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Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss

This wraps of the 30 days of pictures - that somehow turned into two months.

I've talked about this guy before, but I've never gone into too much detail.  And I'm not gonna start now.  Just know that I miss him terribly and this is the last picture we took together.

Three months to the day after we snapped this picture, the nurse said I had to tell this man goodbye. 

And to this day I smell his cologne from time to time when nobody is around.


There ya have it.

My life in 30 pictures, even though I'm pretty sure there's more than 30 pictures in the mix.

We will now go back to the regular blogging already in progress.

The Wig

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile

I don't know if I've shared this one before or not, but it gets me smiling every time I see it.

Christmas 2008.

Gag gift.

Still makes me laugh.

This man is amazing.

And he's my Pop-Pop.

Achluophobia

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of

I'm superwoman. 

No fears here.

Not of my shadow.

Not the boogie man.

Or the Loch Ness Monster.

Not even that mysterious stain on the carpet at work.

 

None.

Whatsoever.

Is lightning striking now? Because it should, since I just told a lie and all.  To tell the truth, I really am petrified of that carpet stain in the lobby.

Alright, in all seriousness (which, as you know, I don't do well) I happen to be afraid of something quite silly....

The dark.

There ya have it, straight from the horse's mouth.  Please don't tell anybody - I'd hate for the entire world to know.

C'mon, what did you think I was gonna say?   

Alliumphobia?  

Geliophobia?  

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia?  

Definitely not. 

Ann Yayshull

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member

Which family member should I choose?  I think you've met all of them, especially after I carry on about them all the time.

More importantly, what picture can I show you that you haven't already seen?

Wait, here's one I don't think I've shown, mainly because the photo quality isn't that great.  But this picture makes me laugh and feel loved at the same time, so here goes nothing.

Yes, that's me - the jungle gym. 

And as you can tell, my niece is trying to pull her little brother up on my back.

This is why I don't mind babysitting.

Dadgum cute kids who make my heart melt with their big brown eyes when they say "Ann Yayshull's here!"

Maybe someday they'll play just as nicely with my kids as they do with each other.

Mi Familia

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you

A lot of things mean a lot to me, so where do I begin?  Let me see.... How about an array of photos today?

Does that work for you?

Great.

Because my family cannot be summed up in only one photograph.

My brother, his wife, my sisters and me.  We're pretty tight.

 Mom and her best friend, who is like another mother.

My grandparents!  Very, very great people.  This was taken on their 65th anniversary.

And here's my uncle.  Also, a very good guy.  He must take after his dad.

Thisthers!

Day 25 - A picture of your day

We're gonna keep this short, sweet and to the point.

My older sis was in Mayberry for a couple hours from the big, big city, so we snapped a quick picture on the back patio.

My thisthers are pretty cool, I suppose. Even if we do talk to each other with fake lisps.

That is all.

Someone is gassy

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Before I get started, yes, I realize it's taken me much longer than 30 days to do this and I really haven't taken many pictures.

With that said, I snapped some pictures around Mayberry today of something I'd like very much to change.

Are you kiddin me?

$3.29?  It was 20 cents less a week ago!

Really?!

And diesel jumped 30 cents?  It's madness!

Wait, I stand corrected.  Now I'm going home and airing up my bicycle tires.

GWTW

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Finally, an easy one!!

How I love this book and all of it's 1037 pages.

And from time to time I tend to re-read page 96 - the first time Scarlett sees Rhett at the Wilkes' barbecue.  The kiss they shared on page 390 (after Atlanta has burned and Rhett decides to join The Cause) gets me every time.  When Melanie was as cool as a cucumber with the Yankee officers around page 802, I was wonderfully surprised and rooting for her as I turned the page.  Don't you love when characters surprise you?

Finally, hold on to your britches - page 1021-22 - Scarlett realizes how Rhett has been there for her over the years and can't wait to run into his arms.  A few pages later, she professes her love and for him and attempts to apologize for pining after Ashley for so, so many years.  Twelve years to be exact.

Then Rhett speaks my favorite line.  No, not the "My dear, I don't give a damn." (yes, the book doesn't have "frankly" - Clark Gable added that for the movie)  My favorite line from my favorite book is on page 1033:  Scarlett says "But, I love you" and Rhett remarks, very matter-of-factly "that's your misfortune."  And with that, he goes on to tell her he's going away.

Now doesn't that sound like life?

Scarlett held on to what she thought she wanted, all the while failing to realize there was a man loving her all along.  Sadly, when she did finally realize Rhett was exactly what she was running to in her dream, he was done holding on.  Done being her second choice.  Done with her.

