Most of you already know this, but in case you haven’t heard – I submitted the above photograph to The Pioneer Woman. She holds photography contests about once a month and this time the assignment was “LOVE”. Since thousands of people upload their images, I really didn’t expect her to pick mine. I think it’s a great photo, but I wasn’t sure she’d even SEE it, much less like it.

Turns out she did! It was featured on Day Four, and has made the top fourteen! The winner will be announced sometime on Monday, so keep your fingers crossed.

In case your interested, here’s a little background on the photo. First of all, it was taken several years ago when I was a student at Portfolio Center. I actually shot it with a 4×5 camera. The sun was going down and I dragged my camera and tripod, along with an extension cord and a hot lamp. This was PRE-digital and 4×5, so I didn’t have the luxury of shooting a lot of images. I had 4, maybe 6 sheets of film, that’s IT. So I had to insert the holder, lift the dark slide, hit the shutter, REPLACE the dark slide, and turn it over to do it again, all while checking my focus under a dark cloth. It was a lot of work.

This image just happened. That’s all I can tell you. Since I was living at home, my parents were frequent subjects. As I was taking the photo, my dad decided to plant one on my mom, and she laughed. It’s been a favorite of mine since I first saw the negative. It’s been a favorite of all most everyone. Everyone except my MOTHER.

Oh well. Between the 42 people who look at this site and the PW’s regular readers, only 1,000,042 people have seen it.

I’ll let you know how it does. Wish me luck!

I keep seeing stories in the media about how there’s no difference in the way CHURCH people and NON-church people live. Ugh.

So, why don’t we start acting like we BELIEVE what we say?  You know, stay married, be kind, don’t steal cable, quit gossiping, help the poor, etc. I may have missed a few but you get the point.

Feel free to call me out when you see me talking the talk, but not walking the walk!

And by “call me out”, I mean send me a private email.

Enjoy your Sunday!

For the past few years, there’s been a running narrative with the Yard Sale Ladies wherein they accuse me of driving too fast. They are very subtle about it, but I still catch on.

Me: Was that a Yard Sale sign?

Them: We can’t read at warp speed.

Never mind that I’m driving my mom’s Dodge Ram HEMI that shoots down the highway with the slightest pressure on the gas pedal. It’s my fault that we don’t find more yard sales! They can’t SEE the signs much less READ the signs. Or so I’d been led to believe. Then yesterday we had the following conversation.

Me: Do you guys see JD? He said he’d be in the Kroger parking lot.

Them: Isn’t that him right there?

Me: Where?

Them: Walking down that row of cars!”

Me: I still don’t see him. Right, left?

Them: That guy right IN FRONT OF YOU.

Me: Uh, ladies. That man is black.

Them. Oh. Well, we were just looking at the bald head.

I need a younger group of yard sale buddies.

Which is so NOT the case. My MOTHER is crazy.

The UPS man already thinks I drink. Just because I come to the door in my robe at two o’clock in the afternoon does NOT mean I drink. And the empty beer bottle in my hand is for my cigarette ashes. Don’t judge me.

Anyway, the point is that the mailman chose THIS day to leave my mail on the front porch. And my mother chose THIS day to buy six naked mannequins and dump them on the front porch.

Coincidence? I don’t think so. Mother 1, Me 0. It’s going to be a long weekend.

TaylorTyre

I blame her father.

A few weeks ago I blogged about a new fashion trend – high heels for men. Then today I read this article which says a third of adults still sleep with a stuffed animal.

And 25 per cent of men polled said they took their teddy away with them on business because it reminded them of home.

What the heck? My dad could kill a bear. My husband can COOK a bear. Now chances are my son-in-law will SLEEP with a bear? Poor MoonPie. How is she going to know WHO to marry? What if that boy she thinks is all THAT ends up sleeping with his Mr. Snuggles? I guess we’ll just have to watch and wait. But if he wants to register at Build-a-Bear, the wedding is OFF.

or this weekend. My mom, Aunt Faye and Aunt Ann are arriving on Thursday with one goal – to find cheap treasures at every yard sale, garage sale, estate sale and moving sale in a forty mile radius. If the truck is not filled to the brim, with Ann riding back to Tennessee straddling a basket of knick knacks, they are not satisfied.

So, if you want to clean out your house, but can’t afford the roll-off dumpster, stick a “HUGE YARD SALE” sign in your front yard. We’ll be there before you roll out of bed. Seriously, we’ll be in your driveway, going through your garage before you even get UP, waving dollar bills.

It’s what we do best.

It’s been out for awhile, but if you somehow missed it – find a copy today!

It’s the story of a man, a wanna-be race car driver, who marries, has a daughter and the drama that befalls them. And it’s told from the dog’s point of view. Funny, heart-wrenching, and moving. And it’s told from the DOG’S point of view. Like the DOG wrote the book.

In a related story, my dog eats poop. I have witnesses.

We played this video at church on Easter, but I love to hear it anytime. It’s a great reminder of who Jesus is.

Enjoy your Sunday!

The other day I found a coupon for cookies which made them about 25 cents. I grabbed a couple of packages off the shelf without really thinking, and tonight decided to make them for dessert. I took ONE bite and immediately grabbed the camera. These things need to be broadcast far and wide!

The have chocolate filling inside! Yumola.

I was trying to take a picture of the inside to show you how yummy they looked when I dropped it on the floor.

I sat there looking at it for a full 8 seconds, trying to decide if I could somehow still eat it. Finally, I threw it in the trash.

As far as you know.