Just something funny

These are Quaid's playmobile figures. He LOVES them! He calls them "his guys" and usually they kind of drive me crazy because there have a 1000 different parts and they are all over the house, not to mention his bedroom. Well the other morning I went into his room and glanced over at his toybox and noticed there where tons of guys laying around on it. After I took another glance I noticed that they seemed to have been set up like some battle. I remembered the night before I heard all this "Wham, Bam, Gotcha" and some screams coming from his room so I had to laugh when I saw that HIS guys where all placed in obviously a certain way. When I asked him what they where all doing he answered back "wrestling". Anyways, Joey and I thought this was funny.
On a side note, these toys are made so well and I have to admit I love buying them for him because they have so many cool things that come with them.

I'm off to turn up the kiln......later!~

Phase one of our new schedule

Last week was Kindergarten and 6am wake-up call. I'm happy to report we made it through with flying colors. I think really the first few weeks of doing something new is pretty successful, its after awhile that you start slacking off and then it comes unraveled. I just have to remember to keep all my "balls" up in the air and not to let any drop or it can all go very wrong!!!! ( That's when I start driving Quaid to school in my PJ's!)

Joey went to visit his mom this weekend in Raleigh and took Aydan with him. It was hard to decide which girl should go. I even at one point was just going to go the safe and easy route and elect Quaid to go, but he always gets to go on trips. It was Aydan's turn this time and her Dad said she was great.

I went ahead and took McKenna and Quaid to the Charlotte rapter's center on Saturday. We had a great time. Owls are my favorite birds and we got to see lots of them. I was just remembering how the first time I got to work with Clay in highschool I made a pencil jar that was an owl. ( my mom still has it!)Strange how those things tend to connect in the unconscious. The birds up close are just so amazing to look at. The patterns that there feathers make are so wonderful I wished I could of gotten a close up photo of it to have in my files for patterns. It was a nice weekend.

I was out in my shed tonight working on glazing for my next kiln load. I'm finishing up a gallery order and experimenting with some glazes for a dinnerware set I'm making. I have a busy week. Lots of throwing to do with the dinnerware set and just filling up some space I have for my show in Blowing Rock. I also have to write a grant for some money I would like to receive to help me build a salt kiln. This project is so way off in my furture its seems I will never get back to doing this type of work. Slowly I'm stocking up on the equipment so I'll have it when the time is right. Wish me luck!

Hummmmmmmmm

Here is a photo of the flower blocks I've been working on. I have one ready for bisque in my studio but something about makes me not really love it. Is it the feet? Of course it doesn't look just like this one but kind of similar. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? If so, I'd love the input!

Being an independent worker

My sister in law came out on my porch last night and said that it seemed sort of sad and isolated for me to be out working watching my movie and everyone else in watching football game. I told her some that most nights it was really nice. My mom was telling me today that the older she gets the more she gets "people overload". She said that if she has to be in a crowd or group for days at a time she needs home time by herself. I can totally relate. I think I have always enjoyed my alone time since I was little. I'm sure it has a lot to do with being an intervert. I need my space at least for an hour every day. I had a roommate in college that use to get made at me for not wanting to always go out and be social. You know, sometimes socializing takes a lot of effort for someone like me. So this thought brought me to another one which is working independently. The older I get the more I don't like people telling me what I should or should not do. ( Joey can certainly agree with that). I think pretty much my parents are the only people I will listen to. If anyone else starts bugging me about something I need to change or do it really puts me in what I like to call "testy land". I think working for myself is perfect for me. I don't like taking to many orders but I was raised to do what I'm told if I'm working for someone. Other than that, if its my own business and my own decision, I like to keep it that way. I know that one of my daughter has inherited this. Here is a photo of her in her new cowboy boats and pumkin socks that I got for her at the twin sale. For half the morning she pushed around her doll buggy and would stop to stomp and let everyone now she was in the room. It was hilarious but very telling of her little personality.

