Paine Falls..........

Here we snow again.......

2012-01-20T01:50:00.000-05:00

When it snows the potter returns to the studio.......... clearly I need to work on my camera skills!
This winter has us very confused; two days ago it was over 66 degrees F. Tonight we are dipping down to 0 degrees F. I do wish Mother Nature would have another hot flash........

One of those days......

2012-01-17T08:57:00.001-05:00

January 18th and YIKES! There are a few pots thrown, sitting on the shelves and my list is longer then Santa's naughty list!

My partner in crime, muse and dog who is excellent at holding down the floor has been a bit under the weather. Yesterday, jumped out of bed ready to seize the day and my feet landed in a cold puddle. That's never happened and it's quite shocking as your brain kicks in what your standing in....... Yuck! Follow the barf trail to the landing and found my guy who hasn't looked this bad since he ate the neighbor kids diaper!

Zeus will be 13 this year and best dog ever! He is just under 100 pounds and still has that puppy gleam in his eyes.

Stumbled down, found the vets number and called. Changed him back to his old meds and hoped for the best. Dragged him across the floor on a bath towel to the top step in the back room. At least he would have a great view while I traveled 2 hours round trip to pick up his Rimadyl.

Back in a flash and found him on the floor in the same place, but he had tossed his cookies and couldn't get up. Get the pill into him and light a candle. He ate a couple slices of homemade bread to settle his stomach and seemed happy to eat.

The rest of the day I scrubbed floors, washed his bedding and cleaned the poor guy up. By the time I sat down to have my morning coffee it was 3 p.m.
Haven't had a day like this since the kids were toddlers.

Drank my coffee and looked at the pile of fur at my feet, the tail wagged. Hey, buddy how ya feeling? The tail wagged harder and he looked up. There was that gleam in his eye again and he was back.
Not sure what Rimadyl is but must be like crack for dogs and itworks!

Last night we walked to end of the driveway and back to house, he had rallied and I was thinking maybe I should start taking it.

Today, attempting studio time....... Again.

does not play well with others........

2012-01-15T19:55:00.000-05:00

Guess it's been a while since I had good rant here on the blog.......... but then it's been the holidays.

Just in from attending an Artist Roundtable and Artist talk in downtown this afternoon.

Running a tad bit late and finding the gallery tucked away on the 2nd floor of the Trinity Cathedral in downtown Cleveland I was running to get there. Slipped in during the intro and was surprised to see the place pretty full. GREAT!

Found a seat and nestled in. Each panel member was given time to introduce themselves and explain why they were there and how they got there. I didn't know one of the panelists and also realized after the last panelist stated she was currently working as a muralist, fine craft or any craft probably would not be talked about. (but that is OK because we all deal with a lot of the same stuff) I listened intently to each one.

Each panelist expressed their dismay and wonderment about why Cleveland isn't getting national recognition, because we just so damn cool. My first thought: Then why do I live in the; rust belt, the corn belt, the bible belt and the snow belt? Nope nothing screams ART like those four labels! Then I thought; why not do a show on exactly that.

Note: this morning on the local tv station there was a great interview from the curator at the Cleveland Public Library. Also seated at the table, Henry Adams author of a book on the Kokoon Club http://cwru-daily.com/news/?p=3620 Currently CPL is hosting a show on the Kokoon Club.

The Kokoon Club was a bunch of wild artists during the turn of the century and we are talking 1800 - 1900, not 1999 -2000. The Bal Rique was notorious for being shut down by the Mayor and police department. Many were immigrants from other countries brought here to paint the murals, make posters for the new movie empire and cater to the upper crust of folks like the Rockefeller's and Carnegie's.

Turns out there was a pretty fierce rivalry between the stuffy Cleveland Society of Arts and the Kokoon Club. The Kokoon club was formed by bored and frustrated lithographers. For those who enjoy history here is a great article Kokoon Club Cleveland history

Rockefeller's old place, now gone.....

SNAP to January 2012! Here I am sitting in a church, A CHURCH, listening to grumbling artists about what's wrong with Cleveland and why doesn't that stuffy Cleveland Museum of Art support us? 100 years and not much has changed, we are still talking about the same frustrations! Somebody pinch me!

One panel member suggested we all show up with signs and parade into the Cleveland Museum of Art and demand our due respect. Ok, I almost laughed out loud because Wow is that creative! If that is the best we can do we are not artists!

And down the panel we went.......... Social networking came up, one artist declaring; "Technology is so WONDERFUL I just made a website in 3 hours!"

That made me laugh as my computer was sitting at home with it's guts hanging out.

Technology is great until is crashes your website Judy.

Call me, we'll chat and not iChat at the moment.

At 4:08 the panel discussion was over and the floor was open for questions.......I had so many thoughts my head was going to blow off but I restrained and collected my thoughts. The microphone was handed to guy behind me and the first question; "How do you price your work? I mean I paint too and how do you determine a portrait is $35,000." The artist then complained she hasn't had a price increase since the 2006 crash and there just isn't anything else she can do so now a head and shoulders sketch is $2500 and gosh times are tough.

If I had been drinking coffee the guy in front of me would have needed a shower cap! Wasn't I just agonizing over increasing my mugs $5.00. I know it's all relative.

Still I have this deep seated belief my best work is yet to come and then the other deep seated belief; if my well isn't empty it's probably not going to fill up, keep stuff moving or it gets stagnant. If I had a $35,000 pot in my studio I'm pretty sure my ashes would be in it.

Are you flipping kidding me? after all this discussion about the "WE", the Cleveland Community of Artists and you ask; "How do you price your work?" The moderator made an attempt to bring the discussion back to the "WE" and then the second question: "No really what will the market bear and how do we price our work?"

My mind tells me somewhere there really is this utopic arts community in my town. We sit in dark, smokey coffee houses, drinking our espressos, sitting at little tables talking about the bull shit opening we just attended and we are just so deep. Boris slides a glaze formula across the table and I tuck it in my black sports bra. And can art really change the world or we just self indulgent whiney little bitches?

After 30 years I have found myself liking, no, loving my studio and the solitude of that studio. Going to the studio everyday the extraneous stuff of supportive communities dissolves away. Must be getting old or maybe just tired because clearly I just don't have the passion anymore. It's like playing catch me, catch me with an 80 year old spouse........ I'll catch you tomorrow, I'm eating a cookie.

I say stand up and rock the city, AR-TESTS. Ever heard of Bushido, the way of the warrior? I say we show up on some corner in Cleveland and have an art mob. Show up and make art; bring your wheels, bring you easels, bring your pastels and make art! An art Rave! Take some responsibility and just get out there! Maybe the museum? OH and leave you sign at home.

I quietly packed up my belongs and went out to find the Kokoon Club.

Clearly I have run out of tolerance and no longer do I play well with others

AND

I have been know to run with scissors!

I got stuff to do.......... I drove home and found my partner in crime, who also has a problem playing with others.

Phew, back to work!

2012-01-06T09:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after dragging the last batch of tools out of the upstairs and loading the truck for the recycling center thought I better check my email. Seldom does my email make ill.

First email, in the heat of home reno I managed to miss the Spring Craft Boston Deadline. Call the office and beg forgiveness while giving them my credit card number. Emergency averted!

Second email, the ad above!!!! My jaw was on the desk and happy dance all over the back room!

But wait my inventory is pretty wiped out from Holiday Craft Boston, YIKES!

The final day of painting madness had me day dreaming about pots and I was so ready to head back to the studio. This was sure the kick in the pants needed. 7 weeks and I will be in Palm Beach, pedal to the medal set to warp speed.

This morning, the sun is out, I am on my way to the studio and happily back to making pots :)

The plaster queen is born.......

2012-01-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

Moved on to Abby's horizontal strip room........ yup, raspberry and blue horizontal stripes.

So I was the mother who thought it would be fantastic to let my kids decorate their rooms; releasing their inner creative child, besides Abby was the one always writing on the walls in Sharpie markers. Thought I could just channel the beast.

Young innocent Mothers out there, listen up! You cannot! Paint your walls in chalkboard paint and buy chalk. It is easier to replace drywall than sand and fix old plaster walls. (they did not have washable markers back then)

The front bedroom went pretty fast so why not tackle the other bedroom.

and so it begins..........

There are so many corners and closets in this bedroom I am over it. Spent two days just plastering holes, old wall damage and dents from Amazon fighting matches. Does anyone ever talk about the parents being scarred and needing therapy? I should have rubberized both rooms and locked them in, but then I did catch one them climbing out the second floor window one afternoon; she had taught herself to drop and roll pretty well. Then when she was banned from the house for afternoon she and a friend wrestled a mattress to the backyard and thought it was such fun to slide down the garage roof, bouncing off the dry docked canoe and onto the mattress. I heard the laughing in the house and thought they were having such a good time......

The Amazon's

Day One.

Plastered, and scrubbed the walls with Trisodium Phosphate. Sanded down the paint ridges left behind from horizontal lines. Move furniture and "stuff" into new front bedroom.

"stuff"

Day two......

While I plastered and sanded and plastered again Abby used half a gallon of primer in two closets.

I also watched in amazement as she tried to paint and drink coffee simultaneously. Notice the plastic drop clothes removed. When asked why? She responded; It makes to much noise when I walk on it. Here's a bucket of water to clean up the coffee. Amid all the mess and wondering if I would ever see my studio again the one thing she asked about....... Mom can we get silver door knobs? Door knobs? But Abby how do you feel about this hole in the wall? or shoe marks on the ceiling? or your name in pink frosty nail polish in the closet? Hey and what a bout that burned carpet in the shape of my iron when you used to iron your hair? Door knobs? Really?

During the day the UPS guy left a huge package on the front steps. Badly needing a break from plastering and silver door knobs I joyfully dragged in my new cabinet I had ordered online a week ago. I had no idea it would come in a box with a billion screws and directions in Chinese.

Still, it was a break.......

Where are my missing screws Hoover????

Ta Daaaa!!!!

Day 3 and 4 back to the bedroom....

The plastering projects and the primering went on and on.

Woodwork had taken three coats and walls too. I was beginning to feel like I was in the movie; Groundhog Day. Wake up and go right back to working in the same corner.

Day 5, Commence painting!

Day 6; hang the curtain and finish up.

This picture sums up the entire project. I pulled out the last curtain to hang and I had bought a 95" long panel........ back to the Depot!

Day 7

Six days later I sat in the chair and looked around room. Again high renovation satisfaction! I have a few pictures to hang but it be will hard to pound a nail into these walls.

By 11 a.m. the princess had backed out of the driveway headed back to Kent State and I started filling the dumpster and packing up the paint brushes. What a vacation!

Oh and now the new wall paint makes the carpet look dingy but it's just not in the budget.

and it's time to get to the studio. The entire time my hand was in the a plaster or paint can I thought about new pots I was anxious to make. It's time...... vacation over, it was amazing :)

while hammering.........

2012-01-05T12:46:00.000-05:00

Rachael decided to make coleslaw........

Who knew it took every bowl in the kitchen to make a salad?

Proving again....... we really do not need much to live.

If I only had one bowl it would have been fine

but as I am a potter I have many bowls, maybe too many bowls.

Next time I will hide all but one bowl.

Hoover, the land shark. He eats cabbage, carrots and anything that hits floor. This is how he looks just before he launches into a feeding frenzy.

it's how we roll........

2012-01-05T12:34:00.000-05:00

from the bedroom to the bathroom, don't look up, keep your head down and go.............

For the last 6 or 7 years I kept saying; "I really need to put shelves in that weird space and stop throwing the towels on the floor." Off the to the Depot where they know my first name. Dragged home the boards, moulding, primer and paint. Dragged out the saws, and every other tool I squirreled away after the kitchen project and commenced to make a lot of sawdust and plaster dust. After three days of knee grinding on tile floors I have shelves and new paint and it's looks good and I have high home owner renovation satisfaction!

Panic re-decorating.......

2011-12-20T15:31:00.000-05:00

Nothing says Merry Christmas like fresh latex paint!

All the pots are shipped, shows balanced out, every state has been paid their sales tax and the trailer has been unloaded into the studio. Done for the year! Happy Dance!

Friday night the calendar date loomed large, the kids were coming home; counting bedrooms and beds we were now counting the inflatable mattresses. Nuts, the inflatables had leaks. Off to the Home Depot at 8 p.m. on Friday night to pick out paint.

Rachael had painted her room midnight in 9th grade; midnight blue walls and Ralph Lauren ballroom gold ceiling and woodwork. Rachael is now 27 ....... our answer to decorating; close the door so we don’t have to look at it.

We should have liquored up before picking out paint but decided to go for it with all our senses intact. What were we thinking? Paint chips lined two walls. Laura Ashely, no. Martha Stewart, no. Tommy Hilfiger, no. Eddy Bauer, no. and so it went. Where was my old friend Sherwin Williams and the little Dutchboy? I finally hit the Home Depot brand. I picked out Woodrow Wilson Maize (who knew Woodrow was a color enthusiast) and ceiling paint called Honesty. (should have been Honestly?) I would love my next job to be naming paint colors. Compost Brown has nice ring to it and I know what that looks like. Explaining our golden midnight distress to the home depot paint goddess she responded the store would be closing in 5 minutes please make your final choices. We bought the primer, the brilliant white semi gloss trim, 2 gallons of Woodrow Wilson Maize and 1 gallon of Honesty. A few rollers and a new Purdy trim brush. Off to the checkout before we were locked in Home Depot for the night. I always felt paint was the cheapest thing you could do to a house to increase value and update the look.......... $213 is not cheap and wasn’t even high end paint.

We emptied out the room of Peace Corp stuff, old chairs, boxes of trophies and stopped counting the navel rings I stepped in bare feet and kept going. Peeling the poster off the back of the door I realized Abby had sprayed a can of super adhesive to the entire door, nothing takes off spray adhesive so back to the Depot to buy a door. By midnight the room was empty. We lugged up the ladder, drop cloths and wine, had a glass of wine, high fived and decided to start painting in the morning.

Saturday morning we jumped out of bed and decided to make the truck stop breakfast; eggs, bagels, bacon, coffee and juice. Fueled we knew we could keep going until dinner. I pulled out the joint compound and started patching holes. Butch apparently had other plans and was seriously ticked that I wanted to patch holes, remove switch plates and ceiling fixtures. I refused to budge on this topic so he left the room and decided to patch the floor in the bathroom. Before leaving he tossed a rag onto the old dresser tipping over the big bottle of Goo Gone. It oozed down the dresser and onto the carpet. I grabbed the Windex and started cleaning up while he exited the room. I spackled in peace. Spackling done, it was time to paint. Wiping down the walls, ceiling and woodwork we could begin priming ceiling, walls and woodwork. We went through a gallon and needed another. By this time I was ready to buy a disco ball mount it on the ceiling and call it a day but luckily we had a gallon in the basement from another project.

By 8:30 p.m. the ceiling was painted with Honesty, the woodwork was brilliant semi gloss white and I could start cutting in the walls with Woodrow Wilson Maize.

Halfway down the wall I stepped back and thought; Duckies and Bunnies! Oh NO!! I am painting a nursery! How this room started out 27 years ago. I called Butch over, why? I don’t know......... What do you think? I think it’s a mistake. Nuts! I grabbed the car keys and raced back to the Depot in snow storm, hitting the door at 8:45 p.m.

Hanging on the paint counter I did my best Marlon Brando impersonation, screaming STELLA!!!!!!!! Only to find out the paint goddess was on break. Honestly? The store closes in 15 minutes and I need paint!! I am not leaving until I have paint! The manager paged her repeatedly. This time I opted for Oatbran, but alas the paint goddess was cranky and when I got home the top of the paint can read........ Woodrow Wilson Putty. I laid on the floor and cried. Picking myself up I pried the top off the can and thought no matter what I am putting this on the wall! I painted a wall and it looked pretty good so I kept going until 2 a.m. I’d continue patching and putting on the second coat of paint in the morning.

Sunday morning, no big breakfast and back to the room of doom. Painting clothes on and on the ladder by 9 a.m. Painting to Donna Summer’s, She Works Hard for the Money I finished up by 7:30 p.m.

Butch got home around 7 p.m. as he had to do an emergency tree hoisting and trimming for his Mom. We had time to wrestle the new mattress up the flight of stairs and fling it onto the stand. We also wrestled the box springs and a twin mattress set for Abby’s room. 8:45 p.m........... do we have time to run out and buy bedding? YES! as it’s Christmas the the store are open 24 hours!!! We needed curtain rods, sheets, comforter, pillows, mattress pad and so it goes. We started at Target, ran to Kohl’s, Bed Bath and Beyond, onto TJ Maxx and finally Marshall’s. We got it all. I charged up the battery on the drill and jumped into hanging curtain rods, and a mirror. Wrangled the sheets on the bed only to have the main support on the bed fall off. Strip off the mattress and box spring and put the frame back together. Grab the hot sheets out of the dryer, put the third patch of spackle on the hole in the wall and call it day by 2 a.m. ..... again!

