Eating From the Ground Up

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nine years

Friday, December 9, 2011 by alana

Nine years ago today, I squeezed my pregnant self into a black lacy dress, and Joey put on his thrift store suit. We walked up the frozen steps of town hall and got married right then and there. A few weeks later we would have a nice full and well-fed wedding, but this was the legal one, and in our cheap suit and black lace clad pregnant belly, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Then we went out to lunch, and marveled over the fact that this was indeed how families are made. We were 23, both of us, and Sadie was squiggling around and pulling the strings from deep inside me. We ate Finnish food and laughed through our lunch, and then Joey went back to work shelving groceries.

This morning, Joey sent me an email from work.

Hi Hon,

I had a tough bit of luck first thing this morning:

First,  i forgot the girls’ backpacks. I think they’ll live.

Also, I bumped into your car with my car. No dents, but a nice scratch in the driver’s side door. I am so sorry.

But, I’m in a good mood, so hopefully things will turn around.

Happy Anniversary.

I laughed through that one too, and I haven’t even been out to look at the car. This is, after all, the way families are made. Here’s to work, and love, and laughing through it all. Lucky me, to be able to do it all with Joey.

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: marriage

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Comments

  1. erin maxwell says

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 3:53 pm

    Happy Anniversary to you guys! Enjoy the day and the years to come

  2. Liz says

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    Happy anniversary! I can’t believe it’s been 9 years already. Kisses and hugs to everyone.

  3. art and lemons says

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    I love this post, Alana, beautifully written. Happy Anniversary to you both!

  4. Stephanie says

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 11:17 pm

    Alana, happy anniversary! I had to leave a comment because tomorrow is our anniversary (also city hall). And I thought that was a cool coincidence. We’re celebrating in Hudson near your neck o the woods. Happy times! (Stephanie-your-book-designer)

    • alana says

      Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 12:22 am

      and happy anniversary to you, Stephanie! (Somehow these my replies here didn’t come through, so I’m coming in a bit late). Hooray for winter weddings!

  5. Meg says

    Friday, December 9, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    Dear ones, this brought tears to my eyes: for no particular reason, and for every single reason. So much love to you both. You have inspired me with every step.

  6. Naya says

    Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 12:06 am

    I wish we were neighbors, so we could open a bottle of champagne for you two and then babysit the girls while you & joey went on a sexy date! Love to you both and thank you for sharing the bits and pieces of your life which continually inspire me and make life richer. xo

  7. Paige Orloff says

    Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 2:32 am

    Love you guys. WIshing you the happiest of happy days. xoxox

  8. Miki says

    Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 3:37 am

    Ah, yes – lucky you, and lucky Joey.

    Congratulations.

    xoxoxoxoxoxox

  9. Grandmother Cynthia Morton Hollingsworth says

    Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 2:14 am

    I have just seen the three videos which Kirk Hollingsworth (Grandfather to Alana) sent on to me. After viewing the videos, my immediate reaction was
    “HOW I love my Granddaughter, her husband and their two very appealing daughters” — I am so very proud of her – and I cant wait to make some butter
    and I will be sure and not leave a drop of buttermilk in the butter ! I also love your kitchen arrangement.
    — I send a special HI! to Sadie and Rosie !


Welcome!

