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Recently I retrieved a box of childhood treasures from my parents' home. Among the dolls and long-forgotten art projects, there it lay nestled: my first work of fiction, "True Love in the Grand Canyon." I opened the volume hesitantly, unsure of the extent of the inevitable chagrin I would feel after reviewing this childish fancy. As it turned out, the story (which was no doubt tempered in its silliness by my co-author Ginger) was a delight. We all got a huge kick out of it and laughed at something I once intended to be taken seriously.

Sometimes I think of myself in my childhood form, and wonder what Young Robyn would say if she knew how she would turn out. Some things I'm sure would win her approval: Handsome, loving husband. Sweet, beautiful baby. A lovely home with nice things to look at and eat. Some things might excite her: "I will outgrow this training bra one day and won't be called 'Bandaids' anymore!" Some things might ignite her hope and give her something to look forward to, "I will never stop learning. I will constantly refine my tastes in art and music. I will never find an end to my desire for beauty and creativity. I will always seek a deeper understanding of God." Some things might keep her up at night, "Depression will haunt me all the days of my life." And some things might cause her to shake her head with amused indulgence, "I can't believe I leave the house wearing those shoes. That dress is perfect for Tacky Day. And my taste in jewelry has gone tribal."

But there is one thing that I'm sure would infuriate Young Robyn: what I do now that I'm grown up. You see, the young author of "True Love in the Grand Canyon" intended to be a great writer. Nothing less than national fame and a reputation as a child prodigy would do. A teacher of mine once claimed I would be the next Victoria Holt. I took this to heart. I was certain that one day I would be appreciated on a level that would blow my fellow schoolchildren out of the water and cause them to rethink their treatment of me. When Young Robyn got a little older, the stage was her certain calling. She would be discovered, work at Opryland for a while, then Broadway, and finally a movie career. Of course, she would be a popular country music singer along the way. I wrote copious amounts of poetry as a teenager. I forced myself to write short stories and poetry even when I was tired or didn't feel like it. I kept a meticulous record of my daily life in my journal, certain that one day I would be my generation's Samuel Pepys. I neglected my family so I could exercise my writing skills. Instead of visiting my aging grandparents on Saturday, I wrote short stories. Writing, it seems, has been my longest dream.

I'm not a great writer. I'm not a great actress. Nor am I a singer. Nor a poet. I'm not famous. In fact, I have no career at all. I’m a housewife and a stay-at-home mom. I am, in a way, ordinary. A life wasted in a quest to become something special has boiled down to cleaning, cooking, and raising a child. My poor grandparents have all passed away but my grandmother on my dad's side, who is in poor health. And all of those short stories, all the poems, and all the journals have been destroyed. By me. I couldn't stand to have them around anymore. Because they are all terrible. Not just terribly written. Not just silly or stupid. It's worse than that. When I read them, I get a horrible feeling that there was something the matter with me. That I wasn't normal. That I was sick somehow. That my imagination was a wild tangle of nonsense. Everything I worked so hard on is gone. Everything, that is, but "True Love in the Grand Canyon." This single story is my monument to an abandoned dream.

Ask a child what he wants to do when he grows up, and you will get many wild and wooly answers. "Doing" something with your life is an expectation we all anticipate, and we dream many dreams before our true fate is realized. When you meet someone new, one of the first questions they ask is "What do you do?" We are marked by what we do, we are identified. What we do is who we are. Perhaps a better way to look at ourselves and others is not doing, but just being. To be happy, to be kind, to be alive.

I suppose what I have learned from this long and at times extremely painful journey is that, though childhood dreams and creativity should be encouraged and explored, there is nothing wrong with being ordinary. As I return to my childhood hometown, I embrace the ordinary more and more. I love Wal-Mart, Old Timer’s Day, the County Fair, and hanging out with my family. These are the things that make me happy! This is the lesson I want to give to my daughter. I wish I had learned a long time ago that being friendly, that loving people and praying for them, and that seeking a life lead by God is a much better way to attract people’s affection that trying to show them how talented you are and seeking a treacherous dream of fame.

