Mini Mode

Today was mini day. I start every production cycle by throwing mini bowls of various shapes and sizes off the hump. It's my way of getting back into the throwing groove.

Customers love these little bowls and I love the stories about what they get used for. Most of this batch are destined for Costa del Sol. It's owned by Sarah and Michael, an enthusiastic young couple who came into my showroom a couple of years ago, brimming with excitement as they had just got the go ahead on opening their own Latin cuisine restaurant. Having both worked in restaurants for many years, they were realizing a long time dream. 

 

They came in looking for rustic serving dishes. As a result, I made them a series of trio servers for posole and mini plates and bowls for serving spices and salsa. Every once in a while they need bowl replenishments and I am happy to oblige. The restaurant has gone on to be a local favourite .... so happy for them!

I said in an earlier post I was happy to be done with red clay but it's Costa del Sol so I will grin and bear it. Está todo bien!

More Spring ...

Our cousin in Parry Sound, Ontario, has had enough. She's decided to plant her own Spring!

Yes! ..... Spring!

Whew! Spring arrived right on time this morning, just before 10 AM .... with Sunshine in hand. The temp isn't what it should be this time of year on the beautiful southern, west coast of BC, Canada but we'll take it! Up front, I will say I'm truly sorry to all who still feel like they are in the middle of winter. It's been a long haul I'm sure but I hope my sharing of some pics from today, the official 1st day of Spring, will help to put you in a Spring mood ......

Prims and Pansies are planted (and initially covered to fend off our downpour and hail earlier this week)

Dash & Lily are happy to have their favourite deck sunshine spot open for business!

Our senior citizen kitty, Otis (now 16 or 17 years old), who isn't allowed outside in the winter, was happy to have a stroll on the deck

The dogs and I just got back from a beach walk. We have ocean on one side ....

... and the estuary on the other side. The tides are shifting to lows in the daytime hours, unveiling Lang Creek which is flowing fast with recent rains.

Lily is as usual, diving in after her aqua kong .....

.... And Dash's favourite past time is running the beach

The heron is fishing

And the mallards are basking in the sun

It won't be long now before we're all complaining it's too hot!;)) 

Spring?

How did I go from the winter doldrums, working heads down in the studio, to having a laundry list of to-do's that will take 'til Fall to complete. Must be, that in spite of the weather (very soggy this weekend), Spring has arrived.

First up is to finish cleaning the studio .... my wonderful workspace, the envy of every potter who goes thru it (and then it's usually clean ;)), can be not so wonderful at times. Since it also happens to be the thoroughfare to the back yard, the traffic consists of two big dogs, Chicken Farmer and Gardener Hubby, 4 cats, who also love their sleeping boxes high on the shelves and of course me, the potter. The studio bathroom doubles as the chicken supplies and egg processing room and any minute now, the seed starting room will emerge. Indoor gardening supplier Son, set Dad up with lights which were installed under my long bank of ware shelves. Gardener Hubby was off to the nurseries yesterday, finalizing his seed stash and picking up starter soil.  Happy to share my space but sheesh! it's a freakin' disaster at times ... I'm one of those maniacs who is quite messy on average but has to frantically clean the house before I go away because I hate coming home to a mess. Cleaning was the one to-do that got dumped before I left for the city last week so grumpy me was cleaning yesterday and I will be back at it today.

I am also awaiting the return of my laptop so I can get going on taxes. Such a chore altho' it should a bit simpler this year because I had an 8 month hiatus from the studio last year. Still it's a painful process.

