Hemming and Hawing

Behind the scenes I've been repainting the inside of several rooms in our home. It's taking me much longer than I expected for many reasons. First I was having a hard time deciding on a paint color. I detest painting but necessity and budget dictate that I do the painting myself. Have you noticed fuel prices have gone up 52 cents a gallon in one month? Gary isn't a very neat painter. More paint would be on the floor than the walls if he painted, so that leaves me as the painter.

Over my lifetime I've painted every home I've lived in, both inside and out, and I'm just plain tired of painting. I think this is the ninth place I've painted and some several times over. When I get finished painting though I think the results are well worth the effort. For example the first photo is what the kitchen dinette area looks like now with a gray shade of paint. The photo just above is what the kitchen looked like with the coral color I painted when we first moved here. We had to paint the kitchen because we removed wallpaper and that left the walls all scratched and ugly, you know what I mean. Now removing wall paper is probably worse than painting, but once it's done it doesn't have to be done again.

Just above is what the kitchen dinette looked like when we moved in. Quite a transformation isn't it. The other reason I am really disliking painting this time is it's taking me three coats of paint to cover the coral color. I thought two coats would do it. But no it's taking three coats and that's for a good quality paint. Maybe I should have primed the walls and then painted, but then I'd have to buy primer as well.

Which brings me to the another reason I hate painting. Going up and down the ladder is very tiring not to mention difficult for me with my tired old bones and bad back so I can only paint so much in one day and then I have to rest up. I painted one wall of the living room a white sandstone color which looks real nice. I thought it would only take two coast over the pale aqua color. No, that's taking three coats too. Now I'm wondering now why I decided to paint that room too. If only I could find a painter who wants some pottery.

By now you may be wondering about the title of this post. We decided we wanted a different dinette set for the kitchen dinette area. There's that budget thing cropping up again. I would love a rattan (click the link to find out how rattan is now being made into artificial bone) set like the one above, maybe a lighter color. They're very popular and cost an arm and a leg even for used. Perhaps not the best choice with three cats though. Anyway we've been looking on Craig's list and in second hand stores and just couldn't find anything we both could agree on or could afford. Finally Gary suggested we go to the Habitat for Humanity store. There are two in this county and the first one didn't have a dinette which was small enough to fit.

Yesterday we went to the second Habitat store and there was the oak pedestal table (in the first photo) but no chairs. It had a price of forty dollars on it. Neither of us could quite agree if it would look good in our dinette area. We also wondered if we could find some chairs which would go with it. We looked around the store for a while but kept coming back to the oak table. One of the guys who works in the store noticed us hemming and hawing over the table. He came over to see what our discussion was about. We chatted a while, still hemming and hawing, voicing our hesitations and indecision.

Finally the guy says to us, how about thirty dollars? That settled all our hemming and hawing, we took the table home. When we got home we started looking for chairs. Of course there were none to be found we could afford or that we thought would work with the oak table. We started wondering if we'd made a mistake buying a table with no chairs. As I was painting the wall in the dining room it dawned on me. We have a table we rarely use with six chairs in the dining room. I looked at the chairs and thought two of them would look just fine with the dinette table. What do you think? Sometimes (I think) hemming and hawing really pays off. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins

The other day we visited the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins in Homosassa. Built in 1851 by the first Florida US Senator, David Levy Yulee, with the labor of 69 slaves, the mill ruin sits on the banks of the Homosassa River near the former antebellum home and 5000 acre Margarita Plantation of Yulee.

The mill was hewn from Florida limestone, brick, and wood. The machinery for the mill was brought in by ship around Cape Florida from New York and included a steam engine used to process the sugar and large kettles to boil the juices.

The sugar cane was processed by crushing through these huge metal rollers which squeezed the juice from the canes. Sugar cane is a true perennial grass and grows 6 to 19 feet tall. The tough fibrous stalks are full of the sugars.

Part of the steam boiler brought from New York.

Remains of several kettles where the cane juice was boiled.

A couple of sugar cane stalks I got at my local produce market to show you. The dried sugar cane stalks are beautiful.

Today sugar cane is the largest crop in the world and is grown in 90 countries. Approximately 1.6 billion tons are grown, the top producer being Brazil where much of the juice is fermented to produce ethanol used as a substitute for gasoline. The remaining parts of the cane called bagasse a biomass which can be burned by steam to produce electricity. Half of all sugar cane is still harvested by hand. After six to seven months of growing the fields are set on fire where the leaves are burned away and later the cane is cut down with a machete. A skilled worker can cut up to 1100 pounds of cane in an hour. A simple trip to the Yulee Sugar Mill Ruins and reading about sugar cane production, ethanol, and bagassee has made me realize I have much to learn about world cultures and economies. This post is part of the Mud Colony what's happening in the studio. Not really pottery related, but definitely inspirational. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Tea Tray for Tea Bowls

An idea to make a tray to carry a couple of tea bowls to the table came to me yesterday. I thought of an organic shaped tray with a wood feel and natural clay colors. Although I did add some blue and yellow stains as well. I made the depressions for the tea bowls after I added the stains. I don't care for the interruption of the swirls. I think next time I'll make the depressions first and then add the stains.

