Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Hello Blog.......


Oh where to begin...... 
To everyone who has emailed, called, texted and stopped by....... profound thanks!  
I am still alive and getting there.  
Sometimes you just need to go to ground and not talk as stuff rolls through..... and there has been a lot of stuff and it's still roll'n!  I don't think Blogger will give me that many gigabytes!   
Social media was but a distant memory.  Observation:  Do you know how much you can get done without Facebook or blogging?  Wow, it was/is shocking!  

As I embraced my untethered consciousness, Daughter #1 was in West Africa, NPR blasted out the first reports of Ebola and I was glued to CNN, CDC, MSNBC, NPR and my text messages from Benin.  I really loved the text I got as she was making her way to the Benin airport: "Mom, I'm sure you heard about that Ebola case that walked across the border from Nigeria but just to let know it's unconfirmed.  See you soon!"  
She is out of Benin for now, vows to go back in November and is having an amazing run with MAMA CARTS.  Although she is now stateside, Mama Carts is still rolling and pumping out nutritious food to the people in Parakou!  Rock on Ibrahim and crew, you are all amazing! 

Even though D1 is home I cannot stop listening about what is going on in West Africa and how far this virus will travel.  We are a global nation and we are all connected.  This virus has taken thousands in a few very small countries, 70% taken are women ....... reality, they/we are still the caretakers.  One Dr. for every 100,000 people seems like insurmountable odds and as a global inhabitant we need to respond as I don't believe this is going to go away.  I wonder if the virus had gone a little to the right it would have landed in the middle east would there still be so much terror and fighting.  Would Isis be on the move or the Gaza conflict so intense?   As you can see I am listening way too much to NPR!  Back to Harry Potter books on cd......

Word went out, D1 (daughter #1) was headed home to party hearty for 48 hours then fly out to Gunnison, CO.  beginning a teaching position at Western State Colorado U.  D1 is super allergic to cats so I went into de-catting the house!  I'm allergic too and wondered how can someone have this much fun?  Meanwhile D2 moved home with the contents of her apartment and Neil the cat, she found a new job and signed up for college.  How does a 23 year old accumulate so much stuff?  There was stuff in every room in this house.  It was like an invasion of stuff.  But after two months she found another apartment that allowed pets and she was set.  However .......   D1 and D2 started talking long distance and decided to make up for lost sister time over the years, realized they would never have this opportunity again and decided to become "roomies"!   D2 quit her job, drastically downsized again, packed her worldly possessions into her Ford (except the cat) and drove off on a new adventure in a distant land far far away....... the mountains of Colorado.  They're learning an awful lot about each other and having a pretty good time!  I am left with Neil the cat and a flea infestation I will write about later.....  I'm learning an awful lot too..... 

I have not been in the garden since May.  Losing the ability to kneel is the first time my body has ever failed me. (I know how truly lucky I am!)  My descent into the chaos we know as the medical profession has been jarring and folks it ain't pretty.  I have found myself drooling with envy as I watched four legged and one three legged critter swim, play frisbee and frolic.  Yes, even the cat.  Who in the evolutionary chain decided this bipedal thing was the way to go?  Not like I'm running down a gazelle for dinner but sheesh one leg goes out and you could tip over peeing.  
So in lieu of months of knee braces, physical therapy, pain, two bottles of ibuprofen, swelling and I believe a bit of depression;  surgery is scheduled for Monday morning!  Not too worried about the surgery, more worried about the anesthetic.   Joan Rivers........ "can we talk?"  

I have not canned one thing this year.  Although I have made a fair share of refrigerator pickles.  After my knee gave out going down a set steps I had visions of myself laying on the root cellar floor in a pool of pickled beet juice or dilly beans, never to be heard from again but pickled for eternity.  

As the gardens languished in the cold wet Ohio summer, realizing my heirloom tomatoes tasted like sawdust and I will probably need to napalm next Spring to get this place under control......  I walked away and dug into the studio.  There is no crying in the studio....... at least this year!  I have worked through clay bodies and glaze calculations the likes I have not done in 15 years ..... and I like it!  I rock at sitting on my ass, especially at the wheel and I tried my hand at hand building.  I YouTubed and googled myself stupid in the morning with coffee as I really had a hard time thinking outside my comfortable round box.  I was in the studio by 8:30 am each morning and had a great schedule going and hoping I can keep it up.  I like the routine...... a lot! 

So here are some of the new forms I'm fiddling with: 

The feed trough series....... 
although I think it will do nicely with flowers arrangements. 


Still putting bees on stuff...... they're still imperil. 


Oval...... who knew? 


Big mixing bowls and more oval..... 

Fun with chemistry.......


 Big, big Latte' Mugs in yellow! 


