Simple Pleasures

This is the time of year to notice and appreciate the simple things that can get lost in the glitz and glitter. What are your simple pleasures? I have too many to list but I cherish the time to think about them-- to put aside the busyness and dwell with the moment. There are the birds that stay around and accompany us through the winter, the impressions that pine needles and cedar twigs make on the clay, and the clever and thoughtful homemade gifts that people give each other this time of year-- not the big fancy gifts but the creative ones. There is the warmth of the wood stove and the pleasure the cats cozying up to it. There are the dog’s circles of sheer joy in the snow. There is the music so special to the holidays, and those memories from the past. I love small gatherings, the catching up, the quiet times, the lights and goodies, and chances to learn something new. I love the opportunity to reach out to someone I can assist in some way, and the time to hope all over again for peace.  I wish you the warmest season’s greetings, wherever you are. May you have safe travels and quiet moments. And may your pleasures be simple and profound. 

The world of little plates

What does one do with plates only about 2½ by 3½ inches in size? I asked a few folks. Bill said, “Put sushi on them.” Pat said, “Keep my rings on it overnight.” Molly’s response was to use it as a spoon rest, Doug’s as a soap dish. Liz immediately envisioned her wee tray as a “tea bag cradle.” Jon feeds his cat on one small Kahoka plate. He points out that he has two so that Little Annie does not go hungry when one is in the dishwasher. He says this started when he learned that cats don’t like eating out of bowls that force them to bend their whiskers. 

These little plates come in many colors and textures. Some are a bit rounded, others nearly flat. They make great stocking stuffers and inexpensive small gifts for the holidays. I started making them when someone requested a couple dozen little plates last year. She covered them with holiday treats and then plastic wrap, added a bow and a tag, and passed them out at her office celebration. I love it when people use my pots (and little plates) creatively! There really is no excuse for bent whiskers!

 

Cat tale

My Mom always had a cat, my Dad a dog. It still seems pretty normal to me to have one of each so I have never been an either-or, fully committed “cat person” or “dog person.” Indeed, I am enough of a soft touch for animals in general to run Lost River Artisans Co-op’s community fundraisers for Potomac Highlands Animal Rescue on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. For those events, and for sale at other times too, I make pumpkin bowls with cat or dog (or even both) themes. They are fun to create and are generally well received by folks who cherish pets.

At one of my shows, a woman came along and explained that she’d bought a “cat bowl”

from me the previous year. She took it home but could not decide whether to put it in the cabinet to use for food or leave it on the kitchen counter to collect her keys and the mail. She decided to sleep on the decision. The next morning she found her cat sound asleep in the bowl—and there he has slept ever since.

As they say: “Purr-fect.” Sometimes it’s nice when decisions get made for us!

Veggie Bowls

My neighbor Esther left a bag of beets hooked to my mailbox recently. She dug the last beets of the season and was canning them. The beets were delicious and the tops were still on them. I had fresh collards and kale in the frig so the temptation was overwhelming: the beet greens went on the outsides of three lovely bowls. I like veggies (and sometimes fruits) on the outsides of bowls, although many of those are small molded models. What could be more appropriate than real greens? It began with radish tops too pretty to go straight to the compost and the bowls they graced became a gift for a chef. Now I often roll cabbage and other greens onto the clay for leafy textures.

People occasionally tell me they don't actually use their Kahoka stoneware, but I make it for utility as much as interest and beauty. It is food safe and dishwasher safe. After surviving a kiln to 2200+ degrees, no dishwasher is likely to intimidate Kahoka pots. I don't know who will appreciate - or even recognize - beet greens on their bowls, but think of the delicious foods they could hold for Thanksgiving! We've eaten all our borscht, but the greens live on!