Don't be afraid to explore;
Without exploration there are no discoveries.
Don't be afraid of partial solutions;
Without the tentative there is no accomplishment.
Deng Ming~Dao

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind.  We were on vacation for 10 days and the last few days were spent playing catch up in the studio, so I haven't been here for a spell.

Over the last week, I have been visited by 5 Blue Herons.  If I lived on the coast, it would not feel so spectacular, but 2 of those Blue Herons have flown right over my head up here in the mountains this week.
Having never seen more than one up here many years ago it has been such a treat.

Now that summer is coming to a slow close and life settles into a more regular pattern, I will be here more often and look forward to visiting with you again.
~
Have a wonderful weekend in your corner of the world.

Relaxation
Is total peace.
When you relax completely, there is total silence.  No thoughts enter the mind, no problems arise from the body, no memories grip the spirit.  This overwhelming sense of tranquility is really all meditation is about.  The neutral stillness of the mind renews the tired soul, and this is regeneration.
Deng Ming~Dao

I love the quote and lesson above, but it is hard to totally disengage in today's world of social media, isn't it?  I gave it my best shot this weekend though. 
Many of you know that Ken took a 4 day trip to visit his Mom, so I filled my days once I was done with work with things that make me smile.
One day I packed my beach bag that is an unusually cool free gift from Estee Lauder with all of the fixings that I needed to keep myself busy at the Ocean.  Knitting, a book, some lunch and a towel….what more does a girl need?  Oh, yes, and some sunscreen.

I spent Saturday morning at my Tai Chi class and finished the rest of the day at a beautiful lake spot here in NH with some old and new friends.  I don't usually step outside my semi-introverted comfort zone, but I am so glad that I did this day!
Thank you Donna!

It just happened to be a beautiful weekend that allowed me to finish each of my days with a glass of wine, a dip in my humble little pool and a good amount of time dedicated to reading and knitting.  I managed to finish a book, soak and block a shawl and almost finish a sweater.

These are the days that we look forward in the North Country.  Warm sunny days filled with good friends, good food and time to enjoy the outside.  As I was sitting outside however as the calendar changed on August first, I noticed the sounds of the seasons.
The chirp of the peepers have changed to the chirps of the crickets.
…These are the days, we'll remember…
Natalie Merchant

Last night we had the kiln opening party at the League of NH Craftsman and it was a fun time.  Everyone brings a little appetizer and some wine..and we get to ooh and aah over everyone's work.
It's so interesting to see how different each person's work is and how people progress over time.
It was also nice to see some of the girls who were in my first set of classes again.

This was my favorite piece and that little splash was actually an oops, but it's an oops I will remember how to do next time.  I've been watching a lot of videos online about throwing and glazing and I am looking forward to now start working in Open Studio classes. 🙂

Sun and moon divide the sky,
Fragrance blooms on pear wood bones.
Earth awakens with a sigh.
Wanderer revels on the path alone.
Deng Ming~Dao

Many of you know that in the month of May I followed the Whole30 plan to find out if there was a food group that was an inflammation trigger for me and to perhaps shed a few pounds as well.
It was HARD because the list of what you couldn't eat was much larger than the list of what you could eat, but I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I finished it and took off 18 pounds in the process.

As I added in each food group, none of them really bothered me very much other than what I suspected could be a trigger for me.  White flour products, which I tend to avoid knowing how they make me feel anyways.
Another thing I jump started again was my walking program.  With the frigid winter behind us, I was happy to tie on the sneakers and head out in the mornings again and so far for the most part I do get out 4 mornings a week and walk anywhere from 2-4 miles.  It makes me smile because I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to do this again with the back pain that I know will always be a part of my life, but right now for the most part it is a quiet part of my life thankfully.

I am so fortunate to live in such a beautiful place that my daily walk is never a chore, especially on those days when the sun is shinning and the humidity is low.  I look forward to seeing the walking companions along the way, such as the cows above, the field where the Percherons graze and the little chicken hens that frequently greet me.
It is an quiet countryside that I enjoy walking alone on.  It gives me time to think about things that might be troubling me, to celebrate what might be making me happy at the time, or to just be still and take in the beauty that surrounds me.
…it always makes me think of my most favorite song….."What a Wonderful World".

