I’ve written a little about my efforts to exercise, and this summer, I ordered a set of Pilates DVDs
I must disclose that while I’ve eaten butternut squash before, I had never prepared it myself, so I really didn’t know what I was getting into. I also didn’t know how intimidating a gourd could be.
My plan was to prepare the soup while the boys were at school, and I found this video on slicing butternut squash.
I’m really bad with a knife and have sliced myself pretty deep a few times, so this literally made me step away from the squash for a day or two, in fear.
Then, I read that you can actually bake an entire squash, whole, in the oven, and I decided that was a fool-proof method, even for someone as inept as me. The recipe I found said that you don’t have to poke holes in the squash, but it was gigantic, and I was scared it might explode.
So I poked a few holes and put it in the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour.
I should add that our new oven looks likes this (I don’t know, Ryan picked it out),
so I was anticipating a huge, “Boom!” But it never came. Instead, the squash sizzled and fizzed a bit, and actually smelled really good.
So I cut it in half and let it cool as I prepared the rest of the ingredients, which were just onions, steamed carrots, and milk, with a few random spices thrown in for good measure.
Then I mixed all the ingredients together in the blender, of all places. And let me tell you, there is something so wrong about putting hot foods in a blender, which should be reserved for ice cream only. James asked if we were having smoothies, and I said, “Yes, with carrots and onions.” Delish!
And finally, after two hours of this nonsense, the soup was ready.
The verdict: it tasted like bland, orange baby food, and I could have bought the exact same thing at the store, in a box, for around $3. I’m convinced I burned calories sweating over that knife video and waiting for the squash to explode in my oven, so I don’t think it was a complete waste of time.
But it was a waste of a squash.
Ryan suggested adding bacon, but I don’t think there will be a next time.
(Monkey see, Monkey do.)
Authenticity is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days, and I kind of hate it. Not only is it hard to say, but it just sounds pretentious, at least the way it’s currently being used. People talk about living authentic lives, having authentic friends, and blogging authentically. But what does that even mean? It just sounds very canned and Oprah-esque, in my opinion. An antique watch is authentic, or it’s not. Chinese food is authentic, or it’s not. People are real. Right?
As I’ve worked to improve and promote my blog these past few months, I’ve thought a lot about the issue of authenticity and what it means in the blogging world and social media. Sure, everyone wants to put their best face forward, and there’s always that delicate balance between revealing too much information and not enough. Some bloggers choose to air their dirty laundry in public and get reamed for it, while others put on bright and shiny faces, even as the very weight of the world beats down upon their shoulders, and they suffer the consequences, too. Sometimes it seems like we can’t win for losing.
This past week, I had two unusual experiences that stopped me dead in my blogging tracks and opened my eyes a bit more to the reality of social media and the online presence. One was the culmination of months of strange behavior by someone that I have watched from the relative privacy of the internet, while the other involved an online purchase that I planned to blog about. In both cases, I was left extremely disappointed, and I can’t, in good conscience, write about either in detail, for very different reasons.
And while that may sound incredibly vague and even bizarre, it’s not the first time I’ve witnessed what some would call inauthentic behavior, or for the realists among us, dishonesty.
My writing background is academic, and I’m used to citing sources and providing references for thoughts and statements that are not mine. I like to think that I bring that same sensibility to blogging, and it’s important for me to provide real and honest information and photographs. I also believe in giving credit where credit is due, and, because I read many blogs that inspire me, I will always link back to the original source. If I write a review of a product or mention another blogger, I will let the company or blogger know, usually in advance, and their response is typically very cordial. I love interacting with other bloggers and developing friendships, and when I profiled my favorite fashion bloggers (something I felt compelled to do after another disconcerting instance in the blogosphere), all five women were thrilled to participate.
While it’s easy to get hung up on readership numbers and monthly pageviews, I think it’s more important to remember why we blog and write in the first place. I love sharing pieces of my life with others, and I’m so grateful for the friends I’ve made and the followers I have. I love taking blogging classes, live, in the comfort of my home, knowing all the while that others are doing the same thing alongside me. And I love connecting with people across the world and learning about their lives and stories. This, to me, is what blogging is about.
We’re all in this together, and we need to remember that. Honesty is always the best policy, so let’s try to keep it real.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, so please feel free to share them.
My posts this week had a definite Texas-slash-Dairy Queen theme, so I thought it would be appropriate to end the week with a little love poem, of sorts.
There are many reasons why I adore my home state, and these are just a few.
The drivers are friendly.
(An old mill in Johnson City.)
The past and present mix well together,
and the artwork is stunning.
There’s one of these in every town.
The sky is blue, the fields are green, and the roads are long; full of endless possibilities.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
