Did I Mention That I Love Giraffes?

We fed the giraffes on our San Diego Zoo excursion. They were so polite taking the biscuits out of our hands. Look how long her tongue is. And notice the cool shadow to the left...

The zoo photographer guy got the top of his head drooled on right after this photo was snapped of me feeding my giraffe buddy. Hazard of the job, I guess.

I mean really, who couldn't love this darling? Aren't giraffes the most amazing creatures? They are truly beautiful too. This little love is licking her lips in anticipation of another biscuit.

Meerkats Make Me Happy...

Last week we went to the San Diego Zoo. It was a wonderful day. I took over a hundred photos and several little movies (so beware, they will soon be posts). We spent the entire day there. One of the best parts of our visit was the meerkat clan (I looked it up, a group of meerkats is called a clan). They were so active, clever and charming. They came right up close to us. Honestly, the way they stand so stretched out and straight with their feet apart, it's comical. We also observed that they have great stance (karate talk) when they stand. We stayed there longer than any other area of the zoo. I hope you enjoy some of the photos I took of them, including the last one of J.B. Meerkat (the J.B. is short for James Bond). J.B. is my son's souvenir of our day at the zoo.

A Simple Thought...

{I took this photo of the sky last night}

There is something I'd like to share with you. You may already know this something. A realization I've had fairly recently. It's sort of been in my mind for a long while, but I have only fully and completely understood its meaning in recent months. You may have to go through certain things in your life to be ready to accept and appreciate this simple truth. Perhaps some realize this only after a death or illness has occurred. It sounds simple, but if you think about it deeply, it's very profound. And it's just this...

It's funny how you're always waiting for your life to begin, waiting for that certain something to happen that will shout out to you, "This is it!", when actually "it" is already the life you're living. Right now. You can spend an awfully long time anticipating the arrival of what you've had all along. Like counting the minutes until a special package will arrive, when in reality, it's been sitting on your doorstep all along.

And that's all, a simple thought that can change your entire world.

Comfort Food...

I have a super secret recipe for peach cobbler that I want to share with you. There is a story to how it came about. In our first home together, my husband and I had a beautiful, mature Babcock Peach tree. It would produce so many peaches. I would give bags of them to all my friends and neighbors and still we would have an overabundance of delicious peaches. It was then that I discovered my husband's mad love for peach cobbler. He's a peach cobbler fiend, but only when it comes to my peach cobbler. I don't mean that in a boastful way. I am sure it's the secret ingredient; Babcock white peaches.

When we moved to our second and current home, guess what was the first thing my husband planted? Yep, you guessed it...a Babcock peach tree. It's taken a few years for that little tree to produce a good amount of peaches. I swear, he lies in wait for spring and the ripening of the peaches. For the last couple of years, we've had lots of them and as result, my husband has had peach cobbler constantly. Literally, when the last piece is eaten, he is suggesting I make another cobbler. I have worked this recipe into exactly the right combination of not-too-sweet, not-too-runny, perfect-ratio-of-cake-vs-fruit. The best part is, it's a simple and easy recipe to make. And without further ado, Mama D's Peach Cobbler...

4 cups peeled, sliced Babcock peaches
1 1/3 cups sugar
a sprinkling of vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk

Place peaches in 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup sugar and vanilla extract. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter.

Sift flour, baking powder, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt into mixing bowl. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture is slightly coarser than cornmeal.

Combine egg and milk; pour into dry ingredients. Stir just enough to combine; spoon over peaches in baking dish.

Bake in 425 degree oven about 30 minutes, until browned. Serve with fresh cream, or ice cream, if desired. Yield about 6-8 servings (unless my husband's in the house).

So there it is, sweet friends. I hope you will try this recipe out. Let me know if you do...xo

A Thousand Words...

I love photography. What I mean to say is, I appreciate photography. You know the saying "a picture's worth a thousand words"? To me, that's very true. Especially those photographs that are edgy, intriguing and unusual. I am attracted to the photos of TheBlackSpotBooks for exactly that. Not only do her photos encompass all of the above, but they're gritty and purposely made to look old and worn. Her photos are worth far more than a thousand words. I think they speak volumes. Depending on each individual's interpretation, these photos tell a different story. I feel they speak of tragedy, love, love lost, violence, desperation, hauntings, desires, longings, and so much more, but mostly they speak of women.


The Fall and The Gathering of The Leaves III
Abandoned

The Endlessness of Leaving

Oh Whiskey, You Villain Journal

I think it's perfect that TheBlackSpotBooks makes journals too. When you think about it, her photographs entice you to write a story about them, and those magically worn journals would be the perfect canvas for such a masterpiece.