12.31.2011

Brownie Borders and Dusty Decor

I am sure she is a delightful lady, but if I had to make a list of my least favorite people, Martha Stewart would give Troy Aikman a run for his money. While I find her olive oil sprayer and comfort-grip citrus zester curiously innovative (read: unnecessary), she has nearly single-handedly wrecked entertaining for the average woman.

A few years ago, I recall seeing part of a television segment during which she stated, "And before serving the brownies, of course we need to cut the edges off. We don't want to serve those brownie borders to our guests, do we?" Uh, really? (I am assuming that she wasn't the brilliance behind the Edge Brownie Pan). Her perfectly proportioned magazine cover layouts and dinner table centerpieces leave no room for the wonderfully warm, mildly chaotic, and slightly dusty homes that I find most welcoming.

Don't get me wrong. I go nearly clinically insane when my home is in disarray (Except for dusting, which only gets done when I realize that the shelf I once assumed was black has now taken on a light gray hue). But try as I might, I am very aware that when I am preparing for visitors, my motive is to impress. I want all of my homely ducks in a row so that it will appear that I have all of MY ducks in a row.

How much richer would our hospitality be if we spent ten less minutes scrubbing the scuff marks off the kitchen floor and, instead, put a few minutes of thought into how to serve our guests with our conversation and encourage their hearts? What if we chose to opt for reheated leftovers rather than a four-course meal so that we would be able to be more mentally engaged in the discussion? How much deeper would our relationships be if we just invite that family over, regardless of whether or not there are dishes in the sink?

12.30.2011

This Message Brought to You by the One Who Said She'd Never Have a Blog

It's true. I also said I would never marry someone with facial hair. Well, turns out that the five o'clock shadow can be kind of attractive. Also, it can be easily removed.

At any rate, as all writing textbooks tell you, everything must have an introduction stating the purpose, outlining goals, and generally easing your audience into whatever you plan on smacking them in the face with in the upcoming text. Well, this is not a textbook and even if it was, life is too short.

Here's what it boils down to: Entirely too many things are fascinating. This is an attempted outlet for those many things I find fascinating. What I find fascinating, however, is endless variety of the ways in which people think. And that is where you come in. I want to know what you think.

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