Yes, we are fickle when it comes to

 the weather.
We woke to 6 degrees on Sunday, and then traveled right up to 60 plus yesterday. We decided that we needed to get out and take a walk in the afternoon. The problem was how to dress. After days of freezing we were quickly pulling off layers. It was all I could take not to turn on the a/c as we drove out of the park after our walk.
Crazy.
This is winter in the south.
Mark had made these two jars for the last firing of 2017 in Ms. B.  We are finding our way with this kiln and these jars are 2 of the winners from that load.

I do love a good jar.
All those possibilities of how to use them, what to put in them.
Even who to put in them.
We have made many jars to hold the ashes of loved ones.
It has been one of the more sobering items that we make as we work with the families to make sure we can fulfill their request.
We had a couple that use to come in for jars for family members and she would say to us, " don't put me in an ugly pot!" She was funny, witty and full of life. We enjoyed her so much and her husband as well.
 

One day we got a call that she had been killed in a car accident. We were heartbroken at the loss and yes, we made her jar.
We have made jars for family members, putting each in jars made for them.
My father sat on the mantel in the family home for over 20 years until my mother passed away.  As we split the house hold up one of the grandchildren asked for that jar.
We laughed," you can't have that one, that's grandpa."
Many people did not know that my father sat on the mantel keeping my mother company, watching over us all as we made our way in and out of the house.
We made a jar for Mom, my sister Lee, my brother Jay. It was and has always been part of what we do.
So I think of not only all the things you can put in a jar, but the love that it can hold as well.

Hold a love one, tell them you love them, smile, be kind, be joyful.

Leaf peeping

 We seem to think of the Mountains as the only place to find trees full of fall color. Here, in the area we live in, there are many hardwood trees among the pines. We love to get out and ride the back roads and find a path to take a good walk.
Today we headed over to a walking trail out past the high school that our kids went to. This trail has been cleaned up in the past few years and is a good place to walk.
We set a 20 minute timer when we go to signal when we should turn around. We have found out that if we don't we could get deep in the woods and then the need of water, food, too far back to the car, bathroom, hits us all of the sudden.
The 20 minutes went too fast today before we had to turn around to head back to the car.
After our walk we went to run a few errands, making sure we drove past the NC Zoo on our way home. We remembered that some of our favorite fall trees are there sitting in the parking lot. We were not disappointed to find a blaze of color ready to greet us. We also know that the leaves can be here and then quickly be gone.

Mark wearing one of his favorite hats from Four Saints in Asheboro.
He has a new one now and I was thinking I needed to make a collage of him with all the spots he wears his hat.

Below are the trees at the NC Zoo, make a trip to the area, find Four Saints Beer, the NC Zoo and Whynot Pottery, It would make for a great day out in the Piedmont area. If you do come ask us for our favorite place to eat out, Bia's Hardware.

Enjoy this fall, winter is up next.

The big pond

 There are times that you need a new view to look at. We recently had to take a trip for family, but also took a few nights to go see the big pond we both grew up with.
It is interesting that we both spent time at this same area. He as a teen, me as a kid.
There are a lot of memories tied to this area. While we were there we had the most wonderful weather. It almost had us going home and packing it all in. Then we remembered July.

 We decided to hold in NC with our own humidity and heat.

We are both back in the studio, me rolling tiles, him throwing bowls.
It is a great week for getting some focus before the summer semester rolls in.

Ah, such beauty the beach can be....
Cheers!
M

Ms. B, good help

 Ms. B did her job, although we are still learning what works best where. I would say overall we are happy.
We did have some great help unloading the kiln. Our oldest granddaughter was here during the firing and watched her Opa as he was making turn ups. She was even able to be there while he shut off the kiln.
When we went out to look after dinner last night bricks just started coming out and next thing we knew  we were being encouraged to let her help with the unloading.

 It's fun to watch her working along side us and her enjoyment of the work. I think she claimed a pot or two as ones she needed.