Monday morning, fresh paint over the hole, vacuum, dresser cloth and table cloth dug out. Napalm the bathroom, get my morning walk in with Maggie (4.5 miles) grab my key and head out the door to pick up Abby at Kent by 2:30 p.m and Rachael at the Akron Canton Airport by 3:38 p.m. Home to a crock pot dinner by 6:30 p.m.

Running through the door I yelled go look at my new guest room. Response; It’s nice.

Nice? IT’S FABULOUS!! Rachael leaves in 9 days and for the first time in 28 years I have a guest room!!! The dog is gonna love it!

Shows are over........

2011-12-15T09:09:00.000-05:00

for now.......... HAPPY DANCE!

Craft Boston was a whirlwind; sales were excellent, the collectors were out and there never seemed to be a lull in the crowd. The hours are long and I have become very aware, this is a business. Slowly, one foot in front of the other and there has been movement forward. While I was in my booth Butch was out exploring Boston. The weather Gods had smiled on us as the sun was out everyday except the day we unloaded (it poured). He walked the beaches and much of downtown Boston, he ate seafood and drank copious amounts of fresh brewed coffee. I worked the show. Honestly, it was great to see him exploring Boston; map under his arm and good pair of shoes, he was off.

Setting up in the cyclorama I had my head down unpacking, the wrapping was flying. Friday morning I walked into my booth and looked up! The grid above my head was almost identical to the weaving grid on displayed pots.

The booth finally came together and the doors opened on Thursday night at 6 p.m. and we were off for four days of a wonderful show.

It was so great to see artists I had run into throughout the year and catch up. I had not seen Francesca since the ACE show in Evanston, where we were both "emerging artists". Now she is waiting for Penny for to emerge and WOW is her life going to change, babies just do that. Friends to eat breakfast with, share war stories and meet new artists who are out in the trenches. It's a tribe and we wander the countryside ......... a lot! Where are you going next? OH GREAT!! I'LL SEE YOU THERE! Many artists, especially women, work alone. They unloaded, unpacked, displayed and showed up to the opening looking fantastic! The women's restroom 30 minutes before the preview party looks like you are backstage at a Broadway Theater event. Amazing!! I still have so much to learn!

It was nice to drive out of Boston headed west into the sun.

We drove home in the light of a full moon too.

No snow this year, it could have been a very different trip!

May we all find the sun on our face ........

Craft Boston ......last day from the floor

2011-12-11T08:52:00.000-05:00

It has been a show to remember. We opened to a great crowd on Thursday night, looked like a Paris runway show, amazing! Yes, I washed the clay off my shoes and jeans and put on my best frock. Wrapping and packing pottery in frock is nuts. Back to the hotel on Thursday night and flatlined until the next morning.

This has been my best show to date. I am still getting advice to raise my prices but I just did and am comfortable with where I am at the moment. I still retain the thought; my best work is yet to come and when I get there I will price accordingly. My other feeling on this subject; if my boxes are full I tend to get lazy and not go to the studio. Seriously, if your well is full all the time it gets stagnate and I prefer to let the well empty and fill fresh. That works with creativity too whether potting, gardening, cooking etc.

All the artists are chattering about being so happy it's the last show of the season, me too. I find the most difficult part of doing shows is talking for days on end but one must talk if one is to sell work. The solitude of the truck at 2 in the morning will be a blessing.

We are off to hook up the trailer, put in one more day, drive 11 hours home, and start the Solstice/Christmas festivities! Ready to light that fire this year :)

The last three months have been a blurr and I am looking forward to the drive home as I have things to percolate on......

oh and where am I going.......

2011-12-06T15:21:00.000-05:00

Mind of a sieve.........

http://www.societyofcrafts.org/cbholiday/artists.asp?whatpg=artview&navig=media&id=1201#a

http://www.societyofcrafts.org/cbholiday/holidayinfo.asp

check them out on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Society-of-Arts-and-Crafts/103734891376

or follow on twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/Craftboston

I will be tweeting from the floor, stay tuned craft lovers :)

Almost there........

2011-12-06T14:13:00.000-05:00

Packing for the last show of the year and hoping by next Monday I will be doing the happy dance of vacation. I have not done this many shows in a row in quite some years and it is taking a toll on mental stability and physical capability! While doling out meds to the dog this morning I thought ....... maybe I should take one. One for you and one for me, it works for him with cookies.

I walked around the house and studio and well, here is the ugly truth about packing for shows...........

All the pots did not get woven for the really big show........

The work tables in the studio are full of waiting pots.

The slab roller ...... most useful piece of equipment in my studio, I could never do this with a pugmill!

The island of misfit pots, some will go most will stay.

The sentry of teapots.........

one more view of the work table........

pots abandoned on the floor.......

pots on my desk along with the foltsam and jetsam that just collects....

new woven pots...... love these as they fit in the palm of your hand.

thinking this might be the way to go for future shows, so easy to pack!

New design work.

A friendly email from the woman who designed the poster in Richmond, VA for the Craft + Design show a few weeks ago. So many timse I wonder how things happen, happily I got to meet Cindy Martin, the woman responsible for the design. Now I know!

She really did a wonderful job designing flyers, preview party invitations and every in print that went with the show. She designed "the look". Check out her website!

http://www.cindymartindesign.com/

Now onto the last minute crazies........ feed the birds, drop a car to Abby, pick up food for the dog, give explicit instruction to kids about caring for elderly dog, run to pick up food for kids and dog, go to church and pray for dog, pick up carrots and Starbucks VIA for the trip (can be consumed like pixie stix if needed) load Christmas carols on iPod for caroling in the truck at the top of my lunges....... and so it goes.

Black Friday and pass the leftovers!

2011-11-25T09:51:00.000-05:00

After a day of cooking, eating and reading the Black Friday ads in the paper I contemplated running out the door to pick up a new thong at Victoria Secrets because nothing says go buy lingerie like a high carb, high fat, waddle out the door dinner. Did you hear the gun go off at midnight this year; "Ladies and Gentleman, grab those credit cards............ GO!

After hunting and gathering at the local Piggly Wiggly Wednesday morning, the DC traffic was a breeze! Approaching the checkout line I carefully speculate which of the cashiers had all cylinders firing and opposable thumbs; throw a dart and pray I pick the right the line.
About the time I get half my stuff on the belt, the check out people do a side out rotate and I get Mimi, the glazed over teenager who has been bounced off the pavement one too many times when she was a baby. (but Hey, she has a job so you go girl!)

Mimi, I am here to tell you; peeling black nail polish is NOT a fashion statement!! (or the white streak of hair down the middle of your scalp to accentuate you naturally luxurious jet black hair, think skunk, or the neck tattoo of your boyfriend) Yes, I am a vision in jeans, LL Bean hoodie and clay encrusted hiking boots, but I did comb my hair...... bonus points and that makes me a fashion-ista at the Piggly Wiggly. I notice Mimi is having trouble processing Ethel's fistful of coupons. Really, a file folder of coupons the day before Thanksgiving. Another reason to raise turkeys in the backyard........ there is never a back up at the feed and seed store and they never have BOGO on cow manure and I am going for Ethel in the parking lot.
While watching this play out my heart rate increases and I start my Lamaze breathing, just about the time I get myself under control, she flips that flashing light button. The entire line of shoppers lets out an audible gasp!
We are in check out hell with no way out! I watched my peas defrost on the belt and ice cream turn to soup.
and the holidays are just beginning............ going off to load gun.

Listening to CNN this morning I hear they had to pepper spray holiday shoppers, why isn't it cinnamon spray at the holidays? Also one shopper in a fit of "competitive shopping maced her other shoppers over a TV and fled the scene. There is an APB out for her. I only pray this happens in my booth someday. I don't think this has ever happened at one art festival I have participated in. So shoppers go support your local craftmen at the local venue. There won't be camel rides or Harry Potter movies playing at 3 a.m. but you will have a face to put a purchase with and know your dollar went to sustain a local artist and you probably won't be pepper sprayed.......

have a lovely holiday!

adventures of a traveling potter.......

2011-11-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

For those who read the blog you will recall in the last entry I predicted snow would be flying about the time I started the truck Thursday morning at 9:15 a.m. I am psychic, no make that psychotic! Snowing hard enough, I white knuckled it to Breezewood, PA. Boy, I just love pulling that trailer in the snow, especially through the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Hit Hagerstown, MD by 3:45 p.m. and thought I would be eating in dinner in Richmond....... until I hit Washington D.C. rush hour, which starts at noon. I have never been in traffic like that in my life! Talk about the creep and beep for 4 hours, or maybe the creep and crash. If you live in DC you should be driving a rubber car. I found a radio station that alerts commuters to traffic wrecks every 8 minutes. It was a bit static-y and I swear I heard him say; Stay off the 395 (long static pause)...... a deer burst into flames.

I saw 5 models of cars:

Hummer (so you could drive over the car in your way),

Porsche Carrera, Black so you can drive on the berm 110 mph.

2011 Lincoln with congressional plates and some guy on a cell phone

Chevy Van or Pick up with Ladders and Wheelbarrows attached

and

teeny little Nissan Versa hatchbacks in a variety of colors

OH and me, in a Colorado Pickup (color; Arrest Me Red) pulling a trailer full of breakables.

I should have just painted a bullseye on the back door.

Arriving at my hotel by 9:45 p.m. let's just say it was a long drive and gave new meaning to "crash and burn." I was toast.

Arriving at the Science Museum the next morning I was shocked to see my pot hanging on the banner to the museum! Hey, is this like having your name in lights on Broadway? YUP!

8 a.m. and time to set up. Easy set up to be sure. Pulled right up to the front door, unloaded and parked the truck. Started the migration of booth stuff and inventory into the exhibition hall and the booth was up by 1:30 p.m. YAHOO! I had time to head back to the room, shower, nap, and make myself look human, if I only had opposable thumbs.

Back for the preview party by 5 p.m. and we were off to the races. Opening night was excellent.

The lights went off at 9:30 p.m. and I was back in my room by 9:45 p.m, flat lining. Working solo this show I never took the time eat, drink or have coffee. I reached for my rescue snacks; carrots and mini shredded wheat biscuits. The hotels now provide us with a tiny one cup coffee maker, thank goodness and I perked away every single packet of coffee provided. A couple aspirin and lights out.

Up the next morning and off to the show...... figuring out the museum has a Starbuck's in the Cafe on the first floor, and thankfully found out I was next to the water fountain on the main floor. Starbuck's and water; nectar of the Gods and I could go for days! I walked the show floor before the doors opened and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the work. Peter Saenger! Love his work, I have been a fan for many years! Added the creamer and sugar to my collection by the end of the show!

http://www.saengerporcelain.com/

Stephen Zeh, the traditional ash basket maker from Temple, Maine was a treat to meet too!

http://stephenzeh.com/

I also had time to discuss design challenges with Akiko Sugiyama. (Her work just sends me to the moon; wonderful! )

Ran into the hometown artists, Jenny Mendes and Mark Yasenchack too.

Saturday, the crowds were slow but I managed to get the better part of pot collar woven. Saturday night, the Craft + Design crew treated the artists to a great potluck dinner! We were wined, dined, serenaded in candle light and able to tour the Craft + Design Center. http://visarts.org/craft-design

Back to the hotel by 9:00 p.m. and again........ lights out. For those of us who talk to the dog in the studio it is taxing talking for hours to throngs of people. By Sunday I happily checked out of the hotel and made myself ready to stand erect in my booth for another few hours. By 5 p.m. the packing material was flying and the dollies were racing to the floor. Most artists have this part down to a science, I do not. I also think potters are the last to vacate the building and I held up my end of the bargin! Slamming the door on the trailer by 8:20 and I was sweating like a turkey invited to Thanksgiving dinner and embracing the solitude of the truck cab. Last vehicle out of the parking and I could not get home fast enough, until I hit Washington D.C. Sunday night rush hour.

Kill me.......

Painting the lines on black asphalt in the dark on I 495 and funneling down 5 lines of traffic to one is like me, in a pair of skinny jeans. Ugly, angry and something is going to split.

If you want to know why the country is struggling just drive the D.C. beltway and it really doesn't matter which one you pick because they are all parking lots 24 hours a day. Of course I took the wrong expressway because the 495 is not labeled east or west. You have your choice; Tyson's Corners or Baltimore, since I have never heard of Tyson's Corners I picked Baltimore...... WRONG! Looking for an exit I could turn the Queen Mary around and go back from whence I came I closed my eyes and picked one. I ended up in a fancy schmancy neighborhood with horseshoe driveways. Perfect!! I pulled around some home owners driveway with the big ass trailer and said(in my best British accent); Oh Love, can't stop for coffee, so sorry, Cherio! and headed for the 495.

I could see where I need to go but for love nor money could not get there. I was on a 4 level bridge suspended in the sky and I needed to get to first floor lingerie'. Then shockingly, in front me was deer! Running down the bridge. How did you get up here? I wanted to pull up next to her and say; GET IN! This is bad! Do deer merge? Forget merging, just get off this bridge. She moved to the side and I passed, we were both freaked out beyond words. I have to say I don't know if she got off or how she got on but a deer did not belong on a bridge 4 stories in the air in downtown Washington DC. Maybe Congress could pass RED; Right to Educate Deer. Probably not since a budget seems to be out of the question too. I truly think if they could fix the road system this country would run much smoother.

Finally headed back to Hagerstown in the rain and fog I creeped home. I pulled in the driveway at 5:45 a.m, just in time for morning coffee with Butch...... Perfect! I crawled up stairs and heard him say...... are you going to shower before you go to bed? I yelled back...... I'll wash the sheets! It was 6:20 a.m.

The phone started ringing at 9:30 a.m. and I was off to unload the truck...... what a way to make a living but I love it :)

I need a roadie.........

2011-11-16T11:31:00.001-05:00

Time to head out one more time.

This time off to the Craft + Design Show in Richmond, VA.

http://visarts.org/craft-design

Hey I made the postcard! Very cool and a big thank you!!

The trailer has been packed and unpacked too many time this month; I hate double touching anything, including pots!

Kilns have been loaded and unloaded thus keeping the studio toasty warm.

I had high hopes of throwing many more pots during this 10 day down time but it did not happen; the greenware shelves are almost bare.

I have managed to weave three more pots and get handles on several more in my panicked attempt to replace inventory from the Rochester Show. My weaving table is so full pots are stacked on the floor.

Again under estimating my time to weave. I thought I would have twice as many pots woven by the time I would be loading again. How does this happen?

On the return trip from every show I forget I need a down day to herd paperwork, tax info and go grocery shopping.

A day to cook and fill the fridge again.

You know this food thing is all a scam. I hunt, gather, prepare food, store my nuts in the

fridge and in a day or so it's gone.

I can choose to embrace the scam or run screaming from the kitchen. Must

say I do miss it when it's so long I have to blow the dust off my cast iron frying pan.

And I am a confessed "foodie"

Oh and I just finished the best book!

"My Third Husband Will be a Dog" by Linda Scottoline

for those who need a good laugh this is a great book.

This also eliminates the need for me to ever write a book as Lisa and I have apparently been living in a parallel universe.

http://scottoline.com/Books/husband.html

Of coarse lake effect snow is on the way; yes I am taking this personally as it will arrive the minute I put the key in the ignition and pull out of the driveway. An 8 hour plus drive and over the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. I really need a roadie.........

Rochester and back.........

2011-11-07T21:18:00.000-05:00

There are shows and then there are shows. The Memorial Art Gallery Fine Craft Show in Rochester is a show I will look back on and always smile. http://media.campustimes.org/2011/02/Memorial_Art_Gallery_of_Rochester-Rochester_NY-USA.jpg

http://mag.rochester.edu/

These are the shows artists dream about. This is the show other shows should be looking to if they want to run a top notch show. My sales were great! But even better I would attend this show if I only broke even. We were fed, housed and hydrated by gracious hosts. To be in the company of artists and collectors of this caliber was an honor and as I had been wait listed I felt very lucky. The weekend was a bit of a craftsman think tank.

The MAG show is a small show composed of 40 regional artists. This year the show was juried by Jeannine Falino, Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. The work in this show was spectacular. Artists I have seen in print but never up close and personal were present.

