My tools AKA the command center

I think I win the "she who dies with the most tools wins" award. Years ago I had a license plate rim on my Jeep Laredo that said "he who ties with the most toys wins". Guess my life has changed a lot since then!

Here's a picture of my newly organized wheel areas. As you can see, I am a tool junkie! Whenever I'm in a new country, the first thing places I want to check out are the local hardware and pottery supply stores!

Doesn't look like a studio day today. The morning was and still is busy with workers here. The carpet cleaners just left and someone is here doing some concrete work in the basement.

I didn't get to cook my Tuscan tomato soup yesterday so I'll do that after lunch.

We attended the benefit auction for Liz Zlot Summerfield at Penland yesterday and didn't get back until well after 4 o'clock, so we just settled on some quick pasta and frozen meatballs for dinner, a nice wine and fudgecicles for dessert.

The auction went very well. The money from yesterday, plus what they will get when more pots are posted on Etsy September 1, will give Liz more quality time with her little girl and husband as she deals with the therapy for Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. Liz and her family were there and when she spoke of her gratitude and what this money will do for them, it made us and everyone there, I'm sure, happy we could play a small part in this.

So many artists don't have health insurance, mainly because they can't afford it. It makes me sad to see politicians whose need for power and greed, over ride their sense compassion. I often wonder if they ever stop to think what they're doing with the gift of their life.

Jim and I came home with a few treasures - a wood fired casserole by Linda McFarling, a faceted bottle by Michael Hunt, and a huge, anagama fired vase by Shane Mickey. I was surprised that we were actually able to find space for them among all the other pots in our collection.

Time for me to make the tuna salad and harvest more tomatoes for tonight's Tuscan tomato soup.

STUDIO ORGANIZING PHOTOS

Yesterday I thought I'd only work half a day; but I extended that by a couple of hours. I wanted to at least, finish getting some of the tables, wheel tools and brushes organized.
I got most of the buckets under the newly placed tables, and forgot about all those part bags (at least 20 of them), of old test and other clay bodies. Most were getting too firm, so it took a while to open bags, add more water, only to find some were leaking, so then I had to search for new bags, re wrap them, wipe off the leaks on the table, etc.
After those jobs, I spent a couple of hours drilling holes in brushes and putting string through so I could let them hang on my brush holder. It's amazing how long it takes for some of these little projects.
Most of the trim and throwing tools are now in place and sharpened and ready to go.
I'm not sure I'll get studio time today. I want to make a Tuscan tomato soup this afternoon , if I have enough tomatoes. I'm also going up to the Penland school for an auction to benefit one of our local potters Liz Zlot Summerfield. Liz's work was on the April issue of Ceramics Monthly, and a while later is was discovered that she has non Hodgkins lymphoma. Both she and her husband are craftspeople and have a little girl. Neither she nor her husband are able to work at this time. If you can help either by attending this auction please do. There have been a great outpouring of donations from many of our most noted potters. Some of the donated work will be up for auction on Etsy September 1. I'll post the URL at that time.
I'm looking forward to driving up to Penland. I haven't been up there for a while and they have a wonderful gallery and the most wonderful views of our magnificent mountains.