Hello there, and welcome back to my little corner of the internet. I hope you had a lovely week!
This week’s newsletter is not going to be too long. I know that I said I would post my first non-newsletter-y post. I didn’t forget - I just haven’t found time to finish it yet.
There are two main reasons: exhaustion and rediscovering a joy I thought I had lost. Fatigue is easily explained - returning to work from a week of vacation is a change that always throws me off balance, especially when it feels like nothing has been done while I was gone. (Even if I know that my co-worker did her best to cover my work.)
Despite being ready to fall asleep when I come home, I have found my joy in cooking again. Over the last few years, I lost that joy. For one, I don’t like cooking for just one person and usually end up just having something quick - like a sandwich.
But I have decided to try and change my diet to a healthier one. That doesn’t mean that I have just indulged in fast food, but the German kitchen, while very tasty, tends to be pretty… heavy. At least everything I’ve learned from my family. I always feel so tired after having a full meal, and that is not what I need during the week, especially not after work. And I’m honestly getting a bit bored with it.
Since I’ve always been fascinated by Japan and its culture, I’ve decided to try a few recipes. They weren’t that complicated, but they tasted lovely, and I finally found myself having fun in the kitchen again. Granted, I don’t have every ingredient close at hand (the nearest shop is about two hours away), but it’s fun trying to figure out what work and what doesn’t. It feels like an adventure. Next week, I want to try even more recipes and maybe plan a whole day with Japanese-style meals.
So, why haven’t I finished the post yesterday - since it was Saturday and all?
Easy answer - because my Mom and I decided to make the day a mother-daughter day. We drove into town, did a bit of window shopping and bought a few books before heading out for lunch. We didn’t discuss what was happening and what still needed to be done. Instead, we focused on the moment and just enjoyed being together. We both tried something new and reminisced a bit about the past. On my grandparents, her husband and all the happy memories we made together. Funny moments that still made us laugh.
When it was time to go, we meandered along the stands that sold pottery. I don’t know what kind of event was happening, but there were so many lovely stalls with differently created pottery items. We ended up buying two gorgeous mugs and a pot for onions. I’ll add a photo of each at the end.
And then there was today. We’re still moving stuff around, figuring out what to keep and throw out. While poking around the attic, we stumbled upon some old photo albums. Bitter-sweet memories captured by a camera and kept safe behind clear plastic. Photos of people I never got the chance to meet but always heard about. Or people I only had in my life for a few years, like my great-grandfather. He loved to tell stories and always had a penny dreadful for me, mainly with a Wild West topic. They weren’t that deep but kept me busy most of the time. Sometimes my grandma or my mom would have to come and get me for lunch or dinner. I loved listening to him. He was a good man.
Now, that’s enough for my rambling today. I’ll see you again next week and hopefully get something else out.
Have a lovely Sunday!
Sue