After an invigorating visit from my parents and Buddy (one of the best dogs ever!), and a great trip to New Hampshire with them to see Willa, her Matt, my uncle, and our cousins for late Christmas celebratin’, we’re getting back into the swing of things around here!
Buddy in the backseat, everyone at Uncle Tim’s, and Willa & Matt banging pots together on New Year’s Eve in the freezing cold
In the spirit of the new year (how is it actually 2009?!?), we are getting organized and getting our goals together so that we can hopefully get things off to an exciting start. This morning I woke up thinking, “What are we going to make today?” and so we’ve been chipping away at that very question.
The holidays offered us a *very* welcome break from work and we got back in to the swing of actually cooking (a LOT). For gifts, I made a tasty batch of lemon curd, as well as preserved orange marmalade, green bean pickles, and apple butter for everyone in our family (the last 2 thanks to Alicia’s wonderful recipes!). Matt has an active batch of winter wheat ale in its secondary fermentation in the kitchen closet right now, and we’re going to tackle homemade cheese soon!
And now it’s time to get organized and really get a sense of what the year has in store for us…well, as much as we can get a sense, that is! I’ve got a huge list of ideas for cards, books, some brand new projects, and I think I can safely say that Matt and I are both most excited about the book printing projects we have on our horizon. It’s been our goal to combine binding and letterpress work for some fine press projects, and the time is finally here! There will be lots of updates on that front, as we go along, and I’m looking forward to sinking our teeth into the design process and starting to nail down some materials and specifics.
We can’t wait to get to work!
With Mom & Dad, as they headed out of Brooklyn
What are you going to make in 2009?
Whatever you do, bear in mind wise words from E.B. White’s letters: “We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry.”
2 Comments
It’s Buddy, the cutest dog ever! I have threatened to dog-nap that guy on more than one occasion.
Everyone looks healthy and happy, and you guys seem ready for the new year!
I’ve made a new comittment to blogging more often! I’m also working right now on a post about eating locally that I’ve been thinking a lot about. (I’ll have to tell you about Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbera Kingsolver!)
I’m also starting to plan my garden. I’m going to start some heirloom plants from seed (finger’s crossed!) from this great souce in Decorah, http://www.seedsaversexchange.org.
I can’t WAIT to hear about the beer, and my warmest wishes for everybody in the new year!
Alicia
I’m glad to see your Mom & Dad made it out to see you over the holidays! You all always look so happy together.
Thanks for the New Years card. I’ve put it in my treasure box. Take care!
Jennifer, Matt & John John