What's up?

Its Sunday - did the week go and why didn't I get on here to post??????????? Well, as far as pottery business went this week, it was kind of casual. I worked on cream and sugar sets. In fact, this evening I'm going to try and come up with a new tray for my standard set. My "opera" stage set I've decided is just for special show and stuff. I'm sure that most people cannot afford or really want a big cream and sugar sitting on there table. SO.....Tonight, its time for some thinking and sketching before I throw. I also worked on my pedestal bowls. I made some big ones and some smaller ones that make wonderful candy dishes. (I think these will be popular around Christmas). I'm finishing up these items for a gallery order and then its onto some dinnerware.

I opened the paper this morning to see a little article about my home show. A friend of mine who works for the Charlotte Observer has started writing an article about "York county" events and chose my little show to be one of her first articles. Thanks Cheney! The publicity is always good for business.

Sooooooooo, the majority of my week was trying to get set for next week. Family, kids and organization. On top of that, we are trying to do major potty training with the twins girls. This is proving to be a task with the two of them. I think Mckenna's got it but Aydan is having accidents left and right. The pre-school we are sending them too has a policy that the 3 year old children have to be potty-trained. We have 2 1/2 weeks left for her to get this. It's so hard to have two kids, the same age and trying to do the same things all the time. No one knows what its like to have twins unless you DO have them.

My final big event last week was the annual winter "Twin Sale" in Charlotte. I belong to this huge (yes I said huge) group in the Charlotte area called "Mothers of Multipals" and they have two sales a year. Its a big deal for mom's like me. You have to get things ready to sell on Thursday night, Friday night you wait in this big lottery line to buy the things and on Saturday you go back to pick up your not sold items. This event pretty much consumes my week and weekend but it pays off. I get the kids so many cloths, books and such and also make money on there old stuff. Here in the sea of mom's I feel like they all know what it is like to deal with my day to day dealings with the girls. Some of these women have a lot more on there plates then I do with triplets and Quads. The number of women with multiples have grown in the last 5 -10 years because so many women wait to have kids so they can further there career. This results in a lot of fertility drugs being used or just the bodies nature progression of getting rid of eggs when your "biological clock" starts winding down. (I'm sure this was my case since I had the twins at age 36).

Next week we will be ( or I will be) trying to figure out how to work late and get up early for kindergarten car pool. I know some things will have to change around here, I'm just not sure in what order it will happen. I'll keep you posted.

Great Day

Today the weather was wonderful here. It felt like early fall and in turn it was a great day to be out in my studio working. Not to hot, not to cold. ( For those of you who don't know, I work on a screened in porch off the back of our house and in the winter I freeze, even with pounds of plastic nailed up and in the summer I bake, even with a fan going). I put on some Ryan Adams and went to town making pedestal bowls and creamers. The kids got to play outside and go to the pool with Joey and then we went to my folks for dinner. I can't say that was so good because Aydan managed to sneak away after dinner and she smeared red toothpaste all over my parents upstairs bathroom. Thanks goodness my mom was kind of use to things like this since about 37 years ago I was doing the same kind of things. Than both twins had a super meltdown and we decided it was time to get in the car and go. But all in all it was a good Sunday! Hope your was good as well!

Low-Key weekend

I'm still taking it easy. I guess I should kind of start getting into action or I could be in for a major shock soon! I got on order of plates done and shipped out last night and after that I decide to putts around the yard. I'm addicted to planting stuff and seeing what happens with it. I have to admit I don't think I'm very good at landscaping but maybe its just trial and error to see what lives, where it should go and how tall things really get. I've noticed some real planting "boo-boos" I've made with heights of things. I tend to like perennials a whole lot because I get excited each year to see them come up out of the ground. Its almost like an old friend that has surfaced. I tend to be a little strange with placing human feelings on things like animals and plants. Since the loss of my cat Mindy I've taken a real shine to our outdoor cat Paws that Quaid found last summer( she really is more of an indoor cat these days because I want to pamper her so much). The kids think its funny how I talk to her about all sorts of things. Mostly her weight. She came to us pretty skinny and with kittens so now that she has food at her disposal she tends to over-eat a bit. She seems to always be at her dish asking for food and I give it to her because I've never had a cat with such an appetite before. She's getting quit a large tummy on her and she enjoys laying around and I haven't seen her catch a thing in months. Anyways, she's very sweet and like all pets a big part of the family.

