Green Tomato Jam

Last time I wrote a blog post was when we were in France. Oups! A lot has happened since.

One of the things that happened is very tragic and has found me very sad and - as a friend put it feeling like my mind and my body are disconnected. Our dear friend David Bartecchi passed away. His wife is one of my best friends and a sister that I adore, Antonia Bartecchi. My heart has been aching for Antonia and their daughters Liliana and Khloe. And the whole family, community and earth that has lost an amazing brother and human being.

David is one that would read my blog posts and tell me how he appreciated my truth in writing them. He liked that I was real when I wrote. I guess I just like to say things as they are and express how I feel without putting on a pretty or commercial filter to what I write.

I have never felt very confident when writing. It started at school in France when I took tutoring lessons in French. I was fortunate that my parents could afford to pay someone to help me write better in french. When thinking back to that time, I cannot remember my tutor’s name but I remember that she was Franco-German like me and that she was a horse person/rider. I believe that the fact that she had the same two nationalities that I have was helpful to understand what was going on with my writing. One of the things I remember her saying was that I spoke well and that I should write as I speak. She also said that I write way too long sentences and that it is a very german thing to do. You can pick up a german book sometime and notice that one entire paragraph, almost a page will be one sentence. We don’t really do that in French and not in English either I found out.

Anyway, I have been making an effort since then to write short sentences and to write as I would speak.

Back to my Green Tomato Jam. I just made a lot! Thanks to Mark who gave me three medium sized buckets of green tomatoes. I was reminded in the process that it is “tomato” and not “tomatoe” as I initially spelt it on my labels. I was so sure of myself that I told my husband it was a british spelling! Turns out it’s more of a dyslexic spelling than anything else. And the plural of tomato is tomatoes so you don’t have to look far to understand the mistake.

If you think you might like green tomato jam hit me up I would love to share some of it with you. If you have already gotten some from me in the last few days let me know what you think of it. I will not be getting in the jam making business but it is definitely something I enjoy from time to time. I made a batch with lemons and grapefruit and another batch with lemons and orange. It is such a fun activity to share with friends, this time it was my best friend and husband who helped me cut the tomatoes. As a lot of harvest activities I find that they are a great communal, bonding and just more pleasurable thing to do.

Next I am planning on making my mom’s orange jam. Say the word if you want to be a part of it.

Some of the other major things that have been happening to me are that my business is ever so flourishing. Fort Collins and the surrounding areas have been receptive and out right respectful of my work. I have to tell you this feels so good and makes me happy and so motivated to keep weaving and making my art. As I have expressed recently in an Instagram post I have been frustrated to not find the time to weave at my studio. But it didn’t take me long to realize how fortunate I am to feel this. I get to practice something I love as part of my work. How lucky am I? I decided to sit with this feeling and I quickly found that it made the experience of weaving at my loom more delightful and exciting.

I will try to write again a little sooner than in two months but then again I love being taken by the flow and living a slow life. As slow as possible. Lately I haven’t really succeeded but the intention is there and I am sure that relatively I am able to slow down.

In the meantime, see you at Maxline Brewing tomorrow, Artist Studio Tour and Sale next weekend, SOAR with Galina Khmeleva the week after that and the Boulder Handweaver’s Guild’s Fiber Art Show & Sale from November 1st to 5th.