Snow and Ice!

The winter storm has descended upon us. The forecast for snow accumulation has been downgraded, but we are still expecting plenty of ice. If I had to choose between the two, I would choose snow.
Jeff and I are taking it slow today. The gallery is closed (obviously) and the only clay work I will get to will be some handles on mugs. It's probably a good day to get my last quarter sales tax return completed. The deadline is looming.

No morning coffee on the patio today.

Be Prepared

Photo Credit: Joe Zentner

Winter storm Jonas is on his way. Here in Seagrove we are expecting a mix of snow and ice. Here at 505 E Main we are about as prepared as we can be. Groceries were bought, battery supply looks good, and there are always lots of candles around here. The plus side of this house: town water. If we lose power (and the pipes don't freeze) our toilets will still flush. Downside: we have a heat pump, no power = cold. There is a fireplace here, but we haven't had it inspected and won't use it until that happens. I would rather not burn the house down. On the plus side, we do have a kerosene heater that we can turn on in the studio to keep clay from freezing. Worse comes to worse we can go in there to warm up! It's good to be prepared, and perhaps the storm pattern will change and it won't be as bad as predicted.

The photo is from the 2008 ice storm in New Hampshire. Now that was a colossal storm and you may remember, from past posts, it also occurred the week that John died. I was so out of touch with the outside world that I wasn't prepared at all. Danielle came just before the storm to stay with us. We lost power in the early evening. There were oxygen tanks in the house, so candles were out of the question. We conserved our flashlight batteries as best we could. 24 hours later, and still without power, John left this earth. The roads were barely passable, and hospice was unable to come and be with us. It was two more days before the power was back in my apartment. Some of my neighbors weren't so lucky and still had no power two weeks later. I walked through the neighborhood on the warm Christmas eve and could still hear the constant hum of generators. 

Forecasts of impending ice storms bring the memories of that time back to the surface. But this time I am prepared and I know that we will weather the storm.

Snow Day!

 This is what we woke up to this morning...

We had a little snow with a coating of ice over the top of it. It was cold enough that it didn't cling to the trees and the power stayed on. The road is snow and ice covered. We haven't seen a plow truck, therefore our mail box is still standing. You may remember that every time it has snowed the plow truck has taken out our mail box. 

Our neighboring farm always looks so idyllic with a little snow cover. The farm help worked quite late yesterday preparing for the impending storm. This morning it looked like all the cows were still snug in their barn.

Last night I made a yummy mac & cheese. This is my own recipe where I make a standard cheese sauce with cheddar and monterey jack cheese, then add sauteed onion, cumin, and red pepper flakes. When I mix it in the pasta I add a couple cans of Rotel tomatoes. Top with seasoned panko bread crumbs and bake until bubbly. Collard greens rounded out the meal. It was the perfect dinner to enjoy snuggled up on the sofa, streaming episodes of HBO's "Six Feet Under", and hearing the sounds of sleet falling on the metal roof.

Batten Down The Hatches

We are expecting a weather event! It's been really cold here, 27 degrees at 2pm. Snow and freezing rain are in the forecast for late this afternoon and into tomorrow. We are prepared for the worse, hoping that it won't really happen. Last night I roasted a chicken, and today I am making chicken stock with the bones. If we lose power overnight, I can make a soup on the wood stove.

The studio is a little harder to heat than the house, so I have to admit that I have been a little slow with the clay work. I finished a litter of pigs and moved on to baking/serving dishes.

Along with ovals I created a few squared off dishes. Rather than make them in two sections I decided to try cutting a crescent out of the edge of two sides and squishing it together, a la the B Van Gilder technique. I am still concerned with cracking on the two seams so I also experimented with pushing the sides with a board to created the square. I did this right after throwing, and before cutting it off the bat.

The first two were a little wonky, but I think I finally got the hang of it. This method does leave a little ripple in the clay where it was pushed in, but I sort of like the effect... once I learned how to work with it. I am waiting for the squares to firm up enough to finish the undersides and then I will attach some handles and give them some flower stamps. I guess it's time to put on some layers, get out there, and go to work.
Stay warm!

Remembering

Some of you may recall that sometime last month, a woman named EC posted on my blog that she bought a pitcher at a second hand shop in Rhode Island, with a JZ stamp on it. Upon researching the JZ , she found my blog and realized that the pitcher was made by John Zentner. I asked her to send me photos and she was very kind to do so.

This pitcher is definitely John's, because there is his chop below the handle. I am thinking it is very early work. I don't have anything that looks like this and I have some pieces going back to the 80's that he and Bill Van Gilder made when they were working together. I am thinking this is perhaps from the 70's.

Here are some pitchers that he made in last few years before he died. This salt glazed one sits on my counter and we use it everyday. It fills the steamer on the wood stove, carries hot water to the studio to fill our throwing pails, and has watered many plants. It's a beauty and feels so good in your hands.

I just love this little one. It's on a shelf in the living room and I most often use it for sangria or cheap jug wine. It makes the cheap stuff taste so much better.

I thought this was a good day to share these pitchers with the world. John died six years ago today. Each year is a little easier, but the holiday season has never been the same since 2008.
If you are a new blog reader you can read about our story here or here.

Thank you EC for sharing photos of JZ's work from the past. I am glad that his pitcher found you. I think it is in good hands.

Waiting on the storm

We had a winter storm preview yesterday that left a dusting of snow on the ground and trees. While standing at the kitchen sink, washing dishes, I noticed how pretty the bamboo looked covered in white. Evidently Jeff had the same idea. Moments later he was standing at the window snapping this photo.

Today we are supposed to be getting the "big one". When I say "big one", I mean southern "big one". The weather reports say we might see 6". This will be (if it happens) the most snow I have seen here in North Carolina! The predictions say the storm will end with a layer of ice. Ice often means power outages, but we are prepared. The wood stove will keep us warm, between that and the gas grill cooking won't be a problem. 5 gallon buckets of water will be ready for flushing the toilet! The lack of running water is what's most inconvenient.

I am hoping that if the power goes out it won't be like the last few years I was in New Hampshire... no power for days on end. If you have been reading for any length of time, you may recall that John Z died during the ice storm of 2008. You can read about the events of that storm here and here. Since that time ice storms and power outages give me an uneasy feeling that is hard to shake. It has gotten better with time, but it will always be there in the background.

Should we get some significant snow, the kids around here will be ecstatic and for them I am happy. They will get outside in the fresh air and play until it's melted, which will probably be on Friday.

Happy snow day. Stay warm and safe.

Slip Sliding Away...

This is what my pretty blue mailbox looks like now. Thanks to the State of NC snow plow drivers. Do you think maybe they don't get enough practice? A road crew knocked it over last year as well. As you can see in the photo, it's not too close to the road. I am not sure why there were even plowing. There was no snow accumulation, they should have just spread some salt to melt the ice. I suppose they are overzealous because they don't get to take out the big toys that often around here!

A day of sleet and freezing rain gave me an excuse to slow down and skip working in the studio. I took advantage of a dark day and photographed work. I even spent the day in my pajamas. New photos means new pots in the Etsy shop. Most of these will get listed over the next few days.

and what would a day be without pigs?