The Clay Teacher Blog

50/50 a few times.

December 15, 2014Christmas, Fun and Family, Life in a small town., NewsChristmas, Christmas baking, Christmas dinner, Christmas Tree, community, Coutts, friends, fun, life, marketing, neighbours, new life, play, Pot Luck Dinner, retirement, small town, Snow, Sweetgrass HillsCindy Clarke

Last week we went to the Christmas party and had a hoot. I got dressed up, but not take my picture and post, it dressed up. We went with the neighbours and it was the first time in years, that we went out with another couple. We had one of the best catered turkey dinners I have had. The caterer forgot the stuffing in the oven until it was almost over, but it was very good. She felt terrible, but those who got stuffing said it was great. They have a 50/50 draw every year at the dinner, but they decided that 50 percent of the pot was too much for one person, so they have 50/ 25/ 25, they call it 50/ 50 a few times.

Senior's Supper in Milk River. — Senior’s Supper in Milk River.

Friday we drove to Shelby MT, about 30 minutes from here, to get our first Bountiful Basket. It is a co-op that we joined and every week you get a basket filled with veggies and fruit. It will be about half and half, but you never know what you will get. It was more for the adventure than the food. It was fun. We did a little shopping, had some greasy fried chicken, picked up some internet orders and came home with a box full of healthy. One of the online orders was our new rug. Our present to us this year, is under the tree, the new rug.

New rug and our Christmas Tree. — New rug under the tree.

Going through the border can sometimes be a challenge. We go through the border more times in a week, than others do in a life time. We get to know some of the officers and they know us. Last Friday it took over an hour to get through, the computers went down. When we finally got to the window, Jim made a comment to the officer about it being one of those days. The fellow said he was there for 8 hours, if we went through fast or slow it made no difference to him. It was one of the those days for us. Then he shared a true story from when he had first started. He told his boss that he had really messed up. The boss asked if he killed the traveler? As long as the guy is not dead, the boss could fix it.

Christmas deer in our yard. — Baby wants Mom to play in the snow.

Friday it was 14 C ( 55 F ) and the grass had a green tinge to it. Winter hit hard Saturday and the world is white again.

Snow on the Sweetgrass Hills.

Today is Christmas baking day. I feel the domestic side of me lurking in the shadows of our new house. I will bake, clean and get ready for Christmas. We have two more Pot Lucks to attend this week and our son is coming next week.

As we settle into the new life, it feels more and more lucky that we landed here. It is like 50/50 a few times and we won them all.

AKA Mrs. Clay

Pots are delivered and Christmas is on its way.

December 11, 2014Fun and Family, Life in a small town., News, Studio Life, Throwingart, Christmas, Christmas dinner, Christmas Tree, clay, community, Coutts, customers, friends, fun, kids, life, marketing, motivation, neighbours, new life, play, Pot Luck Dinner, pottery, retirement, selling, sunrise, workCindy Clarke

It was a good week in the old school and the studio. I got all my pots made and delivered. We took a truck load, literally, but we have a small truck, to Calgary. Walking into Galleria Inglewood was like walking into Christmas. It was beautiful. There is over 9,000 square feet of gallery filled with art, craft and Christmas. If you live anywhere near Calgary AB, it is certainly worth to trip! Our pots looked good and now there is a truck load more.

A display of pottery glazed in Prairies — A display of the Prairies glaze.

Almost empty shelves of our pottery. — The cupboard at the gallery is bare. Need more pots.

Tuesday, the town had their annual cookie exchange. To participate, you make four dozen cookies and bring them to the library in the Historical Coutts School. Put the cookies together, and everyone brings home four dozen cookies, just not the ones you made. Jim made chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, they were really good. We got a great variety of wonderful and not so wonderful cookies. There were about 25 people that took part and the library was hoppin’.

Tuesday night was the last adult clay class, next week is our party. The studio was full of students. The gym was rented out to a family that was playing and exercising.The cookie people came to the studio to visit, the studio people were checking out the cookies, the family in the gym was back and forth. The school was buzzing with pre-Christmas excitement. It felt wonderful to be a part of it. The old girl was alive!

Tonight is another supper, not pot luck this time. We were invited to join the neighbours at the Milk River Senior Society Christmas Dinner. It should be fun. I am getting dressed up, new jeans, and taking my hair out of the pony tail that it has been in since we moved here. Tonight, I am letting my hair down.

We stopped in Lethbridge on the way back from Calgary and did the normal in town, run around shopping. We also got all new Christmas decorations. When we moved, I gave them all away. Back then, I was feeling like the Grinch and Scrooge all rolled into one. My daughter got all the decorations, wrapping paper, everything, if she wanted it all or not . I was done with Christmas. That was then and this is now. I am glad I did the purge. Out with the old and in with the new, is very much like our life here. As time goes on and we get our new rhythm in the new life, I can only wonder how different next Christmas will be. If last year to this year is any indication, I should hang on for the ride.

Until next time.

AKA Mrs. Clay

It was Pot Luck.

