This post is sponsored Børn in an ongoing partnership because we like their shoes, they like this blog, and we’re going to sign each other’s yearbooks with heart-dotted i’s and braid each other’s hair. But seriously, we love them and their continued support of Enjoying the Small Things.
Five new things got named here this weekend–another thrift shop Barbie whom Nella named Kayak, a little crab we found on the beach–bestowed with “Fred”–and three new stuffed animal dogs from a puppy party we attended–Latte, Tooby and Harrington. The names now join the archives of Objects We Bestow With Names and are preceded by pretty much anything and everything in our house–plants, cars, toothbrushes, my camera, pillows, you name it–no pun intended. I’ve passed my obsession now down to the kids–we name the trees in our yard (Mr. Sam and Penelope), our bikes (Little Red, Flying Frida) and–I’m sorry to say–Dash waved goodbye to something in the toilet the other day, squeaking out a little, “Bye Bob!” as it swirled and funneled down the hole.
I’m not the only one in our family who has naming issues. My brother calls us all a different name every time he talks to us. I practically don’t even notice anymore when I pick up the phone and he says, “Hey Janet” or “What’s up, Pamela?” and just keeps on talking. And then he’ll end the conversation with, “Seriously though, Nancy, I miss you. Tell Bill I said hi.”
I was feeling like surely this naming things must mean something psychologically, and usually I assume the worst–I’m lacking something, I’m searching for something, I have attachment issues–but, alas! Guess who approves of the naming things? The Queen, dude: Anne Shirley.
I give you Exhibit A, a passage from L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables:
“What is the name of that geranium on the window sill, please?”
“That’s the apple scented geranium.”
“Oh, I don’t mean that sort of a name. I mean just a name you gave it yourself. Didn’t you give it one then? May I call it–let me see–Bonny would do–may I call it Bonny while I’m here? Oh, do let me!”
“Goodness, I don’t care. But where on earth is the sense of naming a geranium?”
“Oh, I like things to have handles on them even if they are only geraniums. It makes them more like people.”
See! I knew it! It’s my love of people. My Thanksgiving table might not have 30 people around it, but if you count Cecilia the centerpiece and Rodrigo, the gravy boat and the 12 named members of the Plate family, it’s a complete houseful. So many little friends lining our shelves and covering our beds and getting us to and from school every day!
So admit it–does your family vehicle have a name? What is it? My minivan is Rhonda, and she’s a real free spirit.
Sorry–carrying on.
When we’re not naming things, we’re enjoying lately…
The Return to Isle of Capri.
…where everybody knows your name…and they’re always glad you came. You want to go people know…people are all the same.
Who needs Cheers when you have a basket of grouper fingers and a crab friend named Fred?
My friend Katie introduced Dash to a water gun, and I felt the earth shift when it entered his hands. We shall never be the same. I was talking to someone later on the beach and wasn’t really paying attention to what he was doing as he walked up to me. From, like, 4 inches from me, he unloaded half the Gulf of Mexico on my face and laughed hard.
This has only happened a couple times since I’ve lived here–the tide pulled way back to reveal sea stars everywhere. We couldn’t collect them fast enough and made a little pool for them to stay in the water–kids got to touch and feel, and then we made sure they were deep enough to carry on their merry way before we left. In case you wondering, pictured below is Lyle, Gina, Shorty, Babs, Rita, Knuckles, and Emilio Esteves.
…and this is Huckleberry.
Fred makes his reappearance. Dash was the only one fearless enough to hold him.
Also enjoying…current salad obsession: romaine, gorgonzola, chopped almonds, dried cherries, chopped granny smith apples and covered with something vinaigrette-ish.
Spring watermelon.
My sweet and simple gold sandals from my fave Børn picks for spring–they go with everything!
All 3 on a bed.
I love when anything brings them together in one small space. This bed does that a lot.
Sweet Puppy Faces
(for Ivy’s puppy party–Dash wasn’t feeling well, so he stayed home.)
…and a Blue Sky/Water Cocktail.
Damn straight that cocktail needs a name. Let’s see, Sea Breeze is already a cocktail. So is Blue Horizon–I looked it up. Little Piece of Heaven–taken. A Day at the Beach–also taken. Seriously, how are all these already cocktails?
