Ordinary Life : pic

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Pancake Art

We're no Tiger Tomato but we do love pancake art.

We made one whole box of pancake batter, added food color in small batches and funneled into our "pancake crayons".

Then we played with our food.

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 from the time I could sit up, and mixed in my bottles before that.

The basic recipe includes (but is not limited to):

Whimsy

Curiosity

Music

Creativity

Exploration

Fun

Can-Do

Optimism

Service

Kindness

Wonder

Learning

Talking Animals

Hats & Props & Seersucker Pants

Simmer over the gentle warmth of a heart aglow. Serve generously and without discrimination.

Long before there was a search engine and megladon corporation, my siblings and I were privy to the fact that googol is a number- one with one hundred zeros. The loud thumping in our attic was not a fan but tiny little Indians holding a pow-wow. We lived in a world of honker birds and sing-a-longs. We were entrusted with glue sticks and spangles, given complete creative control over the construction paper pile. Life was punny and word play was encouraged. Pennies were wishes for personal computers. Stale bread became duck food. We made sleds from box tops; thrust ourselves down hills without any snow. We enjoyed a balanced diet of wisecracks and wisdom. We knew..still know..the joys of ice cream.

Has she jumped track? Perhaps. I do tend to do that sometimes.

The point is that there are good things in life, dreams do come true, we should reach for the stars and never give up.

In the theme park of Positive Mindset, the only admission fee is choosing to walk in.

I'm not saying that every day was Disney growing up, but it was close enough, in hindsight. I am saying that we were given a map to that silver-lined place called joyfulness, for which I'm grateful.

When I walk thru EPCOT, I feel hopeful. I see technology and new ways that we, as people, are working for the good of mankind; we have not ceased thinking, inventing, and trying to one-up ourselves. We are seeing needs and filling them, we are striving to improve upon our last best invention. We come up with some pretty nifty stuff.

At Epcot, we're encouraged to push the buttons, try it out, think up some big thinks of our own. I see Walt when I'm there...or at least what I understand to be his thumbprint. And I see that, despite the bleak headlines, all is not lost in this world... there's plenty to look forward to, much to anticipate.

At EPCOT, I feel inspired, too.

"Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the small, small world after all"

There are many nationalities in the World Showcase, represented by more than airplane runway lights (long story)... all just steps away from each other - close enough to exchange a smile, try a pastry and appreciate the diversity of our world, without a trip through airport security. Each of the worlds within the showcase are all so distinct, even those that have been influenced by other countries or cultures. There are different ways of saying things, different ways of seeing things. So much to explore. I love it.

We read "Around The World In 80 Days" this school year...and we are currently reading "Innocents Abroad", so it was a pleasure and a bit of a living lesson to walk (and take boats) 'around the world' in less than 8 hours with the BigKids.

They also have a pretty good example of a geodesic form in one part of the park...if you know where to find it ;)

I feel relaxed at EPCOT. Walking around with my small-business-owner-always-at-work-even-when-he's-not husband and our eclectic cast of characters, I know that I can enjoy the day's park visit because of the work he's been doing. Because of the work he will return to in short order. I am reminded that he does all that work for us, for family moments like these and for all the others where we simply have a roof over our heads and enough food to fill each belly. I feel cared for and thankful for all of it..for all of them. For him.

Yes, we must eat by the sweat of our brow, but there is time for sculpted flower gardens too.

Time for exchanging pleasantries and learning something(s) new.

All of these pleasures are available inside the parks, but on the outside, too.

Especially outside.

Every single day.

The parks are just a reminder to stop and notice every now and again.

When the Discovery Channel came out with the Boomdeyadah campaign years ago, we adopted it as a sort of school anthem.

"I love the whole world, and all its sights and sounds..."

It's our home/school philosophy.

It's our life philosophy.

And Epcot provides a wonderful scale model.

(It's a small, small world- ha.)

Not to mention, it's a lot less crowded than Magic Kingdom most days.

(the slideshow also includes hotel and other trip pics due to shortage of time to sift & sort- disregard red eye and double takes...if you can )

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." ~ Walt Disney

Meeting Snow White

On our recent anniversary/family birthday, we were able to catch up with Snow White.

She was a lot of fun.

Meeting Aurora

After Riley's first visit to Disney, the weather forecast a dreary next few days, so we headed home until the weather was to improve.

