Thursday, January 29, 2015

Gorge on Life!


Do you guys watch the show A Chef's Life? Its my new favorite show on PBS. On one episode, her husband claimed she was "gorging on life".  I love that expression. I think we should all be gorging on life, we only get one after all. Why not gorge away!?


 Life is good these days. Gerry and I worked in the yard a bit this week, getting ready to start some early greens for the garden. Tatsoi, spinach, kale, and some lettuces. We have a nice little space now for starting seeds and getting seedlings ready for outside.

Gerry turned over the compost and the chickens deigned him worm God :) They feasted on fat earthworms, they are not vegan chickens. The soil is so rich from all of the chicken poo we have been adding to the compost bin.


Three of my work mates. We stopped by the store today to pick up some supplies for seed starting and I shot this pic. These are three of the smartest guys I have ever known. Left to right, Adam is an organic farmer and knows anything and everything you could ever possibly need to know about organic gardening, growing, soil amendments.... He is a walking garden encyclopedia. Gerry took a winter gardening workshop with him and it is now paying off in wonderful winter greens for the table. Ethan in the middle is our brew master. If there is anything at all you could ever need to know about brewing beer, ales, cider, mead..... he knows it. Its scary how much knowledge is stored in his brain :)  Sean, on the right started about the same time I did. Economics major at UNC (smart), track star, and one of the sweetest kids I have ever known. Also brilliant.

I feel so lucky to have this job. We got in the car after shopping and Gerry said, "that is the coolest store ever". He is so right. A huge order was being unloaded from the warehouse truck when we got there, everyone was busting it to get the truck unloaded, merchandise checked in and at the same time helping customers. All of it done with laughter and joking and knowledge and just plain having fun.  I really don't know a lot of places where work is this much fun. I am blessed.


Morning Tea


A new cookbook from my pottery pal Barbara and my violets continue to bloom


New batch of kombucha bottled


 Monday, Wesley and Lazarus came home and we went to the Carolina Theater to see the movie Wise Blood with a commentary by Lucinda Williams at the end. My friend Barbara came with us. The film is an adaptation of Flannery O'Connor's book. Barbara did her doctorate on Flannery O'Connor and her photographs were used in the opening credits of the movie. Her name was on the credit roll at the end. Very proud of her! We picked Barbara up early and she had prepared a beer tasting for us, Scottish Ale, appropriate since she is a Scot. The beer, Old Chub, was quite good. Barbara showed Wes and Laz her Flannery photos and gifted one of them to Lazarus. Now they both have signed Barbara McKenzie photos of Flannery O'Connors south. They are over the moon with joy for these photos they now have. Both huge Flannery fans.


I think a bit over the moon for each other too. Peas in a pod. What an adorable couple they are. Wesley wasn't feeling so great and got worse as the evening progressed, so we missed most of Lucinda Williams. I got to hear her sing one song and then we left. I love Lucinda but my kid comes first and she was not in great shape. We got home, and by the time I got upstairs she was throwing up. Lazarus was by her side. Now that'a a man to hold on to! I made her some ginger tea and left her with Lazarus, she was in good hands.....  I am so happy she has found someone that seems to really care about her. This has been a good year for her. She too is finally gorging on life.



So things are great here on our little two acre patch of land. The weather has sucked most days, gray, wet, cold. But we get out in it anyway and make the best of it. There have been a few nice sunny days, but right now, sleet is falling. 

My chickens crack me up every day. What did I do before I had them, I wonder? I reckon I found something else to laugh at :)

Peace y'all
xo

14 comments:

Vicki said...

This post makes me so, so, so happy for you Tracey!
I smiled wide from the very first photo.
Life is SO much better with chickens in it :)
Love how your words beam contentment from the page.
The world can rage around us, but with soul content, everything will be alright.
xx

Tracey Broome said...

Thanks Vicki! Gotta spread the love. I had a text from Wesley saying the post made her so happy. Love when that happens. Life is good with chickens :-)
Xo

littlemancat said...

Awww - this is so good! I love your chickens, garden, and contagious feeling of contentment. And isn't it true that when your child is happy, it's the best feeling ever?
Thanks for spreading the joy! And hope Wesley is feeling much better.
Mary

Tracey Broome said...

Thanks Mary, its so much easier to just be happy!

Dennis Allen said...

Glad to hear it's going well.Keep up the good work.

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Dennis, thanks. Hope all is well with you too!

Denise said...

The store you work at sounds great, my husband is a brewer and gardener....wish we lived closer. I love Lucinda, we went to one of her shows in Maine a few years ago.

Lori Buff said...

It’s so great to read that you are healthy and happy and that things are going so well. That store sounds great and a perfect fit for you.

You’ve reminded me that I need to get/make a table to fit under my window so I can start some seeds soon. Thanks

Michèle Hastings said...

I love the photos of you with your chickens!!! Your family looks so happy.
Lucinda Williams is on my "to see in concert" list. I tried to buy ticket for a show in Boston, back in 2007, and the first day they went on sale there were only crappy seats left. :-(

Laura Farrow said...

yay chicken lady!! yay Wes!! xoxo

Shannon said...

hiya--the weekly (?bi-weekly?) blog cruise and catch up. Always lovely pix and good job with the subtle pix of our motorco brunch. We are a tricky bunch. I imagine one day we'll be sorry there aren't more pix of us all together. Not gorging on pix of ourselves in the moments. :)

Tracey Broome said...

Michele and Denise, yep, I'm on the look out for a Lucinda concert, unfortunately she is all on the west coast right now :( I think she was here last year and I totally missed it....
Lori, we have all sorts of greens coming up now, makes spring seem that much closer!
Hey Laura and Shannon: bloody marys are calling... any takers?!

Candace Thomas said...

Tracey, When I read the post about gorging on life I flashed to two times when I was a kid.
First, from early on my Mother would tell us that the world was our back yard, go out and play. Next was from 1970 (11th grade) Hillsboro Texas. The high school I attended put on a production of Mame. We had to see the movie with Rosalind Russell, the play in the city and the production from our school.
When I read your post, I thought about my favorite line. "Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving' That line always validated my Mother' views on the world. She gorged on life!
I miss you.
Thank you for the walk down memory lane.
Peace and Stitch,
...below is a link to Rosalind Russell saying the line about life is a banquet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85pJXaiXOBU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Joan Tucker said...

http://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2015/02/lolly-willows.html