Saturday

It's been another very busy week. School is going well. I think this will be a very good year. The finest bunch of students we have had in a long time. Although I needed another full time job like a hole in the head, I am enjoying teaching high school again. I always did like teaching and it's much more fun than administrating things.

Poor kids don't know what has hit them. I have them studying Call of the Wild with me, going through "The Singer" as a Bible study each morning and reading the a chapter of the Book of John each day. There will be much more literature and composition this year, since this is my thing and I feel it is very important.

Public schools have senior projects that are requirements for graduating. Private schools don't, but I'm thinking of implementing it, just to assure good writing skills. Our students do a lot of essays and smaller writing projects, but they need more 'official' term papers under their belts. (keeps those pants up.)

Also had a student's dad offer to coach basketball for us. That's a blessing. I said, "yes" right away.

Prophetic Powers

Sometimes I scare myself. Tonight was no exception. Connie and I decided to watch the Emmy Awards, even though we don't watch many of the programs they celebrate. But I like Lost and Raymond and wanted to see them win.

So they announce that they are going to have a contest to vote on the CBS website. They are going to vote for the greatest 4 TV theme songs in TV history. So, I say to Connie, "Well that would have to be Green Acres!"

Seconds later, none other than the great D, Donald Trump and some gal are singing the theme song. I never laughed so hard. I guessed the second one as well, before they announced it, but then the ruined my chances by announcing the others ahead of time.

I loved Green Acres. Certainly one of the funniest shows ever. But only Jim Eagon will probably get this. :-)

Baby Sitting

Here I sit in the playground after work. We lost our after care lady and the teachers and I are rotating staying until 6:00 p.m. BUT, the weird, but good thing, is that for some reason, our playground has a very strong wireless signal that I can get on my laptop! Ha ha, takes a lot of the boredom out of the job. There's a Christian coffee shop/bookstore that has a wireless connection, so my guess is that's where it's coming from. I wish it made it into the classrooms or my office. That would be nice. So now, when I have to do research, I have to go sit at a picnic table in the playground. So, I'm sitting here, writing my blog, listening to Hugh Hewitt on the internet. Pretty cool!

Maclectic BBS

Many of you know that I have run a Bulletin Board System since 1986 called Maclectic BBS. I've "reinvented" it again with a new web portal called PHPNUKE. I really like the new design. The board centers on Macintosh Computers, but is "eclectic" in nature, covering politics, religion, entertainment and much more. Please stop by and give it a look. I'd love to see you register and participate on board. It's lots of fun.

Bob

http://maclectic.com/PHP-Nuke/index.php

Andre Calling

I don't normally have a very exciting life, an unusual one, yes, but not terribly exciting. That is until Saturday afternoon, of course. I was outside squirting Elizabeth with the hose when Zack came out with the phone for me. I had a hard time at first hearing who was calling. (What's new about that?) But eventually I realized that the person on the other end of the phone was none other than the famous gospel singer, Andre Crouch!

For those of you who don't know this, Andre Crouch was one of the most innovative Gospel singers in the 60's and 70's. He had a group called Andre Crouch and the Disciples. He still does concerts, but he also does a lot of producing for music behind the scenes now. He also pastors his father's church in Burbank. I believe his father has since passed away.

Why did he call me? Well, many months ago, I wrote an article in our church bulletin about Andre receiving a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A member of my church knows Andre's cousin. She gave the article to Andre. He saw it yesterday and felt like he wanted to call me and let me know that he was grateful about the words I wrote. We talked about 10 or 15 minutes and I was really blessed to receive that call from him. I guess he is the most famous person I have ever spoken too at this point in my life.

You might remember some of his classic songs:

Through it All
Soon and Very Soon
The Blood

I think it is pretty cool for someone in his position to take time to call someone just to say thank you for such a small thing. I'll never forget this. (Debbie, if you're reading this, you and Becky will certainly remember Andre.) The first time I saw him was when Inez and Howard Bryant took our youth group to see him sing at Whittier College. I must have been around 15 years old.

3 more weeks!

Only 3 more weeks of summer freedom and then school begins. I'm still hoping to register some more students before then. Usually, we get a lot of last minute inquiries. I hope that holds for this year as well.

