A Whole Lot More To Me

Hey-O Folks!  I'm still kickin'.  Just thought I'd drop a quick post per the usual.  I'm doing pretty good.  Still experimenting with my prescriptions and getting the right dosage and balance for me.  I went back to my Neurologist in May for my 6 month check in and he said it was just a matter of trying different dosages and timing to see what works best because everyone is so different with Parkinson's.  I think I'm finally making a little progress though.  The stiffness and pain had gotten so bad I had to do something and basically my options are kinds limited right now to drugs and exercise.  He did give me a much stronger muscle relaxer to try but it didn't do any good.  I tried it multiple times and it just never seemed to do anything.  Well, it made me fuzzy-headed and I hate that, so unless it really helped the pain I'm not taking that.  And it didn't.  Just upping my Sinemet and trying to stay moving more often seems to have done more than anything.  The effect is not immediate; it takes several days before anything is noticeable but it does seem to be helping.

A couple of days ago Allen and I took a trip up to Guntersville to see the Outdoor Alabama photo exhibit. I just needed to get out and do something fun.  This is the exhibit that my butterfly photo won a spot in.  So that was nice.  It's no big deal but just a nice thing in an otherwise fairly crappy last year. We also had a nice, quiet meal at a restaurant in Guntersville and then went up to the lodge at the state park, which is where the exhibit is right now.  The weather was great and Guntersville State Park is super nice. We walked around the camp grounds too.  They have a nice beach and I would really like to do some camping there some day.  They have tons of hiking options and all kinds of stuff.

This was after a really horrible day in which my lovey Zuzu passed away.  She had been sick for about 2 weeks and I thought was making some progress in getting better.  Well, she had made great progress in one area but then got sour crop, which can be very difficult, and I just didn't catch it in time.  I did finally realize what was going on and treat her for it but it was too much I guess.  At least she died sudden and I did not have to put her down, thank God.  She was just the biggest personality of any chicken and was so smart and funny.  I will miss her so much.

I have taken in 2 other rescue chickens in the past couple of weeks also.  I'll tell you about those soon.  They are doing really well.  Chigger and Callie the cat are doing well also.

I was also able to get a new laptop, which has made working online infinitely easier than what I had before.  The old laptop I had ran on Windows 7 and was right on the verge of dying.  They stopped supporting 7 back at the first of the year and it was just a matter of time.  That thing was so slow it took me forever to get anything done.  Now I can go pretty fast and it has helped my sales and ways to make money online.  So, I'm doing okay.  I mean, I built a house out of my pocket...I'm not a moron and I am resourceful.  Plus, these days there are lots of avenues in making money by working at home.  I do occasionally work a little for some folks but I'm still having trouble with so much pain and fatigue that working an 8 hour job is very difficult.  At home I can rest and then work later when I have recovered some.  Of course, I hope to improve and expand my means of working but it takes some time, especially when struggling so much with feeling bad.  But I will do it.  I will keep fighting.

Another interesting note is that I recently spoke to a cousin of mine and he appears to also have Parkinson's.  He hasn't been officially diagnosed yet but it looks pretty certain. I know I have mentioned that I had 2 uncles with Parkinson's.  Well, this cousin is the son of one of those uncles' twin brother.  That make sense?  Apparently, it is heavy in our genes.  So, that's crappy.  I hope to get into some research trials somewhere in the area; probably at UAB.  They are making some great progress these days in the research and if nothing else, maybe I can be of some help there.  I've got to do something.

I Won't Back Down

 So, things are chugging along here.  We have almost all the garden in, except for just a few things, and it's all going gangbusters.  Should have taters coming in soon to join the radishes and lettuce.

 The broccoli plants are growing well but not showing any signs of heading up so far.  This has been such a weird year, weather-wise though, I'm not sure what they are going to do.  If nothing else they will become chicken feed and that's okay.  I'm always looking for fresh stuff to feed those bottomless pits.  We are also getting lots of lots of eggs!  The girls are in overdrive! lol!

