Pigs n Heels

Pigs 'n Heels, originally uploaded by Denise Burks.

"Of course I can catch that pig!  And I'll do it in heels!"

This picture sits on a table in the entry of our house.  I think I'm around seven years old.  It is one of my favorite pictures of myself.  I imagine it is a favorite because I remember that day, vividly.  We were playing dress-up and we needed a baby.  Someone suggested that we use one of the new baby pigs but the idea was dismissed quickly.  "We'll never be able to catch one."

I clearly remember the kids and adults cheering for my success.

This picture represents all that I love about myself.  That funny little quirky talented girl that can't resist a challenge and loves to wow the crowd every now and then.  It also showcases one of my many lusty attempts to be fashionable.

In the frame, hidden behind the picture, I have a 40th birthday card from my sister.  It says, "Things could be worse, Mom could still be cutting our bangs."

A Civilized Life

A Civilized Life, originally uploaded by Denise Burks.

I guess when I commissioned this drawing of my daughter I thought that my days would be filled with soft classical music and fresh flowers and the New York Times Sunday Magazine. I was a 20 something single mother, living in Charleston, SC when I traded services with the artist Martha Thomas.  I designed a brochure for Martha and she created this beautiful portrait.  For years, I would stare at this acrylic drawing of my oldest daughter, JC, and it made that life feel possible. I used to say that it is the one thing that I would grab in case of a fire. It wasn't just that it was a picture of my sweet little "Bubba". It represented a lifestyle. Well, I still love my little girl to an unhealthy, heartaching, distraction and I still long for a tidy, serene, cerebral existence in which I drink Illy coffee served from our very own cappacino machine. But after a few hours of that kind of quiet on Sunday mornings, I'm actually ready for the noisy, messy, tooter-joke-filled hubub that comes with the suburban family package.  Although I still would like to have one of those cappacino machines sitting on our kitchen counter.