Books and Clay

As a family, we always went on loads of picnics and that hasn't really changed. However, we seem to pick days when it's snowing, raining and in this case blowing a gale. On Monday past we went north and this mum and I at a picnic site outside Aboyne freezing to death. The wind is at our backs hence the reason my hair is everywhere. Probably explains why I've now got the cold! My brother James and Aunt Madge were also there but I'm not going to embarrass them - yet! For Mother's day, we went to Crombie with Kate's family and yes, it was also blowing a gale. We put down a rug on the table and guess who ended up with all the crumbs over her! Picnics are so much fun.....!

This picture was taken for the presentation I made to our Rotary Club last year. The urn on the left was the very first thing I made at pottery when I was in Wales. Believe it or not, it was supposed to be a jug!! This is the fourth blanket, the one I made for Sally's son James. This urn was never supposed to be this tall, it just sort of grew and barely fitted into the kiln. The design is an Ancient Greek Octopus and is scratched into the white slip (wet clay that's coloured and painted on).

Another hobby of mine is crochet which my Aunt taught me though I was taught with wool and in straight lines so I find cotton and shapes harder though I've made one or two things that way. I did make a necklace for a friend which worked out well. Anyway, I make tea cosies (bizarre, I know) and baby blankets. My sister fell pregnant with her first daughter so I had to learn fast to make her one. Each blanket is unique and I improve with every one I may add. So far there are four: first one for Jade (Kate's eldest), Brooke (her second), Jayden (my friend, Jennefer, in America's son) and James (Sally in Wales's son). My neighbour Kathleen at the back of my house is pregnant, due in August so I'm making her one and my friend Maria in Aberdeen is also expecting in October so numbers 5 & 6 will done together which will be a first. At the moment, my favourite is Brooke's as I couldn't understand the pattern so made up the edging! A bit of blood, sweat and...

Right, this herd is my pride and joy. I started making them when I stayed in Wales and I was the only Scottish person in the class and couldn't think of anything to make, so thought of highland cows. My favourite and first one is Morag (the brown one on the left with the lovely horns). The wee brown one is Wee Hamish. I moved back to Scotland soon after so they are technically Welsh! The one at the back left is best forgotten about, more like a sheep than anything else! To his right is Catherine, then Big Angus (created to go with Morag and Wee Hamish) and last but not least is Jock.

Well, I created this blog two years ago on a course and guess what? I'm on that course again! I'm hoping to keep this blog up and running so as they say, second time lucky. I'm hopeless at coming up with an idea off the top of my head so I orginially thought to show everyone my wonderful pottery creations (orders happily taken!) and to write about books (well, it's my profession after all). I should mention that I'm not taking pottery classes at the moment as I'm now the secretary of the Montrose Rotary Club which is on the same night. I do intend to take it up again in a couple of years though. Bye for now!