Remember when I asked you all to pitch your own Hey Eleanor ideas? My talented friend Matt Houchin & I took the best ones and are making them into a web series.
Guess what? The first episode is here!
The gist: My Uncle Whitey wanted to cook his wife dinner for the first time. Ever. So the two of us made her favorite meal together, and surprised her. I don’t want to over-sell it, but if this video doesn’t put a smile on your face, you’re doing it wrong.
“Whaddya call this? Mixing?”
As I mentioned in January, shooting this video scared the ever-living everything out of me.
I was prepared to cringe at the sight of myself on camera, but honestly, I was too busy laughing to care. Whitey is hysterical and surprising Colleen was an absolute delight. I’m still filled with warm fuzzies! And the cherry on top? Colleen posted this after our dinner on Facebook:

Just more proof that simple stuff = important stuff.
A huge thanks to our Hey Eleanor guinea pigs Whitey and Colleen, and of course Matt Houchin, who edited everything, had all the equipment, filmed stuff, created graphics, and basically did all the heavy lifting. To be fair, he did get two meals and a free backpack out of the deal.
Is there something that you’ve always wanted to try? Let’s make it happen. Send me an email with your idea to heyeleanorproject@gmail.com. I can’t wait to do more videos (if you like them… subscribe to my YouTube Page, btw!).
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PS Remember the time my Uncle Whitey took me ice fishing and basically made me eat a live minnow? He’s also the guy who hosts Rocket Day. I guess Whitey’s been on this blog a lot. Probably because he’s awesome.
Aw that was great, and it totally made me cry! What a sweet and meaningful gesture.
Looking forward to more videos–you were great on camera! And I love your haircut.
Aw thanks! Being there was even better than the video.
Thanks for your kind words, too! PS I was pleasantly surprised at how my hair looked.
Yep, I got a teary-eyed. What a fantastic couple! I think I need to make a special trip to Mama Maria’s. Way to go, Whitey! That looked phenomenal.
Mama Maria’s is the THING in Hudson…. but can you ever really compete with a home cooked meal? So adorable!
What a heart warming story, you have always had a special relationship with your Godfather and Uncle, Whitey. You both looked good and the final result of your efforts couldn’t have worked out better. The wonderful message, once again, a simple gesture sometimes results in a very powerful and positive outcome! I’m looking forward to many more fun videos!
Thanks dad 🙂
The messy kitchen did not bother me, but the cutting with a sharp knife in my pans kind of did!! Loved it anyway!
I think that’s a fair thing to be upset about! We did do a decent job picking up as we went along.
I love this! Great job Molly, Matt, & Uncle Whitey!
Loved the video, it kept a big smile on my face! I also really enjoy your blog!! I have been working on overcoming fears this year too….getting an endorsement and riding a motorcycle, shooting a gun, diving/night diving, backpacking in Griz country. I appreciate your openness to share your experiences, it gives me extra strength to try something new. It’s good to remember that different things scare different folks…..trying to do a project as a "carpenter" like Whitey would scare me but I love cooking! Kudos to both of you and thanks for the extra inspiration! Jill M
Riding a motorcycle is definitely on my list! Actually, everything you stated is on my list. 🙂 Shooting a hand gun seems so not up my alley, so I will eventually have to try that one. And I finally overcame my fear of scuba diving (it’s so great), but night diving? I dunno….
Thanks for reading!