All of these things!

Some people go to the woods to think. Me, I'm a road zombie! I love to drive, listen to my tunes and think about past, present and future. I've had an awesome couple of weeks in The Deep South with some of the best and yet to be best potters. I keep turning up like an ole penny in Seagrove, NC The Pottery Capital of the USA. The collective knowledge in this town of clay peeps continually blows my mind. I feel soooo much gratitude to belong to this clay family. My advice to my kids when they were growing up was "it is just as important to find out "what you don't" want to be as to find out "what" you want to be." It is also equally as important to find out "who" you want to be and who you "don't" want to be. I feel very comfortable in the clay community. While the kiln was cooling I slipped down the pavement to visit Ron and Hester Meyers in Athens, GA. I walked in on Ron approaching his 90th year and where do you think I would find him? Stooped over in his studio decorating some cups. My Uncle Jimmie died the day he made 50 cups. Some people want to make pots and others need to make pots. Ron and Uncle Jimmie needed clay under their finger nails. David Stuempfle here in Seagrove needs to make pots. Can't really see him being away from the studio for too long at a time. Speaking of which while driving I thought I have become my Uncle Jimmie. Driving along today I thought if soooo many can claim to be potters then I'll claim a bunch of things. I am a potter. I am a teacher. I am a artist. I am a writer. I am a gardener. I am a cook. I am cyclist. I am Dad, a poppa and an uncle. I am all of these things and we can be all of these things and more. Sometimes it feels like a lot of balls to juggle but if ya draw your own water you appreciate every drop. Here's to life! Here's to you! Here's to me!a

David's Huge anagama wood fired kiln

David and his stoking partner Night Hawk

Night Hawk, David and I coveting an Edgefied pot of the 1800's. Edgefield SC was a community of 19,000 people. 12,000 were slaves making pottery. They were kept illerate and whipped for not being productive enough.