Freckles and Popsicles

posted on: Tuesday, November 16, 2010


I forget that I have freckles.
But then I look at pictures of myself and they are right there on my neck.
Had they migrated a little more north and made it's way up to my cheeks I think they would have been charming.

As it stands they're kind of awkward.

My mom used to worry about it when I was little. There were a series of surgeries and treatments I could of done to try and remove them. I'm glad she never succumbed to the demands from the rest of the family who always said that my neck freckles were ugly and that it would surely effect my body image when I was older.

In the 90s, when I was in middle school and the whole AIDS epidemic was hot news, the boys in my class would tease me and say that my freckles were AIDS. I was too busy playing with my friends (i.e flirting with the 8th grade boys) to really listen to the bullies in my class. I also think that  deep down I knew that if AIDS was just freckles on someone's neck and nothing more, this world would be a lucky place. Needless to say my self esteem wasn't too damaged after middle school.

Christian is kind and has helped diminish any insecurities I have about my body. In fact he only uses lovely words when referring to my neck. Maybe that's why I never think about it.


The whole ugly neck talk around the dinner table was put to an end when my great-grandmother announced that my freckles were a result of me sucking on limes. Apparently the inevitable lime juice that would drip down my neck was burning my skin. Hence the freckles. So for a while I was forbidden to eat limes in front of my extended family. It was an annoying price I had to pay to get the uncles off my mom's back.

It worked.
And soon after my lime fetish continued
and has since blossomed into creative concoctions that involves all things lime.



Today I made limeaid pops and decorated it with the rest of Enzo's Halloween candy. We cut our stars using laffy taffy, made red stripes using red vines and what's the name of that other candy? I can only remember it in Portuguese.

I let the lime juice drip down my childrens' necks. I let it drip down my neck as we all soaked in the  abnormally warm November sunshine.


Today was a good day

19 comments:

  1. pretty as can be -- you, the fam, the popsicles, the sunshine, the insights.

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  2. yum! were those other ones Sweetarts? in our family freckles were angel kisses- all the people that said goodbye when you left heaven.

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  3. rebel yell

    i love it

    i recently had a visit from my MIL, who 'hates' fresh flowers because silk ones last so much longer

    i bought 3 2 dozen packs of roses

    36 giant long stem beauties decorated my home the entire weekend

    rebel yell girl, i hear ya

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  4. Really good post. You just talk to me on the phone and then write an amazing post. Like it just comes to you or something! :) And the stripy one is so awesome. Even though I don't like red vines it sound so good--chewy and cold and limey.
    The sweetarts one is totally giving me inspiration for a very cool popsicle.

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  5. Love the post! I am not considered a freckled person, however I have a bizzare patch of freckles on my right leg. It was pointed out to me (at Space Camp, because I was just that cool) that they replicate the constellation Virgo. I find my freckles beautiful in the nerdiest of ways! Yours are just lovely as well!

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  6. Yes Sweetarts! Why couldn't I remember it?

    Sarah- You have no idea how happy I am to have you read this blog.

    The Food Librarian- xoxo. Always.

    Debi- We would totally be friends. Fresh flowers always.

    JLPierce- That's the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. Adopt me please. Not that I don't love my mom, but adopt me please.

    Mariko- You're so much brighter than I am. You write so much better. You're way more talented and still you're my friend. So honored. Thanks for loving me in spite of my bad english, spelling, and grammar.

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  7. oh they look good~!!!! dont bring any of those lime products over here, I dont want freckles!

    lol..

    people are silly

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  8. Those popsicles look delicious! And keep celebrating those freckles :)

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  9. I too have freckles all over. My grandpa said that they were from standing too close to the back end of cows. I think I would rather hear that my freckles were from eating limes. We had a horrible and unexpected wind storm on Monday night and we were without power for 18 hours. I hate being in the dark. We made a rip roaring wood stove fire, and read by oil lamp. We all were in bed on Monday night at 7:30pm because it was easier to go to bed, than worry about the trees. To top it off, we had an earthquake yesterday too. Good grief. Thankfully it was NOTHING compared to the San Francisco one of '89. That one scared the bejesus out of me...literally. I was nursing my daughter and my milk dried up...never to nurse that baby again. You look beautiful in your freckles. God made you that way, so enjoy his handiwork.

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  10. Yummy idea! Can't wait for summer to roll around again so we can try that. Did I really just say I can't wait for summer? Wow, it's going to be a long winter. I think you are beautiful, freckles and all.

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  11. Genius idea! I love freckles but I don't have any :(

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  12. I love this post. Have you heard of the book, Freckleface Strawberry, by Julianne Moore? Very cute, in relation to getting over the fact that she had so many freckles!

    I can't believe that it was seen as such a big deal, and even though you seemed to let it 'slide off of your back' it must have felt GOOD to let that lime juice drip!! :)

    (still going to get over to your other blog btw! I went and realized that I need to read when I'm not "rushing")

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  13. what a fantastic post. i'm a freckly girl myself! those popsicles look so yummy.

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  14. I love your post and the ideas with the popsicles! I sat in on your session at the Foodbuzz Fest and really liked all the information you had to share:) And now I realize you're Portuguese! And so am I. Love it! My parents are from the Azores and Brazil and we grew up speaking Portuguese { I can understand it but not speak it very well}

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  15. What did you use for sticks, don't look like regular Popsicle sticks that I see normally.?

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  16. It's the Zoku. The best popsicle maker in the world!

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  17. That's a touching story. I guess we all have our insecurities that stem from childhood. It's enough when the teasing comes from other children, of which I had my fair share, but it's too bad when adults contribute to those insecurities and fears w unjustified worries.
    Glad you've overcome your insecurities!
    Very fun and cute popscicles!!

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  18. You never fail to get my misty eyed. I can't wait to have a family one day, and if they're anything like you're I'll be a truly blessed woman :)
    xo tash

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