Pottery. Photography. And All Things Handmade.
Finally! A slight break in the rain last week! Three days of glorious sun! 🌞 Which means I have been busy in my back porch studio and back yard. The first job I tackled in my back porch studio was cleaning my kiln shelves. As a potter, keeping kiln shelves in tip top shape is... Continue Reading →
Rain, rain, go away.Come again another day.Pauline the potter wants to play! "The Farmers' Almanac predicts a potentially rainy summer for Ohio in 2025, with the potential for above-average temperatures and rainfall, especially in the southern part of the state." My back porch pottery studio is open to the whims of mother nature so my... Continue Reading →
I am back behind my wheel throwing things! Because my back porch studio is open to all the elements and whims of Mother Nature my production is determined by the weather. We have had rain and thunderstorms just about every day for two weeks which is slowing production down quite a bit. Meanwhile, the squirrel(s)... Continue Reading →
Warm but not warm enough. Lawnmowers on the back porch for maintenance. Folding chairs are in the back of the car along with blankets, coats and umbrellas for soccer season is under way. My pottery wheel tucked away against the wall waiting patiently. Meanwhile, my brother was back in the hospital for ten days. His... Continue Reading →
The Sunshine Blogger Award: an award given by bloggers to other bloggers to recognize and appreciate their positivity within the blogging community. I was nominated by Sharon from My Slice of Life blog. Sharon is a wife, mother, dog walker and gardener. She blogs, has a podcast and a YouTube channel. Thank you for nominating my... Continue Reading →
We are finally witnessing nature awakening with vibrant buds and colorful blooms. The secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles. Frances Hodgson Burnett Meanwhile I am eager to get my hands back in clay. The temperatures for April, however, will be a little too cool for me to start throwing on... Continue Reading →
I knew it was going to happen. Why? Because it happens every year. Winter. Winter. Winter. Blah. Blah. Blah. Then WHAM spring! Everything is popping: our adorable yellow winter aconites, daffodils, tulips and forsythia. The grass is quickly coming out of dormancy. Husband predicts we could be mowing by the end of the month 😳... Continue Reading →
On the wind in February Snowflakes float still, Half inclined to turn to rain, Nipping, dripping, chill. –Christina Rossetti My view from my back porch confirms that winter is still here! I'm trying to take advantage of these snowy days working on things inside before the spring bustle of activity takes me outside but February has been a month... Continue Reading →
Snowed in. Under the weather. I picked up my camera and started shooting pictures of our resident squirrel and neighborhood song birds. These were taken through the sliding door with me sitting on the dinning room floor. LOL Kindness is like snow. It beautifies everything it covers. ~Kahlil Gibran
As I was attempting to summarize my thoughts on this past year and the new year, the following words from my morning readings came into focus: Teachable spirit Listening heart Speak less Fear is bigger than the fail Stories have power to teach and inspire HE is active in our story A shared story God... Continue Reading →
Life is made up of moments and if we're lucky to have a camera near, we snap! Click on an individual picture below to start a slide show and read captions. "When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness."... Continue Reading →
The first day of the Winter Solstice ~ the shortest day of the year here in the Northern Hemisphere. Chilly but no snow today. A sigh of relief and joy as parcels and packages have reached their destinations! I've made my lists and I'm checking them twice, three times and more! The house is quiet.... Continue Reading →
Change. Adult children. Changing holiday traditions. Adjust. All things new again. In the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed. Kahlil Gibran
Last week we had our first snow! The snow dusted the back porch and some late blooming flowers. We had our first snow! First snow on top of blooming flowers. Last week my brother had surgery. His is now home after a successful surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his lung. Thank you for... Continue Reading →
A carpet of leaves are scattered across the back porch. I fired my last kiln load of the season. I made new plate settings to go with our new kitchen and I am tickled with the results! The mug on top is a prototype of soup mugs I plan to add to my shop next... Continue Reading →
Time to pack up my tool box and put my pottery wheel away. I have a couple more firings to do of larger pieces that take up a lot of room in the kiln such as plates. I love making plates but because they take up so much room I just don't make many ~... Continue Reading →
Because . . .Squirrel! Well, the cayenne pepper did NOT discourage the squirrel from eating every single tomato. Except THIS one. Now, the squirrel is after the zucchini 😳
The Sciurus carolinensis, otherwise known as the gray squirrel, is THE reason why I cannot grow sunflowers! While I was enjoying my morning coffee on my back porch, I spotted the little varmint in the garden. And grabbed my camera, of course! The squirrel discovered that it could leap into my little fenced off sunflower... Continue Reading →
A huge thank you to everyone for your kind thoughts and prayers! 🥰 I was reluctant to post anything about my brother's crisis but I am glad I did. We are making our way through fear, anxiety, many doctor appointments and a lot of waiting. Meanwhile . . . I continue to throw on my... Continue Reading →
He's making progress. Not at quickly as he and I would like but it's progress. Mental illness and depression are not easy subjects to tackle, despite the fact that many of us have had contact or personal experience with it. It can be debilitating, frustrating, even deadly. It is horrific to witness such suffering. But,... Continue Reading →
Friends, if you are so inclined, please pray for my brother and every area of his life: healing and peace to replace pain and loss. Thank you so much❤️
Survived weeding over the weekend! Flowers are thriving! However, I noticed the geraniums leaves had turned red. I have never seen that before. Thanks to the internet, I learned the red leaves can be a symptom of over watering. We certainly had a wet and soggy week last week! In-between weeding, I was able to... Continue Reading →
Back Porch Studio 