Wednesdays with Words: Authenticity

Oh, my. I really had no intention of not posting for quite this long.

I almost forgot how to login.

Here I am, and I believe I’m going to reinstate Wednesdays with Words for 2022.

Wednesdays with Words was a linkup first begun by Cindy Rollins lo these many blog-years ago. I took it over for a time and then was … well, let’s just be honest … reading crap. And so I stopped posting and IG kind of took over and I thought I’d do it there. But I didn’t. So, it’s been a few years.

Here we go again.

I am reading many things … you can see them all on my GoodReads account, so I won’t rehash them here. I recently finished Nigella Lawson’s Cook, Eat, Repeat which was wonderful. I love Nigella. She’s quirky and fun and she truly seems to love food. Sometimes that love seems excessive, but when she’s right she’s right … and she can write. I’ve read books of hers as “Bubble Bath Books” as my friend Pam Barnhill calls them.

Sometimes she’s effusive and ebullient. Sometimes she’s profound and worth contemplation:

Authenticity is a much overused, indeed much misused, word in cooking; in live generally, come to think of it. Honest borrowing is the natural province of the cook, and recipes are living, evolving entities.

Nigella Lawson
Cook, Eat, Repeat pg 80

I also find “authenticity” to be overused and misused – and not just in the realm of cooking. But in so many parts of life from homeschooling to parenting to laundry. We are all derivative. And that’s not bad. “Made in the image of God” you see? What makes “new” or “untried” authentic above the pile of ironing to be done? What makes the pile of ironing to be done more authentic than the laundry done on laundry day? Drawing inspiration from others for work or thought is not “unauthentic.” Nearly every good idea I have is from someone else, implemented by me. That’s OK – good even.

My roast chicken may not be exactly like Nigellas despite the fact that it owes a heavy debt to her (and her mother). As Wednesdays with Words owes a debt to Cindy.

What books have you been reading lately? Any stand-out quotes?

I intend to see you next week, Lord willing.