Shane Mickey and Norm Schulman at Spruce Pine Potters Market

Here's some of Shane Mickey's work. Shane and Norm blocked Norm's section of the display, which they shared during the Spruce Pine Potters Market. I love the colors Shane has added to his work recently. They're working  very well with his forms and are a nice addition to his wonderful anagama work.

Sneezing, swollen glands, chills - yep, a day to make a pot chicken soup! Jim's got it too; but he's volunteered to drive to Spruce Pine to buy some vitamins and chicken.

I'm going to do the print out and computer work I didn't finish yesterday, watch the movie I didn't watch last night, listen to music, watch TV, meditate if I can , cuddle Bodhi and Bonnie Kittyl, water plants, make chicken soup and probably nap!

Shane Mickey anagama jar

Here's a spectacular jar from one of Shane Mickey's anagama firings in 2005. We had just unloaded the kiln and had the pots spread all over the lawn. I'll post another picture tomorrow of some of the other pots in that firing.

This morning we slept till 7:45. I couldn't believe I stayed in bed that long. Yesterday was just as busy and tiring as the donkey work, studio cleaning day on Saturday. Guess I just needed to recharge my battery with that extra sleep.

My Easter started with preparing a large, Polish type Easter breakfast, then getting a lot of my dinner veggies and leg of lamb prepped afterwards so I could have a lot of gardening time before dinner.

I knew it wouldn't be a studio day. Between the heavy cooking and the fact that I didn't want to waste such a warm, beautiful day, in the studio, I opted to get some gardening work done before I had to get back to the kitchen.

I planted a few beets, then found out I misread my own planting chart, so I'll have to replant them near the onions, which is what my companion planting book recommends. A lot of time was spent weeding, and while weeding I found a whole bunch of volunteer pansies which I dug up and transplanted. It's raining today which cut into my plan of planting more potatoes. The ground was still a bit too wet to plant them yesterday so I don't know when I'll be able to get them in. According to the Farmers Almanac, I think I only have another one to three days to get them in.

The leg of lamb dinner turned out great. I used an Emeril Lagasse recipe which had a lovely wine, stock, herb reduction. Usually I do a simple, pan gravy, but decided to try a lighter option, and it was excellent.

Well, time to uncover some pots, which will hopefully be ready for trimming this afternoon. I have some glazes I want to check on my glaze chemistry software and then get them into one of my glaze books. By then it will be time for an early lunch and then on to the studio until dinner, which is going to be a simple, fresh roma tomato, basil, garlic, white wine sauce over linguini which will be a refreshing change after yesterdays heavy meat day.

Till later,
June