I have 3 students to interview this week. I'm still waiting to hear from some parents about whether or not their children are coming back or not. I find it so strange that some people refuse to tell you their plans.

I'm going to have to make a lot of things before school starts. I have the entire new Student's Handbook to print out. It's finished except for the pagination of the table of contents. Lots of printing to do. The Slide Show for the Parent's Night is almost finished as well. I'm feeling pretty good about this new school year getting off to a good start.

Masks

I promised a while back that I would show you the masks the kids and I made together. Zack didn't get his done in time for the last firing, so here are the ones Liz and I made. Mine is supposed to be Corkey, my parrot. Elizabeth's is supposed to be Taz. They were quite a bit of fun and I know the school kids will love making them.

Roses

Some people think my roses are the best thing I make. I certainly do like making them. I've made them for years, but I used to make them out of bread dough. Ceramics is much more durable. You might want to think about giving these for Christmas, anniversaries, or birthdays. Every woman I've showed them to has gone crazy over them. They sell at my store for $10.00 a piece if shipped, only $6.00 if you pick them up. These are how they come out of the kiln. I add stems and leaves to them so you can put them in vases. I've found people prefer these colors better than solid colors. I certainly do myself. I've found people like to get colors to match their decor and that's pretty easy with my ceramic roses.

Garden Bunny

I made this one for my sister in law that I sell bunnies to, but she said it would be too big an item for her to carry. But I made it anyway. I thought it was really cool. So, I'll either put it up for sale or stick it in my own garden. Let me know what you think of Farmer Bunny.

I fixed this photo so Bunny would be standing up, but it reverted back to sideways. So, place your head on a table and look at him and he'll seem right side up!

Bob Bunny

New Products

I promised to post a few of my latest ceramic pieces. These just got out of the kiln this last week.

More Kiln news

I am firing some more things right now. When you make a pot a day, believe me, it starts to add up! We're having a silent auction at our school Sept. 8, so I'm going to plant some plants in my pots and make some candle holders out of them. I also went and bought some lovely greenware for the auction. I bought a pretty pitcher, a tea pot, and an orange squeezer. Just to bide some time, I got these and I'll just glaze them. I think Connie wouldn't mind having some of them either.

I also bought this magnificent eagle stature. It is so majestic. I'm thinking of giving it away for the Student of the Month. Our mascot is the Eagle. I'll post pictures when I'm finished.

Bob

Kiln Openings

I read something interesting yesterday online. It talked about how some people who have studios send out emails announcing Kiln Openings. In other words, people come to see the kiln open and get first dibs at whatever is in there if they want to buy something.

That might not make too much sense to you unless you've ever seen what goes into the kiln and what comes out. Types of glazes, variations in firing temperatures and timing all affect what comes out on your ceramic pieces. So, even the potter isn't exactly sure what will turn out on each piece. The hardest thing about pottery is to wait long enough to open the kiln so you won't crack everything inside by a rush of cold air coming in. It's like Christmas as you look at each individual piece and see how it has turned out.

So, I can see how an established potter, who has a dedicated clientele, could have such "openings" or "Parties". I opened my kiln at 6:00 a.m. this morning. I like to put it all out on our dining room table for everyone to see when they wake up. It's rewarding to hear the oohs and ahhs as they see each new piece.

This opening revealed my mom's finished napkin holder. (I'm sure she gave up on ever seeing it finished. It was a complicated piece, but it turned out great.) The masks we did were pretty cool. I tried out a new glaze called "Bark" and it is a very interesting glaze that sort of looks like tree bark, at least it is an organic look that I like. I am getting a lot of little pots made as I do my "pot a day" throwing. I'm going to make them into candle holders and small planters for the most part. It has helped me a lot to make a pot a day, so I'm going to keep at it.

I also have a new "gold" glaze, that turned out quite interesting. This first use of it came out as a "black Gold". It's sort of a black luster with a gold tinge to it. It's supposed to be more gold than I got, so I probably have to adjust the temperature next time.

Well, I've probably bored you all with this, but it's my latest experience to share. I'll post the new things on line at my pottery store and then you can see the pictures.

With Christmas coming, I hope you might consider getting gifts from my studio for friends. I need to spread the word on this site as not enough people seem to have found it. I sell some from it, but I need to find an outlet for the rest of these creations.

http://studio.maclectic.com

All Fired Up

Staying home today with the kids. It's nice and cool, the way I like it. I'm firing up my kiln today. I had 26 pieces to fire, but I couldn't fit them all in!

