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Here I find myself in another year, brand new! I've had a delightful couple of days pondering what I'm going to do with it and wondering what it might do to me! I'm also holding back a few more days on sharing all of our family, fun and crafty holiday goodness in exchange for this...

Yes, that's right...a 3-month old picture of my pantry! Thrilling, right? Maybe not at first glance, but let's scrape the surface and discover some of the history and metaphorical goodness behind this seemingly bland shot.

This pantry photo op happened thanks to a variety of factors:

1. Chaz was out of town and you see, there are always more fun things to do than organize a pantry when a dear friend is around.
2. It was 11:30 at night and four small people were snoozing. You mean you don't stay up until midnight to clean a pantry? Well, around here, certain small people take down two jars for every one I put up, so I usually settle for tossing a jar in haphazardly and then shutting the door quickly to deter would-be mess makers.
3. The sliding closet doors had fallen down and I lacked the strength to heft them back onto their track. This unveiling of the pantry in its pitiful state of full topsy-turviness combined with a new ability to actually access all areas of the closet left me hankering to help it look a bit spiffier.

I was pleased with the orderliness of it all and took a moment to admire all the pretty bottles of home preserved deliciousness. I might have mourned that the blue cake crock stared at me half-full of mere potatoes. I could also have dwelled on the fact that in just a few hours, the smallest of the small ones would be up and taking apart my lovely pantry while I watched anxiously for the landlord to arrive and put the doors back in their place. I reached for my camera instead and then went to bed.


Now then, I seem to have taken so long to recount the story of the above photo that I fear I may be losing your interest for the pantry's metaphorical underpinnings. Perhaps I'll aim for brevity (not my forte). I've been pondering all that I do and that which I don't do. I've been thinking of those who are impressed with what I do and comment on how they couldn't do it themselves. I always think, "of course you could, if you really wanted to." Then I stroll over to a random blog and think, "gosh, I wish I could do everything s/he does." My mind quickly recalls my own advice: of course I could, if I really wanted to.

If you really want to educate your children at home, learn to put-up your own food and sew your own clothes, you certainly can. If I want to learn shuttle tatting, to play the mandolin, take better pictures, sing in harmony, and make two king size bed spreads this year...well...I can certainly do that too. But I need to make space. At first it might not seem to fit in behind that closet door where I've been haphazardly stashing all the busy stuff life is made of. But if I take a moment to consider my priorities and explore the world behind the closet doors, I usually find that I have plenty of room for all I truly want to do.

I think you will too.

Welcome 2012. I have big plans for you.