Tile Painting for Neediest Families Fund

                     We are having our 18th Annual Tile Painting for the Neediest Families Fund on Saturday, December 10, 2011   from 10a.m.-3:30p.m

                                  

    

      This is a great opportunity for families to get together and be creative.  All donations, $25.00 per tile, go to the Fund helping families in need. Please call 800-859-5028 to reserve a spot for your family.

     This is my favorite time of year!  I love seeing all the wonderful and wide variety of designs the families create.  Hope to see many families at this holiday event. 



Possums

We've seen 4 possums in the last 4 days; two spent an evening, two different times, in our cat Marsha's outside foam sleeping box. I don't think she has ever used it,  so tough luck. Neither tried to look dead, they have bright round beady eyes, but they both tried to look invisible.  The second two  we saw skuttling off the road.  Further on was a nice fat skunk. We hope he doesn't move in. Our dog Bozy who always runs down the road, the last stretch home, managed to ignore him. Thank heaven.

Misplaced Gift Certificates????

Have you lost yours? Did the dog eat it? NOT TO WORRY. Call us with the name of the person who gave it to you and we will very likely be able to locate it and let you redeem it.  Don't wait until your child gets even bigger! And don't feel bad; you have lots of company.

Rain!!!

The ground has been shrieking as it got dryer and dryer these last few weeks. The vinca out front shriveled and everything looked pained and exhausted . Then, A CLOUDBURST! Solid water from the sky for a minute or two and during the night a steady drizzle. This morning the woods are taking in huge gulps of cool wet air. Everything is smiling. It is wonderful wonderful. I dread seeing how big the squash get today. JP is doing a tile with a nymph subduing a runaway giant zucchini vine a la Laocoon. This is part of his Nymphs and Satyrs in the Garden series.

Reading Aloud.

Have you ever wished you were nearer your grandchildren so you could read to them?  YOU CAN!!!  All it takes is a telephone on one end and a telephone with a speaker (they all have them) on the other. We stumbled on this about 3 years ago. Our grandchildren, 8 and 4, are in Oregon and I've taken to reading  during breakfast. Sure, sometimes the kids are fighting over cereal but generally we get 10 minutes or so. We have read "James and the Giant Peach" (three times) "Winnie the Pooh", " Mr. Popper's Penguins", and so many  others. Most recently we read all the paperback Percy Jackson ( son of Poseidon) books. Those were a hit for everybody. Now we're reading "The Secret Garden". Recently I've started reading  "W. the P."  to Elowyn, newly 4 so she gets her own time. Occasionally she wanders off out of hearing but my daughter likes hearing them too so everyone is happy. Here at the pottery, I generally read at the kitchen phone so the staff can hear too.  I absolutely love it .,,

Free Clay for Kids

A bit of business for those who don't get our email blasts.  We're offering free clay to kids who come in here for it. If they bring back a dried masterpiece, we will fire it so they can paint it with acrylics. As you might expect, our kids did lots and lots of things. Jinnet did the horse above when she was 12 or 14.  There's no way you can do anything wrong and making something three dimensional is just terrific.
The raspberries are coming in like a freight train, a tsunami. I already know we won't win this titanic struggle between the profligacy of nature and a small, dedicated band of determined berry eaters. If you are in the area, this is the time to visit us!  Help us!

The Garden!!

Recent days have been warm to hot. There has been a bit of rain and I have been watering in the morning. the result: JUNGLE CHAOS!!  We have 12 raised beds, 4' by 8'. One of them is devoted to squash which are bursting out from  beneath extravagant leaves. Bean vines are storming up the stock fence trellis and the potato plants are waist high. No blooms yet which makes me think they are too satisfied and confident; they need to get a scare so they produce the next generation. Lazy. Couch Potatoes, says our friend, Bill.    Does anyone know how to get them going?  JP did rummage around and found one the size of a big olive. The sweet potatoes are starting to look alive after a rocky trip by UPS from Tennessee.  We also have a few Lima Beans which seem to be climbing. Who knew? Meanwhile, we routinely rip out and discard the bindweed ( a watery pink variation of the morning glory) which is the only plant in the garden we have ever made pottery ($$) from so these expensive seeds surrounded by expensive wooden frames and fencing can thrive. There is no justice in the world.