Christmas? In July?

This weekend has been a busy one in Seagrove as one of the organizations in town puts on the Annual Christmas in July. Now, I will tell you I have never understood the concept of Christmas in July but if it gives folks a reason to get out and come to Seagrove then who am I to argue.
 In fact all I have to do is say yes put us on the list.
Yesterday, if you all remember we joined the Co-op in town, was Co-op day for us as well.
 I ran the Co-op in the morning and Mark came up and traded with me for the afternoon.
Representing the potters in the Co-op means you are also selling others work. This is very interesting to me. There were more first timers in the Co-op yesterday and as they come in I greet them with a question
" Welcome to the Co-op have you even been in before?"
 If they say no, I tell them the Co-op represents 10 local potter shops in the area within driving distance. Please take your time, look around and if you have questions let me know or if I can give you directions to any of the shops I would be happy to do so. A mouthful I know but then I leave them to look only talking with them if they want to.
 Some folks are very talkative while others really just want to look and move on. I find the same goes on in our own shop. You greet, chat a bit and then step back. They are there for the pots. If you are too chatty next thing you know they have not looked but moved to the door.

Pretty Pitchers, or English Jugs

I did have one of those fun moments yesterday when I was back in our shop.
We love to ask folks, "where are you from?"
Yesterday I had 2 ladies when I asked they said Norfolk and Hampton.
"Oh, I grew up there", I said
Then we all go into the where and whys and next thing I know one of the ladies looks at me and asks, "who is your mother-in-law?"  When I tell her Louise Heywood she gets so excited. "I use to work with Louise", she tells me.
Small world.
This has happened to us over and over.
I have meet folks in the shop who knew my father, my mother, a brother, a sister a friend, a friend of a friend............
I have even watched as customers start talking and next thing you know they discover they live in the same area or, this one was good, discovered they were cousins.
Small world.

I enjoy these moments. I feel it is the other benefit to what we do.
We open our lives and world to others in many ways.
I once had a customer and his family meet his parents as they both turned into our driveway.
They jumped out of their cars and there was a love fest in the yard. They came in laughing to tell me that each family gotten up that morning unknown to one another and said, Let's go to Seagrove.
The son drove with his family from one  part of the sate while his parents drove from the other end. They meet at the end of my driveway.
The father was in a few months ago and filled me in on the family letting me know that they are now in Alaska. We still laugh about the chance meeting here.
Small world.

Above you will see some very nice pitchers Mark has been working on. Nice fat bellies, good lips and the handles. The man makes a nice handle.
Handles are one of those things that potters can do either very well or not so very well.
I am in the opposite camp with mine. I feel this is a weak spot for me and I am always amazed at the ease Mark has with handles.

One of the few vegetables that is growing well for me this hot and now this hot/wet summer is climbing spinach.
If you have not tried it it is a good one to add. Thicker leafed than regular spinach but tasty raw or cooked.

The gourds- taking over the world....... and the bees are drunk with happiness.

Time to move into another day.
M