Autumn Love

 This really is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it, especially Halloween.

Thursday night I carved my jack-o-lantern and roasted the seeds. This pumpkin head has traveled all over our little pottery compound. He has spent time on the steps of the gallery, inside the gallery, on the porch of the log cabin we live in, and lit up in the living room during the evenings. I guess I really want to get the most enjoyment from my carving efforts!

Last night was a Halloween party at a pottery down the road. Jeff and I threw together last minute costumes, not our best efforts, but we had a great time. I searched for Halloween appetizers on Pinterest and found this recipe for a spider cheese ball. I had as much fun making him as I did carving the pumpkin.

Despite the holiday fun, pots were still getting made, although not as many as there should have been. Today it's back to assembling pigs. 

Another year goes by...

My sister Anita and I share a birthday and today is the day! We are not twins, she is four years older than me, and we have a brother born in between us. We have always celebrated together even since I moved to North Carolina. Last year was extra special. Somehow we managed to get a good bunch of the family together for dinner at Anita's home. Jeff took this photo of us gathered around my parents. It's the last birthday that I was able to celebrate with my mother.

Mum with her great-grandaughter

 Danielle and Arianna getting ready to set the cake on fire

This year I am home in North Carolina for my birthday. There was too much going on this fall to be able to head north. Jeff and I will have our own little dinner party together. I am even going to buy myself a cake. Anita and I will exchange birthday wishes via telephone. I am sure there will be call from Danielle, even though we talked last night. It won't be the same, but it will still be good.

my wild and crazy cinco de mayo party

Shrimp Tacos and a cheap bottle of wine, my only guest was Sophie who hovered around because of the shrimp! If my planning hadn't been so last minute I would have invited a few of you to the party.

Jeff asked me to try out his taco holder prototype while he was a way, so what better time to give it a go  than on Cinco de Mayo? We are usually a quesadilla eating couple, but for the last few months we have been eating tacos every so often. Jeff always props his up with sake cups to load his shells, so he decided to make a holder. It does the job well but even before I test drove it we knew it needed changes.

1. Needs to be a little bigger (these are the jumbo shells, it might be a good for regular size).

2. An extension of a plate for beans and rice, or to just catch the crumbs while you are eating. Last night I set the holder on another plate while I ate.

Jeff comes home tonight. Thank goodness, I am tired of talking to myself and the cat.

weekend update from the 'grove...

i have been enjoying the fabulous weather for the last few days... the temps have been great and the humidity much lower.  perfect working weather...

new bowls with wide rims and textures

handled bowls with some texture... jeff prefers my standard handles as opposed to the free form ones (center bowl) that i have been experimenting with

here is jeff working in his new space... we decided the other day that we are going to enjoy working together in this studio!

saturday night we went to a big party for Benjamin Burns birthday.  he and his wife Bonnie were gracious hosts.  we had a wonderful time and didn't get home until 1:30 am... and we were not the last to leave!  the McCanless bros., Michael Mahan and Jeff entertained us with fabulous music - ranging from Irish, bluegrass to rock and roll.  we met lots of potters and pottery lovers from the seagrove area.

come september it will be our turn to have a big grand opening party!

family, friends, food & drink

sunday evening jeff and i invited family and friends over to the house for an evening of good cheer before we head south.  we had sooo much fun. we had a ton of food and now jeff and i can live off of the leftovers and not cook this week.  that is a good thing because yesterday i packed up most of the kitchen and there are only a few dishes left in the cabinets!

was so happy that there was pate leftover because i love it!  jeff thinks it's icky so i get to eat ALL of it
 :-).

the amazing tom terrific made awesome dirty martinis for jen, harris and me. jeff and kurt did their usual sake ritual...

...and harris partook in that as well, i wonder how she was feeling the next day :o)
at the end of the night i was feeling sad about leaving my friends and family (especially danielle) in nh.  i have to remember that we will be coming back to visit as often as we can.
thank you to all who came... it was a special evening for jeff and me.