The size of the pinched tea bowls is larger than I envisioned for this tray. Since they are separate I can always make a larger tray for these bowls and smaller tea bowls for this tray.

I added some swirls of stain inside the cups but that may detract from seeing the tea in the bowl, maybe not.   Still they'd be nice bowls for rice, soup, or salad. I may make a few more of these trays. I might even make a pinched tea pot. It's been a couple of weeks since I've made anything in clay. Got to get back in the groove. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Snapping Turtle Rescued

Yesterday as we were coming back from the fish market I spied a large turtle crossing the road. There was quite a bit of traffic so Gary pulled over so I could block cars from hitting the turtle. This turtle is over 12 inches long just in the shell. I intended to pick up the turtle and carry it across the road, but as I neared the turtle I saw it was a snapping turtle.

Snapping turtles can reach their hind legs with their long necks and bite. If you pick them up or drag them by their tail their spine can be injured. If you get them to bite a stick and drag them their undersides and legs will be rubbed raw and infection can set in.

Of course when the turtle saw me approaching she stopped moving. I assumed it was a female who had ventured out of the water to lay her eggs. What was I going to do? I decided to stand in the middle of the road and direct traffic around her.

Just about then the sheriff came by from the other direction and I flagged him down. He asked me if the turtle had been injured yet. I said no. He quickly got out of his truck with some large thick gloves. He used a special technique to get the turtle to retract his head by tapping his head with the glove and waiting to see if the turtle would try to bite.

When he saw the turtle seemed docile enough he put on the gloves and picked up the turtle and carried it across the road. Here you can see how large the turtle was in comparison to the sheriff's gloved hands. I suspect the turtle was quite heavy too. I'm so glad the sheriff came along. Thanks for reading and for all your comments..

A Very Charming Day

Yesterday was the second day of our yard sale. We didn't have as many visitors, but the visitors who came by stayed a little longer to chat, telling us their stories. One neighbor has had more than ten successful businesses in his life time. Another neighbor is a painter and comes from a family of artists. Another visitor came back for more of my pottery and said she had already put several of my dishes in her home and was so happy to have them.

A young girl came by with her mother and bought one of my pendants. She said she worked with clay at her school. I asked her if she wanted me to put the pendant on her and she said yes. While I put the pendant on I asked her name, she said it was Tiara. She already knew my name. When she left she called out "Bye Linda" and I said "Bye Tiara, keep working with your clay". I noticed Tiara had a little skip to her walk as she went to the car with her mother.

At the end of the day an unlikely pair of gentlemen came by in a handicap van. They looked at this and that and one said "He's 40 and I'm 80; we make the rounds to the garage sales together". The 80 year old bought a butterfly pin for "one of my neighbors who collects butterflies" and then he bought an old postcard "for my other neighbor who has cancer; he collects old postcards". He reached into his pocket for change to pay and pulled out his angel charm. He said "Here I want you to have this charm, it will bring you good luck". Later I thought I already had good luck. I met a very generous person; a person only thinking of others and not himself. Thanks for the charm. Yesterday was a good day; it was a very charming day.

Mistakes & Pottery Sales

There's a video making the blog rounds by Chris Staley called Liking Mistakes which struck a chord with me. I can remember so many mistakes, or what I thought were mistakes, in my pottery. For instance the red bowl above an otherwise acceptable bowl but for the black dot just below the rim on the inside. A clay impurity bursting forth during the firing. A little bit of serendipity.



So many times the pieces I haven't initially liked have been the ones folks have chosen first from my pottery. So today I'm embracing my pottery mistakes. Do you have any handmade pottery with what might be considered a mistake? Is that why you chose it?

It got up to 85 today, perfect weather for our yard sale. I sold more pottery than I ever have before in one day. Thank goodness for small favors. I did so many firings this past month I've been dreading receiving the electric bill.

There are quite a few local folks who are collecting my pottery. One lady bought two boxes, yes boxes, full of pottery. Another lady bought a whole bag full. Even some of my experimental pieces sold. Thanks so much. I'll have more pottery tomorrow so come on by and see what else I have to sell. This post is part of Artists in Blogland show and tell Saturday. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Piquant Cornbread Muffins

The other day I saw a gluten free cornbread mix at the grocery so I decided to try it. In the back of my mind I wanted to spice the mix up a little. I decided to add some peppers to the mix.