When the time comes for your baby to start on solids, you might find yourself staring gape-mouthed from sticker shock at the price of commercial baby food. Perhaps you might consider making baby food yourself. I’m here to tell you that it is probably a lot easier than you might think.

Commercial baby food is great, make no mistake. It is convenient, portable, and babies love it. But it can be a little pricey. The trouble with commercial baby food is that all different varieties are generally priced the same, from plain old bananas or carrots to papaya-mango delight. Well, bananas and carrots are cheap and readily available year-round at any grocery store (not to mention that you get a pretty big yield of baby food from a batch of bananas or a bag of carrots). Papayas, mangos, and other seasonal fruits are at their peak for a brief time each year. Therefore, you might be willing to pay what Gerber is asking for papaya-mango delight, but balk at the price of a jar of bananas or carrots.

Sometimes you will save lots of money making your own baby food. Sometimes you will come out about the same if you bought the jars. The trick is taking advantage of what is in season and what is cheap. What I like about making my own baby food is 1) I know exactly what is in it, 2) Very little waste, 3) Good old American do-it-yourself attitude, 4) I feel like there is a greater variety of fruits and vegetables to choose from when you make your own baby food, such as avocados, eggplants, pumpkins, etc. There are many fruits and veggies that make great homemade baby food and some that don’t. I’ll try to help you figure out which is which.

What you’ll need:

A baby food mill, blender, smoothie maker or the like
Ice cube trays
Lots of small plastic baggies (fold-top is cheapest option and works fine. These are reusable…just wash in hot soapy water and drip dry on a bottle drying rack.)
Gallon-sized freezer bags marked with contents and date

Preparation methods vary for each fruit/veggie, so for detailed information on nutritional information and cooking directions, I HIGHLY recommend: http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com

Hint from Heloise:

When pureeing baby food, my rule of thumb is: When you think its smooth enough, blend it a little longer for good measure! This is especially true for some of the tougher fruits and veggies. Adding water helps a lot when trying to get a smooth consistency.

You’ll find that the frozen baby food doesn’t pop out of the ice cube trays as easily as, well, ice. It’s a lot stickier and thicker. You may find that running a little warm water on the bottom of the tray helps get the food out. I usually use a small butter knife to help pop them out. Then store in individual fold-top baggies and place in a large gallon bag.

Beginners will usually eat just one ice cube of baby food at a time. Older babies will eat more…you will figure out your child’s appetite as you go. The ice cube route is great because you only thaw as much as you need, so there is very little waste.

To thaw your baby food, place the desired portion in the fridge for a few hours. Or, if you are like me and can’t think that far ahead, place the bagged food in a bowl of hot water to thaw. I usually microwave the water for 30 seconds and place the baggies in for 10 minutes or so.

Oh, no! Your bananas have turned all brownish in the freezer! Don’t worry…lots of fruits and veggies turn brown when exposed to the air, but they are still fine to feed your baby.

Baby food will keep in your freezer for 2 months, so don’t make more than you’ll use in that time frame. Still, it is great to keep a variety of fruits and veggies on hand to keep baby interested in mealtime.

I have not had much success with making green sweet peas into baby food. I have trouble getting it smooth enough thanks to the skins. Green beans fare a little better but can still be tricky. These might be better foods to add later when baby has more teeth!

I think the fruits and veggies that make the best baby foods are: peaches, applesauce, bananas, sweet potatoes, avocados and squash (yellow, butternut, acorn, etc.). These are the foods I would start off with for a beginner.

Maybe you have friends who would like to donate the surplus veggies from their garden. Take advantage of these free veggies! Even if they aren’t as pretty as the store-bought produce, they’ll make lovely baby food.

Avocados are on sale for 50 cents each! Too bad they’re still green. That’s okay…place them in a paper bag for a couple of days, and they will probably ripen fairly quickly. From what I understand, the paper bag trick works with a most fruits and veggies. This is as great way to take advantage of sales. Even if the produce still isn’t at the peak of perfection, keep in mind that it will be pureed, and it probably won’t matter much.

