ThisNext- sarapaloma :: 9 Matte White Stoneware Bottles

I admire potters. I love bottles. These have a such a dramatic, elegant shape, such a grace...I heart them, too.

From the artist:
Dramatic cityscape of 9 Wheelthrown Stoneware
Bottles in Matte White. Largest piece is 16" tall
and smallest is 3" tall. Clear water tight glaze inside.
Pieces can hold thin stemmed flower or leaf, but work best as
a sculptural centerpiece.

By Its Cover- Scoop - Pt. 1

By Its Cover is my completely independent 2-part book review column. Selections are made based entirely on the book's cover. I'm testing the old saying in my quest to find new authors.

Title: Scoop
Author: Rene Gutteridge

Made my center-of-town circuit, hitting the bank and library this time, and picked up a new book to review. Again, it's not one of those super-deep books, but I just saw Tess of the D'urbervilles and Wuthering Heights. (Wuthering Heights has been the cause of some recent guilt.) So light book it is. At least it's appearing that way so far.

Besides its cover, I chose it because one of the characters was homeschooled (as was I). She's also coulrophobic. haha. I'm busy with photo-ing new items and rephoto-ing old items as well as knitting and job hunting and writing again, and trying to spend less time on the computer while promoting my shop more and starting a new jigsaw puzzle and...reading will get squeezed in. :)

Full review to come.

[venna]

I'd been toying with the idea of starting a new collection. So far I've had two in the shop. I enjoy doing them, working within a set style or with a color scheme.

The new one I'm calling Tux, first piece. It will be black and white, or black...or white. With occasional dashes of color, probably red. I think red and black and white are so tragically pretty. I may actually rework the double Convex idea I tinkered with a while back.

I still have some designs to hash out for Minta. It will be interesting working on two at once.

Post Picture: Venna Earrings, the first for the Tux Collection.

Gift and Gifted

in february '05
i volunteered in a spanish/english 1st grade class
at an inner city school
for un-official extra credit
for a spanish class i was taking.

they were the cutest and
most amazing children.
so inquisitive and smart.
it was interesting to go
back to school
teetering the line
between teacher and student
i loved it.

the teacher, a family friend,
gave me this...a gift from her travels.

By Its Cover- Love and Other Near Death Experiences- Pt. 2

By Its Cover is my completely independent 2-part book review column. Selections are made based entirely on the book's cover. I'm testing the old saying in my quest to find new authors.

Title: Love and Other Near Death Experiences
Author: Mil Millington

Part One

He could have died, Rob, the main character. But he didn't. He had to return towels and got tied up in traffic. So he was late to the pub, that ended up getting smashed to bits...hence the traffic. That he 'missed' death, by a set a fluke-ish missteps, sets him to wondering just how much weight he should put on the mundane everyday decisions. It hampers his relationships, his work, his life. So he sets off on a journey unto himself with an ex-Marine (yeah, it's a British book, but the guy comes over from Nebraska...long story).

That's the plot.

My opinion is that it kinda was pithy. Maybe I expect too much from books. Maybe I'm too geared into literature to give modern fiction any props. Maybe I don't get British humor. Maybe I'm out of touch with how people act and think in the world. Maybe it just wasn't good. Maybe one of the secondary characters was enormously grating. Yeah, a pointless cruel character, one that is supposed to multi-dimensional and yet just refuses to submit to change, can ruin a book. The kind where, when someone asks what you think of the book you say, "It would have been better if so-and-so hadn't been in it." This had one of those...and a whole lot of cussing. (again, call me a prude but I'd feel wrong if I didn't let you know.

Mr. Millington redeemed his book some by mentioning Jane Eyre, one the books I love more than any, near the end. And there was a Mansfield Park shoutout. Still...I'll pass on his other books.