 We should have a very good crop of blueberries this year and hopefully, cherries also.  Even my rhubarb came back this year and is really putting out the stems.  Remarkably, it has lasted several years here, so I might be able to actually cut some this year.

 Love me some Easter Egg radishes.  They are so pretty.  I also planted some of the "watermelon" variety of radishes but they have not finished yet.  They are about double the time as these Easter Eggs; which  are a very early type.
I'm not sure if we are going to try to sell at the farmer's market this year.  I did better just selling from home last year and advertising on Facebook when I had stuff available.

 In some other good news, the university I attended recently purchased one of my sculptures for it's permanent collection.  It replaced another one of my sculptures that was supposed to go in the collection but the university wanted to give that one to a very generous patron.  This patron had bough the original sculpture at one of the alumni auctions on the premise she got to keep if for a year to enjoy herself before handing it over to the school.  Now, she gets to keep the one she loved so much, the school still gets one for it's collection, and I made a little money and have 2 more items to add to  my CV.

 I also ran my first official 5K and came in 2nd in my age group (45-49)!!!  Woooo!! I was so excited.  I was 4th overall amongst the women and if I remember correctly there was about 126 women in the run.  The week before my back had decided it hated me and became so stiff I could barely get around.  I was sure I would just have to forfeit the race and this thought was very, very upsetting to me.  I was very discouraged and heartbroken at that possibility.  I mean, the race was nothing; I knew I would not win anything but I wanted to be able to just do it.  I kept working, stretching, soaking and being very, very careful with taking my meds until I got to the point I thought, well, I can give it a try. Honestly, I wasn't even sure the morning of the run.  Thank goodness it was a late afternoon/ evening event because I do better at that time of day.  Anyway.  We went and I was just going to be happy to not finish last. LOL!  And amazingly, did way better than that!

Now, I'll tell you, in the same month, I've also been rejected from 2 art exhibits (one of which I really had my heart set on), passed over one run because of feeling bad and have hurt excruciatingly bad since running this one.  I guess the success/ failure rate is about 1:2 right now.  A number of things in my life have not turned out like I thought or had hoped.  Not even close on a couple.  But you just have to keep trying, keep going, and like I kept telling myself during that 5K....just keep putting one foot in front of the other.  And if I get to where I can't move my feet...I'll crawl if I have to.

Hunting Bears

 Over the last several years I've read quite a bit about numerous wild animal species making comebacks in population or starting to appear in areas that they previously were though to be gone from.  Not necessarily extinct but just far removed from those original areas.  This is all good news to me.  I'm happy to see many wild animals growing in population.  I know when I was a kid we never saw deer around the area I grew up.  That was something that existed far, far away in other parts of Alabama.  Now, when I go down in the pastures when I visit Mama, deer trails and tracks are a dime a dozen.  Unfortunately, coyotes have come with them, but so far they tend to stay far away from houses.  Fox are common now, as are ground hogs and various hawks and other wild fowl.
Knowing all this did not prepare me for what I recently found in my driveway though.  A couple of weeks ago, on my daily trek to the mailbox, I spied some very large and very deep claw marks right in the drive, which is hard-packed chert and gravel.  I came back and took several photos, as you see below.  At first I thought, it must just be a very large dog.  But after measuring them....I thought, that'd have to be one big ass dog.  There were four claw marks with the outer ones being a good 4 inches apart and about 1 1/2" between each claw.  That's just the claws, you see.  The paw would be even larger.

 There were actually several marks but this was the one most clearly defined.  The scratch was over 2 feet in length also and, as I mentioned, in some very hard gravel and dirt.. We had not had much rain in a while when this was done and the ground was just baked.  In fact, we have had several very heavy rains since I took these photos and some of the marks are still slightly visible, they were so deep.

 I suspected it was a black bear but figured everyone would think I was nutty.  I mean, Alabama does have black bears.  They travel quite frequently through our state on their way to and from the Smokies and Florida.  But they normally stay over on the east side of the state because they can make a great deal of the trip within the confines of the Talledega National Forest.  It's a little unusual to see them over this way.

