The end of a beginning

Ok, so I am extremely glad to be home, and now I have a real view how lucky truly I am.  I am perusing a career that I am absolutely in love with and have a huge passion and drive for. On top of all that I have extremely supportive parents getting me started on the right track.  My house is covered in pottery because my mother is in love with NC pottery.  What more could I ask for as a potter at my age?

When I give a tour of my house it is so hard for me not to stop and talk about every pot on display (I am sure there re around 30 or so displayed at any given time while many, many more sit in cabinets).  I think it is because if you know the person who made the pot it is easy to see the characteristics of that person living in it as it sits on the table or it is being used.  Sitting down to eat a meal out of a warm inviting plate is like sitting down to a meal with a friend.  

The following morning of my return I ate a bowl of oatmeal out of one of Rons new bowls and drank some english tea (pg tips straight from england, I don't know what I will do when I run out) from a coffee cup by Doug Fitch.  These guys are two of my great friends and eating from their pots made me think so much of them and their characters.  A meal is a very intimate time for family and fellowship that I find necessarily wonderful.  Although I ate my breakfast physically alone yesterday morning I still found it enjoyable and warm because of the presence of my friends represented through their passionate work.  

This is the last post of my China trip blog.  i am going to continue to post my career as an emerging potter on a different blog.  I am planning on putting a studio and kiln together this summer which should make for some interesting writing ad information.  Before that I will be firing at school, and with local friends to get ready for a few shows and sales I have in the Spring.  I hope all of the readers will continue to read my blogs while I am working at home in Cherryville, NC.  Thanks to all!