A new dragon by Gary Rith

 My Gary Rith dragon arrived on Monday! I'm so thrilled. Tuesday's coffee will be imbibed from the lips of the mug, while dragon looks on from the handle. Isn't she cute?

Thanks a lot, Gary, for creating this charming mug!

A complete surprise was the little tail on the other side of the mug!

Here's his Etsy shop if you are looking for some unique and charming pottery.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Rith?ref=l2-about-shopname&from_page=listing

Today's quote:

In any free society, the conflict between social conformity and individual liberty is permanent, unresolvable, and necessary. -Kathleen Norris, novelist and columnist (1880-1966)

Dragons be all around these days!

 Not sure where this first flying one came from into Facebook-land ... but what a gorgeous view.

Someone was very creative to make these dragon bookends.

My friend and fellow potter, Gary Rith made a dragon mug, and one with a unicorn!

I just put my 5th little one into the kiln with glaze on her. No. 6 is waiting to bisque. I haven't felt quite up to creating in clay for the last week or so. I have some big ideas stewing in my mind however!

I've always loved the Bosch detective stories, and listening to this one again has been enjoyable. I can stop the story any time my coughing interferes with the story. Incidentally, no dragons were harmed in the making of this book...indeed they are simply a reference to the Triad gangs from China. Those people were violent!

Dare I share dragons with Eileen's Saturday's Critters?

Hope you have a great week ahead!

Today's quote:

The history of the Universe has been summed up thusly:

"Hydrogen is a light, odorless gas, which, given enough time, turns into people."

—John P. Wiley Jr.

(quoting Edward R. Harrison)

Last Saturday's pottery I brought home

 That's the trouble with bringing pots to market. You have to wrap and cart them home again when they don't sell.

Here are a few that were there and now packed in my trunk of my car all week.

A simplified monarch mug

Things still have the red tent reflection sometimes...there is no red on any of these pots!

A great pot pie or soup bowl

 

I brought the Monarch wall pillow home again. I didn't feel that anyone was going to like it as much as I do.  It is wired to hang on a nail or picture hook, and of course is safe outside as well as inside.

Doesn't everyone need a blue bird of happiness?

I was happy to see how many people picked up the calico kitty, but then they put it down. I bet they think small means it should be cheap. But just think, it's wheel thrown, adjusted, trimmed, added ears and eyes, then glazed in 4 different colors all applied by hand. Is $15 out of line?

but then again, it's at a Tailgate Market!

These are the cheapest things on the table...tiny vases for $10...again thrown, trimmed and glazed!

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And for those who are interested in stopping the Heritage Foundation's influence on Project 2025 and the GOP platform for this election, I found this:

 "Did you know that you can directly oppose the Heritage Foundation? As a 501c3 corporation, the Heritage Foundation is not allowed to participate in politics, let alone publish political manifestos. You can download Project 2025 pdf from the website and attach it to IRS Form 13909 and challenge their tax exempt status.

Here's their EIN # 23-7327730

Money is the only weapon. Here is your second American Revolution. Right here. It doesn't take that long to file.

Christopher DiverThe People's Project 

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Today's quote:

I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" -Eve Merriam, poet and writer (1916-1992)

Some of my pottery and health update

 These are the things I'm trying to sell. At reasonable market prices at the Tailgate Market, each Sat. just for 3 hours, 9-12. (I usually post pottery on my art blog, but feel this is easier for you all to see on this one.)

A pair of brown bowls with leaf designs.

This larger  bowl has chop-stick resting grooves along the top edge.

A fluted serving bowl, with just one color. The sun reflected off our red tent.

A slightly wonky bread bowl. It's large, not perfect, but ideal for rising a double loaf...and not pink.

A white classical shape vase with red trim (no pink, remember the sun on the red tent reflecting down)

The base of the white vase....remember no pink!

Downward Cat mug

El Gordo Gato...fat cat mug...the face

And each side has a leg, with the tail by the handle.

