I took this photo this morning. I saw movement in the wild grape vine growing on my back fence from my kitchen window and ran out with the camera. This big bumble (or carpenter, 'cause his abdomen is shiny rather than fuzzy) bee was not happy with me. He buzzed me until I backed away, but he was so intent on getting to these luscious flowers that he forgot about me and I snuck in to get this shot. I love it, it just says summer to me. So I'm sharing it with you.
This is the first year I've noticed this vine, but there's been so much activity around it that I'm hopeful that we may have some wild grapes this fall. Regardless of its production, it is pretty right now, and it makes the bees happy, which makes me happy.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
one local supper -june 1
This was our first 100% local supper. The cut off for food products is 100 miles- the goat cheese is the farthest away from our home-everything else is closer than 60 miles and came from the Memphis Farmers Market, my garden, or family. We had sauteed broccoli-raab (one of my very favorite vegetables) from Whitton Flower and Produce Company in east Arkansas. Also hailing from east Arkansas is my dad's hunting camp's homemade venison summer sausage. I have a huge log of it in my freezer that we cut up as our meat garnish for veggie meals. With two carnivorous boys, the meat garnish helps. The stone-ground polenta comes from Delta Grind, in Oxford, MS. Also in the main dish are heirloom egyptian walking onions that were threatening to take over our garden. The goat cheese is from Bonnie Blue Farm, also at the Memphis Farmers Market.
In the salad we have my mother's snow peas and carrots from her garden, and mixed greens from the Botanic Gardens Farmers Market. The radishes are also from Whitton- they are leftover from my invitation photo shoot. Even the flowers are local- perennial sweet peas that grown along my neighbor's fence.
This meal was SO good. Even 4 year-old little boy ate it all with gusto. I'm excited about our local meal and what this summer's experiments with 100% local will bring.
In the salad we have my mother's snow peas and carrots from her garden, and mixed greens from the Botanic Gardens Farmers Market. The radishes are also from Whitton- they are leftover from my invitation photo shoot. Even the flowers are local- perennial sweet peas that grown along my neighbor's fence.
This meal was SO good. Even 4 year-old little boy ate it all with gusto. I'm excited about our local meal and what this summer's experiments with 100% local will bring.
Martyrs of Memphis Icon
This just in- the wonderful priest who owns this icon has lent it to St. George's Episcopal Church gallery in Germantown, TN for an exhibit of icons, featuring the work of Mary Jane Miler of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I am so tickled that my icon will be included! The opening was last night- I was unable to attend, but I'm going to get out to see it. The exhibit is up until the end of July. I'm particularly excited about the icon writing class that's going to be on Sunday nights in June, starting this Sunday. This particular technique is reverse-painting on glass, a Romanian form, I believe (I could be so so wrong). I've wanted to take the traditional egg-tempera icon workshops for years, but they are pricey. At $75, this class is certainly affordable. It starts this Sunday, so I'm sure I'll have photos to show you as it progresses.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
wren top
this little guy is one of my favorite pieces from my last kiln load. I sold it at the farmer's market with more than a twinge of regret. I have serious bird love. And OH! The dove came back yesterday! My friend Virginia and her two girls were hanging out in the back yard with us when little boy spotted it and called us over. It refused to come down from the high tree tops (with three screaming preschoolers, I can't blame him), but sat there watching us for half an hour or so.
I've gotten a mother's helper this week so I can get myself in gear to finish work for my sale on the 13th and 14th. Sunday morning a friend and customer came over to get some things for her sister- a teapot and some matching cups were the plan. She left with most of my Delta Zen pieces- I have mugs and a few platters left, so that's what I'm making this week- those and more berry bowls! Thanks, Melissa and Jennifer, for mentioning the berry bowl!
So, blog break is over- off to spend quality time with my wheel.
I've gotten a mother's helper this week so I can get myself in gear to finish work for my sale on the 13th and 14th. Sunday morning a friend and customer came over to get some things for her sister- a teapot and some matching cups were the plan. She left with most of my Delta Zen pieces- I have mugs and a few platters left, so that's what I'm making this week- those and more berry bowls! Thanks, Melissa and Jennifer, for mentioning the berry bowl!
So, blog break is over- off to spend quality time with my wheel.
Monday, June 2, 2008
espiritu
Sunday was- and always is- a full and tough day. I teach Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (it is supposed to be a calm, centering experience, so the irony of my frenetic Sundays is NOT lost on me). It starts early, we all leave the house together, plus what's for dinner, then what's for supper, and we all have projects to work on in the afternoon or things we want to do. This Sunday was no different from any other- and on the heels of a good sale-Saturday and a repeat early Sunday-morning sale that wiped out my "Delta Zen" line- I knew I would have a full day and a full week of catching up. We were winding down after our local supper (oh, yum!), going to pile up in the bed and read books before all of the getting-ready-for-bed began. The phone rang. Dear Gary was calling from the treehouse. "The Holy Spirit has descended into our fig tree." "What?" "Are white doves? pigeons? rare?" "What?"