Some of my favorites:

Steven Merritt

http://www.merrittvessel.com/quotes.html

Hideaki Miyamura

http://www.miyamurastudio.com/

Geno Luketic

http://www.genoluketic.com/Ceramics/Home.html

Katherine Gullo

http://katherinegullo.com/

Justin Teilhet

http://www.jteilhetporcelain.com/

Toss in Sophie Hughes; jewelry, Dan Miner, glass; Scott Sober furniture and the show was a mini Smithsonian exhibit. Truly an amazing show.

The angst of getting ready for this show and wondering if I brought enough or too much or the right work made up for more than a few sleepless nights. Wednesday, new tires were put on the truck, oil changed and gas tank filled. Every pot was packed, unpacked, re-assessed with many weeded out and left behind. The truck was full, the trailer was full, snacks were packed, the thermos full of hot coffee, leftover Halloween candy stashed under the front seat in case we were stranded in a cow pasture and I waited for Abby's arrival from Kent.

We backed out of the driveway by 4:45 p.m. Thursday night. Waved goodbye to Butch and a worried looking dog. Not an inch of spare space anywhere in the truck or trailer. Down Rt 90 and on our way; until the state of PA. decided to close Route 90. Detour through the back roads and I thought we were headed to West Virginia, get the Halloween candy out! Abby look out the window do you see the Donner party? An hour delay but finally back on RT. 90 Arriving in Rochester by 10:30 p.m. checked in to our hotel and must say this trailer is a pain in the hitch to park. I am a bit trailer challenged as I do not know my left from right and trying to back a trailer into a tight space with mirrors is akin to me squeezing into size 4 jeans, just plain ugly.

Friday morning up at the crack of dawn and so happy the museum is just a short walk to the end of the road. We were the second truck in line to unload. Score one for potter from Ohio! We were greeted by Charlotte Herrera, artist liaison and all around incredible host. We were given a "welcome bag"; tickets to the museum, 10% off at the gallery shop, snacks, maps, schdules and tied with a lovely raffia bow.

Now the schlepping began......... stairs. RIT students had been hired to help the artists but then I had indentured servant Abby. We opted not to wait for the elevator and use the stairs. Remember the Hungarian motto; Why do, when you can over do? Forget the Hungarians we were Sherpa's climbing Everest with no oxygen tanks. We were in and set up by 1:30 p.m. Walked back to the hotel and cleaned up for the evening festivities. By 4:30 p.m. we were walking back to the chili dinner served to the artists at 5 p.m. By 6 p.m. the lecture started. Panelists on the lecture; Rick Hirsh, ceramic artist; Michael Rodgers, glass artist; (both on the faculty of SAC) Charlotte Herrera, founder of the Fine Craft Show, collector and newly elected board member to the American Crafts Council; Jim Hackney also board member from the ACC and avid collector of southern potters. Excellent lecture ending all to quickly for the Preview Party starting at 7 p.m.

Several of the RIT grad students were present and I enjoyed our banter back and forth about what and where they were headed. The crowd was large and eager to ask questions and purchase work. It was a long day, we walked back to the hotel by 9:15 p.m. bushed.

Saturday, up and out the door by 9:00 a.m. The Council Members checked on us all day long on the quarter hour. We were treated to hot coffee, water, a chocolate or cookie if requested. Booth sitters were available throughout the day. The day was very busy and again, sales were brisk and conversations enjoyable.

The show closed by 5 p.m. at which time were hosted at a board members home. 10 artists were treated to hors d'oeuvres and an incredible dinner of grilled marinated tenderloin with a lovely dijon mustard sauce on the side, wild rice and mushrooms, haricot vert green beans with red relish, fresh greens served with chopped pears, walnuts and blue cheese topped with a light vinegarette, a lovely pinot noir paired beautifully with our meal. Finishing off the dinner was an incredibly decadent cake and hot coffee or dessert wine. Abby leaned over and whispered; "Mom, this is the best thing I have ever put in my mouth." Abby did an excellent job holding her own in the conversations on art history and I will feel so much better when I write that next tuition check out. Exhausted, the dinner party broke up about 9:30 p.m. Feeling like I had just attended a mini think tank I tossed in bed with my head spinning until 2 a.m.

Sunday the council invited us to an artists brunch served at 9 a.m. We arrived early and found Charlotte sweeping the floor and scraping blue tape off the atrium floor, we chatted and scraped tape too, how could not help? The clock chimed 9 a.m. and it was a time to eat, interact with other artists and participate in a question and answer on what the council might do better to enhance the show. The room was quiet until Scott Sober stated he told other shows they should model themselves after the MAG show, the artists applauded Marcia Lowry, this year's chairman. By 11 a.m. the doors opened and the public arrived ready to buy yet again. I demonstrated in the ceramics lab at 1 p.m. while Abby watched the booth.

At 4 p.m. the doors closed on the 2011 MAG show, the RIT students showed up to help artists pack and load and we were on the road by 6:30 p.m. headed for home. What a weekend.

2011-11-02T12:48:00.000-04:00

RIT School for American Crafts panel discussion Friday 6pm

Professors Michael Rogers and Richard Hirsch of RIT's School for American Crafts join avid craft collectors Jim Hackney of Atlanta and Charlotte Herrera of Rochester, both board members of the American Craft Council, in a discussion on collecting.

$10 includes Fine Craft Show admission for either Saturday or Sunday. ($5 students)

Preview party Friday 7-9 pm

Mingle with the artists and have the first opportunity to purchase their fine craft pieces before the show opens to the public. Complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres, cash bar. For tickets call 585-276-8910.

Fine Craft Show & Sale - Saturday & Sunday

Ceramics, glass, jewelry, furniture, metal, wood, wearable art and more... The Memorial Art Gallery's 11th annual Fine Craft Show features one-of-a-kind and limited-edition works by 40 master craft artists from 11 states.

Sale Saturday 10-5 & Sunday 11-4 / $10 each day

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Fine-Craft-Show-at-the-Memorial-Art-Gallery.html?soid=1103416423933&aid=NTGxNIk6-Io

Show season.........

2011-10-18T19:42:00.000-04:00

Some people get ready for hunting season, fishing season, garden season, holiday season but I lock and load for show season. Every year I think it's not going to happen to me this year, I will be prepared; like making 25 pans of eggplant parm. and squirreling them away in the freezer.

(I say this for tax season too.)

Well once again I am caught with my kiln firing the night before the truck backs out of the driveway......

In case there are those in the blogosphere thinking I am on the couch eating bon bon's and watching The Housewives of New Jersey and living the incredibly glamourous life of an ar-teest, here is what I've been up too.

Not vacuuming,

the Dyson Animal vacuum has been turned into a coat rack.....

Within 24 hours I will be tearing the closets apart yelling where is the vacuum!!!

The matt cutter stands at the ready for last minute framing.

The garden tools, knee pads and gloves also stand ready for any last minute pruning

or emergency patio laying. By this time of the year I will need napalm to get the gardens under control.

The boots have given up and thrown themselves off the steps....

The kitchen counters have been turned into inventory control. Freshly fired horsehair pots wait to be waxed and woven. Other pots are waiting to be tweaked, priced, photographed and packed.

The other items on standby....... Bird Identification book, it is migrating season.

iPad for checking emails, weather (he is still sailing!), calculations on glaze formulas, a quick game of Angry Birds and listening to NPR while hunting for the vacuum.

Care package for kid in Colorado.

Last nights dumpling pot, (victory, as it's washed and not sitting dirty in the sink)

I find it a complete mystery as to what happens to me this time of the year. All summer I was walking 5-9 miles a day and a strict locavore; eating only the finest summer produce from my garden or farmers market. Eggs were from free range frolicking chickens and fresh herbs were found in every succulent dish I prepared.

This morning I found myself eating a piece of toast I found on the counter ........

the dog probably licked the butter and jelly off.

By lunch, sardines out of the can and a fortune cookie from chinese take out, last week, washed down with the leftover morning coffee.

By the time 5:00 p.m. rolls around I start thinking I should make dinner, by 6:00 p.m. I get a phone call asking; "What's for dinner, I'll be home in 30 minutes". By 6:25 p.m. I bolt from pot throwing, to throwing a pot of water on the front blast burner just as the car pulls in the driveway. "Hey, hey, hey, what's for dinner?" Um...... pasta. As I wait for the water to boil I can weave a couple more rows.

If I time it just right I can toss frozen broccoli in the pasta water at the last minute. Brilliant! Open the jar of pasta sauce I canned last summer and dump it on the noodles and the noodle could be anything including ramen as Butch is doing the shopping. Chips and beer are not a meal and toilet paper is a necessary. OH and the stuff the deli calls "Antipasta salad" is really leftover processed lunchmeat and cheese butts but he can't seem to leave the store without 2 pounds.

I know it's fall because the deer are streaking every where and the geese are so thick they block the sun. My neighbors know it's fall because they see me streaking to the studio in my coffee stained blue leopard print night shirt flapping in the wind, dodging doggie flops and wearing a pair of old ski boots the girls left behind. Not exactly like walking 5-9 miles a day but it's the best I can do this time of the year..... it's Show season.

Both kids are well into mid term exams and I feel like I am on my way to finals week. Last night in an attempt to make a meal, I made enough for the Prussian army. A vat of chicken soup with dumplings, two big pans of apple crisp and for Abby, a crockpot of stuffed cabbage gurgled on the counter all night. Butch loaded the car this morning and drove around with bubbling hot stuffed cabbage rolls all day. Explain that smell to the guys on the construction site. Meals on wheels rolled to Kent by 2 p.m. It was well received. Hungarian Motto on the flag...... "Why do, when you can over do?"

This where I spend the majority of my time.........

Lock and Load, it's show season........

Steve who?

2011-10-09T12:01:00.000-04:00

The Light Dawns……….

It’s Sunday morning, I am sitting on the floor, picking up my weaving where I left off at

3 a.m. last night. Working on a new design and the more I work the more excited I am watching it come together, there is no clock. It’s like reading a great book, you never want it to end but can’t stop turning the pages. This morning, feeling the hot coffee trickle down the back of my throat with a sharp; “Good Morning Sunshine”, I fumble for the remote and flip on the TV. Sitting cross-legged on the floor; surrounded by pots, waxed linen, beads, tools and a big sleepy dog laying in the one spot of sun on the floor; every channel is saying goodbye to Steve Jobs, guru of APPLE.

I must admit, I have never thought much about Steve Jobs, yes I have an Apple Computer, iPad, iPod touch and purchased iPods and laptops for kids and husband. I went to the big Apple Store and loved the product. It was easy to use, it made sense, no external giant drives and for the first time, computers made sense! OH and if I had a problem I just walked over to the Genuis Bar, they spoke English…… and I could not give them my money fast enough, I was hooked. But I never thought about Steve Jobs while I was buying any of the Apple products.

This morning on one of the shows, that all run together on Sunday morning, a reporter was saying his goodbye to Steve and just why Steve was so important to the planet and our new digital civilization. Oh pa-leeze, I skeptically thought and kept weaving while the dog rolled over and groaned. The reporter held up his iPad and pointed out the rounded corners and how they carried over to everything Apple produces, no sharp corners, even on the interfaces. Are you kidding? That tiny little detail, I never really thought about, suddenly became huge. Wow, he’s right, if everything had sharp corners it was be awful, wouldn’t it? Something I look at every single day and yes, now that it has been brought to my attention it is a lovely design feature. I stopped weaving tiny little stitches and listened. The reporter went on to point out Steve made the micro decisions on buttons, cases, headphones and everything else, including packaging.

When the reporter pointed out he was a believer in beauty, not price. He believed people would pay more for beautiful things. The market proved him correct when people lined up to buy the next new Apple product, sometimes at 3 or 4 times the price point of other PC’s. He believed beauty and design could change the world. I sat on the floor stunned, the light went off, the heavens opened and I realized I had just heard something that would change my thinking forever. But Steve, I live in the rustbelt!

I have blogged, rambled and struggled long and hard over justifying what I do. Was it really important to have beautiful things, I mean really? It never made sense to me; I make dust-ables. Raising one daughter who wants to teach and has a true gift working with kids. Another daughter who did a hitch in the Peace Corp and now working on her MBA in Global Sustainability.

A husband who keeps sewers and roads working for municipalities around Ohio, one backed up toilet and I know how important his job is. I make stuff! When the world’s needs are so great how could I possibly sit in my studio making dust-ables? And yet, I could not stop. I don’t live too far from a landfill and it’s shocking! Was I contributing to that landfill? What about my carbon footprint? It was a conundrum, no it was a mountain for me to get over. It's way I stopped making pots three times in my short life and I truly came off looking a bit wacky.

For years I gardened on estates around the Cleveland area, again pretty flowers and God Bless old Republican money. I quit, went back to the studio and planted vegetable gardens. But I love making pots, I love weaving and I love designing things that made my heart sing. When I stood back and looked at my booth at Craft Boston last March I got a bit choked up as finally I put a body of work together and displayed it exactly the way I thought it should be displayed. It was my vision and it felt so self indulgent to spend the large chunk of change to achieve what I had seen in my head for years.

From the very beginning when I bought my first sketchbook I knew I was going to be here. It took 30 years and for 30 years I have tried to justify what I spent most of my waking days doing. It’s like being on crack, you can’t stop but you don’t know why you do it. There are years when I lost money and yet my supportive family and friends still encouraged me to keep going. Along the way I had tried to teach my kids they had to do more than take up space and suck up resources. They had to always give back and always work to make things better. I could not see the forest for the trees in my own work, until this morning……. thank you Steve Jobs…….. it is ok to pay attention to EVERYTHING, think outside the box, ask questions, be paid and ………. make beautiful things.

and now the nonfunctional work........

2011-10-06T01:07:00.000-04:00

Woo Yellow Tea Jar, chip carved

12.5" tall x 10.5" wide

The Porcupine Pots are back!

I have tweeked and tweeked and finally getting there.

9" tall x 9.5 wide

Chip Carved Tea Jar......... again,

can you tell we are headed into winter here in Ohio?

10"tall x 8"wide

Study of the Ewer

12.25" tall x 8" wide (includes the stand)

Yet another study of the Ewer

12.5" tall x 7.5" wide

Red Woven in Black, how formal.

10"tall x 7"wide

A Potter's Lunch Box.............

2011-10-06T00:51:00.000-04:00

What would a potter take to work? I remember my Dad carrying a metal lunch box and thermos to work everyday. It was silver and held a big lunch, he worked hard, He attached a makeshift handle to the thermos and out the door he went, five or six days a week.

It made me think what would I take to the studio everyday?

This is what I end up with.........

For those really hungry cold weather days. A bowl of soup, a salad, room for oyster crackers and of course a bowl of peach cobbler. A spot of tea to finish off a lovely mid day break.

The Hungry Potter Lunch stands 16" tall and 7" wide.

For those quick lunches; one bowl and tea.

The Light Lunch stands 9.5" tall and 7" wide.

Kind of Hungry Potter's Lunch.

The interior is glazed in yummy burgundy.

A bowl of stew, salad, dessert and cup tea.

12" tall x 6" wide

The Lean Potter's Lunch.

A bowl of rice and beans, dessert and two cups of tea.

The interior is glaze in pale lemon yellow.

I love these so much now I am thinking they would make great party pots. Replacing the tea jug and cup with lid. I don't do much functional work anymore but this is a great study of stack-ables.

commence weaving........

2011-09-23T11:00:00.000-04:00

The fall rains have descended on Paine Falls.
No gardening, no canning, no goose chasing.
However as the summer energy shifts into the even keeled fall energy, so do my daily activities.

Indoor sports are great and the last few weeks have been slow, tedious but productive.

Here is a sample of what's new in the studio.

There is bisque kiln going up, pots drying on the racks, pots stacked on the weaving table and the coffee pot is humming along. It's a nice shift in the energy..........

Eggplant, the garden gift that keeps on giving...........

2011-09-16T23:28:00.000-04:00

They just keep coming.

I planted three little plants last May and I have picked so many aubergines I have lost count.

Running from the studio I spied a huge eggplant. I jumped in to retrieve it and found 8 more and couple of green peppers. I just picked eggplant a few days ago!

The temps have turned cool, things were supposed start slowing down, somebody tell the eggplant, please.

Tonight I set up the Egg Plant Parm production line.

This is also called; Getting ready for show season.

7 pans ready to be sealed in foil and set in the freezer.

and one for dinner.......

and time to weave pots........

been a day here in the falls......

Mrs Miller, WHERE ARE YOU?????

2011-09-13T09:41:00.001-04:00

As summer wanes in Paine Falls and the geese flapping over head announce; "Honey, it's over, we are outta here!" I know what's coming, no reminders needed, thanks.

