Kelle, Author at Enjoying the Small Things

Hearing the Grass

March 20, 2012 By Kelle

I pulled an old book out this weekend, a gem I was reading in my early twenties when everyone else was out partying and Homeschooled Girl didn’t know how to fit in. There’s a dog-earred page somewhere in the middle, the first paragraph almost completely highlighted in faded yellow marker. Author Sarah Ban Breathnach quotes naturalist Diane Ackerman (A Natural History of the Senses) in reiterating the fact that we have the capability “to perceive the world with all its gushing beauty and terror, right on our pulses,” and yet most don’t truly awaken their senses to feel things deeply. Ackerman is quoted again: “The senses don’t just make sense of life in bold or subtle acts of clarity, they tear reality apart into vibrant morsels and reassemble them into a meaningful pattern.”

I like that. I like to say I live that.

Breathnach goes on, asking readers to practice the exercise of pausing a moment each day to marvel at the natural gifts we’ve all been given, and ends with a George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) quote: “If we had keen vision and feeling for all ordinary human life it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel’s heart beat, and we should die of the roar which lies on the other side of silence.”

I reread this passage Sunday morning, on our way to Isle of Capri–the end cap of an adventurous week with my mom. And I thought about it, especially after such a high-on-life weekend.

Sometimes when things are good–really good–I seek to understand the presence of good just as much as if it where the opposite–to question unfortunate circumstances which is a natural response to heartache. Sometimes I’ve felt that positivity, blue skies and good fortune need a disclaimer. Like it’s only deserved if it’s been well balanced with hard times, a lot of effort or heartache in the past.

I’m not superstitious but, to be completely honest, in some of my most contented periods in life when I’ve been so presently aware of good, I’ve actually wondered…is heartache around the bend? Is this all some game where everyone says someday, “Well that makes sense. Things were just too damn good for that unicorn girl.”

That is a ridiculous way of thinking.

Over the years, especially the last two, my confidence in the natural order of the universe and our own ability to alter our perspective has grown. Life doesn’t dish out bad and good in equal amounts or according to what’s “fair.” Likewise, I don’t have “bad” coming to me any more than I have “good” coming to me.

The answer to all of this lies, for me, in the simple truth of which Ackerman spoke. Regardless of how good or bad life presently is, I will tear reality apart into “vibrant morsels and reassemble them into a meaningful pattern.” While I believe that good begets good, I also know it is inevitable that life will come with challenges, sad days, rain and heartache. Through all of it, I will listen to hear the grass grow or the squirrel’s heart beat. I will focus on right now, today, and I will not disclaim fully feeling life’s gifts.

Maybe loving life and embracing experiences in a tearing-apart-the-vibrant-morsels kind of way is a bit like the tree that falls in the forest that only creates a sound when someone is there to hear it. Is it only good if we’re wildly pursuing opportunities to be sensually aware? To feel the heat of the sun and make note of its goodness, to listen to our child’s laughter and memorize its tone, even to acknowledge the depth of our pain and fully feel its sting? If so, all the more reason to…suck. the. marrow. That’s right.

I did this weekend. My skin is sun-kissed, my babies have a heap of memories, my camera snapped hundreds of pictures of things that made me come alive and, as God would say, “Behold, it was good.”

Let’s just get it over with. I saw a unicorn Sunday night from a boat, okay? I can’t really explain it without doing exactly what I don’t want to do which is disclaiming the awesomeness of the experience with some unfortunate fact like my life jacket was ugly or the wind uncomfortably whipped my hair. See I just did it. And actually, that’s not even true. My life jacket was lovely and the wind made my hair gracefully flutter into heart shaped curls. I’m owning it. A friend of a friend offered us a free sunset cruise from the Isles of Capri Sunday night, and there we were with my mom and George, laughing that things were just really too good. Then, amid the hour of golden sunset, our driver spotted some dolphins, clicked and whistled a Dr. Doolittle call, and they came.

All of them, chasing the boat, gliding in the wake, twisting and turning in the current.

How ’bout them vibrant morsel apples?

And that was just a bit of the weekend, wedged between other moments–mostly good–that I’m not going to attempt to disclaim. I took so many many photos that I had to put them into a little montage I’ll share at the end.

My favorite moments this weekend?

The very photogenic county fair.

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Lainey’s Photography

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My mom’s What-the-hell? face (she would never say hell though)

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Lainey’s pet Grouper Finger.

She told me “he” (the tiny bite left over from her grouper finger) wanted to lay out in the sun, but he didn’t want to burn, so she pulled my drink umbrella out and made him a little set-up.

And this is the kind of thing I want to preserve–to tell every teacher she might have to balance math and science and phonics appropriately against this more powerful, more valuable sense of wonder and imagination. Creativity…it’s the secret to her future.

