Photo Friday: Relaxation

Relax, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

Is there nothing more relaxing than laying under a fan running at high speed on a hot summer day?

This cute little cord pull has helped me relax a few times while visiting our inlaws. With summer coming - and a likely Memorial Day weekend trip there in our near future - I think I will be pulling this chain soon.

Photo Friday: The Country

Being in the Nashville area, when I think of "the country", two things can come to mind: country, the genre, and "the country", as in rural farmland and landscapes. I went with the latter for my Photo Friday entry:

Cow on the Hill stood out to me during our Easter Weekend photography excursion, so there you have her folks.

I'm also posting a second for this theme, because I can. This is a photo that would have remained ignored had I not received the email for today's Photo Friday. As I was viewing some older photos taken with my Sony, I came across this and found it very appropriate for the theme. A little cropping and a little more tweaking and here you go:

I like to photograph dilapidated things...

Abandoned, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

A and I were driving around on Easter Saturday in his hometown, just so I could take some photos.

In addition to taking pictures of pretty flowers (and thanks for the compliments on that, ya'll!) I also like to take pics of things that are completely run down. Rusty. Almost destroyed.

So as A drove by this I said: "Um, I saw something back there. You're going back that way, right?"

To which he asked what about, and I mentioned the rusty old truck that was sitting on the side of the road in the middle of town.

And I could tell he thought that was a little, well, strange. My husband loves me, weirdness and all.

My cousin and I discussed this by email a while back. She's a fan of plantation/antebellum/old homes, and put it this way (paraphrasing) that the ones that were unfinished, or really run down, always seemed to tell more of a story.

And I think that's right. The rusted, dilapidated, worn-out, breaking-down - it all seems to tell a story. In the case of a home, lives lived in its walls, complete with an ending - either of abandonment, destruction, or something else. In the case of this car - roads traveled, places seen. Maybe it was someone's reliable transportation for this vehicle's lifetime - to work, to and from a honeymoon, to the hospital for the birth of a child.

Or maybe it's late, and I just think too much.

Easter Weekend

Blue at the Vineyard, originally uploaded by TNEmily.

I hope everyone enjoyed there Easter weekend. I'll blog more later - took some nice photographs this weekend so I'll have much to share - but I am having trouble getting blogger to upload for me so this will have to suffice.

Taken at Holly Ridge Winery in Overton County, TN. It was VERY cold over the Easter weekend here in Tennessee, and the owner mentioned to us that unfortunately the severe cold snap has likely killed off his grapes this year. We did purchase a Riesling which we have yet to open, and some Blackberry wine that was excellent (the owner informed us that it's his most popular).

Anyway, I captured this little flower (sorry, I'm not plant-savvy so I can't tell you what it is) outside the winery. This hardy little thing took the cold like a champ!

Real Moms

Jamie, in her infinite wisdom at how "real" I am, tagged me for this. Her post is brilliant. I will try my best.

• Real moms love their kids, but always sigh a little when the peaceful quiet of naptime ends.
• Real moms (of more than one) do a little dance when a true miracle happens - both kids nap at the same time (like now. Hence the blogging).
• Real moms, be they workin' moms, SAHM's, WAHM's, or on odd mix of all three, just do what they feel is best for their families.
• Real moms will let their skinny kid eat two PBJ's in one day if it means he got two solid meals.
• Real moms can use stickers as a bribe like nobody's business.
• Real moms know there are not enough hours in the day, so it's all about priorities.
• Real moms sometimes let the laundry, dishes, and cleaning go if it means spending some quality time with their kids. OK, well maybe that's just me. I lack the housekeeping skills.
• Real moms spend a good portion of the day on their kids', um, output (we're potty training right now).
• Real moms look at their stretch marks with an odd mixture of horror, pride, and nostalgia.
• Real moms will cry as a result of their kids' general wild antics, and then a minute later will laugh out loud...at their kids' general wild antics.
• Real moms worry.
• Real moms love their kids unconditionally.

Tagging Angelle & Kristen.

Allergy Season

Ya'll, the allergies have arrived. Last week was pretty awful; we've been getting outside more since getting the back yard fenced in, and so Thursday I got absolutely HAMMERED (by the allergies) - swimmy head, aches, chills of all things.

Anyway, all this caused me to think about my personal allergy history (I get the seasonal kind, FYI). I was never a sickly child, and allergies didn't pop up until junior high/high school - around the time we moved to Middle Tennessee (Franklin) from Northern Alabama (Decatur). Then I realized that I didn't suffer badly from allergies while in college either - neither in Knoxville nor in Monterrey, Mexico during my study abroad there. I didn't get seasonal allergies again until we moved back to Middle Tennessee several years ago. Which got me to thinking - maybe it's as much Middle Tennessee as it is me! And lo and behold I found this article that supports my theory!

Hope all my fellow allergy-sufferers are making their way through it. It's so beautiful and warm outside - it's a shame that sniffles, drainage, congestion, coughing, itchy eyes and sinus pressure have to ruin it for some of us.

May the Force be With You...

The US Postal Service has really changed their website (I thought I had typed in the wrong web address there for a second) - and is giving folks a chance to vote for their favorite Star Wars stamp.

Sure USPS, let us pick a Star Wars stamp and we'll surely forget about yet another rate increase. A Darth Vader stamp will surely curb folks from their increasing use of online bill pay and email.