Wednesday, August 01, 2007

karma come and getcha

ethiopian coffee

Moving is one of those things, like showing up, that you do for friends. I’ve run out of fingers to count the times I’ve moved my own life from one point to another, and I’m nearly through the toes, which means I’ve learned from experience that moving is always better with a crowd.

ethiopian coffeepot, handle detail


Which is why when friends ask, I’m there. (Although I hesitate a little to broadcast this fact to the blogosphere. ;)

Moving karma always comes back around, and sometimes it comes back in curious ways. One of the curious objects that I love in my life is a coffeepot that came to me in a move.

ethiopian coffeepot, side detail


It’s old school, from Ethiopia[1], with a rounded bottom so it can’t stand on its own – I set it in a little dish designed for mixing soy sauce with wasabi for sushi, and it sits, balanced just so, on the top of my Bompa’s bookshelves.

ethiopian coffeepot, mouth detail


It was given to me by a dear friend whom I helped move once upon a time, who dug it out of a box that we were just about to seal up and said: “Here – you like these kinds of things – would you like to have it?” M is from Ethiopia, and she explained to me that she used it to make coffee – first they’d roast the beans, over the fire, and then they’d grind and boil them, by setting the pot in the coals.

“But won’t you need it?” I asked her, and she laughed. She’d been in the U.S. for several years at this point and she shook her head. “Not at all,” she said, “we use Mr. Coffee!”

So of course I said yes, please.
And thank you.
ethiopian coffeepot


[1] Lest we forget, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia by, legend tells it, a goat herder named Kaldi – which makes a coffeepot from Ethiopia just about as old school as you can get.

4 comments:

anniemcq said...

I can vouch for you being the Goddess of moving.
Well, I think you're just the Goddess of just about everything!

Enyasi said...

Funny you say these things about gifts from moving... I still am quite fond of some of the things you gave me from one of your moves... By the way... I think I know your mutant power... the ability to make anything you photograph look like the most beautiful object in the world. As always lovely post...

Anonymous said...

Do you remember that great straw bag you passed on to me when you left town—the dark orange one with the nice flat bottom that has just the right amount of strength to stand on its own with out caving in? It's a mighty fine bag. :)

suttonhoo said...

oh these comments just made my day.

anniemcq: re goddesses -- that's because I pay you that retainer to say nice things about me. shhhhhh. I remember that place well -- *especially* the BEST BBQ I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE -- I've *tried* to roast vegetables like you do, sweetie, but I always come up short. and those bananas -- remember the bananas?!?!? sweet mercy. grilled with brown sugar and served with vanilla ice cream.

enysasi: at last it is revealed. and such a relief: I've been laboring under the belief that my mutant power was removing staples without a staple remover. this one is much, much better.

anne: I do! but I'd had forgotten -- so glad to be reminded and so glad it's living in a happy loving home. :)

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