I happened to have two poblano peppers, so I blistered them under the broiler, peeled their skin, and chopped them up medium fine. If you don't want to mess with the fresh peppers, you could substitute a can of chopped ortega peppers. I even thought I could add some canned corn. What ingredients would you add to a cornbread mix to spice it up?

I added the chopped peppers to the dry cornbread mix then I added the liquids one cup of milk, two eggs, and half a cup of olive oil. I baked the muffins at 375 F for 22 minutes. Watch closely at the end and don't over cook them. You want a crust on the outside but a soft moist interior.

I decided to put the muffins in cupcake papers so I could get them out of the pan easier. They could also be frozen for later too. If we happen to take a long road trip, these muffins are great to take for a snack while driving. Gary said he normally doesn't like cornbread because it's always so dry. Cornbread can be dry if over cooked. The trick is to see just a slight browning on the top edges. Also if you press your finger on the top of the muffin it springs back, then they are cooked just right.

We're having a yard sale tomorrow and the next day so I've been busy getting ready for that and haven't had much time to visit other blogs, but I will be back visiting again soon. After three years we have our treasure bus almost completely unloaded. We've been downsizing in hopes of traveling around again one of these days. If you're new to my blog, click the link to learn more about our treasure bus and find out how we moved from California to Florida on a shoestring. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

A Powder Puff, A Woman

Along the roadside near the fish market, I spied this flower blooming prolifically. After two nights of freezing temperatures I was amazed it had survived. Gary stopped the car so I could capture a photo. He called it a red puff ball, and indeed, it's common name is powder puff ball, or Calliandra haematocephala. At first I thought it was a bottle brush tree, it is related but different, having a more round flower.

In addition to the fluffy red flowers, being a broad leaf evergreen doubly endears this plant in the landscape. The name powder puff instantly brought forth images of ladies of yesteryear powdering themselves with soft cotton puffs dipped in a fragrant powder after a bath.

Julian Mandel

Julian Mandel, 1872-1925, was one of the best known commercial photographer's of female nudes of the twentieth century. 

Georges-Pierre Seurat

Georges-Pierre Seurat, 1859-1801 was a French post impressionist painter and draftsman. He is noted for his innovative use of drawing media and for devising the technique of painting known as pointillism.

Georges Barbier

Georges Barbier, 1882-1932, was a French painter, designer, and illustrator and popularized the style of art deco of the roaring twenties. Barbier's posters are still popular today.

Did  you ever have a powder puff. Do you know someone who did? A grandmother or an aunt perhaps. As a young child I remember my mother had a powder puff in a small cardboard container. I vaguely recall opening it, smelling the powder, dreaming of becoming a grown woman some day. This post is part of Mud Colony what's happening in the studio. Thanks for reading and for all  your comments.. 

Joni Mitchell

Did I ever mention I love Joni Mitchell's music?



I play her songs when Gary isn't around since he doesn't like her music. One of the few things we disagree on. How could he not? I'm still baffled after all these years.



Unique sound and yet it's the messages behind the work I find even more captivating.



Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Microwave Door Latch Repair $160

This morning the microwave door wouldn't stay closed. It's less than three years old. First we looked on the internet and read a broken spring mechanism in the door latch is a common problem with a Samsung microwave. We called a repair person and they said they didn't work on Samsung appliances because they were too complicated and prone to breaking. We called another repair person who said it would cost one hundred sixty dollars to fix it.  We looked on the internet again and found out the part is less then three dollars. On an appliance repair forum Gary read he could drill a hole in the plastic part which holds the latch and reattach the spring. Five minutes later our microwave was fixed. If you need your microwave door latch fixed Gary is willing to fix it for a small fee, much less than one hundred sixty dollars.

Above is some citrus shrimp we had the other day. For a vegetarian meal you can also make citrus vegetables. Saute the vegetables of your choice. I used shallots, ginger, mushrooms, celery, red bell pepper, and carrots. When the vegetables are soft (remove and saute shrimp and then add the vegetables back in and then) add the juice of one grapefruit (or juice of two oranges) to which you've added one tablespoon of cornstarch and one teaspoon of brown sugar. Stir over medium heat till thick. Just before serving I added  half a cup of chopped cilantro. I served the citrus shrimp over rice. Oh so good. Our tender plants are covered because a hard freeze is expected tonight and tomorrow night. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Getting Closer and a Dream

Three coats and the rains have returned and this weekend a cold snap is predicted. But the boat is looking pretty good isn't it? I wanted to get one more coat of both colors. Now Gary wants me to hand paint the letters for a name on the boat. What? After all that work painting the boat with those three coats, he wants me to risk hand painting the letters. But what to name it. He wants to call it gator bait, not such a good name.  There's actually a web page with all kinds of boat names. The motor is rebuilt and Gary has the outside of the motor all primed. Next he'll paint the motor with the original color. It's a Johnson motor. We want to get an original label for the motor too. We're getting closer to the maiden voyage.

