offcntr | In with the new (Reply)

The Park Blocks must be in a different micro-climate than our place up River Road. My azaleas started blooming a month ago, and by now are done and shriveled, though the rhododendron is in full flower. As are these azalea bushes, behind my booth at Saturday Market. It's a very bright backdrop on a somewhat grey day.

I hit rain showers driving in, though downtown was dry when I arrived. Didn't last. Though we never got more than a fine mist, it persisted enough that I had to move all the empty boxes in under the canopy, which made for a crowded morning. By afternoon, it had cleared up enough for me to spread out again, but I kept a close eye on the clouds the rest of the day.

Didn't bring a lot of things from the new firing down, though I did feature new plates in the bench line-up, and I managed to sell both of the octopus tall mugs. There's three more at home, which suddenly feels like not a lot. Is octopus the new fox? (Which was the new bunnies, which was the new chickens...) In addition to the mugs, I sold an octopus pie plate--discounted, as her previous one had broken in use, though after at least three years' service. (If it had been more recent, I'd have given it to her free.) Also two octopus stew mugs and a pilsner glass.

The woman who bought one of the tall mugs and a stew mug--plus two more stews and another mug--was extremely enthusiastic about the quality of work at the Market. There's so much great, artistic work here, she said, Why would anyone want to go into a department store for dishes? I agreed, told her about the couple who'd decided to replace all their store-bought dishes with my pots, one or two at a time. Turns out, they were the couple waiting patiently at the curb for her to finish, and were very excited to find I'd noted down some patterns they mentioned last time and glazed flamingo, bison, sloth and koala plates. They'd planned on getting one; they left with the flamingo and the bison.

Vanessa stopped in just before opening to take a few pictures of the new items for the Saturday Market Instagram, including the koala plate and batter bowl, and a couple of packets of Denise's note paper, featuring the yellow iris blossom sheets. Don't know if it was cause or coincidence, but later that afternoon, a young woman with a tiny koala tattoo stopped to admire the plate, but ended up buying the bowl. I make a lot of pancakes, she told me. Also got a visit from the coin-flip girls, to tell me how happy Mom was with her card/gift, and to look through the cards box again.