On reading, family, and storytelling.
It was a nice day being with my dad. He went back to work part time after the passing of my mother. My Dad was a farmer, did logging, foundry work, then finished another 30 years as a custom meat cutter. My parents were always involved in what my sister and I were doing so it was great to have him over to help me work on the kiln build.
I have not been to visit family in quite some time as I feel a sence of urgency on the kiln build. I have had my nose buried in books and finished a few old time text books on kilns and kiln building. I have started another and plan to read at least a chapter a day while on my breaks at work and on my days off. Reading was important growing up. My mother had a rather large collection of books.
My grandmother was also a reader. One summer it was as if my whole family had a book club. We read the whole series of Little House on the Prairie. After grandma would finish one book she would send it over to our place. Then dad would read it and then pass it to my sister and I to read. And so it repeated that way though the whole series.
My dad is a big story teller. While we worked on the kiln my dad told stories. It is as if he is the family and community historian. Dad knew for miles who owned what land and what farms and who their old time families were. Even when we were forced to stop work on the kiln due to rain and drove out to visit a few antique shops and to get lunch he told stories. I always enjoy the longer rides with dad as there is time for longer stories. Dad talks with his hands.
I also talk with my hands in different ways. The pots I make hopefully tells some type of story. That is all mixed in with the type of books I read. So maybe things are all tied together in the end in some type of way.
If I were living yesterday a second time: I would have done things the same.
Things I am grateful for: Amazing supportive parents growing up.
If I get to live to be 86, I might only have: 12,614 days left.
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