Ordinary Life

There's just something special about Walt Disney's Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. It is my favorite park for several reasons, and it seems to me one of the most fitting monuments to the man behind Mickey Mouse. At its inception, Walt said of EPCOT:  "EPCOT will be an experimental prototype community of tomorrow that will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will always be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise." Ingenuity. Imagination. America.  I think that's all of it in a nutshell.  Walking through the park makes me nostalgic. Not only for past visits and childhood adventures, but also for the strong broth of a certain philosophy, spooned to me steadily f...

We found ourselves at Golden Corral:  (You should have seen how quickly this fluff melted in the heat and humidity of south Georgia on a Sunday afternoon in July.)

Because it caught my eye... "Grow Together"  (?) 

We've made hummus several times before. It was only recently that I learned to peel the garbanzos first. A bit time consuming, but worth a smoother finished product.  From two cans of chick peas, the hulls filled up almost one entire can. 

Clay took the children shopping for few items to get them through the warmer months. Riley LOVED her new things. She brought the clothes into the living area and hung them all neatly on the television stand. She then took them all into her room and hung them on the dresser pegs. For an entire day, the clothes moved between bedroom and living area. She was very upset when I eventually moved them into the closet. She wanted to keep them on display, like decorations. :) 

We have convinced Riley that the pet store is a small zoo.  (I tried to convince her to pet the fish, but she  didn't take the bait. ) On this particular visit, we were there so that the children could close out their virtual photography class. I am so glad we had a camera (or two) out and ready when this lady walked in.  We were watching the cockatiel (I have always wanted a cockatiel... I gravitate towards their cages) when she strolled up.  She told us her name is Nancy.  She had brought her own pet cockatiel into the store to visit with the store's bird. Apparently, the store had only recently acquired their feathered friend and he's been a little glum.  So, Nancy brought him a little company.  Wait. Stop. Hold It. I should explain that I am using 'him' as a default pronoun. As Nancy explained, there's really no telling if the birds are male or female without a very expensive test or trial and error until eggs appear. This was not that kind of visi...

I have been creating some visual art type things for a project. For one part, I needed a picture of ' unlikely friends ' At least, that was one of the search terms I used. It was late when I came across these photos... and that is what I blamed the initial fit of giggles that overcame me on... this very late hour I found myself awake and playing with graphics.  I have no such excuse however,  for every other time I am overcome by mirth by these candids- which is every time I happen to see them.  That monkey's smile...  the way he's so sincerely sharing his banana...  

One challenge I often face  is serving everyone's meal at the same time; without having the first half served cold.  Especially meals cooked in batches, like burgers or pancakes. Often times, eating a 'batch style meal' works a lot like singing in rounds... as the first group reaches the mid-point of their meal, the second group begins to eat, as the first group reaches takes their last bite,  the third group is beginning and the second group has reached mid-point... everyone finishes on whatever course they find themselves whenever I run out of ingredients... technically, all together.   By "group" I mean, quite simply, individual . I have a griddle that makes cooking for many a little easier. Thanks to our most recent move (into a furnished place), it was banished to storage almost a year ago... for (what feels like) forever.  When life puts your stuff in storage- Make Lemonade! Yeah, I mixed my metaphors. So, what? Ice that lemonade and sip it as you imp...

Watched this video on BuzzFeed awhile back.  Decided to gave it a go.  In fact, I bought apples just to try it. It works.  (and I did eat the seeds too... because someone once told me too...they're kind of ' almond-y ')

Ideally, I would have picked the tomatoes for this soup and stewed them down on a low simmer. I would have caught & plucked the chicken used for broth and set that on another low simmer. Not neglecting to milk my pet cow and a few coconuts too, I would have made sour cream, cocount milk and even the Cheeze-It ™ crackers from scratch. Eventually, finally, bringing it all together in a savory combination in one pot.  This is not an ideal world.  I have four children. (who all want something different for lunch, mind you) I homeschool. (so I know about the dangers of using canned foods, I know!)  I kill plants. (No tomatoes would have likely made it to the picking stage under my care) I don't know that the cow would be that much safer.  If I were close enough to a coconut tree to climb it, I wouldn't be rushing back to the house to make soup... (or climbing it either...but that is another story about how long it has been since I've been in the beloved Keys...and if ...

 It was a busy weekend in the Brewer Camp~ 2 birthdays (1 carrot cake, 1 jello) , 2 baseball games(1 out of town). Multiple sport practices,  one incident of UpWards Cheer...birthday present shopping and early voting across town.  While I am still uploading and sorting photos for the birthdays, I thought I'd begin chronologically with the Halloween that wasn't --- since there are only two pictures for that occasion. We opted out of Trick Or Treating... because of the aforementioned busy-ness; because the Big Kids are big now; and....because we're not pagans. Relax- I'm only teasing. :) We also opted out of our church carnival (a.k.a. the "Christian Tee Shirt" version of Trick or Treat). (See above reasons.) But, we did have a spot of pumpkin pie: (15= First Date 15 years ago, Halloween Night 1997) We decided to spend our evening inside, hanging out as a family. I started the birthday cakes, we watched a movie together and just relaxed. But then...there came a...

