Going to market again

Ho hum, you say...there she is doing her due diligence and taking her table of pottery to let everyone paw upon it at their leisure. And there she went to buy fresh corn on the cob, and bread, and a brownie, and for breakfast, a scone! Not just any scone, but a chocolate chip pecan scone! But she didn't bother to have it warmed up for her. No, she'd already had her cup of coffee on the way to market, and now wanted just to nibble on her scone for a while.

Thus my 8:15 arrival at the Tailgate Market in Black Mountain moved toward the next 4 hours of wonderful weather, meeting with old friends, and selling not a thing! Zip, nada, no sales!

But did I complain? Not really. Well only that the music was bad. The weather was fantastic though. And though I coughed a bit (well quite a bit there at the end of the day) my friends were great about loading and unloading my car for me, so the worst effort I expended was arranging the pots, then packing them back into tubs again.

And I did spend some early time wandering and taking photos. It wasn't a very crowded market this week. We figured parents are going with children to get the last minute school supplies since school starts here today, Monday.

Amazing how I caught our Market manager, Jaqueline Smith, as she walked by.

I even added a sunflower to the vase, but nobody seemed interested in it. The bears and these little dishes by Cathy Babula usually get a comment...but that's all they garnered.

Amelia had some new work on display, which caught people's attention, but I don't think she had sales either.  Her daughter had made some earrings, a couple of which sold. But nobody seemed too distressed by the day's take.

So here's an old favorite to entertain you...if you like. 

Somewhere over the Rainbow - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole

Today's quote:

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote, "A man can stand anything except a succession of ordinary days." And, "Divide and rule, a sound motto. Unite and lead, a better one."

 

Breakfast with friends

  

Open Oven is a locally owned bakery on Church St. just off  State Sreet in Black Mountain. 

At  9:30 am the other morning it was comfortable to sit outside to eat our breakfast goodies.  

We enjoyed chatting together, since we'd been busy with various illnesses and family things for weeks. Our conversation was interrupted by the nearby Methodist Church's quarter hour chimes. But at 11 I went over to the Lakeview Center to try to do a few exercises in Sit-R-Cise. I quit about halfway through. But felt pretty good about it.

Lunch was pork roast, sweet potato, biscuit and spinach greens. I brought home the baked sweet potato to warm up for another meal later in the week.

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Summary of the Tailgate Sales Aug. 3: I sold the biggest bowl and a small mug. Genevieve sold earrings and one of her rice cushions for hot/cold compresses. Amelia had no sales. For all the work of setting up tent, tables, pottery...someone asked did we make enough sales? Nope. It's the experience of seeing the rest of the community there. At least for me. I did spend a half hour in the air conditioned car, but it never got above the 70s this morning, very comfortable! I just started to cough, so decided that a time out would help. It did!

Sunday morning Note: After a night of coughing about every half hour, I'm awake and ready to greet the day.

Today's quote:

Peace, like most beautiful things, begins small.

COMMON PRAYER: A LITURGY FOR ORDINARY RADICALS

Outdoor vending 2015 - part 7

2015. The Mudbuddies had been trying different things, but our main idea seemed to work.  Out of 6 of us, just 2 would be at market each Saturday. And those 2 would choose whether or not to open depending on the weather.

One time, we definitely said yes, no matter what the weather brought. And it brought rain. Oct 10, 2015.

The booth next door (local honey) offered us the drop side to shield our table clothes.  Pots don't mind getting wet, but potters do! Cathy gave me a grin in her little bit of dryness.

So I looked a bit haggard even at the beginning of the day.  At least it wasn't too cold.  But we sure didn't have many sales.

Outdoor vending 2014- part 6

The Mudbuddies weekly work by two of us is setting up a tent, opening the 3 folding tables to their 6 foot length, and toting tubs of pots for 5-6 people, out of our cars or pick-ups or vans...we kept ourselves in some kind of shape through the summer.  And we made a lot of friends, not just the other vendors at the Tailgate market, but steady customers who came for local produce and pottery!

 But we still had a pre-summer meeting with food. This year Bette was the hostess, and gave us some beautiful and delicious food!

 Cathy wouldn't hold still for photos...as Marsha looked on.

 Pat was listening to someone else giving their opinion while Bette made sure to serve her delicious repast.

 See, there she goes...

 Someone  said, don't miss taking Barb's photo too, so here it is.

 Marsha's warm smile almost in focus!

