And, just like that

 another week flies past me. I can not tell you where time goes these days. It is stealing away in large chunks, like melting ice caps.

We unloaded the kiln, packed and shipped off orders. Slipped back and forth waiting for all the ice and snow to melt. Then the mud. The never ending mud that is following all the ice and snow. We like to top that off with some rain. Yes, we love a good slide.

After packing and shipping Mark was on the wheel to get ready to fire the small gas kiln. Do you remember Ms. B? The evil small gas kiln that we built and fired. She gave us a good fire or two and a really terrible firing or two.

 We are going back at her.
Give it another go.
What could possible go wrong?
Really?

I sometimes mull over in my head all the possibilities of what could go wrong from start to finish, and still we go out there throw around some clay, and do it all over again.
I believe our only understanding is that we will never really understand all the elements of what we do.
Yes, we love to spout off about clay, glaze, firing, and what we do. But, once we release it to the elements of fire, one just has to toss their hopes to the wind.
After all it is all about that last step, the fire, it determines    the final outcome.
I once thought that firing in an electric kiln would cure all the ills and be easy.
No, even an electric kiln has it's ways.

So toss we go, and if the luck is with us we rejoice.

We mourn the loss of the ones that don't make it and move on.

After all some of my best friends are seconds.

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 I use many of them in my daily life. A bowl that did not make the cut, a mug that needed grinding, a plate with a pop out. You know the game, not bad enough to take a hammer to, but not what you want out in the world with your name on it.

I always wonder what is the best use for some pots.

 I know many of us sell seconds. I always hesitate to do so.
There are times that I will price a pot lower thinking you are just slightly a second.
I once had a customer, well I take that back, I once had a women who came in toting  another women with her. Women number one was showing the other women how best to "get a deal" from the potters. She looked and looked and looked until she found an oil lamp that was not perfectly glaze. She marches over with her hand on the spot and says, what will you take off for this imperfection!? I was stunned. And, since I saw no relationship happening here I just took the pot from her rolled it around looking at it and said well. 99%   of the pot is perfect so I could take off 1 %.
They left, not taking my 20 cent discount. Some people just don't know a good thing.

So we are back in the clay, making, dreaming, puzzle solving, doing all those things in hopes that we can bring it all together once again for a finished product.

Really, what could possibly go wrong?