What is on your refrigerator door?!

I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. I love to cook. I spend a lot of time looking at my refrigerator. I opened this post and titled it a little bit ago, as I had been thinking a lot about what a particular person/family puts on their fridge. Today, I will write it, as I am currently listening to the maintanence man scrape, scrape, scrape the seal off of my front door. There has been a mold problem. Not a big one, but an annoying one...so alas, here I sit at my dining room table trying to decide what to do while Ezme is locked in my bedroom, upset about that situation and my maintanence guy scrapes. BTW, that seal he just took off...yeah, he is guessing it is at least 10 years old, pretty sure it was time for it to be replaced. I'm also being thankful that it is a beautiful sunny day and I would have all the doors open anyway...it would be darn cold in here otherwise...

On to my thoughts:

I grew up in your "typical American house." Four walls, a roof and loaded with appliances. I was always thankful for those appliances. Stove/oven to cook/bake things without the need for fire, firewood, etc, washer/dryer...no wash boards and only periodically clotheslines used-and optional.

Then there is the refrigerator. It is really the only appliance that takes on the personality of the person who owns it or the family it supports. This is because it contains, on its exterior the accomplishments and personality of people. It proudly displays report cards, "A" tests, pictures of growig kids and family friends. There are pictures that kids have drawn, painted, etc. Magnets-fun ones that are letters, cartoon characters, etc. There are chore lists, grocery lists, emercengy contact lists. And a multitude of other things.

My fridge is a place of distinction. It holds things that are dear to me: pictures of families that are friends, the newest kids that have entered my life through friends. There is a picture of Max, the family dog residing in Wyoming with Mom. There are comics, my favorite one saying "If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice." ~Meister Eckhart. I have a finger painting that one of my dearest old ladies painted and with pride handed it over for me to proudly display. I've got an assortment of magnets, one containing a recipe or Paella that a friend brought back from Spain. There are thank-you notes, my horoscope for the year, an itinerary for my Moms travels-it is old, I should take it down. I have a grocery list-I can't remember the last time I used it when shopping. I have the date "May 2012" written in fun colors and font-the time I plan to travel with a friend to NYC. It is good for me to have that as a reminder. A tangable date to be excited for. I've got comp tickets for the Japanese Garden that a friend handed over to me at least a year ago...I wonder how old they are and if they are still good?! I've got a weekly calendar that I can date as I need to when I have crazy busy weeks and might forget to go somewhere or do something.

Someday I hope to have pictures that my kids paint, report cards that they bring home and more pictures of my ever growing network of friends and their lovely families.

My question is: why do we put those types of things on the fridge? Why not the bills, recceipts, etc? I think it completely has to do with wanting to look at happy things. Things to look forward too or remember some moment captured on film. Those are the things I like to look at. Fridges come in a variety of ways now-with ice/water dispensers, side-by-side doors, top freezer/bottom fridge, bottom freezer/top fridge, mini fridge, old fashioned looking fridge. A friend of mine recently got a special order fridge that had to be shipped up here from California, custom-made, isn't magnetic at all- what a shame.

“What three things do you want to accomplish this year? Write them down and place them on your refrigerator for inspiration all year long.” ~Unknown

What do you have hanging on your refrigerator?