Tomorrow I really need to get myself back in full gear. Hopefully the weather will be nice so the kids can have fun outside, Joey can get some house painting done and I can turn up the tunes and throw, throw, throw!
Have a good one everyone!

Good Week/Finally an article I can relate too!

Its been a good week! I was reflecting today how I've really enjoyed this summer and just hanging out with my kids. Quaid was back at camp this week so the girls and I just kind of hung around the house and played, read books, did some shopping and I just enjoyed being here in my house with "my little chickens". ( I'm trying to potty train so its better to just lay low when your dealing with accidents anyways).
Since I'm the mom thing again,I've been meaning to write about a great article I read in Clay Times this month. It was by Lana Wilson and of course it was about being a parent and a potter at the same time. This article is the 2nd in a series she is doing and I think( for me atleast) its about time! Ever since I had Quaid I have been thinking how there are not many people who I can relate too that try and juggle two jobs. That really hit me dead on at a pottery conference I went to where the majority of the potters there did not have children. My mother-in- law said to me once that she was surprised that I wanted to have kids because she always thought most artists where selfish with there art and didn't want another responsibility like having a child. At the time I thought that was a strange observation but it is one that I think does ring true in a lot of cases. Ever since I've been out of school I've seen several young potters like myself go and do all sort of amazing things and have great opportunities because they are not tied down. I admit I have been very envious of them. The fact I can't go here or there any time I want to or spend a whole day on one idea limits me but also empowers me to want to push myself even harder. As I approach 40 I've hit the point where I can't stay up like I use to for long hours and I have to change my position on the wheel or I'll be sore the next day. But, as far having drive to get ahead, that still has not changed and knowing there are other parents out there that have done it only helps me see how far I can still go.

Maybe if my Tec guy can get our printer up and going I'll scan the artical so it will be there for all to read.

Reflect, Rest and Revamp

It took until today to decide to get back in my studio and head into my Sept. orders( and finish up my August ones). I was so worn out from last week I didn't even want to step foot on my porch. It was like going into some office or job I just didn't feel like being at so I took Monday off as well. When I was a teenager and I just did not feel like going to school for some odd reason my mother would tell me to just stay home because I wasn't going to do my best anyways. She was a teacher so I know now as an adult that it was good advise and makes lots of sense. I always hear her saying that to me in my head when I'm just worn out and need a break.

So, here it is Tuesday evening and I did get back to work. I cleaned my studio, ground some pots, organized my orders that will be shipped out when completed and packed a piece for shipping. Tomorrow I have to get some plates in a bisque and then I will start to throw again. This month I won't really be working on anything new even though I'm itchin' to do just that. I have some pretty straight forward orders to finish and a big dinnerware set to begin. I'm really curious to see how I can fit all this in with the starting of..............DRUM roll please...........................................
KINDERGARTEN
Up at 6 to get everyone rolling. Why can't school just start at a normal hour like 10 so people can wake up at a sane hour like 8!~

Win some you ....Well you know the rest

My sale has come and gone. I'm so worn out today I'm in a daze. I'm going to go do some shopping today since its tax free shopping for school stuff and then visit with a friend over dinner and a movie. I always seem to need this kind of treat after a big event.

