the host and the cook: how did that happen?

I'm not saying its easy constantly being the host. I'm not saying its difficult either. It's one of those roles in life you will either take up happily or ignore completely. I like watching my friends take on the hosting duties because I feel their pain and admire their creativity. Like Michelle biting the bullet and hosting her 1 year old's birthday party with a ladybug theme.

The host always cuts the cake. You ever notice that? My mom was the designated cake cutter in our family so when Ab handed me the spatula this year to cut his birthday cake it took me aback and made me smile. Am I the grown up now?

So, the cooking. I dunno how or why but I've earned a reputation of being a good cook. A few years ago all I could make were enchiladas and my mom's rice. Now, thanks to the barefoot alias my muse, my inspiration, I can make cakes from scratch and fantastic meals everyone loves. So I don't think of myself as good of a cook as a person that can read instructions and repeat them and put food together.

Funny though, I love making it and sharing it. My resident test subject, el esposo, was at one point of his life a picky eater. Just ask his mommy. Now he eats everything I make, even when it has onions. And it's not just Matt living under the illusion that I know what I'm doing. I get asked for recipes. Just now my cousin in Mexico asked for a recipe she heard about from my mom! My mother gushed about the red potatoes and now I am sharing the love with my family far away. And Jill told Emily and Jason about it (and they're even picker than Matt) and they loved it too. Those potatoes are a ho. Or is it me?

Then, the location. The reason that I was extra happy about having this big house for awhile was all the entertaining we could do here. Our family's not made of money and its nice to have a big, beautiful location we can defer to that's always available and willing to get dirty in the name of whatever we are celebrating. Be it the first time Ab & Gaudy's family meet or the various birthdays we have for the large family we are a part of.

After Ab's party, as we said goodbye to the last of the guests I said, well our house is your house and now you know where it is 'cause we'll probably Gaudy's bridal shower here. She nodded like she knew it was true. And we'll probably have my sister's baby shower here. And I'll be hosting in some way every dang one of those things and more.

And I'll love it.