the quotidian (12.3.12)

December 3, 2012
Quotidian: daily, usual or customary; 
everyday; ordinary; commonplace
 


Kale.
It makes me feel like a whole person.
Floor scrubbing: one of the many household tasks that I no longer do.
In our house, we dress up to cook. 
Because I have really high standards.
Yet another mailing, ready to go out to family and friends.
Holding the computer on his lap helps him to stay still.
Working on my parents’ house.
It’s going to be stunning, if I do say so myself. 
A Sunday morning lesson in tie wearing via Grandaddy.
When I came down on Saturday morning, this was what I saw: 
my mother, rocking my baby boy and telling him a story. 
(We’re going to miss them so much.)
I did not take this photo.
Also, a little birdy told me that sometimes, when I’m not around,
the window gets opened and a puppy wiggles her way into the house, hmm.
Reality, unedited: my violently dirty windows.
A two-for-one picture:
1. The poor guy has been working constantly. 
Sometimes he pulls twelve-hour days, leaving as early as five in the morning, 
working at my parents’ house for a couple hours, and then heading off to his regular job.
(And then I force him to stay up and watch Parenthood, shame on me.) 
 2. Supper biscuits: instead of making traditional circles, 
I cut the dough into triangles. Easier, and quite pretty, too.
Soup making: the kids spent hours foraging for vegetables,
cutting them up, and cooking them.
Notice I did not say, “eating them”
(though they did take tastes).

I was sitting on the sofa when I noticed the lighting in the mirror over the piano.
So I took a picture.
That’s all.
We turned my son’s first deer into bologna and now our freezer is stuffed with long sticks of the stuff. The kids love it, though they all think it could use more black pepper
and therefore smear black pepper all over their slices.
I made baguettes, which is code for “I made my family very happy.” 
(Lunch that day was baguette butter-and-ham sandwiches.)
Oh, Christmas tree! 
The kids put it up all by themselves while I mixed up a batch of peppernuts 
and my husband worked on finances. 
Not having to trim the tree is, in my opinion, one of 
the perks of having growing-up kids.

A little confession: sometimes the photos in the quotidian post aren’t all from the same week. Sometimes I have leftover photos that I didn’t get around to posting and sometimes I have too many so I hold them for the next week. I just wanted you to know that. (Now I feel better.)  
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13 Comments

  • KTdid

    December 4, 2012 at 10:17 pm Reply

    I got a sneak peek at the house–I agree with your assessment!
    And…what a grandmommy your kids have got! (She's stunning, too)

    Q.

  • Anonymous

    December 4, 2012 at 10:12 pm Reply

    I love your blog, and am glad you found a way to keep the little guy still while he studies. HOWEVER, you might want to reconsider having him hold the computer on his lap like that – I seem to remember reading that the heat from the computer could be… let's say harmful to your chances of grandchildren.

    Chuck99

  • Kathy ~ Artful Accents

    December 4, 2012 at 6:03 pm Reply

    I'm holding an open house in my home this weekend. The deciding factor of whether to have it at night or during the day? My windows are violently dirty as well…thus, the party will be in the evening! (By the way, please come if you can! "You Can Call Me Jane" will be there selling her lovely cookbooks and providing the yummy food. I'll be selling my handcrafted jewels. And my son will be selling his gorgeous photo cards. Plus I'd really like to meet you in person!) 🙂

  • Anonymous

    December 4, 2012 at 2:07 pm Reply

    Jen–I've loved discovering your blog and hearing what you are up to. So excited that you are headed back to Guatemala and things are falling into place. BTW—I think the ultimate comfort food is hearty greens (collards, kale, chard) with a poached egg on top–a little polenta beneath for an added bonus. Your post had me at the first picture! 🙂 –Melani (Guengerich) Novinger

    • Jennifer Jo

      December 4, 2012 at 5:49 pm Reply

      MELANIE HELLO!!! I am so glad you stopped by to say hi! What a treat! And now I've discovered your blog and have been perusing it in my spare time. (I love Barbara Kingsolver, too!) (And who in your family was in Guatemala recently? Whereabouts?)

    • Melani

      December 4, 2012 at 5:55 pm Reply

      My sister, Gail, and her little girl are in Guatemala now. Gail is working on her ESL certification in Antigua. She's doing a few weekend trips–up to Lake Atitlan a couple of weekends ago. I think she may try to head to Monterrico one weekend too. It's fun seeing her pictures–especially the ones that look so much like some I took 18 years ago! (wow–that was a long time ago…)

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