Since May, I have taken off 27 pounds and my blood pressure is at the point where I don't think I will need the meds any longer, but best of all, I feel so much better.
I highly recommend the Whole30 program, not so much for losing weight, but learning about the food that we eat.  I have learned so much over the last few months and I think I am making much better choices now.  I give myself the weekends to cheat a little, but only a little.
It's been a learning journey. 🙂

Hi there!
So.. you know I have been dabbling with pottery and the pictures I am going to share are the last session of my 2nd set of classes.
Those 4 items on the shelf that you see are the items that I completed this session.  Not as many as last time, but hopefully there is a little more quality than quantity this time.
Such a HUGE learning curve for muscle memory. 
This is what pottery looks like before it is fired.  It will be VERY different when it is finished.
So hard to envision when you are glazing for sure!

These Pacifica wheels that we use in the class that I am attending at our local NH League of Craftsman, have been highly recommended by a good friend who is also a potter. 
You all know me, if I love something, I will find a way to do it here, but it will be a while before I feel confident enough to even consider laying out money for a wheel, so I will keep learning in classes and watching videos.

Pottery is not very different from weaving in that there are lots of different parts to get to the finished product….but you get to play with mud piles!!  I love it!!

Learning how to center and throw clay is the biggest hurdle because it truly requires skill and muscle memory.  Then there is the trimming where you can maybe clean up your mistakes to get it ready for glazing.
The big buckets above are buckets filled with glaze, but unlike dyeing fiber, it is more of a chemical process rather than a color process.  I love seeing how this part comes out once it is finished, but it requires experience to consistently know what to expect in this glazing stage….even from those who are very experienced I am told.

This is the kiln that does all of the firing for the items we have created.  It is a big kiln that is digitally programmed.  In 2 weeks we will have a kiln opening gathering to collect the items that we created.  Hopefully my second round will be better than my first round.  If so…it is progress and I will be so happy.
(wine is included, just sayin')

Friday's sparkle…. I unexpectedly had an older manual kiln almost dropped into my lap.  It will require an electrician to do some wiring and a whole lot of babysitting that an automatic kiln would not require, but it will allow me to decide if this is something I want to pursue at a low cost before laying out some big money.
… a big sparkle indeed!

It's late here on Monday, but I have finally had some time to sit and post about our Independence Day weekend.
Ken had the long weekend off, and we spent time doing some things that did not include too much work. 

We live across the street from a small pond where the local ducks and geese call home.  We know that this little pond links up to a larger pond but we were not completely sure how they connected or how passable it would be in kayaks, but we decided to give it a try Thursday evening after dinner.

We were pleasantly surprised to find it was plenty deep enough to cross through even under the small foot bridge with very few rocks or tree limbs that to dodge.  What a treat once we rounded a corner and moved into the larger pond…It is so beautiful and peaceful.

We also met the resident old snapping turtle who calls this tiny tree island his home.  We were told by another kayaker that he sits here most days hanging out in the sun.  He seems to enjoy the attention.
Such an easy thing for us to do after work.  Pack a picnic basket and a bottle of wine and take a sunset cruise right across the street. 🙂

Friday we spent a good amount of the day with this little guy.  We watched him during the afternoon while his parents were working.  He is such a little character and had us in stitches laughing most of the afternoon.  Of course Friday evening means Martini time…and Martini's were had, ha! 
Mmmm, always a treat!

Ken can be a little sappy sometimes and wanted Saturday to be about Independence Day, so we spent a little time getting some work done in the morning first. Ken cemented in the new tub and hooked up the exhaust fan in the never ending bathroom project. The good news is we are finally moving forward now that the plumber has got us to the point were we can hook things up.  A new tile floor is bought and waiting to be put in, along with a new vanity and toilet.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel finally…w00t!

We then spent the rest of the day doing more traditional things.  We attended the local parade, grabbed an early dinner then took the train into North Conway to watch the fireworks with Stacey, Jeff and Asher and what a hoot little Asher was!  He absolutely loved the fireworks and danced along to the music while they were being fired off.  He was NOT happy however when they were over, crying MORE, MORE!  Too cute!