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Falling in love with my camera all over again this weekend.

It helps me see. It changes me.

Nella’s onesie, the fabulous Lee Marie retro inspired Etsy shop

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Making weekend movies. Enjoy.

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Scentsy Independent Consultant, Jessica Clough, is back to sponsor this month with some brand new spring scents and products. I’m eager to add some spring aromas to our home and have my eye on the new Lonicera (honeysuckle, amber & patchouli) and Pixie (pink pepper, mandarin, heliotrope, teakwood and vanilla oak) scents. Check out Scentsy’s impressive selection of scent warmers and scent products to make your home more inviting.

Jessica is giving away one Barista full-size warmer and a Yuzu Dragon Scentsy Bar (notes of guava, nectarine, dragonfruit and yuzu) to one lucky commenter on this post.

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Listening to the grass grow this week.

*Thank you, Darko, for taking good care of us at the Isle of Capri Fish House, and hello to his sweet wife, Amy in Omaha!

I see your sand castle, and I raise you a moat.

March 17, 2012 By Kelle

According to Lainey who just checked the clock, it is “eighty hundred o’clock.” Which means a day late and a dollar short for a blog post.

So I’ll start with a Friday Photo Dump:

Friday Phone Dump photos are taken on the Instagram iPhone app (free) and dropped into a 12×12 collage using a photo editing software (Photoshop Elements works). I am @etst (enjoying the small things) on Instagram if you want to follow the feed.

I am exhausted in the same way tired full babies fall asleep, smiling. They are satisfied and fed. They want to sleep.

And no, I did not purposely drop that line in there to offer a nice transition, but hey, since it’s there, I’m not letting it go to waste.

Hello, baby.

I reinstated my visitation rights with newborns this weekend after finally getting over a wretched cold. My reunion with Baby Ivy was very clouds-parting-angels-singing. I speak newborn. I dig babies.

And my girl? She’s like her mama. She is drawn to babies, and something within her comes very much alive when she’s cradling a tiny body. I asked her how she knows how to hold a baby so good. She answered, “I just know, Mom.”

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With my mom here for only a couple more days, I feel the hourglass sand slipping, and fitting as much fabulousness into her trip has become my mission. We don’t hold lofty standards for fabulousness. We settle for simple things–anything that writes good memories.

Lainey thought the yarn shop was boring which made me smile. Boring will make good memories too. I should know. I spent many an afternoon wandering fabric store aisles years ago, hiding between bolts of cotton muslin, begging my mom to step away from the Butterick books.

Being bored is perhaps the best catalyst for creativity.

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As all good showing-visitors-our-town adventures go, we ended up at the beach Thursday afternoon–a different beach, one that requires a little tram ride to get to but offers the advantage of softer sand, more shells and the interesting landscape of a pass that separates two beaches with a shallow pool and extensive sand bars.

The sky was unusually vivid, the gulf quiet and calm. We couldn’t have picked a better day to visit, and I felt a little guilty owning the praise when my mom applauded me relentlessly for picking this beach, for arranging this perfect day. Nature really delivered. But still–I said “You’re welcome.”

And sand castles? Listen. We don’t mess around. We brought a plastic shovel and two pails and, while we started with a humble mound and some shells, some kid a few towels over tried to show us up with this flashy sand mansion. I saw Lainey eyeing it, and I’m sorry to say I suddenly turned into the mom who takes over her kid’s science project to get him a blue ribbon. “George, wet sand!” I commanded as I tossed him an empty pail. “Lainey! Sticks, feathers, shells–anything you can find. Go! Bring it!” I ordered. And Mama done lost her mind, sculpting, scraping, patting. Our hard work rendered two homes–the summer beach castle and the winter sand cabin. Moat included.

I will chill out by third grade. Promise.

It is so nice having my mama here.

I’ve been slipping away to get work done when I can, to catch up on e-mails, do a little writing, clean up chores. It’s hard sometimes to be “on vacation” with visiting family when there’s a lot of work to do at home. And by hard, I mean good. Because we make more efforts to make memories. We wake up earlier, go to bed later and only choose the very best things to fill our time. We say “yes” to more opportunities, and at the end of the day we are exhausted but completely satisfied. There will be time for rest later. There will be quiet moments to pull back, settle down, recover. But memories take work sometimes. Amazing takes work.

And it’s worth it.

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I so loved reading all of the things you learned from your mamas, grandmas, and women who inspire you. So much good advice–thank you for sharing!

Congratulations to the Popina swimsuit winner, Comment #414: The Whirling Dirvish: “My mom taught me that I am stronger today than the before and that I am the culmination of the sorrows, joys, struggles and triumphs of each and every woman before me. That having my daughters made me stronger and that it’s my job to remind them of the same things she taught me. Oh, and that any day can be made better by new shoes :)”

Whirling Dirvish (I hope that’s your real name because that would be awesome), please send your contact info to kellehamptonblog@comcast.net with the subject line POPINA WINNER, and start looking for a fabulous big hat to accessorize your new suit! Congrats!

