Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Beer Bread {6/52 M3B}

We got a bottle of beer bread mix for Christmas from Ma & Pa.  All of us did.  Everyone was intrigued and we were looking forward to making it.  All you do is take the bottle of mix, add baking soda and a bottle of beer, stir it up real good, pour it in a loaf pan and bake!  It is the easiest thing to do.  We contemplated using a Honey Moon, but after Shiner came out with their new 102, which is a wheat brewed beer we decided that would be the best choice.  So I made the bread the other day and it was divine.  A bit dense, but really good!  So, here's my pic for the Feb. 7-13 (late post!).
{6/52} Beer Bread

How Great Thou Art {6/52 MCP}

I have a memory that stands out in my mind.  It is very special to me.  It is probably one of my favorite, most fond memories.  It includes smells and everything.  I honestly can't remember how old I was when it happened..  I couldn't have been too terribly old.  Maybe 5 or 6?  I was with Rambler2Dad.  I'm sure we had been running errands and had to make one more stop.  It was when he was still driving his old Rambler. That was probably one of the crappiest cars. However, I remember it fondly. There was this bumpy plastic cover over the seats I used to push on the bumps of. And it had this smell... Such a distinct 'old car' smell. Motor oil, old vinyl, and nature that seeped in all mixed together to have such a comforting, interesting scent.  I loved the smell of that car.  Still do.  Dad sold it a few years back.  Rambler1
I was sad to see it go, but it had long been put out to pasture and needed an owner who would bring it back to its 1960's glory. I would love to see it these days. I wonder if it looks any better. Hope so. Anyway, we were riding around in the Rambler. I do not recall why or how it began, but Dad decided that I needed to learn the words to "How Great Thou Art." he told me that it was one of his favorite hymns. My dad has a really pretty baritone voice. It resonates when he sings that song because it means so much to him. I recall him patiently going through the verses with me having me repeat them an sing them back to him as we drove. We ended up at my Granny's house. Dad ushered me in and after we said hello, he anxiously and excitedly asked me to sing what I had just learned for Granny. I think he ended up singing with me. He was super proud of me that day. I think he was happy to have spent the afternoon with me. It was a great day and will stick with me always. I now love the song, too. It makes me happy, not just for it's meaning, but for the memory it envokes.

When the theme for photos this particular week (Feb. 5-11, I'm late posting again!) was "Words."  I, once again, wasn't sure what to photograph. I looked at my bookshelf. Saw my hymnal and thought, "Hymns have words. I'll do that." So here is what came of it. I was going to randomly open the book and find anything that looked good in the lens, and then remembered some of my favorites. This one won out.{6/52} How Great Thou Art

(Thanks to Google Maps for driving through neighborhoods taking shots of all the homes. This will be the last picture to have been taken of the Rambler.)

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Little Burro {5/52 M3B}

We had a fabulous couples bridal shower for my wonderful sister-in-law and her fiancee a couple of weekends ago. We had a blast! Cupcake ToastWe ate, visited and played a newlywed game with the bride and groom to be, the groom's parents and the bride's grandparents as the contestants. We laughed so hard!  Since it was at a Mexican restaurant, my other sister-in-law decided to go with the most adorable and fun traditional Mexican decorations and themes.  We had awesome, huge margarita flavored cupcakes served in margarita glasses.  Lime garnish and straw included!  Our table decorations were streamers and miniature pinatas.  There were stars with streamers on the points as well as the best little miniature burros!  They were so cute!  I wanted to keep a set just for the heck of it!  I took this shot of one of our pinata pals sitting on the table waiting for the festivities to begin.  He's my picture for this week.  I love how the colors are so vivid and bright!

{5/52} Little Burro

Adster {5/52 MCP}

For week five on the MCP group's P52, the theme is ''Muse."  I wasn't sure how to go about this one (I never seem to) I found some decent subject matter.  A number of people went with their pets and their kids. some even played with different definitions of the term 'to muse.'  I really wanted to do something really artistic and brilliant.  But when my girlie came walking up to me wearing her daddy's glasses that she had just taken off of his sleeping self, she was just too adorable and mischievous looking.  I grabbed the camera and snapped a few shots of her.  She makes me want to take pics of her ALL THE TIME!  I guess that truly does make her my muse.  So, here is my muse, my Adster!

{5/52} My Sweetie

Rachel & Ava {4/52 M3B}

A couple of weekends ago I had the privilege to help Rachel and Will watch their little girl, Ava.  She's adorable.  They are moving into a new house and weren't going to be able to get much done while having to watch her also.  After the work was done we hung out in the backyard for a while and I caught this pic of the two of them.  Rachel is an actress and always gives good face in a photo, who would have thought that it's genetic and Ava is just as awesome?  I think they're great, but I'm not sure I like the editing of it.  The sun was escaping from us and I had the ISO bumped way up to be able to get the shot.  There was a lot of graininess to the pic because of it.  I tried to get as much out as I could, but it still bugs me a bit.

{4/52} Pretty girls