Friday nibbles -Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story

Carol Epp

Hollis Engley

Kari Weaver Hopkins

Jim Gottuso


You think I am still on pain killers and don't know what day is it- I know it is Thursday evening and it is still July- so there- fire me-or give me a raise....
I have to spend some time off tomorrow morning and just did not want you to go without your nibbles.
So sit back, pour a tall cold one, it is hot, I know my inside thermometer says HHH-  I take that as
hotter than hell- and go read some nice cool blogs.
Cheers!
M

Someone was working...

It seems that one of us was working as I sat on ice and heat last week.
I called about x-rays yesterday and there are no fracture.
Good news there.
But it is still slow going with the back, I can feel it is better then it was last week and I  have more movement.
I did ask them if there is anything I should do differently yet- no was the answer.
So how do I tell Mark I should become a Poodle on a pillow?
That I should just sit around on ice or heat and take pain pills-all day.
Hum, for some of you this might sound great, for me- it sounds like hell.
I was done on day two.
I like about 2 days of nothing then I am itching to do something.

Mark is glazing the crown pots for the gas kiln.

I did get myself set up where I can sit at my wheel and do some glazing on tiles.
I mean once I am there all I have to lift is my arm.
It keeps me out of the bars.....

Today I plan to do a little without overdoing it .
I still think some moving around is better then just languishing away on a pillow.

another tree sent by my sister Leslie.
You have to love this one too- look at all those twist and turns the roots have taken.
It's a bit like life don't you think.

Off to the studio today- baby steps.
I did get Mark to bring out a stool with a back on it. I put a board behind me, a towel and can slip my ice or heat against my back while I am working on tiles.
Hum- gives new meaning to my Poodle on a pillow.
( just so you know- I do like dogs!)
Cheers- now go make pots!

Tenacity

When we were in Maine we took a side trip to New Hampshire to Mt. Washington. Then on our way back to Maine we stopped at some of my sisters favorite haunts in the National Forrest.
We hiked in for this spectacular view, which I really enjoyed, but this tree has stuck in my mind. In fact the tree has stayed with me so much it is now on the desktop of my computer.
Why, you might think?
Well first off I have always been a tree lover.
What is not to like about a tree?
And sometimes you have to look at a tree like this one and say to yourself, "even though they paved the parking lot, even though there is not another tree standing here, here you are,"
"and- some how you have found a way to survive."

Tenacious
: te·na·cious
Pronunciation: \tə-ˈnā-shəs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin tenac-, tenax tending to hold fast, from tenēre to hold
:persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired

a. not easily pulled apart : cohesive b : tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance

Just look at these roots! How can you not fall in love with this tree?
I did.

When you work for yourself you don't really get weekends.
Mark started glazing yesterday for the gas kiln..
I'll get some pictures of pots up soon.
I left my camera over in the studio.
Here's to a good week coming up.
The back is slowing getting better and I should have my results from the x-rays today.
Cheers! Go make pots!
M

Friday nibbles -Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story

Tom Gray

Gary Rith

Blaine Avery

Tim Ayers

As another summer week goes floating by pour a drink, be it cold or hot, and sit back and take a walk through a few more blogs.
I plan to chase mine with bluberries and pain killers.
Cheers,
M

Turtle power!

First off thanks all for those words of encouragement.
I had the x-rays yesterday.
I don't know when I will hear from the doctor about the results. Hopefully this week.
 I stayed on the ice and pain pills and did what I could yesterday.
I am not one of those people to sit around, like a poodle on a pillow, and healing is slow going stuff.
I am still finding new bruises, I spotted one this morning.
I do have a good book, but pain pills keep me from reading more than three pages at a time.
Today Mark is going to set me up so I can do a few things from a sitting position. I have some tiles to glaze and that might help keep me sane.
You all know the drill, if you are not working it bites you a month down the road.
We have to work now in order to be ready for what is coming up later.Grrrrrrrrrrr-trying to stay on the sunny side but sometimes life bites!

I am moving a bit like this turtle right now- one little foot in front of another.
Although she was up here to bury some eggs- I don't think I will be doing that.
But I might be able to create some new ideas while I am down in the back....

And to Mark- thanks- you know you are the best!

Caution: detour ahead

 I went to see the doctor and I have massive, deep bruising on my lower back.
I will be going to have an x-ray done in the next day or so- depends on when they say come.
It is like I was body slammed by the deck and, now, I am loopy.
I have never been a person who could take massive amounts of drugs.
Even ibuprofen makes me loopy.
I am a two beer, two glass of wine girl.
I am the cheap date- unless there is lobster----
So when the doctor said I am prescribing pain pills I thought I might not take them.
Wrong- they do help the pain.
But after just two I am wondering which is worse.
Pain or not being able to think straight or nodding off while sitting or standing still.
I know these are why you take the pain pills so you will rest and do nothing, but I can tell you now
I would be a terrible drug addict.

