Auto Body Repairs and Oil Change Opportunism

I love this photograph! I snapped it this week with my new, fabulous iphone while I was waiting for the mechanics to finish doing an oil change on my car.  This car, as they told me, is some mint something-or-another with an $8,000 paint job (who DOES that??). They bring it every week to one of those pop-the-hood car shows. They say they make some really decent money buying, fixing up, and selling cars like this.

It all reminded me of the auto body work I did way back when I was in high school. I had worked for several summers at a very cool snack bar at our local ferry dock to Fire Island. I loved working there because all of the Manhattan weekenders would come through on their way to their island bungalows and it made me feel like I was a part of all of that. Difficult bosses excepted, it was a great experience.

Anyway, I had saved up my money and bought myself this awesome Volkswagon Superbeetle convertible. It was the most fabulous thing, I felt like the cat’s meow driving it. The honeymoon lasted for a while and even included the great day when it made an appearance in the high school homecoming parade.



This was the photo that made it into the yearbook. That’s me in the back seat all the way on the right and that’s my dad driving the car.

But alas, like most old beetles, mascara and blush could only get it so far before the rust started to become a serious problem.  Once we started to dig around looking for it, we discovered that it was covering most of the body of the car. It was so severe that it ate through much of the floor. Funny, we still needed to use the car at that point so we simply drove it without most of the floor. We were driving like Fred Flintstone, watching the highway speeding by under our feet! I kid you not.

Here I am on the day we started digging around for rust. I was heartbroken as you can see.

 
And it only got worse.

It was a long and grueling process and I learned more about fiberglass and Bondo than I would ever have wanted to, but in the end we too turned a profit. We sold it for twice what I bought it for.

Not bad for a couple of rookies.

What Photography and Allowance have in Common

Shev just got a some good shots of me with this new ceramic tray. I think I'm going to double her allowance.

Thanks, duckie!

On the bisque shelf

Here’s a peek at some of the pieces on my bisque shelf today. I’m now in “glaze inspiration” mode. That’s when I mull over what combinations of glazes I think will work best on which surfaces.

I admit, some mulling is quicker than other mulling. That coil pot in the back, I fear, will require some extra special mulling.

Springtime blooms

After the winter thaw, it’s such a delicious relief to see the blooms of spring, wouldn’t you say?

After my mother died, we planted one of her favorite trees—a  Weeping Japanese Cherry—in our backyard. Each year without fail, it blooms exactly in time for Passover. Happy spring, everybody!

Clay

This makes my eyes happier than you can ever know.

Around town

It’s beautiful outside today. Faced with the dilemma to choose between glazing or doing taxes, I decided to play hooky instead and take a few minutes to go for a short drive around town. Here’s a glimpse of where I live.

We’ve got ship yards and ferry docks…

 
Charming beaches of all shapes and sizes…


Summer reading…

 
And a charming downtown.

 

Right now, on the cusp of Spring, the grass here is doing its best to become greener. Sometimes it actually is.

Mini Dipping Bowls

I tend to go in spurts with respect to my creativity. I could go on a binge making just mugs for weeks and then switch over to TAPAS sets and back to nesting bowls in record time. These past few weeks, the muse has navigated me towards the minis. I’m loving how the glazes are coming out.

 

It's only fair – a nod to JCrew

I totally lifted the color scheme for these bowls...

    

...from the JCrew catalog:

  

Watch out. Soon I'm going to dress like this too.