Using the bleak days to clear certain business matters from our plate, we were free to return when the weather was nice... and just in time to celebrate our family's seventeenth birthday (anniversary).

We chose Epcot park this time- my personal favorite. Aurora was scheduled to make one appearance so we made a bee line for her pavilion once we had checked in.

We were not disappointed.

Disney Photos

When asked what she was most looking forward to at Disney, Riley hoped to meet Princess Aurora. Everyone else agreed that watching RyeBird explore the Magic Kingdom for her first time would be the highlight of our experience.

While we didn't catch Sleeping Beauty this go around, Riley hardly seemed to notice once she got inside the park. And we enjoyed watching her have a big day every bit as much as had been anticipated...even the part where she was scared of Daisy & Minnie... a decision she made only after we waited in a considerably long line, and only once we were close enough to judge they were just too big, too real for her comfort.

At the end of the day, Rye's favorite part was "Dream Along With Mickey"- the stage show at Cinderella's castle where we all defeated Malificent by chanting 'Dreams DO Come True!" until the jilted sorceress had no choice but to storm off in a huff and puff of smoke, promising we hadn't seem the last of her... (a fact easily verified by glancing at the remaining show times...)

Riley confided later that when the audience had been asked to make a wish, she quietly whispered to herself "I need to learn how to act like a princess." She has been diligently working on remembering her manners ever since.

The BigKids have done Disney parks before, at various ages. They were not only good sports about letting baby sister have the 'larger slice of mouse pie', they enjoyed helping serve up the fun.

Twirling With Merida

We had waited in a respectable line to meet Merida, listening all the while to people in front of us discuss 'underground trading' for Fast Pass slots to meet other, more in-demand characters. Apparently that's a real thing.

When we reached the front, the kilted line manager noticed Riley passing the time by testing the twirl of her dress. He asked her how his own twirl was, flaring the kilt with a full 360° spin.

Gotta love those cast members who like to have fun.

Before I could ask him for an encore twirl and photo it was our turn to greet the princess...he said "Let's see if Merida's dress twirls."

It did.

MK '06 // '15

Magic Kingdom trips 2006 // 2015.

Time changes everything.

Or, most things.

;]

Magic Kingdom Monday

It was a long day, it was a fun day. It was a day filled with walking, it was a day filled with dancing.

Stay tuned... [we're recharging our batteries... especially those of us who've known more than two decades worth of days]

Florida/Georgia Line [sunset]

Backroads Sunset

Lunch & Learning on Lazaretto

Lazaretto Creek is one of my favorite spots [so far, life is young yet...oh, but not as young as she used to be]

Whether we're headed towards the ocean or away from her, I enjoy crossing over the scenic spot: boats of all sorts to one side, lonesome Cockspur Light on the other.

I enjoy spending time down near the docks even more.

Yesterday's lunch found us creekside @ CoCo's finishing arithmetic [1 Million ÷ 25] over sandwiches featuring melted cheese (there were other ingredients but it is only ever the cheese that matters) and counting our fingers to the rhythm of the music from many decades and genres .

That's all really.

Just a nickel for the Nice Day jar.

Thanks for listening.

Bonus Nickel: I learned more about lazarettos than I previously knew when getting ready to frilly up this post with links.

Double Bonus Nickels [dime?]: I learned more about Lazaretto Creek's unique history, too. And as is often the case, learning backstory plunged me deeper in love.

Triple Nickels: Discovered this song along the way. While I have not been a regular Jack White listener, connecting the rather obscure term to any correlating music is just the sort of thing I'm prone to do. I would probably like this song on that basis alone but I also like the foundation described in this All Songs Considered interview for compiling this song's album [of the same name] in which a bunch of random journal scraps became music.

I guess the song's not ALL that terrible either.

I rather like this line: " When I say nothing, I say everything. "

AutoAwesome Sunset

Whenever my phone finds a WiFi signal, it uploads my photos to Picasa.

Occasionally, I will remember to check Picasa for the "auto awesome" projects it creates for me.

My favorite are the animations. If that isn't already clear by now, stay tuned. . . the pattern will repeat itself enough in time. ..

