the good dirt

Some of you know that I recently took a pottery wheel class. Since then, I've worked in the studio a couple times each week. I have several random pieces, but my big project is to complete one place setting before the end of the summer. I'm almost done and I'll post pictures of the place setting when all the pieces have been glazed and fired. For now, I'm posting pictures of my first two completed pieces. It took seven weeks to make these two pieces, from throwing the clay on the wheel until the final firing. Needless to say, my new pastime is teaching me patience. :)

karen's top 10 list

Last week, I went to work on a horse farm with Shannon. We also made a brief side trip to Callaway Gardens. Yes, voluntary manual labor outdoors in the heat of the day and five days of absolutely no make-up. It was glorious! Instead of writing all the details of my adventures, I decided to give my Top 10 Things I learned (or was reminded of) from working with horses and geocaching (at Callaway).

10. There is a reason people make comments about "peeing like a race horse". Horses leave a decent sized puddle in their wake. (Thanks, Shan)

9. There comes a time in every person's life where a situation calls for a bluff. Take charge, even when you feel you've lost control.

8. When you're feeling a little unsteady, keep your head up. It's easier to keep your balance.

7. We learn the most about ourselves when we are willing to get out of our comfort zones.

6. Two heads are definitely better than one. Everything is a little easier with a partner.

5. It's important to break up old ground (hurts and fears) so new growth can take its place (serving, helping, loving others).

4. It's important to know where you are, but it's also important to keep your eyes on where you want to go.

3. Laughter can make the most mundane activities a joy.

2. Trust God to use friends to guide you when you can't see your own path.

1. It's not about finishing, it's about finishing well. Keeping a positive attitude and a loving spirit is part of the challenge.

Oh...one more thing. We helped breed two of the horses. Wow. I don't even know how to put that experience into words. Good times on Arrowhead Farm!

Thanks to Greg and Sandy for opening your home to us and for giving me the experience of a lifetime. I can mark that off my bucket list! I will definitely be back to visit!

Green Acres -- Ropin' It Up version

the simple things

I enjoy the lights of city skylines where the energy is high and the pace is fast, but nothing beats a starry night in the country where the simple things are the best things. I love catching fireflies on a summer night and the sound of my nephew's laughter when I tickle him. The best smell is fresh cut grass and the best feeling is feeling at all, whether it's sunshine or raindrops. It's cliche, I know, but life is good.

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all." Laura Ingalls Wilder

a tribute to the fuzzy brown couch

I was once asked about my favorite childhood memory. I have two. One memory is of catching fireflies in a mason jar on a summer night in my Nana and Pa's backyard. The other memory is of a fuzzy brown couch at my Nannie and Papa's house in Florida. This couch was in their living room when I was growing up and, actually, it is still there today. To the average eye, it doesn't look like anything special. But to me, it encompasses some of the great moments of my childhood. My brother and I would sleep on this couch when we were visiting our grandparents as little kids. It was also the seating during the grandkids' countless games of charades, marvelously orchestrated by our mothers to keep us kids out of trouble. The couch was (and still is) extremely soft and smooth and before you knew it you were sliding between the cushions or they were sliding out from under you. Even today, we playfully fight over who gets to sit on the fuzzy brown couch. They just don't make 'em like that anymore! :)

Below is a picture of the couch piled high with all the grandkids (and wives). I still love that couch for all the memories it holds and for the ones that are still being made...

L to R: Chris, Rob, Brooke, Me, Lisa, Kevin