I have a confession to make: I kind of like Martha Stewart.
Years ago, when I was working as a cook at a catering company, several of our go to recipes were from Martha's cookbooks, Entertaining and Weddings. The dishes were always foolproof crowd-pleasers, so it was hard to throw any shade on her. And a few years later, when my 4-year-old nephew Riley told everyone he saw a lady on TV who looked like Aunt Tracey, I was a little tickled that it was Martha.
Even when she was sent to that low-security prison in West Virginia for the white collar crime of insider trading, I just couldn't hold it against her. Perhaps it helped that one of her fabulous estates is on Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park, and one of my favorite places in the world. Or maybe it was just plain admiration for a middle class kid from Jersey City who went to Barnard and built a hundred and fifty million dollar business.
Either way, here's where I tell you that I subscribe to her magazine, Living, not for the decorating advice, nor the crafts, nor the recipes (although I do love the photos of all of those), but for Martha's monthly calendar which appears in the first pages of every issue. There we see, in addition to celebrations with friends and family, her exercise schedule (cardio and strength on alternating days), when she will glean her garden and clean her gutters, decorate and send her cards for holidays, groom her dogs, go horseback riding, pick and freeze peas, and swim and have cocktails by the pool. What an enviable life it seems she leads!
But I had to wonder today, when I got my June copy out of the mailbox, how far in advance they plan these issues, and what sort of alacrity could they bring to Living in this situation we all find ourselves. And I must say, that the calendar does reflect the reality of social distancing. Martha is at home, cooking, gardening, exercising, and caring for her pets.
But this month, the difference is, so am I. Okay, minus the horses and pool, but still.
Life Lesson:
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
~Mary Oliver
The Summer Day
Years ago, when I was working as a cook at a catering company, several of our go to recipes were from Martha's cookbooks, Entertaining and Weddings. The dishes were always foolproof crowd-pleasers, so it was hard to throw any shade on her. And a few years later, when my 4-year-old nephew Riley told everyone he saw a lady on TV who looked like Aunt Tracey, I was a little tickled that it was Martha.
Even when she was sent to that low-security prison in West Virginia for the white collar crime of insider trading, I just couldn't hold it against her. Perhaps it helped that one of her fabulous estates is on Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park, and one of my favorite places in the world. Or maybe it was just plain admiration for a middle class kid from Jersey City who went to Barnard and built a hundred and fifty million dollar business.
Either way, here's where I tell you that I subscribe to her magazine, Living, not for the decorating advice, nor the crafts, nor the recipes (although I do love the photos of all of those), but for Martha's monthly calendar which appears in the first pages of every issue. There we see, in addition to celebrations with friends and family, her exercise schedule (cardio and strength on alternating days), when she will glean her garden and clean her gutters, decorate and send her cards for holidays, groom her dogs, go horseback riding, pick and freeze peas, and swim and have cocktails by the pool. What an enviable life it seems she leads!
But I had to wonder today, when I got my June copy out of the mailbox, how far in advance they plan these issues, and what sort of alacrity could they bring to Living in this situation we all find ourselves. And I must say, that the calendar does reflect the reality of social distancing. Martha is at home, cooking, gardening, exercising, and caring for her pets.
But this month, the difference is, so am I. Okay, minus the horses and pool, but still.
Life Lesson:
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
~Mary Oliver
The Summer Day
The calendar is the best part of that publication! One time she had listed, "break in hiking boots"- an all time favorite!
ReplyDeleteI must admit it sounds fun to have a monthly gander at her calendar. I also admire your use of the word “alacrity.”
ReplyDeleteHmm... my gut-level response to the idea of charting every detail of a well-lived life, in a calendar, is "How tedious!" But you and Martha do you and Martha!
ReplyDelete