Beware of potential allergens (tomatoes, strawberries, etc.) and add these foods as they come appropriate for your child’s stage of development.

There is a place for commercial baby food, just like there is a place for disposable diapers. The jars are great when you are traveling, out on the town, or any time that carrying your little cooler of baby food is a hassle. Happy feeding!

I have several newsflashes about green products that I have recently discovered:

Nicole by OPI nail color: This new line of fast-drying nail lacquer is DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free. It is not tested on animals, and the packaging is recyclable. Thirty-six shades available, although Wal-Mart (where I found mine) currently carries about 15 or so. Also available is Nic's Sticks, which is handy, portable pen-sized nail lacquer. Available in 24 shades. I paid about $7.00 for one bottle, which is more than I usually pay for nail polish (which isn't saying much...I usually just pick up whatever is cute in the $1.00 range!) But I love this nail color, and it is great to know that there is something safe my daughter can wear when she becomes interested in such things.

Clorox Green Works: I have converted most of my cleaning supplies to Melaleuca, but I really enjoyed the Green Work bathroom cleaner, dilutable all-purpose cleaner, and toilet cleaner. Reasonable price, pleasant smell, and best of all, no gagging on rogue Comet particles!

Palmolive Eco Dishwasher Detergent: I love this stuff! It is phosphate-free, and it works great! I'm currently using the Melaleuca dish detergent. Its okay, but once I ran the dishes on Friday, left for the weekend, opened the dishwasher on Sunday night, and was greeted with a horrific smell. Apparently the Melaleuca detergent is not meant to be sealed in for very long. Hmm. Palmolive Eco is available at Wal-Mart.

Elemental fragrance jars: I have two guinea pigs, a turtle and a baby, all of which can be stinky in their own special ways. These organic and earth-friendly fragrance jars are a good alternative to candles or spray air fresheners. Of course, keep them well out of reach of aforementioned pets and babies. Available at Wal-Mart.

Gerber prefolds: That's right, folks! Gerber now carries prefold diapers! Previously, if you were going to buy diapers from a store, you would have to settle for the flat, fold-it-yourself type. Not anymore! These prefolds are great. They are a lot thinner than the kind you buy from a cloth diapering site, but that means that they aren't as bulky, so baby doesn't have a ghetto-booty. That also means that you can pack a lot more of them in your diaper bag. They are made from the birdseye fabric, so they rinse out nicely to boot. And best of all, they are conveniently located at Wal-Mart or Target for at least half the price of buying diapers online. I would still recommend using a thicker diaper for naptime and night, but the Gerber prefolds are great for waketime. Gerber also carries pull-on diaper covers, but since these are made from vinyl and contain phthalates, I hesitate to recommend them. Still, I do use them from time to time, and they are very pretty and fit baby nicely.

Cloth diapering station: I don't know about you, but I simply don't have room for a changing table in Alice's nursery. But I really needed a handy place to store Alice's diapers and diapering paraphernalia. So I came up with this little cloth diapering cart. You can buy this four-shelf wire cart (from Wal-Mart...guess where I shop a lot) for about $10.00. There is a place for your wipe warmer, aloe vera, diaper rash ointment, and such on top. Your diaper covers, doublers, etc can fit on the bottom. That leaves two shelves for prefolds, which is usually plenty. I use a changing pad placed in Alice's crib as a changing surface.

Quilt Skirts: Perhaps you have the urge to make yourself something pretty, but you're running low on cash. Consider making a quilted skirt, apron or other garment. I made a quilted skirt from bits and pieces of old pajamas and fabric scraps. Then I just used a skirt pattern as usual. I keep all my decent-sized fabric scraps, because they really come in handy for various crafts, especially now that I'm trying my hand at making dolls and other toys for Alice. It's a fun way to recycle!

It is very exciting to go to the grocery and see so many wonderful new products. Kroger has a whole section of nothing but green/natural/organic products for your home, tummy, and body. Green is really getting popular!