Pots... And More Pots

The current pottery session is drawing to a close...

Every few weeks, I bring home pots... (and more pots!)

Have I improved?

Some wheel-thrown bowls are thinner (which was one of my goals)...

I've tried a few new things in handbuilding... among them (with varying degrees of success) - adding bodies to heads. Unfortunately, the fragile arms and legs often break off!

Squirrels are a little easier to make. I've made a number of animals in hand-building.

As I try to use up little bits of clay, I've discovered that I enjoy molding small bowls, with flower petal designs. Not sure what they would be useful for...

That's the trouble with some of the things I end up making as I try new things.

It's all a lot of fun - which is why I do it! But I think I'll take a break for the summer, once gardening season is here.

If I Went to Palm Springs Again...

It was lovely to escape Ottawa's March chill and bask in warm weather again when I went to Palm Springs a few weeks ago.

The relatives who hosted us have traveled south for dozens of years now. They have found their niche in a rented home attached to a golf course...












The complex has an indoor exercise room, indoor and outdoor pools... 













... and opportunities for socializing.

For many years, they drove south in an RV... parking it near a golf course!

I'm not a golfer, so all that is wasted on me! If I were to head to Palm Springs again, I'd go in January, when the weather isn't as hot...

And I'd move around a bit. I'd probably spend some time in the older part of Palm Springs, where one can go on walking tours of interesting neighborhoods.

Architecture and history are more fascinating to me than golf!

An Interesting Resort Hotel

One of the interesting places we visited, during the few days we spent in Palm Springs, was the  Desert Springs JW Marriott Hotel and Spa.

It had its own golf course (of course!)

More interesting to us were the pink flamingos swimming around in a pond outdoors...

Some parrots in cages inside the building...

And an indoor boat launch.

Boats sail through glass doors into the outdoor pond...

We looked around...

Then we chatted with a young man whose job is to make sure those dining in outdoor patio restaurants aren't bothered by birds flying around, landing on or under tables. The mere presence of a hawk in the air deters most birds.

As he talked to us, he kept an eye on a second hawk that was flying around. The dog's task? To flush out the birds hiding among the flowers.

After a quick stop at Starbucks, in the main building, we were off again.

Impressive! How many people it must take to keep this resort going... But for those who can afford it, a lovely place to stay.

Golf Course Winter Homes

As a non-golfer, I was amazed to see how many golf course communities there are in Palm Springs - winter homes surrounding a golf course, which allow people to live within walking distance of the game, often with no fence in between.

It was no surprise to see golfers riding their golf carts down the street, right onto the course. 

In fact, the garage of the house we stayed in had two doors - a larger one (on the left) for the car, and a smaller one (on the right) for a golf cart.

There were even gated communities for motor homes and RVs with their own private golf courses.

Retirement - and golf - are big business in the south. In winter, Canadian "snow birds" swell the Palm Springs population by 30%.

I can understand the appeal of getting away from the snow.

For me, a non-golfer, a patio overlooking the green was a picturesque place to sit. But don't ask me to walk - or drive - around, in pursuit of a little white ball!

Two Interesting Books by Barbara Brown Taylor

Do we become more reflective the older we get? Perhaps.

During Lent, I enjoyed an interesting season of reflection as I read two books by Barbara Brown Taylor.

One - entitled Leaving Church - is the story of how the author entered - and left - her job in church ministry.

The second, which I read concurrently with the first, is called An Altar in the World. In it she writes about religious issues that are part of the her life. Reading the biography first provides a context for the second.

Both books have touched me on a deep level, providing food for thought and clarity to some unresolved issues in my life...

Perhaps I'll go into more detail later... but for now, all I'll say is that I highly recommend them both!

Discovering them (in the public library) has been a real gift!

("Yaaay!" for public libraries!)

Spring Haiku

A while back, I was going through my children's school "souvenirs," and I came across this "haiku" assignment. The teacher in me did a quick check: Is it really a haiku? Yes, it's a three-line poem that doesn't rhyme. Yes, the first and third lines have five syllables; the middle line has seven...

I'm not sure what his grade school teacher was expecting when she asked my son's class to write haiku poems. She provided a very poetic title: My spring eyes behold...

What does he behold?!

It has the right number of syllables and lines... Yet not a flower or tree is mentioned!

But, for a nine-year old sports-loving boy, it's an honest poem - sports, friends playing outdoors are probably the only things he would actually "behold."

Come to think of it, I wasn't aware of budding trees, spring flowers or robins until I was much, much older - and had a garden of my own.

Signs of Spring

It's April 1 - and I am optimistic that spring is just around the corner!

I see buds on two of my three helliborus plants. This one has the most.

A week ago, there was still lots of snow on the ground...














Our winter tent "garage" was still up.
















Now the snow has almost all disappeared.

And Terry has removed the plastic covering from his winter "garage."

Once the college removes their winter dome that still covers their soccer field, in my eyes, spring will officially be here!