Week Eight

Hello All,
I have been here almost two months now....where has the time gone?! Of course the main event this week was Thanksgiving. Isn't it funny that I celebrated the American holiday of independence in the very country that the pilgrims left? It was fun being able to plan my own Thanksgiving because normally I just help out with the family one. I raided all the cupboards for the right pots to put all the food in. I really wanted to go into Phil's showroom and get all the pots from there but he always says he gets sick of looking at his own work all the time.We cooked all the food in a convection microwave, on a gas camping stove, and in Phil's small test kiln. The kiln cooked chicken and pecan pie were particularly delicious. There was only five of us, so not quite as much work went into it as it takes for a successful Olstad family Thanksgiving. We usually celebrate with my mom's family which has many members! What numerous things I have to be thankful for this year! Being in this place with the Rogers and learning with Phil has been fantastic; his survival and continued healing from the accident has been a reason to give thanks; I could not ask for a better family or group of friends, mentors and teachers...the list goes on and on. I hope we all consider the blessings in our lives this season. Phil is doing very well. He walks with a limp because of his sprained foot but he no longer uses the cane. He may have a torn retina and is going to the specialist this week.He walks the dogs with me every day and can once again throw the squeaky hedgehog much further than me. He has spent a considerable amount of time in the studio this week and has the goal of throwing some small things on Tuesday. He does still have back pain so he will just have to listen to his body and not overdo it. On Tuesday Phil's friend Peter Beard came to visit for the afternoon ( http://www.peterbeard.co.uk/). It was good for Phil to visit with Peter and get caught up with all the news of the pottery community. Lynne went to New York City last Friday with two of her closest friends. They had been planning a trip there for months. The three of them take frequent trips to different places in Europe and the UK. She was reluctant to go because of all the recent events but Phil assured her that he was fine and that it would be good for her to have fun and relax. I told her she picked a good weekend as there will probably be many sales in the shops.She will be back on Wednesday. As I write this I can hear Phil singing softly to himself. He just got an Ipod Touch delivered and he is having fun figuring it out. His office is right below my room and his voice is rising up through the floor. I have to say it is a very impressive little machine that can surf the internet, hold pictures and play music and movies. He and Lynne have these two American friends, Hal and Barbara, from NYC who have a second home in Wales. They brought the Ipod over and delivered it last night. They cost about half the price in America. The four of us went out to dinner and had a nice time. It has been a while since I have spent time with Americans. I have to say I have grown fond of the many different accents in the UK. I will miss listening to the delightful way everyone hear talks. This week I have been making jugs or pitchers. Phil and I had a critique and he showed me some issues he saw with my handles. He is so helpful and constructive in his criticisms. I've been reading a book about medieval pottery which is fascinating. The work I've been making has many pinches and dents made with my fingertips. In this book I saw pots that were hundreds of years old and using a similar decorative technique. I love the history of pottery and the connection I have with peoples of virtually every time period. There has always been and will continue to be makers of objects. How thankful I am that I can be a creator of beautiful things. I had my first personal experience with the national health care. I have been having breathing problems since I came here, probably because of Libby and Tess. Phil made me an appointment at the Doctor's. The visit cost me nothing. The doctor prescribed an inhaler for me. When I picked it up from the pharmacy it also cost nothing. It amazes me that as a complete foreigner, the UK will pay for my medical expenses although I don't contribute a cent of the taxes which fund the national health care. It doesn't seem right in a way but I'm very grateful as I can finally breathe well again. This upcoming weekend Phil is hosting an open studio sale where he will be clearing out the workshop and trying to sell as many pots as possible. It should be quite festive and fun. I told Lynne I would bake some goodies for it. A traditional British holiday food is mince pie which I've never eaten or made. I will probably learn about making them this week.The "cooker" or oven is finally wired up and ready to go. Bye bye microwave and gas camping stove! I hope you all enjoyed Thanksgiving and any time off associated with it. Please keep checking my web album for photos as I will update it whenever I have new things to post ( http://picasaweb.google.com/nhthrower ). Until next week...
Take care,
Kari
PS- I thought I would start keeping track of all the linguistic differences as it is a constant source of amusement and learning. I'm often the butt of Phil's jokes because according to him, "You just need to learn how to speak proper English". As he says, we are two nations divided by a common language! Here are some words for you...
Bin= garbage can
Bin liners=garbage bags
Bonnet= hood of a car
Boot= trunk of a car
Pants= underwear (I still mess this one up a lot)
Jumper= thick shirt or woolly sweater
Wellies= galoshes
Cooker= oven/stove
Dishy= cute,handsome, attractive, associated with males
Pavement=sidewalk
Car park=parking lot
Pudding=dessert
Loo=bathroom
Telly= tv
Zebra crossing= crosswalk
Manky= dirty, gross
Naff= tacky, tasteless
Grotty= dirty, gross
Bloke, Lad, Chap= man or guy
Vicar=Pastor, preacher
Crumpet= young, pretty woman, also a food
Tea= can mean dinnertime
Donkey's years= a long time
Chemist= pharmacy