Home of the Brave - Omaha Beach

It was my extreme privilege 12 days ago to visit the American Military Cemetery at Omaha Beach in Normandy. Words are insufficient to describe the experience. I will let the photos speak for themselves.
 
The star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I'm Home From France

I'm home from a wonderful week in France. The first thing I will share is the first page from my travel journal. Before I left on my trip I shared a Vine video showing the blank journal HERE. SMASH* journals come with a pen attached, one side is a black journal pen tip & the other end is a glue stick.

What Am I Up To? - Cooking

This recipe is currently under development.
It needs more garlic, and a different kind of pasta but look how beautifully it photographs.

Inspired by the tortellini that comes with TGI Friday's Parmesan Crusted Chicken & Chicken Evangeline that I ate this Saturday at Babin's Seafood House. And of course I love shrimp more than anything so I have to make it a shrimp dish.



Step by step slideshow of last night's developing the spinach sauce can be seen here http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2011/11/wordless-wednesday-tortellini.html

Wordless Wednesday: Tortellini Evangeline

Wordless Wednesday: Inspired By Pretty Things

Wordless Wednesday: Learn Something New

Isn't It Fall Yet?

The kids have been back to school for a few weeks now, I've been drinking Pumpkin Spice coffee all week. After a record run of 100+ heat (110 if my backyard thermometer can be trusted) and not much rain, I'm ready for Fall. Not to mention I want a good chill that will kill the mosquitoes!

This weekend we finally caught a break, our weather dropped into the 90's and it was heavenly. Last night I actually wrapped a blanket around my shoulders as I sat on the back patio with my husband.

I'm looking forward to some more cool nights so we can enjoy our new patio & this nifty new fire feature that we got on clearance from the patio store. I guess there was not a lot of call for fire on summer nights here in Houston.

I'm just about ready to start making Pumpkin Pasta, again!
How about you. Are you ready for fall? What are you most looking forward to?

A Tale of Two Camera Phones

Last week I got a much anticipated new phone. I love my original Motorola Droid so much that I got a Droid 3. I love it, I'm in phone heaven. It can do so many cool new things my own phone couldn't, with one glaring exception. It takes horrible photos.

Any insight on a fix for this would be much appreciated, but I think I'm just out of luck on this particular issue :(
Original Droid Photos on Left - Droid 3 photos on the right.




It's like the new phone everything has a pink, or beige tone to it. Some photos come out looking as if they were taking in sepia. I'm so sad, my old phone took such wonderful photos and was so good at capturing color.

Creating A Tradition: Fancy Toes

Last year when I was in California, Debbie and I went together to get fancy toes for the wedding. You can see that post, Here: http://thefragranthand.blogspot.com/2010/07/picture-summer-day-10-making-memories.html We decided to make it a yearly tradition so yesterday we went together again to get fancy toes.
I loved the blue I got last year so much that I did more blue, but more daring this year. Debbie got an argyle inspired pattern.

Our Hearts Ache

Wishbone, faithful companion. We will miss you 1997 - 2011

Remembering Days Gone By

I remember days gone by
My lovely mother, my brother, and I.

Wordless Wednesday

Self Portrait

Snowless Snow Day

Today shall be known hereafter, as The Snowless Snow Day.

A nearly invisible glaze of ice covers everything.
The grass is crunchy.
Branches crackle softly.

Journal Your Christmas: December 7

This is the year I take back Christmas.
I'm not going to let it rule me.
I refuse to be a martyr to it.
I'm won't allow myself to be swept away down a river, swallowing water.
This season is something I love.
I'm going to get the magic back.

April
http://TheFragrantHand.blogspot.com
sent from my Android phone

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

I hope you are all having a great weekend with family & friends!
Happy Holidays!!!

Chicken Meatballs - Pretty Food

Cookin' with Kim makes these WONDERFUL chicken meatballs. I was trying to make something half as good as hers. Find Kim on Facebook, here and if you live nearby you can order them from her from time to time. I started with this recipe from Smitten Kitchen - and made my own alterations. The result was tasty but needs to be refined so the recipe isn't ready to be shared but I got some photos that I liked.

Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys - Halloween

I was doing some of my very best directing here, trying to get the broody cowboy look.
I made up a whole back story...

something about someone stealing the cowboy's dog.

Mostly my attempts at motivation produced smirks like this.

And a very typical tough boy "punch-in-the-face" shot.

Pumpkin Shots




I tried so hard to get a profile shot & finally got one at the Church Carnival

I love the concentration on his face in this one. He was trying to knock down blocks with beanbags - he hit 5 best score I saw while we were waiting... (bragging Mama)

This one cracks me up. He's running to get to the next house, but doesn't he kind-of look like he just robbed the Tombstone Savings & Loan?

This one might be my favorite shot of the night. This is Halloween from a parent's perspective & ya know a cowboy in silhouette, kinda iconic...