Friday, May 29, 2009

I really love this one...


WHOA! Two posts in one day! Goin' crazy here...

I just wanted to show you a pic of a cute li'l girl that I love SOOOOOOOOOO much! She calls me Aunt Nay. And the other day she got on the phone and said, "We're going shop-ping for flip-flops." It's kinda sad when they started putting words together in full sentences... means they're growing up way too fast.

This li'l love of my life that I like to call "chick'n" is sweet, sweet Jace. Isn't she beautiful? She talks A LOT and her mama is getting a dose of her own medicine... Makes me laugh a little on the inside.

But she's wonderful. And she's precious. And she's welcome to visit me anytime she wants... here in Omaha... the city that Oma owns. (No, I did NOT teach her that... I tried to, though.)

Love until forever, chick'n...


Aunt Nay

What I love about May mornings...


The sun at 6:30 in the morning makes the yard look stunning. There's nothing like it! It makes me wish I could stay home and frolick all day...
And playing with the geraniums makes my fingers smell lovely and green... a wonderful scent to go with the orange juice I'm treating myself to.
I love you early morning sun... thank you for shining!
Estee Renee

Sunday, May 17, 2009

My favorite part of spring...

Last year I bought this fabulous hibiscus. Hibiscus is my favorite flower. They're big. They're showy. Yet they're delicate. And they can handle the heat. This is my hibiscus in all her glory...



Then the storm hit. It blew and hailed and poured on the pour gal. She was beaten and whipped. She was stripped of her beautiful clothing and left naked, shivering in the corner...



Notice the lone bud left as a calling card... a note to say, "See what I can do to you. Don't show off too much. I could have left you dead but let's see what you've got, woman."

The good news - the little lady's still alive. I brought her in for the winter and loved and cared for her. She gave me a few leaves and lots of flowers to say thank you. But the kind flower lady at Mulhall's told me I could have no flowers this summer. If I really loved this one, I would have to be tough on her. Cut her nearly to the stem. Make her grow a coat. Put some leaves on. So I mustered the courage and did just that. I took a picture but I won't embarass her by placing it here... Just know that her photo shoot is coming. She will return to glory. She's a fighter. A winner. An example to us all.

Show some flowers after you've been beaten. Don't let them think they've made you die. Remind them you're beautiful. But let 'em cut you back and force you to become stronger, not just prettier.

Live long and strong, beautiful hibiscus... Love until forever,

Estee Renee

Sunday, May 10, 2009

To my mother...

Look what I found... Happy Mother's Day, Mom...

I love you!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Wanna know why this guy's smilin'?



Cuz I ain't gonna eat no meat...

I'm declaring next week NO MEAT WEEK! I'm gonna give it a try... go for the green. It'll be veggies 'n fruits 'n beans for me (okay, I'll probably consume eggs and fish, too... I'm not a FANATIC!!!)

But no cow, no pig, no chicken... and I never eat deer or buffalo or elk, so they're safe.

So if anyone has any grand ideas for meals PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know. Or I'm gonna get tired of salads real quick...

I'm off to grow a tomato...

Thursday, May 7, 2009

It's been a LONG day...



I went for a wonderfully long walk with Heidi tonight. We walked down the long hill, across the bridge, and through the Old Market. Then... we turned around and walked back through the Old Market, up the bridge and back over the long hill. It's a tough journey when you don't do that everyday!
Anyway, when I got home it was obvious that I needed to spend a little time in the shower. I rinsed off, opened the lid of my FAVORITE EVER shampoo and scrubbed it into my scalp. Apparently my hair was extra filthy because my shampoo hardly made any suds. So I rinsed and tried again. And again. And again. After four tries I realized I had been trying to wash my hair with my conditioner... I'm stupid!!!
But the walk was good and I'm glad to be in my PJs, curled up on the couch watching the Michael J. Fox special, and crocheting. I should say good night, though.
Love until forever,
Estee Renee

That's just who I am...


I am part of a split generation. One part tradition, one part apathy, one part cynacism, and one part hope. Each day I have a choice to make. Which part of my generation will I be?

Some days I am strictly grounded in the tradition of my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, pastors, and others. I love the history of who we are, where we've been, what we dream, what we want to be.

Some days I am embarrassingly apathetic. Not because I don't care, but because I can't face the responsibility our generation holds. Our parents and grandparents are part of the largest ever group of aging adults. Guess who gets to care for them... That's a lot of responsiblity. We have personal and federal debt that is growing by leaps and bounds and threatens the financial well-being of not only our nation but of the world. Guess who gets to start the process of paying for it... That's a lot of responsibility. Our world is growing and changing and developing at unbelievable speeds. There are so many moral ramifications tied to that development. Guess who needs to be concerned... That's a lot of responsiblity. Some days I just want to go back to bed.

Some days I am so cynical you should just shoot me. Like that's ever gonna happen... We talk about change, we talk about hope, we talk about "Ameri-CAN", blah, blah, blah. All we ever do is talk but do we ever do??? Like that's ever gonna happen...

In spite of all of that... I am part of my generation who has hope. Hope that things will be as good as they've ever been. Hope that we can come together as a nation and as a world with similar ideas, similar goals. Hope that we can embrace race, culture, religion... not as things that separate us but as differences that join us - each person being part of a puzzle. Hope that good will triumph over evil (okay, I KNOW that one's gonna happen. Read the Bible...) And I have hope that we will work together to empower our churches, our communities, and our government to play active roles in that outcome. It is my responsiblity to support and empower those around me as they do the same for me.

Ameri-CAN. Christ CAN. You CAN. I CAN... (apparently Dr. Seuss CAN, too... oh, and toucan)

And by the way... I think Barack Obama CAN. I voted for him...
"Optimism isn't about hoping for the end result. I'm content to enjoy the hope, without needing to be assured of the outcome." - Michael J. Fox