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.

Live Music & Wi Fi & Food in the Texas Coastal town of Corpus Christi, Texas

I am down visiting the humid Texas coast in Corpus Christi at Starbuck's on Staples near Weber not far from Ocean Drive drinking hot herbal tea. Some people come to Austin from dry climates and say Austin is humid. For those folks I say- come to Corpus Christi- I guarantee you your hair will do funny things and your skin will feel clammy. BUT- plants will grow like crazy, tropicals will thrive all year. Citrus, papayas, roses, Hawaiian Ti plants, bougainvillea, avocado and others grow happily huge with the extremely rare freezes here.

Here at Starbuck's, live music will begin soon- 2 acoustical guitars. One guitarist is playing now very nicely. Hoping other will play soon. A small crowd is here. Beats hangin' all day at the in-laws!! Now both have played several times each. They are both very good. I am impressed! Free live music, paid Wi Fi and a nice cup of tea...Yes, this is the life.

I had to go find Wi Fi which is very hard in Corpus Christi. You see, Corpus is for the most part like stepping back in time 20 years. They just never catch up. We are so incedibly spoiled in the Austin, Texas area- there is free Wi Fi on every corner, multiple live music venues any time of the week, lower humidity, etc., etc. I had to pay for internet here but was glad to find it. Don't count on Corpus Christi's Schlotsky's having Wi Fi, & at McDonald's you have to pay for it too. Aqua Java does have free Wi Fi at 320 Williams St. #C (361)882-0865 downtown near the Executive Surf Club and Water Street Oyster Bar.

Old Meets New at the Leander, Texas Rail Station

The Leander Train Station in Leander, Texas was the site of a Capital MetroRail Open House Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009 to show off its sleek, new commuter Swiss made trains. The old Austin Steam Train came by on its run to Bertram during the Open House. It was like the meeting of the old and the new. The new commuter rail service will start running March 30th, 2009.

Ethiopian Food in Austin Texas

I have eaten at Astor's Ethiopian Restaurant in Austin, Texas a couple of times. Located at IH 35 south of 38th at the corner of Dean Keaton. 512-786-9524 right by UT. Another restaurant I want to try is:

Karibou Ethiopian Restaurant & Bar
1209 E. 7th Street
Austin, TX 78702

512-320-5454

EthiopianRestaurantAustin.com

RECYCLING Electronic Gear

Radio Shack is RECYCLING electronic gear. Trade-in used, working small electronic items thru RadioShack.com and get a gift card to spend on new electronics. RadioShack.com/tradein