Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Cold and Quiet

The days have been dreary this week. Cold, rain, dark, grey. I have finally put away all of the Christmas decorations. I left up the white lights on the mantle and around the windows by our kitchen table to add some coziness to the winter quiet.  I am consuming large amounts of hot tea and coffee to stay warm and stay awake during these dark days. Even with that, I find myself falling asleep on the sofa by mid afternoon on some days.

Wesley has gone back to school. The house is so still and quiet without her here to talk with. We had a few bumpy days, trying out this new path we are beginning. She will be here less, she is venturing out to find her life, and I am finding my place in a life with her here less and less. Fortunately we can talk honestly and openly with each other and we parted in a happy and peaceful place. We are both growing and finding out new things about ourselves. As it should always be.......

The cold and the quiet makes me want to weave. It's the getting started though.... the math.... ugh. I want to make a rug. Begin.......


The quiet has also brought with it book reading. I have a new find. I like reading short stories. I never have before. But Lazarus gave me a book of Flannery O'Connor short stories for Christmas and I really liked reading it. Just a quick story I can complete before bed, or in the car while waiting on something...... not so involved as a long novel that I can't ever seem to finish anymore. Having read the Flannery book, I recalled buying Accidental Birds of the Carolinas a while back. Honestly, I bought it for the cover. I was into birds nests with my clay work at the time and bought it for inspiration. I tried reading it, but didn't quite get the short story thing at the time. I wasn't ready. I have picked it up again, and I really like it now. Funny how our tastes change.....


 I also bought a new blank journal for my leather binder and I am trying to write down a few thoughts each day. Maybe things that really don't belong on a blog, or maybe just the weather report. I like writing in a journal. Wesley has kept them since she was a little girl. She has boxes full of them. I found some that I kept a while back and read back through them. Things haven't changed much, ha!


I gave myself a little gift over the holidays. We sell Guy Wolff pottery where I work and I like his pots a lot. I bought this tiny one and an African Violet. My grandmother grew the most beautiful violets you have ever seen She kept them on a back porch and every time anyone came to see her, she would take you outside to show you her violets and she would pet them and just preen over them. She could take a leaf, stick it in some soil and they would grow into beautiful new plants. I have never had any success with them. I think I tried too hard. I wanted so much to grow them like her. Then I gave up. But we have healthy beautiful violets at the store and so I decided to try again, armed with new knowledge of how to care for them. So far so good, and I bought another. I also am trying my luck at propagating the leaves. I have about a dozen under a dome with light on them. Fingers crossed.....


Scott Garrett had a post about fermenting today, so this is for him. I made a batch of kimchi and I think it is just about ready. I have also started a batch of Kombucha. Do you know Kombucha? It is my new favorite drink and I am hoping it is as beneficial as everyone claims it to be. We sell kombucha scoby starters and its just one more thing I can now talk with customers about with some knowledge. I learn by doing and feel like I actually know what I'm talking about if I have done it myself. I'm going to pick up some bottles and try bottling this batch. Hoping for no explosions during the carbonation!

Work continues to be great. I learn something new every time I am there. I meet the most interesting characters. Hydroponics and home-brew make for some unique individuals. I seem to fit right in :)

I cleaned up my blog roll the other day, deleting blogs that are no longer active. What a shame, I deleted 14 potters blogs. Some of them used to be such good reads and I learned so much from them. Oh well, I have new interests, have moved on. I added a few cooking blogs that I like, exploring more vegan options and a couple of plant care blogs. I find I am looking in other areas of interest for blog reading and there are some great ones. The pottery blogs I once loved reading are being replaced by more interesting things these days. There are some great blogs out there and far more in depth and interesting than Facebook. Still finding that I have not missed a thing by staying off of that bandwagon. And it gives me more time for reading short stories and fermenting!

peace y'all
xo

11 comments:

Dennis Allen said...

My mom had a way with violets. As I recall, they did well with filtered morning sun and not a lot of fussing over them.Or it might just have been the warmth that she radiated.

Michèle Hastings said...

Too weird, I just added a book of short stories to my kindle wish list! I heard an interview with the writer on NPR last week. It's called "Hall of Small Mammals" by Thomas Pierce. Pierce hails from S. Carolina.
I know lots of people who do the kombucha thing... I have never tried it, but there is something about the idea of it that makes my queasy. Maybe because I am not a tea drinker. I really shouldn't knock it until I have tried it!

