Life is not always a perfect Pinterest picture...

From the title, one might think this is going to be a deep LIFE lesson entry, but not so much this time. It is just a transparent look at everyday life. You just have to live with the punches and go on. If we compared our lives with the seemingly "on the outside",  "perfect" pictures posted on social media  (pinterest), none of us would measure up. Life is real..  Life is a learning adventure. We make mistakes, we are not perfect. But through it all, if we choose joy and laughter, our mistakes make grand adventures and great memories!!This was the results last year as I made my grandmother`s famous Peach Meringue Pie. She would make at least one every summer. We usually waited to have it in July when her favorite peaches were ready to be picked. Papa would go to the peach park , pick them himself, and bring baskets home to share with everyone. It was the clear seed, as she called them, that she waited for. They were late bloomers but the peach would fall off the seed when you pealed and cut into them. It was a treat we looked forward to each summer. Lots of the time, she would make the crust, and roll it out, and I would mix the peaches and mother would do the meringue. NO ONE could do better meringue than Mother did. It would always stand so tall and pretty. Occasionally it would have a few "tears" as she called the drops on top, but it always would taste yummy. With any left over crusts, she would roll it out, pat with butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top then roll up and cut into little slices. These were treasured little bites that were anticipated about as much as the pie itself!!Well, after my grandmother was gone, mother would continue the tradition and her pies were equally as good as the ones our Loisie would make. Now, years later, with Mother gone, if I want to have one, the responsibility falls into my lap. , Just know, that each time, it is really kind of a gamble how the meringue will turn out. That is certainly NOT my strong point of cooking but last year , when I made the pie, the meringue was exceptionally high and pretty, and I gave myself a little silent pat on the back.. LOL....My daughter in law and grandsons were visiting from Dallas and with her birthday coming up next week, I decided that when I had them for the send off dinner a few nights ago, and for her birthday, I would make the famous peach meringue pie for a special treat.   The peaches were a bit of a disappointment this year. I had gotten some that were so overly  ripe that they didn`t even make it til time to make the pie. I found some at the grocery store that were way too hard and not ripe enough. I stopped at my local farmers market up the road and got me a basket of pretty good ones. So, I was ready. I had all the ingredients, even remembered to get the whipped butter to have on hand. I separated the eggs... and added the sugar to the egg whites and a dash of cream of tarter as they both used to do. I turned the mixer on, and turned the bowl around to get it all in the beaters, and stood there and mixed and stood there and mixed some more and it just refused to fluff up!!!! Upset with myself and with the thought that maybe I had gotten a bit of egg yolks in there. I didn`t have my glasses on so that was quite possible.  Or maybe there was  a drop of water in  the bowl from where I did not dry it good enough and perhaps that caused it to flop.... whatever,  I dumped it out and washed the bowl and dried it really good and started over. As I was getting everything ready to put in the bowl, I realized that I had put a dash of corn starch in the last time  instead of the cream of tarter!!!! no wonder it was a flop!! still a bit exasperated at myself for the oversight but happy that I had figured out the problem, I carefully put that dash or two of cream of tartar in the bowl with the sugar and egg whites. The mixer was on again... it started to beat and get fluffy... I stopped when I thought it was enough, another mistake cause perhaps it should have stayed in longer and mixed more, but whatever again, so I took it , and spread it out on the baked pie to go back in the oven to brown... It looked ok at that point, even when I pulled it out of the oven all nice and browned, I was feeling pretty good..It has to sit and cool so I tucked it away on the counter as I was finishing getting dinner ready. I glanced over at the pie and saw the meringue almost shrinking before my eyes!!!   Oh well, maybe it would still taste good, I was hoping.....It was enjoyed even with the flop of the meringue and I laughed about it with Rebecca, remembering the days back when Loisie and Gaga used to make it. Sorry she didn`t get to taste theirs, but she got a glimpse of what it was all about.Not perfect as the picture, but that is just life, right? I tried... LOL.....So, Happy Birthday, Rebecca!!! Happy and blessed to have you in our family, to be the mother of my grandsons and a wonderful wife to my first born, and my special second daughter...  Love you and appreciate you enduring the flopped pie, but acting as if it was the best thing ever!!!Here is the recipe that has been passed down if anyone  wants to try it for yourself. If you do, and if you can remember, send me a picture of your version!!Happy Saturday and the happy "almost" start of a brand new week.I am thankful to be perfectly imperfect!!!  I give myself permission to be me, and laugh at the imperfections and turn them into grace moments....Love, Jane