The yard also awaits my often limited engagement ... I am a gardener in my head but unfortunately, not my heart. I like the idea of a lovely yard and garden but it's a chore for me to get going. We have just over an acre but 1/2 of that is treed, thank goodness! Still, it's a lot of work for Hubby to handle on his own so I gotta do my part. Deck planters are awaiting the prims and pansies I picked up in the city. Our many native ferns in the front yard need to be cut back and I need to finish the hosta bed I started last year. I also have to figure out how we're going to do the landscaping by the chicken pen ... we're putting in a sorrel bed so the passersby have something to pick to feed the chickens ;) This was a suggestion from my Mom, a Master Gardener, who went to a presentation by Rosalind Creasy, author of Edible Landscaping. I have the book but have yet to put it in action .... yup, one day ;)

Also on the list .... get back to exercise and diet .... groan! I long for the days when I could put anything and everything food in my mouth and not gain an ounce. Now I'm a seafood person ... as in 'See Food, Gain'.

Soooo .... enough talking about it all in the universe of blogging ... time to just move it, move it, move it!

Home Sweet Home

Tues 11 AM after breakfast with our son and his partner, I'm on my way ..... I've had my city fix and after 5 days of travel, visiting with family and friends, navigating busy streets and stores, I'm happily heading home ....

.... first ferry ... Leaving Horseshoe Bay @ 1:20 PM

.... followed by a 84 kilometre run across the Sechelt Peninsula, listening to the Good Lovelies.

.... second ferry leaves from Earls Cove ....sheesh! ..... a schedule change .... if I had dawdled any longer, I'd have had to swim home ;)

and finally I arrive home at 5:30 PM .... my heart feels warm and fuzzy the moment I disembark that last ferry .... I love coming home! It's also good to know I've been missed by hubby, kids, grandkids and dorgs.
In my absence, hubby has installed our 'new' old fashion clothes dryer. And I was happy to find wooden clothes pegs in town this morning .... wasn't sure they still made them!


Tomorrow it's back to work ... Yeah!

Pampering the Pooches with Pottery

No more playing nose ringette with our metal dog bowls as they slide all over the kitchen floor .... Gram & Gramps teamed up to make us dorgie feeding stations. We like em!

For Dash ....

Dash

For Lily .....

Lily

Pre trip frenzy

Why is it, when I decide to head off on a trip, my to-do list quadruples in size! Arghhh! There is a reason I am a homebody .... come to think of it, there are several reasons but this is a big one. On Thursday I'm off to visit a BFF in the big city .... a trip planned a couple of months ago.  Hubby would love to go with me 'cause I am pretty sure he's gotta a bad case of cabin fever and winter doldrums but finding a sitter for 2 dogs, 4 cats and 11 chickens, ain't easy. To top it off, son-in-law is off to a conference for a couple of the days I'm gone therefore daughter is juggling care of a 9 yr old, a 5 yr old and a 5 month old baby plus 2 vizslas (aka very energetic dogs!). Gramps has volunteered to be on deck should disaster prevail. He can add this to his list of stellar attributes ....  builder, painter (tradesman), gardener, chicken farmer, dog walker, Grampa and hubby extraordinaire!

I am mixing business with pleasure, dropping off pots to another friend and customer plus visiting my potter supply store. Our son also lives in the city and it's his birthday on Weds. He was my 25th birthday present (wink, wink ;)) so a little celebratory dinner date is in order. I can't believe my youngest is turning 34! .... yeahhh ... do the math. I also can't believe this is the last year I will be 50 something ....how the heck did I get so old!

And let the frenzy begin .....

Work to do list:

Call Greenbarn Potters Supply re elements (Sat AM)

Ship customer order to US

Unload kiln

Run a Full Power Test

Inventory and price pots

Do inventory worksheet for Artique

Organize pots for window display 

Wrap and take pots to Artique (Monday noon)

Checklist of student tools required for Spring throwing class

Clean studio

Home to do list:

Month end bills and book-keeping (taxes will have to wait .... heck, there's lotsa time til deadline!)

Cleanup and defrag computer, backup, box and ship to Dell for servicing (fingers crossed)

Clean car (can you say Dog Hair!)

Pack

Thursday AM go to #1 Grandson's speech arts performance 

Thursday PM .... catch 2:40 PM ferry .... Roooad Trip!