Are you kidding me?

Ok, the tea bag can just kiss it. I'm going as fast as I can.

More thoughts on pottery and faith


One of the first things I was taught in pottery is that you shouldn't get attached to your piece until it's done. By 'done' the people in my class mean, out of the kiln, fired and in your car on the way home. There are too many steps that can go wrong that could 'ruin' your piece. That advice was always a problem for me. Even though I have a hint of OCD in me somewhere and want every piece to be perfect, I fall a little in love with each piece I make. That love is in each part of the long process which begins with wedging the clay (photo on left).

In some ways I think this is because I think of pottery in the same way I do my faith. I don't think I ever have (or will) perfected my faith. It is all a journey. If you don't love the journey (at least some of the time) you have to ask yourself if it is worth taking. Pottery is the same to me. If I don't love making a piece, even an imperfect one, why be involved in the process. At that point, I'd pack it up and head to Mikasa for matching set of bone china and call it a day.

That isn't to say that I don't have favorite pieces, or in the end wind up disliking a particular piece. However, each step of the process there is a bit of me invested in the clay and glaze. Each step of one's faith journey we invest a little more of it in our relationship with God. Some paths on that journey we enjoy, others we don't. However, if we don't embrace the process of growing into our faith we lose an important part of our own development.

Making a piece of pottery isn't about the final piece. I don't look at the plate being used on our kitchen table and say, "There. It's done." I look at each step in the process and say, "I'm one step closer to understanding this piece, what it will look like and how it will be used." Our faith journeys are similar. Each step along the way should be viewed not only as part of a process, but also as an opportunity for understanding oneself, and one's relationship with God.

Jenny and Toonces in better days...

Early this morning Jenny joined Toonces in the great beyond.

.

O was under-

standably

inconsolable.

Alright already...

Let the jokes begin...

This is centering the clay. You cone it up and down to ensure it is centered. It is fodder for many jokes in class.

Have at it!

Where I spend my Wednesday nights


I have lots to talk about from pottery tonight. I took several dozen pictures and a few movies of prepping the clay and throwing some pieces. I'll post more soon.

In the meantime, this is the shot right before Demi Moore snuck up behind me.

Save the date: May 4th!

Our friend Paul Zeigler (Kim's piano teacher and O's Godfather) is performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb Major with the The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey.

This is a clip of him playing for us last night.

Come join us on May 4th at 3pm at Dolan Performance Hall at The College of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station!

Check out his website at www.paulzeigler.com

A raise of hands... who needs a vacation?

I looked at the calendar today and realized that vacation is only four months away. Actually, at this point in the week, four months from now, I'll be on the beach with a gin and tonic collecting rocks with O.

.

We're heading to Provincetown for two weeks this year. It is one of the most wonderful places on earth.

.

Some of my best days have ended with my friends and family sitting on the beach and watching the sun set. It doesn't get much better than that.

Why I use Aveda skincare products...

These are a couple more macro shots I took today. I have found it interesting looking for smaller 'landscapes' to photograph. I had never noticed the bark on the pine trees next to our home until today.

Is that a stamen in your flower, or are you just happy to see me?

Another macro shot. I'm not very good at this, but I try a few shots every time I have the camera out.

Daddy's Little Girl!


Most parent's I know show posed happy pictures of their darling children. I'd much rather show these off!

We went to the park for a picnic today, played on the swings and made faces.

She's just like her nutty Father.





The blue tongue is from the Bomb-Pop.

(Yes, I was the first one on line at the ice cream truck).

Where everyone knows your name...

I just got back from a business trip in Boston. Most of you know that we lived up there for a few years when I was in graduate school at Northeastern. I love that city! I'd move back in a minute... anyone have a couple jobs (in the Financial Services and Pharmaceutical industries)?

It's like going home when we travel up there. I know that things would never be the same as when we lived there previously, but there is such a sense of nostalgia seeing the street we lived on, walking past Trinity Church and seeing the preparation for the Boston Marathon.

I spent the days in meetings and conference sessions, but did a quite a bit of walking in the early evenings and after dinner. A coworker and I took a walk up Boylston Street after the afternoon sessions ended. Workers were setting up the bleachers on the finish line for the Boston Marathon. We stopped in Marathon Sports, a running shop on Boylston, and I picked up a couple tee shirts.

.

While I was paying, the young woman behind the counter asked me if I was running on Monday (yeah, she meant in the marathon). I couldn't lie (in part, because my coworker would have sold me out in about 8 seconds). However, it was great to know that I could at least pass for a marathon runner in jeans and a button-up shirt. If she only knew that I still feel like throwing up if I run longer than two miles!

Come on already... bloom!

