The Burrow

I've written the prelude here . We had so much fun creating, we decided to return to decorate. We didn't know how complicated that would turn out to be. It was cold outside but the activity was inside the gym  and GRIN  was there to help.  The bowls we'd created two weeks ago had been fired. They were waiting for us . One of those is mine.   Rest assured, it is not one of the ones to which your eye was immediately attracted. I am many things; an artiste is not one of them.  Our first task was to sand the pointy spots. There were to be " no little pieces which might break off in the kiln" . There were a lot of "No" and "Don't" instructions. On some level, it was quite intimidating.  Some sanded quickly.  Some were quite precise.  Some stood and some sat Some protected their lungs with masks.  There was a lot of dust accumulating on the tables. This picture wa...

No, this was not nine pins.  My hip isn't quite there, yet.  My fancy bowling shoes stayed home.  My GRIN aprons came along, instead. Chicago Gal has been talking about her ceramics program at church ever since I met her.  She invited us to join them for the Bowl-A-Thon, wherein we would be making bowls.  Interfaith Community Services has a fundraiser for its Food Bank scheduled at the end of this month. For $15 you can sample local restaurants, support a worthy cause, and leave with a handmade, ceramic bowl. It's called Empty Bowls... and they need bowls... and they were willing to take us, talented or otherwise, to make them alongside ceramicists and parishioners and random teens.  The scene was a typical, large, institutional gymnasium. The atmosphere was all about the love.  You start with a tortilla of clay. Yes, a tortilla. This is Tucson.  We are 65 miles from the Mexican border.  It's a tortilla. You cut along th...