Carousel

- poem by MJ-

Pix of a musical animated carousel Teyla and I bought last Christmas. It features six Christmas melodies. Wish you could hear it playing!

Love is
a carousel ride. 

Dizzying, 

Titillating, 

Sweet music playing.

 A blur of passing colors, 

of psychedelic rainbows, 

As you and I go spinning 

Round and round,
Round and round.

 Spring and summer
Winter, fall. 

Sometimes I think
of jumping off 

But, your love, 

It holds me captive
always. 

And I stay. 

I'm glad I stayed. 

Love is
a carousel ride. 

Titillating, 

Sweet music playing; 

Through the years, 

So enchanting. 

And I'm staying;

 Ain't goin' nowhere. 

Let me be dizzy ... 

Dizzy with you.

 - By Joy Browning

Power

I would like to dedicate this little poem I wrote to all my dear TSS sisters, and to anyone else out there whose life, like mine, has been touched by the magic of photography.



I have the power ...
The power to capture

This one special moment ...

This moment in time.

With the click of a button
The scene that's before me

Is frozen forever ...

Forever in time.

Oh, I love this power ...

This magical black box

I point and I shoot

Any day, any time.

And years down the road

When I look at my pictures

I'll smile and remember

This one day in time ...

- by MJ Browning (Special thanks to Teyla Browning who - after being bribed with a few Hershey's Kisses - posed with her Mini Mouse toy camera to help mommy illustrate this poem)

Innocence

Someday,

Years down the road

from this one blue-sky,

smiling-sun,

gentle-breeze-blowing-

through-lush-pine-trees

Thursday,

You will be

(most likely)

mesmerized by

latest fashion trends,

teenage movie stars,

lipstick's hottest shades,

who took who to prom,

and then, oh, dear,

your first date.

Later on,

you will

(most likely) find

classy red cars,

stiletto heels,

bestseller novels,

guys with cute smiles

fascinating.

And then, much later on,

college applications,

job applications

will keep you

(most likely)

on your feet,

As will (eventually)

engagement parties,

shopping for wedding gowns,

and then, at last,

your wedding day.

But on this

one blue-sky,

smiling-sun,

gentle-breeze-blowing-

through-lush-pine-trees

Thursday

All you care about

is the slender

blade of grass

you hold tightly

in your hand.

And all

I can think

as I stand

a few feet

from the spot

where you sit

Is how

beautiful

you are.

And how

innocent

you are.

And sometimes

I wish I could

keep you like this

And freeze

this one moment

forever.

- by MJ

You've Got Mail(boxes)!

Photo of Teyla staring sadly at the trike she could not ride because it was covered with snow, courtesy of MJ

A couple weeks back, the country's most famous groundhog - whose first name I cannot spell, for the life of me - "predicted" an early spring. I hope to God he's right 'coz I am so sick of winter.

I am so tired of freezing to death anytime I step outside, even for a few moments. Of having to constantly bundle up like a snowman. So tired of my hands aching from the extreme cold whenever I help Rog brush snow off the Jeep. Or being stuck indoors most of the time with Teyla when the roads are a solid sheet of ice and the white stuff keeps falling, falling ... coating the trees, the yard, the pond and just about everything else out there.

Photo of Teyla pointing to the snowy landscape outside our house, courtesy of MJ

I cannot emphasize enough how much I long for spring - that magical time of the year when green comes marching back to town! Close your eyes one night and next thing you know, it's morning. You wake up, throw the curtains wide and marvel at the joyous sight of tiny green leaves sprouting back up on the branches of the stubby apple tree out in the yard. Or the amusing spectacle of chubby robins hopping about beneath the weather-beaten hickory tree down the hill, noisily jostling for juicy worms.

In my little corner of the world, spring (as well as other seasons that don't feature snow and cold) is when Teyla and I hang around outdoors during that special time of the day when the mailman comes rumbling down our dirt road in his little white USPS ride.