Since July I have walked 256 miles (and feel great!), gardened, canned, made pots, laid a patio, cleaned the studio, participated in 2 summer shows, shopped for a "Smart" TV (a later blog), installed glass block windows in the basement and had a block party with some great neighbors. No time to blog, facebook, tweet or email and sitting has not been on my radar.

Here is a quick run down on the last few months around Paine Falls...........

Vegetable gardens getting their green on.....

Perennial beds getting their pollen on....

The pay off is HUGE!

as the tomatoes piled up on the counter the canning stuff gets dragged out of the basement

and it begins.......

canning madness........

Here is the run down:

Salsa HOT: 11 pints

Salsa Mild: 11 pints

Chili Sauce: 10 pints

Pickle Relish: 10 pints

Catsup: 8 pints

Pickled Beets: 8 pints & 4 quarts

Chutney: 12 - 1/2 pints

Tomatoes 8 pints, 6 quarts

Dilly Beans: 5 quarts & 7 pints

Pickled carrots: 5 pints

Corn relish: 15- 1/2 pints 1 pint

V8 juice: 4 quarts & 5 pints

Applesauce: 6 pints

Peaches: frozen 1 peck

cost to put all this stuff up: $48.00 (jar lids and other produce I needed to buy from the local farmer)

the gardener got her jars on!

In defense of canning and freezing I have to say the time invested for the food put up is worth it.

It takes about a 2 weeks of non-stop food prep to get a winter's worth of food. I know what's in it and I know where it came from. I refer to basement as the vault and feel like it's money in the bank.

There is high garden satisfaction when I walk down the basement and see the shelves full and boxes filled with potatoes and carrots. There is happy pig headed to my freezer, keeping the halibut and salmon company Rachael shipped in from Alaska this summer.

Confessions of an urban homesteader.

hands down favorite this year; pickled carrots!

Patio is just about done and knees are holding up...

block party rave.......

Courtney, always so chic......

Courtney changed ensembles but was embarrassed by the plaid shorts our neighbor wore!

studio cleaned and continues to stay clean.....

The basement shelves are full, the studio shelves are full, the patio is just about a done, and weaving has commenced.

It's been quite a summer and now you know where I've been.

Looking forward to digging potatoes, backyard fall fires, a bowl peach cobbler and show season........ just around the corner.

Urgent care...... definition please!

2011-07-15T13:32:00.000-04:00

A lovely picture of what last year was a black calla lily. This year it's pink..... lesson, expect changes!

Two days ago I took myself to Urgent Care. As I had; a take your breath away charlie horse for the last six weeks and now swelling had set in. Googled everything I could find on swollen legs and leg pain only to find "blood clot" coming up over and over. Scaring myself into a trip to Urgent Care.

I am of the school, let's wait and see........ six weeks was long enough and now it was just getting in the way of daily chores; like getting your underwear and jeans over your calf. This should not be a wrestling match with ones self.

Urgent care poked, prodded, scanned and wrote a prescription. Diagnosis....... maybe a Baker's cyst that had lodged in your calf. Considering I thought I had blood clot I was relieved. I have reams of paper work to read and was told don't mess around call for a follow up with yet another physician. Three out of three physicians are booked two - three weeks. My brain said; Good God are we all really that sick? Then a dear friend pointed out......... "SANDY YOU ARE IN A BUBBLE!" I like the bubble! Last time I went to a "facility" I had a baby and that was a 40 minute labor and it was a midwife. I was home eating lunch by noon. And I know I am very, very, very, lucky! It was pointed out to each person who makes the Dr.'s appointments what had been diagnosed at urgent care. Three out of three; OK not life threatening we can get you in 2 weeks. Finally I found someone who take me in 7 days. Their idea of urgent and my idea of urgent are not even remotely the same.

That done I googled the prescription. Nope! The side effects alone could stop a horse! I am going to take this for anti inflammation and pain. You move 26 yards of mulch and see if you don't have pain and inflammation! It just is and it is expected!

Here is what I consider urgent:

two tons of gravel waiting to be spread....... which is blocking the driveway!

15 pounds of beets just pulled from the garden and needing to be pickled!

prepare for a show coming up!

gardens to be weeded, watered, tomatoes tied up, deadheading and peppers are coming on strong!

by noon this is what I am looking at:

it will be double by 8 pm tonight.

All that said; I am watching the mess in congress, raise the debt or not. The grandstanding and worries about re-election are fore front in the minds of Washington. How about what's best for the country and get on with it. I started realizing a few years back I better start taking care of myself and planted a garden and put up a few things, I know it's now out of control. The more congress spends the more I can so I guess we are both out of control! The solar panels will eventually get on the roof and I might sink a well in the backyard so I can have water without depending on some politician deciding if they can fund the water treatment plant. Medicine is the same way. I can sit here on my ass for 7 days waiting to find out what this is or I can walk 4-5 miles a day, eat my fruits and veggies, stop eating anything with salt and take a handful of herbs that I know are anti-inflamatory. Take some responsibility for yourself!

Ran up to the store to get canning lids and standing in front of me is woman with 4 little kids and one in the oven, doesn't speak a word of English and is fighting with the check out guy that her WIC coupons are good for the stuff she is trying to buy. NO, IT DOES NOT COVER COKE! The check out guy looks at me and says he is going home to West Virginia.

I think there might a few changes coming......... stay tuned campers!

The heat goes on.........

2011-07-12T14:42:00.000-04:00

The wilted afternoon gardens at their finest! With the daily temps hovering in the 90's I must say we are all wilted; flowers, vegetables and the gardener. Cannot remember the last time we had a good rain so things are showing the wear and tear of summer. Seems more like August than July. The weather folks promise a cooler day tomorrow and to hang on one more day........ and Santa is coming at Christmas.

I have decided not to turn the stove on to can the beets this week and are watering them daily, hoping they will do better in the ground than my fridge.

A few flowers are doing well in the heat but they will not last long.

a nice miniature rose that seems to love the heat.....

Acapulco lilies, oriental

the basil is sprouting nicely and seems to love the heat as well......

the patio base has been ordered and I cannot wait to sit by the pond and have a cool drink when that is done! Like that will ever happen :)

Peaks and Valleys, peaks and valleys.........

2011-07-10T19:13:00.000-04:00

Since rounding the first half of the year and going over records, trying to balance books and trying to keep the gardens look good it occurred to me this is a year of peaks and valleys.

Spring brought so much rain I thought my toes were going web. Even in the midst of swimming to the car I thought; We should be storing this water. Did I listen? Of course not! Now I am tethered to the garden hose trying to figure out who needs a drink to survive the 90 degree heat.

Peaks and Valleys in the water department.

Yesterday it was barely 70F. degrees, today 92 F...... This Spring we went from sweltering 90's to freezing in two short days. Again, Peaks and Valleys in the temperature department.

My kids seem to be riding the peaks and valleys too. Which in turn takes me to new peaks and valleys.....

I'm in Grad School! I need to pay for it! (and she was awarded a terrific scholarship)

I GOT A JOB! I WRECKED THE CAR!

So goes the stock market. Last Thursday I spent a lovely evening with a "financial advisor" who pointed out we are in for a bumpy ride until the election. The most we are staying in funds is 5 - 30 days, used to be 3 to 6 months, those days are gone! Peaks and Valleys! and he had the graph to prove it!

The Shows have been pretty good this year I can happily report. Returning home with my little pile of money I sit down and distribute for supplies, electric bill, jury fees, show fees and back to; "How can I be this tired and broke?" However all show fees are paid until the end of the year and I have a ton of clay sitting in the studio waiting to be turned into pots. Yards of waxed linen sit on my weaving table and I want for no thing. Just wish there was a wee cushion. Again Peaks and Valleys......

You're in, you're out...... riding the Peaks and Valleys of the jury. Not one show came through in August, September or October. November starts with a bang, 5 shows back to back! Not sure how I will pull that one off or if I even can. For now I am making lists and descending into the studio to work full time and a bit more to pull enough inventory together. Will the kilns hold up? Will my hands hold up? Will the weather cooperate as all the shows are out of town.

It just seems to be the norm this year. I prefer the center but will adjust my sails accordingly....

the center.........

one more to go.........

2011-07-05T18:01:00.000-04:00

Started out the day with a quick walk around the gardens. Squash nibbled, cukes gone, peas almost gone, new damage to the rudbeckia and echinacea. But all in all things were looking up. The monarda had bloomed as had the daisies. A new favorite combo: drumstick alums pushing up through the daisies. Alums have a tendency to fall over in the slightest wind or rain and the daisies are great support! No staking this year!

one of the last remaining rudbeckia bloomed...... the variety is Toto mix.

the first lilies bloomed this morning too.......

I weeded the vegetable garden, tied up the tomatoes and did a slow burn when I got to the peas and beans! That's it, set the trap! Clearly Mrs G. Hog was undeterred by a little shock from the fence.

I had an ear of raw corn and popped it in the trap, scattered the husk around and went back to the weeding. Planted a couple containers of basil, parsley and lettuce and noticed the sun rising higher in the sky. Ran in to get a tank of water and headed out to the studio.

While sitting there trimming pots and listening to a riveting story on cd. I heard... SNAP!

My brain registered........ trap! I dropped my tools and sprang from stool only to find Mrs. G. Hog pushing her way out of the trap to freedom! NOOOOOO!!! I had you in my icy grasp! Curses and curse you and your evil children! She had eaten the corn to a nub. One more ear left....... kind of like your last match when lighting wet kindling on a cold winter morning.

I thought how dumb can she be?

Surely she would be so freaked out she would gone today.

Back to trimming and my riveting story! An hour later..........SNAP! I sprang up, pole vaulted over the dog and ran out the door. GOTCHA! I slammed my foot down on the door as she rammed it with her nose. Her High Holy Queen of Mean-ness was flipping out! She turned and rammed the other end of the trap which I quickly picked up and slammed against the woodpile. She pivoted and rammed the trap door again. Unbelievable!

Now what? How do I get this whirling ball of fur, teeth and claws to the truck?

Walk 5 steps and drop the cage on the ground while holding the door shut. That stunned her enough to walk another 5 feet and drop the cage. I prayed to all that was sacred the trap would hold together just one more time. Sorry but I got pots to make and you got stuff to eat so cooperate! I heaved her into the back of the truck and slammed the tailgate and cap. Ran to the studio and put everything under plastic and book on hold. Grabbed my car keys and camera. Off to the toxic waste dump! Your kids are going to be so happy to see you! My hands were shaking as I put the key in the ignition after snapping her mug shot.

Finally arriving at the super fund site I peered though the window on the cab of the truck and she was not in the cage. Great....... I had visions of dropping the tail gate and one fired up fur ball would launch itself onto my face....... shades of Monty Python. I opened the cap door first and in the back of the truck in the corner was Mrs G. Talking sweetly I told her I'm going to drop the tailgate now and you just mosey on out to your loved ones....... don't you worry about that 3 foot drop, you'll never feel a thing.

I gingerly removed the cage to give her free running space and she just sat there.

Moving to the front of the truck I pounded on the cap and said; GET OUT! The second or third bang did it. She took off on a run and was air born, if only she had had a little cape a new super hero would have been born. In fact we were both air born and I hurled myself into the cab and slammed the door! I watched her go through the review mirror.

One more to go......... glad it's the last little one and not another Mrs. G. Hog!

and now back to your regularly scheduled studio time..........

it's officially canning season!

2011-07-03T13:47:00.000-04:00

well at least at our house! I know some die hards have been at it for months but I had electric fence to string and patios to rip up. While waiting for my crushed limestone I decided it was time to break out the canning stuff.

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble......... the season is on! I walked out back to check the gardens after a good soaking rain last night and found rhubarb the size of elephant ears! I was opting out of the traditional strawberry rhubarb jam and instead went for a lovely rhubarb onion chutney. I mixed up the recipe like I mix glazes and hoped for the best, not floating blue.

Here is the result:

Rhubarb Onion Chutney

8 cups chopped rhubarb stalks

4 cups sliced onions

4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons canning salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups apple cider vinegar

5 garlic buds peeled and chopped fine

2 tablespoons whole mixed pickling spices

In a large heavy kettle, combine all except the pickling spice. Tie the pickling spice in a baby sock and add to the pot. Bring to boiling and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until half the liquid is gone, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the spice bag, ladle the hot chutney into hot sterilized jars, adjust the lids, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Made 18 half pints, just right for gift giving :)

I just love the little lids popping!! So far all have sealed!

I had a half jar left and we tried it on whole wheat toast point and fresh che'vre. Even the finicky one loved it! Think it might go on my grass fed burger tomorrow too!

While waiting for the the jars to process I tried this: Kind of made it up as I went along too.....

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

Butter crust

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup all purpose flour

Key Lime Filling

3/4 cup 1% low fat cottage cheese

1/4 cup greek yogurt

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon lime zest

3 1/3 tablespoons fresh key lime juice

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg

1 egg white

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Beat the first four ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup flour, beating at speed until well blended. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8" square baking pan sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile back at the ranch prep the filling. Process the cottage cheese in the food processor until smooth, took about 2 minutes. Add the greek yogurt, and sugar, process again, about 20 seconds. Add the next 6 ingredients and process another 30 seconds. Pour into the partially baked crust and bake another 30 minutes. Edges should be slightly browned.

Cover and chill 8 hours, cut in to bars and serve.

two down and two to go.........

2011-07-02T14:48:00.000-04:00

not sure which one this is but it's one more off the list! I'm taking pictures to hang on the back wall of the trap, maybe Mom will get teary and just wander into the trap. There are now two cavorting in the fields of a distant land.

The electric fence does not seem to be working as I watched Mrs G. Hog do an over handed swing and dismount off the top wire into the lettuce yesterday afternoon. Tested and not working! Not Happy!

A tad bit hot here yesterday, 86 F. in the shade. Seemed like a great day to tear the patio brick up.

Not sure what the temperature was on the sun baked patio but I have a list and it was on the list so get to it. The job seemed a bit daunting. Brainstorm......... call the 14 year old neighbor kid! Perfect summer activity for a kid with nothing to do all day and besides he loves Harry Potter and it would give us something to talk about as we ripped up the brick. He was down in a flash on his skateboard! He did great on the first row but by the second row he was fading. Keep up I chortled, I am an old woman and you are a kid, he didn't care. Gosh it's really hot out here, do you have any water. Let's do one more row and then break. OK...... ran in got him the big gulp with ice and ran it back out. Hmmmmm that means you can stop every 5th brick to drink...... bad idea. As the sun rose in the sky I felt like I was being chased as I really wanted to get this done by noon. At noon he announced he had to go home and watch his brother. Okey Dokey I said and gratefully paid him. I took a water break and then decided to hit it again. At 3:00 p.m. I had 5 more rows to go and decided one more water break and then finish as I probably wouldn't be able to move in the morning! Stacked the last brick at 6 p.m. What a day....... and I was toast! Between Mulch and Bricks I want to know why I'm not a size 2?

The messy abandoned patio at 9:30 a.m.

The missing patio at 6 p.m.

The stacked brick.........

Got up this morning to ordered the crushed limestone base only to discover the supplier is closed until Tuesday. What do you mean; ON VACATION? Hey some of us have projects!!

Midway through the patio pull I got a fantastic call from the Rochester Museum of Art Fine Craft Show. I had been wait-listed and not holding out high hopes of attending this year. I am very excited about exhibiting at this show. It's the first week in November and I cannot think of a better way to kick off the pre Holiday show season! Here is the link:

http://mag.rochester.edu/events/fine-craft-show/

So today I will can up the rhubarb relish, make salads for the week, finish grocery shopping, water the gardens and go to the studio. And although it's only 88 F. today the humidity is at 90% and it feels like the tropics. Thunderheads are building and we hoping for rain, beats dragging the hose around! We really need a good soaker to keep everything green and bouncy!

OH and here is the recipe I promised everybody from the local picnic on Thursday!

Pineapple Carrot Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple

1- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 cups confections sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Make a well in the
center and add sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in carrots, coconut, nuts and pineapple.

3. Pour into 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for about 45 - 50 minutes. Don't panic, the center will sink a little. Allow to cool.

4. To make the frosting: Cream the butter and ream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar and beat until creamy.

Servings per recipe: 24
Calories per serving: 297

YEAH!!! BEST BIRTHDAY ...... EVER!

2011-06-30T12:45:00.000-04:00

I expected party hats and candles but this is waaaayyyy better!!

Farley and I have been at war since early spring. Farley tasted the peas to the ground and then the tiny little squash plants. He worked his way under the Berlin wall of a fence I installed and languidly ate his way through three plantings of beans.

He tasted the peppers but turned his back to consume a row of tender lettuce shoots. Shoots, finally a word I can identify with! Sniper Towers? Not yet.