But Scarlett is confident that she can, in fact, get him back.

After all, tomorrow is another day.

That virtue - again.

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you could do better

Once again, many, many things could go here.  I wish I was better at:

not saying everything that pops in my head.
organizing my iTunes library.
getting creative with recipes.  (I'm too "by the book")
being a good Christian/daughter/sister/aunt/granddaughter/niece/Sunday school teacher/friend.
gracefulness, I'm just too darn clumsy.
baking, although some people have been known to fight over my oatmeal raisin cookies.
finding cute shoes on sale.
fixing my own stinkin' lawnmower/truck/pressure washer/weedeater, etc. (that's another story)
guitar.  I just wanna learn to play it, but never have been able to.


Which leads me to the number one thing I wish I could do better....

drumroll please....


PATIENCE.  I stink at it.  Always have. 

Oh, and there's no picture to go with it.

But it remains, the one thing I wish I could do better.  Maybe then I'd be able to master the guitar.

The thing about forgetting.

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

Whoa.

There are a lot of things that could go here. 

Bad decisions. 
Past relationships. 
Words I can't take back. 
Words I should have said. 
Trees I shouldn't have crashed into. 
Exits I should have taken and speed limits I should have obeyed.

All of my downfalls (even the ones that didn't seem like mistakes at the time) made me who I am today and if I forgot them, then my lessons obviously went unlearned. 

Sure, there are experiences I desperately wish I didn't have to go through, but it has all shaped me into the person I am now.  Clumsiness, tough exterior, outspokenness and all.

And this is why I chose this picture.  Because I don't need to forget a thing.

Road Trip!

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Please don't laugh at me right now.  I know a lot of people who'd love to visit the beach,  maybe go to the opera in Austarlia or shopping in Paris, but my tastes aren't that sophisticated I guess. 

Sure, I love the beach, but beach = bathing suit. 

No thanks.  Chain me to my treadmill for 6 months first, then we'll revisit this topic.


So, where would I like to travel that doesn't include exposing jiggle and pasty skin?

 
For starters, Ireland.  I know I'll never be able to go, but that's just part of dreaming big.

Next, I wanna drive the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible.  This one is also far-fetched.

Here's one I might actually get to do.  Mt. Rushmore!  It's only a 20-something hour drive from my house.  No biggie. 

Or if I really get to feeling adventurous, Niagara Falls is right up my alley!  I've been once before, but seeing the Falls through a bus window left much to be desired.   And it's the shortest trip on my list!

Now excuse me while I go pack my bags!

T

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

So, I'm not so sure what this is supposed to mean, but I'll give it a shot.

This picture makes me laugh.

Partly because my kid sister (who is currently applying to colleges, don't let her youthful face fool you) is riding a child's toy.  Partly because my young niece is chasing her (if you can see her legs), and partly because this toy pedal tractor is thirty years old and still works. 

So "T" is for toy.

It's also for turquoise.

Tranquilizer.

Tootsie roll.

Travel.

Trampoline.

Tape.

Trumpet.

Tractor.

Text message.

Treat.

Tea, preferably sweet.

Tackle.

Toddler.

Trapeze.

And of course, truck.

I think "T" is my new favorite letter.

Why so serious?

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Normally I try to not lean too much on serious issues.  I'm the girl who laughs too loud and makes a joke out of everything, even when the punchlines hit below the belt.

For this post, I guess I'll have to dig a little deeper.

This girl is it.

She's tough - but not as tough as she'd like to be.

She's stubborn - though sometimes easily swayed.

She's funny - yet not many people see past the forced laughter.

This is me.

For as long as I can remember, I've never liked myself.  There was (and is) always, always, at least one thing I wish I could change about myself.  When I was 5, it was the gap in my two front teeth that my classmates teased me about; at age 9 it was my extreme shyness and by the time I was 13 it was my height.  Then through high school it was all about how I looked to boys.  They made fun of my freckles, my nose, my weight, even my voice.

Although I've grown drastically from that young, timid girl, I can't help but feel like I'm not as good as I should be.  I'm not a size 6 (nor do I ever expect to be), I'm still on the chubby side and my voice is drenched in a southern accent when my dialect floats to the far corners of my mind. And I refuse to leave the house without eyeliner.  Braces "fixed" my smile and joining the soccer team in middle school helped to break me out of my shell.  Oh, and I'm now classified as average height. 

