Embrace change

A new year – a time for new traditions and habits.  This tradition, or habit, grew out of necessity – the necessity to help clear stuff off the kitchen island.

I love our big work space.  It fits a lot of working hands and generous platters of food, but between gigs it also multi-tasks as an amazing family catch-all.  Baskets have always been a good solution for keeping bills, and mail in general, in one designated spot.  But as for the spare change that usually ends up here and there on the island (and parts unknown) – a few years ago Rick had the oh-so-simple, yet brilliant, idea of establishing a bowl for wayward change.

Now, as a natural matter of course, when I spy any loose coinage hanging around, I immediately scoop it up and drop it into Rick’s Bowl.  Over the years, we have grown to embrace this habit with two-fold reasoning: the beauty of organization and the element of surprise.

You see, each summer, right before our annual Cape Cod pilgrimage, Rick cashes in our bowl brimming with coins (it gets pretty heavy) at our local supermarket, and we are always surprised by how much pocket change accumulates in the course of a year.  Without even knowing it, this has become a family tradition – a fun way to feel like a kid again and treat ourselves to a couple of really nice dinners, knowing that our humble little stash footed the bill (and not a credit card) makes it all the more appreciated and special.

It’s the little things that make all the difference.

Love, Nora