Yes it was me in the shadow of the early morning moonglow dressed in a tattered summer nighty, night vision goggles and scalding cup of coffee, waiting .......... and there he was skulking around the corner of studio on his way to the garden! Do you see the frenzy going on here?

I summoned my trusty dog, snoring louder than a buzz saw in windstorm. GET FARLEY! I commanded as I yanked open the patio door!! He rolled over; maybe tomorrow.

I am trading you in on Corgi I whispered through clenched teeth......

Better! Electric fence!

(and why is the sign in three languages? Are ground hogs really tri-lingual?)

Not wanting to fry the neighborhood dog, cat or kids I opted for the battery powered zapper. The guy at the Farm and Tractor Supply assured me it would work gently. As he walked me to the register past the arsenal of guns and ammo I told him I might be back.

Running home and ripping open the plastic wrapper I looked at the picture directions. Looked easy enough and promised to cover an acre of land. I only needed a small garden, this is diabolically perfect! And batteries! After two hours running wire and whacking in posts I was ready to launch. I am ashamed to say I had visions of fried groundhog hanging on the fence.

Then the question to my dear husband who actually offered to help install the electric fence; Is it on? How can we tell? You touch it! No, you touch it........ where's the dog?

I finally licked my fingers and grabbed the wire. Nothing......... the lights are on and nobody's home!

Re-wired, check connections and batteries, hooked up a little amp meter and there wasn't enough juice to fry a worm. Back to the Farm and Tractor store in the morning....... a new guy walked me back through the guns and ammo. Not yet I told myself....... this time I opted for the, plug in the wall charge. I kept asking; "how many volts?" Well it's enough to keep them out of your garden. Cool! Back through the guns to check out...... not yet I muttered.

Back home to re-install....... more power, I must have more POWER!

Game ON Farley!

Hav-A-Hearts set with apples, check.

Electric Fence plugged in, check.

Bamboo spike trenches, check.

Flaming moat surrounding the garden, check.

Back to mulching in the potatoes and berry bushes.

On my way back to the truck I noticed the trap was sprung! YES!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I had planned to put him out of his misery and let the coyotes have him but there he was trapped.

OK you are way too small so I guess you can go up to the Super Fund toxic waste field. As I picked up the cage he charged the cage, poked his little grubby hands through the holes next to the handle to claw his way out through my hand. Geeze, what a fur ball with attitude!

Farley was last seen running through the field to the apple tree.

Pulling in the driveway and feeling pretty good about life I ran in the house to grab coffee and go to the studio. As I hit the back step I looked out the window and there in my cross hairs was Mrs G. Hog out with Farley's two siblings; Frenchy and Flannery!!!!!!!! Count them, three more groundhogs!

It's true what they say; You never have one ground hog!!

It's gonna be a long summer........

So before the garden is eaten to the ground here's a tour.

new pea gravel paths and mulch installed!

second lettuce crop, beets, chard and poles with no beans...... yet!

perennial beds coming along nicely.......

the path to no where.........

The Annabelle's are ON!

and still getting a bit of work done in the studio.........

Overview of Home Thrown

2011-06-21T13:00:00.002-04:00

Overview of Home Thrown, a photo by Louisville Clay on Flickr.
click here to see the slide show!
Home Grown Home Thrown slide show.

Last Outdoor Show for the Summer

2011-06-20T11:04:00.000-04:00

Nice to be home after a super long weekend. There is something about sitting on an asphalt parking lot in 80 degree weather with high humidity and a cloudless day that makes the time move oh so slowly.

Next year instead of my big water bowl for the dogs I am bringing a baby pool. This is the one single thing that could make me stop doing outdoor shows. I find myself yelling out of the booth....... HEY! THERE IS WATER FOR YOUR DOG! Yesterday we went through two gallons of water for the poor guys.

As I have not done a local show in years the weekend was so much fun! As sit here with my morning coffee, moving slow and reviewing the weekend it makes me smile. Seeing faces I have not seen in years and meeting new artists, made the hot weather go a bit faster. Everybody who stopped by to say; "Hello" ..... a big THANK YOU!!

Sales were great on Saturday, slow on Sunday but certainly not flat. People were so appreciative of the work, many came back several times and asked questions. Quite a few people were interested in a studio sale....... I hear you loud and clear! OH and even sold my first wall piece!

We set up on Friday morning and have to say set up was a breeze! Very well run! Going on the record...... the trailer is a pain in the butt and yet I am not sure I could fit my entire booth and inventory in a gigantic van, besides if I traded the truck for a van what would I do when hauling landscaping material. It was so nice to set up, go home to shower, finish loading a kiln and get a good day of work in the studio. HUGE benefit of staying local. The show expense this time was gas! No hotel or hours on the road, love that!

When I totaled out for the show I grossed less than a big show however since expenses were low I actually came out better! SHOCKING!

Yes, it poured at 4:10 p.m, 50 minutes before the show closed. When the skies finally opened up I was very happy with my heavy duty tinker toy canopy! No problem with wind or rain!

Packing up was nuts! Of course we had already filled out our customary artist survey for the show promoter or I would have added plenty under the comment section. No trailers were allowed on the property. Butch sat in line with the trailer for over an hour and still could not get in. He finally parked in a lot far far away and we carted boxes back to the booth in the rain. At least we could get the pots and framed work put away. My neighbors Carl and Kevin decided they wanted to head for home and hand pulled their trailer to their booth! Too funny ........... well they were just too funny the entire weekend!

All in all the show was great! Good neighbors, new friends, old friends, good sales and support from the hometown crowd.......... very nice!

Getting There.......

2011-06-16T11:00:00.001-04:00

Last year I was pretty busy building booths and staying in the studio. Sorry to say the gardens were neglected, big time. After coming home from Louisville I did a slow walk around the yard and thought where the hell is the gardener? Called the mulch guy and ordered 26 yards! That will get the back and and way back done but not the front or the side. That will take another 8 yards..... kill me.

One does not just spread mulch, one must access the plant material first to see who is getting a side out, rotate. Every single bed needed a side out rotate! After plants were pulled, re-planted, watered and told to buck up, the beds are weeded and finally mulched! It's a process........ I only added 8 new varieties this year. We will see if they are eaten or decide to thrive, it's a gamble. The deer, groundhogs and rabbits have shown no mercy! I planted Agastache, blue fortune and Salvia around the perimeter of the beds and have to say it seems to be working; both are smelly and not very tasty. On the inner circle I planted the delectables they love to eat. OK if this doesn't work, the sniper towers are going up!

Also managed to get pots delivered this week. Canisters, plates and fruit bowl will be featured in the YMCA dream house this year. 60,000 people walk through and I can pass out all the business cards I can keep in stock. Fingers crossed!

Yesterday I was so busy mulching, I never checked my email. Yes, the mulch pile buried my trailer I needed for the weekend show, nothing like panic mulching. At 10:30 p.m. before taking a header into my pillow there was an acceptance letter to the

47th Annual Craft + Design Show in Richmond, VA.!!! http://visarts.org/craft-design

Maybe I will get to be a potter this year :) It's in November, now that the gardens are just about a done I can devote more time in the studio and that would be wonderful!

Duck and cover!

2011-06-08T17:21:00.000-04:00

Does this look like a scene from Harry Potter?

Nope just the sky over the Hairy Potters studio around 8:15 a.m. yesterday morning!

Just about the first clap of thunder and lightening I was wearing a dog hat. We badly needed the rain but this was going to be toad strangler of the first rate. It filled the pond, the street, the patio and kept going. Winds were clocked at 70 mph and if you closed your eyes you could hear tree limbs snapping.

Sure enough time to fire that kiln! Sure enough the hamster farted down at the power plant and we were out long enough for the kiln to drop 600 degrees. I waited it out and ramped it up again. I bet those big flat slab plates are going to look like potato chips!

Everything was clear and bright by 12:30 p.m. and I had pots to deliver. The humidity was climbing fast and I was headed to the city. After a couple hours in the city of asphalt and concrete our house felt a good 15 degrees cooler......... time to jump into that garden.

Was too hot to haul mulch so I dug post holes and got the blackberry bed cleaned up.

The strawberries look great this year and since they are netted we should get a few.

Managed to plant a bucket of potatoes; weed, relocate asparagus crowns and mulch them in.

Blueberries are looking good this year but found a robin under the netting gorging herself silly. She waddled out and had trouble getting air born.

Today we are nearing 100 degrees and it has taken it's toll on the flowers and lettuce to be sure.

Chard and beets look pretty good but radishes have bolted and are now blooming. We managed enough for radish sandwiches the other night. Tomorrow they will be oft-ed and added to the compost pile.

The flowers are taking a beating too. Poppies lasted 24 hours, the peonies 48. However the baptisia and salvia looks fab!

and the baby ground hogs are out...... let the war begin.

WHERE?!

The studio is hovering at 109 F. and I am waiting for tonight to wax and glaze pots needed for the weekend. Storms moving through tomorrow and hopefully we will be back in the 70's.

Sitting in Paine Falls sip'n brain freeze smoothies and swat'n mosquitos...... what a year!

on so many levels!

some days it's hard to be inspired.......

2011-06-06T14:27:00.000-04:00

There are days that one should not go to the mail box. Yes another letter possibly wait listing me but don't hold out much hope. A small show in Rochester at the Memorial Art Gallery but none the less not a for sure show to written in on the calendar of 2011.

For now I have one in the bag for sure show, written in ink on my calendar and now wondering if I will be able to afford the expense to go, it is a quandary. Must say the stack is of "sorry, try next year" letters is disheartening and one wonders where to go next. I will attempt the studio sale this year and have a street festival next weekend and then I am done until December 9th.

the pots I have tried to jury in with are as follows..........

and of course the proverbial booth shot........

guess it's time to rock out the bee plates...........

today I think I will close the studio door and go plant potatoes, long over due to be in the ground.......

I was thinking if we parented the way the art world juries we would be brought up on charges. We love you, we hate you, your work is incredible, you suck.........

guess there are a whole bunch of us out there trying to make a living at this thing called art and the competition is steep.......... maybe too steep. I know I am learning I just don't have the stomach for it.

Potatoes........ a good day for potatoes........

what a week.......

2011-06-05T09:51:00.000-04:00

We started the week with a parade. One of the perks of living across the street from the original town cemetery is the Memorial Day Parade. All the neighbors drag out the lawn chairs and head to the end of the street with their morning cup of coffee and "catch up" while we wait for the cub scouts and veterans to go past. Even our rival high schools join forces, merging into one large marching band. The politicians make speech's and the dog waits for ducks to fall from the air after the 21 gun salute.
It's over in 10 minutes and it's small town America at it's finest.
It was hot and perfect for yard work and grilling, it should have been Labor Day!

The weather finally broke here in northeast Ohio, three days of sun and no rain. Time to jump in the gardens at a frantic pace, we were at least a month behind! We thought it was the sound of thunder in April and May but it was gardeners banging their heads against the potting shed wall. In April I looked at a friends garden and committed to reworking and planting, finally the day had arrived. Linda, a really good friend, wanted to see flowers from her kitchen window. Shrink the garden bed to something more manageable and make it look like a garden. Seemed easy enough......... and it was the perfect small job to feed my garden habit while keeping me in the studio. I had visions of going to the nursery and sitting at the kitchen table with my stacks of nursery catalogs, graph paper, books, cup of sharp pencils with easers, pots of coffee and revel in the joys of what would be. After I tried drinking the cup of pencils I decided I needed a 12 step program for my plant addiction........

What the garden looked like in April:

The decision was made to relocate the pieris japonica and "off" one of the really old rhodies. That would leave the azaleas and those were pruned before they bloomed and a real garden no-no but it had to be done.

Finally Tuesday, May 31st had arrived. The plants had been collected from various nurseries and tools were loaded in the truck. I hadn't slept the night before working through plans in my head over and over. You would think I was going to Craft Boston again! I had worked in Linda's garden 8 or 10 years ago and remembered the clay soil and steps to the upper garden. The plan of attack was solid by 5 a.m.......... by 6 a.m. over my first cup of coffee I realized......I am going to die.

I arrived at Linda's, an hour drive into the city, by 8:00 a.m. Temperatures already in the 80's, glasses fogged in the humidity and everything was climbing including my underwear. We had gone from frosty cold temperatures and biblical rain to the tropic's in 24 hours. I could not get busy fast enough and I couldn't work fast enough. By 2 p.m. the garden had been freed of knee high Forget-Me-Knots (Mysostis) and Achemilla (Lady's Mantle) with my trusty pitch fork. My jeans were soaked from the knees to my Herman Munster shoes. The tools were all coated in mud and my shirt was clinging to my sultry body...... so attractive! Hmmmm time to head to Nordstrom's and try on underwear! Most of the plants were sunk and I was toast.

Wednesday I had brakes put on the truck and it gave me a day off to be in the studio and recover. Wednesday night I told Abby.......... $50 and you have to help me! Paaaaaleeezzzeee I begged. She said; Really? $50? I'm there. Yeah!!!!! I picked up my truck and ran to Home Depot to pick up 20 bags of mulch. Holy Heavy! The bags had been sitting in the rain for two months! After loading the 17th bag and looking at the shocks on the truck we stopped loading. I decided on bags instead of bulk as I had flashbacks from the last time I mulched Linda's garden. Two of us had to lug a wheel barrow up the steps, bags would be so much easier and besides the garden was much smaller now!

A cold front blew through our area Wednesday night. I was in the studio around 10 p.m. when Abby ran the phone out and said it was Linda. Hmmmmm this can't be good. Linda was racing home from a meeting because a tree had fallen on her house but just wanted me know the gardens were OK! I would be able to get up the driveway and come anyway in the morning....... oh and there is a small fire.

It's never a good sign when you arrive at job greeted by Police Crime Scene tape roping off the entire backyard. I jumped out of the truck and clipped it with my pruners and started hauling mulch. We started at the far end waiting to see if the tree would allow us past, I told Abby if you hear a loud crack drop the mulch and run to the far corner of the yard. I jumped back into weeding and transplanting while Abby mulched.

The knuckle drag'n tree guy arrived sometime mid-morning and whipped Linda into a safety frenzy. Every time we walked under the tree Linda would yell......... RUN!!!!!!! ABBY GO QUICK!!
OK, this was quite entertaining and found myself laughing while wrestling the primula out of wet clay. Linda rocks at double tasking and while all this was going on she was also cleaning out the garage.
She pulled out old bags of manure, topsoil and perennial bedding mix and said can you use this, how about this, have you ever heard of this? We had and we did!
Then she pulled out the giant shaker bottle of PREEN!
Let the sermon begin........... NO! Never! Not in this garden, we are top dressing with newspaper and mulch, no Preen.

Back to the garden............

by 1:30 we were sweeping up, the place was looking pretty good.

The temperature was 68 F. perfect for garden grunting and we experiencing high garden satisfaction, which is why I do this!

this bed will fill in nicely in a couple months......

the path to no where.......

Now back to the studio and getting my gardens whipped into shape! I told Linda I would be back in a couple weeks to check on everything and make sure the English ivy was trailing over the wall and not bullying the new plants. Use those pruners! The place should be beautiful in a couple months and really by next year it will really be in full swing. Not sure I want to do this full time again but it sure was nice to sink my feet in it for a little while........

Lessons from the Farmers Market.......

2011-05-23T22:45:00.000-04:00

16: Matt Gaddie http://www.meadowspottery.com/

17: Martha Puckett

21 & 22: Patrick Radamaker http://www.louisvilleclay.org/gallery.php?view=gallery&gid=56

Added to the mug collection this year!

Pulled out of the driveway at 4:02 a.m. and hit the road south to Louisville, KY. As a member of the Louisville Clay Guild I was excited to participate in the Home Grown Home Thrown Guild sale. Anxious to see what was new in the potters realm of Kentucky.
Six and half hours later I pulled into the Deer Park Baptist Church parking lot to see Ms Linda Bowman waving, smiling and showing me where to park. Set up started at 11:00 a.m. and I made it by 11:04 a.m.

