If anyone asks me what my favorite dessert is, they’ll hear me say “lemon meringue pie”.  But I don’t mean just any ol’ lemon merigue pie.  It’s my MOM’S lemon meringue pie!   I took this picture with my cell phone while visiting her.  I wanted to send it to my friends up in New York so I could rub in the fact that I was having delicious homemade pie.  I’m not sure if they appreciated it or not.  

I know this pie is a lot of trouble to make.  I don’t know this firsthand, of course….  For starters, Moma always has homemade pie crust dough ready to be rolled out at a moments notice.  She and my aunts would get together and make literally hundreds of pie crusts at one setting, then divvy up the ‘rewards’ between themselves.  (They all have a freezer full, and then some, I’m sure.)  Then she would cook all the ingredients together-not sure what they all were, I just know lots of lemon juice and lemon zest.  I also know that the meringue can be very finicky-everything has to be just so.  My Moma makes it just so. Just so wonderful!!  It’s perfect every time.  She makes it for me even though it’s a lot of work, and because she does, I know she loves me.  When I’m eating a piece, I eat it slooooow.  I want to savor each bite, down to the very last crumb.  Each bite is just so amazing and even better than the bite before. Thank you, Moma, for all the lemon meringue pies, and all the love you show every time you bake one, just because you know it’s my favorite.  Who says I’m not spoiled?

Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!  I know I can’t tell you that face to face, so I’m telling you heart to heart.  I wish I could tell you so many things.  Simple everyday things, like the weather, or the price of gas.  And of course, big things, like how much I miss you, how often I think of you.  I see you in my dreams every once in a while.  I love it because you always hug me with your strong arms and pat my back with your big hands.  You tell me how much you love me.  You also tell me “it’s okay”.  You seem so real, with such a big presence, larger than life.  Your absence is always noticed, whether it’s the empty chair at the supper table, the recliner at the end of the couch, your wicker chair by the window, your truck in the driveway, or family pictures.  Your absence is deeply felt in my heart.  I miss talking to you, hearing you laugh.  I think of you all the time.  It seems like everything reminds me of you.  Ice cream, John Deere stuff, places we’ve been together, aggie onions, and especially when I say “ach der lieber”, just to name a few.  Thinking of you makes me smile.  Sometimes I cry and smile at the same time.  I cry because I miss you with every ounce of my being.  I smile because I love you and I have great memories of you.  Thank you for being the greatest dad ever. You will always mean the world to me.  I look forward to the day I see you again in heaven.  I love you and miss you!

Daddy’s little girl

XOXO

As it turns out, I had both a destination and a journey.  Last Thursday I packed up the back seat of the pick-up, loaded Baylee and Esther, and headed out on a road trip.  My destination was Galveston, TX, our extended summer vacation spot.  My hubby had already flown ahead of me the week before to accommodate prior commitments.  As I kissed him goodbye at the airport, I had a panic-stricken thought of “Oh my God! I’m going to have to make that drive all by myself!”  Once we had our summer rental in place, I set my goal on packing.  Do you realize how much stuff a girl has to pack for a whole summer vacation?  I mean, one bikini just won’t do!  I didn’t think it was all that much, until I had to finagle a way to get all my “necessities” crammed in the truck!  Once I was loaded and ready to go, I set my GPS, and off we went.  Aren’t GPS’s (GPSii?) one of the greatest things in the world?  I love Betty, the lady living inside mine.  She’s the only person I don’t mind telling me just exactly ‘where to go’. I knew it would take me 3 full days to get to my final destination, so my plans were to drive 4 hours in the mornings, then stop for lunch with a walk for Baylee and ‘free time’ for Esther, and then another 4-5 hours in the afternoons.  I planned on stopping for supper, then getting a hotel room and as much sleep as possible. I was a tad bit anxious before leaving, but once I pulled out of the driveway, I just started driving. I really didn’t think much of the drive ahead of me at first since I have oftentimes driven 3-4 hrs away to visit relatives. Once I passed through P.A.- the northern term for Pennsylvania-and headed into Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, I knew I had begun my journey.  I’ve seen and experienced quite a few things in my life that I never thought I would, but this time it was up to me, myself, and I.  I was in control of my destination, along with the help of Betty, of course. I never in my wildest dreams (and my dreams DO get a little weird sometimes) thought I’d be driving cross country in a pickup with my dog and cat ALL BY MYSELF.  Each day was a new and exciting adventure.  Like the morning I had to use an ironing board to “coax” Esther out from underneath the hotel bed.  I started each day not knowing when or where I’d end up.  Talk about winging it!  Thankfully Betty had all the info I needed for fuel, food, and hotels on the road ahead of me.  What she didn’t tell me is what I’d find along my journey, all on my own.  I found more self-assurance, a renewed belief in myself, and an even greater sense of accomplishment.  I’ve known that I’m capable of many things, but what a HUGE reminder!  As I got closer to my destination, the more excited I got. And the more excited I got, the longer it seemed to take to get here!  I finally made it as scheduled-on time, and on budget! Ha!  I traveled 1,685 miles in approximately 22 hours.  I have to admit that I’m proud of myself for making it to my destination and creating a new journey. 

YW

wife@yankeewife.com

P.S.

A great big THANK YOU to my travel savvy hubby!  We have gone on many wonderful trips together and I’ve learned so much from him along the way.  He gave me the courage I needed to even THINK about doing this on my own, which led to him giving me the gift of more self-confidence.  I appreciate everything you do for me, Honey!  I love you!  XOXO

What’s the first thing you think of when when someone says “flamingo”?  Everyone I’ve asked says “PINK!”.  Yeah, that’s what I think of too.  That and tacky lawn ornaments!  Several years ago an acquaintance of mine told me that she and another friend put a flock of 40 plastic pink, spindly legged birds in their girlfriend’s lawn for her 40th birthday.  YIKES!!!  

Talk about Happy Flockin’ Birthday!  

Now there are entire businesses based on this idea.  Such as  www.getflocked.com and www.flamingosurprise.com.  Can you imagine peddling bad taste for a living?   

These flamingos live at the San Diego Zoo.  I couldn’t resist taking their picture.

YW

wife@yankeewife.com

One of the great things about living in the country is that, along with our 7 year old dog Baylee and our 5 year old cat Esther, we also claim all the wild critters that run around our property…..  I’ve gotten in the habit of naming them because ‘if you name them, you can’t eat them!’

Here’s  Daisy deer,

and Peter rabbit (of course),

Sammy snake (we’re still not on friendly terms)

Susie squirrel,

Dale chipmunk

and then last, but certainly not least, my personal favorite….

Rocky raccoon.

During the summer, he’ll come in our backyard while we’re eating supper out on the patio.   He absolutely LOVES marshmallows!  When he peeks his head out of the bushes, we’ll throw them to him and he goes running!   He is the most beautiful raccoon I’ve ever seen!  Can raccoons be categorized as ‘beautiful’?  If not, then he’s definitely the cutest!

And even though I can’t prove it to you, you’ll just have to take my word for it- we’ve seen a HUGE black bear up close and personal!  He’s walked into our backyard twice now, and that’s close enough for me.   So far he’s a bit camera shy.  I hope his long winter nap has helped his attitude some.  Oh, and by the way, his name?  Cubbie bear….

YW

wife@yankeewife.com