TWO MEN & A LADY

This is Our Life ~ Our Photo Book ~ Our Journal that will never sit on a shelf, be placed in a chest or find its spot in the attic but instead put on display for all of you so you can share in our joy and sorrows that come complete with life. Learn from our mistakes (THERE ARE MANY) or give advice when needed. Welcome!
Clint ~Teri & Dax
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Friday, December 31, 2010

Tis The Season and The Reason

Nothing better than Christmas Leftovers:
SLEEPY HEAD






Uncle Merrill & Aunt Sherry


Natalie Ellen

Emma Brown
Leah, Claire and Isaac

Top: Emma Brown, Brian & Caleb, Clint, Aunt Sheila, Daddy, Leah, Bottom: Natalie Ellen, Me, Tracey, Dax, Claire, Owen, Uncle Alan


Caleb, Emma and Brian

Daddy
Claire
Clint & Dax
Tracey
Uncle Alan
Caleb

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

NUTBUSTERS!!

My Fall obsession was not repairing drought damage to my landscape,  Instead we've been completely inundated inutdated with pecans.  Necessary requirements for a successful seasonal business:



1.  A Willing Helper.



Check.

2. Product.



CHECK!! 

3. A well thought out assembly line process. - Super check. 

4. Presentation.





check.

For the most part, we've enjoyed our daily process.  Picking up as many as we can in order to make room for all the ones that will drop the next day.  Siting down and cracking them.  On goes the gloves as I shell them and separate the easily cleaned ones from the pecans that need extra attention to clean out the crevices.  Weigh em, bag em  and then Cha Ching!

It's amazing how many pecans you can shell while watching the news, movies or spending time with the fam.  Surprisingly, we've had company want to help out when over watching football games.  Friends that didn't even like to eat nuts, just wanted to shell them (I think to break up the tension when our team wasn't doing so well).

Dax even gets in on the action of shelling.  He said to me.  "I help you"  After grabbing one and picking a few pieces off, he put it in the bowl and said "I did it" for the next 5 minutes while running around.  It's been a fun experience.  Though they drop every year. we'll definitely look forward to doing this again next time we have a really good year for them.  Which is typically every 4-5 years.

We cannot believe how many are still falling.  We've sold close to 30 lbs and we have 10 lbs freshly shelled sitting in our fridge right now.  A wonderful blessing at such a bad time in our economy.


If your pie is rank, and it needs some taste....


 who you gonna call?....

(Sometimes it's fun to be a little cornballish)

Friday, October 29, 2010

A Lifetime of Special People

Thanks to two very important people in my life, you will never  - EVER - never hear me shout "Rammer Jammer - Yeller Hammer, Give 'em H----  AlabamER" with enthusiasm. My Uncle Alan and Aunt Sheila have played an extremely special role in my life for many reasons. Reasons having nothing to do with something as unimportant as football. However, despite that fact, every year when football season approaches and it's time to pull out my Auburn wardrobe, I usually say a little thank you to my Uncle for saving me from a life of wearing red, seeking as many garments as possible in Houndstooth, or the urge to glue toilet paper to a detergent box on a stick.

Alan and Sheila (my Uncle and Aunt) 1985ish


Uncle Alan (known as Buzzy to the rest of the family)



 My Aunt deserves her own separate thank you as well for all the things she sowed and/or crafted in orange and blue for us.   My mother seriously blames Uncle Alan (her brother) for brainwashing us (my brother and myself) over to the "dark side."  Really, it was because we thought he was definitely the coolest and we wanted to be cool like him.  Plus, his Auburn fanaticism was contagious. 


The Sports mentor in all his coolness - 1981


For almost a decade, a little more than a decade in my brother's case, Brian and I had Uncle Alan and Aunt Sheila to ourselves before the first of their two daughters, Leah arrived.   It's an awesome feeling when you have not only parents and grandparents, but an Aunt and Uncle to dote over you as well.  They have from the time I was born and still do to this day (those these days it's directed at Dax - as it should be).  I've always felt just as special to them as I did in the days before the "Floozies" (Leah and Tracey).





As a kid I was fond of my Uncle not only because he was cool but also because he was fun and genuinely loved being around us or playing with us.  In those days at the Swann family get togethers, you'd find me either sitting in his lap, leaning against him, on his shoulders or being tossed around - pure fun.  As an adult I'm fond of him because he's still cool, of course, but I've come to the realization that he is a total closet nerd - something he passed on straight to me and Brian.  My Uncle, brother and myself can carry on a conversation that no one in the family is interested in whatsoever.  (maybe except for the Floozies of course).



I said before that I share a special bond with my brother because of our unique shared sense of humor.  That same sense of humor came from my Uncle.  No matter how dry, pessimistic, blunt but utterly harmless some of my jokes are, he gets them.  Every time.  When my own parents even sometimes are left baffled by my comments.  My Uncle is always laughing under his breath because he knows exactly how I meant it and what or where I'm coming from.  If he doesn't understand it, he at least appreciates the personality behind it. I like to think so anyways.  ;o)



And My Aunt Sheila?  Some people's relationship with their aunts by marriage are seen as nothing more than a long time acquaintance.  There's not really a sense of love, loyalty, devotion or genuine concern.  They are seen as someone that may not always be family and they could care less if that were the case.  I feel the absolute opposite is the case with Aunt Sheila.  For one, she's been a part of my family longer than I have.   I DO have the same love, loyalty, devotion and genuine concern for her that I do for my Uncle Alan, my mother's brother.



Besides that she has a personality I absolutely could not live without knowing.  She's really something else.  There's something about her nature that rubs off on even the most prideful/stubborn of those who need help but will never admit it.  My Grandfather is one of those.  After he had his stroke/heart attack and needed to be fed by someone else, Mom and Uncle Alan had a hard time getting him to eat when he really needed it most.  Even myself who could usually talk him into doing almost anything, couldn't persuade him to eat.  But he'd do it for Aunt Sheila. 

Aunt Sheila pregnant with Leah


Something about her - her kindness or no nonsense (not really sure which) makes you want to instantly do as she says.  What ever the case, we've always been impressed with her ability to calm my Grandfather's obstinate nature and the wish to please her.  She's definitely respected by everyone in our family. My late Grandmother was really fond of her and shared a special relationship with her Daugther-in-law as well.



What I really enjoy about her is her quick wit.  My Aunt has a tongue as sharp as a knife when pushed to it.   She never disappoints when it comes time for a smart comeback or a good opinion.  She has a way of putting things in perspective and can really be humorous about it.  Guaranteed to lighten the mood of any bad situation.  It's a nice talent to have - or to witness, really. 



There are so many people I owe Special Birthday posts to and it's really hard to do them because though I love these people equally it's not as equally easy to verbalize what's so special to me about them.  That's why I combined Aunt Sheila and Uncle Alan's post.   Uncle Alan's Birthday was July 7th and Aunt Sheila's was August 12th.  So I got a bit out of order and of course I'm didn't wait until now to wish them a Happy Birthday.  I really didn't even wait until now to write this post to them as a gift.  Just took me this long to post it.

Ha ha.  


Uncle Alan and Aunt Sheila, I love you both so much and I pray that Dax will grow up knowing you as I did and experience the love you've always shown me and Brian.  It is truly a blessing!!!