So my life the next week will be to tackle some of the mounting paper work and
Keep on top of the Clay and Blogs show.
If you are coming- let me know I am looking for rooms for those who are in the show and if there is enough interest I think we could get some discounted rooms in Asheboro.


Fetishghost left a comment on the nibbles I have been posting about the show. He liked the quiet format I was using. I picked this because there I think the blogs and work speak for themselves. They have a better voice then I do about who they are and their work. I do hope you have been reading them and will check back on Friday for more.
One of the reasons I chose this way was after 15 years of working on The North Carolina Potters Conference I was most impressed by a slide presentation done by Clara Couch, know to her friends as Kitty.
Kitty put in her slides, turned off the lights, turned on a tape of some sweet music and carefully went through all her slide, without saying a word. The room was completely quiet of talk and I was mesmerized. When it was over the lights came on, she stopped the music and stood up and said thank you.
Lord, it was so sweet and well done it still pulls at my emotions.
Kitty is no longer with us and I still miss her energy and those beautiful forms.
I think of her often she was so unpretentious.
I have tried to keep that in the back of my head and remember to let the pots and the makers have their own voice.



I just have to share this because even in my loopy state I find this funny- well even if I was not loopy, I should say.
Written on the back of a post card announcing the opening of a play:
"......already sold out, and once word gets around about this delightful romp,seats will be in short supply."

Come again?
what do you mean by that.
Does this mean they will start doubling up and we can sit in each others lap?
If so I will wait I would much rather have a top seat.

With that said I am off, yes I am, to make myself useful.
Mark, meanwhile, bless his pea picking heart, is picking up my "slack".

He cleaned and froze blueberries, made tomato sauce and is doing all the dish washing and picking up that I can't do. You know the drill- you drop every thing when it is not in your power to bend over. And when you do you just stare at it as if you could levitate it off the floor.
Plus, making sure I am okay.
Good man that one is.
Cheers and Peace-
M

there are good things about july-

and there are still more...........

Dealing with blueberries

My other job right now is picking, cleaning, and either freezing or figuring out how to eat the fresh blueberries that are coming in right now.
Mark and I have picked over a gallon twice in the last few days and there are more.
First off I have to tell you we had nothing to do with the disappearance of those baby birds.
I swear nothing and if you need us to we will take the lie detector test.....
We left the birds and berries alone for a day or two and when we went back we were very careful to to pick while  keeping clear of the nest. The closer we got, because the best berries were over above the nest, we noticed no big,bad,bulling,birds coming after us.
Let's take a peek in the nest-no babies-they are gone.
Speculation of how they went is still,"up in the air."
Did they fly, this is what I think and hope and they are out on their own looking for bugs and worms.
Making new friends and living the high life

Mark- I bet they became snake food..........nooooooo-let's hope not!

So yesterday with a pot luck looming I wanted to use some of those yummy blueberries.
I was going to use a recipe from a friend but the recipe was on line and with heavy thunderstorms no internet connects were to be had.
Okay what can I do-
There are a few ripe peaches here as well.
I went with an upside down cake.
I used Mark's family recipe with only two small adjustment.
God forbide, I cut the butter.
So here goes.
About 3-4 peaches washed, peeled and sliced thin.
Blueberries about a cup and a half.
Took out my cast iron skillet.
melt half a stick of unsalted butter on the stovetop-preheat oven to 375.
Adjustment two- you would use brown sugar- I used white sugar 3/4 cup with 2 Tbs. mapel syrup and 1 Tbs. molasses.
Melt this with the butter.
Place all the peach slices on top.
Cover with blueberries and top with this sponge cake
Beat 3 eggs
add 1 cup sugar
add 1cup sifted flour, with 1 tsp.baking powder.
add 1tsp.vanilla
Pour over fruit and bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes.
Let cool - then run a knife around the eges and trun over onto a plate or platter.
This was good!
I woul love to report on the leftovers but-I slipped on the wet deck last night and the platter hit the deck at the same time I did.
I am sitting on an ice pack today accessing the damage and if a trip to the doctor is on my list tomorrow.

Friday nibbles -Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story

Alex Solla

Meagan Chaney

Tracey Broome

Linda Starr


It is time again to take your shoes off, pour a drink, sit back and read more blogs.
It's Friday make mine tall and cold.
Cheers!
M

Yes, we are working--- thanks for asking!

Regardless of the rumors that we do nothing but jet set and eat seafood around here we are working.
Here it is Wednesday and we have fixed the bisque kiln and fired it today.
( just before we left we did one of those long.........firing..we blow out a switch about every 3rd firing- well maybe 4 but the kiln is old!)
And we both worked on the wheel Monday and Tuesday.
Although I think I was sleep walking Monday.
Monday Mark rolled out more tiles for the back splash. I have all the bottom tiles finished and now I am heading up.
I wanted to get all the giraffe in and not go across and worry that some thing would be out of whack .

