UK Basketweaving Blog and Folk Music

I am totally enjoying listening to a great radio station in the UK while reading a UK basketweaving, handcrafts, living off the land blog. This soothes my soul after a hard few dissapointing weeks trying to make money as a REALTOR. The Folk Radio UK staion is wonderful. Right now they are playing "When Two Lovers Meet" by Sarah McQuaid - very pretty!!! I got to the lovely UK music via her blog. The site to purchase music is Folk Radio UK Store but the listening link is free and on Hen's blog. The writer of the blog, Hen, spent Christmas on her land in a handmade shelter called a 'bender'. She cooked outdoors over coals in a Dutch oven. Ahh yes..the life!! Hen makes baskets from materials on her land in Exmoor. Follow Hen on Twitter

The Daily Undertaker, a Funeral and Memorial Service Journal

The Daily Undertaker, a Funeral and Memorial Service Journal

I Eat Raw Meat: Raw Food Diet, Day 465- True Prey Model Feasting

I Eat Raw Meat: Raw Food Diet, Day 465- True Prey Model Feasting

Waterfront Acreage on Texas Gulf Coast for Eco-Tourism Business, Build Home, Condos

Waterfront Acreage on Texas Gulf Coast for Eco-Tourism Business, Build Home, Condos

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Wheel Thrown Pottery Making in Texas

Wheel-Thrown Utilitarian Gray Stoneware & Other Texas Made Pottery

Washington County Texas is considered the Bithplace of Texas. Bluebonnet Pottery near Brenham, Texas at the entrance to Lake Somerville in Washington County say they make the wheel-thrown gray stonewhere in the latest Perdernales Electric Coop magazine but I do not see that type of pottery on their website. I do see lots of beautful dishware and serving ware in great colors. Bonnie Todee & her husband run the shop and make the pottery & have been doing it since 1983. They love for people to come & see them working in their studio.

Marshall, Texas is the self-proclaimed Pottery Capital of the World & where Lady Bird Johnson went to High School, being the first student with a car and graduating third in her class at 15 years of age. Marshall Pottery does produce the handmade old style utilitarian gray stoneware out of the East Texas clay, wheel throwing it as well. Making pottery there for over one hundred years, Marshall Pottery is one of the oldest potteries in the nation & is recognized by the Texas Historical Commission. I call it "crockware" and treasure my Marshall made pieces. The pottery I have is the crock type- thick crockery with the blue lines stamped Yesteryears HAND TURNED Marshall, Texas. Some are sold in pet or feed stores as rabbit feeders, etc. The main pottery body or background is light beige to gray and most times there are blue stripes or bands going around the piece although there are different styles. Marshall Pottery also produces the red clay pot gardeners like myself love. In fact, they say they manufacture more red clay pots than anyone in the United States. They invite the public to free tours to watch the potters & are pet friendly, allowing pets on a leash or in a shopping cart.

Standard Parti Poodle Puppy Retreiving

Here is a video of my standard parti poodle puppy retrieving. Named Schatzie, German for sweetheart, this was taken May 24th, 2009 after his first full bath. He is a parti poodle. This means he is partly one color and partly another. They are German dogs bred to be in the water retrieving as he is demonstrating here in my front yard in Leander, Texas. Many people do not know that this coloration exists in purebred poodles because poodle clubs began disqualifying parti colored poodles some time ago. The parti poodle can not be shown in AKC conformation classes. However, they can be shown in UKC conformation classes. Parti poodles are now experiencing a comeback. I think they are beautiful and remind me of paint horses. I had a black standard poodle years ago. A great dog, super smart, obedient and calm. I had him out on the farm. People were not real familiar with standard poodles so I'd tease them that I fed him Miracle Grow. What I like about poodles is that they are hypoallergenic as far as that goes in dogs. Poodles don't shed per se. They do shed but the hair stays in their coat. Hence they need brusing but they don't get tons of loose hair all over like many long haired breeds do.

Schatzie's was a planned birth. Please neuter and spay your dogs (and cats) and encourage others to do so if they do not intend to breed, show, etc. There are free & low cost clinics in the Austin, Texas area. Let's have planned cats and dogs and cut down on or eliminate unplanned, unwanted pregnancies that result in homeless animals, overburdened shelters & numerous animals being euthanized because they can't find homes. I have adopted many abandoned and homeless animals. Our German Shepherd "Keeton" was left tied to a tree when his owners moved away. We found him through Blue Dog Rescue.

Organic Artichoke Plant

This is a picture of my organic artichoke plant budding out in my organic front yard garden in Leander, Texas. Yes, I do own the book Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn and my front and back lawns have been extremely minimized. I planted artichokes in one of my front yard garden beds & am so happy it is finally bearing fruit!! I am a Native Texan and after almost a lifetime of gardening in Texas this is my first time growing artichokes. I just never have run accross plants for sale until I saw this at a local nursery in Leander a couple of years ago. I love to eat them- they are a delicacy. I hardly ever get sick, but when I have over the past decade, I have found that I get a craving for artichokes and eat a steamed one while soaking in my garden tub! LOL They seem to have a curative power over me! Ahhh, the magically delicious and delectable globe artichoke! I want more in my life and in my garden.