I forgot to show you this plate, one of two, from the last firing. I used a texture mat - a plastic place mat I got years ago. It has little squiggley depressions all over it. Then I put a few stains and a clear glaze. Not sure this red is good on a plate for eating though.

This morning I awoke from a dream I was having about selling pottery at a large important show. I was at the show and wasn't selling much. I was sharing the booth with another potter and she had long red hair. (One of my best girlfriends from high school had long red hair). Inside the booth I was firing a tall wood kiln which looked like a free standing fireplace. (Remember this is a dream). I was stoking it from the back. I closed the damper to gain some reduction I went around front and peeked inside. Reduction looked perfect, the fire was almost out but not completely. I could see the pots were going to be really good.

Next thing you know the show police came around and gave me a ticket for creating too much smoke. I glanced up and saw the smoke was billowing in the sky, way, way up into the sky. With the cost of a very expensive ticket I was going to have to get a regular job and only work on pottery in the evenings. I was really disappointed,  thinking just when I'm getting some really good pots.  But I resigned myself to working during the day and on pots only in the evenings. Then I woke up: my heart was beating really fast in a panicked sort of way. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Welcome to the New Day

Every morning I open the front door and let the cat on the front porch.

I usually go back inside and check my emails with a cup of coffee. Today I saw a break in the rain we've been having.

A lavender, pink, and gray glow to the clouds beckons me outside. I venture out and notice the air is clean and fresh; it envelopes me like a cool bubble, wrapping me in it's gentle goodness.

A moistness is glistening on the ground below me and on all the plants.

I feel a lightness in the air and in my step.

I float along as I walk, above I hear birds chirping their song.

The earth is saying welcome to the new day; Welcome to the New Day.

White Rabbit

There's no way I could wait till the first day of March to show you my rabbit. I thought about adding some color to him but in the end I decided to keep him white, the natural color of the clay. He has a clear satin glaze to give him a little shine. He was made by pinching clay and is six inches tall and four inches wide. He's plump and a bit serious looking because he has a couple of secrets. He hides coins and if you say White Rabbit on the first day of the month he'll bring you good luck.

If only I can figure out a stopper to fit in the bottom. When I made him Michele of Meesh's Pottery advised me to make the opening on the bottom recessed. But he was already made and I didn't want to risk breaking his ears off so I left him alone. Michele makes awesome piggy banks. 

I tried a cork but the one I tried was too large and I promptly broke it in half. The opening is one inch. A quarter will easily fit through the slot and out the bottom. Perhaps I can find a rubber or wood stopper which will fit. I see this company has rubber, plastic, pvc, composition, and cork stoppers in all different sizes. Anyway he's happy to be here with or without a stopper till I have time to find one that fits. This post is part of Mud Colony what's happening in the studio. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Experimenting

This was an experimental form which I thought would be good for a covered cheese dish. Unfortunately it developed two cracks at the bottom underneath during the drying. I decided to fire it anyway just to see how it would do. The cracks didn't get any larger; this would hold a good sized piece of cheese underneath. I'll try making this one again. It's really difficult to get the glaze in all the nooks and crannies of the curled parts but would be worth it if I can succeed next time. I might round the edges of the handle portion more. I never did make a plate for it to sit on since it had the cracks. The plate would change the look somewhat but still it would work. I may make a few plates to see what it would look like.

I tried a copper wash over a fern and the fern outline isn't defined enough. So I'll use ferns for other treatments but not this one. I don't like the round depression in the bottom of this plate either.

This is another fern plate but I dusted the surface with some sprinkled slip. Once again the fern isn't working and neither are the sprinkles. But I do like the organic shape of this plate and I'm going to make a template from it to use for more plates. I think a more organic shape will work better with the leaf plates I'm making.

Here's the sunflower platter I made a while ago. The rim is just too rough and wavy for my liking. This comes about when I try to form the rim before it's firm enough. There's a fine line between not firm enough and too firm. It's times like these when I think I need to make a slump mold. I've been putting that off but I may just have to venture into that realm.

I think I should have put the black stain on the rim too. Look at the little bit of cobalt showing up in the black, I like the sheen and variation it gives to the color. This also happened in the owl platter. I might have to experiment with thinning the black stain down a little more to see what color variations I can get with it. I'm envisioning a black and slightly blue plate surface.

All is not lost with experimenting. With each firing I learn a little more and in turn there are more paths to venture down. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.