 Then, I found this tuft of hair not far from the claw marks a few days later.  It's very matted and coarse.  I suppose it could very well be dog hair but it just didn't seem like it.  So.  I got all my stuff together and paid a visit to our local county extension officer.  He's real nice and likes to chat so we dropped in his office and I showed him all my evidence.  To be honest, I expected him to laugh at me.  But...he looked over everything and said, 'Yep, looks like you have a bear!'  I wanted to not be thought a nut but I also didn't want to know I had a bear on my land!  Mainly it scared me for my chickens and for Chigger.  I don't think she's courageous enough to go after a bear, by any means, but I encouraged her to stay up by the house as much as possible and made sure the girls were locked up way before dark.  The county guy said he figured the bear had well moved on by now; that it was probably just passing through, but I wasn't so sure.  I haven't seen any signs of anything lately though, so hopefully he's right! 

In other rare sightings, I actually won 2 prizes at the art show that I was recently accepted into!  I got 2nd for the metal sculpture I showed ya'll a few posts back and got an Honorable Mention for another small sculpture.  I won a little money with that too, so that was nice!  I was very happy and grateful to finally have some success.  At the end of the reception, the judge (a professor from the U of A in Huntsville) made a point to stop me to talk and compliment me on all my work.  He claimed to be very impressed with the welding, which I thought was kinda humorous.  However, he did understand that it's a bit tricky to weld cast iron to mild steel and he appreciated my efforts.  Of course, I told him who my professor was that taught me how to weld and he understood then.  Where I went to school, craftsmanship was of great importance, as it should be.  Didn't matter how great of an artistic concept, if it looked like shit then it was shit in their eyes.  "The craftsmanship should always be appropriate to the piece".  I might as well as had that tattooed on my forehead as often as we were told in school! They weren't kidding either.  If you couldn't muster the craft of building things (or painting etc), there was none of this, "oh, it's the concept of the piece blah, blah, blah." They would tell you to get your shit and get out of their class.
At any rate, from this show I was also offered two other opportunities to exhibit my art and I am very excited about that.  I'll tell ya'll about that in a later post.

January Hymn

Well, I hope everyone's holiday celebrations were what you wished for; whether that was days on end of food, family and festivities or just quiet days of leisure alone.  As I said in my previous post, we had a couple of nice dinners at home with family and that was about it.  Watched a couple of movies and went out once or twice.  It was nice actually.
But, I am ready to move on into the new year.  I'm not going to do a year-in-review thing like I usually do because....uhh....let's see...I didn't do shit this last year!  Yeah, that's it.  So, we will concentrate on what I hope to do in this coming year!  I don't really do New Year resolutions either.  To me, you're either going to change habits or you're not and a new year never seemed to motivate me that much.  I've already been sticking to my gym work-outs for about 2 months now, so I'll just continue that.  I'm to the point now that I look forward to going because the exercise really does make me feel better, physically and mentally.  Lifts my mood considerably.  And, I've lost about 8 pounds or so, so to see some progress is great and encouraging!  Can't say that it helps my pain any, other than I'm not sitting down, but it still helps me in other ways.  On days that I can't make it to the gym I have measured out a mile walking/ strenuous hiking trail around the house here and I do that instead.

My work break ends tomorrow also.  One of my stores has already called with a new order so I need to get busy on that and restocking my inventory anyway.  It's so nice to know I can make all these things standing up now and not hunched over in pain.  Maybe this year I can even come up with, or continue, some new designs and colors.
So, speaking of scenery and getting rich (haha!), this year I finally got off my ass and designed a 12-month calender that features the critters and flora of my little Dragon Valley.  They are available to purchase HERE and you can preview so you know just what is inside.  This is a standard size wall calender but I may see about having a larger, jumbo size printed and available.  The standard size includes all Americans holidays and the spaces are large enough for penciling in notes and such.  And please know, I sincerely appreciate any purchases.  Many bloggers put advertising or other such means on their blog to raise a little money but I've never really wanted to do that.  I don't like the way it looks and makes the blog seem sorta impersonal.  However, a little money raised from photos I've already taken for this blog doesn't hurt, you know?  And all the photos featured in the calender were taken right here at home.  If these come out well I might do an all chicken one, or all flowers or such next year.

So, here's to a prosperous and happy new year!!

Like It Never Happened

 Ya'll will have to excuse me for doin' a little braggin' but, since I had shown ya'll the beginnings of that restoration project, I wanted to show the final results as well.  I was quite pleased with the way things turned out.  The first image is a before and after collage of a couple of areas and then the finished pieces on the end.  The individual photos are just larger versions of those in the collage.

 I do have to admit though, unglazed ceramic is probably one of the easiest materials to repair.  The non-shiny surface is easily matched with paint and so repairs become virtually undetectable.  It still requires good attention to detail though.

This is the only restoration job I've ever done where the artist was still alive and I was able to communicate with them.  That was cool.  I emailed these images to Mr. Fleming with a little note and he replied with a very sweet response.  He said he was amazed at the quality of the repairs and forever grateful that I took the time to do such a good job.  That was really nice and I'm glad he seemed pleased.

The school also seemed very happy with the work and quickly accepted my second bid on another broken sculpture when I got it sent in.  This next one though is going to really test my mettle.  It's a large chunk of cast glass, something I've rarely worked on, and has to be done just so, or else the repair can be easily seen.

When I was still in construction I joked often that I could fix anything from a busted ass to a broken heart and there were a couple of times that I was really sweating bullets to pull some repairs off.  Ha!  But I always managed to do it.  This is gonna be one of those times too, I think.  But I enjoy it.  It's a challenge to restore these objects to their original appearance.  Jobs like this pay pretty good too and I think I may treat myself to one or two modern textbooks I found on restoration.  I have several books on the subject but most of them are quite old and many of the materials and techniques are not used anymore.  I may not be able to attend a school for restoration but I can certainly buy their books and keep myself up to date.

So, not much going on around the house right now.  We are trying to get the garden cleaned up for fall and maybe plant some stuff.  I am way, way behind on fall crops but I might get something before winter.  I hate to not have something growing at all times.  Even salad greens can add a good zip to meals.

The little Buff Orps are not so little anymore and we are letting them out into the yard now to try to get integrated with the big girls.  The youngsters are still pretty shy but they are doing good and really having a blast being out free-ranging.

We are finally getting some rain now so maybe I won't lose any of my dogwoods.  I've got to get my flower beds cleaned up too.  I've just let everything go to poop lately.  Oh well, needing to get everything cleaned up is just a good reason for me not to sit around, which is still incredibly painful to do.  Hopefully everything will be resolved by winter.
Hope things are cooling a little where you are.  I walked outside this morning and it was almost like fall.  I admit, I really hate to see summer go, but the cooler weather is delicious.

Dish It Out

I believe I had promised ya'll some photos of the new designs in clay I have been working on  so here ya go!  I am not entirely satisfied with these results but I think they are a good start.  I have really been trying to come up with a more sophisticated or professional look to my work and I have been pleased so far.  I've been working with a white clay, which is a huge departure for me, but I really love it and just trying to really focus on good craftsmanship but with a little more "flair".

I'm not sure that I like the really white glaze here and am looking for more of a off-white or cream and in a satin finish instead of this gloss.  The blue accents should be more of a bronzy- green also; I had the glaze a bit thin on this trial.  Of course, there are tons of color combinations this would look good with but I was trying to lighten up a bit!  I have always used a rather dark, earthy palate in my ceramics and I think a change would be good.
I have a Facebook page for just my artwork and these dishes were not particularly well received when I posted them there.  I had a few 'likes' but not what I often get.  Everyone who has seen them in person has been very complimentary though.  Haha!  Maybe they were just being polite!  At any rate, the only thing that matters is if I like them and like I said, I am still in the experimenting stage here.  I think though that this is a good lead and will eventually result in a series I really like.

Happiness Is A Warm Kiln

If that is true I must be deliriously content right about now!  Over the past few days the kiln hasn't often even cooled completely before I start another firing.  I am reaching the completion of these corporate orders though, so this breakneck pace should be slacking off soon.  I've got it all thrown and mostly bisque fired.  Now, just to glaze and fire the final time.  The lady that runs the gift shop at the State Capital building in Montgomery contacted me recently and wants to carry my pottery there also, so I've been trying to get that order together too.

I've got to have 150 of these little things.  Luckily they are easy and quick to throw.  And yes, I'll make pretty good money on all these orders.  They are a sure paycheck too, whereas a lot of stuff I make is done purely on speculation and consignment. 

So, it's all stacking up and getting ready to be delivered next week.  The bottles to the right are for olive oil/ vinegar or whatever.  They get a little chrome spout that makes pouring not a catastrophe. I only had to make 50 of these.

You can see Chigger and Callie are serious about the business of cheering me on.  Little craps.  They are only concerned with the warmth coming out of that stove.  The bed is big enough for both of them but Chigger will often let Callie have the whole thing.

In a bit of real excitement though, we got our first pullet egg from the young girls today!  As it is a white egg I know it was laid by one of the Brown Leghorns.  I figured they would be the first.  Hopefully, full time production will begin soon!  30 chickens right now and we only get one egg a day!  Several of them have finished their molt so they are just being stubborn and holding out on us. LOL!  Strong little Scooter soldiers on though, laying that one egg every day almost.  Poor thing; I wish the feathers could grow back on her head but I guess she's destined to always look extremely pissed off.

I had to work through Thanksgiving but we did manage a small meal that evening and we had Fred and Allen come down to share it with us.  It wasn't fancy but the whole meal was raised/ produced here on this land and I was very thankful for that.  Well, except for that pie.  And the ice cream.  But that's okay.

Well, I know ya'll are getting tired of my pottery so I'll try to find something else to write about next time.  Of course, the holidays are always fodder for rants but I've done that a number of times already.  So, we'll see.  Maybe I can come up with a story of some type.

Two Hands

During the past few years many of us have seen a huge surge in interest and production of handmade items.  Some of it due to disgust and revolt of the rampant, mass-produced hysteria of consumerism and some of it is simply due to unemployed people trying to make a living the best way they can.  As someone who has made a living with their hands for most of my life, there are several false notions out there that I would like to address so that if there are others out there considering crafts or such as an income source, that they would not be discouraged by people who have no idea what they're talking about spouting a bunch of crappola.
1.  You can't make a living with art/ crafts in a bad economy.  Well, I tell you, going by the number of orders I'm getting for my work right now, I'd never know things were not good in this country if I didn't read the news.  Yes, I understand that it is the holiday season and people are buying more and it will drop off after the first of the year but.....people are buying.  If you make a good quality product and market it in the correct area, people will buy it.  You might have to make smaller items, as I have had to do, but you will sell lots of these.  My big, expensive casseroles are not moving, at all, but I am overrun with orders for small dessert bowls, soup bowls, mugs etc. and am bringing in a substantial amount of money from that.  People are fed up, for the most part, with cheap crap from China and are looking for an alternative.  These are the people you want to focus on and find.  Forget about the rest.  They wouldn't appreciate your work if they had a million dollars because some people just do not get handmade.
2.  I'd never be able to make enough money off it to pay for my time.  Now, if somebody is using this excuse simply because they don't really want to try to market their stuff, then fine.  However, if anybody really believes this, then I'd have to call bulls**t on ya.  It all comes down to where and to whom you market your work.  Yeah, if you go to flea markets and crap trying to sell handmade sweaters for what they are actually worth then people are going to laugh you out of the place.  BUT, if you market your work through high-end consignment shops, galleries or other alternative markets you are likely to find many customers.  There are still lots of people out there with money and who usually appreciate hand made.  Now, it must be of very good quality.  Lots of people nag me about how picky I am on my work.  I cull my work and a defect means I have more stuff to make mosaics out of, if you get my drift.  Bring out the ol' hammer!  You must be ruthless in judging your work.  You may also have to go cities 100 miles (or more) away but if you can find a place or places who will accept a large enough inventory then it can be worth the drive.  If you choose to do craft shows, only do the ones that insist on jurying the work and I personally never do one if the entry fee is below $75.  This insures most all the entries are going to be from serious artists and craftspeople and you are not going to have to deal with somebody next door selling foam lizards on a stick.  (been there, done that.)
I know a number of successful craftspeople who make their living solely from their art, so it is possible.  One fellow, who lives not far from me, makes furniture and has for most of his life.  Now, one chair or small table can go for $2,000- 8,000, so it is art, not just any ol' stick chair.  But he makes his living with it.  Yes, he has to travel and be very selective about where he shows but once you make a bit of a name people will begin to seek you out.

The thing is, even if you just make quilted potholders or clay jewelry; if your craftsmanship is good and it is a quality product, there are places and people who would love to carry your work.  Think big, forget the flea markets.  The environment in which works are shown determines their value.  That doesn't seem right but it is so, I guarantee you. Don't sell yourself short.  Don't be shy.  Most shop owners are happy to look at stuff because they are always looking for that great new product or artist.  I will say one thing though; don't lug a giant box into their store or gallery without asking first.  Many galleries ask that you submit your work electronically these days but you can walk in and ask about their submission policies.
And of course, online is okay too but I find that most people still want to hold the object in their hand before purchasing when it comes to craft.  I do sell some work online but for the most part, in person is the way to go. 

Busy Bee

Well, looks like I've let time get away from me again. Allen called the other night to see if I had been sick since I had not posted in a while. Not sick, just run like crazy! I finally got up a list of galleries that I wanted to visit last week, in an effort to start moving more pottery and art. Many of the old galleries I used to show with have gone out of business so I had to find some new. So, I packed up some stuff and headed to town, intent on staying all day if I had to in order to find new venues. It was an interesting experience. It is both flattering and a bit disconcerting to go into a gallery and have them say, 'yes, we've heard of you; we would like to carry your work'. I stopped after 4 places because I realized I needed to get home and start throwing! I had some stuff already made but need quite a bit more to satisfy their requirements. One gallery wants to carry only my dinnerware and one place is just coffee mugs and another wants more "art" type pieces.
By the way, the orders that have been placed by you folks are still in the front of the line. I fired last night and will glaze fire soon.

Been working in the garden too. Pulled up most of the cabbage that went to seed and replaced with more broccoli and bok choy. Also, got my zucchini and yellow squash in the ground that I had started form seed. We had a lot of rain last week, then a beautiful weekend, then more storms Monday and now pretty weather again. Everything seems to be growing well.

I really hope the garden does well this year, what with the price of food going up like it is.

Chicken house is making slow progress. I took time over the weekend to lay the block before the rains came on Monday. I just need to fill it now to start framing.

And I try to make some time as often as I can for this. However, the other day I had been especially busy and had just ignored Chigger all day. I had finally come inside to start supper and I heard the most pitiful moaning and whining coming from outside. I looked out and poor Chigger was sitting by the deck, looking up into the window with her frisbee in her mouth and just crying pitifully. It was almost dark but I went back out and threw it for her until we just couldn't really see anymore. That seemed to make her happy. She's a real sweet dog.
Okay, time to get back to work!

Lazy Day

Today is the lazy day that I am referring to, not the day depicted in the photos! Which was a very busy day indeed, but good. I think the Open House went very well and was pleased with the turn out. Not a monstrous crowd but just a steady stream of people all day. It was nice and we made some money. Which is always good! I didn't mean to go so long between posting but I have just been working long hours getting ready, cleaning up the yard and hauling gravel on the drive etc. It looks great around here now though! 'Frazzle' is a southern term btw, in case ya'll are wondering! Crow Valley is not going to be the official name of my business but just one I threw out there for time being. It is pretty accurate though and the resident crows were out in force for our visitors yesterday.

