Flowers

I guess to be politically correct, I should call this post 'Flowers....and Foliage', but after almost four months of silence, I don't really think you'll care if I'm politically correct or not!

If you've seen any older posts or know me at all, you know that I've been really blessed in my college career to travel to a lot of places around the world. In all those places, I've taken literally thousands upon thousands of photos, and there seems to be a common theme...flowers. After going through a lot of the pictures from my first international trip to England in 2007, Mom commented that next time, maybe I should focus on getting a few more with actual people in them. (In fact, of the over 5,000 photos taken on that 6-week trip, over half were close-ups of flowers!) I just love getting such good, colorful shots with minimal effort. Now of course, a lot of the pictures weren't well planned, or weren't focused properly, but surely after that many pictures, I got some that I loved, right? RIGHT!! I decided to share a couple of them here.

Hope you enjoy!

This one makes me ready for fall again!!!

So delicate!

This is actually a common persimmon tree (Diospyros virginiana), only it's espaliered at the top, meaning it was trained to grow that way!

Now I have to admit....I did a little enhancing with photoshop for this photo. The colors were brilliant to begin with, but I wanted it to look a little more delicate!

Pink roses!!! Some of my favorite!!

So I know this isn't a close-up of a flower. Duh. But it's still really interesting! This was actually a patio that I saw in Spain during the 'Festival of Patios'. Everyone in the neighborhood had gorgeous flowers covering their patios, and they would even compete in competitions for who had the best one! They were beautiful!

This was a weed on the side of the road!

I hope that one day I can have a whole room devoted to some large framed flower photos (say that five times fast!). Of course, I'm also gonna need a room devoted to dishes, and one for crafts.....hmmm, I'm thinking I've got too many hobbies! Oh well!

Food

Uh-huh. You’re not mistaken. This is the next category. Food. I mean, besides the obvious effect food has had on my life this past year (i.e. – another ten pounds), there are also sentimental reasons for its influence as well.

Sometimes…I remember the food more than the people.

I know that’s bad, but I mean, I’m only being honest! And that’s what this blog is all about…honesty.

Unless there’s something really embarrassing.

And then this blog is about the total opposite of honesty…it’s about lying…bold facedly.

Facedly doesn’t seem like a real word, but if you’re lying, then it really shouldn’t matter anyway.

Moving on.

Maybe not lying, but just omitting.

That sounds better.

Moving on.

Again.

This year has been filled with one food expedition after another!

Let me just take you on the journey….

First, there were exciting meals in foreign countries...

Like this one in a small English town called Grasmere…where William Wordsworth was born….and is buried.

Honestly, William Wordsworth was an afterthought compared to that delightful blueberry muffin (which I only thought to take a picture of AFTER I had eaten it) and hot chocolate.

And then there was this magnificent chicken Panini with a side salad and crisps. Oh. And dreadfully expensive water. (Also photographed as an afterthought.)

And then just look at this authentic Italian meal…..which was consumed…

in Spain. Among an all-out war between our tour guide and the waiter over the check total.

I got my first taste of American style stir-fry this past year too, and have loved it all THREE times I've been! Just leave it to Americans to Americanify good Asian food. Instead of having it served to us traditionally, we set it all up raw on a buffet, and then have participants graze through to create their own unique blend. It's always good, but it always tastes the same for me. I haven't quite figured that out yet...

Now not all my meals this year have been so foreign and exotic. I've made a LOT of oreo balls this year....and I do mean....a lot.


We've had them at just about every important event, and thankfully, I think people are getting tired of them, because I know my waistline could really use a break.
Coming home to Dothan for Thanksgiving was a treat this year! There was so much food, but there were also quite a few people too!


Caitlin and I FINALLY got our frozen hot chocolate's at Toomer's Coffee Company. We only tried for approximately fifteen football weekends before we succeeded.

Wait...there aren't fifteen football weekends? Oh well.

Remember what I said about bold faced lying?!?
A trip to Atlanta yielded some great SPAGHETTI! Too bad for all those people that cut out early from the New Year's festivities. One more night could have gotten you this delicious homemade spaghetti.....not to mention the brilliant opportunity of hanging out with two of the coolest people you all know. Don't bother denying it. We won't believe you.
And don't fret! I even cooked a little bit this year!

Insert the voice of Paula Deen here: 'Well y'all, if this just wasn't the best Spinach Ravioli Lasagna you ever did put in your mouth, then I guess I just won't know what to do with you.'
Taylor, Sydney and I perfected our country fried steaking skills. (I couldn't come up with a better way to word that.)
As well as our mac-and-cheese skills...which might or might not have been borrowed from the Pioneer Woman.
And our mashed potato skills. If my mind serves me correctly though, I'm pretty sure Jack put this together, with a little help from me informing him of the proper way to warm buttermilk.

What? Buttermilk? Long story short... I took my foot...and inserted it into my mouth.

That's all you need to know.
I cooked up some fancy phyllo mushroom bundles....
and proceeded to eat most of them myself....(insert two pounds here).

And when the weather turned cold, and the family made the trip up to see the snow, I might have even thrown together some 'drip beef sandwiches', which I am still mighty proud of. (Insert tooting of own horn here.)
And then....there were also some healthy things.