On warm, sunny days, it is a joy to watch our bouncy toddler sprint across the vast lawn on those little legs of hers, or giggle as she frolics in the grass, while I sit patiently by the old mailbox next to the cactus garden, waiting for the day's mail to arrive.

Photo of Teyla having fun outdoors in warmer weather, courtesy of MJ

I was just thinking the other day, after I bundled up and walked outside to retrieve the mail, that it's about time to get us a new mailbox. We own one of those decorative mailboxes that I'm pretty sure looked spiffy and gorgeous when it was new. But after sitting out in the elements for years, time has taken its toll on it.

Rog thinks we should replace it with a locking mailbox. One of those heavy built, steel and aluminum mailboxes that will keep the vandals out. I think every little town or city has a few of those troublemakers, regretfully. Our neighbor up the hill complained a few months ago of checks and some other important documents being stolen from her mailbox. We surely wouldn't want the same thing to happen to us, so we have been looking into picking out a sturdy mailbox from the Mailboxixchange, an online company that sells a huge selection of residential and commercial mailboxes.

We browsed through their site last night and were blown away by the thousands of mailbox products they offer. I urge anyone else who is thinking of getting a new mailbox to visit http://www.mailboxixchange.com/. I'm pretty sure you will find the mailbox of your dreams 'coz they have so many on sale!

Photo of Teyla sprinting down the sloping lawn, courtesy of MJ

Yep, I'm counting the days before spring makes its long awaited arrival around here. It will be a delight to see Teyla once again laughing happily as she runs around the yard. And maybe then I'll be sitting by a brand new mailbox while watching her play.

Come on, spring! Hurry up and get here!

- by MJ

My First Taco

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

Easy to make kidney bean tacos, courtesy of MJ

Do you remember the very first taco you had?

I do. And I don't guess I'll ever forget it either, because the day I bought my first taco was also the day I slipped on some grease on the floor of a Mexican fast food place in town while carrying the tray - with my very first taco - over to a table. Imagine my feet and legs going out from under me as I landed hard on my rear end in front of a stunned crowd of college kids chowing down on tacos, burritos and the like. Let's just say I completely lost my poise that day. It flew out the window, along with my taco. Well, OK, my taco didn't really fly out the window. But it did land on the floor a good ways from me.

I remember being surrounded by three cute college boys in the seconds following my mishap. They all looked concerned, and no wonder! After I slipped and landed on the floor - and I landed hard! - I made no immediate attempt to get up (my back part hurt bad, is why). I simply sat there in the middle of the grease spot on the floor of that fast food taco place (which, by the way, has since shut down) with a look on my face that was a mixture of shock, sadness, hurt, embarrassment and puzzlement - as in, "Where the heck did my taco go?"

I remember the three guys (who reeked of cheap imitation cologne) gently helped me to my feet after making sure I hadn't broken anything. One of them (who uncannily looked a lot like Adam Sandler) marched over to the counter and bought me a replacement taco despite my protests. He then delivered the taco to where I was sitting and instead of leaving me to eat my very first taco in peace, asked if he could join me. What could I say but, "Sure!" The dude had bought me a taco. And he looked like Adam Sandler. I gobbled the taco down. I thought it was OK, but the sauce lacked heat. He asked me how I liked my taco. I said it was perfect, that I loved it, and thank you. In the end - and I knew it was coming, so I was ready - Mr. Adam Sandler bashfully asked if he could call me. I smiled and said, "Sure!," scribbled a random number on a crumpled, old receipt he gave me, shook his hand and walked out the door. Naturally, I never heard from him again. I never returned to that fast food place with the greasy floor either.       