Pat stopped playing with the cat long enough to get her photo in focus!

And every week a different entertainment was provided at the Tailgate (between 9-12)...I think mainly for tips.  There was a great variety.

 The flower vendors were always a hit.

One other vendor that usually had a line of customers waiting was Roger, the fish man.  He brought fresh fish that had been trucked in from the coast of North Carolina, fresh! Prices reflected the speed with which it was available on Sat. mornings.

 I'm matching this to the theme suggested at Sepia Saturday this week.

outdoor vending 2013 - part 5

Back in 2013, MudBuddies had been at the Tailgate Market for 2 years already!

So here we are at an event in September, 2013.  It was a fund raiser for the Tailgate Market of Black Mountain NC.  At a local brewery (and there are Many!) there was an outdoor stage that year. We had the food vendors prepare special dishes. And everyone there had bought tickets to support the organization (and there was free beer too.) I don't remember the entertainment.

 These items were for a silent auction, and most of the Tailgate vendors donated something for this. There was a minimum bid usually.

Below you can see a typical 2013 Saturday morning at the Tailgate Market.  That year the MudBuddies were under a red canopy tent, and had green table clothes on our 3 tables.
The girl sitting on the right was our live entertainer that morning in October

 The chair massage is centrally located, and most of us would find breakfast somewhere around.

 Far right is the greenhouse man, who seemed to always have some beautiful plants for sale.

Actually some of my pottery, though I don't remember most of it.  Fortunately most of it sold.

Outdoor vending journal (2010 - part 1)

The sales of pottery and clay objects is always a fun venture...if you like sitting/standing outside in unbearable weather! At other times it's a great way to meet the public, and find out half the town are actually acquaintances and friends. (Well, if you've lived here long enough.)

 Pottery students held a pottery market in June 2010 (perhaps in conjunction with some other sales event)  The students all had their work on display, and helped with sales.

Our booth next to the parking lot and road in front of the White Horse, downtown Black Mountain, August 2010.

Pottery booth outside the Clay Studio, August 24, 2010 Sourwood Arts Festival.  Not much foot traffic unfortunately!

Part of the hill separating the clay studio from the action of the Sourwood Festival.

All the clay students submitted some of their works to be sold, and took turns womaning the booth.

Busy Hump Day

I love Jesica's dahlias...which she grows in her garden...about 60-70 plants, all in boom right now.

She's also the administrator at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts.  YAY.

Anyway, being a check-in moment, I've got about 10 minutes before my favorite (and hate to miss) TV show, Jeopardy.

Today started out with a short financial activity (pay the rent), then cart some different pots to Joe's hair salon (Cutting Crew behind the Dripolator) and then shift the ones that had been on his display to the Center for the Arts office...and pack up the ones that had been there all summer.

Then lunch with friends at the Council on Aging lunch site, then quickly drop into the studio (when it wasn't open but I've got a key) and pull 2 handles for the 2 big bowl-mugs that I threw yesterday...and check that they will be ready to trim when the studio does open at 6 pm.

At 1:30 I checked in with the Swannanoa History Museum where I donned my name tag as a docent. Didn't have many visitors, but they were interesting people.  One couple said she used to visit her great grandmother in Black Mountain, and wanted to figure out where she had lived.  I let the director help her.  Another woman said she was a sculptor, and come to find out we both went to the U. of Florida about 50 years ago...not at the same time.  She was really interested in the Black Mountain College exhibit, and after she looked at it we talked a bit about making art, and the philosophy of art that is taught in schools.

In the midst of all my day, there was this gross text message that appeared on all electronic media simultaneously from the President.  Yes that one.  Nothing important.  Just scared the b-jesus out of everyone.

Now I've finished the bowls and a plate in the studio,after dinner in the car...and have 1 minute to go.  See ya later!

PS, the sales in the Center for the Arts give half the proceeds to support BMCA.

PPS...during a commercial which I mute always, I heard Canada Geese flying over.  That reminded me that I saw 5 monarch butterflies while driving around between places in Black Mountain today.  Nature is wonderful, if surprising.

I am always on my nebulizer for a breathing treatment twice a day, which are times I either blog or Facebook socialize.  It's better than playing solitaire.  Or looking at my ancestors. I do that while there's nothing happening at the museum, and today I added details to many of my aunts, uncles and cousins.  Whew, nothing earth shattering, but some more children of cousins are now on my tree.