A month of creativity, in which we acquire art from Frankie, kick off a new project at work, publish a memoir, reap the rewards of ginger, broccoli, and garlic, count vultures, play with clay, and bake cookies.
PICTURE FROM A THOUSAND WORDS
Our friend, Frankie Abralind creates portraits of writers, typewritten in their own words. Bob, naturally went for the portrait of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. You will find Frankie’s art at Typewritten Portraits.
BREAKING NEW GROUND AT THE PLANT
On December 3rd, we attended the blessing for Starrlight Mead’s new facility on Lorax Lane. We toasted with mead, and set up a banner.
And got out of he way, so the contractors could get down to business.
THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT WORK
Ray’s job description at HOMS includes product research, which sometimes involves putting his arm in a box full of mosquitoes. Meanwhile, over at Fair Game, Bob does what he can to keep the still’s steam boiler alive.
BIRD COUNT
Every morning, over coffee and cocoa, we look out our office window to see how many vultures are in the dead tree across the street. Camille believes they go there to warm up or dry out, and that anything more than five vultures, portends a good day.
CAMILLE’S NEW MUSE
Spot welcomes Mary, a woman who invigorates Camille’s imagination with poetic prose. Besides her talent, Mary’s most notable quality is the twinkle in her eye, earmark of a playful personality. As if in on the secret, the pampas grass lent her some additional panache.
HOPS
Bob went after the formidable root of a hops plant aspiring to take over his garden. And won.
BUTTONED UP
Bob ran the mower, Camille dragged the tarp, and we put the garden to bed for the winter.
GINGER
Bob is still pulling up ginger by the bucket. And then he washes it, which is the hard part. Kombucha brewers buy most of our ginger, we keep some back for cooking, and some becomes ginger-infused vodka.
SUNDAY DINNER
Usually involves potatoes, and once in awhile, broccoli from the garden.
MONEY IN THE BANK
For a quick meal, we mine the deep freezer for breaded seitan patties, or polenta, which became a meal with fried green tomatoes from Shelley’s garden and the last of our peppers in a white sauce.
GARLIC
Camille cut down the garlic that Bob hung in the garage a couple of months ago and cleaned it up. Some of it found its way into the roasting pan. Yum!
CREATIVE PURSUITS
After reading “Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative“, Camille was inspired to get tactile. So, we gifted ourselves a package of brightly colored clay sticks and set our fingers free. Bob made a white horse, Camille made a pink swan and a girl in a turquoise skirt.
Also this month, Camille published her mothers memoir, “Honey Sandwiches” and sold an essay titled “My Friend Carl” to Sowing Creek Press for their anthology about Natural Wonders.
THE GOOD BAKER AND HIS JAMMIN’ JAMMIES
Christmas is for kids.
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THIS MONTH’S QUOTE:
“She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken. And since Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt and fear, she has practiced denying them in herself. And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to build up laughter out of inadequate materials. From her position as healer, her hands had grown sure and cool and quiet; from her position as arbiter she had become as remote and faultless in judgment as a goddess. She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone.” – John Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath, describing Ma Joad
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