working with Bob the Sculptor

Today I went to Bob Raymonds to help him hone his computer skills!

http://www.annsartcenter.com/

Roger comes to New England.

Roger came for a visit after Dollywood.  Roger is from Minnesota. We went off to see our New England Roots in Plimoth Massachusetts.

It was a cold and bleak day the beginning of November.

Very few tourists. So after visiting with the potters shop

for me and the wood joiner for Roger, we went down into the village to talk to the locals.

It is fun to talk to and listen to the people from 1627. The reenactors there are in first person, so you cannot get them to break out of their roles. This is fun and yet frustrating if you want to know something about what they are doing, you may not get an answer you will understand. 

We got over to the Mayflower just before closing to get a tour above and below decks. Roger is decended from Thomas Rogers I believe who was on the original Mayflower.  His family wandered out west to Minnesota, and mine from Boston, stayed here in New England.

We saw the big trees in Connectciut. Cathedral in the Pines was an old strip of forest in Cornwall CT not too far from me. Most people don't realize our old trees were all torn down for firewood and houses. The "old" trees you see are a mere hundred year old or so. The Pines in Cornwall are only 200 years old but some stand 140' tall.  In 1989, a rare tornado blew through and took down most of the tall pines. Before the Plimoth settlers, most of our land was primeval forests. Think of it, dense forests of trees as large as these last two really old trees still standing in Connecticut, Granby Oak and Pinchot Sycamore in Simsbury. While the Pinchot Sycamore is the biggest at 300+ years, the Granby Oak is older by 100 years.

Cathedral in the Pines

Pinchot Sycamore

Granby Oak

But then, read about the oldest tree found in Sweden... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416104320.htm

Off to Dollywood, Tennessee!

My first year demonstrating at Dollywood!  Some of my good friends got me in at the last minute to Dollywoods Harvest

 Month.  For years, the month of October has been the month to celebrate tradesmen and women and their crafts.  My good friends Roger, John, AK, Cindie, Bob and Nick have been down there every October for years.  They put me up in a cabin with Rosie the weaver as my room mate for the month. A really nice place to stay. With my friends nearby to share good times on our off hours, and the nice folks and immaculate grounds of Dollywood, I had a very nice time.

No, I did not meet Dolly, although I heard she had stopped by the week before.  I had my own "workshop" in the park, and a new friend Donna, a Dollywood employee, helped me out with my booth and I taught her how to pot.  I met some new tradesmen that I now keep in touch with, expanding my large circle of friends. Besides Rosie, I met painters,

dulcimer makers, fiddler makers, wood carvers, rug hookers, chair caners and a lot of other old time and expert tradespeople.

We all had lots of time off. Besides the many wild roller coasters ( I only went on one that scared me to death), the great places to eat, and the interesting Gospel shows and music, we were free to explore Pigeon Forge, Smokey Mountain National Park, and the surrounding country side and its' people.

Alwine pottery where I met the owner and got a behind the scenes tour, http://www.alewinepottery.net/

The strip that runs through Pigeon Forge TN, is a cross between a theme park and Las Vegas. Mini golf, hair raising rides, theme restaurants and exhibits, the Titanic, gift shops, breweries, outlets and the Dixie Stampede.... just among a few of dozens of things to see and do.

We stuck to the out of the way eateries, the Smokies, antique and fellow craftsmen.

Cades Cove in the Smokies was a favorite, but there are too many photos of friends having fun.

It is a wonderful life!

The Big E.... Eastern States Exposition 2010

Just another great year. My 6th Year!  Every year I look forward to pretending the year is 1820.  Every day for 17 days, I live in an old house, my friends live within walking distance, we cook over the fireplace, we share our crafts and skills, we eat together, we go out into the "world of the fair" together, old friends stop by.

Its a good time. So this year, I think I will just post photos!

And another fair is over!  The last evening.

Mini Sgraffito ready for the Big E... next week!

Time for the Eastern States Exposition in Springfield MA!  17 days of food, farming and fun!  I have been attending this for... well, many years. When I was small, I looked forward to the Giant Slide, and plan to go down it again this year with my little grand daughter. 

Traditions such as the Giant Slide and the Storrowton Village, among other things during the next 2 1/2 weeks, keep us coming back to the fair year after year, fighting the crowds, getting stuck in traffic, eating too much junk food and smelling animal poop, but boy, it's still fun! I will be at the Storrowton Village Green demonstrating pottery in my old fashioned dress, playing the part of an Early American Tradeswomen! See you there!

Burlington Tavern, Burlington CT

The tiny town of Burlington has a little event every year at the old tavern.  Burlington Tavern Day, second Sunday in September.

Few can drive through Burlington without noticing the Brown-Elton Tavern on the Town Green, painted in the historically documented shade of pink. This beautiful Federal-style house, built by Giles Griswold in 1810, served as private home, public house, and inn during the next 164 years, until the Town of Burlington purchased it in 1974. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is headquarters for the Burlington Historical Society. Giles Griswold was the son of Jeremiah Griswold, a farmer who settled in Burlington prior to 1770. Griswold is listed on the town assessment for 1806 and 1807 as a merchant.  It is likely that Griswold began construction on his new house (the Tavern) in either 1809 or 1810 with the monies he received from the sale of his store. It is most probable that the TAVERN was substantially completed in 1810. The Grand List for the Town of Burlington reveals that Giles Griswold did not own a house until tax year 1810 when the was taxed a total of $103.75 for a house with a total of nine (9) fireplaces. This house is undoubtedly the TAVERN. The house (Tavern) was definitely standing by June 1810 when he bought a small piece of land adjacent to his dwelling house (the east side yard) from Joseph Lankton. Market value of the new house (Tavern) at this time was about $1150.

And I demonstrated my pottery in front of this lovely pink tavern. (The upstairs front room runs across the whole front of the house and was used as a ball room, as many old taverns in New England had a ball room upstairs, running the expanse of the house).

September day at the local CT lake...

Some dear friends share some quiet moments at their lake cottage...

Canoe-ing

laughing

looking for spiders

The hostess with Meta

The host giving a fishing lesson

What more can I say?