I am an unabashed prowler of library recycle bins- I especially look for magazines, because I like to cut those up - mince words if you will... On a good day, I will happen across a stack of The New Yorker  (leave that Yankee/Reb stuff at the door...I LIKE The New Yorker, ya'll...) In a recent back-issue of one such 'library adoption', the February13, 2012 issue, I read the article 'Transfiguration' .  It is the story of Dallas Wiens , one of the United States' first full face transplant recipients. Dallas lost his face when he was struck by an electric volt---while painting a church.  In the article, Dallas gives God glory and  proclaims his life one of transformation- from one who was living life for himself, to one who has submitted his life to God.  Dallas says he knows he was running from God and he believes God took his face to save his life... I'm including a video taken at what appears to be Dallas' former school, prior to the transplant surger...

This artist/spoken word piece aired on Wretched recently... it captures well what I'd like to tell those who wait...and for those who should've but didn't?  Our God is greater... He really is. He is a God of Mercy and Grace and Restoration. He can mend the broken and restore what the locusts have eaten... if you allow Him to. Look for more by Jeanette Ikz in the near future- I like her.

Moving here has been good for my soul in many ways- but, given my 'transient' disposition in life thus far ( 36+  moves, my friends), one of my favorite aspects about this island is that it has been a part of my life from an early age... it's a little like moving home, and a lot like starting fresh, too.  I have been scanning in a roll of film that I made copies of last time I visited my parents - some of it is my earliest memory of Fernandina (though I am told I came here before I could crawl well)  The other pictures, some of you dear to my heart will recognize right off... the Cousin Playroom, the Nazarene Church... some sort of Family-Get-Together-Involving-Lap-Trays @ Idlewylde... and for the handful of you that have no idea why that blue carpet on the church porch is important... stay tuned! Photo Album

SOLITUDE By Ella Wheeler Wilcox Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone; For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth, But has trouble enough of its own. Sing, and the hills will answer; Sigh, it is lost on the air; The echoes bound to a joyful sound, But shrink from voicing care. Rejoice, and men will seek you; Grieve, and they turn and go; They want full measure of all your pleasure, But they do not need your woe. Be glad, and your friends are many; Be sad, and you lose them all,— There are none to decline your nectared wine, But alone you must drink life’s gall. Feast, and your halls are crowded; Fast, and the world goes by. Succeed and give, and it helps you live, But no man can help you die. There is room in the halls of pleasure For a large and lordly train, But one by one we must all file on Through the narrow aisles of pain.

Prize elephant from the same claw game " MUPPY " was won.  Blown into a puddle.  Went through the wash.  Lost arm. Stitched.  "So Much Betta Now..." (~Rye) Elephant Amputee  stitch Recovering Nicely

Yes, but how much will the DUI cost? Is this really a good idea?

Our baby has a streak of Vegas in her veins- anytime she spies a coin-op claw game, she puts up a fuss til we drop in whatever pocket change we can scrounge up... (who carries actual money anymore?)  Muppy the Purple Puppy was a prize from one of our luckier nights-as lucky as a fixed game can be I suppose... I had put a dollar bill in the machine (sorry waitress, your tip just got lighter, but the baby's gotta play...) Won Muppy first grab and nothing on the required second swoop... oh well.  I wouldn't have paid a buck for the dog under other circumstances, but for that RyeBird's smile?  Any price.     So, Muppy has been a constant companion since that lucky day.  Muppy's ear however, hasn't been so lucky, having found employment as a tote handle. It was bound to happen...  We had to "Doc McStuffins" the dog immediately... Muppy is recovering nicely. And yes, those are underpants Muppy has on... but that's another story. 

We've departed Facebook (again)  ...for now anyhow... But we still want to keep in touch.  And we intend to keep everyone updated with pictures and current events right here... ...for really real this time...  So, we've updated our WIX page (again) The link is: kellyandclay.wix.com/brewport   (we are too 'thrifty' to buy a domain for something we will largely neglect) As a placeholder page, the WIX site will mostly serve to route folks back here where all the updating action takes place...but there IS a handy email form over there... If you'd like to be notified when we DO get around to updating this site, sign in here and you'll occasionally receive an email alert :  Sign In:

Another attempt at ESCAPE from the world of Facebook- where truly you can check out but never leave... {cue Hotel California}...all family photos, videos, updates, newsletters, confessions & gossip should be found right here (until one of us caves and logs back in...)