Sunday, August 14, 2011

I use to be a potter

You know the feeling.
You don't really know you are there until you are there.
Mark and I have had a very nice life here on the farm making pottery since 1982 and just coasting along on the dream.
Then the past few years we have been holding life by the tail as it pulls us in many directions.
Last week we left out of here with the load for the big kiln about 2/3rds done.
We had been waiting for word about a new heat and air unit for his mother's house.
The word came and we were on the road to oversee the installation and make repairs on the house.
It was to be a 3 day job.
That went to 4 and then to 5 and by then it's too late to pack up and leave with 1.00 beers calling from the pier close by... I mean really drive 5 hours leaving at 7 at night or go drink cold beer and watch the sunset over the bay?
No brainer there!
Now let's talk about balance.
When we first opened the pottery the balance was kids and pottery.
But they lived with us.
Now it's mothers and pottery and they don't live with us.
So how to balance this new part of our lives.
Challenging and rewarding as it is we both still have our mother in our lives and that is the reward.
And, when we go to see the mothers I also get some time with the grand daughter and her rents.

Plus we reward our selves with going out to sit in A/C and have beer or wine and dinner. Here it is a bit of a drive to indulge our whims in that.
The pier became a favorite.

and I also get to see some good friends for lunch.
 
So how do we balance the new role we are in?
We work like mad men when we are here and then go when we have to.
Most of the time I can hire a shop sitter to be here, but there are days that I can't get someone here.
I apologize to anyone who came out while we were closed and hope you will check back in with us.
Call or email works best.
We have also moved a selection of pottery out to Dirtworks Pottery who are located on HWY 705 just up the road from us.
We will do the best we can to be here as much and as often as possible.
But there will be times when duty calls and we have to be gone.
So bare with us as we blindly walk this new role through life.

On to and back to the glazing and getting this load through.
Cheers!
M

9 comments:

Tracey Broome said...

Cuter and cuter and cuter every day! Who wants to make pottery when that little thing is in the house! Now that mine is moving out of the house, I can be a lot more flexible, so call on me if you need a sitter, I'm not that far away and I love your place!

cookingwithgas said...

Hey TB thanks I will do that! It will be hard to have Wesley go and yet you will find plenty to fill your days!

Patricia Griffin Ceramics said...

Balancing the work, the studio/gallery management, the family, the fun, the friends... It's a job in itself! Thanks for the reminder that I'm not the only one pulled in a bi-zillion directions!

Anonymous said...

hi meredith, i'm with you on the balance. instead of less things to interfere with making pots, there's always more and some are non-negotiable but you gotta do what you gotta do. you got a little cutie there, wait til she discovers grandma's clay shop

Shortstuff said...

You do a grand job with the balancing act, m'dear. Wish I didn't have to work for a living. I could come house/shop sit for you. Of course that would give YOU extended time with MY great niece! Hm...may have to rethink that offer. ;^)

Linda Starr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Linda Starr said...

Your grandaughter sure is uplifting, obligations seem to come up all the time don't they; if I lived closer I'd shop sit for you.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

I would be a shop sitter for ya!

cookingwithgas said...

Look at all these offers to shop sit! How much notice do you all need?
There would be clean sheets and towels plus homemade jam!