I'm firing two of the three masks the kids and I made. Zack hadn't finished glazing his yet. I'm also trying out a new idea of painting on terra cotta pots. We'll see how that comes out.

I'm having a silent auction at school on Parent's night. If anyone wants to donate something for the auction, I'd sure appreciate it. I'm afraid it will turn into an art show for me instead! I will be putting up several things I have made. The terra cotta pots and the masks will be there for the parents to see. Hoping to get those whistles done as well. I have way more ideas for the pottery class at school then I have time to make things.

For the Love of Mac

Several people were injured this morning as thousands of people rushed to buy used Apple iBooks for $50 each from the Henrico County school system.

The Associated Press is reporting that a stampede broke out when the gates to the Richmond International Raceway, where the sale was being held, were opened at 7 a.m. The county was offering 1,000 used iBooks for $50 each to Henrico residents, who began lining up overnight. Several people are said to have suffered minor injuries in the stampede. Sales were limited to one computer per person.

Whistle While You Work

I've been working with my kids on projects we can make at school this year. The other day we made some clay masks. They came out pretty good. I made one that looked like a bird, Corkey was my model. Zack made a face with a tongue sticking out that was pretty cool. Elizabeth made a good one and I've forgotten what it is supposed to be! I'm in the doghouse now, but it came out well.

Today I found several sources for making whistles out of clay. I'm sure the kids would love to make those. I look at the various things kids are making in other schools and I'm quite astounded at the talent out there. I can't wait to see what our kids will make this year.

A Pot A Day

I was reading one of my online ClayArt discussion groups and a lady mentioned that she was having trouble with throwing on the wheel. She made a pot once a week, but didn't seem to make any progress. The response was, "You'd better make a pot a day if you want to get any good at it."

So, I am making a pot a day. And I'm getting better each day! Glad for that, but what in the world am I going to do with 30 pots at the end of the day. My stuff isn't selling that fast!

Oh, well, if you're a mild acquaintance of mine, you might get ready to look surprised when you get your pot this Christmas. :-)

Glazes Come Home

When we got to the freecycle.com location the husband was cleaning and putting all the stuff out on the grass. There were many 5 gallon buckets, a whole bunch of 5Lb bags of minerals, and some 1 gallon jars. What I ended up receiving was not what I was expecting, but in the long run, I think it was a very good thing for me.

You see, I have been doing my pottery the easy way, but also the more expensive way. I'm a painter so I like to have many colors on my pottery. Therefore, I have been using glazes that are similar to paint that I buy ready made. My teacher, on the other hand, dips his bisque pieces into large buckets of glazes that he mixes up himself. The downside is that you tend to get a one colored piece, and I got tired of the colors pretty fast.

What I received in this offer, however, were a LOT of the various minerals and chemicals that one uses to make their own glazes from scratch. So, basically, I have received a giant chemistry set! Now I have to learn how to combine all of this to make my own glazes. My teacher, Gary Hamner, knows a lot about this, so I am now going to be getting into a new angle with my pottery experience, which is rather exciting.

My Eyes Glaze Over

This morning should be an interesting start to the day. My friend Doug told me some time ago about a group called freecycle.com. The premise is as follows. To keep things from going into landfills, we should recycle things as best we can by simply offering them free to others instead of throwing them away. Well, he called me a couple of days ago because there was a listing about someone giving away a truck full of free glazes for ceramics. He thought I might be able to use them for myself or for the school.

So, I responded to the email list and after a day of consideration, I won the offer. So, this morning Connie,Zack and I are off to get it. The question is what is the stuff like? Glazes can dry up etc. so I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into. I'm hoping I'm not just taking a load of stuff out of someone's garage for them. I have no idea where I'm going to put all of this stuff, anyway. Should be interesting. Mom's giving me some room in her garage to store things, so that will help. My studio takes up about 1/3 of the garage as it is. I've thrown so much out and there's still so much to get rid of. I guess I'll put some stuff in the freecycle myself.

If It's Good Enough for Us, It's Good Enough For Them

WEARE, N.H. - Near the foot of an unmarked, dead-end dirt road sits a humble, mud-colored farmhouse. A sign on a mailbox jutting from a tilted post spells "SOUTER."

