 |
Seasonal Sundays: Wear the Hat, Dammit |  |
Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...
THANK YOU for stopping in today ... and last week and next week too. "I appreciate you." I do ... and always love hearing from many of you throughout the week. Don't be a stranger! PS And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share this newsletter with a friend or social circle? If you forward this message, others may subscribe for free right here. Thank you!
Five years ago, I wrote a special no-recipe edition of Seasonal Sundays for hat lovers, it's still pretty fun and includes some wise life lessons from my own mom, gone more than twenty years now but still fully alive every day, in my hands, my laugh, my politics, my food, my penchant for glass jars and pretty dishes, and so so many ways.
Happy Mother's Day to all who mother, in all of mothering's many forms and fashions.
PS I may go quiet for awhile, family business calls, in ways both harrowing and exciting, upsetting and calming. It's life, right? I hear an owl calling as I add these last words, I think she's telling me, like a mom would, "It's gonna be okay, AK. It's gonna be alright." Thanks for understanding. ~ Alanna
The First Saturday in May
In usual years, the first Saturday in May is a day cloaked in the pomp and circumstance of the Kentucky Derby, an iconic American experience. Each country, each state, each city and even each culture has its own iconic experiences but the Derby, well, it's one of ours.
You might know the Derby for ...
... the roses
... the grand spectacle
... the mint juleps
But The Real Stars Are the Hats!
From the wonders of aerodynamics ...
... to the simple broad brims.
From butterflies ...
... to bird feathers.
There are white hats ...
... and black hats ...
There are orange hats.
There are pink hats.
There are even guy hats!
There are flowers and feathers and ribbons of every hue ...
... and even whole gardens on a single hat.
And Where There Are Killer Hats, There Are K-I-L-L-E-R Shoes.
Literally. (Well, not literally ...)
But achin' feet.
Achin', achin' feet.
So Skip the Killer Shoes. But Wear the Hat, DAMMIT.
I just know my mom would've given this hatless young Derby-goer a talkin' to.
Because my mom, well, she had a sense of style and she wanted everyone to express their own style.
And maybe especially her daughters.
One year, I starting a new job at a just-funded start-up, lots of responsibility, lots of people, lots of fun. Those were challenges enough but what the heck would I wear??? I had a closetful of stuff from another era clothes-wise, suits, hose and heels.
But this was high tech in the early 2000s and offices were determinedly cool and casual because a cool and casual workplace (open floor plans, ping pong tables, workout rooms, snack rooms with Goldfish and Twizzlers and Mountain Dew) was more productive, more fun and so of course, the dress code was also cool and casual.
Cool and casual for guys? Khakis or jeans with a button-down shirt. Cool and casual for professional women? Ugh. There was no such thing.
But Mom had an idea and off we went to shop at Chico's, a new store near their place in Florida, she thought I'd like it. And so I did ... wow, was Chico's ever useful back then. I don't know how many pieces I bought but they were all separates and mixed and matched and the clothes were comfortable and drapey and looked sharp with jewelry but didn't shout "fashion" either.
I was all worn out from trying on so many things when Mom threw a hat onto the pile. "No hats, Mom!" I said, rolling my eyes. But she insisted and we'd been having so much fun, I relented.
A few weeks later, I had a flight booked back to Florida for another visit. On the phone, Mom asked if I were going to wear the hat on the plane. I hemmed and hawed. "Wear the hat, DAMMIT!" she said and hung up.
And so I wore the hat.
And wouldn't you know it, about five people complimented me on that damn hat!
Now mothers aren't always right but they sure are right a lot of the time.
My mom's "wear the hat, dammit" admonition was her way to say, "Hey, it's okay to be yourself."
- It's also okay to stand out a little.
- It's okay to wear color.
- It's okay to stretch yourself.
- It's okay to try something new.
- It's okay to re-invent yourself.
- It's okay to have a little fun!
- It's okay to stand your ground.
- It's okay to stand up for yourself.
- It's okay to stand up for your beliefs.
- It's okay to make your words heard.
- It's okay to draw the line.
- It's okay to give in.
- It's okay to make room.
- It's okay to step onto the grass.
- It's okay to make a moment for yourself.
- It's okay to have the biggest laugh in the room.
- It's okay to let go.
- It's okay to hang tight.
- It's all okay, it's all okay.
Life lessons from the Kentucky Derby and my mom.
Happy Mother's Day, All.
Me, I'm off to dig out that hat.
Don't Be a Stranger ...
I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.
- Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
- Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
- Anything else? Chime in, chat away.
Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.
Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.
© Copyright Kitchen Parade
2025
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna