Is it the rhythm of the wheels on the motorway surface or the rapidly changing landscape that stimulates my mind so much when we take long road trips. The radio is on...sharply relaxed in the seat by the potter...watching out for fools on the road. They love roads do fools...learnt that by my father's side as he taught me to drive in my teenage years.
Beyond Silence
Something beautiful happened
On our way down the M6
England's main blood line.
A great flock of starlings
and a murmuration! While
Snow spat down on us and
The wind struck hard as iron.
Leaving us with only
A holy heavy silence.
Showing posts with label the pottershouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the pottershouse. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 18
Sunday, February 17
Jammy time of year then!!
I saw some Seville oranges up at the farm shop last week and had a golden vision ...
...of marmalade on a slice of hot toast...dripping with butter of course!
You know how it is...you buy something with the best of intention of using it...
...and then the days go by...
...and the days go by...
... and time ticks on.........
Anyway...there's always the potter to keep me up to scratch with food!!...he likes it!
So yesterday we set to, knives in hand, and with both of us cutting up fruit in the finest strips possible, we had the job done sooner rather than later!
Actually....I think that one might say, honestly, that this is thick cut marmalade!
.....I'd forgotten that it has to marinade for 24 hours...
...well that was good, as I had other things to do.
I decided to make it whiskey marmalade and added the whiskey my sister-in-law had given me from the aunt's house clearance......goes with the Scottishness of marmalade I think....adds a frisson of excitement for the morning break!
Just look at the dried up memory on the page of the recipe book....
...well you can see how long ago it was when we got it from the lovely Mary...
....mum..
....it has been used and used over the years...
Jam pan couldn't be found...so this had to do the job...
...a bit small for the amount of fruit ...
...but needs must...as they say.
Fruit simmering away and the warm sugar added to the pot and a rolling boil attempted...
...the recipe said 10 minutes and it should be ready...
...they lied ...!!
....but the smell!...wonderful...so I didn't mind it taking three quarters of an hour ...
...that was mainly due to the pot being a bit too small and a rolling boil therefore a bit dangerous...
...spillage!!
The potter had washed the jars and warmed them in the oven......love all those quirky different shapes...I'm a sucker for collecting a well shaped jam jar...I can get quite choosey over it!
And then all were filled without a crack in any of them and ...
...in comes the hovering potter and says...
..."want a nice cup of tea?"
"natch"
Get the bread...
...lather it with butter...
...pile on the hot sticky whiskey smelling aroma of freshly made marmalade...
...and there you have ...
"two happy bunnies"...
Wednesday, January 2
Starting again.
Soon we will be back in the studios with the groups that come for pottery classes every week.
We waited for a while this year to make sure that the potter was up to teaching..
......but though waiting for an op at the end of January...
...as we say in Belfast!....he's "rarin" to go!
I thought it might be interesting to post some pics of the work done by one or two of the talented folk who come each week.
So these are ceramics made by Gordon Firth...
...a verty talented artist...
...with a wonderful quirky sense of style!
Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
po
I was lucky enough to nhave been given them as part of my christmas treats......
....wooohooo!!!
Saturday, November 3
The Pumpkin Party.
It's sort of an annual affair here at The Potters House.
Not really Halloween...nor 5th November...and all that.
It's The Pumpkin Party.
It starts with the pumpkins....normally grown by the potter...
...but this year...failure....bah!...
Never mind ...we bought one each for the grandgirls and as they were all together this week...
...let the carving begin.
It's hard for the grown-ups to stay out of this ...we want to get involved...always!
"Just look what a big head I have"
"That's nothing ...look at mine!"
Serious stuff this...seeds in one bowl and flesh in the other.
Seeds in the oven with olive oil and sea salt...
and the flesh for a pumpkin pie!
Lanterns glowing...
...bonfire crackling...care of the potter...
...old friends from Marseille join us...
...fireworks sparkling...
...then let the fun begin...
"Nevie-pie cakes"...has a go for a swinging dohnut!!
...a grandgirl takes it all in her stride...
...I can't let myself down...gotcha!!
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