How about Larry? If you can’t think of a name for something, Larry always works. Blue Sky meets Cerulean Sea–also known as Larry. There’s gin in there. And some sea salt. And it’s delicious.
I’ll have a Larry on the rocks with a twist please.
…sunny day to you.
You definitely should go borrow The Little Old Lady Who Named Things from the library. That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the title of this post. It’s a sweet picture book by Cynthia Rylant (bonus!). I think you’d like it. We do!
We named everything in our house when we were kids. My mother believed that we, as children, would take better care of things if they had names. I don’t remember much but I know that our refrigerator was, inexplicably, Oprah.
And my husband named his drum set “Sexy Sadie”.
Kelle,
I live 1.5 North of Naples and have no idea where you can visit a beach in Isles of Capri!Is it the restaurant on the water that you can go to enjoy the beach?Is there somewhere I’ve missed?Happy Spring in Southwest FLA! Awesome April we are Enjoying too!Thanks for the great post!
Oh, I miss your IOC posts. Love that place! Our GPS is named Rhonda…as in Help Me Rhonda…lol. Laughing keeps us young
Oh My goodness . Its true we are all one great big interconnected world you had exceptional low tides on your side of the world while we had exceptional high tides on ours. Now I don’t know if that’s how it works but it sure seems like it and it pleases my sense of logic
in New Zealand that is!!
Your partnership with Born is the only blog partnership I can actually name and rememberer. I’m not even kidding, I just went to their website for the first time this morning bc I need some comfortable summer sandals. The cheapo ones from my favorite home away from home with the big red circles just aren’t doing my aging (32-year-old) bones any good anymore. I wasn’t able to pull the trigger on those not-so-Tarjay prices just yet, but when I do, it will be from them bc of you. So, thank you… eventually.
We too subscribe to the Anne theory of naming. Our 12 passenger van is Moby, as in The Great White Whale. My husband, of course, calls it the Dick when it’s on the fritz.
Perhaps because I am a scientist, and not very creative, our belongings are remarkably unnamed – even the gazillion stuffed animals. We have Tiger, Bear, Moose, Big Horse, Little Horse, Dragonfly, etc. No beating around the bush. There’s one exception, though: a long, skinny, green dragon that my 4-year-old daughter has named Super Speed Fly.
I would love to know what your camera’s name is!!! I love mine dearly also.
I love this post so much! I’m all for naming objects – especially ones who bring joy.
My first car was Tucker Toyota. Today, with 3 kids and a 4th coming soon, I have graduated to Austen Tacious Odyssey!
Oh how your babes are growing! Love all of your pics – and again thank you for sharing them with us! 🙂
I name all of my cars……..my spiffy little red Honda Civic is “Ruby Rubino” – when I tell a friend “Ruby & I will pick you up at 10” – they’re like, “Who’s Ruby?!” Duh!
Happy Day to you & the munchkins!
Always love your posts! My suv is Scarlett! My husband named his motorcycle Eleanor from the fast and the furious the one that eluded him for so long but has yet to name his blue truck.
I love this so much! Anne-with-an-E is my girl, and I’ve always been a Namer too. My mini-van is Sherpa, our trees are Tree Beard, Smokey, and Sunny, etc., etc.
You are awesome Kelle!
My suv is Tom because my daughter thought the Black hood guard looked like a mustache and we all know the one man who truly rocked the ‘stache.
so that pose of Nella’s in the water…looks like ballet practice has come in handy…what a stunning turnout
Shut up. Our mini-van is also named Rhonda. Rhonda the Honda. Probably also had something to do with my girls’ love of the song Help Me Rhonda. However, I’m not usually a namer…but it’s catching on.
Nella’s red and white swimsuit is so cute! So is “Huckleberry”! Lainey looks beautiful with her wavy hair!!
I name everything too! My sewing machines are Sophie and Signe. My laptop is Linnea. Minivan is Hey Mama. The squirrel that bangs on the bedroom window when the bird feeder is empty is Edwin. Percy, Diane, James and Dominic are the deer I caught eating the tomatoes and climbing onto the trampoline – more than once. Whichever pen is my favorite at the time is Beloved. My husband says this habit is just one of those quirks that make me ‘Me’ 🙂