This Is What Happened Today

Here we have Miss Sophie, Jessie's dog-daughter. When I go to Jessie's house on Wednesday mornings to pick her up for pottery, Sophie always comes to meet me with a wiggling body, a wagging tail, and some sort of stuffed animal in her mouth. Today it was a small pig and as always, she was so proud of it. Sophie is just the sweetest dog. She loves Jessie beyond measure and on the days when Jessie has worked the night before and needs to sleep during the day, Soph snuggles right in beside her. She is a good dog and she is a smart dog and she is incredibly well-behaved. At least compared to the dogs I've owned. We never picked dogs for their IQ's and it showed. 
Oh god but we've had some dumbass dogs. Please do not be offended if you love dogs and believe in your heart of hearts that all dogs not only go to heaven but also are all smart in their own way. I am sure that last part may be true but despite years of trying, I never discovered exactly where the smartness was to be located in our dogs.  
Well, except for the little Yorkie-Poo we had, named Queenie, who was the smartest, sweetest, most loving dog I've ever personally known. 

So back into the studio Jessie and I went this morning and I was sort of expecting to possibly see some changes. At least some new glazes. 
However.
No. 
I think there were a few different chairs. 
What we did see were some familiar faces and that was so nice. We only had one new person in the class and I could tell she was overwhelmed. She had never taken a pottery class in her life and boy, could I relate. But by the end of class she had, with the help of the teacher, made a very nice hand built mug and I think she probably has more confidence now or at least, a little more comfort in being there. We are a friendly group. 
One woman in our class looks like an Olympian athlete, as Jessie described her, and she sort of intimidates me although she is very nice. She is a machine in class. Today she threw seven bowls and every one of them was pretty perfect. Well, she had one blow-out bowl and by golly, she turned that into a pitcher with a pouring spout and it's beautiful. She is focused and determined and doesn't waste a minute of her studio time. 
As I said, she intimidates me but not in a threatening way. Just a I've-always-wanted-shoulders-and-arms-that-look-like-yours way. 
Also, her get to it attitude. 
Lizzie was back in class. It was SO good to see her. And Gail, our teacher, and a few other people for whom I have developed an affection for. And of course...Jessie. 
She was trying some interesting glazing things today and I can't wait to see how that turns out. Last session she bought a collection of 2 oz. bottles of a glaze called "Stroke and Coat." For some reason, Jessie and I are the only ones in the class who consider that name to be hilarious. But that's not the point. The point is that this glaze is true to the color it appears in the bottle, it comes out of the kiln very glossy, and you can actually use a brush to paint with it which I enjoy immensely. It comes in some very vibrant colors, too. That's what I used on my last flower bowl and fish. 
And it's food safe, which not all glazes are.

I'm going to order some of them too. 

And here's what I spent my two and a half hours on today. 

I am basing this project on the video I discussed yesterday and although mine will be different, I want to try and follow the potter's techniques in order to learn them. I tried very hard to take my time, to be intentional, to pay attention and not rush while still remembering that not only is perfection not possible, it's not what I'm even going for. I am looking forward to trying the technique of using small rolls of clay to delineate the leaves and petals as I talked about on yesterday's post to see how that works. 
So it was a good day at pottery and well worth getting up for before the sun had even peeped the top of its head over the horizon. Maurice was a bit perturbed that I was crawling from out of the covers so early but she just went back to sleep so it didn't worry her too much. 

After pottery Lily met Jessie and me at the restaurant/sports bar where I really love to eat although I always bitch about all the goddamn TV screens with, you know, sports on them. 
But... 

...here's a clue as to why I love it. The salad greens are fresh, the tuna is amazing, and the dressing is light and lovely. Also, the avocado is always at its peak serveability and the mandarin oranges and cabbage palm hearts send the whole thing up to a different stratosphere. 
Jessie and Lily always get Brussels Sprouts which I think is so funny. Who goes to a sports bar to eat Brussels Sprouts? Even more curious is the question of how many sports bars serve Brussels Sprouts? 
For all I know, Brussels Sprouts are standard fare at all sports bars along with hamburgers, fries, and chicken wings. 

And why is it Brussels Sprouts and not Brussel Sprouts? I mean, if they are sprouts from Brussels, wouldn't they be Brussels' Sprouts? 

Oh, who cares and who knows? 
Not me. 

Cold here and getting colder. Mr. Moon better get his butt home tomorrow in time to get my mango and sea grape safely in the house. The rest of the plants I will wrap and hope for the best but I will NOT be losing my Roseland plants. 
So sayeth the Lord. Or, to be more accurate, so sayeth me.

Love...Ms. Moon