Instead, I learned how to make my own tacos. I've been making them for 10 years now and funny thing, the ingredients tend to vary, depending on the contents of our refrigerator. Below is a very simple recipe for:

Kidney Bean Tacos

Ingredients:

- half a cup of kidney beans (This is for two tacos. If you plan to make more, increase the amount of beans) 
- butter lettuce blend (or any kind of salad greens you fancy)
- scrambled egg crumbles (you can go without this if you can't find any scrambled egg leftovers in the refrigerator)
- handful of carrots sliced into slivers
- whole grain crunchy corn taco shells
- some cilantro, if you like
- TABASCO® Original Red

Now this is how I throw this taco together. And believe me, it's such an easy taco to put together - even a young child could do it!

Photo of our toddler Teyla playing "cook," courtesy of MJ

First, I sprinkle TABASCO® Original Red Sauce on the inside of the taco shells. Use a generous amount of sauce if you really want your taco to rock, in a FIERY way! Or sprinkle on just a tiny bit. It's all up to you! I then fill the taco up with the ingredients in this order:

- butter lettuce (or any salad greens) first, at the bottom of the taco shell
- kidney beans next. Just spoon them over the greens.
- scrambled egg bits next. Just sprinkle them over the beans.
- then carrot slivers
- some chopped cilantro, if you prefer, over the mixture of beans, scrambled eggs, carrots
- and most importantly, for the finishing touch, a huge splash of Tabasco Original Red sauce over everything!

I love heat, and Tabasco Original Red sauce gives my simple taco just the kick it needs! Because it is such a versatile sauce, I turn to Tabasco whenever I want to add flair to some of my favorite foods, such as fish balls ...

Photo of fish balls, courtesy of MJ

... or when I want to add some pizzazz to an otherwise plain pizza.

Photo of homemade Pizza Perfected, courtesy of MJ (both the pizza and this photo)
 

Tabasco Original Red sauce can also transform regular salmon patties into a fiery seafood delight!

Photo of salmon patties that Rog cooked, courtesy of MJ
 

And as long as I have the signature little red bottle up on the spice shelf at home, I know without a doubt I can always throw together tacos that will put a smile on my face anytime I want them. No more slipping on greasy floors at those yucky fast food places whenever I get a taco craving! No more having to deal with Adam Sandler look alikes:) Don't forget to visit TABASCO® Original Red website to learn more creative recipes and more Game-Day Party Menu.

I wish you all many happy taco-making days ahead!

- By MJ

Friends and waterfalls

To mark The Salitype Society's second anniversary, Rog, Teyla and I recently drove down to Hinton, West Virginia, for a leisurely stroll along the New River Gorge National River and Sandstone Falls.



It hadn't rained in several days before these pictures were taken, which is why the falls and river were not flowing in full force. Still, we found this place lovely and would like to invite you guys to take a little stroll with us along the water's edge, if you care to imagine ...



Teyla is excited and ready to explore the area around Sandstone Falls! Hurry up, guys, and let's follow her lead as she toddles nimbly down the boardwalk.



Oops! Looks like something along the boardwalk caught our little explorer Teyla's eyes. Let's slow down for a while and find out what has caught her attention, shall we? (Didn't someone wise once say, "Don't walk through life so fast, you forget to smell the flowers"? Our version would be, "Don't skip down the boardwalk too fast, you forget to admire the sights and sounds along it." Amazing how much we can learn from these young'uns!)



Now little Teyla is pointing excitedly and talking a mile a minute (in baby-talk, nonetheless), "Look over there, guys! It's the waterfall!"



And sure enough, there it is in the distance, partially obscured by lush trees ... the beautiful Sandstone Falls of Hinton, West Virginia.



We've come to the river's edge now. Let's take a little break, shall we, beside the rushing waters? Come and sit by us on this sturdy rock ledge. There's room for everyone! Don't you all just love the sound of the river flowing by? We do! Such a relaxing sound, almost like a lullaby, I think.



The river's water level is low today, so we're in for a treat! We can walk out to almost the middle of the river - the first time we've ever done this! We better hurry. Rog and Teyla are already way ahead! Can you see them in the distance?