Sunday we met up with my son and his family at the ocean in Ogunquit Maine and what an enjoyable Day we had.  The weather was warm and sunny and it was fun to spend time beachside with family.  Little Mr. Finley had just fallen asleep when I snapped this picture.  His belly was full, the sun was out and he slipped into a food coma.  This little boy can eat..ha ha!

As the sun was waning, we packed up and headed into the beautiful shopping and dining district of Ogunquit.  A little shopping followed by a delicious dinner and drinks was the perfect ending to a very enjoyable day and weekend!

I hope each of you had a wonderful weekend as well. 🙂

My Friday Sparkle has to do with special birthdays.
My dad turned 80 on June 7th.  Typically we celebrate my Dad's birthday, Father's Day and Ashley's birthday which is on the 25th all in one swoop. We usually plan this celebration closer to Ashley's birthday as it closes out the month, so it was easy to throw my Dad off a little bit without tipping him off that we were going to make his decade birthday a little extra special this year.  It was not an easy feat, but I do think he was surprised.

When I asked my Mom what he might like for a gift that would be a bit special, she was stumped.  I  know my Dad and God bless his heart even though he can not figure out how to use a computer to save his soul, he is a genius when it comes to TV and his Tevo.  Whenever he is at our house, he always mentions how much he would love a larger screen TV like ours, so I made plans to make this happen.  You can see by his expression that it was like getting a Red Ryder…LOL.  He was very excited, which made me so happy.

My brother traveled up from North Carolina and my sister from Derry, along with the various grandchildren and great grandchildren and we had a wonderful celebration!  I know how happy my Dad was to be surrounded by family and friends.

Even though Ashley and Brian couldn't make my Dad's birthday due to a prior commitment, we celebrated her milestone birthday with her in spirit.  Ashley is taking a big step into her 30's.  I keep telling her that my 30's were my most memorable years.  I had a great time in my 30's and I know she will as well.  With a new job closer to home that includes a bump in pay and a few special things on the horizon, I know her 30's will be memorable for her as well.
(You are familiar with Ashley as my "go to" knit model, but this silhouette is one of my favorites)

 So there you have it….2 of my most favorite Sparkles all in one week!

One of the reasons I have been kind of quiet and busy is because I have been doing this.
Yes, I decided to give throwing clay a try.  I have always been drawn to beautiful pottery much in the same way I love beautiful wood, so when I saw that our local League of NH Craftsman holds pottery classes, I decided to bite the bullet and sign up.
The bowl above is my first attempt.  What you do not see is how uneven and thick it is, but it is my very first little bowl, so it will hold a place of honor here.

You know the saying….I paid 92.00 for a 7.00 item class?  Well, I never look at it quite that way.  When I really love something, I usually try to find a class so that I can learn a new skill.

Above you will see my pots, although you can't see how they look close up, which is ok..ha!  I looked at this first session as a play session.  To get my feet wet so to speak and not look for perfection.  Like anything else it is definitely a muscle memory challenge, but it is also a lot of fun!

I am currently in my second session, which is basically a repeat of the first session, but I feel like I have a better feeling for what I am doing now which is nice.  I won't have as many bowls to bring home this time around because I am concentrating on improving…and I don't need a gazillion bowls to dust. 🙂

These 2 little bowls from my first class will stay and the others will go to school with Hannah as she is moving into an apartment with a bunch of other girls this year.
She's happy with them…..so I'm happy. 🙂

Well hello there….it's been a little while, hasn't it?
This last month has been filled with a number of things that have kept me so busy, but it's nice to come up for air and I plan to stick around for a while now.

So you are probably wondering what this picture has to do with Wednesday's work.  I have been dabbling in a few new things over the last month and one of them has been hand stamping and screen printing fabric.  It's definitely a learning curve to get consistent and even depth of color but I am really enjoying it.

Working with a water based paint means that the paint stains come off of my hands with soap and water, which is a nice change from the yarn dyes that always make me look as though I haven't washed my hands in days…LOL. 

I will be making some bags with this fabric that I have created and I am excited to see how they come out.  Playing with fabric is as much fun as playing with yarn, but a little easier on my back, so it's been a nice way to alternate work. With so many ideas floating around in my head, it's going to be a nice mix of work.

It's always fun to try new things, isn't it?
xoxo