Avia Photography

My photo
Columbia, Missouri, United States
Warning, the following ramblings are those of a sometimes sidetracked photographer avoiding accomplishing tasks on her list. All we ask is that if you use one of our photos from here or elsewise, you kindly give us credit. = )

Saturday, January 23, 2010

.:basketweaving:.

Brian and I have never been much for gifts. When we were in pre-marital counseling we sat down and made it a point to ascertain our love languages. We discovered that for me, spending quality time together was number one, for Brian, it was snuggling. Luckily, snuggling was a close second for me and time was a close second for him. The love language of gifts was dead last for both of us.

People ask us what we get one another for birthdays or Christmas or anniversaries. The fact is we rarely get one another anything. Honestly, we feel so blessed every day to spend time with one another that gifts are just extraneous in our lives. As Brian and I sat down almost three years ago now and mapped out what we wanted our future holidays to look like I realized the ones I remembered the most were when my family went somewhere or did something different. I could hardly recall any of the gifts I had been given but I remember the Christmas my family went to Crown Center and heard the caroler's at night and we watched A Shark's Tale together in our hotel room and played the game Block'em as we waited for our room service.

I am so blessed to have an amazing family and a few years ago my mom started deciding to use holidays as a time for quality family stuff rather than filling it with gifts we'd all just throw away afterwards. (Although I do readily admit that I miss the packs of Ferrero Rochers.)

My mom planned one such trip for our family this past winter. I took pictures of it long ago meaning to post them but they got buried under a growing list of things I had to do immediately. She took us basketweaving. Brian was reluctant to go, as he was last time, but he made it through. We all drove to good old Linn, Missouri (where my mom grew up and most of my relatives still reside) for the Dudenhoeffer's rare basketweaving class. The Dudenhoeffers are a talented pair. Not only do they have a log cabin they hold their classes and do their own basketweaving in, but she also throws pots and he carves many a wooden animal. I met their daughter many years ago when my mom brought us out to their farm to pick up our first goats. (I try not to hold it against them that they were the ones that got my mother hooked on goats. They, unlike my mother, were smart enough to get rid of the goats. My family still has theirs. Give me a holla' if you need a goat for Eid al-Adha or some other festival/feast. Seriously.) She is as kind-hearted and genuine as her parents but is no longer at home but is out continent hopping in the name of finding fantastic vineyards for making exquisite wine. Ahhh... if we could all be so lucky. = )

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A photo of all of the lovely persons that were along for the basketweaving class. Poor things had to deal with my mother and I's very loud voices and Brian and I's stubborn determination to end up with baskets different than everyone else's. Notice how Brian's is thinner and mine is much wider than everyone else's? Yeah, we're dorks:

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1 comment:

Osage Bluff Quilter said...

Joe and Alice are amazing people. If you saw any hand forged iron work there, my hubby made it. Joe and I buy each others crafts at 3 river's employee auctions.
Patti (Diane, you Mom's coworker, is my neighbor, we've met a long time ago)