you’ll know that from 2010 until just recently, I worked on a group site called Band Back Together. It was a labor of love, one that started from a little seed in Becky’s brain, and one that came to life quickly and successfully.

People come from all walks of life and submit stories – THEIR STORIES – of life, love, loss, abuse, addiction, special needs, special circumstances, and both hope AND fear. The stories are real. The stories are raw. The stories are LIFE.

For 2013, Band Back Together has produced a beautiful calendar. This calendar will feature the faces of different situations and conditions. There’s Bipolar, Domestic Abuse, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Special Needs Parenting, Organ Donation, and others.

I don’t want to give anything away, but Jason and I will be featured as the Faces of Child Loss.

While I wish our situation was different and I didn’t have to be the pin-up girl for losing a child, it’s the hand that Jason and I were dealt. We play that hand and sometimes it’s an even an honor for us to be able to share our story and share our Charlie with others around us. I feel like we offer hope to those who have suffered a loss, helping them realize that life CAN go on. It’s not easy and it surely takes time to be able to see the other side, but life is still beautiful, even through the sometimes foggy lens of grief.

Here’s where I ask you to buy a calendar.

But I’m not asking for me. Though I think you’ll love having a picture of me and my adorable husband on your wall for the entire month of May!

It’s for the Band. It’s to help continue providing a safe place for people who feel like they don’t have a voice, to have a voice. It’s for those who want to speak their truths without fear. It’s for some of you. It’s for all of us.

In addition to selling the calendars, Band Back Together will be offering calendar bundles. The bundle includes a calendar, BB2G stickers, BB2G temp tattoos, and while supplies last a BB2G button as well. For just a few dollars more you’ll be able to snag some cool extras. We have enough supplies to offer the bundle during pre-sales, and will continue to offer them until supplies run dry. We cannot guarantee the supplies will last through regular sales.

Order now by clicking on this pretty little picture. Put my name in the comment section so they know I sent you!

Photobucket

BUY A CALENDAR NOW!

 

Proceeds from the 2013 Band Back Together Calendar will be used for outreach efforts in 2013. Band Back Together runs as a nonprofit, meaning we do not profit from any incoming funds. All proceeds go directly into Band efforts such as server costs or outreach efforts. As of this posting, federal nonprofit status has not been received, therefore purchases or donations are not tax deductible at this time.

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Memories: Leftover Yesterdays

July 20, 2012 By 6 Comments

memories are leftover yesterdays

Memories are leftover yesterdays. 

Say that a few times and really think about it.

Memories are leftover yesterdays.

Jason was working on a project the other day and that was a line he used. It just came out of his brain, y’all, and it was brilliant.

I was watching the video he prepared and was struck by those four words. The rest of the video was beautiful, but when they came up on the screen, I physically gasped. I was that moved by them.

Memories are leftover yesterdays. 

Memories are made to be kept tight in your heart, to be opened when you need to remember.

Think back to an early memory. I bet if you turned off the computer , TV and any kind of noise, and you sat in silence with that memory, you could actually feel yourself right back there. In that moment.

Memories come in all shapes and sizes.

Happy and sad. Tangible and not. Physical and emotional.

In hyper-color and in sepia tone.

They come with sound and with smell.

Memories allow you to be in two places at once…here and there.

They allow you to feel love and happiness and sadness and joy and fear and pain and excitement.

Just like the day it happened.

 

 


Filed Under: Memories Tagged With: , ,

Shark: It’s What’s For Dinner

June 6, 2012 By 3 Comments

I briefly mentioned the fishing trip my boys took while we were at St. Simons last week in my post on Monday.

They went out with Captain Tim of Coastal Georgia Inshore Charters last Wednesday for a 4 hour trip. To say they had a great time is an understatement. They fished the Hampton River at the north end of Sea Island and they found a treasure trove of fish. Sharks, in particular.

That’s what Henry they went for, and that’s what they got!

Tim wrote more about their trip on his blog, including their score (shoutout Capt. Donut)!

After they got back to the marina, Capt. Tim expertly filleted three of the sharp-nosed sharks for us to take home. I may have gagged a little thinking about eating shark, but whatever. Henry was all, “I’m gonna eat shark” and coming from my kid who eats very little meat (my kid) this was huge.

So I talked to Tim about what to do to it to make it delicious. He promised me that we would love it.

We got home and I took the fabulous knife out that I won on Adam’s site from Ree and first of all, you ALL need this knife. It’s the best thing to slice bread since sliced bread.

I cut the shark meat into small bites for Henry and smallish pieces for us.

Still… skeptical. I mean, it looks like white fish but it’s shark.

Jason picked up a Fish Fry breading from the Farmer’s Market and I thought it was a little flimsy so I added some panko crumbs to it. I would say it was half and half.

In oil, I fried them up. It smelled like a good ole catfish joint up in here, y’all!

Look how crispy they fried up.

But still? Skeptical.

I plated them up with some fresh Silver Queen corn we got at Poppell Farms on our way back from St. Simons. (Followed a Georgia AgriTourism sign off Hwy. 341 around Odum.) I also made some roasted cabbage and I knew it would be delicious.

So if all else failed, we had some edible food.

But the verdict was:

SIX THUMBS UP. Two thumbs from each of us, obviously.

We’ve had shark three nights since we got home. It’s been fabulous each time, and I have to tell you… I’m kinda sad that there are only 4 more pieces in the freezer.

Henry has devoured it. And asked for more. I’m not sure if it’s the novelty of catching it and eating it or if he really just loves it, but you can be sure I’m going to be calling a lot more stuff “shark.”

Thanks, Capt. Tim, for a great day and for fixing us up with some good eats!

 

Filed Under: Adventure, Food Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

The Most Magical Week

June 4, 2012 By 4 Comments

Unlike most other times we’ve gone to the Georgia coast, this one was drama-free and downright magical. Also, there were no plane crashes or celebrity deaths (that I’m aware of).

There are so many things that happened this past week while we were in St. Simons that rendered the two of us speechless. Signs and confirmations that we’re doing what we’re supposed to do and we are where we should be were hiding around every corner.

We drove straight into Tropical Storm (or whatever they were calling it) Beryl knowing that our first two days would be full of rain but didn’t care one bit. In spite of my horrible fear of bad weather and knowing that Jim Cantore was on the Island with his “oh shit” crew and jacket, the peace we all felt driving over the causeway was the precursor to a wonderful week.

Staying at The King and Prince brings back so many memories of my childhood, staying there with my grandparents when the hotel was simply the Historic Hotel part. None of the villas or oceanfront rooms were there. It was small, simple, yet grand. And even with all the additions, it still is.

On Memorial Day, I took myself out into terrible weather to get a glimpse of the hottie extreme-weather-chaser and succeeded.

Later that night, Henry called us out onto the patio to see the most amazing double rainbow I’ve ever witnessed.

The week continued to get better.

From the perfect sand dollar we found when we walked out onto the beach, to the family portrait we took in the spot where Jason and I got married almost 14 years ago…

To the fabulous yellow bag and angel I bought from my friend Marti at Two Friends and the sweet potato ice cream from Moo Cow…

and to the fishing trip Jason and HL took with the singular goal of catching a shark, that ended with Henry having caught three sharks by himself and three being filleted to bring home with us, the week just got better and better.

We were having such a great time, we added a night.

We enjoyed two meals at Bennie’s Red Barn… the first one was so good we had to go back for more (per Henry’s demands). Chip, from Alfonza’s Supper Club where we had our rehearsal dinner, sings in Bennie’s now. The first night we were there, he sang “Butterbean” to another table and tears welled up in our eyes. The second night, I talked to him and told him he sang at our rehearsal dinner forever ago. He gave me a big hug and said he’d had another table request “Butterbean” so we got to hear it again!

The last night, we surprised Henry with putt-putt. On the way from Bennie’s to The Village, I got an email saying I had been chosen for BlogHer’s Voice of the Year. To say I was floored is an understatement. I may or may not have squealed and cried a little. We celebrated with drinks from the bar at the King and Prince when we got back to the hotel. (My hand has been forced by Jason and I’m now going to BlogHer in NYC in August.) Here’s the post if you want to read it!

And as always, when I’m on the Island, I’m reminded of what an amazing experience it was being a nanny for two summers for an amazing family. They are my Island Family and we always jump at the chance to see them. If only Haley weren’t on the other side of the country, we could ALL lunch together. Instead, we had to just talk about her at lunch and wish she was with us!

We’re home now. Summer vacation is in full force. There will be camps and Bible Schools and two blog conferences and fun. But we’re all refreshed and ready to take on the summer with a renewed sense of purpose.

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