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Instagram post 2337331591407595410_13442450 Sending off my taxes today with intention and prayer that they will be used to support programs for the most vulnerable, and that my little contribution will join with others to help move us towards the country I know we can be. #taxmagic ✨
Instagram post 2335726864949371764_13442450 Goodies en route to @north_plain_farm today for pickup! Word about town is that LOTS of moolah was raised for BRIDGE in this little #bakersagainstracism bake sale. Thanks to North Plain Farm and @raisinporpoise for the organizing, to everyone who bought and bid, and most of all to BRIDGE for the essential work they do. (Want to learn more about BRIDGE? Head to the link in my profile.)
Instagram post 2332756427273440195_13442450 So technically you’re not supposed to send food when trying to find an agent, but I did it it. 10 years ago, my granola helped seal that deal, and he insisted I send it to publishers when we were selling The Homemade Pantry (another general publishing no no) That Landed-a woman-with-no-platform-a-book deal Granola is up for grabs in this amazing bake sale, as well as goodies by some of my very favorite bakers (@madeinghent , @raisinporpoise , and @thedooryard to name a few). Oh and maybe my favorite item in there are the magical @susanspungen ginger chocolate cookies I mentioned a few weeks back, made by Sadie herself. All of this is to support the work of @multiculturalbridge , and the order form is up in my bio. Get to it! #bakersagainstracism
Instagram post 2330317921708403058_13442450 My friend @afgoldfarb has been part of a team of people working on this vital project. The link to learn more and help out is in my profile.
Instagram post 2330131706816229761_13442450 I’ll be baking up a storm for this! Local bakers- there’s still room for more! Let @north_plain_farm know that you want IN.
Instagram post 2324845496300301430_13442450 To those who ask here? In Great Barrington? YES. In Great Barrington.
Instagram post 2324091364266290851_13442450 I know there are so many resources out there right now, but I want to share one that’s been really helpful for me in the last several months. There are many seasons of this podcast, but I recommend Season 2 on Whiteness as well is Season 4 on Democracy. #sceneonradio
Instagram post 2322615811734696638_13442450 Black lives matter.
Instagram post 2319329508599466327_13442450 I did not bake these cookies, as I am no longer the cookie baker in this house. But this is the second time that  Sadie has made @susanspungen ‘s Triple-Ginger Chocolate Chunk Cookies (and also the second time I’ve talked about a recipe Sadie has made from the #openkitchencookbook), and I think these might actually be the best cookies I have ever had. I’m often looking for the perfect ginger cookie and this is it, and I’d also choose it over a chocolate chip cookie (or let’s be honest-any other kind of cookie) any day.
Instagram post 2316311882260313364_13442450 No matter how many rulers and pizza cutters and other magical tools I use, it seems that the straight line will always elude me.
Instagram post 2314127252740427104_13442450 Living it up. 💥
Instagram post 2312088043104000827_13442450 Every day my neighbor’s yard gets prettier.
Instagram post 2311325683330503572_13442450 @paulaperlis sent us @susanspungen ‘s new book and of course the first recipe Sadie picked is marked with the *project* heading. She’s been cooking all afternoon and the house smells like ✨✨✨ (With gorgeous images by @gentlandhyers ❤️)
Instagram post 2311141543964321092_13442450 When I took on a day job a few years ago, I found that the first thing to go was all the homemade stuff I’d been making and writing about over the years. I’m still going out to work most days, but I’m finding now with a full and captive house and more downtime in general that those things I love to make are back. For me, it’s granola, yogurt, bread. Hello, old friends!
Instagram post 2308503311808232748_13442450 All the things in the house pasta: roasted cauliflower, a few sad leaves of kale, one jar of fancy tuna saved for a special occasion (how about Wednesday?), Rosemary, homemade breadcrumbs from the freezer fried in butter, crispy sage leaves, pasta water, salt, so much pepper. Success!
Instagram post 2307412630968777107_13442450 @artbywoodgy made this beautiful thing for me for Mother’s Day. All the veggies are on Velcro so I can plan to my hearts delight.
Instagram post 2306345003953662730_13442450 Happy Mother’s Day to my brave and beautiful mom, who birthed two different humans in such different times in her life. With me she was so young, and she figured it all out just as she was learning how to be an adult. This picture was taken nineteen years later, when she was pregnant again and I was almost an adult myself. Thanks for keeping at it, Mom, and for always showing up with love. ❤️
Instagram post 2304888771283579843_13442450 What we do for cake.
Instagram post 2302665269449083186_13442450 It’s a magnolia year for sure.
Instagram post 2295808104927071821_13442450 A long time ago, Joey talked about his crush on this particular alien-like flower with a good friend of ours. Months later, little bulbs arrived in the mail. We put them in the ground last fall, and now they are everywhere. If that isn’t some kind of magic, I don’t know what is. ✨ (🙏🏻 to @wildflowers1 for the cool vase, too.)
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