Creating in Community

Last week, my husband had a conference to attend. I tagged along to stay with him at his family's house while he commuted to and from his sessions so we could pretend he was just going off to work and not out of town, leaving me at home and lonely. I can imagine that this plan would bewilder many women who are thinking at this point, "isn't being stranded with your in-laws worse than having a few days at home to yourself?" Thing is, I have this miraculous and rare blessing of having incredible in-laws, so the week was a total treat. My mother-in-law, Nora, in particular is a special treasure. I am so grateful to have fallen in love with my husband for many reasons, including the fact that it means that I got to know his mom, who I consider one of my best friends. My own mother is amazing herself, and I often dream of the three of us hanging out, being best buddies together - but geographic divides make such things too complicated - which is a shame because we would have the greatest time together! We're all introverted, crafty, and curious.

With Manny gone all day, Nora and I spent some good quality one-on-one craft bonding time. I got the benefit of having her experienced eyes look over my shoulder while I pinned, sewed, and stitched, giving me really helpful little pointers along the way. We also surmounted the gargantuan task of deciphering how to work my sewing machine properly (apparently the knotting and sticking I was experiencing wasn't normal! who would have thought?) with only the guidance of our own intuition and the world's thickest and least useful book of instructions ever. Sewing is so much more pleasant now that we got that figured out! In exchange for her tutelage, she got to see the scary task-master side of my personality, a side I hide from as many people as I can but will never be forgotten by the likes of my father, who employed me for a summer only to find that my "managing up" skills were more than he bargained for, or my friend Emily, who's friendship it is a miracle I still possess after an incident in college I refer to as the "scorched swans." Perhaps it is vain of me, but I would like to think that I have grown a bit in grace, compassion, and interpersonal interaction since my previous grievances. Nora is still speaking to me, but she is a very nice person, so who knows.

We embarked together on a project to create some party favors, which I look forward to posting photos of, but will have to wait for a few weeks until their owners receive them. The project concept started out so simple, but over the course of three days it evolved and grew, perhaps slightly out of control. But this wasn't an entirely bad thing. It was certainly more work than we signed up for, but that's because there was as much creativity in the process as the product. Since I have started this project of cultivating creativity, this was the first time I got to do something creative with someone else. Of course this is not the first time in my life, but it was the first time since I've been trying to be reflective on the experience in this way. Creating things with others is quite a different experience. You feed off each other and help expand each other's horizons and vision for what you are capable of.

I remember watching this exchange reverberate between my sister and I growing up. My mother set the precedent of giving useful and appreciated, yet homemade gifts to our teachers each Christmas. Each year it was a new, elaborate project that was as much fun to make as to give. As we got older, my sister and I started making gifts for our friends as well. One of us would buy journals for our friends, but add quotes or verses to several of the pages for inspiration. The other of us would take note, and then step it up a notch by collaging photos to the covers. I wish I could remember more of our projects, but I can't forget that feeling of looking down the hallway in amazement at my sister sitting there creating something spectacular for a friend that was a spin off of something I had recently created. I imagine some of our friends would have preferred we spent a few more bucks and a few less hours on their gifts, to those of you - I am sorry if you felt like we were being cheap - but to my sister, I am grateful for the inspiration!

For Nora and I, this meant a few extra trips to stores for new supplies, later hours into the night, and roping our men into the project to make sure it could actually reach completion (thanks Leo, Eddie, and Manny!). Just a simple, small suggestion from one to another often took the whole project to a whole new level. It also meant that though we set out to add a little personal touch to a simple favor and wound up with a pile of gifts we are both feeling very reluctant about letting anyone else actually take away from us because we like them so much. I will have to settle for keeping only the pictures I take of them and the joy I hope someone else can hopefully get out of what we made.

Creating in community not only allows for growth in one another's imaginations, but also in your relationship. During the hours we worked, we had ample time to talk, getting to know each other better and share our trials and triumphs with one another (an increasingly rare luxury for Americans according to recent studies). We also had several opportunities to edify one another through pointers and praise about our work. And isn't it interesting that the world that we live in was also created in community? God the Father sends forth the Spirit, sweeping over the face of the waters. And John 1 tells us how the Word (Jesus) was with God, and all things came into being through Him (Jesus). As God remarked that His creation was good, I wonder if part of that utterance was a patting on the back of the Spirit and the Son, encouraging them for the good work in the part that they each played, a sort of "go team!" after a good game. I wonder how much of the amazing intricacies we discover in creation were matters of creative suggestion the three of them made to one another in the process, "oh wow, I love what you did there on that fish's fin, I wonder if I could incorporate something similar into this butterflies wing?" or, "hey, that man you created is pretty wonderful, well done, but we sure enjoy the relationship we have amongst each other, don't you think he might be even better off if he weren't alone? what if we made a woman so he could enjoy a glimpse of the communion we delight in, in one another?" We were created in community, for community. And it was good.

By way of quick follow up to my last post, the baby shower we helped throw last weekend went well. I hope the mother-to-be felt loved and honored. The 7-layer-dip I made for the shower was unfortunately pretty disappointing - something didn't quite work about the guacamole layer and I couldn't figure out how to redeem it. Fortunately, people seemed to enjoy the spinach artichoke dip more - no art to that one, just threw some things in a casserole dish according to a recipe and baked it, hard to mess that one up. I got to give the mother-to-be a nursing cover I made for her - this was the mysterious first sewing project I created on my sewing machine, mentioned a few posts ago. My apologies Earline, as Nora hadn't looked over my shoulder while I sewed just yet, so I hope it holds together ok when you use it, and that you don't look too closely at the stitching, which isn't the prettiest. I hope it still serves you well! Here are some pics of how it turned out:

inside of nursing cover (see fuzzy pink pockets for storage and for baby's tactile stimulation) and carrying case laid on top

outside of nursing cover with neck strap, carrying case on top

carrying case

Also this week, I've made two new recipes. Caprese pannini's - which weren't exactly an original idea, but I made them with some personal touches and was immensely pleased with how delightful something so simple can taste! I'm also sure that they tasted better than Finn's "grilled cheesus" this week on Glee, even if they had no super powers. That dude is weird. I also made red beans and rice for the first time (from Cooking Light, January 2009). The flavors took me back to memories of Houston and the red beans and rice my dad used to love to get downtown. Despite the fact that it was a bit spicier than my weak palette could handle, Manny's reaction was satisfaction enough, "is this what Cajun food tastes like?" - "yes" - "why have I never had Cajun food before? this is amazing!" I think I'll have to build up my spice tolerance and make this recipe again sometime!