Day 6

SUSHI

Look what I made!

Almost everyone has a little of this and a little of that when it comes to genetic make-up, unless you're a pure bred. From my mother's side, I am Scottish and Irish; from my father's side I am German and English {I think}. However, the largest chunk of my heritage background hails from Japan. You wouldn't know it by looking at me or by seeing photos of my parents, who could pass for Jimmy Smits and Reba McEntire, but it's there. An entire 25%. 1/4. One whole leg.

I'm very proud of that leg.

Me & the woman responsible for my left leg. 1984.

What I remember most about growing up is spending time at my grandparents. My mom's parents took us out for ice cream and fancy dinners at Piccadilly's {hey, at 9 years old when you eat cafeteria style, that's fancy; mom only makes one option}, they never said no to us, and we spent the night - a lot. I adored waking up at their house because this was the only time you saw Pap-Paw's crazy good comb over without hairspray and Mam-Maw made the world's best scrambled eggs and toast. She later taught me the secret. {Betcha didn't know he had a comb over, now did ya?!}.

My dad's parents had a great backyard with a clothesline and a big covered patio where we could jump rope. Grandma had a tomato garden and there was a mail slot in the front door; Grandpa would let us drop stuff in it and then pretend to be excited about getting coloring book pages, leaves, and bugs. Grandma would make sure Nick and I had the germs scalded off of us by giving us the kind of hot showers that left your skin beat red and she'd make us the worlds biggest breakfast. There was nothing greater than Grandma's pan fried bacon. We would eat Sunday dinners at their house frequently and because there was always cooking happening at her house, she made sure that I was in the kitchen with her, learning stuff. Stuff like sushi.

Since she passed away when I was nine and my dad's family scattered about the country, I hadn't given much thought to making my own sushi before. This and no one was around to school me in Sushi 101. I'd made hand rolls once a few years ago, but still preferred to "go out" for sushi. For this project, I opted for a simple inside out California roll. I picked up a bamboo mat, ingredients, and watched several How To videos on YouTube. Even VIP joined in on the action - it was Mexico meets Japan and it was HILARIOUS, but I'm not allowed to post that video per request.

Although it wasn't difficult, I think I still prefer to "go out" for sushi, but that's because I like options and I prefer sashimi.

This is me. 24 days before 30. Putting my ninja skills to work.

I did it! I'm very excited. In case you couldn't tell.

Itadakimasu!

Random Sunshine:
This man makes me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. I don't deserve this.

Gratitude:
So incredibly thankful for having CSB in my life. He gave me a camera for Christmas in 2007, but what I didn't realize at the time was that this gift was ultimately giving me the beautiful gift of a trillion priceless moments captured through the lens of a little pink Casio. Thank you, Captain. xo

30 Before 30 continues manana with Day 7!

To my short and sweet Grandma,
Although our time together was brief, you brought an accent, happy memories, and a full plate to my life. It's because of you, I have a left leg to stand on. I miss you everyday.
xxoo

*Side Note: The woman responsible for my left leg passed away 20 years ago the day this post was published. She was brave in her fight against so many cancers, but quickly lost the battle. At nine years old, I had no idea what that meant. Today, at 29, it means I missed so much. If you haven't found a cancer research project to donate time or funds to, I encourage you to do so today and look forward to a lifetime of tomorrows with your grandchildren.