Roses and Radishes

Ok... so I know it is a gerbera daisy- but didn't Roses and Radishes sound so much better in the title? I also know that one picture is of corn... I do know my vegetables and flowers, they are in my garden. But again, it was all about the title. Moving on, SPRING HAS SPRUNG! I am so excited- the first successes of my flower and vegetable gardens are appearing. They may be my only successes, but we will see. This is the first radish harvested from my garden. Well, Phil says it is technically the second, because on Sunday we pulled one for our nephew, Jack to show him how radishes grow and he ate it straight from the garden. I wish I had my camera with me, because he was so thoughtful as he chewed on that miniature radish- contemplating the taste and texture. For a minute I thought he was going to hurl, but his eyebrows came together and then apart and he announced "I like it." Then, in typical Jack-style, moved on to a million other questions about this plant or that plant. He finish by proclaiming I needed to add broccoli to the garden and it will be done. Of course, I am now in search of broccoli starter plants for Jack!

After I harvested this radish, four more were ready, so we had our first salad last night with radishes from our own garden. It is becoming quite the family affair. I often find Phil out giving the garden a good soak- of course he has also informed me he has a vested interest- if the economy keeps going to heck in a handbasket- our only food may come from that garden! The corn is now two foot tall, so time to get a nitrogen boost. Carrots sucked this year- they usually do- but the leaves are so pretty that I left them in the garden anyway. This weekend we should be able to have bibb lettuce and radishes from our garden and tomatoes will be coming soon, onions quick to follow, and oh I can't wait for those cucumbers. The girls and I eat cucumbers like there is no tomorrow- I can get them to tell me anything with a cucumber bribe and Molly has an obsession with slicing cucumbers... should I be worried?

The flowers are a little newer to me. Don't get me wrong, I love flowers, but I have learned big, bad Phil loves flowers too. (Oops, there I go again revealing the softer side of Phil) Have I mentioned that my Hubby is a Harley-Riding, Bar Loving, Ready-to-Rumble Redneck designed to drive fear into the heart of everyone he meets? (There Honey- you are redeemed) So moving on, 'The Girls' really love flowers, so I am learning more and planting more so we have continuous color in our yard. SUGGESTIONS WELCOME!!! We are adding huge flower beds in the backyard next to our "Karma is a Bitch" fence (see future blogs for details), so I am busy planning bulbs and flowering bushes, etc.

Anyway, I rambled. I always ramble. But my gardens are a heck of a lot cheaper than a therapist and it is so darn wonderful to be able to say, "I grew that!". Check out the "My Opinion and a Gumball" website for upcoming reviews of products. I must say I found a killer pair of garden gloves- making it possible to get dirty and still have pretty nails!

The Most Amazing Brother Ever

Today is the birthday of the greatest brother whoever walked the Earth- my big, brother Chris. He and I have very different views of him, which I think is pretty common among any two people. Today, Chris is 39 years young, and has already accomplished more in life, with such great success, than I will ever achieve. Besides being tall and gorgeous (I used to love watching the girls fawn over my brother), he is an amazing Dad, fiercely protective of his family, managed to marry a wonderful woman willing to put up with our family's quirks, and is phenomenal at matters of business.

My big brother was not thrilled with me at first. I heard stories of him trying to dump me out of the cradle and push me out of my Mom's arms. As soon as I could move, we transitioned into a pretty common brother/sister relationship. We were best of friends one day and worst enemies the next. Having kids of my own, I understand now how this must have driven my Mother to the brink of insanity. My brother stood up for me to the bully, and included me in explorations of the woods and fun time with his own friends when I had nothing to do. My brother let me sleep with him for weeks when I was terrified and tried to get me to wear jeans on the first day of middle school so I wouldn't look like a dork in my dress... I didn't listen, but gosh I wish I had. My brother used to pick me up from school or drop me at a friend's house when he could drive and I couldn't. He moaned, he groaned, but he did it anyway. My brother taught me 'the rules' of drinking in high school- number 1 rule- don't embarrass him. (I broke rule number 1- a lot!)

Today is the day we celebrate him! His fantastic arrival in this world and his very presence that adds value to everyone he touches. I hope in the next 39 years, my brother learns to value himself as much as others appreciate him. I wish him the confidence in the love of a family who would walk through fire for him. I wish him the success he deserves as he embarks on the scary journey of starting his own business. I wish him the moments to stop and smell the roses (sorry about the cliche), but I wish him the gift of appreciating the moment in the moment, not in hindsight. Jack will only make his first hits once, and Addison will only dress up like a princess for so long, and there may come a time where he and his wife won't be able to dance on the back patio. I wish for him to go exploring like we used to do, build a fort out of an abandoned sheet of plywood left in the woods, build a soapbox derby car, lay on your back and stare at the clouds or the stars, and bring home flowers either picked from the road or picked up as an afterthought at the grocery store. Be as grateful for each breath on this Earth and accept that everyone you touch, is touched forever by your intelligence, sincerity, love, and truth. Thank you for always showing me how to be a better person, and for loving me and accepting me, even though I am a quirky annoyance (aka little sister!)

I love you Chris! Happy Birthday!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Today I miss Savannah! I miss the town shutting down to join in celebration. I miss the bands in the streets, the kids clammering to see the parade and finding nothing eerie about sitting next to a cemetary. I miss laughing at the college kids stumbling on the cobblestones because they have had too much to drink at 10 AM. I miss holding Phil's hand as we walk and enjoy springtime in Savannah and stealing kisses whenever I want. I miss crazy, expensive St. Patrick's Day t-shirts and buying 25 cent beads for $5. (I still have the beads!)

Those Special Moments...

Shea Austin is growing up! Sometimes it makes me sad because every time I turn around... POOF! Another sign she is growing up. This weekend she donned her social butterfly wings and fluttered around Eustis seeing one friend after another. Friday night she had Ari sleep over at our house, Saturday she had Morgan's 'Fancy Nancy Birthday Soiree' (hence the beautiful get-up) and spent the night Saturday with Elizabeth. Surprisingly, she was not grumpy on Sunday- but did still insist on wearing her Fancy Nancy gear. Shea now talks about things with meaning. She discusses her hair- the long, blond locks she is terribly proud of, but refuses to let anyone near with a pair of scissors. She has informed me that pickles are 'blehhck', and on Sunday we had a long conversation about the injustices of being the baby of the family. Shea is now capable of cleaning her own room and doing other chores. She is interested in gardening and asks me questions about the different plants that are growing. She can TELL TIME, count by 10s and 5s, and can tie her own shoes- even though she is still amazed that Mommy is so much better at it! Next time I turn around, we will be arguing over the same things I argue with Ryley and Casey about- no you can't wear make-up, yes those shorts are too short, and no boyfriends- yet! Right now, I am enjoying the five-year old arguments- who loves who more, why can't I wear my princess shoes on my scooter, and my favorite- plaid and stripes do match Mom! If Shea is growing up this fast for me- I can only imagine what is happening for the rest of you!

You are my Shea-shine- my only Shea-shine.

You make me happy when skies are grey.

You'll never know dear, how much I love you!

Please don't take my Shea-shine away.

You know that saying about an old woman and cats? Does it apply to men too?

Last Christmas we lost Chubby, Phil's bulldog and longtime companion. Chubby had been through a lot with Phil- lived in Ohio, Georgia, and moved to Florida with us too. Chubby was a messy dog- slobber everywhere (a disgusting mass of goo!), hair everywhere, and finicky as the day was long. All in all, he was a great dog and we have some great memories of him. He is now safely above our refrigerator until Chubby's Garden can be started in the backyard.

My husband has always despised cats. I never heard him say a good word about a cat, and this always saddened me, because I am much more a cat person than a dog person. However, being a Mom of 4 has made me a 'no pet' person and I really understand why my Mom always said no. Anyway, to my shock, Phil came home last spring and asked how I felt about him bringing home a cat. I was really glad I was sitting, or I would have fallen over. Apparently, at his office, several stray cats had started hanging around. Phil became attached to Smokey. "This cat is different," Phil would say. And Phil would also tell me that Smokey was turning white already in the face and paws, so Smokey would be a great 'transition' pet since he had to be old. So, Smokey came home and he has been a wonderful pet for all of us. Phil had a new buddy. To me Smokey meant a stall on the timeline of getting a new bulldog and the agreement was no new pets until Smokey passes. Of course, when I took Smokey to the vet, we discovered that his is not old, he is actually only about 3 and I was also informed that the vet is currently serving a 26 year old cat. This discovery led to a rant-filled phone call to Phil reminding him of our deal and making sure he understood that our grandchildren are going to get to meet Smokey!

Of course I tapered off with the ranting, and we started thinking that maybe Smokey would like to have another cat around to play with while we were gone during the day. We went to the Humane Society to find them kitten-free and added our name to the waiting list. The next week, I was driving home from Lowe's and the friend we hire to help with the yard started yelling. "Mrs. Latta, Mrs. Latta, that guy over there is throwing kittens out the window of his car!" I said, no that he must be mistaken, the car must have stopped for the 'squirrel' I saw running. No, that's what Caleb had thought too until he saw a second kitten being chucked out the window.

