Wednesday, June 29, 2011

It's strawberry season

first strawberries of the season 625
Have not long ago arrived back from exploring the Rocky mountains with Lisa and Catherine so it's taking some time to trawl through the photos but do expect to see some very soon. In the meantime here are some strawberries I drew on our camping trip as we relaxed one afternoon in a little camp ground in Enderby not far outside Kelowna with a glass of crisp, local, pear cider to match. These are my first berries of the season, purchased from the Revelstoke farmers market on the way through. There have been berries in the shops for... well actually, non-stop since we arrived but they are all from South America and California. As this area is perfect for berry growing (IN THE PROPER SEASON) I have been trying to hold out. These strawberries were a true reward and I have been finding more in the shops ever since. Really looking forward to picking our very own blackberries which are growing down the side of the garage - we hear August is the month!

On the topic of eating locally I have found two books particularly useful. My darling mother gave me Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to read on the plane trip over here which was excellent and I have since read the 100 Mile Diet written by Vancouverites so particularly pertinent (though I must say not quite as thorough or enjoyable as the aforementioned in my humble opinion - it's all the rage here though).

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Making magnets

commercial drive car free day preparations
We have 2 Australian friends staying at the moment in our little bed and breakfast (our 1 bedroom loft apartment). Today Catherine and Lisa are exploring the Aquarium and hoping to run into some raccoons in Stanley Park. Yesterday they visited the pottery studio with me where everyone was busy getting things ready for our big fundraiser which kicks off this Saturday night. Volunteer help is always appreciated, so they were quickly put to task, thanks girls!

I enjoyed making these magnets - pictured above to the left which are thin slabs of clay I cut out, fired, glazed, fired, put transfers onto, fired and then will add magnets to the back (this process happened over a number of days). I'd like to experiment with this some more! Idea c/o Robyn - thanks Robbo!

More of what's happening on the JustPotters blog.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Brew-a-mug

Brew A-Mug
coffe compesite 625

  • Brew-A-Mug - a find at our local higgeldy piggeldy thrift store. I'd been on the look out a few days and walked in to find this waiting for me. I love the original box.
  • Beautiful handmade linen filter - a generous and thoughtful gift from CoCo, all the way from Japan. To be reused many times over, a great alternative to throw-away filter papers.
  • Coffee - haven't been able to catch my usual coffee lady Laurie at the markets so this is from Ten Thousand Villages.
  • Mug - handbuilt at JustPotters
And remember to check out my posts over at the JustPotters blog. It's getting close to our big fundraiser so I've been busy over there and in the studio.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Picking flowers

I love flowers.
I love to have fresh flowers in our home.
when I can't justify buying them I pick them discreetly
from places where they wont be missed;
from fields of weeds, back alley ways,
plants overhanging walkways or even my own yard.
 advantages of picking flowers:
  • they are pretty
  • they brighten the house up
  • they bring the outdoors in
disadvantages of picking flowers:
  • if you don't get them home soon enough
    and straight into water they can suffer dehydrationi
  • if you put them in the saddle bag of your bike they may come out a little bruised
  • flowers last for a shorter time in a vase
    than if they had been left growing where they were...
which led me to thinking about why I pick flowers.
is it really just to make the house look pretty?
well I certainly think that's an aspect, but could there be another lesson here?
I wonder if it is connected to that same feeling I have
when I see (for example) a cute tea cup and want to buy it and bring it home.
sometimes (frequently) it doesn't seem to be enough to appreciate
something beautiful in someone elses home,
in a cafe, in a shop window.
I already have enough tea cups,
especially since I can only ever drink from one at a time,
and yet, I want to buy that pretty teacup.
I think this is coveting.
and I know for certain that coveting is not good,
 so I find myself in a bit of a pickle.
when we moved to Canada we sold/gave away/threw out/stored
all of our earthly possessions.
we came here with little more than clothes
and I am afraid to admit that our little house is starting to burst at the seams
already with stuff.
I seem to have fallen back into the trap
that seems so normal.
advantages of appreciating flowers where they grow:
  • they last longer
  • more people can see and appreciate them
  • a good excuse to go for a walk

    now perhaps flowers aren't the best example of consumerism
    but I hope you might be learning something reading this as I did writing it.

    as flowers in vases never last too long,
    thankfully they will never overtake my house and fill it up,
    (though how glorious to be over-run with flowers!).
    when they die I recycle them straight back into the compost
    and then ponder where I can find more...
my natural inclination towards seeing,
coveting and aquiring though
is something I am aware of and want to work against.

how can I surround myself with pretty things
but still exercise restraint
when it comes to aquiring, consuming, hoarding things?
what practical things can I do to appreciate beauty
without desiring or feeling the need to own it for myself?
how can I learn be content with what I already have?

I would love to hear your thoughts.

kindly,
the flower fairy,
sharolyn