Places, Longings, DNA and the Primordial Urge for Clean Clothes

This photo is from Fisher Park, a place where I spent a lot of time as a kid. I don't know who took the photo, I found it on line. Lots of memories there - sledding, burying treasure, dating.

I think about places a lot. Why do people live where they live? Why do they move or not move? It's part of my obsession with figuring people out.

I think it's also my obsession with figuring myself out. I grew up in North Carolina, but never felt at home there. I never quite fit in. I moved to Florida, the same. Then I moved to Georgia and I have felt more at home here than anywhere else. Probably because I've lived here longer than anywhere else. But also, I think, because both of my parents were from here. It's funny, while I never came here to visit as a child and didn't move here for family reasons, I have found myself right in the middle of where my people are from. It's like I gravitated here.

When I moved here I understood the people immediately. I understood how they talked, their sense of humor, I just naturally knew how to move and maneuver in this place. (I mean in a social, emotional way) But still - I don't fit in because I'm not from here.

I've always wondered how if feels to really belong somewhere. To have legitimate claim on a place. My family has done genealogical research and found that I'm from Scotland (my grandfather Hay) and Ireland (my grandfather Kennedy) both on my mother's side. My father's family is from Holland (van Horn) and the Alexanders have only been researched back to Virginia, not out of the states. Then there was an event or events concerning some slaves which throws some African blood into my veins. I know because there has been a book written about it with my family mentioned in it. (I have a friend who's from Nigeria and she teaches African dance. I was dancing with her one day and she said, in her beautiful accent, "I know you have Africa in your blood!" I didn't tell her, she could just tell. I'm sure it was my love of the drums and not my dancing ability, haha!)

I've never been to Ireland, Holland, Scotland or Africa but when I read about those places or see photos, I feel something. More so than Russia or China or any other place. Maybe it's my imagination or wishful thinking.

This idea is so on my mind that I included it in a novel that I wrote for Katie while she was in college last year. Here's an excerpt:

“I don’t know.” She walked over to the tree limb and picked off a leaf. She looked at the castle as she spoke. “All my life, Ireland has called to me. Every picture I saw, everything I read. Even music or Irish writers I would read, there was some familiar strain or thread, something I understood in my soul. I’ve been dreaming of this trip for – well – forever. And I just knew that when I got here, Ireland, that I would feel something. I thought it might feel like coming home, being connected, it’s hard to describe. I just knew that it would feel like the land itself was happy to see me.”

In the same story, I wrote another similar scene:

He first had to focus and strain to begin, but then he fell into what Jess knew was a song that he knew from his heart. Jess leaned back as he sang what must have been an old Irish melody. His voice was rough, but he stayed on tune. And Jess thought that the ruggedness just added genuineness to the song. The words flowed from him without effort. He was connected to this place. It was like the heart and soul of Ireland rose from the ground and came up and out of Aiden’s mouth. This was the moment that Jess was waiting for. She wanted to experience Ireland and this was it. It was at that very moment that Jess heard Ireland call to her soul and welcome her home. She closed her eyes and imagined the scene that she drank in that afternoon right outside the house. The warmth of the earth, the scent of the moss, the green that sank into every pore. She opened her eyes and watched the man that was singing a tune that struck a chord of harmony within her, a haunting melody that she was remembering from ancient days.

As I reread what I just wrote above, it sounds awfully dramatic. You'd have to read it in the context of the story to see how she got to this point. But I would like to believe that people have a connection to a place, not just because of likes and dislikes, preferences or years spent.

I want to get my DNA tested to find out where I came from. There are tests that can be done that links you to your haplogroup: http://www.dnaancestryproject.com/ydna_intro_ancestry.php
They give you pie charts telling you what percentage you are, let's say of European, African, Asian, etc. I would love that!

Well, enough of thinking of other places and times. The laundry room is calling to me, beckoning me to come- and I will go out of a primordial urge to wear clean clothes. So, I'm off - wish me well!

Katie's Handmade Purse & Pants

I caught Katie as she was flying out of the door on the way to work and snapped this picture. I wanted you to see the cool things she's been making. She has been zizzing away on the sewing machine! She made the bag and pants that you see here. She made the bag out of her old prom dress...

This is the dress from Prom 2008.

Now a cool bag, 2010!

She also made these great, airy, comfortable muslin pants! Great for summer!

Katie is cool. I want to be like her when I grow up!

