Whirlwind Week

What a week I have had! Last Wednesday Danielle arrive in North Carolina. Just in time for a heat wave. Despite temperatures creeping up to 100 degrees, we had a great time and didn't let it stop our plans.

 I had been wanting to visit Old Salem since moving south. It seems it always takes out of town visitors for me to take a day off and explore my new home state.

Danielle attracts cats everywhere she goes!

 Technology meets the past. An Old Salem employee, dressed in period clothing, looking at his smartphone during his lunch break. I snapped this photo while waiting for a table at the Old Tavern.

Saturday was "take your daughter to work day". I had a some orders that needed to be finished so Danielle came to the studio and tried her hands at the wheel. She was a little frustrated because she is a perfectionist. She really did a good job for her first try and with some practice I think she has some potential.

Sunday was the day we had to say good bye. Jeff took us to the airport. Danielle flew off to New York and I got on a plane to Boston. I was able to find a flight that left fifteen minutes after her. We flew the same airline and our gates were next to each other, giving us a little more time together. I arrived in Boston to rain and a very chilly 52 degrees. From there I hopped on a bus to Dover, NH, where my sister's car was waiting for me. She and my niece had taken a bus to Boston a few days earlier and were now in Alaska. I located her car in the lot, found the hidden key, and drove to her home in Wolfeboro. It all felt like a covert operation! The next morning I went straight to the rehab nursing home to visit my Dad. It's great to spend time with him and despite being very thin, he is looking pretty good.

The other bonus of being here is spending some time with this little cutie. It had warmed up enough by early afternoon to join my niece Kayla, and great niece Arianna, for a lake front lunch on the deck at Wolfe Trap Raw Bar & Grill. Arianna and I both had the clam roll... you can't beat fried clams in New England!!
Today I spring my Dad from the nursing home for a couple of hours and take him to an appointment with his orthopedic surgeon. It looks like it will be a perfect day to stop for ice cream afterwards. I don't think they will miss him at the nursing home if I keep him out tad bit longer.

fall travels

This sweet little teapot came out of the kiln yesterday. Jeff made the pot and I did the carving. It is a commission for my sister who is giving it as a wedding gift. There are also two cups to go along with it. I like how the ash glaze works with the carving and the best part is that there is no slip involved, so no risk of the dastardly peeling thing that has been going on.
Today we are heading to New Hampshire for our annual October trek. On Friday we will teach a raku workshop at Hillsboro-Deering High School and then it's off to my sister Anita's in Wolfeboro, where Jeff will teach another raku workshop on Sunday. Danielle will drive up from Connecticut on Saturday, to join us all for a family dinner. Anita and I share a birthday, four years apart, so it's a tradition that we celebrate together. I am glad that my move to North Carolina hasn't changed that. The workshop gigs are what makes the traveling possible.
Catch up with y'all later... it's time to pack my suitcase.

Wolfeboro, NH

Jeff and I spent a couple of days visiting my sister Anita in Wolfeboro, NH on Lake Winnipesaukee. Wolfeboro claims to be the oldest resort in America.

 Downtown is filled with shops and galleries. There are town docks so you can even arrive by boat. We have been very lucky with weather. The day I wandered around town, was the only day of rain so far.

Since my brother-in-law's passing this spring, my sister has moved to an apartment. I am sure she will miss the big colonial on Main St., but her new place has a beach and dock on Mirror Lake, and across the street is Winnipesaukee. I think she will be very happy there... I know we enjoyed our stay!

Jeff talked us into a family photo... minus our two brothers. My parents are 86 years old. I was glad to be able to spend a couple of days visiting with them. I am fortunate to still have both of them in my life.

Later in the day we packed the car (again) and headed to Connecticut for more fun with my girl.

Life can turn on a dime...

I took Jeff to the airport yesterday and he is now in S. Korea. I came home and booked a flight to NH. My sister Anita's husband passed away unexpectedly and I want to be there for her and their three girls. I will always remember how much Steve loved to be on the water (that's him, on the far right). Whether it be cruising Lake Winnipesaukee in his own boat, or renting one when our families would meet in Naples, FL to escape the long New Hampshire winter.
Steve was always the captain.
We will miss you.

family

My trip to New Hampshire is coming to an end. We are hitting the road today. This has been the most fun trip home for me, since the move to North Carolina. It's probably the most time I have spent with my sister since we were kids. As I have mentioned before we share a birthday. This year we celebrated two weekends in a row. This past Saturday, my parents, along with my brother and sister-in-law came to Wolfeboro for a family dinner.
We are a loud, noisy, French Canadian, family that is always talking over each others conversations... I think Jeff may be ready for some peace and quiet in Seagrove...

My great niece putting pony tails in my mother's hair... I don't think she would have let me do that when I was a kid. As you can see, Memere wasn't happy about me taking a photo and she would be mortified if she knew it was posted on my blog!

We actually were a small crowd this year, none of our kids could make it for dinner, although some of Anita's came later when they got out of work. The only missing sibling was my brother who lives in Alaska.

quick... blow out the candles before the house burns down

 

 

... and I opted to dye the dog black instead orange :-o

Happy Halloween!

BWAAHAAA!

 

 

This is what happens when you leave me alone on Halloween

 

After a walk through the cemetery across the street, I turned my sister's big pumpkin into a vampire cat jack o' lantern...

 

 

 

Maybe I should dye Rosie orange and black for trick or treat... 

she's eying me nervously.  Happy Haunting to All!

Waiting on Sandy...

Jeff and I have perfect timing when it comes to fall travel. Last Friday we hit the road for New Hampshire to do three raku workshops. Last year we were here in October to experience 2' of snow and massive power outages. This year it's a hurricane!

Jeff was able to do yesterday's workshop, in Wolfeboro, NH, without a hitch. Tomorrow's workshop is kind of iffy... it's at a high school... school is cancelled today and maybe tomorrow as well. We decided to stay put at my sister's home in Wolfeboro for another night, rather than head to our friend Roni's home in Strafford (which is closer to our workshop location). Strafford always seems to lose power and Wolfeboro rarely does.
I have no complaints about spending an extra day with my sister. If you are going to ride out a hurricane, why not do it in a comfortable New England farmhouse, in a picturesque little town!

We have plenty of hurricane supplies... batteries, flashlights, candles, cheese and crackers, and plenty of WINE!