Our refrigerator.
The personality of a fridge takes on the personality of the family. Having made a few home visits to strangers in my lifetime, noticing someone’s fridge can tell a lot about the home and the people in it. My aunt Joann's fridge is scattered with photos of her grandkids, nieces, nephews, friends and family galore. My grandmother has a picture I colored for her when I was in the 1st or 2nd grade - that still makes me proud when I see it still displayed! Schedules, lists, pictures, souvenir magnets from vacations.
On our fridge – Three neatly, origami-like dollar bills that my cousin Larry Raley has given Annabelle the last three times he saw her. The magnetic words that have made countless insane sentences.
My mom’s peanut butter fudge recipe that has been there since 2006 when I married Daniel and started trying to replicate. It can’t be done. A picture of me and Dan at Bear Wallow two years ago. Pictures of the girls, pictures of Maddie and her best, good friend Olivia in 6th grade. Autographed Banjoman photos, from Call of the Wildman. Christmas card photos from 2011 that I can't bear to part with. A photo of my dad, late 70’s/early 80’s standing by the gas pumps at the service station that he ran. Daniel’s grandmother’s recipe for that candy that I can’t seem to get just right and didn’t get to try this Christmas – maybe in AR? A new drawing by Anna and Maddie brightly colored, saying “I love you Lea”. My Turkish Evil Eye given to me the day before we left by a co-worker, Margie Gill... And our Vote Obama magnet from our $5.00 donation to the campaign. (Big time political donation!) To me, the things on our fridge tell the story of a tightly wound family steeped with tradition, love and good times. With everything gone, Daniel made the comment that was how he liked it... hmmm.. wonder what that means?
My mom’s peanut butter fudge recipe that has been there since 2006 when I married Daniel and started trying to replicate. It can’t be done. A picture of me and Dan at Bear Wallow two years ago. Pictures of the girls, pictures of Maddie and her best, good friend Olivia in 6th grade. Autographed Banjoman photos, from Call of the Wildman. Christmas card photos from 2011 that I can't bear to part with. A photo of my dad, late 70’s/early 80’s standing by the gas pumps at the service station that he ran. Daniel’s grandmother’s recipe for that candy that I can’t seem to get just right and didn’t get to try this Christmas – maybe in AR? A new drawing by Anna and Maddie brightly colored, saying “I love you Lea”. My Turkish Evil Eye given to me the day before we left by a co-worker, Margie Gill... And our Vote Obama magnet from our $5.00 donation to the campaign. (Big time political donation!) To me, the things on our fridge tell the story of a tightly wound family steeped with tradition, love and good times. With everything gone, Daniel made the comment that was how he liked it... hmmm.. wonder what that means?
I believe that the kitchen can be the heart of a home. When I was growing up, lots of good times were had when my parents’ best friends would come to visit. Almost weekly – Janice and Ronald Baird were there – maybe not to share a meal like folks today think has to happen when people get together. Just to share an ice cold Pepsi in a bottle and homemade popcorn. It’s hard for me to comprehend, and I often try, that my parents and their friends were the age I am now when those visits were going on .. that’s a whole other blog. Mom would fix dinners for visiting preachers at Mt. Salem Baptist Church. My dad had a little brown radio and he would sit at the kitchen table and listen to WHAS 8400 out of Louisville. I vividly remember hiding in the bathroom when he would take the phone and call in on shows when he had something to say. Like my friends would have been listening to WHAS on a Thursday night.
In our kitchen, we’ve had a lot of family and friends over too. Making those same memories. I can imagine in time, there will be new friends in Arkansas in my kitchen and sure enough, there had better be family and old friends in that kitchen. We are sincerely extending invitations to family and friends to visit.
Tell me about what's on your fridge and what it says about your family..
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV
Sad to say, my fridge is still pretty much empty since we moved. But I do have a box of magnets that tells our family story tucked away in the garage. You may have just inspired me to go unpack that box and put all my magnets on my fridge! Thank you so much for opening your heart to us - you are an awesome writer!
ReplyDeleteWendy - glad I have kitchen memories with you!! :)))
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