Cups From Near and Far

Saturday and Sunday were full of gifts. Perfect timing that made for a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. On Saturday, Wendy and her husband came to pick-up my two kilns I sold her. It was a bit bitter sweet as I’m so happy Wendy is getting her studio set up here in Anchorage but a bit sad to see my kilns get loaded into their Honda Element. Yes, they fit one by one! As a thank you gift, Wendy gifted me one of her hand made, sgraffito ceramic cups. I especially like how she stamps her initials on the bottom. When Daddy-O brought the mail in he handed me the Mother’s Day card I had sent to MY mom last week...

it was returned for insufficient postage -20 cents short(!) that’s AFTER I had put two stamps on the envelope. It was a normal Mother’s Day card feeling only slightly heavier…don’t get me going about why the US Postal Service is having trouble. On the upside he also handed me a box! Inside was

a gift from my friend “Ang from down under” as I affectionately refer to her!! While she was stateside and touring with the Seagrove group she took time to send me ONE OF HER VERY COOL CUPS! Two cool cups in one day –I hit the jackpot! You don’t want to see the cup I normally drink my tea from. We don’t have the cabinets filled with ultra-artsy cool pottery that most of my potter blog buddies do. In defense of the arts, it’s because Derek has a strong arm approach to putting the dishes away and survival rate for nicer pieces is low. I now have a special “safe area” in the upper cabinet just for my two new cups! I admired the cup Ang gifted me when I first saw it on her blog. The artful handle, the lovely matte glaze and the comfortable shape that fits

my hand perfectly. I wrapped my hands around it’s full shape and felt the warmth of my tea this morning. Thank you so much Ang for thinking of me! I was really touched and proud to have such generous friends near and far.

Mother’s Day was filled with a morning walkies with Nimbus and my man to Fire Island Bakery having Monkey Bread outside on the Café tables. Followed by a long family bike ride through downtown and wrapping up with a movie and pizza at Bear Tooth with Will, his girlfriend Kim, Derek and Gus. Kristen is out at sea on a research cruise, but managed to call last week when they were forced to dock in Seward to repair the CTG and winch that had broke earlier in the week. She will be back just in time for graduation this weekend. It will be a push this week with family coming, graduation and all the final prep for the Market opening. Hang on, Alaska’s 90 days of summer is just about to begin!

Happy Mother's Day Mom

Mom gently and consistently taught us to be kind, respectful and polite. She never lost her patience –I swear I don’t know how she made it through some days. When other kids were mean and spiteful her favorite saying was “what goes around, comes around.” I didn’t really appreciate this concept until I got older and witnessed karma in action. When I was in second grade I got suspended for fighting and throwing another little girls shoes on the school roof. The other girl received no punishment because her mom was president of the P.T.A. My mom thought this was completely unjust and never said a harsh word to me about the fight. My mom has always had my back. When my sister and I were little we were never allowed to say the word “pregnant.” She said it was more polite to say a woman was “expecting.” Same with the word “butt.” We would say “that kid fell right on her bottom” and thought for years that “butt” was a cuss word. Mom told my sister and I not to say “I hate you,” when Chris and I used to scrap over stupid stuff. Our mom made sure my sister and I always had clean, mended clothes, especially underwear and tennis shoes and never holes in our pants. She keeps a wonderfully sunny and clean house and growing up we were never embarrassed to have friends over. Her garden flowers grow twice as tall as mine and her hanging baskets always overflow with blooms. Mom is an accomplished cook, always trying

new recipes. I often think how lucky we were to always have home cooked meals, fresh garden salads and snacks waiting for us when we’d get home from school. When our dad worked 24 hours on and 24 hours off as a fireman, and it was just us girls, mom would let my sister and I eat our favorite Mac n’ Cheese for dinner on TV trays. When it started to be “uncool” for our mom to drop us off at school, the roller rink or the pool, mom made sure to stop well away from the front door and let us out. We never went without though I know my folks went through some difficult times. Mom supported our dad as he indulged in his hobbies toting the family off to the desert week after week for dune buggy and motorcycle races. She would sweep the tent without complaint, of sand, lizards and snakes even though she hated all three. She never complained as our Dad moved his young family from sunny, warm Southern California, North, to the wilds of Alaska. She’d hook the fattest salmon even though she’s fearful of boats and being on the water. My mom welcomed being a grandma and always had the cutest sippy cups,

yummy snacks and baby accessories on hand at their house. She was the on-call baby sitter no matter what the time or short notice. Mom is a talented ceramicist and floral arranger. She’s retired from a career with (Sohio) BP and admiring coworkers even named a huge semi-truck after her, the “Ginny B,” on the North Slope. She is a volunteer with the Red Cross and giving of her time for a worthy cause. My mom could easily be a pro bowler. Gus can’t wait to challenge her at Wii Bowling when they come up this week for Kristen’s graduation. It will be good timing too because I can give her the Mother’s Day card I sent LAST MONDAY that got returned to me in yesterday’s mail for not enough postage on it… Happy Mother’s Day Mom! You are truly the best and I’m thankful for everything you have taught and instilled in me as a daughter, a sister, a wife, a woman and a MOM. I love you Mom.