Off and running .....

We've had a house guest around here ....

NINA ... turned 25 on Saturday!  So, of course we had a bit of a birthday dinner ...

 Black and white sesame encrusted sashimi tuna by Chef Mark

 Daddy's little girl ...

matching dimples :-)

 Nuts, I tell you!

 The beautiful Janine with the Nut Job, Paul.

 The rest of the spread ... fruit salad, green salad, steamed green beans, butter and parsley potatoes, curried chicken salad with croissants. 

And the boys .... !!! Sir Paul & Chef Mark

 Red Velvet cake with to-die-for cream icing ...

And, yes, she managed to blow out ALL the candles! 

And because Mark's 52nd birthday is next Monday, we were conserving the candle purchasing and honoring his big day!  We had fun, even if we are old fogies.  Nina giggled ... a lot.  It was a good day for all of us.

Nina and I managed to visit a great art show.  (see http://www.artsymatilda.com/ for our day!)  We also lunched at the Owl and the Monkey in Banner Elk.  It's a new veggie restaurant and it was quite good.  Give it a try if you're in Banner Elk!  It's right next door to where the theater used to be on the side street by the Post Office.  We have seen Harry Potter (Nina is a HUGE ~ understatement ~ Potter fan), we've eaten sushi at Miso in Johnson City.  We played spades one night and I WON!  (First time E.V.E.R. and I am SO proud!)  Nina and her dad have played tennis, golfed, shopped at thrift and antique stores, helped move stuff around in the shoppe, helped moved stuff around in the Glover House, and have had all kinds of ridiculous and other types of discussions.  Those two are making corn hole game boards and bean bags now.  Paul has been mourning the loss of the corn hole game since our neighbors moved out last August.  SO ... as you can tell, lots of activity and bustling around here!  We've been having dinner on the veranda because it's cooler outside than inside in the evening.  Summer!  AHHHHHHHH.  *LOVE*

I love this photo:

It looks more fun in person ... our friend, hairdresser and housekeeper, Beckye has this green bug.  She parks it by Paul's green Saab.  It stops traffic on our street - literally!  (small town, you know) FUN!

Nina has to go home on Thursday.  Our Christian arrives Friday.  Then our play list for the next week will look entirely different, I'm sure.  However, we will be celebrating yet another birthday.  Mark turns 52 on Monday, which we will celebrate on Sunday I bet.  Christian will be turning 8 years old! His birthday is actually August 6, but we will celebrate here before he leaves.  Can't wait!  Bet we don't have red velvet cake for this one! HAHA!

I'm still volunteering at the weaving room on the Crossnore School campus.  It is great! And it keeps me around weaving so I won't forget how to do it!  I'm still in progress on painting the furniture in the bathroom.  I will certainly post it when I finally finish the task.  Chalk Paint is awesome, in case you don't know.  There is a photo of the beginning of the project on the artsymatilda site.  Amazing stuff, I tell you!

Wrapping it up for now.  Too much to do to continue babbling on!  Have two shows coming up and company continuously this month!  Wwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Happy Trails!

Paul and Cheri

Amendment to Paul's Pottery

Apparently Sir Paul had an exclusive determination for this teapot that I was not aware of ... therefore, let me correct this post haste.

 This side is for tea with cinnamon rolls

And this side is for tea with pie :-)

And now you know!

Cheers!

Paul (written by Cheri)

Paul's Pottery

Our teacher (Patti Conner Greene) says pottery, as it stands, has not changed in about 10,000 years.  That is, until Paul began pottery.  His creations are clever, unique, unusual and fabulous.  Here are a couple of his newer pieces.  FABULOUS!

 Hand built tea pot.

And some of the more unique creations from Paul ...

 A scuba diving fish! Brilliant!

A box tortoise! such detail!

So, now you know about Paul's pottery!  Right now with his work schedule he only gets to attend class every other week.  It's not as much fun in the class without him ... and the ladies who we take class with (and the one fella) miss him always and ask about him without fail.  Paul's work is proof positive that the outcome of a 10,000 year old tradition can be approached from all directions!

As for me, I am in the "same ole, same ole" category. But I have fun and enjoy the whimsy of no boundaries.  In all my years as a dancer, there was only one RIGHT way to do anything.  Now my instructor is constantly saying "it's really up to you", "you can do it anyway you'd like" ... stuff like that.  It's freeing in a way I've never known in art!  And it has seriously broadened my horizons!  Thanks, Patti!

There are a go-zillion things going on around here ... we are busy with life.  It's lovely.  As far as I know, our kids and their kids are fine.  Everyone is healthy.  Everyone has work and a home with transportation and food and faith.  The cats are all healthy ... there are brand new baby goats in the field next door (gosh, they are CUTE!) The flowers are blooming and the weather is typically summer here, with sun and rain and mist and fog.  There are cherries on the trees!  The garden is coming along and we should have some things to harvest soon.  The high country mountains are crawling with tourists this weekend as the Highland Games are here.  It is a much anticipated event and the county needs the revenue.  So we just kind of stay in our little corner and say grace for every one's opportunity at making some money!

Mark and Janine were kind enough to donate this massive umbrella to the Glover House and we are thrilled to have it!  Now I will need to mosaic the table top so we can do the umbrella proud!

Nina arrives Thursday coming up! It will be delightful to have her around.  I'm continuing to work on inventory for the upcoming art shows.  We are adding another lady to the Clayzaics roster and there will be an update on that on the artsymatilda.com site this weekend.  We are trying our very best to move forward with the building on the side of our house.  It will be wonderful to finally get that accomplished. 

We're all good.  I can't say enough to give you a hint as to our countless blessings.  Life is good!

Happy Trails!

Paul and Cheri