cakes, prose, woes -- the photos, food & thoughts of a french-speaking seattle-native in brazil

In the end, you're just happy you were there—with your eyes open—and lived to see it. -AB
In the end, you're just happy you were there—with your eyes open—and lived to see it.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Salty's Third Birthday

a look back

I can't believe it's been three years. I could have sworn it's been ten. Has your birthday ever snuck up on you? Has your spell check ever tried to tell you that snuck is not a word? Yesterday, i was sitting here in my chair not wanting to work like every other human on a monday morning, and i realized suddenly that the following day was my blog anniversary. How could i have forgotten? Two years ago my one year anniversary celebration was planned for over a week! Invitations were sent, reservations were made, cakes were baked and a tiny bar in Paris, France, was rented out. And now, two years later, three years from the beginning of it all, i let it sneak up on me. I'm not sure if it is coincidence or not that my life started at the same time Salty did. no no, it is true, my life started three years ago and i have lived a whirlwind lifetime within that margin. Three years ago we didn't know what we wanted and didn't know what we were doing. We've figured out a few of those things as best we can within the past few years, and have a passport full of stamps, a diploma, a job resume, a marriage license, a permanent visa, a house, a pot of sunflowers and an aging blog to prove it. In three years our life and our blog has been through an awful lot. Salty's fault.

Aside from my impulsive live today as if dying tomorrow personal life outside of blogging, three years has shown a tremendous growth on my blogging abilities, well perhaps my writing is suffering (i'm not as cheeky as i used to be) but my photography has gotten a hell of a lot better. It's almost creepy to have your progress and ability in your work cataloged weekly on a blog. I look back at the old posts and my nose does that embarrassed wrinkle; i took that photo? There is nothing in the world that can prove more the notion of progress through practice than the progression of a photo portfolio (i am not being paid for this article so i can state absolutes). The thing with photography is that you can only teach yourself, and you can only teach yourself through interest, passion and practice. Very few are ever born to do anything, and i certainly was not born to photograph. But in three years i've grown to love it as if it is who i am. Plainly put, i am excited for what i will put out look after the next three years of practice as i have come to the conclusion that we can only get better.

Some before and after shots in commemoration of three years? Yes i think so. Before is on the left, after is on the right.













I recall saying in high school photography class that i never wanted and never would be a photographer. There's no money, too risky, you may go through all the trouble and nothing will come out of it other than teaching photography in a dank high school dark room (desculpe, yes i had a bit of resentment for the photography teacher...hasn't evaporated after five years?). But now, as strange as life has it, as strange as learning French in order to live my life in France and ending up in Brazil struggling to learn Portuguese is, I of course want to be a photographer. Go figure, nothing is ever as we want it to be.

Today is Salty's birthday; haven't gone grocery shopping in a while...no eggs, no planning. However, today is also the first game Brazil plays in the World Cup so it is just slight of a national holiday. Workers get the time off to race home and catch the game. Yes it's true. H is coming home early, we're going to a party to watch the game, and in the back of my mind i will be dedicating the celebration to Salty, for the fact that i'm here, doing what i'm doing, thinking what i'm thinking, and feeling what i'm feeling. Life changed with the Salty. Happy birthday buddy, we may have slowed down a bit, but we are still here more alive than ever.

a bientot

13 comments:

Nani said...

Happy Anniversary Salty!!!! Yay!!!

How jealous I am of you and H to be able to watch the Brasil game in BRASIL with brazilians. I so miss that. I will try to watch it through Skype (my mom in Brasil), so we will see how that goes. It's not so fun to watch it here because there is no brazilians to root with me haha, and no Churrasco to go along!
Enjoy, this is "once-in-a-four-year" opportunity!

By the way, you did improve with the photography, but to be honest, the old ones didn't look bad at all... maybe i was just paying attention to the yummy stuff you photograph! hehe

You do know how to capture the "beauty" of the food you make. I love your work!

Donny said...

Yay happy birthday!

Fran said...

Happy Blog-o-versary! Three yeas is quite a milestone.

I look forward to more anniversaries.

siri said...

3 years! Hurrah! Now you'll have to tell us all what each and everyone of those goodies in the photos are. I'd like one of each, personally.

Laranjinha said...

Muitos Parabéns e muitos anos de vida ao The Salty Cod.

Um beijinho,

El said...

Happy blog anniversary. Here's to many more. And, your photos keep getting better and better!

Jim said...

Congratulations. You are clearly working very hard -- with great results.

Moira - Tertúlia de Sabores said...

Hoje vou escrever em Português e sei que vais entender cada uma das minhas palavras.
Parabéns ao Salty Cod!
Parabéns Mallory!
As tuas fotos estão muito melhores e não é só na concepção, elas têm uma coisa muito especial: Luz e muito amor :)
Beijo
Moira

Mallory Elise said...

thanks everyone :) i know i've slowed down, but i'm in love with Salty as i was three years ago. you, readers and friends, keep us going :)

D. @ Outside Oslo said...

Congrats on your blog anniversary. Thanks for sharing the early shots contrasted with the newer ones. You're an excellent photographer!

latergater said...

The next generation photos are very bright - lots of light! Those chocolaty looking cookies look delicious. What are they?

Mallory Elise said...

latergater--the cookies are just chocolate sugar cookies with fudge filling. i think it's actually mint fudge that was used for mint fun fetti cakes, the fudge cookies were just a use of the leftovers ;)

Sierra said...

how did i just realize that you failed to mention the birthday of a dear friend, whose birthday was the very same day that you realized salty's was the following day...how rude ;) ps where are my gummi bears? hah