To be honest, I'm pretty sure mom made this when she came up, because there's a Jell-O cup siting at the upper left hand corner of the plate, and that is SO not me.
This is more like it. A seven layer dip! I'm pretty sure I remember a similar six layer dip (aka a seven layer dip minus the sour cream) for Steven that made an appearance that night as well.
And then.

The be all of end alls. Or the end all of be alls.

However the heck you say it.

There was this.
THE most PERFECT specimen of hot banana puddin' you ever did see. Or taste. (Insert tooting of own horn again here.)

But not all food eaten at home was cooked at home. We also got take out a couple of times...


Now wait.

Actually, all of those items were part of one meal.

That tri-glomerate of a meal is commonly referred to as "Sixteen Dollar Salads...and such".

There was lots of baking this year too!

I broke into the cookie business.

Minus the business.

These were for a friend that had just gone through rush!

And these were for Jon and Allison's fish fry shower in Ozark, AL!
And these pie pops were for Hort Welcome Day.

Thankfully, Dad bought them, and we got to eat them.

I was glad for Dad that day.
And these were for....

Um.....

Me.

And whoever I thought to share them with.

I mean, I'm sure I shared them with somebody.

(Insert three pounds here.)
And then there were baked goods that I didn't actually bake, but I still created (with much help from Tay). HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!!!

I can't remember, but I think Taylor was Cinderella, and I was that other princess (whose name I can't currently recall) and Jack got to be the tiger.

Lucky dog.
All in all, it was some good eatin' this year.
Let me know when you'll be in town, and I'll cook for you too!

(Or go pick up a sixteen dollar salad.)

Places

I’m on vacation!! I’ve been telling everybody I haven’t had a vacation in a while, but as I started going back through the last 12 months of pictures, I realized that wasn’t true AT ALL. While some of the trips have been work related, they’ve mostly ALL been fun :). As I went back through all of them, I started making some folders full of pictures that would best describe the last year of my life. I’m starting today with ‘PLACES’, and then moving on to some other categories (both predictable…and unique!!)

I was able to go to Spain...

and see the Mediterranean!!
We were able to stay on a farm, and see a wonderful sunset...
as well as some GORGEOUS architecture!
I came back home for a week, and worked to turn all my bags around to go to....
MYERSCOUGH!!
I spent six weeks at this place in England in the summer of 2007, and had an awesome opportunity to revisit it last June!
I revisited many places, including Lake Windermere in the Lake District...
where I came across strong memories from home...
and some old bunny friends!!
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport welcomed me home again....along with mom and dad!
and I was glad to be back in God's country.
But the summer wasn't all fun...it was a lot of work too! This was at Moore and Davis Nursery in Shorter, AL!
I found time to go to Dothan for one very special puppy's first birthday! There were over 30 people there!!
Then off to Athens, AL for some on-site demonstration work at Strain and Sons Nursery, Inc.!

I even found time to relax at Farmlinks Golf Course in Sylacauga, AL....oh wait....that was a school field trip.....but it was still very relaxing!!!!
Towards the end of the summer, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my friend Andrea at the beach, but was greeted with this huge water spout coming in off the gulf! It was a little scary at first, but the pictures were worth it!
Ahhhh, back home again....
and back to work!!
September brought around Hort Welcome Day....
and FOOTBALL SEASON!!!! Tailgating with the family is kind of like a vacation!

But let's not forget about the work....I wouldn't want you to think I was just a bum all year!
Football season continued with a fun trip to Knoxville....
where we won!!
Of course, it was nice to stay up in the mountains, even if it was a little drive from the game!

I felt like I constantly lived like this....but it was all well worth it!
Down to Mobile, and then to Biloxi for the International Plant Producer's Society Southern Region meeting! It was good to see old friends....
and have new experiences!
Not a week later, I made the journey to Louisville, KY with the PLANET group! There might have been a little traffic, and I might have made a student get out of the van in order to get this picture....but again, it was worth it.
Back to Auburn!!!
Next comes Christmas, and the best decorated office in the building! Don't worry, we have the trophy to prove it!
And then New Year's in Atlanta with Caitlin....and some other people!
And then.........to DISNEY WORLD!!!!! I got to see Aubie compete in the national mascot competition. He got SECOND!!!!!!
Back to reality, and to the Gulf States Horticultural Expo in Mobile, AL.
And then back to Auburn, where I could wind down a little bit! The time back in Auburn was definitely divided into two parts though! The time before the snow......

and the time AFTER!!!!!!

We all had so much fun playing in the snow! And even the fam came to visit and see the snow!!
More work, out at EV Smith....
and at the greenhouses!!
Wait, what? More snow? That's right, I forgot!! I even learned how to ski this year, up at Appalachian Ski Mountain in North Carolina!

Back home again, and to a basketball game with friends!
and then back to work, helping a friend to put in his FIRST of MANY research projects!
Off to Birmingham with the PLANET students to Equipment Day at Blackjack Horticulture....
and then back to Auburn for the final basketball game to be held in the Coliseum!

And now I'm at the beach!! I'm a little mad at myself for not having the cord to connect my camera to the computer to share some of the fun we've all had here, but at least that leaves a story for later on!

So, this is not my first vacation in a while. I've been blessed to spend about two months on the road this year, and have loved every minute of it! I can't wait for tomorrow's category, as it encompasses some of my favorite things in life! See you later!