A little sugar bowl with faceted sides

Me holding the lid and showing the inside is green glaze.

Top on the sugar bowl. 

I must mention Cathy's remaining little dishes with flowers and leaves glazed designs, and her little black bears, which bring smiles often to those who have encountered our local wildlife around their trash bins.

These overviews give better color quality. Sold the two little soap dishes at top middle.

And I sold one of the blue and white mugs in center left.

Personal note:

Thanks for all the well-wishes that I received the day before. Yesterday was more of the same conditions of my coughing, until I got to the Dr. office.

Saw Nurse Practitioner yesterday. Had a breathing treatment after she listened to my lungs. She reviewed what my pulmonologist had said last Fri when he started me on Singular, and upped the dose on my Advair inhaler. She said to try going without the Singular. 

It seems to have been an acute episode of bronchiectasis...so she's increasing all the treatments I have (but haven't been doing lately.) So nebulize not only with saline solution twice a day, but Albuterol also. And get back to using the therea-vest, which shakes my lungs to get stuff loose. I'll have to set that up again somewhere where I can sit comfortably for 15 minutes at a time, with lots of rumbling noises. And she started me on an antibiotic for 2 weeks, at which time I am to go see her again. I sure had a good thorough visit, including a student, and a couple of nurse assistants. 

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Today's quote:

There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for humankind.

 -Hannah Senesh, poet, playwright, and paratrooper (1921-1944)

Saturday in Black Mountain

Well, I'm over at the Tailgate Market of course, showing my pottery to the folks who just really have thought; "great aunt Gertie might like that and she's always got room for one more little piece of pottery"...or perhaps "that is just the thing I need for my ----!" Thinking positive this week!

I forgot to introduce you to our favorite critter visitor last week, this charming little grasshopper. She had really sticky feet, and when we tried to flick her off my finger, after she quite willingly walking on it from Amelia's arm, she held on for dear life. We finally gently put her in the bouquet of flowers that were displaying a beautiful vase.

Lake Tomahawk Canada Geese

The picnic shelter offered cool shade on Wednesday last week...and there was a great breeze off the water to increase the cooling of our 84 degrees of sunshine.

Better detail of the Canada Geese. They seem happy feeding in the grass, perhaps recently cut so there's lots of goodies. But they also are not-so-politely waiting for the folks picnicking in the shelter, as seen above in silhouette. The white ones often will waddle right into the picnic area looking for scraps.

Lake Tomahawk Dam

As of Wednesday last week, there were sprinklers working on the dam. Some of the grass looks a bit parched.

And for those thinking of fishing, it is allowed in the lake, with usual state licensing provisions, but I think kids can do so without a license.

10-30-1904 Hannah's Reef, Galveston Bay.

My grandfather, George Rogers was probably the smallest man there. And his sister Annie Lou might have been the person on the far left. I never saw my grandfather with hair, so he could perhaps have been the boatman on the far right. That gentleman isn't holding a fishing pole. But this is all conjecture, and I never bet on my own guesses. Don't they have a fine catch!

I prefer Norman Rockwell's version of fishing!

Today's quote:

When we offer nothing but excuses in our lives, we are not being honest with anybody, mostly ourselves.

Sharing with Sepia Saturday this week

and Eileen's Saturday Critters

Just some stuff

 

I love this photo, but of course didn't take it. Seattle with Mt. Rainier 50 miles to the south.

This photo is one from my memories folder on FaceBook. 2018 in New York, my son Russ with his daughters posed in front of this sign. I thought it was a strange thing for the Jewish Museum to post. A friend of mine told me that it's a New York restaurant by that name. Those people who keep secrets from the rest of us!  Grrr.

Monday was hot, but it's due to be hotter today. We had at one time a possibility of thunder storms around 2 on Monday, but that didn't happen. Then at 5:40 we got rain in Black Mountain. By then all these sun worshippers had gone home. Me too. The rain had a bit of thunder, but was only a summer shower of 15 minutes.

I went to the studio after lunch here at the Lakeview Center.