I turned the car around and we began to search for the kittens. The white one was easy to spot and we snatched her up quickly. But we couldn't find the brown one. As we went further into the woods, the kitten ran further from us- it seemed hopeless. Of course the girls were ga-ga when we got home with a kitten. She could barely fit in the palm of your hand. Phil was not happy, until he came home from riding and saw how adorable she was and so we named her Bella.

The next morning the temperature had dropped 45 degrees. I was taking Molly to CCD and she was talking about the poor little kitty left in the cold woods. So, we pulled over so Molly could meow, just to see what would happen. We didn't hear anything at first, but as we drove another 15 feet from where we had last seen the kitten, Molly meowed again, and the kitten started screaming back at her. I was able to trample down about 10 feet of brambles to get to the kitten and called Phil, who promptly came and grabbed the kitten. He named her Atilla because she attacked everything in his truck, much like Atilla the Hun.

I had several offers from people to take at least one of the kittens, but who won't let one go? Phil- the anti-cat man! So we went from one transition pet, to a house of three cats. The two new kittens provide hours of endless entertainment, and Smokey has adjusted as well as can be expected. Now, instead of watching my husband grow old with his dog, he will be the Ol' Man with the Cats!

I Got Tagged!

I got Tagged by Becca. Since I am not very involved in the Blogger world, I really do not have anyone to 'tag' after me. But, Becca wanted to see how I have aged and the requirement was a self-portrait. Since I am sitting at school, I really can't shoot a self-portrait, but either Phil or one of the girls took this just a few weeks ago and it will have to do. I still prefer to be behind a camera rather than in front of it- can't you tell? Am I off the hook now Becca?

The Value of a Dream

At Christmas my husband presented the girls and I with tickets to see Taylor Swift on March 1. We were thrilled, excited- especially the girls because Taylor Swift is one of their idols. We carefully put away the tickets and began a large countdown... 2 months until we go to the concert, 1 month.... etc. etc. Somewhere in there, my husband forwarded me an e-mail from Taylor Swift's management company. Somehow, he had gotten us backstage passes. As many of you know from my blogs and our life, my husband can come across as a gruff, tough guy. But let me tell you, he is nothing but a puddle of goo on the inside... this is what he wrote...

PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU DELETE. I am sorry for the caps, but I had to try my best to get your attention. If you please take the time to just read my story, I would be appreciative beyond words. I am the step father to 4 of the most incredible little girls one could meet. I married their mother after I had been single for 36 years. I must say I was really set in my ways. The adventure we all embarked on has been one filled with incredible ups and downs. Ten days after getting married, we moved from Savannah, Georgia to Central Florida because I took on a new job. The family moved with me without blinking an eye. This is the first time my new wife or the girls had ever done something of the sort. It was not easy for them to leave their comfort zone, but they did. One year later, my wife and I found a building lot, purchased it, moved again, switched schools=again, and started building our own home. When I say building our own home, I mean, my wife and 4 little girls. That was not anything anyone was ready for. There were a lot of missed activities, late nights, nights without good night kisses, having to deal with a grumpy step dad because I was stressed out from working 40 hours a week and trying to build a house too. But through it all, they remained strong, positive and always supportive and full of love. They would clean up as their mother & I would make the mess. Finally the day came,almost a year later, we moved into the new house, and changed schools AGAIN. This meant new friends, new teachers etc. Through it all, they remained strong, positive optimistic and most of all, full of love. One of the things that helped them get through this is their love for music and their love for Taylor Swift. My 5 year old knows most of the words, and several made up ones, to almost all of her songs, and loves to belt them out whenever she can. They really are awesome kids. I never thought I would be able to learn so much about unconditional love from 4 little girls, but they have taught me more in less than 3 years, than I have ever learned in the previous 36. I won't ramble on any more and get to the point. For Christmas this year, I purchased 5 tickets, (daughters and their mother) for the Florida Strawberry Fest concert on March 1, 2009. I know you probably get a million emails asking this same question, but I would give or do anything to be able for these girls to have a chance to meet Taylor for a quick photo and autograph. They deserve it so much and have asked for so little after giving so much. If there is anything that you might be able to do to help with this, you would make all of the lows over the past couple of years seem so small for these wonderful little girls. They deserve it, and so much more. Thank you for your time, and taking the time to read there story. God Bless, and Merry Christmas. Best Wishes, Phil Latta