A Little Bit of Painting

This is a painting that I did today. I was inspired by an old photo of my grandmother. They tell me that I only saw her once when she was very ill and I was very young. I don't remember. I wonder if she would like that I put real earrings in her ears?

Really Cool Person Day - Dr. Corky Alexander

Yesterday, my brother was awarded his doctorate. It's a big deal. Really big. But he won't make a big deal out of it. I want to make a big deal out of it, so he is my Really Cool Person of the Day!

This is Corky in his robes on a street corner in California. He's crazy! 

His name is Jack (and I'm Jill, what was my mother thinking?) Our mother gave him the nickname Corky. I've never heard anyone, anyone call him Jack. He's 9 years older than me and 9 years younger than our sister (who's passed away some 16 odd years now). 

He was about 11 years old when "The Wreck of the Hesperus" happened: our mother died. I was 2 and our sister older. I believe it was harder on the older two than myself. After she died, things were just not right. My brother dropped out of school, got into drugs and alcohol. During that time, however, he honed his musical talents. He can play about any instrument, but my favorite is his awesome guitar playing. I love to hear him play blues on an electric guitar! Years later, at the bottom, Jesus found him. He got things straightened out, he got his GED and went to Bible college. He got married and began to pastor. He went back to college and got his master's. He started a church in Smyrna, GA and one in Rhode Island. After many years, he decided not to pastor formally and began to work with the mentally impaired doing music therapy. Yesterday, he got his doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary, the School of Intercultural Studies. His work has been in Native American studies.

So, it's been a long road for him and I'm sure a difficult one, but he's done it!

He is happily married has 3 daughters, my beautiful nieces, 2 sons-in-law, and 2 grandsons.

He is one of the most interesting people you will find. He can talk to you about theology, barrel racing, music, BBQ, and the chupacabra, just to name a few topics.

If you'd like to follow his exploits, and they are many, go to: http://www.facebook.com/#!/caiford

I love you, my brother and congratulations!

Pop-Pop and his two grandsons

Playing mandolin...

Me and my big brother

Social Networking, Summer Blogging and My Ego the Size of Texas

For a while I was a Xanga fanatic and I loved it. Then facebook lured me away with its abundance of people, especially family. That young, hip, social frenzy of activity has taken a while for me to get used to. I have now found my pace there. I'm slow, I miss a lot, but so be it. Then I went to wordpress for a short time. But I eventually neglected it and it felt like a ghost town. So, I left.
I love to read blogs. I love to get a glimpse of people's lives, what they are making, what they are eating, what they are thinking. It is inspiring, exciting - people are so creative!
I started "breathing creatively" because I wanted to join a community of bloggers that I had found who were artists and crafters. I quickly found that I am not making things fast enough to keep up with them. I mean, I make things, but I found I enjoyed just rambling about my lunch and a person I have met more. I like writing words and taking pictures. 
So, what is my purpose for blogging? What kind of theme would I have? I thought about it for a while and decided that my purpose was to just post words and pictures, things I think about and things I do - boring and uneventful as they are. The theme? Whatever I wanted it to be at the time of the post.

It seems rather narcissistic, doesn't it? It feels good to me to write words probably like it feels good for Steave to ride his bike for 100 miles or Katie to sew a new handbag or my friend Jennifer to make a new necklace. So, if they're being narcissistic, then so am I.

I am a summer blogger. I teach 6th grade, so during the school year I am pouring myself out emotionally, physically and creatively. I usually have very little time or brain power to blog. But in the summer - that's when I write the most. That's when I'll appear to be some sort of maniac. I'm a castaway come home, gorging on words and pictures and time - lovely time.

So, stop by whenever you can and I'll talk about stuff and show you some pictures.

"Boo B Trippin" Summer Excursion #1 - Marietta Square

I am a 6th grade teacher and during the year I am tethered to home and school. So, in the summer I try to get out and about as much as possible.

*NOTE: Last year, I took a day trip into Atlanta with my kids and I met a homeless man. I gave him some money and he held out his arms and said, "Give me a hug, Boo." So, that's where I got the name for my day trips - "Boo B Trippin." I am Boo and I am trippin' not in a drug related way, but in a "going on a trip" way.

So, today, I went to Marietta Square. The main destination was "The Corner Shop" where you can buy things from the UK.