As a reward we joined her cousins for a morning at the zoo, a picnic lunch and then maybe hugs good bye.

See Ya!
M

Oh, we are still here

 We had a visit from one of the next generation and needed to do some fishing, chase some butterflies, hang at the park, go to the zoo.
Now I am back in the studio.
Pots are coming.
Meanwhile, enjoy the butterflies.

Coffee at the mud cafe, NC zoo.

M

We went

 I need this sign!
This would look great in our yard, don't ya' think?

We went- to Maine with my sister.
In order to do so we drove through states I have never been to, places I have never seen and only got lost a few times.
All hail the google, for she is wise and good.
One of my favorite moments off I-81, the parking lot that goes through PA, was on a backroad when I turned her on and typed in find I-81.

Maine, the lake, the chair, the view.

The lake

Ben and Jerry's, you know you have to....

I told Mark don't do what she says, but as I punched the button she said turn left, we are no where on a paper map. He says, don't? I say do it! And, off we go on back roads and pop out on I-81!
We have decided to keep her. We are in a 3 way with Ms. Google. Why am I just finding out about her magic? It is all scary and powerful. Boom- here you are and I can lead you places you will never find on your map.
We went up through, Va, West Va, Maryland, Pa, New York, VT, New Hampshire to Maine. We then crossed the mountains back across, took a ferry over to upstate New York and went on to Watertown where my brother lives. He showed us the wonders of The Thousand Islands and a tour of the Singer Castle.
What a beautiful area he lives in.

The island, where money is no problem, if you have enough.

The Singer Castle

We slid down I-81 towards home.
Back to work.
Thanks to the family for the vacation time, Les, John and friends in Maine.
Chris, Betty,and kids in New York.
It was wonderful.

Flowers, Pots and double fun

If it's okay with you I will give you the run down on my crazy wild ride of a week next time.
It's been fun!

Happy Birthday, Happy Spring

Happy Birthday, a different town, a different view, a bigger pond.
M

The last plan I am

going to make for this year

 We are bouncing around in the studio, cleaning, tossing and working on a load of pots to fire for the New Year. 
At this point we are working on our plan for the coming year as this one is quickly running downhill.
It has been raining, raining, raining, I am sure that unless you live under a rock you already know about this crazy warm rain we are having.
If it was snow we could toss this to the wind, curl up on the sofa, and watch movies all day. Instead we are pretending that we are working in order to "earn" our credibility points for taking time off later.
This is the only good thing about being self-employed, the carrot of time off later. Wait! I guess this would apply to anyone who works. We are all reaching for the carrot.

In the planning stages I am still working out how to load the top shelf for the kiln differently than we use to. I have found that using some plate setters as a way to place things under and a place for things to sit on top has been working pretty well.
The plan is to give the "crown" shelf some space without making it too short or too open. This has been working pretty well for us.
  I found that it is also useful to take some pictures so that I do not have to figure out this puzzle twice.
I do like that my cell phone can be my dairy for this since I usually have that on me.

Ever feel as if you are in a bubble?
This was us at the MC Escher show in Raleigh.
I was trying to figure out how to take a picture while they ( the wise-hats) were all trying to teach me how to hold the phone so that I was in the picture and not hidden by the phone.
What a laugh.
Great show you need to go see if you are in the area.

I need to go pretend to work some more, or not...
Cheers for 2016!
M

taking some time

Death is nothing at all.
 It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
 Nothing has happened.
Everything remains exactly as it was.
 I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
 Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
 Call me by the old familiar name.
 Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
 Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
 Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
 Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
 Life means all that it ever meant.
 It is the same as it ever was.
 There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
 What is this death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner.
 All is well.
 Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
 One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again.
Henry Scott Holland  

Let's talk

I know, it's been awhile.
Life does that to a person, it just pops up and becomes something all on it's own that takes the days and the nights out of you.
My mother fell.
She is in her 80's and a broken bone is a broken bone.
So we went.
She is fine and recovering.
Time will tell.
Meanwhile it was back to school and pot making time.

