Last week’s firing of Gary the Groundhog yielded some good pots, some not-so-good pots, and lots of information. But that’s another story. Today’s story: a nice little plate by Ryan Strobel. It didn’t quite survive the firing, but it’s a Good form with a pretty skin, so he gave it a quick sanding and sent it away with me. Yay!

Today I used my new plate to hold some lunch. My little avocado-egg-onion-salsa taco looked so pretty on the plate that I couldn’t resist a photo.

The plate is between eight and eight and a half inches across. It’s pretty flat, but there’s enough depth and breadth to hold and keep food. (That seems obvious, but if you’ve ever used a too-flat plate…) I like a good rimless plate and this one is a convenient size, so I have a feeling it will get a lot of use.

Just a quick one. I was lucky enough to bring home a few new pots from the Minnesota potters tour. One nice piece is a pouring vessel by Linda Christianson. It’s odd, too: too big to lift comfortably with one hand, and the lid might double as a cup. Function might call for a handle, but this pot doesn’t need a handle. To me, after a few weeks of looking at it, I start to have suspicions on why that may be. I think of the architectural, of farms, of water towers, of oilcans, of the unornamented and stoutly functional. Check back in another year, maybe, and see what I think then.

Tea. I drink loose tea, and this is perfect to steep in or decant into. This weekend a potter friend is staying with me, and this morning we made some tea. I’m happy to say that my odd pouring vessel made a fine inaugural performance. White tea and cool enough water to skip the decanting. Also conscripted into service were a couple resident cups, one from Charlie Jahn and one from Bandana Pottery.

Now that white might look cold just looking at the side but photos don’t do it justice. It’s really good holding some color, the size is perfect in my hand, and I love pinholed glazes. Luckily I don’t mind a few leaves in my cup.