Archive for August, 2009

I’d like for you to meet my skinny-ass sister (SAS for short), Carole.

(She might be long and lean but I can take her. I can take her in a skinny minute and she knows it.)

She’s smart, kind, beautiful, but best of all, she’s my sister. I love her and I know you will too. Right now she’s going to share a suggestion for the next time you’re out galavantin’ around. Take it away Carole…

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This past spring we took off to the big city of Atlanta. In comparison to our small town of two stop lights, just driving around the city was a thrill for our three children. Our final destination, however, was the Georgia Aquarium. We’ve been eager to check it out since it opened a few years ago.

The aquarium is divided into five “galleries”: Ocean Voyager, Cold Water Quest, River Scout, Tropical Diver, and Georgia Explorer. Our first stop was Ocean Voyager, which by far was our favorite. Large tanks that rise from floor to ceiling make you feel like you’re in the ocean.

My daughter’s mouth literally dropped open as she gasped at the first sight of the enormous tank. Just her reaction made the trip worth the while. You should’ve seen our six year old – we call him our “wee one.” He had his face smashed up to the first window, when a huge fish came around the corner and startled him. He jumped! I think for a moment he forgot he wasn’t in the fish tank and thought he was fish bait for sure! Our oldest son, age 12, was especially impressed with the four enormous whale sharks and the huge manta ray there in the Ocean Voyager gallery. I think it’s the largest in captivity in this hemisphere.

Other highlights were the beluga whales in the Cold Water Quest. They were breath-taking. And, if you’re not careful, you might just walk right by the garden eels in the Tropical Diver gallery, but don’t. They were my favorite.

This guy was cleaning the tank. What a cool job!

For more information and a few hints for making the most of your trip, go to www.georgiaaquarium.com. It’s a good idea to order your tickets ahead of time. You have to pick a time of arrival when you purchase tickets. I would suggest going with 9:00 a.m. – the earliest arrival time. That first hour before the crowds pick up is fantastic – plenty of room for the kids to smash their noses to the glass. We purchased the Premium Day Pass which includes general admission and Deepo’s Undersea 3D Wondershow. The kids enjoyed the show so it was worth the extra dollars. Not sure exactly how long the show lasted, but it seemed about 20 minutes or so.

Overall the aquarium doesn’t take a long time to go through, so take your time if you want to make a day of it. You can’t bring food in and you can’t leave for lunch and return. A cafeteria is available but I would recommend eating a big breakfast or be prepared for a late lunch after leaving the aquarium.

We had a fantastic time being under water explorers for the day and we didn’t even get wet! It was a great get-away – fun and educational for all.

Safe travels!

– The SAS, Carole

As I was looking out over the garden this morning I noticed the salvia was moving a quite a bit and there wasn’t the slightest breeze. We have chipmunks that have taken up residence in the garden and love teasing our dogs, so thought it might be them. I grabbed my camera and ran out to the garden still in my pj’s. As I neared the salvia I discovered that it wasn’t the chipmunks. The salvia was covered with bees.

There must have been more than twenty bees so I decided to try to get a few shots of them (without them getting me first). They were certainly some busy bees.

Busy, busy. I was right up in there with them snapping photos left and right. A few times I looked down to make sure they were not on me because I had some crazy bright colored pj pants on and just knew they would mistake me for a flower.They didn’t even seem to notice me because they were working so hard. I watched them work for a while and was really amazed that they didn’t give me the time of day. So intent in their work, oblivious to the giant woman in the crazy pj’s.

Lately I’ve been much like those bees. I started this blog a few weeks back and I didn’t quite anticipate how much work it would require. Hats off to those of you that have been doing the blogging thing for years now. It’s a lot of work. A lot. While watching those bees I was reminded of all the times over the last couple of months that I was a “busy bee” myself and not noticing the world around me at times – my family, my friends… my laundry. Not that there’s anything wrong with working hard or blogging. But balance is important and our relationships should come first. Laundry? Not so much. And like a new blogger friend told me early on, you need to get away from the computer so you’ll have a life to blog about. So true. So true.

I’m learning to find that balance. I’ll continue to blog (I’m just getting started!) but I’ll be sure to remember my little bee friends and the lesson they taught me today.

Have a great week!

See this cup?

This isn’t just any old cup…

We call it…

… The Ugly Cup. But it’s actually pretty cute, isn’t it?

I just have to wonder what someone was thinking… “Hey, let’s put Grandma’s face on a cup so we’ll remember her every morning when we drink our coffee.” And what is she looking at anyway?

Well, there’s more to this cup than just a pretty face. This cup belonged to my Great Aunt Mildred. She passed away 8 years ago and this cup has remained in the family. Last Christmas my mom began a tradition with the women in our family that involves this cup. All of our names were put in a bag and one blessed soul was picked to be the “Guardian of the Cup” for the following year. Instructions were attached. Here’s a portion of what they stated…

“… While in your possession the cup is to ward off wrinkles, sags and any case of “the uglies” that may try to appear. It is to be kept in a safe place and rubbed at least once a month or whenever you feel “the uglies” coming on. …”

My name was the first one picked. The cup must’ve known I needed some help.

I think that this is a tradition that will carry on for many years to come. Traditions don’t always have to be serious or ancient practices. It’s never too late to start something new with family or friends, and it sure does add to the fun. Maybe you can begin a new tradition with family or friends this coming holiday season. Or why wait until the holidays? Start one today. Any day can be made special by a small, even silly, tradition.

I’ve yet to rub the cup and I can’t bring myself to drink from it, but I did give her a cute little hat.

Because we all know a cute little hat can cover up a month of uglies.

I think she likes it.

Happy memory making!