What Happened Last Week

My Life in Photos + Words

Sometimes I like to share a little about my day-to- day. Here’s from last week.

#Photo 1. My older daughter and her boyfriend are currently traveling in Europe! They are both really into art (he’s an art major) so we keep getting these amazing photos of the art they are seeing. I was struck to tears by several images they sent from Rome. This sculpture dropped me to my knees. I mean- who makes art like this anymore? And way back then, I mean…the tools for making art, they weren’t like all high tech, you know? This guy prolly had only a butter knife or something to carve this thing. I am BLOWN away by the art of the past. These days, very few things impress me. Hardly anything, in fact. I feel like I should maybe move to Europe where I would be deeply moved on the daily by art and delicious espresso.

#2. See? In Italy they have graffiti just like here. Sure. But it’s the word Mom with a heart for the “o.” I really feel like Italy might be the place for me.

#3 Here we have me with my younger daughter last weekend. (We took a selfie and she then evidently TikTok’d some bunny ears and stuff on it.) Anyway, see my girl sipping her iced matcha? Well- let me tell you about that. We were downtown doin’ this n’ that and decided to get some coffee. So we went to a popular coffee joint only to find out that the espresso machine was broken. Is that even allowed? Can you imagine this happening in Paris or Rome? My daughter said we could get matcha instead. Ugh. Since I knew my matcha drink would be all screwed up in one way or another (too sweet, not sweet enough, not hot enough, dirty tasting) I asked for a splurge of whipped cream on top to soften the blow. Well, the whipped cream was rotten. You know how when something tastes rotten you have the person you’re with taste it to make sure? My daughter proceeded to spit out the whipped cream in the bushes. Oh my God! she yelled. That’s so rotten! Are we going to die? Meanwhile my older daughter’s boyfriend was FaceTiming me from Rome about this delicious espresso he’d just experienced — how it was so perfectly energizing and unlike any coffee he’d ever tasted. I don’t even know what to say. I’m sad.

#4. The garden. Yep, yep, it’s coming along. Some issues here and there. Something started to eat a tomato off one of my plants and I very angrily built something resembling Fort Knox around it to keep critters out. When Brad came outside, he looked at the tomato plant enclosure and was like: But Cory, how will you get to the tomatoes now? I thought about that for a moment, and then asked him: Are you out here to start a fight?

But honestly, all things considered, so far, things are going pretty well. We’re starting to get tomatoes and cucumbers and already ate through one round of green beans. The lettuce is getting a little tough from the heat but I keep saying to the family, It’s not too bad right? They know if they just answer “It’s great!” it will continue to be a peaceful evening. Gardening is hard and time consuming and unless you’re the one doing all the work, you don’t really have any idea what went into growing the lettuce. Even if some of the varietals are getting a little bitter and hard as the seasons turn…seriously- just shut up and eat it!

The other night I brought in a bunch of little artichokes. Any gardener who grows artichokes knows they get little bugs in them, aphids or whatever. You soak them in water, the aphids drown, and then you boil the artichokes. Well, I can’t do the soaking part because I feel terribly bad for the aphids so Brad has to do that part before I boil them. The other night I was like - can you soak those? And as he was picking up the artichokes he held up a little one that was a bit deformed looking and said- I think this one’s not good. I whipped around, daggers coming out of my eyes and said: You’re going to throw out a perfectly good artichoke just because it doesn’t look perfect? Do you know how hard I’ve worked to grow every single artichoke? Do you know how much fertilizer, water and time went into that little guy you’re holding right there?” Brad ate the deformed artichoke that night and made sure to comment on how delicious it was.

#5. Just a reminder that I’m always working out and pumping iron through all the ups and downs. Even if it’s 10 minutes a day. So for those of you who wanted workout inspiration when you joined this blog…here it is: stop procrastinating, get your ass up and do it.

#6 In closing, I just love this quote. It reminds me of great art and how far one must be willing go for a good espresso drink. It reminds that if growing a tomato was super easy, everyone would do it. I like challenge. Maybe that’s why I resonate with this quote. I like big inspiration and being blown away and I’m willing to work for it. I always have. I hope I am passing this passion onto my kids.

Anyway, I think you and I will both agree: that’s enough for now.

xoxo
C.