A List of Things to NOT Do....

I looked at a list of things I was going to do from a few weeks ago. And now I am wondering if I should make a list of things to NOT do. Some of the things on my list I have decided against.

1. Do not make soap dishes, buy wooden ones instead (should the buy part go on a new to do list?)

2. Do not go to any mall-type store unless forced at gunpoint until after January 5th, 2008.

3. Do not turn on Christmas lights until after December 1st, 2007.

4. Do not start new hobbies until you are done with the other 1,000+ projects you have started.

Gee, not to do are harder than to-do I guess...

This handsome man is Nels Uranus Hanson (Hallstenson), he is my Grand Uncle. Born 17 May, 1864, married 1888 in Sheyenne, Eddy County, North Dakota, died 1902 in Two Harbors, Minnesota. He married a woman named Martha Hanson and after he died she remarried a man by the name of Warner. Mr. Richard Warner sent me some information about Nels a few years ago and I will post the history soon.

Time for Tinfoil Hats

Another little bird trivet...sitting in an orange tree!!

Thanksgiving week is official over at my house....not that I was here much.

My grandson wants to be an astronaut and he talks about quantum theories and things like that to me. He is 10. So of course I told him about my ride into outer space dream and asked him what he thought. The gist of it is that he thought that maybe aliens had invaded my mind and they were transporting me to some other place. He had seen something like this in an episode of Sponge Bob Squarepants (a cartoon character for anyone unfamiliar with him)....just in case I forget he is 10 year old!

Just as I suspected; those aliens again. Off to make my tinfoil hat, it must need a few more layers since these are very powerful aliens.

Odd Dreams and Vertigo

I went into space lastnight, I was in a space capsule of some kind and whoooosh, lift-off! It wasn't what I thought it would be like until gravity lost its pull, I liked that feeling. Then I woke up and I had vertigo. That is all I wanted to say today. That and now I am sort of stumbling around like a drunk; nothing to be done for it.

I made this little pitcher recently; it's so simple.

This Girl in Oakland

At the end of my walk, this view is my reward.

I started reading a blog by this potter in Oakland and I thought that I was in some kind of time warp or a reality blip....I don't remember writing this in my blog, these are my thoughts and who is this young girl at the wheel? Being well over 50 I can call her a girl I think....or am I being too politcially incorrect? Anyway, her work is so nice and her thoughts are so open and honest and like mine that I made a connection with this blogger. I RSS'd her shop so I can keep up with her pottery obsession. Her name is Whitney and I hope you can go visit her blog and buy some of her beautiful pottery. Be patient though because she has to go find styrofoam peanuts......don't I know THAT feeling!

So, lastnight it rained a lot. I keep telling my husband about the new gutters being filled with roofing rocks. Gotta find someone to clean the gutters - winter is coming and it will rain again.

I spent an hour or two looking at teapot books filled with odd, exciting, beautiful, gross, dainty, sturdy, wonderful teapots. It filled my head with ideas but in the end the ones I love the most are the straightforward sturdy workhorse teapot. In the coming year, 2008 I will make a goal to make x number of teapots; I haven't decided how many yet. I do know that the more I make the better they will become so maybe I will set some extreme number (for me) like - 50 teapots, I haven't decided. My back and hands will scream at me but I would rather wear them out making pots than washing dishes....

A Book I Really Want to Read

This is one of my favorite beads, it is called a djore bead, I don't know what that means. Must be Buddhist. The handworked silver is attached to the bead, it is also an old bead. The material is called copal, a resinous substance from someplace near Tibet.

Ok, usually I am pretty happy to get a book like this at the library but I am a self-confessing to-do list junkie. I like to make lists and gleefully cross off the items as I accomplish them. Sometimes I will do something that is not on my list; like buy gas for the car or get the oil changed, something, anything and, if it isn't on my list I will add it and then cross it off. My sister taught me that one. My daughter likes to make lists too I think. I know that my grandson, now 10 years old likes to make them. He said to me one day, "Grandma, remind me to get my homework signed by my mom when we get home". The list junkie in me jumped in and told him, "You should write that down so that you remember". His face lit up as he got out the paper and golf stub pencil. On his paper he wrote: Note to Self.

The odd thing is this; why am I interested in someone elses list? Probably because I am eternally nosy (I like to call it curious in polite company)...

Time to Make Pots for Orchids!

A friend brought me orchids and I am crazy for them. I don't know how to care for them although the last one I had lasted for many years and I neglected it and it bloomed and I abused it some more and it just kept on rewarding me for my bad behavior. I think I have a good location with the right light which probably saved me. I will try to do better this time. They are so beautiful, and 2 of them have vanilla scents - ooooooh, aaaaaah!

I will of course have to make them their own special clay pots.

Also, I need to remember to make soap dishes. I bought all these yummy smelling handmade soaps and I would like to put them into nice handmade soap dishes too.

Things to do:

Make teapots

Make orchid pots

Make soap dishes

I am taking orders from family and friends for teapots. it will take a while to make each one of course so this could be a bigger project than I am ready for. Luckily I didn't get a huge response right away, I may get sick of making teapots before the orders are filled, ya know what I mean?

Here I Go Again - Teapot 2

Attempt two. I have thrown 2 lids; even though they are both capable of fitting this pot I think that the larger one is the right one for this vessel. The spout is kind of "iffy" I think. Tiffany suggested that I make one side of the spout smoother for pouring. Well, not smoother, I can't explain. After this has dried a little more I can trim the bottom of the body and attach the spout and the handle and set the lid into place to dry. When I set the lid into place the pot and the lid dry together and make for a better fit. I guess that the spouts have excellent memories and like to "unwind" from their throwing so we'll see. Once into the fire any number of surprising things can happen!
There are such a number of elements that go into a teapot that it makes for an excellent test; not only of throwing ability but design and lastly; creativity. I have teapots in my head now that are not entirely functional but that are just plain fun!