Category: Freshly Brewed

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Updates

Some exciting things have been unfolding, which is why I haven’t been posting much.

My friend and collaborator, Rosalie Robison, came for a week’s visit and we worked on updating some songs off of the Patchwork Blue album, and on three new songs for an upcoming EP! I have been working hard to build upon the basic structure of these three songs.

I found a blank art wall at a local library branch and hung 10 art pieces there where they will hang in public view through the first of January!

I ordered some business cards, and post cards for a book signing I started to organize which has turned into a sort of poetry reading thing called The Word Garden, and I’m not sure what that’s going to end up being like, but I’m really hoping it’s not just me sitting in a room reading poetry aloud to myself while sadly strumming a guitar.

I just sold another book on Amazon today, so that’s very encouraging!!

I’ve been doing odd jobs here and there to try and make ends meet while avoiding taking a real job, but I may have to try and get some seasonal work to make it through the next few months. This is frustrating when I feel so close to being able to generate some income from the projects and creative works, but it is a common obstacle when building presence and generating sales on several fronts.

I voted.

I’ve played some open mics.

I’ve written a new single I’m very excited about and trying to finish up the production of that.

November is here and it’s a historically difficult month. This is why I hung my paintings to share out there in the world. Maybe someone else who is having a rough month or two through the holidays will gain some comfort from them. I was surprised how sad I became when I went to leave the library after having hung the paintings on the wall.

Thank you for reading.

Hope your November has some moments of joy and peace.

Appreciate you!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Freshly Brewed and an Update

Freshly brewed is now available on Amazon as a Kindle eBook, and paperback.

Free Kindle give-away is from June 14th to June 18th.

I received 10 paperback copies on Sunday. I just stared at them, flipped through one, snapped a photo, and got on with my day.

Such a feat to finish, with times where the manuscript sat there without a thought, then once I had decided to go ahead and publish through Amazon, which I agonized over – weighing options and considering myself, the book, the company, and looking at choices other self-published authors had made.

It feels good to have it out here. Reader feedback has been extremely positive, and I’m excited to share it with a small part of the world.

I’ve had some thing happening – a case of Covid, which hit me pretty hard even though I’d been vaccinated and boosted (3 doses). After that, my ear was clogged up like constant water jostling in my ear every time I moved my head, and it was hard to write, difficult to concentrate, and a challenge to accomplish any work at all. I made an appointment with an ENT and, of course, the symptoms began to clear, but I kept the appointment just in case there was a greater issue and to confirm there was no issue. I had that appointment today.

In addition to all of that, my car has been almost cutting out while I’m driving, and I took it into the shop before I took a trip to visit family. It died once on the way there, but started right back up. Now, I have another appointment to have it looked at yet again, and I believe I asked them to ‘actually look at the problem this time, because anyone who drives it will know there is a problem with the car.’ That’s what you get when you return my afternoon phone call at 8am the next morning before I’ve had coffee, I guess.

In the original appointment they said the diagnostics said there wasn’t a problem with the system, and to bring it back if the warning lights came back on. The warning lights were still on when I picked it up at the end of the day, and they’ve advised me of $1800 worth of work that they say needs immediate attention, which I am taking with a grain of salt until the do right by the original complaint.

I need to find a job since I quit my part time job due to reasons I won’t get into here, but that situation cost me $3000 to fix, and I couldn’t go to claims court for reasons I also won’t get into. This situation has made my financial situation precarious, and I’ve waited to find work until my car gets fixed so that I have reliable transportation.

My hope is to be able to keep writing, and making art, and writing songs, and playing music, but it looks like I will be looking for full time work with benefits, and possible relocation, which is all pretty big change in direction. I am grateful for every moment I have been able to work towards dreams, and it’s difficult to change gears, but I believe my ability to adapt and make a way for myself in this world.

Thank you all for your support through this past year.

May your coffee always be hot unless you like it cold.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Freshly Brewed Excerpt (Poem)

Morning came again anyway

Headache

Buttons pressed

The making and unmaking

Without end

Fill the cup

Empty the cup

Tidy

Mess it all up

Repeat

Repeat

Repeat

Until the song stops hurting

And the aroma becomes pleasant

And each breath welcome again

Drink deeply then

Of life

~ Freshly Brewed Excerpt by Wendy Kheiry

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Freshly Brewed (Poetry Book Excerpt)

I was loved once

Not by the woman who bore me

Nor by the one who raised me

Not by the man who acquired me

Nor by the one who may not know I exist

I was loved by ghosts

Goddesses and gods

Spiders and birds

Trees and flowers

I was loved once by a dream

And once again by a song

Though I learned to love people

I did not know

I might still not know

How to be loved

It is a skill taught so young that those who learn

Forget it was ever a lesson

***

J’ai été aimée une fois

Pas par la femme qui m’a porté

Ni par celle qui m’élevé

Pas par l’homme qui m’atenue

Ni par lui qui me sait pas si j’existe

J’ai été aimée par les fantômes

Déesses et dieux

Les araignées et les oiseaux

Des arbres et des fleures

J’ai été aimée une fois par un rêve

Et une fois par une chanson

Même si j’ai appris a aimer les personnes

Je ne savais pas

Je ne sais peut-être tourjours pas

Comment être aimée

C’est une competence à prendue quand on est si jeune que ceux qui l’apprendre

Oblient que c’etait une fois une leçon

***

Excited to be working with a translator for this introduction, and the section introductions to my poetry book Freshly Brewed, a coffee table poetry book about objectification, trauma recovery, learning to relate to other people, relationships, and coffee. Point of view is often from the coffee.