Hank Murrow faceted shino chawan

Here's a Hank Murrow, shino chawan that's been faceted with his special twisted faceting wire, which he also makes and sells. Hank is a wonderful potter from the Pacific North West who has the most beautiful blood red shinos.

Today turned out to be a lazy, vegging out Sunday. Yesterday, I overdid the gardening, working from late morning till 4:30 non-stop, with just a glass of water that Jim brought to sustain me. I got one asparagus trench dug and planted and I hope I didn't plant them too early - should have read the instructions again before planting, especially the part where they said the soil should be 50F before planting! I'll wait a couple of weeks before planting the rest of the crowns. I also got the apricot tree planted, dug up and re-planted a couple of perennials and I had my helper start on weeding one of the beds. She's thorough but worked very slowly, so I helped her to almost finish that bed until my lack of lunch headache begged me to stop and get myself an aspirin.

Before breakfast this morning I loaded the garden cart with the day lilies that I'm going to be dividing and re-planting along with bags of compost and planting mix, shovel and water, then realized I was too wiped to wheel that heavy thing down the driveway 200 -300 feet and too tired to dig holes today. So that will have wait till tomorrow, when hopefully, my 69 year old battery is re-charged.

I did manage to get enough energy to take the dogs for a walk down to the creek, clean up some small broken branches in the meadow, check the fruit trees (some look like they're going to come into leaf any minute!) and do an early search for morel mushrooms; but none were to be found. Maybe after a few days of rain later this week, followed by a few over 40F evening, they should begin to come out of hiding.

The rest of my afternoon has been spent doing some reading about Etsy, which totally confused me and sketching pots.. Now I just have to find time and energy to make them; but with our daughter and son-in-law arriving Tuesday for a five day visit, both gardening and pot making will have to wait. Their visits from Germany usually include a lot of shopping and eating out which I'm looking forward to. The Etsy project will have to wait till my brain isn't as tired and after my next firing and the TRAC tour.

I've got a new, simple, garlic shrimp with basil and cherry tomatoes recipe to make for dinner along with some garlic, butter and olive oil linguine. Pasta is definitely my main comfort food - perfect for how I feel today! Cooking dinner and watching a Netflix historical, foreign film will be it for the rest of the day.

Till later,
June

Crackle Shino Vase

Here's a crackle Shino form from my collection, by west coast potter Tate Shields.

The flu bug seems gone. I even got out yesterday and pruned one of the peach trees.

The whole construction crew is here this morning ripping out the upstairs bath. They're going to have fun getting that old, heavy, iron tub through the upstairs window!

We're headed to Asheville with friends after lunch in search of bathroom tiles, a new vanity and dinner at a popular barbecue restaurant we're heard about, but never tried. It's another lovely, mild day - so mild in fact, that some of the hostas and other perennials are coming up - way too soon! I may be able to get out for a half hour or so to do a bit more garden cleanup before lunch.

Any hope of studio time the next two days is gone. Tomorrow we'll shopping for the the new fixtures for the bathroom at a local plumbing supply place and then probably heading to the Lowe's in Marion for light fixtures and faucets.

I should be able to finally get back to work by Wednesday if we're able to find all we need for the bathroom. We swear that this is the last construction, redo project in the house. The only other thing I want is an outdoor pizza oven and a cold frame and that will complete 5 years of additions and redos on this property! The garden is an ongoing project, as are all gardens; but that's my joy!

My lettuce seeds are well up as well and doing well in the kitchen greenhouse window. The kale and penstemons under grow lights in the basement, have sprouted. Every morning I eagerly check the little peat pots to see what may have sprouted over night.

Till later!
June