I had decide last year to only do my home show once a year because of all the work involved. Its just not me who has to get everything together when there is a family involved. I always need a lot of help from Joey and my family to keep the kids occupied, spiff up the house and what not. Of course they are always supportive of my efforts but this show was a bit of a disappointment and Joey said he thinks I need to just forget the home show business and focus on another show. Seems I always have lots of people who want to get on my mailing list and seem really excited when I say I have a show at my house but this year....few showed up. The weather was hot out side and it was a big shopping day, but one does get pretty bummed out when you feel like your support is not there. I do thank everyone that did come out. I love doing the sale and visiting with people but for some reason it was just not in the stars this go around. My friend Amy that did the show with me was great company and we made plans for doing a workshop together but I of course felt responsible for the lack of traffic to my home.
So onto other things. The calendar of evants keeps rolling along. I have a super busy August still and September. I did get a great suggestion from a customer about a vase shape to try so I think this week I'm going to start on that. When I get some made, I'll put a photo up hopefully and get some good feedback.

It will be great this week to get back to some normal activities with the kids. Quaid is back from a wonderful trip to DC with my folks. For being a 5 year old he really soaked up a lot about Mt. Veron and George Washington , which little by little we've been hearing about each day. It was so wonderful to see his little face come beaming into the back yard on Saturday saying" I"mmmm back!!"

Home Show with Amy Sanders
Friday * 6-9 and Saturday * 10-3

Come enjoy some refresments
and see some new work we have
been doing.

The heat!

Ok, everyone on the east coast knows it is hot. Well the heat really slowed me down today, which all in all I don't think was a bad thing. I needed it. I took the girls this morning to a pool party which in these conditions was great. They had fun, I spent time with them and we cooled off. Than around 2 my babysitter came and I headed out to the barn to glaze. My kiln really wasn't cool so having a hot kiln and the temp. being over 100 was not a great mix. I managed to get the glaze studio cleaned, made up a glaze and started to wax; by 4 I had had it! I had planned on getting everything glazed this afternoon and then this evening putting together some candle holders I had thrown Monday night. NO DEAL. I had to go shopping tonight for food for the show and got back into the studio to glaze at 8:30...I just finished and it 11:00 now. Tomorrow I have to teach so I will start again finishing up stuff for the second kiln at 2, lets hope the heats lets up a bit.

My son Quaid is on a trip to DC with my folks this week and I miss his sillyness so I had to post a photo of him and one of his little friends on here tonight. My friend Debi( the mother of the little girls) just sent this to me. This photo reminds me of Joey and myself( only as smaller people)-it tells such a story.

When you get overwhelmed, focus on something else.

I'm working like a mad women on my show stuff- trying to cram an extra week of work into a few days. I've had some much help from my mom friends here that I feel like I need to give them a little coupon to my show! So, what I was feeling all day while the girls where at someone's house playing or they were being entertained by the babysitter was how I need to do something fun with them soon. Some days I spend so much energy trying to keep everything going in my studio and my house that I forget to just relax and have fun with the kids. Its constantly popping up my head weather or not when they get older if they will only remember me running out to my studio all the time in a mad dash to finish something. Lots of time Quaid will stand by the door of my studio and ask me if I'll come play with him and I'll have to answer" I can't I've got work to do" and in my head the song "Cats in the Cradle and the silver spoon"......ect. Plays over and over. The girls where having so much fun in there little pool today playing with there fish and with the heat and the fact I had been basically working all day I just decided to quit and tell the sitter he could go home( yes I have a teenage boy who helps me with the kids...He's great!) We all came inside and layed on the couch and watched Snow-White together. The girls where thrilled to have me there talking to them and singing all the songs. They are so cute and sometime I think I'm missing out on so much by trying to be two people. On a positive note, I think seeing there parents work is a good thing for teaching work ethic and I think my kids have learned to be really good at entertaining themselves. They certainly are not shy with people because they have had such a host of people in and out of our house taking care of them while I'm in and out. So, see I could be overwhelmed with all that needs to get done for my show but instead I'm focusing on my other job instead. Sunday, I think will be a no work day for me.