December 4, 2014Fun and Family, Life in a small town., NewsChristmas, Christmas Tree, community, Coutts, friends, life, Light up, neighbours, new life, play, Pot Luck Dinner, retirement, small townCindy Clarke

We went to our first Senior’s Club Pot Luck last Thursday. Many people here join the Senior’s Club even if they are not all that senior. The theme was Spanish or Portuguese. The only ones to bring a dish from the theme was Jim and I. Sharon, the Librarian, said that no one ever paid attention to that sort of thing, but they like to have a theme. It was good to meet some people that have been here for decades. I keep forgetting that everyone knows everyone here, and has for years, except for us. They welcomed us and took them into their group with open arms, literately.

The attendance was low. It had been miserably cold and snowy and it is a busy time of year. It was the hard core original members. I have to admit it was a bit like visiting the old folks home. One lady was a little vague in her conversation and as we chatted, the last slow and stupid fly of the year, landed on her plate and got bogged down in her meal. She squished it with her thumb, wiped it off with her napkin and continued eating. I offered to get her a new plate and meal, but nah, she had cleaned it all up with the napkin, it was fine…… all righty then……

We sat across from Mildred, who has lived here forever. We bought our property from her. She chaired the meeting after dinner with the same humour and rural hospitality that I am sure she has shared with Coutts for all the years she has been here. A very sweet lady. We sat next to Ken, that as a boy, played in what is now our yard and burned down the shed that was here. He and his friends had their first attempts at smoking near where we now park our car. We helped decorate the Christmas tree, Ken and I had a short game of shuffle board and Jim and I called it a night. It was good. That night we knew that we not only joined the Senior’s Club, but joined a community.

The senior's Christmas Tree — The senior’s Christmas Tree. A group effort.

Last night we went to the town Light Up and Pot Luck Dinner. Two Pot Luck dinners in one week, a first for me. The attendance was much better. We met the same seniors from last week and about 50 other people. It was a wonderful evening. There were lots of kids, for Coutts, food, Santa, singing, hay rides and I won a draw for $50 from the local grocery store. The local grocery store is 18 kilometer away, Coutts doesn’t have a grocery store.

Kids just before the hayride. — The town kids ready for the hay ride to begin.

Kids at Pot Luck singing for Santa. — Singing and waiting for Santa.

When we wanted to move and chose Coutts, it was much like a Pot Luck. Come on down and see what you get. We moved here because of the land prices. Serviced town lots in Coutts are among the lowest, if not the lowest priced lots in Alberta. We had no idea what a wonderful little community we were moving into. Oh the town has it’s grumpy and it’s nosy. The ones who only grumble, complain and don’t get involved. We don’t hang with them, mainly because they stay home, grumbling and complaining and aren’t involved. Living here is like the Pot Luck dinner, if you try a little of everything that is offered, soon you have your plate full. We have been here a year, my plate is full and life is good.

Until next time.

AKA Mrs. Clay

I’ve got my groove back!

November 19, 2014Life in a small town., News, Studio Life, Throwingart, Christmas Craft Fair, Christmas show, clay, Coutts, Craft Fair, craft show, customers, fun, life, marketing, new life, pottery, selling, small townCindy Clarke

We have been in Coutts for almost a year now. Last year at this time we had the house here and were back and forth from Edmonton settling things there and setting up here. We moved here in January into a real fixer upper. Here is link to my last blog that talks about the move, fixing up the house and the studio. We finished in August.

Before we retired and moved we were The Clay Teacher reaching about 8,000 students a year. Before that we ran a gallery for a short while and before that, I was a potter known as Out of the Fire Studio. We shut the big studio down in 2006 to start the little gallery and studio in down town Edmonton. Like most bad ideas, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I was burnt out as a production potter. When we closed the big studio, Jim and I had about 45 different retailers across Western Canada and we processing about 10 tons of clay into production pots. We opened our shop just before the Financial crisis of 2007-08. That didn’t go so well. The building isn’t even there anymore.

Long story short. I was a potter. I worked way to hard making way too many pots for way too many clients and burned out. Then ran like a crazy woman to run a gallery, but we lost the race. Then ran a little faster when we were The Clay Teacher. In all that running, about 15 years of it, I lost the potter. She came back this week, or was it last week? I have been working in the studio for the last couple of months, but it wasn’t until just recently that it felt like the old me. But the old me was 15 years ago and now I am old….hhhmmmm… ??anyway…. I feel like I have my grove back. I am a potter again, and not just someone who makes pots.

We have been here for about a year. The house is done, the studio is done, and it took a while, but I’m settled and very happy in the new life. I had to catch my breath and find a new rhythm. It is a much slower rhythm. I only work when I want to and the hours that I like, but now I like working. I’m work longer and longer hours and enjoying it more all the time.

Today we went to the local craft fair, 11 vendor tables. It was a small show, $15 a table and juried by cheque. There are no small shows, just small potters! It was good. There has never been a potter at the local craft show. Not only did we do well at the show, next year, we are in charge of the show. Today we inherited a craft show. It has been the same two ladies putting on the show for years. They were more than happy to pass the reins. Next year I know there will be a potter at the show.

The best part about a small table show in a small town is knock down. Packed up and home in less than 30 minutes.

Until next time.

AKA Mrs. Clay

The Clay Teacher