Beginnings are daunting, so in my typical fashion, I almost wish I could jump right to the next phase, rather than hem and haw my way through an introduction. Assuming that someone will actually (maybe, perhaps, someday, once upon a dream, in a distant future) read this, however, propriety demands some social niceties. If my short spitfire Italian grandmother were dead, she would roll over in her grave if I skipped any social graces, even on the internet, where any reference to politesse seems a titch ridiculous. Regardless, like a pavlovian puppy, my training – and perhaps a hint of breeding – will prevail.
I will admit that shouting “Hello World!” (as suggested by WordPress) does seem a bit a propos at this point, since this will be my first ever true throw-down into the world of Blogs. . . at least since my initial discovery of (and subsequent procrastinator’s obsession with) blogging back in college. Maybe you’re asking yourself why I’ve come back now, after a good five years sans blog? It’s a valid question. After all, stacking my overflow project ideas and pictures into shoeboxes in the attic has been a workable, if fire-hazardous, solution so far. What brought about the change of heart?
It was an epiphany, actually. Thismorning, while wrestling my recycling through the front hall towards the curb, I tripped spectacularly over a box of to-do-this-summer projects I’ve started to pile up in anticipation of the slightly-slower summer season. The trip was followed by a nasty fall (currently resulting in some even nastier bruise-development, I might add). The slow-to-react clutz that I am, especially at 6:30am, I stayed down for a heartbeat or ten, not wanting to assess the scattered paint swatches, Real Simple magazines and recipe clippings that would need to be reshuffled back into some semblance of organized chaos. After a few choice words and a very grumpy sigh, I sat up and took stock of the front hall. As I surveyed my insta-disaster (just add Abby), it hit me. Lightning struck in the form of my very own groundbreaking realization. Shoeboxes just weren’t going to cut it anymore. SO, to keep a long story from getting longer, I decided it was time to upgrade my shoebox system to something a little more modern.
It had been a while since I took a gander at the options available, actually. Suffice it to say, the Blogdom has come a long way since my first peek into the realm! And that is what brings us to this moment – it’s a classic story, really – complete with recycling, bruises and recipe confetti.
It’s probably terribly gauche of me to explain the concept of Cakey Hankerson to you, since I think the hipster bloggy-fab trend is to be a little more elusive, but I’m not much for pretense. I am about as difficult to read as a billboard. Cakey Hankerson was my very first nick-name. Back in the olden days of recordable cassette tapes, my Dad used to work away from home for weeks at a time. Spending a Sunday with him every other week was not nearly enough quality-time for a family that still believed in stay-at-home Moms, family read-alouds and dresses for church. The solution that my wonderful teddy-bear of a father found was storytelling. He would sit at his NYSEG desk and shuffle through papers and tell us story upon story via cassette tape. When they came in the mail it was better than pancakes for Saturday Breakfast. For good reason! My wonderful mechanical-engineer of a father is a closet master storyteller, probably an unknown descendent from the bastard child of a Grimm brother. After dinner, we would all sit entranced and listen to Dad tell all about The Search for the Great Cakey Hankerson. Since I was the youngest during those years, the stories told all about the fantastic and perilous adventures of Sarah, Bethany and Nathaniel (my older siblings) and their quest to find “The Great Cakey Hankerson” who was none other than yours truly.
So the secret is out, the aquaintance is officially made, and soon I’ll begin the first true step in this next era of Cakey Hankerson: The Great Shoebox Transfer . . . Stay tuned!
Cakey Hankerson: Great Adventures 