The End Of An Era

Since about 1994 or thereabout I have had a love affair with clay, and sometimes the clay even loved me back ie. it cooperated with me. Clay is weird that way and I'm sure it can feel your mood and act accordingly. I know that sounds really weird but I truly believed it. There were days when I could produce the most beautiful pieces, large pots perfectly round and thin, and other days even trying to throw a mug was a challenge. Of course that usually happened when I had an order for two dozen mugs or something stupid like that and I was stressed about it.

About 5 years ago I stopped potting for a number of reasons. The most important one was when my mom became ill and required a lot of my time which I gave happily and secondly my own body stopped cooperating with the very physical aspect of potting.  Of course I kept thinking I'd go back to it eventually, that my body would heal itself, that heck, I'd grow younger instead of older. Sadly that's really not the case is it, one can't stop time and bodies don't suddenly become younger. So, my beautiful studio in the wonderful calming Haliburton Highlands has sat empty collecting dust for the last few years. Whenever we go to the cabin I would unlock the studio, open all the windows to air it out, look longingly at the wheel and then leave.

Looking down at the forlorn studio from the main cabin.

With heavy heart I sold the entire contents of the studio a week ago. Wheel, kiln, extruder and various other bits and pieces that I've collected and that a new potter will find helpful. Thanks to word of mouth in that small community a new potter came along and bought the whole kit and kaboodle. I wish her well and hope that her love of clay will transform into some lovely work.

The second thing that is breaking my hear is that we have listed our cabin in the woods for sale. We have owned this hideaway for over 20 years and it has always been a place of refuge for me. Once when my husband had to be in Greece for 6 months, I spent 5 of those at the cabin by myself. I loved every second of that time. I read, I knit and I made a lot of pots. I had the studio to keep me occupied and I had people troop through every weekend buying my wares.  Now not only is the pottery stuff being sold but also the cabin.

It's just too much for my heart to handle right now...

Back From The Wild

It was a peaceful five days just hanging out listening to the birds, watching the chipmunks play and waiting for the hummingbirds to visit. They didn't, it was too cold and rainy. Out of five days I think it rained of and on for three of them. It was also cold, in fact the coldest July 1st long weekend in recent memory. The temperatures rarely went above 15 Celsius and this morning we woke up to a chilly 4 c, brrr...

Nevertheless, I did get some knitting done. These will be socks someday soon, as soon as I can decide on a pattern. I started and ripped back three times and still haven't made up my mind. It's pretty yarn though. There was some more knitting but I'll put that on my knitting blog tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the boys (Steve invited a friend and his son) were out fishing just about every day, all day and brought home dinner every night. They even cooked it and I did pretty much nothing except sit with my foot propped up. I sure knew how to milk it...

The star of the weekend, Michael caught the biggest fish. Not bad for a 6 year old...

And my foot...seventeen more days and counting. I can hardly wait.

The Sock's Gone Away

And I've gone along for the ride. Even though it's pouring rain and the temperature is around 12c
(low 50's) we are braving a few days at our cabin in the bush. Bass season has opened and since my sweetie has been so busy taking care of me, he deserves a few days of fun. At the time of writing, he has already brought back 4 bass and 5 perch. Good dinner happening tonight.

There is only dial up available here and it took almost ten minutes to upload one photo, I probably won't post again until we return home some time next week. Only twenty days left to go for the wire removal, I'm counting.

Happy 4th of July to all my American friends.

We Are So Out Of Here...

The weather is perfect and the fish are calling so we are leaving to spend a few days here. Kind of rustic but we like it. The building on the left is the pottery studio and I hope to spend some quality time there.

I'm told the mosquito's are quite healthy and hungry but what the heck, they have to eat too...See you all next week sometime.

Sadness And Excitement

I'm both sad and excited at the same time, how can that be? I'm sad that we had to close the cabin for the winter, I'm sad that Greece is burning but I am excited to be going there, to see my Mother-In-Law again after almost ten years and to meet up with new friends.

My last look at Miskwabi Lake until next year...



We drove up Sunday morning, a bright, sunny, brilliant day. I spent some time cleaning my pottery studio and with some luck it will be in full operation next summer. I was planning to open it this year but with my Mom getting sick and passing away in May, my desire waned. Next summer will be different...

This was taken a few summers ago when the studio was in full operation and I lived in that cabin for five months, without running water I might add.



And this is now...very sad and neglected...



If anyone is interested and is a new reader I did a series on how I came to be a potter and why. You will find the story by following the links.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
The End

Don't feel you have to read it, but I thought I'd link it because it seems I have a lot of new readers and this is probably the best way to get to know me.

After all the cleaning and packing was done this is what I saw from the deck. I sure wishes I had a better camera at that moment...



I know, it's just a boring moon that wasn't even quite full but standing there watching it through the trees I wondered just how many people in the world were looking at that very same moon at the very same time...

And last but not least, one of the friends who comes to visit quite regularly very early in the mornings and again just before dusk...

The Perfect Cottage Guest

Well no, not really but his owners are. This is Benny and he gets scared during thunderstorms and firecrackers both of which were in abundance this weekend. I found him hiding in the bathroom...

Sunday morning breakfast looked like this....

and this...



Then the guys went out to cut down some trees while D and I went to town to shop a bit. We got back just in time to take this photo.

So after all this hard work, we decided to feed them a nice Greek feast. Souvlaki, roasted potatoes, lots of tzatziki, stuffed vine leaves, taramasalata (fish roe dip) and a few other goodies including a fresh blueberry pie for desert.

That's the four of us sitting down to enjoy the feast.

And there is D doing the cleanup in the kitchen. Meanwhile, I got to sit and rest my foot. We have a little deal actually, I do the cooking and baking and D cleans up. I made fresh bread for Monday dinner and also a nice little cherry cheesecake. It got gobbled up before I could locate the camera.


The foot is still in the cast, I still have the heart monitor and I wrote all about my health issues on my knitting blog so I don't need to repeat it here. I will slow down a bit, rest a bit more so that I will be ready for the trip to Greece in September.