If patience is a virtue, then I'm not all THAT virtuous. I want these trees to have leaves on them already. I know it's a process. Life is all about processes. But I'm the guy who wants someone to invent something faster than the microwave.

It was a gorgeous 74 degrees today. We spent most of it outside. I brought my camera with me. As I mentioned yesterday I've been tooling around with the macro functionality on my camera. Here are a couple that I thought came out reasonably well.

Bloom already!

Because the skin cream isn't helping...

I was visiting an childhood friend's blog (see Jaimee's link on the right) and was admiring her macro photographs. They're amazing. I started playing around with my camera to see if a photo-phobe could take a macro picture.

This is from the dryer. I'm pretty sure I need natural light.

I'll be outside tomorrow (in the rain) seeing what I can capture.

Im in!




I received my re-admission letter today from Drew University's Theological School. I've been readmitted to finish up the remaining class needed to complete my MTS degree!

Where is that chalice? I need a toast!

Our Rickety Dog.
This is Jenny (she came with the name). She's about a hundred and ten years old (and that's in human years). We adopted her from a rescue league nine years ago. Three weeks ago she was diagnosed with liver failure but she continues kicking and peeing... everywhere.

She'll likely be going on to her great reward at some point soon, but right now she's sound asleep on the floor next to me on top of a copy of Billy Graham's Angels.

She's our own little version of the energizer bunny.

What are all these people running from?

I finally started exercising again. I hate exercise. No, I mean it - with a passion. My body would rather atrophy. I had been pretty good about going to the YMCA in Madison. It's all too solitary. I know there are dozens of other people in there exercising, but no one wants to talk. I'm not good at silence or at things I have to do alone. Treadmills (dreadmills) are the worst. Everyone is wearing their earphones and staring straight ahead. There are TVs set up along the front wall - most are tuned in to either a 24 hour news channel or an episode of Law & Order. So you can choose to either watch people who were murdered for real, or actors pretending to be murderers.

I took all of this as a sign that I should try something different. A team sport you suggest - HA! You forget I'm not particularly coordinated - ok, not coordinated at all. I'm trying running outside. A paved path isn't quite interesting enough. I've been running on dirt paths in the woods. It seems to be better on my knees. It also gives my mind something to do. So I don't trip, I keep my eyes out for rocks and roots sticking out of the ground. Hey, it's something to do!

In the meantime, my lovely bride brings home this cake! I'm not great with willpower when it comes to cake! O just wanted to eat the chocolate flakes off the edge. Within 10 minutes we had to put her in a padded room to detox from the sugar. (I had to join her 15 minutes later).

Wash your hands before you eat that bread...



What do you think about a lavabo bowl for the communion set as well? It would be in the same glaze as the chalice.

I know a Priest who needs a hand washing!

Who is more excited than me right now?

Clearly, no one.

I just got home from pottery and brought home two chalices. They're not perfect - but they're huge improvements over the first two I made. These are numbers three and four. The dark one is brown clay with Yim glaze. I love that glaze. The gold one is white clay with VC Bronze. It is a very regal looking glaze. It is gold with hints of cherry and white breaking through.

I trimmed two patens, three cups and a bowl that has a fantastic shape. I spent the rest of the night glazing pieces - one VERY small chalice (which, if I'm lucky, will be able to be used by a four year old), six candle stick holders and one platter (or plate if it shrinks considerably).


I'm raising a chalice to ongoing improvement in the coming months.

Oh, that's a peach, hun!

What do you think of this glaze? It is white (on the left) overlapping plum.

I made this piece a couple months ago and found it when I was cleaning out a room that had become a dumping area for homeless items in our house. Yes, I know your house can't have homeless items - but, well, there it is.

You get extra points for identifying the movie that the title of this post comes from (you should know better than to end a sentence with a preposition).

South Pacific Strikes Again!

I can't get this song out of my head! I've downloaded it from Itunes and we're all running around the house like fools singing at the top of our lungs (ok, mostly me and Olivia). The lyrics are pretty great.

"Happy talk, keep talkin happy talk

talk about thing you like to do

you got to have a dream...

if you dont have a dream...

How you gonna have a dream come true?"

The Parable of the Faithful Potter...


I have one class left to complete my Masters in Theological Studies (MTS) at Drew University. I attended classes at night over several years and took a rather long hiatus when our daughter was born. The Dean of the Theological School (who I adore) called me and convinced me to finish up my coursework. I had to reapply because of the four year delay. I'm still waiting to hear, but believe everything has been submitted.

My last class will be a synthesis (what a word for a guy with a lisp) of what I learned at Drew as well as where I am today. I plan to do a presentation and paper on arts and spirituality. I need to prepare a detailed plan, but have a general idea of what I'll be doing. I also plan to make a dozen (or so) chalice's and paten's.