I wanted to find out if I had truly made Beans on Toast correctly. I spoke to the store owner and she confirmed that YES! I had indeed made them correctly. So happy was I! She told me all about a proper English breakfast (which does include beans) and showed me where she was born on a map of the UK. She was born on an island off the coast of Wales. I met her friend who confirmed that Beans on Toast is classic British comfort food and told me of many other things you can eat "on toast." Nice ladies with great accents.

I then went to one of my favorite inspiration shops on the Square, Doodlebugs. Cute, trendy, crafty items for sale. You know, the kind of stuff you never buy because you think you can make it.

I poked around in a couple of antique shops. I bought Katie a magnifying glass necklace. I passed by Theater in the Square. The alley beside the theatre is so pretty, I had to take a picture of it.

There are a lot of cute, little shops on the Square. The center of the Square is a park where people eat lunch, they have concerts, people get married, and people get engaged - that's where Joel proposed to his Katie.

The Square is also known as Glover Park and many people contributed to its restoration back in the 70's. Two of its contributors were Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

Before I left the Square, I stopped by an antique store that has vinyl albums and picked a few for Katie from the $1 bin.

On the way home, I passed "The Brumby" which are loft apartments that are located in the old Brumby Rocker factory. They are famous rocking chairs made in Marietta, GA (http://www.brumbyrocker.com/)

And, of course, you can't go anywhere in or around Atlanta without seeing construction. Because, as they say, "After Sherman went through, Atlanta started rebuilding and they haven't stopped!"

Beans & Toast

I mentioned Beans & Toast in yesterday's post. So, I went on line and found several recipes and a couple of videos on how to make it. (If you are British and are reading this I know you are thinking me very silly!) There are many variations to one central theme: open a can of Heinz Beans, heat them up and put them on buttered toast. So, that's what I did.
I found the British food section at my local Publix and found the Heinz Beans. That was one very important point in ALL of the recipes - it had to be Heinz Beans.
I didn't want to doctor them up, I wanted the straight up, hard core, beans on toast.

It was really very good. There are two things that I am concerned about. One, the toast is supposed to be white bread. So, does that make a huge difference? Second, did I actually use the correct type of canned beans? Is there a Heinz "baked" bean that I should have used? If you are British, please let me know!
If you are not British and you are interested at all in trying this, let me give you one piece of advice: be sure to butter the bread, there is some mysterious flavor combo there that is very nice.

For the Love of Toast

I don't usually eat anything after dinner, but the other night I stayed up late to watch "Wives & Daughters" a BBC series that I found on Netflix, and I wanted something to eat. I remembered I had bought a loaf of 9 grain italian and so decided to have some toast.
I had forgotten how good toast could be.
I decided to do a blog in homage to the lowly toast.
I got up today and did a quick internet search about the history of toast (which was pretty much as I suspected). Found a humorous guy named Dr. Toast and his Amazing World of Toast ( http://www.drtoast.com/) complete with recipes and a haiku about toast. I was reminded of the infamous 10 year old cheese toast that bore the image of the Virgin Mary and never went moldy (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4034787.stm). That's about it. I did a search for "toast recipes" and all I found were recipes for things to put "on" toast, not for the toast itself.
"Of course there are no recipes for toast, it's just browned bread! How else can you do it?" That's what you just said, isn't it?
So, I ask, is toast only to be acknowledged as the litter carried by Nubian slaves to bear the Queen of Jams (or beans, or creamed chip beef or whatever else you want to put on it)? Let me say that you can eat toast with nothing on it. It'll be uneventful, a little dull and dry - but it can be done.
If toast's main vocation, then is to be the supporting actor in the world of food, I want to take this opportunity to give a toast to toast:
Where would butter and jam be without toast? Would you just take a bite off of the stick of butter or eat a spoonful of jam? No! They require support, help, and that's the understated glory of toast. How naked breakfast would be without toast! What about the classic British meal, "Beans on Toast"? I daresay it would never have been as popular as "Beans." Do I have to mention all the toasted sandwiches? Panini, Grilled Cheese, the Patty Melt? It is time that toast has its day. I looked at all the food holidays (http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/National_Symbols/American_Hollidays.html) and found Melba Toast Day and French Toast Day, but not just plain old Toast Day.
Toast, I thank you. From Ancient Egypt until today, you have been there for us.

Rescuing the Garden

We were faithful to start our garden in the Spring, pressing little seeds of hope into the fresh earth, setting out those little precious infant plants, tenderly. Then the weddings & graduations hit us like a bus. We left our little plant children out in the wild world to survive on their own.

