I’m just back from the Monday farmer’s market. My eyes were bigger than my stomach this week, which made for a full backpack and a challenging haul back to the condo. Definitely my most strenuous ride this year. The weather here continues to be wonderful, though we do have a few rainy/cloudy days ahead in this week’s forecast. But I’ll take that any day over Nashville’s 7-day forecast. Tim reported about 3 inches of snow this morning, and there’s more on the way. Then, it will barely get above freezing this week. I’m really hoping he doesn’t have to deal with frozen pipes, as we have in the past. I am so thankful to be here right now.

I’m starting to feel the creativity seep into my brain. This usually happens a couple of weeks into my time here. I have so many ideas and hopes for my new flower business. I took the Floret Workshop online course in 2022. As an alumnus, I have lifetime access to the videos and materials. The 2024 course began on January 5th, so I joined in to follow along with the new students. I didn’t pay much attention to the business side when I originally took the course, since I was at Bates Nursery full-time. I thought I could eventually turn my love of flowers into a side hustle for a year or two, and I dreamed that one day I could build a sustainable business. Welp, here I am at “one day.” I’m no longer a backyard hobby grower. I can’t grow the whimsical things that interest me just for funsies. I need to focus on crops that will turn the most profit (I am keeping a small patch of fun stuff, mainly to trial). Yes, I have more hours in my day now that this is my full-time job, but I still need to find ways to maximize my efficiency. Thankfully, I kept a detailed weekly harvest log last year. I’ve already identified most of the flowers/fillers I grew in 2023 that were a waste of space and time. By far, my biggest weakness is marketing. I HATE asking people to buy my stuff and trying to convince them why my product is so great. I’m gonna have to dig those big-girl panties out of a drawer somewhere and get over this hangup of mine. I also have to up my game. I’m a pretty good designer but there’s SO much I need to learn. I’m trying to think of ways to get more practice in this year, especially with big installations like arches, bannisters, table runners, and chandeliers. I brought along several design books to read while I’m here. 

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. As I was making lists of shows to binge while I’m here, I decided to start a separate list. For Black History Month, I’d like to focus on documentaries, television, and movies that highlight black lives. I’ll share the February viewing list I started; if you have a recommendation, I’d love to hear it. I have a decent list of documentaries, but I’m still looking for television and movies. 

Documentaries:

• • • 13th
    • Trial 4
    • Becoming
    • What Happened, Miss Simone?
    • Time: The Kalief Browser Story
    • Amend: The Fight For America
    • The Black Godfather
    • When The Levees Broke
    • See It Loud: The History of Black Television
    • Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story
    • Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street
    • Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered
    • Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland
    • Oprah and Quinta Brunson
    • Paris is Burning
    • John Lewis: Good Trouble
    • Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
    • Who Put the Klan in Ku Klux Klan?

Television and Movies:

• • • Atlanta
    • Abbott Elementary (Eagerly awaiting its return!!)
    • I May Destroy You
    • Till
    • Moonlight

Here’s a sunset, this week’s floral arrangement, and today’s farmers market booty. Stay safe and warm, USA friends. And if you hate me right now I totally understand.