  Fred brought down all kinds of great knitted scarves and such he has made. They were popular. I have a scarf he made for me last year and I love to wear it. It's the fuzzy kind and very snuggly. Rurality was here with her fabulous Natural Impulse handmade soaps! She has a website (Google Natural Impulse) where you can go and get some great holiday gifts. I had a pretty good selection of pottery and people seemed pleased with it. And, I still have a fair selection if anybody is needing some gifts still. I may put up a few pics later. And we had food and hot drinks; it was fun. Some old friends came that had not seen the house and Allen gave a little tour. People were very complimentary and that made me feel good. And since the place is so well cleaned now, it gives me a lot of enthusiasm to start finishing some stuff on the house. I may finish and paint that blank wall in the kitchen next! So, today I have been a slug. And I have enjoyed my slugness. It has turned off quite cold and I have lolled about in bed, watching a light snow fall outside all day. I did cook a nice breakfast of homemade biscuits and sausage but for the most part Allen and I have just been enjoying the warmth of hugs and a good fire in the stove. I am about to bundle up and check on things in the garden. Perhaps walk down the drive and check out the creek. This past week I did manage to pour the countertop in the pantry, so I'll put that post up soon. I think it came out well and looks great with the cabinet I had made.

Warm It Up

Sorry about these truly crappy photos but it has been very overcast the past couple of days. Cold and windy also, so it made for a little bit of a challenge to get any real good pics. Truthfully, I was just in too much of a hurry to spend much time screwing with that camera. Oh, I know; I shouldn't admit that but darn it, I just have days like that. lol!
I have been going like crazy to get orders done and also to prepare for the Open House I decided to have next weekend. I am enjoying it though. Between throwing and firing and such I have had to go out in the late afternoon to cover the crops as the temps are dropping into the 20's pretty regularly at night. I fashioned this hoop tunnel and have been leaving it in place until the daytime temps get into the upper 40's, if it is sunny. I'm afraid I will bake them on a sunny day here. I guess maybe I could put a thermometer under there to see what it is getting up to.

My precious little cabbages and broccoli! Jack has questioned me several times on whether all this work is worth it to protect these few crops. This from somebody that keeps spouting self-sufficiency! I think he would think it was worth it when he's scarfing down my sauteed cabbage with onions! Yumm!!! I think I have about 18 heads of cabbage and 9 broccoli plants so that is a fair investment to me. At any rate, I don't mind spending a few minutes a day on them. Especially since I have my days to spend on all my own work anyway.

So, the Open House is Dec. 11th from 10:00 a.m to 4 p.m. if there are any locals reading this and want to stop by. If you would, email me and I'll give you directions. Rurality will have her fantastic handmade soaps here also and I'll make some cookies and snacks with some hot cider! Should be fun and maybe I can keep Jack out of the food long enough for any visitors to be able to get some.

The Price You Pay

Now, I am only making this post because I have had a few readers request this information. I certainly do not expect my readers to buy all my artwork; that's what websites are for and I am looking into setting up such. But anyway, as I said, a few people wanted this info so I am going to present it for you but I am in no way going to be upset if no one wants to make a purchase. After this post I will just move this page to a link over on the sidebar so it can be accessed easily. Of course, you can click on this photo to enlarge it and get a better view of the stuff.
So, the prices are as follows, although what I have shown here is not all of the pieces that I produce. For example, I don't have any current photos of my casserole dishes.
Starting at the top left and going clockwise are; pie plates, dinnerware set w/ plates and bowls, vase, dessert bowls, serving (left) and mixing (right) bowls, mugs and small condiment bowls.

• dinner plate (9.5” dia.) $24. ea.

• lunch plate (7.5” dia.) 12.

• soup bowl (2.5” x 5.5”) 12.

• salad bowl (1.75” x 8.5”) 14.