Some folks want to make that "Hotel Souter."

People from across the country are getting behind a campaign to seize Supreme Court Justice David Souter's farmhouse to build a luxury hotel, according to the man who came up with the idea following a Supreme Court decision favoring government seizure of private property.

"We would act just as these cities have been acting in seizing properties. We would give Souter the same sort of deal," said Logan Darrow Clements, of Los Angeles.

Town Clerk Evelyn Connor has had to return checks from people wishing to donate to a hotel construction fund. A rival proposal from townspeople would turn Souter's land into a park commemorating the U.S. Constitution.

Souter has declined to comment on the matter, but he has defenders, like Betty Straw, his sixth-grade teacher.

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," she said. "They're just doing it for spite."

Souter was one of five justices who sided with the city of New London, Conn., last month in a decision favoring government power to seize private property by eminent domain. The city plans to build a private hotel and convention center, office space and condominiums.

The 65-year-old justice has lived for decades in his family's home in this central New Hampshire town, about 15 miles from Concord. His 8-acre property is undisturbed by neighbors whose yards are strewn with rusting farm equipment and old pickup trucks.

The house, more than 200 years old, is one of the few remnants of the original East Weare village, which was seized 45 years ago to make way for a dam.

Clements, 36, has never been to Weare, population 8,500, but is a member of the Free State Project, the libertarian movement that chose "Live Free or Die" New Hampshire as its promised land and wants to move 20,000 followers here. The group's second annual convention started in Lancaster on Saturday.

He knows his hotel plan is hard to take seriously.

"That's sort of the story of my life: Nobody takes me seriously until I do something," he said. "We will be taken seriously when we make a formal presentation to the powers that be in Weare," he said, adding that he is talking to several development consultants.

Clements said his mission, like his long-shot bid for governor of California in 2003, is rooted in his passion for a philosophy of free-will capitalism embodied in Ayn Rand's 1957 novel, "Atlas Shrugged."

"We should have a voluntary society where people interact with each other through trade, not through the initiation of force," Clements said. He got 274 votes.

Connor, the town clerk, said it's all a little much for a town where the biggest excitement of the year usually is the Weare Patriotic Celebration, which this year featured an American Legion chicken barbecue, carnival rides and a men-versus-women softball game.

"We just got a Dunkin' Donuts," she said.

Other town officials agree.

"It was the general consensus that we were not interested in taking anyone's property," said Laura Buono, head of Weare's board of selectmen. She said board members are willing to review any formal proposal Clements submits.

But in a state where people fiercely protect their right to local control over land and government, many said the nuisance is Souter's just deserts. A recent University of New Hampshire poll reported 93 percent of state residents oppose the taking of private land through eminent domain for private development.

"It's something you really don't want to screw with around here," said Charles Meany, Weare's code enforcement officer.

He thinks the hotel idea is "ludicrous" and doubts whether Clements will be able to satisfy requirements to prove the economic necessity of building a hotel on Souter's land.

But Clements has his share of local supporters, including David Archambault, who runs a go-cart track near Souter's home.

"What this is doing I think is wonderful, because he's getting a point across to all these people that they're getting too much power," Archambault said.

Robin Ilsley, who makes syrup on a family farm about two miles from Souter's place, thought the justice brought the controversy on himself. "It was a pretty stupid ruling," she said.

Even her mother, who watched Souter grow up, is unsympathetic.

"I like David very much, but I don't like his ideas," said Winnie Ilsley, 77, who runs a doll museum at her farm. "I just don't think it's fair," she said of the New London decision.

And the hotel?

"Let 'em build - but I don't think it's going to happen," she said.

We're Home

We got in last night. Boy, it was a hot one. The temperatures were as high as 117 on the way home. Then we ran into a very terrible thunder storm. It was so fierce, I could hardly control the car. I was worried it might turn into a tornado. It blew one very large truck over on its side and it was hanging over a ditch! That happened just seconds before we got there. We stopped in a Dairy Queen for shelter as did everyone else on the highway. That was sort of funny because they had 2 kids running the store and about 50 people in the store wanting to buy things.

The rest of the trip was non-eventful, for which I am grateful. I will be posting more pictures soon.

Bison Bob