It hit me on Thursday, while packing that I was not going to the Smithsonian but an asphalt parking lot on Bardstown Road. Why did I need the trailer? But I packed on......... I took bee plates, I took woven pots, I took lanterns, I took tied down urns....... I took it all, because you just never know who is going to show up at a farmers market! I took shelves, I took pedestals, I took the big canopy and on it went. The truck was packed, the trailer was packed, the thermos was full of hot coffee and I held a piece of toast clenched in my teeth as I waved goodbye to the dog and husband.
Butch and Abby were staying behind to attend the opening at Lakeland Community College.
Yeah for the "Art Pot" that was accepted and won the Jurors Award for Three Dimensional Media. The electric bill will get paid! Thank You Lakeland!! (very cool because it's where I took my first clay class so many years ago) Lakeland CC May Show

Back to the Parking Lot. Not wanting to impede other artists from setting up, I parked in the back lot and lugged my stuff up hill and across gravel to the display area.
Remember the Hungarian Motto is: "Why Do When You Can Over Due?"
Or as Dolita reminded me several times....... If there is a hard way to do it you and Gene will figure it out!
Setting up the Craft Hut took a bit longer than the potters around me who brought the EZ UP...... there is a reason it's called an EZ UP and since there was no wind or rain and just sun the EZ UP was the way to go. Drilled the shelves together and put the pedestals together. It took me until 4:00 p.m. to set up. I was still pricing when shoppers were coming through the door. And can I say I was icky sticky and not so fresh!
Looking like I had been dragged behind the trailer from Cleveland.

Sales were good and expenses & gas were covered!
Sales on Saturday were better than Friday and I was so thankful as my brake light was on all the way home. The weather was hot this year but no rain, Happy Dance!

Best part of doing this show is dinner. Six tired potters rolled down the sidewalk around 9 p.m to a great little eatery for drinks and serious noshing. The company at the table was fantastic. We talked pots, shows at the regional level, shows at the national level, studio sales, teaching private lessons and how to make a living at this thing called pottery, can it be done? The foibles of the day........

Saturday was hot and I was the last to pack up and leave the lot......... simplify, you must simplify!!!!!

The weekend was mind boggling and so much was learned. After not participating in street shows for the last 10 years or more there was a lot to learn......... again.

Re-cap of the weekend............

1. Get rid of the stainless shelves.
2. Hollow-core doors are fantastic!
3. Art does not sell at the farmers market leave it home.
4. What did sell? Anything with a bee on it, lanterns, flower frog vases, pate' dishes and anything with chopsticks, pate' knife or candle.
5. Talked oil spot glazes with Sebastian and there will be testing in my future!
6. Scheduled a show at the Mary Anderson Center for July/August 2012....... plenty of time to load the trailer!
7. Be the grape and not the raisin....... stay hydrated! Put water out in a hand thrown bowl for our 4 legged friends, they are way hotter than the nut holding the leash.
8. Added to the mug collection and scored an awesome wood fired batter bowl from Matt Gaddie, yes, I'm a fan.

9. Spandex looks good on a table but not on people.........

10. Plan two studio sales a year, this year it will be one and it will be on July 16th & 17th.

11. Do at least one or two national shows a year.

12. Enter gallery exhibitions too.

13. Nothing more joyous than taking a weekend to hang with friends, fondle pots and bask in the company of hard working potters..........
14. You're not getting any younger......... damn.

I am having trouble splitting my work into the world of "Art" and "Craft". Each takes just as much thought in the execution. The bee plates, pumpkin pots and lanterns took just as long to get to as the woven rimmed pots. To stay financially afloat right now it was a general consensus around the table of wise potters you need to be in both worlds. Which is great because I love both worlds.

The batter bowl is just screaming for Sunday morning pancakes!

Show in Louisville, KY this weekend!

2011-05-17T10:20:00.003-04:00

HOME THROWN, HOME GROWN!!! MAY 20 and 21

Days of fury.......

2011-05-16T14:54:00.001-04:00

Every time I think we should pack up and leave this area we get a rip'n storm. We have been underwater for the better part of a week now. Gardening bad, studio time good. Yesterday the wind shifted to the North East or N'or Easters around here.

Unusual this time of the year, N'or Easters are normally fall and winter weather patterns but then it's May and anything goes. We have had our fair share this year but the power of these storms never ceases to amaze me.

Butch and I run to the beach and jump out of the car, very much like getting out mid car wash at the Bright and Shine $3 car wash. I always take the camera but never manage to catch the fury of Lake Erie. This is as close as I can get. If you are reading this get a spritz bottle and spray yourself as you read, oh and turn the fan on high. Sometimes it's a challenge to stand upright.

So much has gone on since last blogging. I have applied to a number of jobs; every thing from gardening at a yacht club to professional organizer for a oil painter........ now take a breath and stop laughing! While interviewing for the professional organizer to another artist I had epiphany. Listening to the job description the little voice in my head said; "Hey, if you did half these things for yourself you would not be looking for a job!" Thank you little voice!

I politely said; "Grand, talking with you and I cannot possibly work 3 days a week". (I've been watching too much BBC.) After hanging up the telly I got out my trusty pad of paper and made a list of what I need to accomplish in the next 30 days.

I love lists and as I am task oriented it is a rush to cross off little victories on the master task list of my life.

In the next 30 days.......... (written in purple Sharpie, no wait isn't purple the color of suffering?)

Get the yard whipped into shape and finish the gardens. Mother Nature you must help out on this one!

Re-vamp the website to actually sell work from a virtual gallery..........

Update my self published Blurb book......

Write in RED Sharpie Marker on my calendar and forehead; STUDIO SALE - July 16th and 17th.

Get new postcards for studio sale.

Write up press release for studio sale

Get to Louisville, KY and hang out with other fab potters and sell pots on May 20th and 21st

Get to Shaker Hts. and sell pots on June 18th and 19th

Keep making those big woven pots but know your market and make some functional work too!

Up date website with new dates.

Enter more gallery shows out of state.

Enter more gallery shows in state.

Whittle ideas down to a few good ones and run with them.

Eat more bran........

Pumpkin garden lanterns, love these lit at night!

Seem to be on bee kick lately. The bees are gracing pate' dishes, honey pots, cookie jars and plates. Working with a new clay has been a bit of a challenge over the past couple weeks and learning not all my glazes will travel to the next clay body. Forgot to schedule time in studio for screw ups......

It's going to be a busy 30 days!

Hoping the sun shines on every one soon! The rain has to stop ......... doesn't it?

Happy Spring!

2011-05-01T20:56:00.000-04:00

Spring has finally arrived! On my walk tonight everything was new spring green and wet..... and we will live!! I think we are out of the woods although we had a hard frost last week. The poppies can't be far behind! Besides the goldfinches have their spring duds on now so it's a sure sign we are on our way to Mojito Season!

Stuff is popping up in the garden and if we get a bit of sun I hold high hopes of eating my very own lettuce in another 2-3 weeks. The birds have helped themselves to tender pea shoots and I will be replanting.

My arch enemy, Fred the groundhog has made his appearance and this year I will be trying a solar electric fence. (note, alert the neighborhood kids) Note to self, the neighbor kids are fine but you will be fried by next blog.

Roses have been cut back, soil turned, seeds planted, dead wood pruned and grass cut. This time of the year there aren't enough hours in the day.

Still taking time to make pots too......... well not taking time, just driven indoors from rain. The last 30 days it has rained 19, could be Seattle but then I'd have a coffee shop at the corner.

The big decorative pots are fun but boy I sure love making functional pots too! The bisque kiln has gone up and now cooling. Glazing should begin tomorrow......... maybe some new Spring glazes are in order! And a first......... I'm making flower vases. Memories from my Grandma's, she had these in emerald green glass sitting on a shelf in the basement. Hoping the small ones will be beautiful with rose buds.

Hawk Cam!

2011-04-26T09:34:00.000-04:00

Violet has been dutifully sitting on three eggs while Bob visits.
Have found their hawk life quite enjoyabe!

Hawk Cam added!!

2011-04-26T09:32:00.000-04:00

I have been watching Violet sit on her eggs daily!
I know it's not about pottery or even my backyard but this is really fun!!

Gotta love Spring!

just one of those days.........

2011-04-15T21:43:00.000-04:00

We all have them and today it was my turn for a doooozy! The taxes were done but I choose to wait to write the big fat check to the government. I am expecting a thank you, flowers and a bottle of the finest wine because I had been doing my finest whine since hearing the 2010 outcome.

(This blog is taking so long because the keyboard is sticky as I do not want to put the ice cream spoon down to type....... self medication is huge! )

As I was running out the door to the post office I heard my email alert me and since I am one genetic code away from Pavlov's dogs I ran to see who would be sending ME an email! OH BOY, look it's my big fat rejection notice to the American Craft Expo, which by the way I rocked last summer. That can't be right so I went to the juried art services website....... yup there it was a big old red "X". I don't get it? I sold pots to just about every board member and their mother last year, in fact I almost sold out. Didn't I hear the director say: "We love you"? Pimped out again! and it only cost $40.

Walked out the door where the storm clouds and wind had moved in. Nasty deed done I returned home, made coffee and walked out to the studio with the dog. Dashing in the door a putrid smell hit us in the face. The dog stood in the rain, backing away from the door. I beckoned him in and he moonwalked backwards into the rain.

Sheesh what in the world could it be? I followed my nose to the old fridge I keep seed potatoes there. Gently opened the door and was met with dancing sprouts. Just wait I said; another week and you'll be in the ground. Closed the door and moved on. The smell was getting stronger. Clearly something had died in the studio as it had that sweet smell of decay. As I looked at the GFI receptacle I noticed the light was off.
Fireworks to brain....... the freezer! I cracked the lid. The dog yelped and I thought I killed him.

The power had failed when I was in Boston and it kicked off the GFI outlet. Three weeks, three organic chickens, a brisket, a beef heart, 6 pkgs. of liver, 4 halibut steaks and a 10# bag, yes bag of rolled oats had been steeping in the warm freezer. Science project anyone? Primordial ooze anyone? Wow where is that artist from the NOC lecture?
I slammed the lid shut and looked at the dog. What should we do? He got one whiff and wagged his tail...... NO! we are not rolling in the freezer! After realizing nobody was here to bail me out of this one I found my rubber gloves and body bags.

Actually this is Rachael preparing for fishing season in Alaska.

I'm going in I said to the dog. He said; Wait me first! He was ordered to lay down and he did, right next to my feet. My bucket was filled with ammonia and hot water, I thought it would kill the smell. NOPE! Did I mention it's a chest freezer?

Scooping out chunky pieces and parts mixed with slimmy oats I gaged and started talking like Tony Soprano........ "Franky you been swimm'n with the fishes" If only I had a cigar!
By the fifth bucket of water the dog was snoring and the neighbors cats were dancing at the window. Bagged, tagged and deposited in the big green toter on wheels the Monday morning trash guy was gonna die. I will leave him 6 pack and note on the toter. RED ALERT: drink all the beer before you open this toter! Then again the raccoons were already dancing on the roof of the house and they didn't need a six pack!
Bucket after bucket of clean water was hauled out to the studio.
After an hour and half of scrubbing and gaging I was done. I mixed a concoction of crushed charcoal briquettes, kitty litter and a pallet of baking soda in a bucket and placed it in the freezer. I turned on the freezer and walked out of the studio.
I burned my clothes, lit my hair on fire, showered and still gaged.
C'mon I said; We're going for a walk to clear my head. I couldn't even smell the bag of poop from the dog.
Hurry Spring I need to smell the flowers!

joining the circus and ............

2011-04-10T20:55:00.000-04:00

After months of searching craigslist and finally finding a lovely really used 5' x 8' trailer in Pittsburgh for $1200.
Thought I'd make one last ditch effort to........ "call around". I drove, I looked, I asked for coupons and maybe a BOGO special, no luck. I talked to Pat, Bucky and Loopy. The best I could deal on was a lovely little 5 x 8, right down the road for $1800. Add tax and plates and it was a big old; Thanks but no thanks, over budget!

Then on my way over the river and through the woods to Mother In Laws house, on the south side of the road was a trailer suspended high in the air with a sign; We Sell Trailers! Stop in Today!

So I did. Walked to the little 5 x 8 trailer sitting on top the open bed landscape trailer and asked; How much? "Well Ma'am that would be $1200. My interest was peaked! I had been renting UHauls for the last several months was lusting after little trailer of my own. If pottery bombs it would be great for my gardening business.
Looked it over, saw the dome light and plunked the cash down, saying I'd be back on Saturday by noon. Happy Dance in the parking lot!
This was the last piece of the puzzle for my dog and pony show! Everything was paid for and I had big plans.

Saturday arrived and I was off to the license bureau. Sales slip in hand, 10 am in the morning and I stood in line with a ba-zillion other folks who did not want to talk to the ladies who license. We all stood with papers in one hand; cash, check and pint of blood in the other while we shuffled from one foot to the other glaring at the guy who forgot his SSN card and just couldn't leave the counter without his plates. There has to be a better way I thought. And no matter what line you were in it was the wrong line and you were sent to the other line to start the trip over. Cattle lead to slaughter have better days.
The woman with 5 kids in sesame street slippers, doling cookies out of her purse and a camel pack of juicey juice, cooing in a language I didn't know. What a great idea, juicy juicy and vodka.... in a camel pack, couple pieces of beef jerky and qualudes! License Bureau Survival Kit! The people watching is huge at the bureau on Sat. mornings and JACKPOT it was driver's testing day!! The Trooper came through the door a bit disheveled, hair pasted to her head, clipboard shoved under her arm and sunglasses a tilt. Following close behind a young freckle faced lad crying and bellowing; Wait, please I can do it this time.... PaLeeezzzzeee Ma'am. For me it was like a war time flash back to my kids. The disheveled Trooper slamming her clipboard down on the counter snapped me right back to the never ending line. I hadn't moved an inch, more juice please.......

By 11:30 am I had plates in hand, an idea to become the next millionaire and on my way to pick up my TRAILER! Pulling into the parking lot there it was and it sat waiting. I hooked up before the owner of the shop could get to the truck. We shook hands and I was ready to be off. As I slammed the door I said; Hey check my lights! Left turn, no problem, brakes, check, right turn ......... nothing. Jump out pull the harness apart, spit on it, shove it back together and nothing. Nuts! Mr Owner disappears and sends out Paul the master mechanic. Paul, a sinewy fellow of 104 walked out flipping his zippo lighter and puffing on a ciggy, pulls the harness apart, spits on it and shoves it back together...... nothing. Goes into the shop brings out electric testers and tool box. Everything beeps and lights up as it should and Paul scratches his head and starts tearing the light off the trailer. He runs back and gets a new light; nothing. He gets another light, nothing. He rips the other side apart to see if the working light would work, nothing. I unhook the trailer after an hour and half of trying everything and tell the guys; call me when you figure this out. I have stuff to do, like stare at my compost pile heating up.

2;30 P.M. the phone rang. Well we got it figured out and I hooked the trailer to my truck and it works great, when can you come out. How about now! Off I drove, another 45 minute one way trip. Pull in, hook it up and test everything, now the right turn signal.......... nothing. And the owner and Paul explain; Well ain't that the dangest thing ever. Owner to Paul...... Now what genius? Paul runs back to the garage and gets that little roller cart to slide under my truck. Note to self, do not try this on a gravel driveway in deep puddles. Paul hit a pot hole while on his back and took a header into the brown hole of yuk. He came up spitting and laughed. Love this guy! Got under the truck and pulled out the one month old harness I had just paid big bucks for and put a new one on. BINGO! It was after 5 p.m. For my trouble, which I must point out was my harness and not his trailer, he threw in a spare tire for the trailer. Love this guy and he will get my business in the future and I will recommend my friends to this guy!

Pulled into the driveway victorious! With three hours of daylight left I tore into the yard. Cleaned the gardens out and prepped the beds for seeds.

It was a good day. I had stalks of brussel sprouts left and it killed me to put them in the compost pile.
The dog nimbly picked the sprouts off the stalks and gulped them down in one swallow. Wow, did had gas. Sitting around the fire late into the night watching the stars, he laid behind my lawn chain as I sipped a pint and I thought we might both go up in a puff. This is the stuff terrorists can only dream about!

I put my sprouts in a bowl and carried them in the house, where they were cleaned, tossed in olive oil, sprinkled with coarse salt crystals, baked in a 400 degree oven for 35 minutes. YUM! Caramelized Brussel Sprouts!
I will be growing these again!

Today it was 84 degrees F.
33 F. to 84 F. in less than 24 hours.
My little peas are probably broasted in the ground. Tonight rain and tomorrow cooler temps......... I eagerly await tiny little sprouts of beets, swiss chard, peas and lettuce.
Welcome Spring! You have been missed..........

could it be me? nahhhhh.......

2011-04-09T00:23:00.000-04:00

maybe I'm just getting a bit long in tooth, nahhhhh.....
maybe I have just figured out I am a potter and not so much a ceramic artist...... hmmmm getting closer.

I attended an NOC lecture tonight and I left in a foul mood. Abby went with me and the best thing that came out of the lecture; a mother - daughter bonding of....... whoa what the heck was that? And did she really say she tries to achieve a glaze called....... wait for it...... "cadaver green"? And ...... wait for it.... the lecturer actually told us how she worked diligently to achieve "cadaver green". Nope, didn't write it down and nope not passing it on.