So, today, I went out into the garden looking for my orphans, trying to see how they were faring out in the wild among the beautiful invaders such as the morning glory shown here.

I was pleasantly surprised, but there were some dissapointments. I did lose the brussel sprouts. I didn't thin the radishes, so they are small and skinny. The romaine bolted up and is bitter.

However, the bean tipis look great with tiny, little, green beans hanging sweetly. The cukes are doing wonderfully, I actuall found 3 to pick. I may have gotten them too early, but I was excited.

I've never grown corn before, so I don't know how it will fare. But it sure does look pretty in the garden. And isn't that part of gardening? Beauty for the eyes.

My sunflowers are getting flower heads and I can't wait to have my long row of towering sunflowers stretching longingly toward the summer sun! 

 The blueberry bushes are full. They will be ready to eat around July 4.

We also have pears and apples. Usually the birds get them before we can enjoy them, but it is nice to see them on the trees.

The herbs are my faithful Old Ladies. They are always there, never causing me trouble and ever helpful.

That lovely Mrs. Lavender with her dainty purple flowers. The rugged Ms. Rosemary, she's very enduring.

The delicate Miss Dill will help my friend make her pickles this year.

My Brother-In-Law, the Sketch Artist

My brother-in-law, Gil, did this sketch of me from a photograph.

I just found out this week that he does this!

You should check out his other sketches:

 http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=170157&id=100000708524406

I've Been In a Whirlwind!

Two months gone by with no posts! Amazing how time flies when you're in a whirlwind of activities. The trip to Mississippi for Joel's graduation, Rehearsal dinner, Joel's wedding, last week of school, school graduation, graduation parties. Just too much!

So, let's catch up...

Rehearsal Dinner

The Rehearsal dinner that I was in charge of went off very well. It was short and sweet and to the point. Easy set up and clean up with simple decorations.

You would think that the traditional red and white check tablecloths would be easy to find - No Way! So, I had to mix and match. I thought it looked fine. Then I bought a case of large wide-mouthed canning jars and bunches of silk daisies. Small canning jars and white candles were also on the tables (they weren't set out at this picture taking time). 

 

We set up a small table at the entrance to the college cafeteria where we had the dinner. I put the canvas that Joel painted , framed engagement photos, a basket of tissues with labels that said "Joel & Katie - 5/23/10, and on the other side: "For Your Tears of Joy" (http://www.therapy4roses.blogspot.com/ gave me the idea)

We also quickly made a few tissue paper balls, thanks to http://www.allthingspinkandcrafty.blogspot.com/!

Keep in mind that I had to plan all this not knowing what the cafeteria was like, what I would have access to, etc. So I used what was on hand - like the plants and table above.

I had BBQ catered complete with banana pudding and sweet tea!

I think it was a success.

My friend, Jennifer (http://www.allthingspinkandcrafty.blogspot.com/) made my t-shirt! It says, "The Groom's Mama est. 1987 (Joel's birth year). I LOVE that shirt. I want to frame it.

The Wedding

The wedding was beyond beautiful and meaningful and just plain fun! The warehouse where the ceremony and reception was was amazing! Antiques and artwork all over the place! Very unique, very ecclectic, very suited to Joel and Kate.

My pictures didn't turn out very well, but the photographer has over 400 on her site: http://www.hingephotography.zenfolio.com/  Look for Bradshaw/Libramento wedding.

My nephew made the bride's bouquet and the boutineers. I made the bridesmaids pomanders. All out of silk flowers because we made them here in GA and carried them down to MS.

These pomanders were so easy to make and I made them fast! I took a 4 inch styrofoam ball and made a "needle" out of florist's wire. I strung the ribbon through the "needle" and shoved it through the center of the ball. I secured one end and left the other end loose. I cut up some peach colored silk hydrangeas, dipped the ends in styrofoam glue and stuck them in the ball until I covered the ball. When we got to the wedding, we measured each bridesmaid to find how far down we wanted the ball to hang, then tied the ribbon off. Those things traveled to MS and back and are still in great condition! I was amazed.

My friend, Lisa, made all the table centerpieces. They were incredible and she really caught the mood of the warehouse and did a great job!

We had a great time dancing and laughing and being with family that we haven't seen in a long time! There was just so much going on - meeting new family, crying, so many meaningful moments to take in that I can't possibly relate it all here.

When I got back home, I had to hit the ground running. Now that school is out, I'll be able to post more.