• dessert bowl (2.5”x 4.5”) 9.

• mug (10 oz.) 12.

• large mug (14 oz.) 15.

• sm. condiment bowl (2-3” dia.) 3.

• serving or mixing bowls / 3 sizes

1 qt., 1.75 qt. & 2.5 qt. $16., 24. & 40.

• casserole with lid / 3 sizes

1 qt., 1.75 qt. & 2.5 qt. $30., 45. & 70.

• pie plate (10” dia. @ top rim) $27.

I have included a couple of close-ups so you can see some of the little impressions and details I put in the pieces. You can request certain impressions (like this shell) but please allow for some variations in placement and size.
All dimensions given in the list are approximate but I do tend to follow them rather closely. All work is dishwasher, microwave and oven safe, although you must be aware that stoneware will become very hot in a microwave, so handle with care. Do NOT, however, place any piece on the eye of a stove or place frozen food in it and then put the piece in a hot oven.

These are some of the colors available, starting from the top left and going clockwise, Earth Red, Robin's Egg Blue, Oatmeal and Slate Blue. The Slate is a satin finish and the Robin's Egg is a gloss. I do also have a dark brown and black.

This is an example of the seashell detail and oatmeal splashed on the interior of the Earth Red. I will add to this list as I get photos of the other stuff I make.
Thanks for all the interest. I also usually offer two-fer deals and or a small discount for sets of things: like if you wanted a set of 6 dessert bowls. And I will ship according to what you tell me, either Parcel Post or Priority. Usually the Priority Flat Rate is the best deal.

Down In The Valley

Since I put up the satellite view of my little valley, I thought I'd put up this view of the bigger valley in which my little one resides. This is the view of one of the ways I can come home. I have always thought it was quite picturesque. Of course, you can click on the pic to enlarge it and it will give you a much better sense of what it's like. The sun sets at the end there also and it's always really pretty. Other than this is in a damn cookie-cutter subdivision, it's a nice place.
We are at the very tippy end of the Appalachian Mountain chain and it gets noticeably flatter as you go south from here. I have always loved the blueness of distant mountains.

Not a lot going on now except for work, at work. I hope to get back up on the roof here at home soon though.
Oh, my mugs made it to the show in Kentucky and all sold before the show even opened due to two sneaky, sweet readers of mine that live up there. I had called the gallery to confirm the mugs had arrived and she said 'yes, they've all sold!' I thought she was mistaken about who she was talking to but she wasn't. I was very happy. You can go to this link to see a little about the show and if you are in the area, please drop by. Not for my sake but it just looks like a great exhibit. Thanks again to Page for inviting me to participate. I have the best readers in the world!!!

What's New Pussycat?

I'm not one to keep many sweets around the house but I got a terrible craving for a banana split one day. It was very good.
Our native redbuds are finally in full bloom.
The new peonies and....they have ants on them!
I'm hoping some bluebirds move in.
I have never seen the watercress get this big. It is still cool enough for it to be tasty.

I'm working on some informative posts; maybe I can get some time soon. Oh, I was informed that the article was picked up by the Associated Press so, if I understand that correctly, I could be appearing in a newspaper in your area! Not likely, but maybe! I have seen it picked up by about 3 other Alabama newspapers.

*Tom Jones

Hey Ya! (Revised)

EDIT!!! The author of the article was good enough to send me the link (it wasn't up yesterday) so it's HERE and there is also a nice photo gallery HERE.
You can get a pretty good idea of the article from these photos I think though. If you have been following my blog for any time you already know all of what is in the article anyway. I thought they did a wonderful job on the story and photos both. I was surprised that it was such a large article. I got the whole front page of this section and half a page a little further back. Many thanks to all who made this possible. I really appreciate it!!
My Mom was really excited. I went up to her house today and took her out for her birthday lunch and while we were out I bought a couple of copies. Daddy Rabbit wanted a copy so I got one for him too. So, another nice thing to add to my scrapbook. For who to read later I don't know but it was fun.

*Outkast