Little boy and I headed out the door, corralled the dogs and saw this:
We quietly watched from the treehouse for a while, took pictures (really. 75 of them), and waited. He was not afraid of us. Over the weekend, little boy had picked some ripe wheat from a field at my parents' house. I got some of that to lure the little bird- he cautiously crept over and ate from my hand. I went back and got a handful of Kashi mixed-grain pilaf (delicious, by the way), and the dove came closer and ate from my hand. At one point, he was IN my hand.
It was magical. It was mystical. I am a member of what is both a practical and mystical church. The great mystics of history- the Catholic and Orthodox saints, Muslim and Jewish mystics have always fascinated me. I DO believe in the supernatural, and while I know that this dove was someone's pet, perhaps released at a funeral or a wedding, it was magical, spiritual to have him in my fig tree, in my hand, at the end of a long and sometimes-difficult day. After he'd eaten his fill, he hopped back up to a branch and went to sleep, lulled by a full belly and the darkening skies. This morning, of couse, he'd flown, but I'm keeping an eye out for my little espiritu dove.
Little boy and I headed out the door, corralled the dogs and saw this:
We quietly watched from the treehouse for a while, took pictures (really. 75 of them), and waited. He was not afraid of us. Over the weekend, little boy had picked some ripe wheat from a field at my parents' house. I got some of that to lure the little bird- he cautiously crept over and ate from my hand. I went back and got a handful of Kashi mixed-grain pilaf (delicious, by the way), and the dove came closer and ate from my hand. At one point, he was IN my hand.
It was magical. It was mystical. I am a member of what is both a practical and mystical church. The great mystics of history- the Catholic and Orthodox saints, Muslim and Jewish mystics have always fascinated me. I DO believe in the supernatural, and while I know that this dove was someone's pet, perhaps released at a funeral or a wedding, it was magical, spiritual to have him in my fig tree, in my hand, at the end of a long and sometimes-difficult day. After he'd eaten his fill, he hopped back up to a branch and went to sleep, lulled by a full belly and the darkening skies. This morning, of couse, he'd flown, but I'm keeping an eye out for my little espiritu dove.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
all the colors- all gone
no more berry bowls. Except for 5 wet ones upstairs. The white one is mine because the rim is cracked. I had it filled with strawberries so people would have an idea what they were for. The green ones (spots and all!) were the first to go, then the blue, then the yellow. Several people dumped the berries out of the white bowl to buy it before I showed them the crack and refused to sell it.
The funniest thing kept happening. Men (and only men) would come up, stare at the bowls, look at me, and either ask "how do you use this?" or, my favorite, "how do you drink out of this??" By the end of the day, I laughed and replied to the gentleman inquirer (this one was jesting) that only male customers were asking those questions. His answer was perfect. He told me that my reply should be this: "quickly." I do love a pithy answer.
Even my cracked bowls have found happy new homes. I gave one to my favorite farmer (the cracks were visible only to me- probably in the glaze and not the clay), explaining that it was a second. My mom took one home (a blue one), my friend who took my apron picture has one. It seems like one or two more were parceled out, as well, and the last one, the white bowl pictured, is my display/personal use bowl.
Market lessons learned: display bowl. I need a sign explaining how to use the bowls. More white bowls, more green bowls, more blue bowls, fewer yellows. I'll be back at the market in October- perhaps with grapes or late tomatoes in the display.
The funniest thing kept happening. Men (and only men) would come up, stare at the bowls, look at me, and either ask "how do you use this?" or, my favorite, "how do you drink out of this??" By the end of the day, I laughed and replied to the gentleman inquirer (this one was jesting) that only male customers were asking those questions. His answer was perfect. He told me that my reply should be this: "quickly." I do love a pithy answer.
Even my cracked bowls have found happy new homes. I gave one to my favorite farmer (the cracks were visible only to me- probably in the glaze and not the clay), explaining that it was a second. My mom took one home (a blue one), my friend who took my apron picture has one. It seems like one or two more were parceled out, as well, and the last one, the white bowl pictured, is my display/personal use bowl.
Market lessons learned: display bowl. I need a sign explaining how to use the bowls. More white bowls, more green bowls, more blue bowls, fewer yellows. I'll be back at the market in October- perhaps with grapes or late tomatoes in the display.
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