Domestic Frivolity and Wonderfulness

My first baking-induced injury of the morning was rather embarrassing: I cut myself, but not with a knife or baking utensil. I just clumsily broke my skin with a too-long fingernail. I was cutting and juicing lemons at the moment and almost (literally) poured lemon juice over my cut. I love it when life is a living cliche. Don't you?

I am throwing a baby shower tomorrow and hosting my writer's group, so I am spending all day today being Domestic. I used to think I was inherently Non-Domestic, but I've changed my mind. When I grow up, I want to be my Grandma Hacken. She was Domestic in the best sense of the word. She bustled around in a blur of home-made clothing, delicious smells in the kitchen and freshly cut flowers from the yard. She didn't do it because she was repressed by society and forced into a role that she hated. She did it all out of love. She painted murals for grandkids and made costumes and baked bread and tended the garden and made me feel like the most special person in the whole wide world.

By the time she passed away, I'd already mourned her for several years. We had already lost her to Alzheimer's and the loss was immense. Every time I think of the ideal wife, mother or grandmother, that childhood image of my smiling Grandma Hacken comes to mind. She is who I want to be when I grow up.

So today I am being Domestic. Sandra, stop laughing or gnashing your teeth. There is nothing wrong with being Domestic, even if you are an outspoken feminist with crazy ideas like "Men Can Change Diapers." I can peacefully exist within both spheres, and I do.

So, it is 10:31 a.m. and this is what I have done so far:

* Baked a pan of my favorite brownie recipe to be frosted, cut into bite-size pieces and topped with the paper-crafted daisy toothpick thingees that I made on Saturday.

* Made pie crust, which is happily chilling in the fridge in anticipation of being made into miniature tarts (lemon? lime? other?) later today or tomorrow morning

* Sliced lemons and limes to make a citrus syrup for my first attempt at homemade lemonade/limeade. Later on, I'm going to slice more lemons and limes and make some Fruity Ice Cubes out of them to go in the punch at the party. Now I debate: Strawberry lemonade? Raspberry lemonade? Throw in some food coloring to make "pink" lemonade because my "pink lemonade" recipe calls for grenadine and I have no idea what that is or if it's against my religion? (Laughing at myself, but.. yes, I'm serious.)

* Cut out sugar cookies (made the dough yesterday of course, because that gives the dry ingredients a chance to absorb the moisture, making for a more uniform and tastier final product ... as you already know) into daisy shapes to stick with my summery, flowery baby shower theme.

* Unloaded the dishwasher, wiped the countertop, loaded the dishwasher, wiped the countertop, hand-washed dishes, wiped the countertop, wiped the countertop, wiped the countertop .... repeat ad nauseum because cooking is messy and I can't tolerate a dirty countertop when I cook, regardless of what my husband will tell you. (Hush, husband.))

* Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl for my vanilla cupcakes, since we ate up the whole first batch with two last-minute gatherings with friends yesterday. I'm out of eggs now, so I need to go to the store before I can finish the cupcakes.

* Cut the last sugar cookie from yesterday into four pieces and enjoyed with my sons. There is something incredibly magical about home-baked goods that are frosted with a lemon cream cheese frosting. Seriously magical ... and highly addictive. I went to bed last night feeling nauseated by the amount of sugar in my system and swore not to let that happen again ... EVER. Ick.

I love cooking days. Love them, love them, love them. I love that I'm making a lemon syrup for the first time ever and that I almost poured lemon juice on my cut. I love planning parties and doing things that my Mom tells me are ridiculously unnecessary. Of course they are. That's why they are appreciated and remembered. That's what makes parties delightful--doing things that are completely unnecessary, incredibly time-consuming and impractical but fun and wonderful.

All is well.