Adversity

 “Adversity introduces a man to himself” – H.L. Mencken The fight for equal rights is one that we have all become used to. This post is not about such a topic but more about the hope I aspire to give. …

Change Requires Action

I’m a strong believer in the idea that “Change Requires Action.” So many of us want things to change in our lives; whether that is to be loved, for a better job, for a family, to lose weight or even …

Vivid Memory

Most times, the human memory surprises me. As most of you know, I am an interior designer.  I decided a couple weeks ago to try my memory at my grandmothers house, down to the last detail.  I couldn’t think of a better way to “jot” this all down then to make a floor plan (interior design nerd alert!) for the house.

As I sat there and tried to think of every little detail, I was astonished at what I could remember!  Of course the more recent things were a cinch, but I couldn’t believe that I remembered things from my early childhood!  And even though this was a lot of fun, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many memories came flooding back to me.  Memories from as far back as my 5th birthday…yes, 25 years ago.  Memories like, sitting at the counter and being ecstatic over the fact that my family bought me my very own personal birthday cake with 5 candles on it.  Or peeking around the spare bedroom door to find a blue Tupperware tub with all of the grand-kids hidden treasures in it – there were countless grand-kids so the treasures were plentiful.   I could almost smells the familiarity through every little icon, and remember what the warmth and love that always came with entering my grandparents home.

My only hope now is for my future family.  I pray that my children and grandchildren are able to feel the peace and love that was always given to me.  And I hope that I always strive to make space for my family, not only in my home, but also in my heart.

Until next time…

NYC Designer

My grandmother always told me that it was important to be happy, but that happiness is a choice.  I remember when I was about 25, I was visiting my grandmother over the holidays and she opened up about the challenges …

Tradition

When my grandmother passed away, I had no idea how much she truly left behind.  It was far more than just the family and her possessions.  She left so many clues and looks back on her life.

As we went through her things, we found thousands of old family photos. Now, I spent A LOT of time with her and she had shown me countless photos of her past and the rest of the family, but as I went through them and scanned them for the family, I had not idea how many there were.  I recently started going through them all and  ran across this photo with her, at one time, boyfriend and a girlfriend.  I was drawn to this picture for two reasons. One of which was the building behind them.  I had never seen it before and I wondered where in the world they were.  Secondly, I was drawn to the outfits and mannerisms.  I felt like, on some level, that my grandmother was posing for the camera.  Then one day I was just looking around online and ran across a building that looked like the one in this photo.  It turns out, it is the capital building of Iowa, in Des Moines.

I love this photo because it is one of the few that shows my grandmothers social life.  She married young and began having children early as well so its awesome to see her life before all of that.  “Grandma” is a beautiful title to have, but it was very humanizing to see her life prior to motherhood.  When I get to be in my 70’s and 80’s, I hope while looking back on my photos, I am able to visually tell the story of my life much like my grandparents did with hers.

What are some of your favorite photos?

Until next time…

Bridges of Madison County

  As you can probably imagine, NYC is very draining.  It is surely a city that is always doing something and there is a reason they call it “The City that Never Sleeps.”  And frankly, I am just as sleepy as the city should be.  I moved here about 14 months ago from San Diego and I think I may still be in culture shock.  Not so much mentally, but physically – I cant seem ever catch up on sleep or even get a good nights sleep.  Which brings me to today’s blog post…

I think that there are very few people who move here and decide to stay for good – it’s just a rough place to live.  Now, I grew up in a small town, but I guess any town is small compared to NYC.  And lately, I have really found myself missing the quiet, the peacefulness and in all seriousness, the sleep.  One of my favorite movies is Bridges of Madison County.  On a very real level, I feel like I am connected to my grandparents when I watch it.  Haven’t seen it?  Well let me fill you in.  It is a love story – in my eyes one of the best ever written.  It takes place is Madison County (duh!) Iowa – a rural community known for the amazing farming.  If you eat corn, there is a great chance that you have had a part of this community.  My grandparents were also from Iowa – Lone Rock and Des Moines to be exact.

When I watch this film, I find myself not only picturing whether or not my grandparents had been in these exact locations but also awaiting the time when I am able to experience the bliss and love of this small but rewarding community.  For over 10 years now, I have lived in a busy area, and I have to say that I have loved every minute, but it does wear on you.  Now I am no where near old, 30 in fact, but I do find my spirit is wanting to slow life down a little bit.

I plan to travel to Madison County soon, not only to relive the movie but see and understand the place that my family grew up.  For all of my readers out there, have you every been to this region?  What are some things that I should keep a look our for?

I know someday, I am going to need to choose a place to settle my spirit and calm life down a bit.  It would be a blessing to fall in love with the place that my grandparents loved as well.  Maybe, just maybe, I will find my home there too.

