When I look at this selfie I see the new blue shirt that I bought (it's pretty cute...and reversible!). I wore that shirt to participate in the usual Sunday morning happenings: breakfast, some shopping, and Starbucks. Sunday is the perfect day for early morning adventuring. Many in my hometown are either still sleeping, or they are reading themselves for church. I also see the weird blue brick of the house I've lived in for the past five years (and was a nomad to and from this house for two years before that). This house is the house that I fell in love with the idea of having a dog (because of Thor) and got my first dog (Bronson). This is the house that I went to when I ran over a cat (and drove weeping the entire way). It's the place I went when my grandmother died. This is the house of backyard, portable grill s'mores, deer meat hamburgers, and a hand-me-down patio swing. |
This is the house of DIY renovation projects, microwaves ramen dinners, and LOTR marathons. It's the place of family history discoveries, laughter, frustration, and love. It's all of these things, the day to day, that make a house a home. And that's what I see when I look at this picture.
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I had a thought, an epiphany if you will, about a series of blog posts (that I hope will be easier for me to do than the 365 blog post topics, which were pretty challenging). This is also a little journal for me, because so much changes even week by week and its easy to just let moments slip by. I was wondering, as I looked at some pictures, about what the people in the pictures were doing the moment the pictures were taken. What was happening in their lives in that moment? So then I started thinking about it. I'm going to take a picture a week and explain the picture. It will be interesting to see where I am in a year. So, here it goes:
I've got three minutes before I have to leave for lunch, where I will sit with friends and laugh and joke. This afternoon I will go tend my garden. I will wear rain boots I bought from Wal-Mart that have become my gardening boots. I will gather squash and beans. I will check corn, okra, and peas. I will paint today. I will plan other paintings today. I will smell cigarette smoke and chemicals and paint and tap water and I will be happy with it. Because that smell means Katherine. I will come home and cuddle a baby. I will read to her and feel her little, sleepy body get heavy in my arms.
These are the moments, or the day, that have been captured with this picture. I found an amazing recipe (found here - and you should definitely make it) when I was on Pinterest the other day. The recipe came with beautiful pictures and a delightful recipe. Then, this happened: Me: When is the next socially appropriate holiday so that I can make this dang cake!? My friend: Tuesday. Tuesday it is. I shall name it Bourbon Cake Day. And it will be glorious. The more I thought about making this cake I really had to wonder what was holding me back from it. The answer I came to was this: nothing really (other than a small worry about diabetes because of the amount of sugar I've been eating lately...I need to be healthier). So, I decided that I was going to go ahead with Happy Bourbon Cake Day (which fell on Tuesday, June 2 - also my parent's anniversary) and ran around the house marking all of the calendars. I even started announcing it with authority (which mostly confused people, but some of them appreciated it). I think it should be noted that I don't really know anything about bourbon. I mean, I know that Kentucky makes a lot of it. I also know that Wild Turkey is something that I try to avoid - it's just a little too rough for me. So, went to the local liquor store and bought some of the cheapest bourbon I could find (I'm only cooking with it, so I don't need the good stuff..it should be noted that when I opened it to smell it my eyes water a little, so I apparently got some pretty rough bourbon). I followed the recipe. I made this great graphic (see picture above). My friend made this other great graphic (see the epic e-card below). I ate cake.
All of my excitement for Happy Bourbon Cake Day was completely justified. I had a great day today, a great time making the cake, and a great time posting pictures and updates about a completely made up holiday. I'm really glad that I went ahead with Happy Bourbon Cake Day. I can't wait until next year - for the first Tuesday in June. I'd like to make it a bigger deal. Like with a cook out and a cake. And randomly taking mini-bourbon cakes to people that I know. This has become a new family holiday. And it's delicious. Happy Bourbon Cake Day did make me wonder if my family/ friends are the only ones with a holiday that they've made up. I doubt it. Do you have any special holidays or traditions that aren't officially recognized? |
The BloggerI love family history and the various ways that it can be approached by researchers! I hope that this blog is interesting and inspiring!
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