My Tummy and My Heart Are Full

We had the first Annual A Griffin Pottery Pre-Holiday Party today at the studio and it was WONDERFUL!  Allen would have loved being there. I like to think that he was in some way.  None of those people would have even known each other if not for Allen and his willingness to teach us all pottery. 

This was originally Ronnie Blackburn's idea. He gets all the credit.  I was talking to him a week or two ago about when I planned to put the Christmas decorations up at the studio and he suggested the informal party.  FYI, my Christmas decorations are up now.  The weekend before Thanksgiving.  I have broken my hard and fast rule of one holiday at a time please.  The way the calendar worked out this year, it was necessary if we were going to be decorated for SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY on Nov 30, so I am forgiven, right? 

Everyone brought something to share and we had a feast and wonderful time together. 

Vicki, Gail, Ronnie, and Lisa were there of course.  Lisa brought her sister Karen who is visiting from Georgia.  Karen was nice enough to take the group picture.

That's Karen in the light blue.  I must have caught Ronnie in mid-chew.  Sorry Ronnie.

Gail's husband Jamie stopped by for a bit.  He's in the black pullover.

We managed to get some work done in addition to the eating and socializing.

My new student Nikki was there too!  I am so happy that she was able to work in out to be here with us today. She got to meet everyone, have some food, and then we took care of her lesson.  

Trimming a foot.

Making a serving plate.

The cool thing about our studio is that we all learn from each other.  I learn from Vicki (have been for the 12 years I've been making pots) and from Gail and from Lisa and from Ronnie.  When Nikki comes for a lesson, she's got me (Lord help her) and everyone else who happens to be there to teach her. I'm sure that it is overwhelming at times, but today she wanted to try something that Gail does more often than I do, so Gail helped her a bit.  

From time to time, someone will say to me, "Allen would be proud," and it makes me so happy.  Most recently that was when I introduced Nikki to Vicki for the first time.  Allen would be proud that you have a student learning here.  Today, Nikki got labeled "Allen's Grand Potter."  I absolutely love it!! And Nikki got a glimpse of how important Allen Griffin was to all of us.  

Even Dixie doggie (#Dixiethefosterdog) was part of the action.

She had to stay in her crate when we had the food out, but she was a good girl about it.  She was very happy to check out the floor for dropped bits once we let her out.

Our studio was a happy, busy, crazy place today will all the people there and all the different things going on at once.  Allen would have LOVED it!  I miss him so.