We entered to see the artists work arranged on a white table, all work under glass domes sitting on a wooden base..... next to the refreshment table. Clearly some folks were taken with the work, clearly I was not. I put my "up close and personal" glasses on and was pleased to see the workmanship was of the finest quality; if not exquisitely crafted.
Back that bus up and focus again, what am I really looking at. At this point I had quite a visceral reaction and took off my "up close and personal" glasses; choosing the blurry, out of focus view.
I could still make out a bulge of what looked to be skin and hair sticking out. Skin stitched and split over a backbone....... sheesh without my glasses Abby offered me another cookie, no thanks I said as I moved away from the display and into the other room with friendly faces.

I was perplexed when the lecture started with an electron microscopic slide of a fly butt and protozoaas, There was talk of science and art colliding.
I too had seen these images, almost 28 years ago, before I ever took a clay class. Our good friend was one of two scientists in the country who could repair and use one of these incredible instruments.
My Mom, forever known as the Bug Lady and worked for USDA came home with bottles of bugs from time to time in my little life. She held the vials up for us to look at and she would squeal with glee; LOOK at this kids! Maybe if I had been a baby robin I would have been really excited. We were a hit on Show and Tell day and secretly I wished she baked cookies and wore an apron. I look back now and know how lucky I was, bugs were cool and so was my Mom.
I had looked at the same images and found such beauty in a world unseen by human eyes. I have a book that has been sitting on my shelf I bought in the 80's filled with electron microscopic images that I still look at occasionally and never once did I think to make "specimans" or "oddities" from the pictures. I saw rhythm in the repeating patterns and honeycomb in pollen granules..... ahhhhh but then I don't have that MFA. I guess I have the OMG degree.

You know and I am NOT knocking the MFA degree here! I have a few friends who got their MFA's and came out darn good artists; ceramic artists. I know their work and I respect their work.
I respect their struggle to get through the MFA programs and saw their work grow in leaps and bounds.

What leaves me in a quandary.......... I found so many parallels between the artist and myself. Our interests, the way we approach work, execute work, the minutiae of the work and yet this work left me cold, irritated and asking why? Is this what good art is supposed to do? The other thing I walked away with; a firm knowledge knowing what I love to produce in my studio. I did not like this work on any level, the only word I can up with is visceral; I cannot imagine being surrounded by this work day in day out.

To get the crisp visual images out of our heads we blasted The Rolling Stones and tried to sing along. When that didn't work we belted out other songs and then we stopped, turned the radio off and just had to discuss what we had just seen and heard, we felt assaulted. So I guess something good did come out of the lecture, conversation between Mother and Daughter.

Abby, an art ed. major at Kent said: "You know Mom I hate contemporary art."
Well back that bus up, I can't go that far and there really is some it I "get" and like.
We both agreed the craftsmanship was stupendous but sheesh why the composition of cadaver green bulges of skin with hair infiltrated here and there and HEY! what about that encaustic pig intestine? The only place I want to see pig intestine is stuffed and between a bun! The artist made up latin names to go along with the "specimans". The artist explained at length where she got her ideas and what she was trying to achieve. Her love of the "oddities" from the turn of the century excentric collections of the wealthy. The horn of hair sprouting from the head of some poor soul or the largest colon in the world or the many fetal skeletons....... Do you see where I am going with this? I wondered if she might be a vegan....... ever? I wondered if she had been deformed or her child or sister or mother or father had been born with an "oddity" would she have picked this particular subject matter. This was the oddity to me........ The carnival side shows (and I remember them from the county fairs I attended as a kid) went out of vogue long ago and for good reason. It is in the past and for me I think it's Okey Dokey to leave it in the past.

At the beginning of her lecture she expressed her thanks at being invited by NOC as she had just had 7 rejection notices in a row, on some level I thought maybe ceramics is not lost.

I remember being so excited about clay and all the work I saw. I attended workshops here and there and loved them all. NCECA was the bomb and we sat around tables sharing what we did. We gushed, I gushed and it was grand.
These days I have grown comfortable with my work and the less I want to venture out into the world and fritter about talking. Be still, observe and convey.

Tomorrow, back to round pots, lots of weaving and the silence of the studio.....ahhhhhh.
Round is good....... tomorrow.
for some, round just sucks.......
Is it art or the emperors new clothes...... I don't know.....

Settling in and taxes......... ho hum..

2011-04-04T16:40:00.000-04:00

Slowly tallying up from Boston and then tore in to get the taxes done. Yup, it's that time of the year folks, kill me. You know I've had a good show when my splurge is Brita water filters and underwear. Woo Hoo!

It's a monumental task as I track every gram of chemicals, every bead, every mile logged and the pounds of clay that crosses the threshold of my studio.
After printing out the month by month results they are studied closely. Is there more black ink than red ink? Usually it's so tight I just close my eyes, hold my breath and hit the big button; ANNUAL TOTALS..... this results in me belting down a stiff shot of something to ease the pain and it really helps to wash the eraser down I chewed off the nub of a pencil trying to get column "A" to match column "ZZ". Stacks of receipts from Bailey Ceramic Supply to Starbuck's clutter the floor and desk. Everything in tidy little piles and bundled together with Post-it Notes stuck to everything ..........

It occurs to me after reviewing receipts, ledgers, 365 daily calendar and blog entries, there is upward career movement but alas, still treading the financial waters of murkiness and yet still below the poverty level of Zanzibar. My eyes roll back in my head and I want to know if I qualify to be a third world country? In fact I may write my congressman and ask if Paine Falls might be below third world status. Can we please have a bomber Mr. Brown or perhaps a rocket launcher to let people know we are still here in Ohio! That said I have NO complaints and life really is pretty good.

After all I was standing in the farmers markets most of last summer and I managed to eek out a months wages gardening.

Once again I vow to work smarter and not harder........ I give myself the yearly, buck up suck it up and tighten that belt a little tighter ......... yup, stay tuned for that one! By July I'll be buying that $1 a pound porcelain and mixing zinc glazes like I have no budget ...... and there will be holes in my underwear and the Brita water will be cloudy.

This year I have all but emptied my pitiful little savings account and entered the "big" shows. And after having two of the "big" shows under my belt I realize it's truly a crap shoot. They can love you in Philly and leave you high and dry in Seattle. So the lessons I am taking away from this journey....... never get cocky and watch you pennies, every single one! I have taken a solomon oath to do be a better business woman. Out of town shows are expensive so pack a lunch!

On that note I would like to pass on a tip for anyone doing shows in Boston. There several hotels recommended by the super Craft Boston team but all were a bit out of my budget. I got out my Lonely Planet Boston guide and found a write up on little place called the Inn at Crystal Cove. I googled and found the website and several reviews. It was $68 a night compared to the $225 at the hotel recommended. I needed to stay 5 nights........hmmmm 7.5 miles away and a winter rate of $68 OR across the street from the World Trade Center and $225 ........ or $1125 to $340. After booking my room I found out it was across from Logan Airport and other tales of .... "Sandy, OMG, lock your doors and use the bolt in your room." I packed earplugs and had Abby, nuff said!

Here is the link:

http://inncrystalcove.com/

GREAT PLACE! The people who run the Inn are lovely. AND we were in a gated area.

I imagine the place gets rocking in the summer. We were on the water and the bus stops in front of the Inn so one really does not need to drive into Boston thus alleviating $12 a day parking. We never heard a plane and they have a community kitchen which cut down our meal budget to $81.00 for the entire time we were gone! (and I had Abby who swears a rotisserie chicken is a snack!)

Here are pictures of our stay..........

The community kitchen

Viking appliances, better than home!

The community room

the other side of the community room

view from the front porch

and chairs to watch the sailboats sail into the harbor .......

so peaceful and rested...........

Craft Boston........

2011-03-31T00:26:00.002-04:00

After spending a month feverishly making work, picking up work from other shows and tweaking the booth I was ready. No stone left unturned. From the mastercard/visa swiper (which I love) to the foam mat flooring I ordered on line.

Craft Boston just happened to coincide with Kent's Spring break. Abby was drafted to help schlep. She would follow me in the Nissan Versa aka clown car and leave on Sat. to get back for Monday morning class. In hindsight ......... this was stupid!
Back to UHaul this time I rented a 4 x 8 trailer instead of the 5 x 8. It was loaded, clean jeans were packed and we were on the road by 2 a.m. I gave myself 4 hours extra to get to Boston, normally a 10 hour trip. Pulling out of the driveway three deer stood in the road. Go back they said....... turn around. We weren't even off the street. We waited until they moved and we were off! We hit the PA. line and snow flakes started falling.......... no, oh please not now. We kept going onto Erie. By Erie we couldn't see the road. Hmmmm........ the deer were right. Turn around, really? NO. keep going while repeating; The Greater My Obstacles, The Greater My Rewards. The snow was really coming down when we passed Angola prison and I thought hmmm .... even razor wire is pretty with fresh snow falling.
On to Buffalo........ 35 mph...... we pulled off at rest area to chip the ice off the grill of the cars.

On to Rochester........ if it did not let up by Rochester we would get a room and hunker down. It got better, we kept going. Check in time was 3:30 p.m. We crossed into MA. called my sister-in-law and met her at the third exit where we gassed up. I gave her tickets to the show and she thrust a baggie filled with fruit and chocolate into our hands. I explained we were way behind schedule and had to fly, no time for even a cup of coffee. Jumping on Rt 90 I called Abby to tell her we needed to step up the pace. I called Beth in Boston and told her we running late. She said; The dock gates close at 4 p.m. if your not here you have to wait until 8 a.m. tomorrow. I was sick as this was a new booth with lights, flooring and wrap station I was sure I would need tonight to get the bones of the booth up. I figured the time and realized I was not going to make it. I called back to Abby, I called Butch, I called Dolita..... Butch called Abby and told her; There's $20 with you name on if you keep your Mother headed to Boston, DO NOT let her turn around. Abby called back; Mom go for it. I did....... I punched the Colorado and I was doing 85 mph hauling a trailer in Boston traffic. I did a U turn on Seaport Blvd and pulled into the loading dock with 6 minutes to spare. We were hugging and yelling. Then Beth yelled you have 6 minutes to unload that truck and get it out of here! We did!
The Boston World Trade Center is awesome as we could park the trailer in the Trade Center giving us full access to our trailers during the show. As I pulled out Abby pulled up in the Nissan smiling...... MOM I knew you could do it! We parked the cars and started setting up the booth. We had been on the road for 14 hours and now the work began but we made it.

We rolled out of the Trade Center at 8 p.m. The walls were up, the lights were up, the floor was down, the pedestals up and the wrap table. We could tackle the pots tomorrow. Now back in the cars and try to find our Inn at Crystal Cove in the darkness......... 7.5 miles away. God, we were tired. Mapquest got us there in about 20 minutes. We collapsed on the bed, I can't remember if we ate dinner that night or not. Weary Road Warriors ........

The next morning we took the truck back in to the city and started setting out pots and polishing up the booth. Thursday morning we could see Boston by daylight and it was grand! We parked the truck and saw the sign

then we walked into the Trade Center and Oh wow....... we saw my pot on the entry way, somebody pinch me!

Abby and I hugged each other spilling Starbuck's coffee all over each other........ it was such a Mary Tyler Moore moment.

We started pulling pots out of shipping containers and placing them around the booth. We touched each and every pot 10 or 15 times trying to get it just right...... who knows if we did or not. It was 4 p.m. and we had to run back to the Inn to clean up and change for the gala VIP opening......

Running back by 6 p.m. to meet VIP's until 9 p.m. I suck at schmoozing...... I sit in a garage with an old dog making pots and listening to books on CD. He loves everything I make and he schmoozes when he wants a cookie or walk but he was home. 9 p.m. came and we headed back to the room........ I had sold one $85 pot.

But the booth looked pretty good.........

Friday morning we got up and headed into Boston.......... can't say I was feeling very optimistic at this point. It had been a haul and I realized I was a bit a fried. Abby followed me into Boston in the little car. I looked in my rear view mirror and watched her get caught in the traffic headed to Logan Airport. That was all I needed to have a mini meltdown........ I pulled into the $11 a day parking lot, composed myself and thought she will find her way here. As I walked to Starbuck's I saw the little black Nissan chugging down Seaport Blvd...... YEAH!! I walked to the parking lot, paid her $11 parking fee and we splurged on large coffee's and a muffins. We went directly to the booth and there was someone standing in my booth looking at pots. Good Morning I chirped, let me turn on the lights. The wonderful woman smiled and said .......... I thought about this all night and I have to have this pot. The big horsehair pot? YES! But it's $1200.00 I know....... I stood there and then kind of fell apart. Abby punched me and said...... Hey there is no crying in the booth, wrap it up! I thanked her profusely and she teared up too......
I make these pots because I love making them and when someone else loves them it's great! I had never sold one of my big pots and this was the day I had dreamed about for a very long time, I wonder if it would ever come. You know if it had never come I would still make these pots. As she was walking out of the booth she also purchased a teapot as a gift for a friend. This is the single biggest sale I have ever made and this woman will probably get a Christmas card from me for the rest of her life or mine. Friday was a day we artists dream about. People bought pots and bought pots in groups, not just one but the group. The collectors were out, the artists came to the booth. One of other artists grabbed my arm and said; You have arrived and looks like Craft Boston is your coming out party. It was a day you were sorry to see end.

Friday also brought out our east coast contingency of relatives! It was so great to see familiar faces wander into the booth. Team Dawson, Giacometti, Ganong....... they all arrived. The team took Abby to lunch and I stayed in the booth. Abby had to leave on Friday afternoon to make sure she made it back to Kent. I worked the rest of the show alone and you know it was OK.

Sunday morning I got up early walked around the seaport, had another Team Ganong visit and felt good we had made it through a snow storm, credit card applications, booth building, kiln rewiring and adding new dimension to my work.
In five hours the show would be over and I would packing up the booth and headed for Ohio. I pulled out of the World Trade Center at 8:15 p.m. heading west on RT. 90. I pulled in the driveway at 6:45 a.m. just in time to have coffee with Butch before he was off to work. I unloaded the trailer and truck into the studio, returned the trailer, washed the salt off the truck , gassed her up and returned home by noon to face plant on the couch.

Boston has turned out to be my best show to date. The Craft Boston crew was wonderful! Helpful on every level and amazingly supportive. I feel very fortunate to have had such a wonderful show and feel the fine craft gods had smiled on me last weekend. I also know there were artists who did not make their booth fee back and wondered how they will make it to the next show. The quality of the work at this show was jaw dropping, every booth was the best of the best. I met artists at Craft Boston that I had seen in books over the years. They were all gracious and welcoming, it is a wonderful community to be part of.
I had put all my eggs in the Craft Boston basket and had really come to the realization if things had not gone well here I would have to come home and figure out what I was going to do to pay bills. Some how we must support American made craft. More is not always better and the butter dish doesn't have to match the gravy boat. Buy work you love and support your local craft people. I came home with yet another mug to add to my collection and beautiful handmade wooden spoons. Maybe next year I will be able to buy the hand crafted hutch I fell in love with.

Growth is never easy and this had been yet another step forward.
This profession is not one for wimps or someone thinking this is an easy buck. Those who
choose this lifestyle are the definition of hard work ethics.

Naples to Boston and back.........

2011-03-30T22:33:00.000-04:00

or lessons from the dog and pony show at Paine Falls............

Accepted to von Liebig art show in Naples I cheered knowing I would be leaving snowy Ohio in February and headed to land of sun, flip flops and rhinestone studded sunglasses. AND note to self.... DO NOT FORGET THE JEWEL ENCRUSTED KITTEN HEELS!!

This would be my warm up for Craft Boston, a month later.
Besides, the relatives had raved about Naples for years, it's where I first heard the term......
"Gated Community" over and over and over. We rented the 5 x 8 UHaul, loaded the pedestals, pots, mapquest print outs, sunblock and podcasts. We set up the canopy in the studio the night before we left; high fiv-ing each other as this was so easy! We dropped the dog at Kent State with Abby, hoping he would survive a week with college students and a keg....... he hid in the Abby's closet for 7 days. We also left the Nissan for the dog and Abby so she could bring him home if got home sick for the weekend.

Ohio usually gets a weather break in January and I thought I would be able to set the booth up in the driveway at some point, it never happened. Snow storm after snow storm blew down from the Arctic. I turned the house in to booth building central. Oh Hi Honey....... what do you mean you can't get to your office? You mean you can't commando crawl under those panels? Christmas cookies come back to haunt you? He is a patient man and set up shop on the kitchen table while wearing sunglasses and giddy over the fact he was days away from getting sand in his shorts.

