Why I do the Things I do

So I wanted to explore the reason behind somethings I do as a person, mom and teacher that were shaped by the different loved ones in my life....

1. Coffee. Even as I sit here typing this I am drink a cup of joe. Growing up my family didn't even own a coffee maker. So how is it that every morning my day starts in the kitchen brewing a pot of coffee? 1 word, Mimi. I was teaching last night and one of my 9 year old students asked if that was coffee in the green mug I had. Of course it was and she said she loves decaffeinated coffee with lots of cream and sugar. I was instantly 8 years old again and back in my Mimi's kitchen where I too would enjoy the same treat. Mimi had this hot water faucet in her sink that she would use to brew a cup of decaff coffee every night in a single cone filter. She would sometimes make me a cup if I asked. Filling it full of milk and sugar from her blue and white china canister. I felt so grown up. Then we would stay up late and watch old black and white movies till way past my bedtime. She owned a coffee shop before Starbuck's even existed. She also had a case of Godiva chocolate at her store too.....if I was good when I was helping her at the store that was my treat, any piece I wanted. My all time favorite as the shield, a milk chocolate shield full of runny caramel. As I grew older I wanted coffee on my own so I got a single cone filter just like hers and brewed myself one cup in the morning. When David and I married he didn't drink coffee. So I still made just one up for myself every morning. Somewhere along the way he started drinking it with me in the morning. So now we own a coffee maker and every morning I brew us a pot of 8 o'clock coffee with a little dash of cinnamon in the grounds.

2. Sewing. I can sew. I've never taken a class and really hate following patterns, but I can sew. Which comes in very handy seeing that I direct a dance company and costumes are cheaper to make then buy. So where did this love or hate, depends on when you ask me, come from? My mom and grandmother. Every holiday, be it Easter, Christmas, or just summertime, I would have a new dress, a new smocked dress to celebrate the occasion. My mom and grandmother even made a dress for me just like Samantha's (my American Girl doll) A red taffetta one complete with a white lace collar. Throughout my dance training my mother was always making some sort of costume for our shows as well. She's made mice, bodices, monsters, skirts, angels and dresses. Usually without a pattern and with random yards of fabric. I learned from her to use cheap scraps to make a "mock up" and how to take another finished garment and make a pattern from that. She taught me how to thread a bobbin, sew and hem. the basics. So two Christmases ago when I bought a new sewing machine it was all over. Now I have no excuse not to sew. So far just for our company alone I have made 3 shirts, 10 skirts, 6 vests and 6 dresses. I followed some sort of pattern for some of it, others I just made my own. Only thing I can't do is smock.....and Madie would be so cute in a smocked dress!

3. Household projects. With my husband. While he is away. Just because I need change. I love working on our house. I can't nail down one particular person to blame for this crazy passion of mine. It's really just a collection of experiences I've had along the way.

Working with David on laying tile, refinishing the cabinets, laying a hardwood floor, or staining a dresser are such a delight to me. I love working on a project together. I think it goes back to me "helping" my dad with all the various household projects he did over the many years we lived on Wheaton Cove. My helping was really just handing him the tools he needed. "Hand me a flat head screw driver" or " hold these nails while I level this" that sort of thing. When David and I laid the hardwood floor, David taught me how to use the miter saw. My very first time to use a power saw. It was great. I called my dad to tell all about it.Painting while David is out of town. This a can truly say is something I do just like my mother. Dad would go hunting and come back to a newly painted room. David went to Francisco in November and came back to a new hallway color (He expected that much) and a halfway redone hall bathroom. I didn't plan on this, I just sorta kept painting and things just took wild turn halfway though. But my darn hands weren't big enough to grip to wrench to change out the faucet. He had to help finish that project unfortunately once he got home. And we still haven't found a bathroom mirror to compete the redo.

Last but not least, decorating and rearranging. My friends Keith and Noelle have hung out at our house often these past 3 years we've been in Atlanta. Every time they come to visit something in our house has changed. The floors, the kitchen, which kid is sleeping in which room, I bet they have seen at least 10 different living room configurations! My Mimi is like this, always decorating, changing something, I've learned from the best. Some people say rearranging house hold items is a sign of discontentment. I don't agree. I think it is a sign of passion, a deep pride in your house and a desire to make it a place someone wants to come home to.