'Mine is not the well to be filled, but the fire to be kindled' Plato

At The Potter's aYard out track record since 1997, as a provider of children's and adult's workshops is unrivalled- we offer the freedom of an authentic experience in a working studio with the guidance of a professional potter and artist.

Now we want to extent this philosophy of offering our skills to include the skills of visiting artists and craftsmen. As a community we seem to be turning again to the local, and to putting an emphasis on personal creativity. The crafts are an ideal and fun place to start this process.

The satisfaction of making ones own pot or batik is enormous, skill can only be gained with practice, we must start somewhere. The Potter's Yard Craft Workshops offer you and your children that opportunity. A full list of Craft Workshops for 2011 will be posted on our web site in January.

The Batik and Print workshop with Mairead in Nov. read blog. was great fun and very well attended. The children made colourful christmas cards and batiked hanging decorations for the tree. They also had to do some sewing which was a challenge, but well worth the effort. We are eagerly awaiting Mairead's next workshop at The Potter's Yard in March, well in time for making Mother's Day gifts.

reducing my carbon footprint

I would like to communicate with others who are thinking about living lightly upon the earth. I was deeply involved with 'green' politics in the '90's, but then moved from the urban to the very rural and was faced with learning how to walk the walk, instead of talking etc.Paradoxically rural living can lead by necessity to habits especially of transport which are very environmentally damaging. The car can become the only form of transport available on a daily basis. Our local bus goes once a week to the nearest big town, ok for shopping and the library, but what about socialising!
Whole new patterns of living need to be imagined by our society from the roots upward, or as usual in Ireland from the top down. In spite of new Green ministers this does not seem to be happening anytime soon. Cars especially the dreaded 4x4 is the big status symbol, right for field work but for dropping the kids to school hullo!

My basil plant has tripled in size and developed woody stems, it is triving outside, which is not usual, and is going to bring the scent of summer into my kitchen all winter long.

The flock of ducks are laying 6 eggs a day at present, this is a slow time to the year for them. I sell the duck eggs at a farmer's market on Saturday mornings, the egg money gives me great satisfaction. I often thank my ducks for their effortless largesse. They are the most benign of domestic fowl. The breed I keep is called khaki campbell and abicot ranger. A good laying bred, no meat on them.

More from the twist - our bend in the road - soon.

pan