Here he/she is.
I will have to ask Lee if this is a male or a female.
Never thought to ask.
I wonder how you tell the difference? 
I think I will have one more round of large tiles and then on to the boarder.
I am so nervous with no good place to store these.
I keep boxing them up and taking them out to refer to and boxing them up again.
There must be a better way.
I am like a mother hen clucking and checking these things.
Oh, vay!

Last night we had rain.
The rain will help to bring what is left  of the blueberries out. They were begging for water.
I am fighting with a pair of nesting birds who decided to hatch babies while we were gone. They just looked at me before the babies hatched. Now they flank me and follow me and try to evil eye stare me down. Yesterday one flew in and tried to nip my finger. I am trying to see if we can work things out but after the finger incident Mark brought me a squirt bottle and when the birds get too close I hit them with a stream of water.
Hey! I am willing to leave your babies alone so back off bud!
They also taunt me by eating the best berries as I am picking.
Next year the nest goes.
I mean I am willing to share but no finger nipping!

Clay and Blogs:Telling a Story

Oh go take a look over at Hollis for a peak at the article in Studio Potter.
And today I received a stack of papers from Carolina Arts ,Tom Starland ,with an ad for the show.
He is one of our sponsors.
Go take a peek over at his blog.
If I can figure out how to save the ad I will post it.
They used one of Peter's pots along with one from Joy.
Thanks Tom!

Now I can't wait to see the full article in Studio Potter!

looking-bird's eye view

A number of years back we went to a city with a couple who did restoration on old buildings.
That trip taught me to really look at buildings in old down towns.
The one all the way at the bottom of this post was way up at the very top of a building- it has been cropped and cropped again for the detail.

these are just some shots of buildings and details of city that caught my attention while we were wandering around Portland the day before we flew home.
Some might make it on to some tiles.........

Maine

My sister has been trying to get Mark and me to go to Maine with her for the last few summers.
Something always seemed to come up, but this time when she called we said- let's go.
We have been collecting miles on our credit card for a number years so we knew we had enough points for two tickets.
We wanted to do this on a shoestring because, let's face it, things are tight for us all right now.
So with free tickets and a free place to stay we each packed one carry on bag.
If it would not go in the bag it could not go.
I surprised myself by getting everything I needed in a backpack that weight 12 pounds.
It is a wonder what you can a.-live without and b.- do without if you really want to go somewhere and travel light.

We flew out of Raleigh to DC and on to Portland.
My sister picked us up with Lobster rolls in the cooler!
We headed up to the cabin and the first thing we did was take a dip in the lake.
With temperatures in the 90's the water was perfect.

We made a side trip over to New Hampshire and up Mt.Washington 
My sister talked us into paying for the tour and letting someone else drive us up and back.
We have been up many mountains before and I really didn't understand why we could not drive it our selves. She keep saying trust me- let some one else drive this for you.
Well- she was right- it was amazing and worth the price to have someone else drive.
I was amazed at the changes as we drove up to the top.
We went from heavy vegetation, to smaller and smaller vegetation.
Until we reached the top which was just rocks and grass.
The trees, right before the top, are the size of bonsai trees they are small- but some are 100 years old.
The higher we went the harder it is for things to grow.

There is an old lodge at the top that is now a small museum.
In the "old "days you could have gone up there and stayed over.
There was a small entry way one lager room for eating and then a hallway with bunk-beds stacked  three high.
All the comforts of home!
The weather there is so wacky it is not unusual to have winter winds of 100 to130 miles an hour.
The hardest recorded wind was 231 miles an hour!
I am such a wimp all I could think of was, not me!
I keep thinking about those people who looked up and thought,"we just have to get up there."
Not me, I would have been the one at home tending the fires.

But- you can see we found a couple of great jugs to look at. In fact with no one to tell us we couldn't we did pick them up and take a good look at them.....just moving the dust around a bit.

And-what would  Maine be without the Seafood, scallops, clams,shrimp and ,of course, Lobster !
Made me think I might have to go visit Hollis next! I hear the Seafood there is pretty darn good as well.

It was great to go, relax and just kick back.
With Sunday being tomorrow I might just finish reading my book and catch up on my blog reading before I have to get back to work on Monday.

Cheers all!
M

Heading home

Hey- we are enjoying our last day in Maine.
Home tomorrow.
Whynot Pottery is open and running thanks to my trusty sister Lee- stop in and say hello.
Meanwhile you will have to wait until later for me to bore you to tears with talk of lakes, birds, flowers. mountains and trees!
Cheers!
M

A taste- taking some nibbles at the Clay and Blogs show.

One of the best things that has come out of doing this show has been getting to know the potters who will be in it.
I just wanted to give you all a taste of a preview of some of those folks. There will be more taste as the months go by but for now here is our first nibbles-enjoy:

Hannah McAndrew

Angela Walford

Pru Morrison

Peter Gregory

Now- fix your self a big old glass of sweet tea and go read some blogs over the holidays!
Happy 4th for all of us over in the USA!
For the rest of you- cheers!
M