Until next time…

Family Falls

Fall time has always been a favorite for me.  Not only are all the amazing treats, the weather cools you down and you find your self with runny noses, but for me and my family, I always felt like this season was very special for us.  Growing up in colorful Colorado, you have the wonderful privilege of seeing some of the most wonderful fall scenes your eyes could ever see.  Nearly every color that exists is laying proudly on those sky-shattering mountains.  It’s a reminder that winter is almost there which means skiing and Christmas are right behind the color.  I remember vividly watching my mom and grandmother pull out the fall decor that seem to fill up every spare inch in the house.  From miniature scarecrows to decorated pumpkins and the bright fall colors everywhere you look, our home was transformed into beautiful autumn fairytale.

The best part of having those experiences as a child is now that I am over 30, they child-like excitement still lives within me every time this season comes around.  That means I will be making those fall favorite treats as well as experiment with everything pumpkin!  But more then anything I am reminded what a lucky man I am to have such beautiful memories with my family.  Sure, no family is perfect and we all have the up’s and the down’s but I thank God everyday for the experiences, family life and love that I received for so long.

Do you have any family traditions that come around this time?  Anything unique you can share?

Until next time…

Art Form

In this modern age of technology and the mentality of wanting everything so quickly, I think that it is easy for us to lose the sentimental side.  On those days when I am just a little lonely or miss my family, I often go through a large stack of letters and cards that I have received over the years.  Most of which are from my grandmother.

I remember sitting in my dorm, while at college, kick back and open a letter from family.  After all, what better way to procrastinate from your homework then to read something that actually interested you.  Then I would spend the next hour actually writing a letter in response.  Now, it was until late in her life, that my grandma actually starting using the internet and even had an email.  Up until that time, she would spend so much time writing me.  So when I got another hand-written letter from another semi-distant relative in the mail, I decided to do the same.  And let me tell you, there are some definite therapeutic perks to actually sitting down and writing.  Sure, my hand hurt by then end of it, but that was just a reminder that I had not written in YEARS.

I remember writing my grandmother in college.  I remember how personal it felt and how much more went into taking the time to write a letter.   It was purposeful.  It was personal.  And as I sat and wrote to my other family member, I realized how much I miss it, and just how much love can be shown in a hand written letter.  Sure, it cant be received as quickly as an email, but it sure means a lot more. And lets face it, its always nice to get a real piece of mail in the mailbox instead of the bills and credit card applications.   I will always cherish the letters from my grandmother, and I hope I continue to write on.

Today, I encourage you to write a letter, or even a small note to someone you love.  It will make their day and I am willing to bet it will make yours too.  Try it.  You wont be disappointed.

Place of Rest

So much of my life has been spent on the couch that you see here.  Even from my earliest memory, these couches and loveseats had been in my life.  This one in particular was a definitely place of rest for me.  Not only the in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense as well.  I can sit on my couch today, and even still, feel the soft sinking cushions of those couches, which supported countless naps, toddler journeys of fighting the “bad guys” and more then enough cuddled to last a lifetime.

Some of the best photos of our family are the ones where the loveseat isn’t even visible.  It was a rare occasion that our family got together as a whole and actually saw one another.   When looking at these photos, I am amazing to realize that the couch is the center piece of the photo and the house for the love and desire of my grandmother.  Know that she had a one amazing husband, 8 great children and countless grandchildren that grew to love family just as much as she did. What a truly wonderful gift.

Master Chef

Broccoli Casserole. Rhubarb Coffee Cake. Skillet Biscuits. Molasses and Oatmeal Cookies.  Grape Jelly.  Chocolate Chip Cookies. Buttermilk Pancakes. Blonde Brownies, and the list goes on.  There is nothing quite like the sweet memories that a simple taste of an old time food can bring back.

I was blessed enough get some of these amazing family recipes from my grandma, most of which I remember her making for me.  I have chosen to make one of these recipes each week, and let me tell you they are just as rewarding as they have always been.  It’s amazing to see the legacy of my grandmother living out long after she has left us.

As I stand in the kitchen, mixing up these incredible treats, I often feel the spirit of my grandmother with me.  What you may not know is that my grandmother had a way of calming my spirit, giving me encouragement, and love without even trying, and even now its amazing to me how much of that her recipes offer.  Whenever I am stressed out, or just feeling a little down, I usually make it a point to hit the kitchen.   I will head to the little tin box that holds these morsels of my grandmother and begin to create a scrumptious treat that has been made for over 60 years.  It is in that moment that my spirit settles and my heart rests.  I can just hear my grandmother saying “It’s going to be okay, sweet heart. I love you.”  And with every bite that I eat, its a flavorful reminder of how much I was truly loved and cared for. Funny how most of the blessings we have been given, we don’t realize are blessings until we reach a certain point in our life; a point where we need to be reminded how lucky and cherished we truly are.