And now the end is near

Well here we are just a matter of a night's sleep and a trip to the airport away from the long journey home. I haven't had a half a chance to blog anywhere near as much as I had hoped to have done, it's been a crazy busy time away from home. Hopefully once I'm back and settled back then I will be able to give you a lot more of the happenings and the goings on of the trip and of course the photos. I've just been stealing a couple of images from Doug's computer as mine are all still on my camera.

For the time being here is a picture of the four of us in the final stage of the US Slipware tour 2011, Doug, Ron Philbeck, Ang and me up in the mountains on our way to visit a couple more potters the other day. This morning we dropped Ang off at the airport and did some more of the sad goodbye things. Tomorrow will be hard I know, I'll get the tissues stocked up. It's been really hard each time we have moved on to the next destination after spending time with such a great bunch of people. The end of the trip is always sad when you've had such a good time but at the same time home and Paul are calling. I've been away a long old time and it'll be good t get back to sunny Scotland and the "real" world.

Till then so long and thank you to all I have met and spent time with and who came to the workshops and bought pots and shared a very wonderful trip with me, and helped the both of us feel so welcome and comfortable here in the USA.

Chillin at Fort Philbeck

Well we've moved on again. Once again another sad parting, this time leaving Dan in Virginia when we met up for the big swap at Kevin Crowe's pottery on monday afternoon. Yet again a fantastic week in Virginia and so sad to leave behind all those wonderful people and beautiful places. We spent monday evening in Seagrove with Meredith Haywood and her husband Mark who had a great gathering of potters and partners in their house of the evening we arrived. Then yesterday we spent the day with Meredith and Tracey Broome wandering around potteries and museums in the Seagrove area. Wonderful day if a little on the hot side for certain Hannah's in the party. We spent nowhere near enough time with any of those great people, however onwards and upwards with the Philbeck clan in North Carolina.
Tea in the park on the Mall in Washington DC last week.

Today is a day for relaxing and recovering some energy so I am sat in what is fast becoming a favourite position, on the porch of a house in a rocking chair with a cup of tea looking out over lovely views. Hey Hazel and Alan, can we put a covered porch on the cottage so I can sit out in a rocking chair please? That'd be lovely.

Blimey these wood bees make quite a noise, and they must be a bit disturbing for all these folk who live here in wooden houses, they are big beggars and just sit eating holes in wood all day. They are merrily buzzing about my head, and Ron is running about with a badminton raquet trying to reduce the population of them and increase the life expectancy of his house.

Sunny Virginia

Well here we are settled into the most wonderful big farm house set in amazing countryside somewhere outside of Fredericksburg. This trip is taking us to some wonderful places and allowing us to meet some truely extraordinary people. The hospitality is incredible and we certainly are feeling very very lucky.
I only have this picture that I have "borrowed" from Dan's blog, I'll give you more when I get home again. We have had a few calm days here to recover from the previous week and from the exertions of giving the workshop and from the incredibly long drive that we had to get here on monday. We were brought here via the scenic route which took us through to visit Guy Wolf in Connecticut for a quick visit and almost lunch at a strip club before we realised that it wasn't just a popular cafe then an encounter in a lay by with a bloke carrying a grappling hook shortly before we rescued Miss Piggy from the wolves. Whilst passing through New York we got a little lost, well I mean it was me and Doug trying to map read from the back seat whilst flapping slightly about the fact that we in New York. We got beeped at by a woman in a car who then followed us into a petrol station and wound down her window, we thought she was going to shout at us but she asked us if we were lost and then spent a good time helping us back to where we wanted to go (we still got lost again but she was a sweetie) - thank you to the anonymous helpful New York lady!
So the sun is shining, we are having a wonderful time and every now and again I realise that I have to do another workshop tomorrow and start to panic again. Hopefully it'll get less panicy as we go along. I've a massage booked for this afternoon after having been quite sore this week, I think it was all the travelling and the stressful bits. So after that I'll be ready to face anything.
The arts centre here is just incredible! What a place, all Mr Finnegan's dream, it's a very special place.
So if you're in the area, Saturday 10 till 4 and Sunday 11 till 3 at Liberty Town Arts Centre, Fredericksburg, Virginia. Come in and see us.

Here!

Hello all. We are here in sunny Cape Cod, being beautifully hosted by Hollis and Dee here. This is just a short post and I'll have to steel a pic or two from Doug as this is his computer that I am borrowing.

The journey was fine, if you like long tiring journeys that go on for what feels like weeks and if you like planes that seem to be doing an Irish jig as you travel heaven knows how many feet above a dam big bit of water. Not my favourite thing but at least I was with Doug who is so caring and concerned for my well being that he sat there telling me how nice it had been to know me, told me he'd see me on the other side - ha thanks! So charming.

You'll get a fuller report back from Hollis' blog if you go have a look at that. Hollis is amused by the fact that the two of us are sitting in the back of the car randomly giggling like school kids at all the "odd" things that happen here. How do they get on driving on the wrong side of the road? The yellow buses are just like they are in the films etc etc.

Anyway so far so good, exhausted and slightly bemused but having a great time and being beautifully looked after.

The picture is at Ron Geering's pottery, wonderful sgraffito work!

Off in the morning

Tomorrow I'll be off, train down to London first to meet Mr. Fitch and then one of those big bus like things with wings to take us over the water to America. Looking forward to meeting lots of blogging potters and seeing lots of lovely pots and talking about pots and making some pots too.
My Cubs made me these and gave them to me on wednesday night, they're lovely cards. See you soon!

Slip...

A new exhibition called "Slip..." opens tomorrow at The Ruthin Craft Centre in Denbighshire in North Wales tomorrow, April 2nd. I have got some work in there so do please drop in and see the show if you get a chance. I am very pleased to have been asked to be a part of this exhibition.