Sandy Miller Pottery & Garden: IS IT WORTH IT?

On this cold cold February morning walk, when your eyes water and your nose contorts, sucking in ice cold air. Tears dribbled down my face for no apparent reason other than it was fucking cold, a raspberry bramble slapped the back of my frosty numb leg, sending a stabbing pain up my spine to an already short circuited brain. The sun was not out and it was a grey, milk toast Ohio morning with a stiff 14 mph north wind. My shoulders were scrunched up enough to be declared a turtle neck. Kirby had refused to walk down the driveway and was home snoring. And about the time my legs were burning with cold and welts, I stopped to look around..........

yup, definitely worth it.....

and this is out my front door, no need to drive anywhere just walk across the street.

Since rolling off the frenetic season of shows, holidays, family, feasting and all things glittery, it's time to take a step away and review. For every single thing I question, in this sometimes out of control lifestyle, I can ask; IS IT WORTH IT?

Can there be a more simplistic question that can bring such clarity? This is a revelation to me and just why this thought is occurring to me at 65 is a mystery. Although I think I have ghost memories of my teenage self and possibly even my wee self asking that question, when staying out past curfew, locking my brother out of the house (on purpose) or things making my folks go little gray-er. Even then the answer was always YES, a resounding YES with a side order of YES and sprinkled with a bit more YES! I am not sure what the hell happened in between but I forgot to ask.

I am often asked why I can and preserve so much food. I had a can of tomatoes in the cupboard and the smell alone made me aware of how worth it is to have a shelf full of tomatoes tucked in jars from my garden in the basement.

The other night I had Butternut Carrot Thai soup from a basement shelf and Butch opened a can of store bought soup. We don't even need to have that discussion but the jar beat the can, no argument from the peanut gallery on that one. For me, it's YES. For Butch who could eat Kirby kibble and say Wow, where did you get this great recipe, not so much.

Bread...... is it worth it? YES! and I figured out a way to make it so it only takes a few minutes. And it's full of great stuff like oat bran, nuts, whole grains, Einkorn flour, rye and stuff that I like.... oh yeah and Guinness. I can't buy this bread and it costs under a dollar to make so discussion over.

Butch still likes Wonder Bread, I think it's a wonder you can eat it.

Teaching out at the Montessori school....... I have made peace with this issue. Not sure the kids would say it's worth it but for me it is! I've made so much peace with this I took on another class.

But it's the middle of winter when traditionally no money goes in my bank account, it paid for two big diseased pines to be taken out.

and I have change to buy a few new plants for all that space!

The two shows I have committed to ........ going on past review I would say, YES.

How about getting a dog? BaHaaaaa!

and you get to meet the neighbors!

And what about all that work in the garden?

Absolutely YES!

I have said to NO to quite a few things so I am weeding out this year. Things that made me a lot crazy and things that made me a little crazy. That NO thing has opened the door to new adventures

I am kind of excited about.

I haven't been in the studio too much but just enough that I want to be there.

And just so everyone knows; Mercury is in Retrograde and this could all go right out the window but for now can we get a: OH HELL YES!

Oh and the Mom Box idea has been a blast!

February Mom box included homemade truffles, biscotti, chocolate chip cookies and a cook book :)

So that's a YES! (and no I do not want to start a side a business in my spare time)