But this is who I am, flaws and all.

It's taken me a long, long time to be semi-comfortable in my skin, but God has a plan. (Jeremiah 29:11), I just wish he'd fill me in on it.  He made me and He knows what he's doing, so I just need to calm down.

But to answer the question, I'm my own insecurity.

Whitey

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Define "recently."

If you mean "in the last few weeks," then it would be this....

Oh, the snow.

Where is all this white stuff coming from?

Mayberry has been under what seems to be a constant blanket of it for the last two months, and at first it was welcomed, but it seems to be getting more on the annoying side.

We've got snow drifts on the highways.

And the intersection downtown is slicker than dog snot on a frozen cow pie.

But it does look pretty with the sunset

Even though it's difficult to get out of my driveway.

It's ok since it looks like I'm not going anywhere for a while.

I'll be digging out until May.

Mom-Mom

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Simple.

Allow me to introduce you to Mom-Mom.

 

 

She's pretty much the coolest grandma a gal could ask for.   And she was one of my inspirations for that pitter patterage post a while back.

She can beat anyone in a hand of rummy.

And she's adorable when she bundles up for temperatures of 35 degrees.  You see, she may always be cold, but her heart is very, very warm.  

She's compassionate, strong in her faith, raised a wonderful family and still manages to cook a 3 meals a every single day for any of us that show up. 

Did I mention she's 85 and a half years old?

Because she is.  

And her and my grandfather will celebrate 65 years of marriage in less than two weeks.  

To say she inspires me is an understatement.  

She's my hero.

Point my rocking chairs towards the west

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

For this one I had to reference my bucket list.

Then I had to choose.  Let's see, bunjee jumping?  Flying in an airplane?  Visiting Mt. Rushmore on my cross-country road trip?  Watching the sun going down over the Pacific Ocean?  Buying a cheese hat from Wisconsin?  Waking up at a Bed & Breakfast in Ireland's countryside?  Seeing Wicked on Broadway?

Oh, decisions, decisions.

However, if I could only carry through one bucket list item before my time comes, it'd be this:

 

 I want to have this view from my front porch. 

This might sound dorky (it's ok, because I am), but I want to live on top of the small hill about 60 yards from the place this picture was taken. 

Oh, and I want rocking chairs on the previously mentioned front porch.  Rocking chairs and a good dog.

Hey, Soul Sister.

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

As soon as I read this one, I knew who to pick.

She's my speedometer.

My confidant.

A best friend.

My secret keeper.

Yet she gets mad at me to the point of silent treatment at least once a week.

She's beautiful and has the heart of gold to match.

She keeps me grounded and tells me she loves me 48 times a day.

And she hasn't killed me yet.

Oh, and she's my kid sister,

Although she's not much of a kid anymore.

Be still, my heart.

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

This one isn't hard at all!

Yes, I love music.

Yes, I love all different kinds of artists, but there is one who I turn up extra loud.  He's country, but he's got the rock edge that I like.  He sings about the things he knows and the things his listeners can relate to.  His shows are energy-packed and over the last couple of years, he's shown Nashville what he's made of. 

Oh, and he wears those wranglers the way every man should...

Dear Jason Aldean,

Please come to Mayberry and put on a concert for my birthday.  It's in June and I'll even bake for ya.  Have your people call my people.  Please?  Hello....   Is this thing on??

Oh, nevermind.


Until next time, I'm gonna go crank up my radio.

Sincerely,
A Jason Fan

Ahhhhh

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

How can I pick just one thing to post a picture of?  Lets see... I love my family, my friends, Jesus, trucks, farm equipment,  technology, sweatpants, driving, lemon shake-ups, the river and the list goes on.

Wait, did I mention trucks? 

I did?  Good.  I'd hate to leave that one off the list.

Hmmmm... I still don't know what to put.

Oh, I've got it!!

Ahhh - the sunrise over the ocean has made its way onto my list of loves.

Yuck.

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

1.  I try to not hate too many things, although I am guilty of this.
2.  With that being said, keep in mind that I hate this habit and not necessarily the people who have this habit, although I think some could be a little more considerate (ie - not blowing it in my face).

Why can't I stand this?  In short - I'm allergic.  Cigarette smoke throws me into an asthma attack every time.  If you've ever experienced one, you know what I'm talking about.  Do y'all remember how I flipped out over that cigarette butt I found in my truck?  Yea, it annoys me.  But, that cigarette butt in particular is the same type that my friend Linz smokes, even though that still doesn't explain how it ended up in my floorboard.