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Wednesday 7 October 2009

The Hard Rock & a rocky time ahead.

The Hard Rock prizes went down really well. We watched the event at the weekend and here is my stalwart helper Allie on the ride and the run, coming in as first local woman! I cycled in this event last year but I did start to get a bit worried about injuries - and the more I worried the more I fell off. I now wear a ridiculous amount of body armour and don't look anything like as cool as Allie, but as a self emplyed potter with no personal insurance I reckon I just have to put up with looking like a medieval knight. As a child I always wanted to be one anyway so nothing has changed there.

I had a large throwing session, I didn't mean to make quite so much but the clay was JUST right and I got rather carried away. I have been meaning to throw some salad bowls for ages as I've had none in the showroom all summer.
I'd also run out of tri-vases, (great for people who can't arrange flowers very well, like me). Sometimes they are horrendous to throw but the clay being just perfect makes so much difference.At the same time I'm half way through a group of extruded dishes. I had a go at bending a dish sideways as it was being extruded. It was a bit tricky because the pugmill is so close to the wall, one side was easier than the other. But I do like the effect and I think it has potential.
In between all this making Allie unpacked the big kiln of bisc, but now there is no room anywhere for anything. I will have to finish off the decorating before we can glaze anyway so maybe we should have just left it all in the kiln... but then we have traffic jam problems, (and I have a pretty big workshop)! All the shelves and all the tables are covered and the day seems to have been spent moving things around.

I usually try to keep this blog pretty much to pottery related topics, but the truth is I am in a bit of a panic, trying to get so much made before Rodger's bone marrow transplant. He is going in to hosptial next Tuesday and will be there for a month or longer depending on how it goes. I will be taking the next few weeks off and staying in Glasgow where possible. I do anticipate a pretty difficult few months ahead, with juggling care and keeping home and work ticking over so I probably won't be posting too much, though Rodger has plans to write a transplant blog. ..if he is up to it. Watch this space!

6 comments:

  1. hello, I haven't left a comment before but your blog was great and you seem to be making heaps of work.Hope all goes well for the bone marrow transplant and you are able to keep potting just a little bit. The photo of your assistant potter made me stop and read your blog,so it is good to include personal stories with your blog.All the best .Judy

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  2. Hi Christine,

    Really sorry to hear about Rodger, I realized from a past post of yours that you were dealing with a family member who had some health problems, but I hadn't realized that it was someone so close to you. Kind thoughts to you both from us down in this part of the world, and hope that things go really well. It will be a big change being out of the studio for so long, those bowls looked lovely too, by-the-way. Clay that is just right can be so addictive!
    Best Wishes to you all,
    Peter, Laura, and Ginger

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  3. Hi Christine, Sorry to hear that Roger has so much to go through. We really enjoyed meeting you both in the summer. Please give Roger our best wishes.
    The pots are looking, good you are so productive.

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  4. Thank you Jude, Peter and Margaret for all your nice comments. We feel that we are embarking on a very big adventure indeed, pretty scary, but we do have a fantastic team here in Dumfries and up in Glasgow who we have full confidence in. Rodger's donor is a 23 year old French man, so young to be so altruistic. It feels quite extrordinary.
    It is rather a weird coincidence that the Google word verification tonight is 'GRATIO"- We are indeed Grateful!

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  5. Hi Christine, Great photo of Allie speeding along on her bike!

    We will be sending Rodger lots of love for the challenges ahead. I hope he gets home from Glasgow ASAP and is feeling well enough to start Blogging - I'm sure it would be a nice contact with the outside world at a time when he will be in such isolation - but at the same time Blogging may be the last thing he feels like doing!

    Lots of Love to you both. xx

    PS can't wait to see the Beano wiggly dish when I get back on Sunday... I am sure there will be a McGill Duncan Blog about it. Zoe x

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  6. Dear Christine

    Thanks for your lovely comments....all back from London now after a great show.

    Sending you all lots of love and strength for the coming months....anything I can do please let me know...love amanda x

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