The Command Center

This is where I have spent the last few days. On the sofa with a tray table nearby. I feel like such an invalid!

When we were moving to North Carolina we obviously had to get rid of stuff. Combining two households isn't easy and each of us had some difficulty letting go of some things. Jeff had a set of wood tray tables that I said to give away. He wanted to keep them. I never really had a use for tray tables, I think of them as "old school". Well let me tell you, this week I am loving these tray tables! I barely got off the sofa yesterday and my tray table kept everything I needed within reach of my "good arm".

I had a rough friday night. My shoulder hurt so bad that I was in tears most of the evening, the pain was constant. I couldn't sleep in bed, couldn't get comfortable... I paced around the house, holding my left arm, for what felt like forever. I finally got some relief after doubling up on naproxen. I fell asleep around 3am, sitting up on the sofa. In the morning the constant pain was gone, it only hurt when I moved my arm and it didn't bring tears to my eyes to do it. I still can't lift my arm on it's own, my right arm has to help it move. This morning I managed to make myself bacon, eggs, and grits... cracking an egg with my right hand proved a challenge! The yoke broke but it still tasted good and I didn't have to ask Jeff to make it for me. The next challenge for the day is an attempt to put clothes on.
Wish me luck!

TGIF

I don't usually use that term, since my work week doesn't revolve around the Monday through Friday grind, but this sure has been a tough week. As if the big pot theft and crappy show weren't enough, I woke up on Tuesday morning with a very sore left shoulder. This in of itself is not unusual. It has bothered me off and on for many years. I had some testing done some years back, to eliminate a pinched nerve as the cause. The doc determined it was just a overuse. Tuesday it felt like someone had punched me in the arm, Wednesday I could hardly lift it without yelping. Thursday I spent the day trying to get comfortable in between icing it and taking Aleve. I can't even lift my arm to brush my hair or put on a shirt. This morning doesn't seem much better. I really need to be making pots right now, but they are going to have to wait. I am hoping it's tendonitis of my rotator cuff and not a tear. I will give it the weekend and if it isn't better go to the doctors. I am pretty sure hanging and taking down the sidewalls on the tent last weekend are what did me in.

My good arm has been able to help my bad arm take some new photos for etsy...

Salt Pigs or Sugar Jars, you decide.

Here is one of the carved rim bowls that came out of the kiln last Thursday. I decided to go all green.

I almost forgot to mention that yesterday we woke up to a gurgling hot water heater with a puddle under it, geesh, what more could go wrong! Thankfully the plumber was here in the afternoon and by 3:00pm we had hot water.
Have a great weekend, I know I am going to try to!

and where do I begin...

I guess this story starts on Friday...
We left for Charlotte mid-morning, arriving in plenty of time to set up our booth and be ready for the opening of the Festival in the Park at 4:00 pm. Friday night sales were slow and we weren't surprised, it was the same last year. Saturday brought overcast skies in the morning, drizzle mid-day, and steady rain by 7:00pm. The show closed an hour early and we were at Mac's Speed Shop enjoying barbecue and beer by 9:00pm. We weren't too disheartened, last year Sunday was our best day. Sunday we awoke to blues skies and perfect temps. After draining the water off of our tent roof, emptying out the pots that filled with water, and hanging our wet shopping bags out to dry, we were open for business. The festival was packed with people, but not our people! When all was said and done, we covered our booth fee and expenses, and made a little money... but not the kind of money for the amount of work and time put into this show.
We won't be going back next year.

We got back to Seagrove around midnight. I was driving, towing the trailer behind us. Jeff said "Pull into the driveway as close to the big wood fired pot... that's not there".

Yep, that's right. The pot was gone.

This one right here:

By midday we found out that Johnston and Gentithes, down the road from us, also had one of Fred Johnston's big pots stolen from the front of their gallery. These are pots valued at 1000 plus dollars each. We both reported the thefts. The pots will probably turn up at a flea market or consignment shop somewhere. I hope the thief is stupid enough to try to fence them locally. We have posted the photo on our FB pages, hoping that someone will recognize the pot if it turns up somewhere.
Jeff and I are keeping our spirits up and trying to find the humor in our not so fortunate weekend.
Sometimes all you can do is laugh.
And then go back to the studio and make more pots.

Bugs & Birds

Yesterday there was a new visitor to the hummingbird feeder...

One of the hummingbirds was not impressed with him. He flew in and pecked at the praying mantis a few times, then settled on the opposite side to drink. I think he chose the feeder on the porch for the rest of his meals.

By late afternoon the praying mantis climbed down from the tube and settled on the perch. When I woke up this morning he was still there, but hanging upside down from the bottom of the feeder. I think they are the most fascinating bugs!

Meanwhile, on the pottery front, the kiln was firing and we took advantage of the cooler, drier air and did some studio cleaning. The place was a mess since the rush to get to NH this summer. There is more work to do but it was looking much more organized by the end of the day. 

Which would you prefer; loading a bisque kiln or a glaze kiln?

of course you low fire potters get to have it both ways... bisque and glaze in the same kiln!

Jeff is great at loading the bisque kiln. When I load it, he can always rearrange and squeeze in a few more pots. I would much rather load the gas kiln for a glaze firing... which will be happening this afternoon. One more firing before Festival in the Park in Charlotte, NC.
I better get to work!