The Clay Teacher Blog: Suits, Sausage, Wheels and Glazes

Monday I got Lila’s order thrown and most of the next order as well. Tuesday I got it all trimmed by 1:00 p.m. and then went suit shopping with my son John. I have called him Diddle Diddle Dumplin’ my son John his whole life. He never says anything, but I get the feeling that since we were grad suit shopping he thinks that I could stop at any time. There is quit a price range out there. We saw suits from $1800 to $99. I can’t imagine paying $1800 for a suit, especially for a 17 year old boy that will not be that thin forever, trust me, I know his mom. We still have not found the right suit. Grad is June 30.

Tuesday our daughter came home from a short trip to Dawson Creek, BC. She went there to buy meat. Yes, that’s right, 600 K one way. The Butcher Block (Lawrence Meats) has been there for 50 years or more and owned by the same family. I went to school with the man who runs it now. They make the best garlic sausage …period. She has friends and family up there, but it was garlic and the thuringer sausage that motivated her.

Wednesday Jim and I ran around town all day. We did some banking, bought groceries, registered The Clay Lady as a partnership and got her a business license. I found it interesting that since we store some business related items in a our garden shed, along side the lawn mower and snow blower, we are considered a major home based business. If we had a larger house and stored the stuff inside we would be a minor home based business. I don’t make up the rules, we just follow them. Also we picked up much needed shipping supplies and got her (The Clay Teacher) a portable potter’s wheel. It’s so cute. We got a Shimpo Aspire.

The last wheel I bought was a Shimpo, I bought it in 1975 and it’s the one I still use. I have put a million revolutions on that wheel and it just keeps going. It’s my friend; we have made a lot of pots together. As long as it’s working I can’t see me ever replacing it.

Wednesday nights are my adult pottery classes. What a bunch of great students, all but one are beginners and they are making some really good pots. Not first session pots at all. I will take some pictures next week of their work and put them in my pot pick of the day.

Today I will finish off the pots I didn’t get thrown on Monday for the young couple and I will throw an order of mugs. A local business man, Robert, orders 50 mugs every 4 to 6 months to give to his clients. He has been a good customer over the years and we like to make him his mugs. Friday I will have all those orders done and in the bisque Saturday or Sunday, most likely Sunday. Also today, I will phone Susan who runs a local gift shop and has been saying she will order for the last 6 weeks. She has been busy and it’s on her list. A call might just move it up a bit. We would like to get in that shop for the summer. We sold there a couple of years ago and did very well.

We have been working on some new glazes. That’s Jim department. I never had a lot of interest there. I like to have knock out glazes, I just don’t like to do the work to get them. Jim is good at that and here is his newest. We are very excited about this one. This is the inside of a bowl