I worked on another dragon, this one related to unicorns. Tee hee, I do digress in my good-dragon creations. These dragons are dedicated to saving the earth.

 The clay I'm working with dries out very fast, so maybe it's the air-conditioning, or I'm slow. But I will try doing something else with it and see if it is better that way.

This is a small plate (with three glazes overlapping to give 6 colors) and I am asking $28 for it. People pick it up, then pass. It's a bit heavy. But hey, it's pretty folks! The butterfly mug behind it has gone home with it's maker, namely me. I figured I was tired of people looking at it and not buying it, and I liked it enough to have at home. The little plate on the left is simple and I have a visible tag of $10. Geese. Just nobody wants to serve cheese or mints on any of these! So no plates will be out next Saturday.

As you can see, I'm terrible at retail. And I hate it. 

OK enough of the "troubles of an elderly potter" who after all isn't among the best out there, if I'm being totally honest.

I was relieved yesterday, when I talked with my son in FL who has Covid, that he was feeling better. And I messaged my cousin who lives near Houston. She only had rain at first, then a bit of wind blew a tree down across her driveway. She's very thankful that she still has electric power. She says today her neighbors may be able to help cut the tree up.

My health is ok, with coughing occurring at unexpected moments, brought on by dust in the air, or my position leaning back in a chair or lying down. I'm best sitting straight up.

 (Bronchiectasis/COPD/Asthma) Or just stress.

 I use my rescue inhaler, but it seldom really helps diminish coughs once they've started. And after a few hours of coughing I feel pretty exhausted.  I nebulize (breathe through a tube) with a saline solution to break up the mucous, but I usually am able to cough it up already. I just get tired of coughing and do the nebulizer just because that's another thing I should try. I'm going to complain to my pulmonologist today. He never has said anything will cure the coughs. He also won't tell me what my prognosis is.

Today's quote:

Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed. 

-Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1819-1891)

Poor sales at the Market

 It's really hard being next to a good bakery booth, where there are constant lines of people purchasing the goodies. We had one sale, a beautiful vase made by Cathy, who couldn't be at the market.

Amelia's flowers and her pottery, with the breads of the bakery in the background.

Coming home to see my kitchen window, such a relief.

I had a great difficulty with coughing at the market today...which leaves me pretty wiped out. I'm not sure I can keep doing this every week. Am talking with friends who are part of our little co-op.

Cathy's green vase (it looks yellowish here) with little  leaves painted on the side.  (not the green bottle with the white stripe.)

Note: This post is not a whining complaint. It's a realistic look at how things are, and my thinking that things need to change. What can  I change?

Today's quote:

"No woman should say, 'I am but a woman!' But a woman! What more can you ask to be? Born a woman — born with the average brain of humanity — born with more than the average heart — if you are mortal, what higher destiny could you have? No matter where you are nor what you are, you are a power." Maria Mitchell, astronomer, professor

Remembering Saturday's market

 

Several of those pots are now gone...either sold or removed to make room for others that I wish to sell.

These are the last of Cathy's pottery, until she has recuperated enough to make something new and brilliant. Many friends stopped by to ask after her, and sent messages!

Another missing Mud Buddy is Bette Potter Jones, who used to sit in her chair and give the dogs treats. Several folks asked how she's doing. (She has decided not to come every Sat. and rather enjoy being at home at 90 years old!)

Friend Ellen had to go say hi to this pup. The owners said they had Golden Retrievers that missed seeing Bette (and her treats!)

The following photos are of our competition at the market.

Just 3 booths down from ours was a "day booth" set up by Cariku, the new pottery studio/school in Black Mountain. They had a mix of students and teacher's works for sale, and did a brisk business,  definitely selling to our usual customers. Grrrr!

Before the market  even opened, painters were at work on the new build across the street.

Today's Quote:

There are few uglier traits than this tendency -- witnessed in men no worse than their neighbors -- to grow cruel, merely because they possessed the power of inflicting harm. -Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer (4 Jul 1804-1864)