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Introducing new sponsor, Honeysuckle Road, a Georgia hand-stamped accessory shop specializing in personalized jewelry and accessories with inspiring quotes, all reasonably priced.

I absolutely love my Live What You Love bracelet.

Wear your inspiration close where you can be reminded, or pick something out for a friend at Honeysuckle Road. Happy Shopping!

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Our weekend continued with a county fair, a parade and, might I add, a whack to the head with a flag stick when I stepped into the line of the color guard today. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to ya.
More to come.

When Mama is Here

March 14, 2012 By Kelle

Right now, from where I am sitting, I can hear my mom reading to Lainey on the couch. It is quiet except for the sound of her voice that sings the words like a kindergarten teacher–softly but with good enthusiasm. I don’t know what the story is, but I’ve picked up something about three big white birds and a handsome swan.

Savory whiffs of homemade chicken pot pie are escaping from the oven, and cooling on the bay window ledge right now are two perfect pies–one apple, one mixed berry.

My mama’s here.

This means a number of things–that the Scrabble board will come out from its dusty hiding place in the closet, that we’ll set out on bikes for evening rides, that the meals of my childhood will resurface this week, that the hole that’s been growing on Lainey’s puppy blanket will finally get patched and sewed, that we’ll watch at least two wholesome Hallmark movies and talk about them when they’re over, that we’ll search eBay for European shoes and quilts and dolls back from when they made them good. And we’ll make pies. Because that’s what my mom does.

There is the other part though–the bigger picture part where I think about legacy and generations and how much my perpective changes as I get older. How much I appreciate my mom more and what she did for us when we were little, what she does for us now. And having her here and listening to her sing to my kids or watching her transform my meager pantry staples into the World’s Best Casserole, I can’t help but fast forward and wonder, what will it look like when my girls are grown?

I hope I do the best character voices in stories for my grandkids. I hope they save their tattered security blankets for me to patch up on my visits. And I hope I make some mean pies.

I struggle with a good even pie crust, so I watched my mom today, studying her method. She said it’s easy. “You just have to show the crust who’s boss.”

Bonus of mama visits? I get to be a tour guide–taking her to our favorite places and revisiting them with new enthusiasm. She and George like nature and flowers and outdoor adventures. They know the names of birds, and they bring their own binoculars.

Lainey was excited to introduce her friends to her grandma and grandpa yesterday, to show off for them in ballet, to tell Aleena “you can call her Grandma Krissy too.”

And I, as Kelly Corrigan would say, like being in that middle place, hugged between needing a mom and being a mom, still learning and taking and yet teaching and giving at the same time.

As I watch my girls whisper to their own baby dolls, wrapping them up in whatever they can find for blankets, kissing their heads, gently toting them along on our trips and attending to them in the car, I can only smile and be assured that the cycle will continue.

They are just beginning–little blocks of love and affection, praise and guidance slowly building their foundation. And while sometimes I wonder what the middle place holds for Nella, I at least find comfort in the fact that her foundation is strong. We are in control of that, and that is empowering. We’ll cushion her up good–love on every side, and yet we’ll push her forward too. And you can be damned sure, Sister’s going to know how to make pies.

P.S. Sister has mad typing skills.

We finished our afternoon at the pool today, Lainey bravely jumping with big splashes to impress both her mama and her grandma and Nella watching quietly from her float.

This middle place? Best view in the house. I look back for inspiration, I look forward with motivation.

That’s what mamas do.

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Being that it’s mid-March and the promise of warmer and sunnier is on everyone’s mind, we’ve been dipping in the pool a little more frequently and making plans for Isle of Capri.

This, of course, means swimsuit time. The perfect swimsuit, to be exact. I’ve proclaimed my love in the past for the fabulous vintage swimwear Popina offers, and this year I think I’ve found my favorite suit yet (close tie with the yellow). Popina offers a range of tankinis, highwaist swimwear and vintage styles. They are comfy and butt-hugging in just the way you want your butt hugged.

Jantzen Vamp Suit

Popina is offering a 15% discount right now, using code kelle. And one lucky commenter on this post will win a free swimsuit, courtesy of Popina Swimwear (winner announced Friday). Find a big hat, a pair of Jackie O’s, tell Esther Williams to move over and get ready for some sunshine.

In your comment, tell me, what’s one of your favorite things you learned from your mama? And if not from your own mom, then maybe from someone else’s mom.

I learned to be content. To love simple things. To use dish cloths, not sponges. And to never stop hugging and kissing my kids. Even when they’re all grown up.

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