We all need to start somewhere-

July will soon be here and it makes me reflect on the past year.

In fact, I will never see July the same for many reasons.

My father, who was a newspaper man, and wore many hats while in the business and was a hell of a writer and wordsmith past away on the 4Th of July the year my son graduated from High School-1994- a year of change.

He use to tell my kids he worked at the word factory.He loved words, the English language, the twist and turns of words, a good joke and an even better pun.I always thought God gave him me just to remind him that some people can not spell, thank you spellcheck, can't string a good thought together and must work with their hands.

Don't get me wrong, he was one of my biggest supporters when I decided to become a potter.

Last July we were hit by lighting and our work studio burned. Not one of our better years- 2008- "a walk in hell," I call it in my mind. But one we walked and now see the other side of.

It was tense, sad and hard. Most of all it was, Just plain hard.

But- this walk was in many ways easier then the one you walk when you lose a love one.

We loved our life and our building- but they were and have been replaced.We have begun to feel the pace of the potter's life returning.

I don't feel as if I am walking on broken glass. I feel as if we are returning to what we have done since 1982.

The pots have not made big changes they are pretty much the pots we have been making- but then again I am making the tiles and testing out glazes at cone 6 for the tiles and the big tile project to come. As Mark keeps saying as he is working, "It's like coming home."

Comfort- comfort in the shapes and comfort in the clay.

The biggest thing I added to my day is all the people whom I have met and read their blogs- I try to read you all and I follow your blogs some days until my computer yells, "no more---- go. to. work.!"

You were such a lifeline and still are.

My plan in my head is to someday go in person to see some of these potters- why not? What fun that would be to have tea with Linda Star, sit in Barbara's garden and talk about spiders.

Then I would be off to see Patricia Griffin.

Meet Cynthia Guajardo and see her remodeled house and life- coffee up at Micheal Kline's place.

A beer with Gary Rith at his favorite place. I would love to sit and watch Sofia and her Dad, Jim , create together. Then I would have to go see Cindy Shake who drips talent with everything she does.

Out to see Julia and meet her bees and Stan,who would rather keep the name Ruby.

I read the Seagrove blogs as well- don't think I am not checking in with you- just too many to mention here today.

Then there is the Women's Colony. I would go there to soak up some of the energy from the women who write and give me bites of their lives.

So- start here because this is your life.