BREAD SPEAKS
Congratulations, Austin! You are wonderful, and you made BREAD! Please continue to post your incredible BREAD stories here (or below under "WELCOME," where a stream has already begun). BREAD has come. Now it speaks.
posted by PINK at Sunday, January 01, 2006
14 Comments:
Dear Jaclyn,
I spied the nimble bread fairies twice on Saturday morning, once as they flitted along Wynona Avenue leaving loaves on doorsteps, a second time at Boggy Creek Farm as they pranced from car to car leaving loaves on car roofs. I saved my loaf, thinking, maybe, just maybe, despite family duties and party plans, I might make it to the bread-breaking ceremony. It didn't happen. But I can report a plate of divine French Toast consumed this morning to set the New Year off to a good start. Okay, the bread was sliced, not broken, but nonetheless appreciated. You were in my thoughts as I sprinkled cinnamon sugar and ate with relish.
Thank you!
JR
Thanks, JR! I hope your new year is sweet.
When delivering bread to a lady at town lake, she said "I was so disappointed there was no bread on my doorstep this morning - and look - now I've gotten some! Can I have another loaf to share with a friend?" It was exciting to be a part of something that was anticipated by many and a surprise gift to others.
dh one litte bread fairy
I read about the Bread project Friday in the Statesman. I thought, "oh, how wonderful, I hope I get some bread!" The bread fairies must have heard me, and I snatched up my loaf of bread with glee on Saturday morning. "You are wonderful. You have been chosen". Everytime I thought about these words on Saturday, I felt an inward lilt of joy. I called up my friends to join me. I went to Goodwill and purchased a white skirt, and finally got a chance to wear my white scarf a friend bought me in Mexico. We made our way to the parade. Once bags of confetti were placed in our hands, we could barely stand still, dancing with anticipation. During the slow march down 9th street to Congress, I got into a confetti war with 3 little boys. We kept sneaking up on each other to fling confetti in each others faces. Eventually, one of them dumped his whole bag on me! But this fun was eclipsed by the experience of waltzing down Congress avenue, dusting the spectators with confetti flour. I was amazed by the multitude of reactions to the confetti. We were at the front of the bread crowd, so the big fun was to get people who were devoid of confetti covering their hair and clothing - so far. Some children appeared afraid, but then their faces lit up when I gently sprinkled confetti in their hair. Others cried out in anticipation "oh, get me! get me!" Some kids (and adults) seemed a little down, like they'd been sitting around downtown a little too long and were ready for fireworks and to get home. I knew that all they needed was a little fairy dust to brighten their faces. One little girl just looked at me coming at her with a handful of confetti and snootily said "No." in that adorably annoying way only little girls can get away with. We saw my friend's nieces and her sister and covered them with kisses and confetti. My friends and I kept turning to each other and exclaiming, with surprise, how this was the most fun we'd had in a long time. On the bridge we said goodbye to 2005 (not the best year for me) and welcomed the coming of a new year and new beginnings. As we made our way home, my friends thanked me effusively for inviting them. In turn, I wanted to thank you, for the unexpected gift of a wonderful experience at the first First Night in Austin. Many blessings for the New Year! Bethany
there were several people taking pictures at the parade of the Bread project - if anyone comes across them, can you please post a link? I would love to see some action shots! Thanks.
Hi Bethany,
THANKS FOR YOUR MAGICAL BREAD STORY!
All best to you and your friends for continued magic and glee in 2006.
Yes, PIX will be up asap! I can't wait to see them myself!
Thanks for writing, and check back soon!
Dear Bakers and Austin BREAD participants,
I knew nothing about the story behind this part of the parade...but it was our FAVORITE! My three daughters were beyond thrilled to be showered with confetti, and my oldest was even given a piece of bread...her face glowed for hours!! I loved that everyone was dressed in white and you all just gave the whole night the magic that it needed. Thank you so much!
CM
Dear CM,
Thanks for writing! I hope your new year continues to be showered with magic.
Hey Jaclyn,
Just a word to say how fantastic this whole thing was. I was lucky enough to get a loaf on Saturday morning, and Sam (10yrs.) and I munched it all day. It was such a joy to explain the idea to him, with all its energy, randomness, and open-hearted generosity. I saw his eyes take fire and felt that he'd seized the deeper understanding of it. These days I want so much for him to be exposed to love that extends itself not just from person to person, but from one person (or a group of people) out into the whole community, and especially gestures that say "we are here together and we must take care of each other, not only with food or money or even compassion, but by surprising and delighting and changing each other for the good." Thank you for that. It was a gift far greater than the bread.
I'm sad to say that we got pulled in a different direction in the afternoon but it sounds like the parade was beautiful and moving.
Very best to you in the New Year.
Much love,
Steve Moore
Hi Steve,
I am so happy to hear this. And that the BREAD became a larger symbol for Sam, too, about love, and taking care, and community, and generosity, and magic. He's a pretty magical kid, too, so it's only fitting.
Happy New Year to you both. May it continue to be filled with goodness.
I read about BREAD 2006 in the schedule of events for First Night
that I picked up at Ars Ipsa.
I walked downtown on December 29 and read
BREAD
IS
COMING!
LOAVES
TORN
OPEN
LIKE
LOVE
LETTERS
in chalk on the sidewalk of the Congress Avenue bridge and on the
curbs downtown.
On the morning of January 31 I opened our front door feeling rather
foolishly hopeful.
No bread on our doorstep.
I immediately went to the kitchen and put our half loaf of hearty
honey wheat bread in a white paper bag.
I placed that bag on our door mat.
When my husband Will went to get the newspaper, he opened the door
and called to me, "Beverly, have you seen this?"
I said, "Yes."
He picked up the bag and looked inside recognizing our bread.
It was a sort of New Years Eve Fool.
We dilly dallied that morning.
Instead of getting to Boggy Creek Farm to buy our greens for the week
before 9am we arrived at 9:30am.
We bought spinach, kale, romanesco, feta cheese.
In returning to our little green Prius in the parking lot we found a
loaf of BREAD 2006 on the roof of our car.
"We got bread!!!" I yelled out.
That afternoon we dressed in white and had the thrill of joining the
Grand Procession with the Bread People.
Thank you so much to you Jaclyn, the bakers, the fairies, the
musicians, the poet, the chalk people....
Beverly Bajema and Will Dibrell
Thanks, Simone, for posting your experience. It is people like you who make Austin tick. Thanks so much for making BREAD happen. May good things flow to and from you, too, always.
I finally got around to posting a few pictures from the parade...my favorite is the one of my daughters being dusted with confetti by the sweetest little bread faerie! Thanks again for the most wonderful start to a new year!
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