The sale this weekend went so, so well.  I sincerely thank everyone who came out.  I know you have a choice in where you spend your money and I am deeply, deeply thankful when you choose to support my business and my family with your hard-earned dollars.
I did something a little different this year- I had a "soft" opening Thursday evening for some area moms- it was good to get set up early and have Friday free from the usual pre-sale stresses.  I think I'll be repeating that.

The weekend was capped off with the mortal release of someone who had been both a friend and foe.  I went to visit her early this morning- she was no longer cognizant, which was a blessing, really.  I spent a short time with her, did my other errands, and came back home to a phone call that she'd passed soon after I left.  I'm grateful that we were able to have peace with one another, grateful that she is no longer in pain and conflict.    Beginning my day with a release like this one is odd- I'd planned to have a quiet day; now it is more so.

This little porcelain cup is one of my favorite things- I bought it in Sewanee, TN, and can't remember the artists' name any more.  I keep a beeswax votive in it to light when I pray and meditate.  Today has been a very meditative day.

Peace, friends.

Annual Open House

I'm woefully behind on getting out postcards for this event, but given the fact that this is 1 of 4 in the next month, I don't feel too too terrible.  So.  If you're in Memphis, please come on over on Friday and Saturday (5:30-9 Friday, 10:30-4 Saturday) to see the pottery.  There's slightly less than I've had than in years past, but again, this is sale 1 of 4.

Okay.  Time to finish glazing.

Have a good week!

chickens and the egg

 new chickens- big golden buff orpington is Merigold (named first for Merigold, MS, secondly for her color).  She's at least 8 lbs.  Big girl.
Next to her is "Speckles," a barred rock.  She's medium size, no larger than my sweet pet chickens.  These ladies aren't tame.  Yet.  They'll come round.

and one of their eggs- I think it belongs to Merigold.  It is extra, extra large.  Edna's egg, to the right, is a regular large grocery-store sized egg.  Merigold's was twice as large.  I thought it might have been double yolked, but it wasn't.  The yolk was large and a big asymmetrical, but not fully double.  They haven't gotten hang of the idea of nest boxes yet- this was on top of a stone in the yard.

I'll be back later in the week with some pictures of pottery, I hope.
Have a nice week!

covered up

so so much is happening around here.  good stuff, crazy stuff.  I've got some pretty big news to share soon, and I've got production deadlines for shows and gift orders for the holidays.  My little kiln is running twice a week and the big kiln is going at least once a week.  My sister in law saved the day by picking up several hundred pounds of clay for me last week when she was in Nashville- I've been going through almost three 50 lb boxes every week.

Gary is covered up in freelance work, I'm covered up in pottery, there are school, scouting, and sport functions, and WOW- upcoming shows and sales.

Here's my schedule in brief:
Nov 12/13 Home Sale
Nov 28 Tsunami's Annual Holiday Art and Artisan Sale
Dec 4 Trolley Stop Market's Artisan Showcase
Dec 11 Memphis Farmers Market Harvesting the Holidays

Somewhere in there I'll be doing a big Etsy update.  In between those we have some big family birthdays, a 7 year old birthday party, Thanksgiving, and everything else that we do as a family.

And tomorrow?  We're picking up two new chickens. 

See you soon, folks!

sneak peek

holiday 2010 ornaments. 
see y'all later!

quiet

 I am, I will be, I want to be, a little quiet around here for the next week or so.  I'm working on building inventory for holiday sales- my own pre-holiday home sale on Nov 12 and 13, a ladies' night before that, a post-thanksgiving sale, and another thing or two in Memphis.  And a big etsy update, as well.  
I'm excited (always am) about new work and have a harder time cranking out the things that people actually "need," like mugs and bowls.  I'm making those too.  Honeypots, butter crocks, colanders and tumblers.  You know, the things that sell and bring in my income.  I have a lot of pots to make in the next few weeks.

Today I'm not making any pots- I need to bisque fire, and it has been rainy so I've made bread and tomato soup.  I went to see a new movie (I hope there will be more info up at this link later) screened at the Indie Memphis film festival.  I wish that this movie were a book so that I could read it again and again. 

ok.  see y'all later.  hope you have a good week!

oh, hello

I'm still here. I went camping. It was awesome. Good food, good company, beautiful surroundings. It couldn't have been better.
Re-entry has been what it always is- kind of tough. The first day you're refreshed and then real life comes crashing back down. There's homework to do. Luggage to unload and put away. Laundry, bills, and, if you're me, pottery that has to be fired and glazed *right quick like* so that you aren't behind. And I am behind, perpetually, but that's ok. I'll never be where I want to be, production-wise, because I have unrealistic expectations of how much I can do in a given time period. I do a lot, but it isn't quite what I think it is.. That's also ok. What doesn't get done isn't earth-shattering.

There have been some good things, too. New ideas I'm working on. A new project I'm feeling extremely lucky to be in on from its inception. A finished pair of socks (I like 'em bright) and 2/3 finished sweater. 40 something jars of tomatoes in the canning pantry and a really really nice stash of tomato jam and pickled okra. More freelance work coming in, new things opening up.

There are three dates left for the regular season of the farmers market.Believe it or not, I intend to put up *one more box* of tomatoes. No, they won't be the best or tastiest or whatever, but this winter, I'm not running out of tomatoes. Yes, I have a problem. And I'm fine with that. I'll be there this weekend and on the 30th. And at the holiday sale on Dec 11.

Speaking of problems, I pulled this little individual teapot-thing out of my seconds box in the basement.  Hubs was ill yesterday and I needed a teapot that wasn't a full-on teapot for his preferred small cups of tea.  I'm not sure why I thought this was a second (actually, the lid isn't quite where I would have liked it to be, but nothing is perfect), but I'm glad I pulled it out.  When we're both working at home, we tend to have a lot of tea.  I think this will be in use a lot.