Now it's time to kick off our shoes and join Teyla for a little splash in the cool waters of the New River Gorge River! Oooooh, the water sure feels cool on my feet! Do you like that, too?



OK, just one more group shot on this huge rock in the middle of the river before we head back. One, two, three ... say, "Cheese!" (Not many people get to have their pix taken in the middle of a river, so I guess you could say this is a special, kinda "historic" moment!)



Before we leave the river, let's sit on the rocky shore and take in the serene view ... of trees standing like proud sentries on the hillside facing us, of water splish-splashing over rocks, sometimes roughly, sometimes gently. You know what I was thinking as the camera shot this picture? I was thinking that FRIENDS, in a big way, are like the waters of a river.



Over time, water can shape rocks, cut out whole river beds, and even chip away sandstone to create beautiful waterfalls. In a similar way, FRIENDS, through the years, touch our lives through kind words, thoughtful deeds. They may be near or they may be far - half a world away even. And yet that's how FRIENDS are. They touch our lives somehow and, in the process, they change us.



A few years ago, a handful of individuals met online. Friendships were formed. Bonds grew stronger. Time passed, and just as the waters of the New River Gorge River eventually turned a simple river bed into the breathtaking Sandstone Falls, something beautiful was formed in cyberspace - The Salitype Society.



Thank you for joining my family and I on our trip to Sandstone Falls! We had a lovely time with you all!

Happy 2nd anniversary, Salitype! And thank you for the friendships.

- By MJ Browning

Snapshots from the lake

Here ya go, guys! A few snapshots from our trip to Little Beaver Lake earlier today.







May the week ahead of us be as bright and colorful as the fall foliage around here! God bless us all!

- by MJ Browning

Eye candy

God is an artist.

I only have to peer out the window nowadays to catch a glimpse of his latest exhibit - the breathtaking colors of fall!



The various hues that take over the usual green landscape at this time of the year, in this part of the hemisphere, never cease to amaze me. I am filled with wonder when I realize God could have picked just one shade (perhaps gold or plain red?); yet, in His generosity (coupled with an artistic flair?), He pulls out His palette and doles out a potpourri of colors each time autumn comes our way.






What a delight to see these towering sentries - the fiery red maples, the blazing yellow oaks, the bright golden hickories, the cool, unchanging evergreens - decked in their robes of fall. I bundled Teyla up one day last week, stepped outside and, together, we took in God's beautiful handiwork under a blue October sky.



"See the colorful trees, baby?" I said to her gently. "God made them all ... because He loves us." Teyla stared at me for a moment, then looked around, eyes wide and full of awe. "Woo," she babbled softly. "Woo, woo, woo." I don't know for sure what "woo" means, but I hope and pray my little girl grows up to know the God I know - the greatest artist in the world.


- by MJ Browning

Do it

I'm a big fan of sunflowers, specially the tall, tall ones. Their bright yellow hues and the way they shoot upward, turning their open faces toward the sun, fascinate me.



For a few weeks now, I have been keeping an eye on this particular sunflower growing outside the basement window. Rog planted it for me the week we brought Teyla home from the hospital. I remember standing out on the deck, all whoozy from the powerful pain meds, watching while Rog dug a hole, dropped a white seed in and gently covered it up with dirt. Amazing how something so tiny can grow into an 8-foot-tall plant in a matter of weeks!



One day last week, I went to check on the plant and realized to my delight that I wasn't the only sunflower fan. Naturally, the honey bees had been keeping their eyes on it, too, and as soon as the flower had unfurled most of its golden petals, they buzzed to action.



I wonder how sunflower nectar tastes? I probably will never know. But I have a feeling it must be pretty tasty because throughout the week, everytime I walked outside to check on the sunflower, one or two or even three bees were constantly gathering nectar from it.



