Home Sweet Home

I returned to the pottery studio tonight for the first time in just over a year. I sent an email to Dave, my instructor, only to get the response that not five minutes before he got the email, he had decided to clear off my shelf at the studio!

Here I thought my stuff would have been long gone.

Nope.

I walked in today to not only find my tools, but several pottery pieces I had thrown but not fired over a year ago. In fact, one piece had been bisque-fired (the first firing before glazing) and dated... well, I'll let you see the date in the photo below.

It was like old-home week. I was amazed that everyone at the studio tonight knew me, even though I needed a refresher on some names! They all said they'd missed me too, and "Where've you been? Why did you leave?"

Explaining that it had been a matter of economics and a few other personal details, I simply went about my regular routine. It was kinda like hooking up with an age-old friend; you know, the kind who can go away seemingly forever and when you meet up you simply continue from where you left off and it's like you'd never parted. That's the feeling I had tonight.

It felt good to be home.


MY SHELF - 160 - LEFT UNDISTURBED FOR OVER A YEAR!




LEFT IN TACT WAS MY FULL BOX OF POTTERY TOOLS, GIFTED TO ME: "Dave, using the studio's tools is like... using the rental mats at the yoga studio. Ewww..."




I TOLD LINDA, A LIFER AT THE STUDIO: "I Was in a hurry last class and forgot to clean my tools - I'll be right back." WE HAD A LAUGH.




I WEDGED UP THREE BALLS OF CLAY FOR TONIGHT. YOU'LL NOTICE BRICKS PLACED UNDER THE FEET OF MY WHEEL. IT KEEPS ME FROM HAVING TO LEAN OVER SO FAR.




ALL THE PIECES ON THE LEFT ARE ONES THAT, TO MY SURPRISE, WERE STILL RIGHT WHERE I'D LEFT THEM SO VERY LONG AGO.





THESE ARE THE TWO PIECES I THREW TONIGHT. I MESSED UP THE SECOND BALL OF CLAY, AS IS THE POTTERY WAY. YOU WIN SOME, YOU LOSE SOME.




THE ONE PIECE I WAS ABSOLUTELY THRILLED HAD SURVIVED MY HIATUS.




REMEMBER THE PIECE I MENTIONED HAD BEEN BISQUE-FIRED WAY, WAY BACK?




WE DATE POTS BY WHEN THEY WERE THROWN, NOT NECESSARILY BY WHEN THEY WERE FIRED. THIS BOWL HAS SAT ON MY SHELF SINCE NOVEMBER 2008. THAT MEANS, IT CAME FROM THE OLD STUDIO LOCATION! AMAZING.

So life is slowly returning to normal only two-and-some years after what I call the "Crash of '08" I'm not yet back to University, however that may require a more extensive plan than simply setting aside nickels and dimes.

Two really big steps this week: Back to both yoga and pottery.

Slow and steady wins the race.