I've been thinking a great deal about what drew me to pottery (other than my dear friend Larry). To me, pottery is not just about form and function. It is both an artistic and spiritual outlet.

My faith is not a smooth and cleanly defined set of theological standards. I was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition. We were told what to believe. We were certainly not encouraged to grow into our faith or continue to learn. What more is there to learn, when the Church has all the answers? I found my spiritual home rather easily in the Episcopal Church.

Much like my experience with pottery, my faith is lumpy and off-center. Sometimes, it even collapses. But when this happens, I pick up the pieces and make sense of what is occurring in the context of my life and relationship with God.

My experience with the creative is very similar. Early on in one of my pottery classes, I was making a gift for a friend. I was struggling trying to make two bowls look alike. One of the women sitting next to me looked over and asked me what was wrong. I explained what I was doing and what I was trying to achieve. She wrinkled her brow at me and said, "Honey, if they want pottery that looks the same they should go to Target!"

There it was. Plain and simple.

Now, I embrace the differences in my pieces. The chalices will not be perfect. They may be slightly off center, or tilted ever so slightly. I hope when people come to the communion rail they notice the imperfections in the chalice and reflect upon their faith. I hope they embrace the cup as they lift it to their lips in the same way that they embrace their faith, accepting their imperfections and being open to an exploring new ideas.

Somethin's wrong with Barbie...

Olivia saw the new Dolly Parton CD on my desk and asked, "What's wrong with Barbie?"

Nothing Pork Chop. Nothing.

'Possum?

When I was coming home from New Orleans on Wednesday night, Olivia wanted to wait up to greet me. Kim told her that I wouldn't be home until very late - in the middle of the night. O's response was, "Hm. Just like a nocturnal animal."

I just wanted a cup of tea, not to have to think!

I just had a cup of tea (Yogi). It has a saying on the paper tab. "Your body is the temple of God." Hm.

More books!

I love books. Unfortunately, my propensity to buy them outweighs the time I have to read them. I'll get to them though... all in good time, all in good time.

I also love to get packages. There is something wonderful about tearing open cardboard to get to some treasure I probably don't need. This is clearly one of the reasons I so love Ebay (but that's another story - I'll tell you about my new/used Grace Jones CD soon).

I got home from New Orleans to find my Amazon box. I bought Jurgen Moltmann's Theology of Hope. MB's blog has a test on it that shows you what theologian your beliefs most closely mimic. Mine was Moltmann. So of course he must be brilliant - have to give it a read.

I also got the #1 bestseller Tales of the South Pacific by James A Michener. I have to read it after seeing the show South Pacific. Here is a wonderful quote from the first page, "But whenever I start to talk about the South Pacific, people intervene. I try to tell somebody what the steaming Hebrides were like and first thing you know I'm telling about the old Tonkinese woman who used to sell human heads. As souvenirs. For fifty dollars!" Classic. I know I'm going to love this book. Stingy bastards!

Finally - the preorder! Kurt Vonnegut's Armageddon in Retrospect. Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favourite authors. He died on April 11th of last year. This book is a collection of his unpublished writings. I love what he has to say about our inclination for violence. His book, Slaughterhouse-Five, is in my top ten. All of his books, but this one in particular, transcend time and are perpetually relevant.

The Big Easy... ain't that easy!

.

I'm just back from a few days at a meeting in New Orleans. The meeting was at a hotel a few blocks away from the French Quarter. We were there a few years before Katrina hit. We did the typical tourist things - toured the graveyards, ate in amazing restaurants and listened to the best live jazz I've ever heard in my life by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. On this trip, I didn't see any of the tourist attractions beyond Bourbon Street. I do recall Bourbon Street being a bit racy - but this time, it was actually seedy.

.

There were nine of us walking down Bourbon the first night. We were in hunt of a nice place for dinner. We passed about six strip clubs with scantily clad women hanging out in the doorways and barkers (men) trying to convince passers-by to enter. "No cover charge!" There were also significantly more places selling alcohol - not just bars, but booths. I guess this shouldn't surprise me so much, but I also noticed that there were very few women walking around. We'd pass an occasional group of women, but for the most part the streets were filled with businessmen and college students.

.

We found a few places to listen to loud music and have a few drinks, but alcohol and noise were not enough to help me escape the thoughts of how race and class play in the rebuilding of that city.

.

As usual, I was able to find some joy in the here and now (kind of a tenet in my life). This is a coworker and I up on a balcony enjoying an adult beverage. Notice my beads. I earned them baby! The hard way. (Yes, of COURSE I'm kidding).