I picked cotton for August’s color story (fancy for white) thinking I would take pictures of uniforms, socks, paper, books, and everything else fresh and crisp in a new school year. Instead, the closest I have is Mikey standing next to a kneeling saint and the Virgin Mary. It’s enough to make a heavy-browed man in a USC track suit cross his arms over his chest in disdain.
Not that we didn’t read in August, or any other month this summer. We read a few chapters from The Chronicles of Narnia, but only a few. We didn’t get as far as I’d hoped, but we did make a yummy cake in Digory’s honor. We’ll start reading again after we adapt to the back to school and soccer season madness. Until then, Nicholas is content to “read” the vintage children’s dictionaries I bought at the library sale, and Mikey is brow-deep in a series of Star Wars chapter books the Mister found in a donation pile at work.
The White House with tourists observing an armed guard processional, all made from legos. This was how we celebrated our last weekend before school started.
My mom still uses the CorningWare she and my dad bought when they first came to this country. (Of course she does.) I bought these pans in a fit of nostalgia for $7. They have never been used and came in their original packaging. I know it’s perfectly safe, but I’m nervous to use them on a burner. I have an image of me stirring a small pan of sauce, minding my own business, only to find myself covered in tomatoes and glass shards minutes later. You know, like in the cartoons, where I’m left red from head to toe except for two wide, blinking eyes.
We concluded our family’s seasons of birthdays and celebrations with my brother’s birthday at the end of August. This year wasn’t as bad as others. There are some years where I am overwhelmed by the never ending series of birthdays and parties that happen between May and August.
Aside from the above– school, reading, a vintage something or other–most of my white this month came in natural form. A little rosa multiflora, a little cumulonimbus, a little domesticus infinitus.
I’m including the laundry in this group because I am told the feeling you will never, ever, ever be done washing, folding, or putting away laundry is completely natural.
This was a color story. Please leave a link to yours in the comments, if you are so inclined. Otherwise, will you join me in September? The theme is russetthe orangey-reds of fall, which doesn’t happen in California until November. Since September is our hottest month, I’ll probably take pictures of people melting under the fiery glow of a furious sun. Optimism! But you can find any shade of orange or red around your home, your town, or your inspiration folder. Stuff you make, stuff you buy, stuff you photograph. No pressure. (Do it.)
Looks like August was good to you (except maybe for the laundry)–and those roses! Love the roses; and I loved the way the CorningWare made me smile (my mom still uses hers as well).
My month? There really are no words (and not a lot of photos) …
http://www.magpieandmuttonfly.com/2011/09/color-story-august-cotton/
I LOVE the stickers on your washing machine! I had that too once upon a time. And your CorningWare brings me back too. Nice August. I hope you have a lovely September.
Those actually Melissa and Doug dinosaur magnets! They are messy, and maybe drive me a little crazy, but I put up with them because they won’t always be there. Kids have an annoying habit of growing up.
That’s what I was going to say: my favorite part of this post!!! Adorable. (Nice they are magnets rather than stickers!)
USE your Corningware! It will be okay–although I did enjoy picturing you covered in tomato sauce, like in the cartoons…I have a few pieces of my mom’s Corningware & vintage Pyrex stuff and a super-nice second-hand-but-new Corningware tea pot that I LOVE…it reminds me of home…which is why I use it.
Be careful with the Corningware. My cousin’s mother-in-law almost died from lead poisoning because she used those to cook her food. I prefer to look at them.
About exploding dishes…
I was 8.9 months pregnant with my second son on Thanksgiving. We had dinner at my mom’s house and I was having contractions like crazy.
My aunt drank my mom’s wedding ring that had been placed in a goblet while she made dinner.
My two-year-old vomited on the floor right before we sat down to eat.
Then, for a little more excitement, Mom took a pyrex dish of stuffing out of the oven and placed it on the stove top, unaware that the burner was still on. In a couple of minutes it exploded all over the kitchen. The entire dinner was covered in glass. Only the turkey was saved by being in the oven at the time.
I just sat at the end of the table and sobbed… because there would be no stuffing on Thanksgiving.
I loved this, Jules. Haven’t had much time to visit your blog lately, but had a lazy morning and even clicked on all the links back to earlier stories. Thanks for dropping in on my Saturday morning! :)
And Team Mom…did it once for T-ball, and I felt more like a bench-wrangler than anything else. Stay seated in order! Helmets on! Helmets off! Don’t throw mud! Way too much pressure. I envied all the moms sitting under umbrellas sipping macho ice teas from the nearby Del Taco.
I have my moms old corning-ware from their wedding in ’77. growing up we always used the pots you have pictured (different pattern) to make hard boiled eggs. I still use them on the stove top today to make MY kids hard boiled eggs.
I participated in the September Color Story and it is posted on my blog now. I linked back to this post (your August Color Story) because you don’t have your September up yet. My September story is my first one and it is no where near as good as your color stories are. But it’s a start. :) http://beyondthepopcorn.com/2011/10/06/color-story-september-russet/