Callie Beller Diesel

Welp, got my papers today and I'm officially laid off!  
Starting tomorrow I will be a full time potter for the first time in my life.  But will I be throwing pots?
NO!
My first day as a full time Potter will be spent cleaning, organizing, and basically doing all of the things I should have been doing instead of throwing pots for the last 6 months.  I'll be setting up my studio to be a hybrid potters studio slash live streaming studio.  The racks outside next to my kiln will be cleared off, items tagged and boxed into totes, inventory taken, pictures taken, and inventory added to my store.  
It's time to get serious because I may be out of work until halfway through May.  It's time to make the best of the situation and treat this as an opportunity instead of a tribulation.
Once I get everything situated on the organizational end, it will be flushing out and producing a product line.  This is my life now.

@Min-the bears are coming out of hibernation-it is not good (for them or us) that they are coming down from the ridge into "civilization", so I need to be more vigilant about not leaving tempting treats out at night! All this baking looks yummy! I'm doing a Plant Paradox food plan (which has cut my blood sugar way, way down!) The only bread I eat, and minimally at that, is genuine sourdough--@Neil, yours is beyond luscious looking!  @Callie-I no longer eat pasta at all---but I am coveting your gorgeous meal! @Oldlady-ya just hadda show the bacon, huh? @Mea-ooooo-pie! @Roberta12-have you no mercy? Now all I need is for someone to shove a really great potato dish under my nose, and my goose is cooked.  But I don't eat goose, so maybe I'm gonna be OK and will survive this thread without having a nutritional relapse! 

No bears in the city, however quiet it is! Lotsa jackrabbits though. And coyotes. 
Tonight, no one was particularly hungry because we’re not really active. Dinner was just pasta with a good olive oil, a big garlic clove, about a pound of pan roasted cherry tomatoes and some parm.  I did the pots. 
 
 

No bears in the city, however quiet it is! Lotsa jackrabbits though. And coyotes. 
Tonight, no one was particularly hungry because we’re not really active. Dinner was just pasta with a good olive oil, a big garlic clove, about a pound of pan roasted cherry tomatoes and some parm.  I did the pots. 
 
 

not today but you reminded me of a breakfast in september in harpers ferry back in 2017.    my pieces plus a cream and sugar by del martin, a mug by seth cardew, and a thin waisted cup by john glick.   i made the square at a workshop with ellen currans in oregon.  marvelous time there.
the bacon looks excessive but it is paper thin and i microwave it on paper towels to take out the fat.   

No bears in the city, however quiet it is! Lotsa jackrabbits though. And coyotes. 
Tonight, no one was particularly hungry because we’re not really active. Dinner was just pasta with a good olive oil, a big garlic clove, about a pound of pan roasted cherry tomatoes and some parm.  I did the pots. 
 
 

Pumpkin bread was yesterday.  I am going to try and Irish Soda bread today.  The pumpkin bread recipe was from my mother in law.  I use it as a base for banana bread or whatever.  It's almost fool proof and reminds me of winter and holidays and family.  And thanks @neilestrick for a great thread.  I am definitely going to try Mea's shoo fly pie.  I don't have starter for sour dough, but I love your photos!
Pumpkin Bread
1 cup raisins, 1 cup water, 4 eggs,3 cups sugar, 1 cup veg oil, 1 tsp cloves, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp cinnamon,1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsps. salt,2 tsp baking soda,1 cup chopped nuts,3 1/2 cups flour, 1 small can pumpkin (1.5 cups)  Combine all, and mix well, bake in 2 greased loaf pans at 350 for 1 hr. 
The platter was a gift and it was made by Catie Miller.  Perfect for Bread!
Roberta
 

No bears in the city, however quiet it is! Lotsa jackrabbits though. And coyotes. 
Tonight, no one was particularly hungry because we’re not really active. Dinner was just pasta with a good olive oil, a big garlic clove, about a pound of pan roasted cherry tomatoes and some parm.  I did the pots. 
 
 

No bears in the city, however quiet it is! Lotsa jackrabbits though. And coyotes. 
Tonight, no one was particularly hungry because we’re not really active. Dinner was just pasta with a good olive oil, a big garlic clove, about a pound of pan roasted cherry tomatoes and some parm.  I did the pots. 
 
 

I found enough ingredients in my kitchen to make a Shoo Fly Pie. This is one of my favorite pies, so simple and down to earth, easy to make. I’m down to my last slice. Plate by Christy Knox. Photograph by Laura DeNardo.

1 9-inch pie crust
1 cup molasses
3/4 cup hot water
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp butter or shortening
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine molasses, hot water, and baking soda. Stir well. Whisk in beaten egg. Pour mixture into pie shell.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter/shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle on top of molasses layer.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Lower temp to 350 degrees and bake an additional 30-40 minutes. 