I marveled at how hard the bees worked and how seriously they seemed to take their job. I stood close to the flower and snapped picture after picture, but they were so intent on performing their honey-gathering duties they barely noticed my presence (and if they did, it didn't bother them; they simply toiled on). As I watched the bees, a Bible verse came to mind. "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10)."



Even bees know the importance of throwing heart and soul into a task at hand. To achieve success (which, in their case, means an ample supply of honey) they know they have to sweat for it. No dilly-dallying on the job. No half-heartedness or the like. They know a job well done is a job done "with all your might."



We've got another week on our hands, people. A brand new week. Another chance to excel in our various professions. To be the best nurse there ever was ... the most oustanding teacher ... the greatest doctor, student, dentist, counselor, accountant, stay-at-home mom, blogger ... to be the most loving wife or husband:) Whatever professions we represent, let's take to heart this lesson from the bees. When faced with a task, let us give it our all. 100 percent; no more, no less.

Let's seize the task and JUST DO IT.



Warm greetings from Teyla, our very own little bumble bee:)

Proud to be a Salitype baby!

Hi! My name is Teyla Chanterelle:) You can also call me Tiny. I'm the very first Salitype baby ... something I'm real proud about! Mommy said many of you have been wondering how I got my unique name, so here goes:

Teyla is the name of the beautiful warrior princess on Stargate Atlantis, a scifi TV show Mommy and Daddy used to watch every weekend (they still play reruns nowadays). They told me one Friday night in 2007, when they were cuddling in front of the TV watching Teyla whoop one of the bad guys' a-s-s-e-s in one Stargate Atlantis episode, Daddy turned to Mommy and said, "Wouldn't it be cool if someday we had a baby girl and named her Teyla?" Daddy said Mommy asked, "Why Teyla?" and Daddy replied, "Why not? Look at her! She's beautiful, brave, a skilled fighter, kindhearted ... She's everything I hope our baby girl would be!" Mommy thought for a while as she watched Teyla on TV, fearlessly battling the evil wraith (scary-looking creatures!). Then a smile lit up her face. She turned and hugged Daddy, saying, "Teyla it will be then!" So, yeah, that's where I got my first name!

Not long after that (still in 2007), Mommy and Daddy where walking through the woods surrounding the house one muggy Saturday afternoon (Mommy and Daddy both love the outdoors, and Daddy is nuts about mushrooms!). It was summertime and the trees in Coal City were lush and green. In the shade of many of those trees sprung mushrooms of all kinds - Hen of the Woods, oyster mushrooms, gem-studded puffballs, crown-tipped corrals, chicken mushrooms and Chanterelles, to mention a few. Daddy said on that particular day, him and Mommy came to a clearing not far from a little bubbling brook. A batch of bright yellow chanterelles caught their eyes, and they happily gathered them up and started home (For those who don't know, chanterelles are choice edible mushrooms ... real yummy!). Daddy said just as they started back up the hill to the house, Mommy suddenly said, out of the blue, "If we did have a baby girl someday, Chanterelle would make a cool name, don't you think?" Daddy wondered out loud, "Chanterelle?" Mommy said, "Yeah! 'Coz it's such a pretty mushroom. It's a prized edible, meaning it's special. It's yellow, which symbolizes happiness. And, you know, Chanterelle could symbolize your interest in mushroom hunting and our love of nature and the great outdoors!" And how could Daddy not agree to that?

So there you go, Salitype peeps! That's where I got my name. I love it 'coz it symbolizes so many positive traits- beauty and bravery and kindness, plus happiness and the love of God's beautiful world of nature!

Anyway, here's a great, big smile from me to all of you ... my way of saying, "Happy weekend, dear Salitype friends!! Thank you for praying for me in the weeks and months before I was born, and for all the support (through texts, calls and prayers) you gave Mommy on my birthday! I love you all and I can't wait 'til we meet. You can all give me hugs and, hey, I'll even let you pinch my chubby cheeks a bit!:) Kisses to each one of you!!!"

Love,
Tiny