Unknown said...

Thanks Tracey, you've sold me on it, I shall make some kombucha. Better read up! Seems to have some benefits that could work for me

oldgreymareprimitives said...

Ok so I had kimche quite a bit the two months I lived In Korea..You do know that the stuff seeps out through your pores....lol or maybe it was just stronger there. Over there in remote areas where I was, it is buried in pots for some time. I could walk in a room and the pilots would say "OK who ate it?"

Now about your new blog roll..Could you please email me and recommend a few you think I would like? You know me. I am looking for some new blogs and it takes so long to find them..so I guess I'm asking you for a shortcut...
My grandma also grew violets ..every window filled with them. She dipped the leaves in some home made version of rooting hormone as I recall? When I lived in PA I could spit seeds toward the ground and they would grow beautifully. Here everything is a struggle and 90 % of my efforts fail.

As much as you love the new job I'm guessing they adore you and your enthusiasm.

You're doing great girl..Keep it up :D

DD and beau leave for GA for 8 weeks soon. Makes me a bit antsy to have her so far away.... again.. We will never get used to it you and I...

Vicki said...

Perhaps you could write your lovely new journal in seasonal specific chapters.
Brief entries on thoughts and observations throughout the year as it rolls on.
I imagine you would see a pattern of energy changes - from the quiet, meditative, soporific tones of winter, to bright, breezy inflections as spring and summer roll around...

It is good that Wesley's transition is a gentle, gradual one, rather than the abrupt exit, never to return, of so many youth (I'm included there) which is so psychologically brutal.
You are such a wonderful mother, and I'm sure Wesley will thrive in the big world because of the strong, supportive foundations she stands upon.

And, I think the people you work for are as lucky to have you as you are to be there :)

Peter said...

I love the cover of "Accidental Birds of the Carolinas", and I can see why you had to buy a copy. I usually find it hard to read short stories, but do enjoy it if I make the effort. It is interesting how other parts of life have to be in the right place before certain things can be savoured and appreciated. I find that is true of flowers in the garden too, how easy it is just to walk past them and not to see! It is a weird feeling having to delete "dead" blogs from the roll, but can understand why blogs start and stop..., having nearly quit my own sometimes! Hope 2015 goes well for you. Love the Guy Wolff pot!

Tracey Broome said...

Dennis: exactly what mine are getting, filtered morning light, lots of it. I feel the same about my grandmother, I think her love for her violets is what made them grow.

Michele: I am a short story fan now, I'll have to check this one out. If you like Korean food, you might like the kombucha, sort of in the same family.... the scoby takes some getting used to though :)

Scott: Definitely give it a go. Its really easy, several youtube videos are available to watch if you need the help.

Suzan: I'll get back to you on the blogs. Yep, my coworkers seem quite happy with me, and that's fun. I feel like a mom to a bunch of young men, much different than a daughter, but fun all the same. Ugh, Georgia.... soooo far away! but not such a long time, it will fly, stay busy. xo

Vicki: I love your idea of making a journal seasonal, and I bet you are right, there will be patterns in mood and inspiration according to the weather and the time of year. I'm going to do it that way starting today! Thanks for the idea!
My leaving home was at 18 and I ran as hard and fast as I could and never came back. SO glad Wesley is easing away and I know there will be frequent comings and goings. It pays to be a good mom, Karma can be a trickster, haha!

Tracey Broome said...

Hi Peter, ha, your post came in as I was typing:) so nice to hear from you. It is a great cover isn't it? I had thought of a clay bird's nest on one of my houses once, never made it though..... I think just making the effort to read a book in short story form has definitely made the difference.

Anonymous said...

My mom had a way with violets. I wish.
& I admire how gracefully you're letting go & moving into the next phase of mamahood. Me, not so much.

cookingwithgas said...

I meet guy before I was making pots. He's a great person. Smart. Knows his stuff about those flower pots.
It's too grey out there even for me.

Tracey Broome said...

Cindy, its hard, the whole mama thing, all of it. But soooo worth it don't you think?! Every age is a challenge and a joy.

Meredith, I think there are better pots made in NC but somehow Guy's pots have an interesting character to them. They are by no means perfect, but very nice and friendly. I enjoy having them at work to look at.