I don't have a kitchen table. Just a counter in a galley-type space.  So, I was taking a break from prepping freezer foods "for the duration" and came to read the CAD forums---saw this topic. Went back to the kitchen and took a pic of the reduced produce bananas I scored today--62 cents for 6 good ones--that I am cutting into chunks to freeze and at some point thaw for going into yogurt or cover with melted dark chocolate.  Then I hear a racket outside.  Oh-it's you again! This bear has been visiting me for 4 years now,  1 of 3 baby cubs, when big mama used to come too.  I forgot that it's now time to bring in the feeders and suet holder. 

All right everyone. We need some pretty right about now. Show off your stuff! Works in progress, finished items, glorious meltdowns, show us your workbench!

All right everyone. We need some pretty right about now. Show off your stuff! Works in progress, finished items, glorious meltdowns, show us your workbench!

Not on my workbench, but next to my workbench. Yesterday I finished up redoing my kiln venting system, and cleaned out the kiln area. What a mess it was! The old duct was in bad shape, and the motors were shot. Back when I moved into this space in 2008, I had them put in an 8" duct in the roof, which would give me plenty of options for the future. An 8" duct can go down to two 6" ducts, which can each go down to two 4" ducts. So for this setup I've got two new downdraft vent motors mounted to the wall. They can each run up to 20 cubic feet of kilns, so I've got both attached to my big kiln, and the medium kiln shares one of them. The black ducts are Blo-R-Vac hose, which you can get at McMaster Carr. It's got a metal coil in it so it can't be easily crushed, and it's pretty much impervious to corrosion. It's rated to 250F, about 100F above the temp of the air going through it. The extra 6" duct at the top will be getting an inline 400cfm fan to pull some heat out of the space. I've never had a fan in there before, but I thought it would be nice in the summer to pull some of the heat out of there. I'm still waiting for the fan to arrive from Amazon.
 

Work in progress, mugs for a soda firing that is postponed. Flashing slip sprayed on then bisqued then underglazed, complete with pencil lines and wax resist over the underglaze brushwork so kind of messy looking. Getting boxed up today and put away until who knows when to be fired.

All right everyone. We need some pretty right about now. Show off your stuff! Works in progress, finished items, glorious meltdowns, show us your workbench!

All right everyone. We need some pretty right about now. Show off your stuff! Works in progress, finished items, glorious meltdowns, show us your workbench!

Awesome!
Been making masters for molds recently.  The news said that booze, coffee and cannabis are the local big recession proof markets that are booming right now so I've been trying to adjust and capitalize.  Plus my pourover carafes which for some reason I haven't taken pictures of recently.

@Mark C. I look forward to your new tree fishing Instagram account that you undertake in your glorious ADHD boredom. 

@Mark C. I look forward to your new tree fishing Instagram account that you undertake in your glorious ADHD boredom. 

I miss tree fishing but since breaking my arm shaking our rotten apple tree limbs My tree fishing days are over I'm sad to say.
 speaking of fishingh I am picking up my big boat today as its an essential service to me and after waiting 5.5 months for it to get out of shop I'm getting it unless arrested on the way.Of course I only del with one person about 6 feet away as its paid for and I have access to it.

My supplier is in Denver.  200 miles one way.    However, our daughter lives in Denver, so when I visit, I plan the trip around the supply house schedule.  I have a cousin who comes here to see his mom every other month, and ALWAYS offers to stop at the supply house to pick up clay.  It has been a big blessing, that is for certain.  Because Denver is a main destination for those of us who are flying, need a specialist's care, hospitalization, major concerts or shows, we all check in with friends before we leave the big city, "need anything while I am in Denver?"  
Roberta

Not that they are really difficult but they do take more time than they look.  From last week (finally able to start throwing again after an injury).

 
Absolutely!
 

Okay, last question was: do you make anything that is easy and quick to make but looks like it's more work than it is? That brings to mind just the opposite: QotW: What do you make that is difficult, and takes time but is not viewed as difficult?
I think if I were to look at my pots over the years there are at least two things that seem to be unappreciated for their complexity or difficulty. Large anything, and covered dishes. I will take on the covered dishes first, as the two parts for me has much to work on. I find the fitting of lids not too bad, and the placement of handles is fine, but then when you consider the throwing so that the bottom of the casserole does not crack, the marrying of the walls into the base, and the arch of the lid and lid fit, the placement of the lid handle for use with mitts and the side handles of the dish if it has them. . . . .there is a lot to go wrong. Don't  get me wrong, my percentage of survival of good well thrown and glaze ware in this category is high when I do it, but I haven' in years, They never sold well.
Large anything, I have done the covered jars, the large floor vases, and two three and four section pots over the years. In talking with lot of folks it is not construed as being worth the money!!!! They don't understand the fact that to get to the point that you can throw a 36" cylinder and shape it, trim the base, and then glaze it may only take you an hour and a half all together. When looking at the price tag they can't wrap their heads around the fact that it took years to gain the skill to do it.  Just saying... . 
So QothW: What do you make that is difficult, and takes time but is not viewed as difficult?
 
best,
Pres

I spent all weekend doing something I haven't done for 20 years!  Making molds.
3 piece mold, plaster is curing and hopefully ends up working out.