April Vacation: Painting, Mead Mugs, and Portland

It's been a great vacation week. My only complaint: it went by far too fast. As soon as school was released last Friday, I went right to work painting the bathroom. The new tile came out fab, and by Tuesday, we had water, and shower, once again. Chris was away at the Terry Plunkett Poetry Festival in Augusta, so I took advantage of a completely open schedule to get some projects done.

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I worked in the barn studio. I threw some basic spiral bowls, but also decided to give my hand at throwing some new "Mead Mugs." I hadn't made handles, or mugs, in over ten years. My last memory was that I hated making handles, but decided that it was time that I try again. The handles came out much better than I remember in the past. That was a plus. They are a lot more work than anyone realizes. So when you folks out there buy a mug from a local crafter for $20 - know that you are getting a great deal! I did check out the mugs at Maine Potter's Market in the Old Port yesterday, and was glad to see that the prices were closer to $30 for a handmade mug, and Edgecomb Potters had a steeper price tag on their mugs. It better reflects the time spent making them, I think. I get so inspired when I see the work of other artists, and have loved the work of Edgecomb Potters for many years now. It was hard to be so many miles away from my studio this past weekend when I felt fired-up to create.

Chris and I had a great time in Portland. We get there only twice a year and what we do may seem mundane to most, but keep in mind that we live in Lubec! It is quite remote here, so eating out at an ethnic restaurant or going to a movie theater is a luxury! We usually make plans to do so much more, but time just seems to slip by. We had a great dinner at Fuji. We hadn't eaten there before, but wanted to spend some time with my neice, Christine, and this is her fave place to eat. We had a great visit, and the food was yummy. We also tried, on her recommendation, Mexico Lindo. Fantastic! (the review says otherwise, but our meal was delicious, the service wonderful, the prices fair). And of course, we ate at our fave Japanese restaurant, Sapporo. Yum Yum. The movie "State of Play" was excellent, and I enjoyed a visit with my potter friend Becky. Her encaustics are amazing!

Other than all that, lots of sightseeing and shopping. Shopping mostly consists of things we need. We don't get out of town too often, but when we do, there is usually a long list of things that we need, like Pottery supplies from Portland Pottery. The car is always a bit weighted down on our return trip - with hundreds of pounds of clay. We also spent some time in Freeport at LL Bean and Body Shop. I needed a new bike helmet, and Chris bought some camping supplies.

The trip began and ended with my family in West Gardiner, celebrating my sister's birthday. Great food, company, conversation. Staying at my parents' place is like staying at a B&B!

Photos above: Shanna at Fort Knox, View of the Old Port, and Mead Mugs