The other day, I took photos of the sun setting. Usually, I don't even remember the Picasa feature but as I took these particular photos, I remember thinking that I hoped an animation would be created from them. I took extra to increase the chances [and also to make creating one myself easier if it didn't auto-create]

Given the time, I could probably create a longer version. However, I have not been given any time that doesn't already belong to other responsibilities and projects at the moment, so I'm pleased as punch that my little wish was granted.

Sunset

Downtown Marina

Fernandina Beach

The Lady In My Tree

Our FaceBook friend Mitch often posts poetic pictures of the "Old Lady" tree near his home. And, it is a beautiful, old lady tree.

See?

Mr. Mitch is an interesting fellow and I often want to do and be and think and see in step with him.

So, imagine my delight when I discovered that we have an Old Lady Tree too...

See?

Okay, so she's a bit of a hag.

I surely wouldn't eat any apples from this tree. Mainly because it isn't an apple tree, but also because 'she' looks like the witch from Snow White, whose specialty was the Drowsy Apple.

See?

I have friends standing by - ready to call the right folks and administer the right meds for me if the lady in my tree turns out to be from another Disney franchise:

If I hear it speak, I am to repeat:"A tree may speak to me, but only metaphorically."

(...and so help me, if you ever find me running around in a buckskin dress...talking to the trees... wrap me up in my loooong sleeve pajamas please...)

VIRGE FLVS Literary Magazine

Two of Logan's photographs were featured in the Spring 2014 Edition of the FLVS literary magazine VIRGE. They can be found on pages 62 and 65.

"UNBOUND" FLVS '12-'13 Yearbook

Chandler and Logan were featured in the 2012-2013 Florida Virtual School Yearbook with their answers to the theme question: "What does the phrase Cherish Today, Challenge Tomorrow mean to you?"

Chandler: "Take each day as it comes and be ready for the challenges of tomorrow."

Logan: " I think the phrase Cherish Today, Challenge Tomorrow means that you should seek out what you want to do with your life and to challenge yourself to achieve the goals you have set."

They can be found on page 5.

Tattooed Baby

Yes, sometimes I draw on my children. And sometimes I draw on myself, too. It's okay. It washes off.

This particular piece is a metaphor about freedom, and letting go of the things you think are helping you to fly so that you can really fly as yourself- with wings spread wide... and also how you take your mom's heart with you wherever you go... so please don't drop it...

Yeah, that's it.

Coastal Cousins

In a serendipitous turn of events various cousins from various corners converged on Amelia... I was delighted to be caught in the cross-hairs.

Christian is my cousin Joni's baby boy- he's from Augusta. Fisher & Logan are mine. Charley is my second cousin Chuck's baby girl~ she was there with her momma, Donna (and a BOY!). They're all from around Waycross. Tyler is Joni's oldest girl, also from Augusta. Riley is also mine. (Chandler was @ the golf course)

We couldn't have planned it.

But we have proof it happened... Once Upon Amelia.

Football Season

Today marks the start of Football Season @ BrewCrew Headquarters. .

Specifically Carolina Football.

(some say that's the only kind there is, but I have noticed other fellas in different costumes also having these weekend pagents)

Okay, it never actually ends...we celebrate Carolina Football in Spring and Summer too.

(along with Carolina's Baseball, Basketball and Competitive Thumb Twirling if they had a team for that)

This time of year is also known to some of us as "Bring A Good Book" or "Get Stuff Done With The Comforting Sounds of Televised Football as Background Noise" or "Go Shopping" and occasionally "Roam the Stadium and Enjoy Concessions" Season. It is a time of year we all look forward to (for various reasons).

Okay...alright...those last few are mainly me.

I like football fine- I just think there is too much of it... I prefer to tune in around the fourth quarter (after getting a few chapters read, or errands run, or any other manner of productivity accomplished) to see how it all plays out. After all, knowing how a game ends is valuable information. It is generally useful as a litmus for the rest of my day/night or weekend.

If the team wins, I win.

When they lose, it is apparently all my fault. :)

Win or lose, there are some good things that come with football season.

Sometimes, the pre-game shows are really good. Especially @ Carolina. We have Hootie:

Cheering together for the same team promotes family unity. We stick together, no matter the weather.

Besides, no one really has a choice. Carolina is your birthright. If you are born into this nest, you pull for these birds. Even if this nest was located in Georgia or Kentucky when you joined it... you can like those teams 'to yourself' and only when they aren't playing the Gamecocks.