More fun with chemistry!


and ring holders for one terrific bride and groom getting married in a few short days! 
Not sure which one they picked but they sure were fun to make!  
Have fun Tara and Jason!! 


Built a spray booth that might just suck the cat outside!  
To all my potter friends....... I hope y'all have spray booth envy...... 1300 cfm's! 


OK and if you got this far,  the really big news...... 

I am opening a new gallery in Cleveland!  This started back in March and I was on a bit of a Merry Go Round with the building owner.  We finally came to a meeting of the minds and I started moving in a couple days ago!  
I will be at W 78th Street Studios  in suite 225 every Friday from 11 am - 4 pm or later as I hate driving in Cleveland rush hour.  Grand opening will be Third Friday 9.19  5 pm - 9 pm! 
Most of the inventory has been moved in, some of the fixtures and other stuff I'm still building.  It's quite a bit of space, well a lot more than a 10 x 10 booth!  

Building a dining table to display functional ware properly :) 


Found a guy who harvests downed trees in Cleveland and love the place!  It's a lot like Mordor, dark, hot and dank but I walked in, smelled the fresh earthy sawdust, waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness and was in heaven.  
Snagged this slab of Ailanthus, after much sanding and sealing it will make 
great wall table!  Not sure I want to put pots on it! 


and this is the new space before I muck it up with pottery..... 




So yup, it's been a summer here in Paine Falls but the leaves are turning, the garden is dying back, the geese have flocked and things are moving along.  
So more moving in the next few days, surgery Monday morning and one big opening on Friday, Sept. 19th!  More to come on that event!  

21 comments:

  1. That is a lot of info in one blog post ! Good luck with the knee.

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  2. So good to hear from you. I hope your surgery is smooth sailing and I hope to make it out to your gallery opening. Love the forms of your new work. Bell well!

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  3. Wow! Really love all the new work! I am excited for you and your gallery. Hoping to get there for your opening.

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  4. You've had quite a summer! The pots are looking great. Congrats on the new gallery and wishing you a speedy recovery from the knee surgery.

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  5. I KNOW how much you put into this blog post. We'll be thinking of you on Monday. Lots of love.

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  6. He, so nice to read your Blog again.
    Wishing you all the best for Monday/

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  7. Jeez! I didn't think you were ever coming back!! I love your blog, please don't give up like all the rest, I'll have nothing to read in the mornings:-)
    May you be back down on your knees real soon, haha!

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  8. I'm so glad for an update, IF it is a summer's worth in one post, :). Have missed our Mondays!! Tag is growing and maturing at a record rate. I'm so excited about your Studio opening, and that you'll be having surgery and getting some relief from your summer of anguish. I'm eager to get my hands back into the clay in October. Lots happening all 'round!! Shall there be pictures of your grand opening in a post soon??

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  9. Hi Dennis....... it was a long post! and it's been a long summer :) Thanks on the knee!!

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  10. Hey Theresa! Thank you, thank you! See you soon somewhere........ new gallery, Lakeland show........ around :)

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  11. Hi Wendy! Have to run over to your blog and see what you're up too! Would be great to see you before the snow flies!

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  12. Hi Mich'ele! Cannot wait to catch up on what you have been up to this summer. Thanks!!

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  13. Hey Betsy! Heard you guys have been down the road to recovery too! Hope all is well on your end!
    Thanks! and you know there will be blogs on my descent into the enchanted world of surgery.

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  14. Ingeborg, I just found your email on google..... will be answering promptly!

    Thank you!

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  15. Tracey....... been a summer for you too! Same sentiment; how can I write about some of this stuff?

    Feels kind of good to be back in the saddle again. :) These next few weeks are packed so will be

    Haha! back on my knees soon...... have spent my life on my knees maybe it's time to stand up! Ha, that'll never happen!

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  16. Nona and Tag!! Yup, me too on missing Mondays! Well and then there is that puppy breath :)

    Oh you know there are pictures coming on that new space :)

    still need to get the wood stove hooked up or we will be freezing out there! I think fall is coming early this year.......

    see you guys in a couple weeks!

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  17. Good luck on Monday, and God Speed with your healing! I'm looking forward to meeting you at your Opening on 9/19 ~ Cathy from Fancy Pants Chicken Ranch Farm in Geneva, Ohio (Harpersfield)

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  18. Wow, and I thought my teaching was keeping me busy.....best of luck!!

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  19. Hi Cathy from Fancy Pants Chicken Ranch Farm!
    Can wait to meet you!

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  20. Meredith......... just read your blog...... all of it! Honestly we are nuts! So when was the last time you have Demi Moore Ghost moment in your studio......... BaHaaaaa!

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  21. Sandy, sadly I am in limbo with my work- wondering where this will take me and who I really am in this world of clay. Love those soft colors, yummy as all get out.

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