And, the beauty of fall is all around us.
The drive to school and back is breath taking.
I take a route in the morning that winds through the back roads and as I round the curves and climb the foot hills there are some fabulous trees full of color.
The reds are here.
I love all the colors, but the reds just break my heart with their scream of color.
Every year we say, this is the best fall ever, well, maybe it is.
I'll check back in later.
Peace,
M

Fall Break is over

 and it is time for me to pack my lunch, get back in my car, head down the highway, and get back to work.

I have been enjoying some time off. We took off to Virginia, went from the mountains of Charlottlesville, down to the Norfolk, stopped in Raleigh and then home.
We squeezed in a lot of family, took in some trees, found time to pinch all our kids, finish up the guest bedroom, have guest and I did a hunt for all things spider.

 The guest room, handmade lamps and all.
Now, to keep it clean...

 Riding the parkway in Virginia.

Now it's time to hit it and get back to work.

I'll keep you posted.

M

Stories of life.

We've been gone up to Virginia to visit family.
I needed to check in with my mother who just turned 86, see my kids and pinch a few babies.
You know the drill.
It went way to fast.
Then I came home and needed to sleep.
I went to bed the first night home, woke up at 7, looked at Mark and went back to bed only to get up the second round at 9.
I never sleep that much unless I have been out all night or up helping with babies.

this is one of our places that we go grab a beer and just let the water wash our sorrows away.

 
On the school front.
I am going back.
I told them I would stay until they hired the right person for the job. It seems that applications will open again and hopefully this round will give them who they want.
Meanwhile, in 2 weeks I will be back to 3 days a week. They asked if I wanted 5 and I laughed.
Instead I called the person who had taught part time in the past and we worked out the week together. I'll take MTW while she does the Thursday/Friday students.
There will be an overlap with first year and second year students mixed into one class.
I am interested to see how the overflow works.
I am up for the challenge of both.
Then again by December; I could be singing another tune.

The the view as the sun headed down.

 Today was my morning back in the kitchen.
I was making granola, bread and breakfast all at the same time.
Multitasking like a fool.
The granola came out great. I made cooked oatmeal for breakfast and it was good.
But, when I went to check the bread maker after the 2 hours set to make the dough I found this mid-size lump in the machine.
The brain goes,water,sugar, oil, salt, oats, whole wheat flour, bread flour, oats, and....and...darn, yeast.
Yeast, no yeast.
I looked up saving my bread on line and read what folks tried and thought at this point, why not. ( we love whynot... because that is what we are all about.)
I stretched out the bread and sprinkled 1 tsp. of yeast inside. I then folded it and added another tsp., then I folded and tossed in 1 more.
 I then rolled this all up and placed it in a bread bowl with some oil. I then covered the bowl and placed it in the oven for an hour and 45 minutes.
When I came back it was doing something.
I tossed it on the counter, rolled, punched and put it back.
I did it again.
At about 4 I took it out, cut a third off of it and rolled out a pizza.
We brushed it with oil, added cheese, fresh slices of tomatoes, red pepper,olives,salt, pepper, oregano, basil and tossed it in a 500 degree oven for about 8 minutes.
It was fabulous!
A save!
We added some rats and sauce for the side.
Delicious   
Just in case you don't read me on facebook here is the short story on the rats and sauce:
Oma and mommy to 4 year old, do you want to try the eggplant?
4 year old, no, I don't like eggplant.
Mommy, do you want to taste the sauce?
4 year old, no, I don't like sauce.
Opa, I'm eating rat-a- tooolaa.
4 year old, with interest, real rats?
Opa, yes.
4 year old, I want to taste.
Oma and mommy watch as 4 year old jumps with joy and asks for her own rats, on her own plate. I like rat-at-toooolaaa.
But we can't eat the tails.
The end.
M