Honest Scrap Award

Interesting….  I’ve been asked for honesty.  I attempt to be authentic most times, even to the point of being self-depricating.  I accept the challenge.

I am a huge fan of Susan Cohan so I’m flattered she tagged me for an Honest Scrap Award.  I feel blessed to have an interesting life and fascinating friends, but I must admit to being pretty much an average mom these days as opposed to my crazy youth. I even find it humorous that my very mainstream teenage daughter’s very mainstream boyfriend (who I love) calls me “colorful.”

Colorful, as a description of me, is funny, in part, because I did not wear color for more than a decade.  Yep, I was one of those goth girls. I’ve morphed since then.  I no longer wear jewelry in my nose and it’s jeans and full color t-shirts most days.

See how much of a goof-ball-mom I am? I was helping my husband set up photo lights and he shot this frame in a Wellsboro, PA hotel.

The award has two components. You have to first list 10 honest things about yourself (and make them interesting), and second is to present the award to seven other bloggers.   I can promise you that I did reach down and tried my best to be open without embellishment.  I can promise the items are too long.  Smile. I will tag folks who I am curious about; a couple who are local to me. I’m hoping I’m not repeating any tags.  Thanks for reading!

-In high school, a good friend turned me on to thrift shopping.  I soon fell in love with 1950’s era design and furniture.  I fed my desire to be surrounded by mid-century modern by collecting 50’s dishware.  I stored them under my bed.  I had 200 plates at one point.

-Transitioning from a career in newspapers to “still to be determined” is terribly frightening.  It’s comforting, in a way, to feel not so alone in this.  Seems the entire world is transitioning.

I'm very proud of my kiddos.

-I have not successfully taught my children good food habits.  They still love fast-food and I give in to them.  I am attempting to wean them off.

-I planned to be a professor, which explains the Political Science/Economics gig I finished at Purdue University.  Didn’t get any money for grad school so I decided to get paid to learn, rather than paying to learn, and took a job as a photojournalist in Pennsylvania.  I was a photographer nearly 20 years.

- I lived on a farm in Indiana for a part of my childhood. I never would have guessed that I’d want a farm as an adult.  It is fascinating how much youthful experience dictates your later life.

-I became interested in gardening and cooking pretty far ahead of most of my friends.  One friend dubbed me the, “Punk Rock Martha Stewart.”   Hence, the blog name.

-I came to my love of local food from an anti-industrialization angle rather than an environmental angle.

-I overcame shyness through photography.  I love meeting all sorts of people and my camera gave me both a reason to interact and a wall to hide behind.  Now, my blog lets me continue doing what I loved about photojournalism.  I get to talk to people and share their stories and images with others.

-I lean on and value my friends more than some folks.  This might be because I have very little family left.  I feel lucky they put up with me.

-My first job was as a waitress at the Triple X.  Now, now… It is a root beer stand.

Tag!  If your name is below I bestow upon you an Honest Scrap Award.  Please play.  It’s fun.

Kenny veggiegardeningtips

Daniel smallkitchengardens

Kerry containergardens

Dan clearwaterlandscapes

Fern lifeonthebalcony

Katie gardenofwords

Carrie readbetweenthelimes