There’s something about the scent of basmati rice that makes me so happy. The other night I substituted Curry Chicken for our usual stir-fry on Wednesday (Asian-theme meal night). The scent of curry and basmati rice was simply heavenly.
January was a bit rough for me. Opportunities for learning and growth came up that I didn’t expect. These opportunities helped me see that I need to be true to myself, to my priorities, to my vision of what my family is. All too often I see friends and acquaintances who are fabulous and I think “Surely I can be just like them! I can do that!” When in reality, that’s not me. I love and appreciate my friends for who they are. This doesn’t mean I have to be just like them. So…whether people like it or not, here are the traits that I do NOT possess—or worry about so much:
1. Perfectionism—Yeah, I am not so worried about perfection. “Control is an illusion!” (see if you can find what movie that is from. 
) I think I started learning this thanks to my continual struggle with my crazy UN-PERFECT hair! Yes, I would like things to be ‘just-so’, but I know it’s not going to happen. I gave this up. Perfectionism just alienates my family—because I get WAY too stressed out.
2. Germophobic—There are 4 (or more) germy kids running around my house constantly. I feel that over-use of antibacterial products weakens our immunity and that a germophobic lifestyle caters to cleaning product marketing campaigns. My mother taught me to wash my hands before handling food, and often besides that. Bathrooms and the kitchen are cleaned, carpets are vacuumed, but yes I am sure if you took a black-light thru my house it would turn up a lot of stuff. I usually only get sick during one season of the year (which we are currently in and yes I am getting over a cold), but I refuse to live in a hazmat suit.
3. Organized—This is an ongoing struggle for me. Right when I find something that ‘works’ life changes and that solution is null. There are piles of things around the house—usually me-related. Knitting, papers, books, shoes, scout stuff, etc. I tend to spread out.
4. Rigid—ha! That is a laugh for sure. I am so non-rigid in most of my life. Spontaneous and creative is my tendency. I start projects—a lot of them. I try to work on one thing at a time, but that just doesn’t work for me. A set schedule really suffocates me, I have to be careful to only schedule so much of my time so that I am free to float where I feel I am needed. We do have routines in our home, things that work and we stick with—but there is flexibility in there.
So when I see my daughter’s room littered with crafty-sewing detrius, I know that she is exploring her creative side and I want to encourage that. We are working on picking up too. Someday it will be important to her I know. I celebrate the fact that my son has a stash of library books under and around his bed. The fact that there was a big-butted blue bunny lounging on my bedroom floor yesterday amid a pile of legos doesn’t really bother me because it reminds me that I was in there playing with my little guy. And as much as it bothers Jeff, seeing the milk out on the counter ALL THE TIME isn’t really that big of a deal—it just means we are likely going to be in the market for new shoes soon. I am looking PAST all the the chaos and clutter of family life to see what really matters. I am looking for those trees in the forest and enjoying the crunch of the leaves underfoot.
In honor of National Pie Day (earlier in the week) I had been wanting to make a pie. Unlike my grandfather with his famous saying:
I only like 2 kinds of pie—one crust pies and two crust pies”
My children are not really pie-lovers. K does enjoy pumpkin pie and cheesecake. Colin can tolerate apple pie—but that is about it. The challenge this week was to find a pie that wasn’t a pie. Enter in the winner: Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie! Super easy to make and even better to eat! Nathan chose this week’s recipients. Again—I think we’re catching kids home while parents are out on date night—so don’t know if parents are even seeing these treats much less tasting them. I do apologize if you come home from a nice date with your sweetie to find your children in a sugar-coma.
Check it out: a store-bought deep-dish crust makes this a SNAP to make!
Served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle (or flood) of chocolate sauce—it went FAST!
A couple of HF posts ago I was asked what type of diet is supported by this treat-fest. None really. We’re making it up as we go along. I have told Jeff he better behave himself. He blames me for any weight gain—says I cook too much good food. I will say that this is THE dessert for the week. I like the idea of ending out a crazy school-week with a treat than starting with one. There is a better chance of Ryan sleeping off the excess sugar, or running it off on a Saturday.
I chose the Nawench Drive home. Spending my younger years in the historic Mt. Vernon, VA area—I really have a thing for colonial style homes. Especially the stone ones. I am disappointed that the architect doesn’t have his website going, so I can see interior images, or a floor plan. From what I can see, it looks like there are 3 stories—which is great, and timeless elegance about the place. I like the 2 wings on the side, the dormer windows up top, the 2 chimneys, the little cupola on the L side. It is all so charming. I can see the house furnished in a casual-rustic-elegant style (if that makes sense). I think there would be some of this going on:
and I would have to have an assortment of these outside
: 
daffodils, boxwood hedges, and maple trees.
There is a certain smell that comes with a boxwood hedge that I simply LOVE! I can’t explain it—it just smells like home.
So there’s my pick, thanks for playing along.
Ok, these 4 houses are part of a home tour down in Atlanta. All of them are gorgeous and I’m sure well into the 7 figure (or 
category. If $ were not an obstacle, which one would you pick?
1. Northside Dr.
2. Nancy Creek Rd.
3. Tuxedo Rd.
no additional information
4. Nawench Dr.
architect’s site is under construction
I know which one I want—but how about you?
All images courtesy of Emily Followill.