Florida is supposed be high 60's low 70's in February......... it was low 90's, high humidity. Coming from the deep freeze of Ohio I was having a stroke and not happy in my container. We checked into the hotel after driving the 18 hours across the Allegheny mountains and down into Georgia. I breathed a sigh of relief when Butch drove past Disney world and we did not stop......... he was silent as he bowed his head and tipped his hat to corporate rat world. I whistled "Dont Worry Be Happy".

Our check in time was 7:30 p.m. Friday night. Yup, we set up in the dark....... who sets up a show in the dark? We needed head lamps to get the canopy up. Honey just put this little pin in slot "B".
I can't see slot "B" in fact I can't see the pin. Helen Keller could have set this canopy up faster than we did. We stacked everything in the back of the booth and retired to the room. Free breakfast at the La Chain-ta hotel. Hard boiled eggs, coffee and an orange around the pool where stark white northern snow birds were already in the pool. Where ya from I asked.......... Minnesota, isn't it great here? At 6 am it's 50 degrees and too cold to swim but hey I bet your in the polar bear club. You Bet!
We stumbled to the show and begin setting up................ this is what we ended up with:

At the time I thought this looked great! Until I came home and loaded my pictures onto the computer.
OMG it looks like a garage sale! Much tweeking was needed for Boston! For anybody reading this blog that is the best tip I can give out. Take pictures of your booth and send them to your friends, your honest friends! Sit Back and adjust! Oh and see the booth next to me? That was the booth of a musician who played music all day long......... I heard it when I closed my eyes the first night. He was selling CD's for $5 a piece or 4 for $16. I bought 4 and light them on fire.
The crowd was slow as I think it was just too hot, we were on asphalt, in the sun. Butch dropped me off in the morning and spent the day at the beach, picking me up at the end of the show, 6 p.m. to do touristy things......... which I suck at.
OH AND LET ME GET ON MY SOAPBOX FOR A MOMENT!

DOGS DO NOT LIKE ART!

I swear, they told me they hate it! Leave them home, do not bring them to a blipping hot art show! They have on a fur coat and hate burning off the pads on their little feet. And HEY you, that's right the chubby guy riding around on the Rascal, dragging your basset hound in 90 degree heat, I hope you come back as your dog and your dog is on the scooter dragging your butt around. And yes I said something to Rascal Boy whereas he informed me he was good friends with the mayor....... what that has to do with dragging your chubby dog around on hot day while you sit on your chubby butt under an umbrella sipping water I just don't know but STOP IT!

And this is why I stopped doing outdoor shows years ago........ it's all coming back to me now......

We made expenses to the dollar, tweeked the booth, revamped the inventory, lost ten pounds sweating and all in all learned more than 5 days in Florida and I turn into a royal witch. The show ended Sunday night and I flew out Tuesday night. Butch opted to stay an extra week and drag the UHaul around while stopping at various baseball games and cracked out on hot dogs.

As he drove me to the airport in Fort Meyers I was so happy to be going home I ran down the tarmack, buckled myself into seat 28C and realized I forgot to kiss him good bye. I called from the plane to say how sorry I was .......... he laughed and said I had done remarkably well for my 5 days.

and just for the record.........

He took me to the Rookery on Monday. When I say Rookery what do you think of? Birds? Nesting birds? In fact the definition of rookery: a breeding colony of rooks, typically seen as a collection of nests high in a clump of trees.
• a breeding colony of seabirds (esp. penguins), seals, or turtles.

Here is what we found........... remember it's Florida. They had just burned the Rookery three weeks prior to our visit. Nope no birds, nothing living whatsoever.......... it's Florida.

We left the Rookery and went to the Botanical Gardens of Naples........ yup you guessed. Florida had such a hard winter all plants were frost burned beyond recognition. Not much living there either.

I arrived in Ohio at 1 a.m. Abby picked me up at the airport with one happy dog. I drove her back to Kent. Abby got out and the dog dug in to the back seat.
The dog and I headed for home both whistling........ Don't Worry Be Happy.
But alas sometime during our departure the furnace blower went out and the house was a balmy 38 degrees. I found myself chopping kindling in the driveway at 2 a.m. and trying to get the house warm. Thank goodness for woodstoves! The blower was only another $600............ I still love it here!

By Monday morning of the following week the furnace was fixed and I had a weeks work drying in the studio...... Bring on Craft Boston!

accepting credit cards and back to identity theft......

2011-01-28T18:15:00.000-05:00

Good gravy, I am ready to move to Canada if I only had an identity!

Still not taking credit cards but now own $1,000 worth of equipment.
After a week of frustration boy do I have a ton of information I will now pass on to anyone who reads this blog.

Take your Square: https://squareup.com/  and toss it out the window.
If you cannot talk to a real person on the end of the phone delete it from your memory banks, your hard drive and your iPhone! Tweeting your personal financial information is not a good idea on any level. Akin to "tweeting" from the decks of the Titanic. I would not deal with this company for love nor money, make that the other way around.

As some of you know I have been going through identity theft for about 10 years now. Some years are good, other years I would like to forget. Like 2003, the year I was arrested at gun point in my studio by our local police dept. for stealing cars. I asked the cop; Does this look like chop shop to you? I don't use speed dial anymore because you need a few phone numbers memorized when they haul you off to the hoosegow.
Hi Honey, Mommy is in jail, could you find your Dad......... oh yeah that was a great phone call! Eight hours later everybody figured out they had the wrong girl and I was released. The cop said; "We knew we had the wrong person cuz everybody was asking for Jack Daniels, oxycotin, or cigarettes and you wanted a Starbuck's Caramel Macchiato Grande'.

2011 is starting out like one I might want to forget. I thought I wanted to play with the big boys on the Fine Craft Circuit. Applied to shows with fees over $1,000 and even got accepted. After letting $2400.00 of pots walk out of the booth in Chicago with the promise; check's in the mail, I knew I needed to accept credit cards.

To play with the big boys one needs a booth:

ProPanels: $1500.00
Flooring: $ 350.00
Lighting: $ 367.00
show fees to date: $3,000.00
jury fees: $240.00 (love - hate relationship I pay for)
trailer to haul booth around: $1500.00
(I won't even get into electrical hook ups at shows, labor unions, hotel expenses, photography, license and, and, and I think I will just pin hundred dollar bills to my jacket and let them fall off where needed)

I left the credit card applications for my last task as I had a feeling it would go like this, well not exactly like this but I knew there would be a hitch.

After reviewing all the information on the web and various websites, blogs and artist social networks I settled on the Square. I needed an iPad and a device. I can do that!
Go to Verizon get: iPad and MiFi hook up: $670.00 plus $20 per month for 2 years, would you rather have my first born?
Home: download "Square" app......... APPLICATION DENIED. delete app and reload again, DITTO.
Google App support for Square: one must tweet...... Google YouTube and teach myself to tweet.
I tweeted for seven days until I sprouted feathers, they never answered. According to Square when you delete your app from your iPad all information is deleted from their site. No way to know but I sure hope so or I will be getting another new Social Security number.

Also found out I had to sync my new iPad with my Mac computer to get the MiFi vz access manager loaded. My mac did not have the proper operating level. I needed 10.6 OS X. I had 10.4 neanderthal. So I screen chatted with Yolanda at Apple and found out I need the boxed set of iLife, iWork, and OS X Snow Leopard ........ $129.00. You really should increase your Gigs the apple support person said.
Great, just another GB or two. Give me two because sky's the limit! Oh we don't make those anymore. Hey!!! My computer is fine, works great, not a problem since I bought it and I know what all the buttons mean. Yolanda what do you suggest, oh we can't suggest other companies, Goodbye and please take our survey.
Now what........ find another website that still makes stone age memory cards.
I screen chat with James at: http://eshop.macsales.com/  if you have a mac go to this website!!!
they even have tutorial videos to walk you through basic repairs! Order one 2 gig memory card.... another $100.00. But I will have 3 GIGS of memory, at 2 a.m. this is HUGE!

Oh look there is a window open and money is just flying out along with the monkeys!

I vented my frustration on Art Fair Insiders http://www.artfairinsiders.com/  (great website!)
While on the forum Dann Jackson told me to go to another company as they had the same deal.
"Intuit" or http://gopayment.com/   I screen chatted with Ashley for several minutes and she explained how things worked and what equipment I needed. Of course the iPad was not on the top of list and they would prefer a cell phone but an Ipod touch would also work. Back to screen chatting with Dorothy at Apple...... Dorothy says; "you would love the iPhone and they come out 2/3 right here on the website!" Don't have one, don't want one and do not want a contract with a monthly bill for something I am going to use a maximum of 6 times a year. I was emailed a transcript of our screen chat and I had time to think it over. Back to the GoPayment people and find out the iPad will work.
To set up an account you simply had to call a number and WOW a real person answered the phone! The process was quick, simple and very well explained. It was explained I would receive three emails (hey.... is this like three wishes?) The second email would have me set up a log in account. The third was a survey. Got it....... I love these people......... I thought!!!

Survey arrived, I filled it out with glowing approval!

Second email arrived before I finished the survey. YOU ARE DENIED AS YOU HAVE GIVEN A FALSE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. ACCOUNT DENIED! The equivalent of getting a howler from a financial institution. My heart sank......... BUT!

In my initial phone conversation they gave me a 24/7 hotline for problems. Yup, this was a problem.
Robin answered the phone and listened to my tale of woe. Can you hold the line, we never had this happen before. I understand and I held the line. A breathless Robin came back on the line quite a few minutes later, he had to run and get answers on another floor. Ok, I like this kid, he really wants to help me. The explanation made me sick!

Intuit uses a Experian Credit and I quote: "A World of Insight" I have notorized documents from the Social Security office stating I had a new SSN and had alerted all the credit companies in October of 2003. It's really good I am somewhat of an organized pack rat because I kept every piece of correspondence since this mess started in 1999. For some reason Experian reverted to my old SSN and declared my new number was fictitious.
Here we go.......... Press one for English. Experian has a Catch 22. If you need to talk to an agent please have a current credit report number at the ready to key in. You must have a report from the last 90 days. Go back to the beginning and get a credit report; key in new SSN....... you have entered a fictitious SSN, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Just for fun I tried my old SSN...... worked like a charm even though the Social Security office destroyed it in 2003. Someone is out there still using it and by the way good job because you have pretty good credit.

Call GoPayment folks back because I had to ask......... If I entered my old defunct SSN would I have been approved?
Why Yes, that would have worked. Kill me...........

And on another great note, I can use my iPad with the GoPayment folks! They are sending a free scanner.
And on another great note, while I was typing this blog I have been approved!!

I might have to send the whole company a case of mugs!!

If you see me in Naples Art Festival the end of Feb. or at Craft Boston the end of March, please
whip out your credit card!!

Oh and just for the record; Butch left for Chicago just about the time I started my journey today.
He arrived, checked into his hotel and had seen half the boat show.....
I am still sorting through the paperwork.........

Cash is still king and maybe a selling $20 mugs at the farmers markets was really the way to go.........

will let you know in a month........

tonight: jerking my memory card and loading my new mac software....... stay tuned campers!

A Productive day........

2011-01-17T23:37:00.000-05:00

Some days I can't get out of my own way today was not one.

Also starting to tick down the days to Naples. After Chicago I realized I needed to take credit cards. This has been a ridiculous search of the absurd and abstract. I own a Tracfone for emergencies.
It was free and I had a coupon for double minutes for the life of the phone....... I never use my minutes and it's incomprehensible for a dyslexic to text anything.

Venturing into Verizon, AT&T, TMobile, Virgin, Geek Squad and the Apple Store over the last two days my head is ready to blow off and spin around spewing 4G's.
Bottomline....... I don't want a contract! After caressing the "Smartphones" and realizing they are smarter than the dog and my warped brain combined I moved down the line to the "Pads".
(you know in the 70's if I were standing in the pad aisle I wouldn't be in a phone store! and just go there because they are using the same wording; compact, fits in a pocket, easy to conceal ........ )

Found out I can Skype on an iPad or a Galaxy Tab and Verizon will only charge me $20 a month. no monthly charge on the Square or contract but it's not compatible with the Galaxy Tab, back to iPad.
Cash anyone? I love cash........

Ordered my new ProPanels, should be here in three weeks!
also got my grocery shopping done........

Threw 60# of clay, got a bisque unloaded, finished up some teapots made with Matt and Dave's new porcelain.

48# of Tucker mid smooth stoneware ^6.

13# of Matt and Daves ^5-8 porcelain.... (love it!!)

Highwater Clay; Bella's Blend and Standard 211 Hazelnut ^6

unloaded a bisque kiln of Standard clay 551 porcelain ^6

I just cannot get a blue glaze I like!!!

and the dog was really busy holding down the floor!

time for coffee and reflection on rejection......

2011-01-16T11:39:00.000-05:00

Plans sure go to Hell in a hand-basket pretty quick. Some days I'm ready for them and some days I am not.
My day was going rather well; walking with a full cup of coffee and not spilling, pouring out my bran flakes and not spilling, letting the dog out and not closing my nighty in the door again. Gosh, just getting out of bed and having my ankles work is great!
Small victories but nonetheless, a great way to start the day.

By lunch I was floundering. My plans to attend the Pittsburgh opening had not fit into Mother Nature's plan for a freezing rain/blizzard/snow storm. God, I love living in the snowbelt.
Called Abby at Kent and told her change of plans.
She said; No problem she could clean her house..... oh sorry I was looking for Abby Miller.

On my way to the coffee pot I checked my status on the Reston, Virginia Outdoor Show........ rejected. What?
I love my delete button! No! I reject you......... delete! What do you mean I am rejected? After all these years I am still shocked and depressed when I get the big old rejection notice from shows.

My logical brain immediately talks me off the ledge as I know this is all subjective. And you know for the $40 jury fee I wish they would tell you why you were rejected. Just a note: Your stuff sucks, Your photography sucks, Your booth sucks, You suck........ pick one because my crazy brain checks all of them.

I padded out to the studio with fresh coffee stains on my shirt and slammed my coat in the back door.

I wander around the studio somewhat lost as I realize I am not spending an awesome day with my awesome daughter at an awesome opening in Pittsburgh with awesome clay friends AND I am not going to Reston, VA in May with my awesome pots. Like whatever........

Sitting down at the wheel I have new clay to test......... Matt and Dave's Porcelain and the box says;
"Let the Coup Begin!" I am so there........ after throwing 30# gotta say I'm a convert! Now lets see how it works with my glazes, stay tuned claybuds........

http://mattanddavesclays.com/

I cleaned the studio, fired a kiln, started weaving a new pot and enjoyed a cup of bourbon drunk from a lovely shino tea bowl by friend Todd Leech........ who was at the opening in Pittsburgh.

Guess it's time to start looking for more shows to fill my spring schedule................... over a glass of good ole' Kentucky bourbon introduced by another best claybud, Dolita!

Opening in Pittsburgh tomorrow!

2011-01-14T13:53:00.001-05:00

Borelli Edwards Gallery

Baby it's cold outside...........

2011-01-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

But the pond is flowing and the birds love it!

The chickadees have just about cleaned off the sunflower seeds.

Clematis has seen better days.

Pictured above ......... the maker of the weapons of mass digestion.

Pictured below......... the flinger of frozen weapons of mass digestion.

It has been snowing for days.

Do you see the little yellow building behind the frozen weapon flinger?

That is where I work, the studio, the sacred space where magical things happen.

Are you coming?

It's time for you to make magical things...... I am done making magical things.

Today I was busy; blasting Bob Seger, throwing pots and belting out ..... I Got The Fire Down Below.

And then ...... I dove for cover!

Turning down the iPod, I heard it; the giant red snow spewing beast that only rears it's ugly head a couple times a year. The rest of the year it lives under a blue tarp and is used as nut storage for the local chipmunk hamlet, and I bet they are as happy as I am right now.

Flipping on the outside light to my studio I peer into the darkness and discover my better half,

was having so much fun in sub zero weather with gale force winds he blew the snow off the entire backyard, the driveway, the neighbors driveway, all walkways and sidewalks up and down the street and he was on his way down the street. And he is a happy guy!

Note, the only place not cleared are stone raised flower and vegetable beds.

This might explain crop circles.

It's guy in England with something that has a motor on it and he just can't stop. This phenomenon

also takes place in the summer with the weedwhacker. I have lost entire gardens.

It's a guy thing, find something with a motor and he just cannot stop. I cannot recall any woman I know who has this affliction. Well, maybe a new food processor.......

The weather has been good to keep me in the studio and the shelves are filling, not quickly but they are filling.

Hurry Spring!!