Always Close to Solstice

Recently, I’ve been sharing a booth at some shows with my friends, Stan and Joe McCoy of Sage Meadow Farm. Joe is a vet (he does pathology work—not private practice) and his office is just down the hall from mine at One Cottage Street. Joe and Stan have dairy goats (really more like pets who happen to be dairy goats) and they make soap with some of the milk.  It’s been nice to share space with them at Open Studios and a couple of smaller shows this  year.

Just as I have to figure names for various serving pieces, Joe and Stan have to come up with names for their various scent combinations.  A popular one at our recent Berkshire Botanical Gardens show was called “Solstice.” Joe remarked, “Well, it’s always close to Solstice.”  It got me thinking about how the seasons blend into one another and before you know it, another half year is nearly past.

Because I make things with leaf designs, and also live in a culture where a lot of people are motivated to buy gifts in the late fall/early winter, I am quite busy this time of year.  When one is busy, the time seems to disappear quickly. 

I have taken the opportunity to try to enjoy the fall beauty in addition to making lots of pottery.  The weather has been unusually cooperative with a lot of clear days and blue sky.  We did have torrential rain as we were driving to set up at the Berkshires show, but I noted that the colors looked good even in the pouring rain.  Lucky for us, the rain slowed to a soft drizzle by the time we arrived to set up the booth.  The weather the rest of the weekend was beyond amazing.  A lot of people came to enjoy the festival.

The day after I finish a show I always try to take a little time for myself out of the studio. My husband once weighed my van empty, and then after it was loaded for a show and it had over 800 pounds of pottery and booth in it.  I was lucky to have help with set up and tear down at the most recent show.  When I do it by myself, I usually just feel like lazing around the day after the show.

This time it was Columbus Day so my son was out of school.  We went off in search of some fall beauty and found it at a tiny little lookout spot called “Mount Pollux” in Amherst.  We shared the place with a couple of practicing acrobats (can you believe that?).  It was perfect because they provided a little added entertainment for the younger member of my group.  I got to sit and look out at the beautiful vista, and Henry was completely amused by the practicing acrobats. As I sat there I couldn’t help but think of how quickly the rest of my year will fly.  I only have one more away show (Westport, Connecticut) and then two weekends of Open Studios in December.  Then, sure enough it will be Solstice time again.

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