It was a wine-drinking, world-traveling, pesto-eating crowd (which we are not) so we weren't sure at first what to expect. We were relieved to discover that they weren't the snooty wine-drinking, world-traveling, pesto-eating crowd. And DAMN!! can those people cook!! Yummy!!
Jill's parents have a beautiful piece of property with a huge vegetable garden where they grow the food that they need. Their vegetable garden is almost the size of our entire yard - and we have a very large yard!
They even produce their own power via a huge, rotating solar panel. I want a place like that. With the chickens, apple orchard, pear and plum trees, berry patches, rolling hills and woods in the back... *drool*
It is an ultimate dream for me.
People were really impressed with JD. I was standing with a group talking and JD came up to join in. After he left, one of the ladies asked, "And just who was that delightful young man?" I said that he was my son. Another woman asked, "Has he just started working on developing that wonderfully rich character or has he always been like that?" I replied, "Oh, he's always been quite a character." They all chatted about how the world needs more unique, interesting people like him. *blush* It's nice to see other people appreciating JD for what we see in him. Stick that in your ear, school system!
We were there late. At 10pm the kiln had just topped 1000°F and still had 1400° to go - 100°/hour. We were stoking it with red oak, which is a slow burning wood - not that great for getting hot fires fast. There were just a few of us that were there after 10pm but it was a very good mix.
Jill, Obi, SSB, me, Greg (also a friend of K), and Jill's mom who I will call Em (for Earth Mother).
Jill is a very quiet girl. And her parents are pretty quiet too; but we found out last night that once you get some wine in her mom, she can't stop talking! She was HILARIOUS!! I could tell that Jill was a little embarassed, but no one could stop her mom once she got on a roll.
At 1000°F she started apologizing to SSB and I for having a "domestic" (which is now going in my lexicon) the other day when we were there helping build the kiln. She was explaining that she and her husband were fighting about this trip that they were taking in a couple of days overseas. He was worried that she was going to say or do the wrong things while they were over there. She said, "So I tried to put his mind at ease with humor." SSB and I looked at each other and started laughing - he's worried that she won't take things seriously and she thinks joking around will help ease his mind? She said that she was telling her husband earlier that he needed to come and apologize to us, too; but he wouldn't. We kept telling her that we hadn't heard anything. "Oh, you are just being nice. you HAD to have heard us. We were screaming at each other. I'm surprised the police weren't called. I'm sure they could hear us up the road." Jill was dying of embarassment. So I said, "Em, we never apologize to our neighbors for that."
At 1100°F she was letting us know that there were beds in the house if we got tired. She was particularly fond of this big futon that her husband had made and was currently residing in the guest bedroom. She said, "I love it when my husband and I have our domestics. That futon is simply FABULOUS! I could sleep on that every night!"
Jill went to bed - exhausted from her mortification, I'm sure.
At 1200°F she was telling us about how she didn't care about the war or if the Twin Cities were going to be blown up tomorrow, she just wanted to grow her damn vegetables! She didn't know or care about technology, she just wanted to grow her damn vegetables! Why can't people leave her alone and let her be who she is and let her grow her damn vegetables?!
At 1300°F she was letting spill all this dirt about her husband (Obi's FIL) which I will not repeat here, but will say had Obi all excited with interest.
At 1400°F she was telling us how she could take out her left eye ball to make macaroni and cheese. ????? SSB said, "Em, I have no idea what you are talking about." She says, "Oh, that's because you aren't a woman." Everyone snaps a glance at me since I am the only other woman there. I shrugged and shook my head. No clue, really.
At 1450° she exclaimed that she smelled a skunk."I'm out of here! I'm going to jump up into the vegetable beds like a Barbie head if a skunk decides to come around!" ????? What exactly was that woman drinking??
At 1500°F Em finally retired, and so did we. It was all in all an entertaining night, even if we didn't make it to 2400°F. I can't wait until their next party!
Take out her left eyeball to make macaroni and cheese? WOW!
The world is sure full of interesting people! I love it.
Sounds like my kind a party!
Shannon, that whole thing morphed as she kept talking. First I think that she was trying to say something like she could make macaroni and cheese with one arm behind her back but was using the eye instead of arm. Then she was trying to say that she was would give her left eye for macaroni and cheese. Toward the end of her ramble, her left eye was actually making the macaroni and cheese! All the while she was talking, she kept making more and more graphic motions simulating the plucking out of her left eye. It was truly bizarre!!
Wendy A, I'm still giggling and smiling. It was a great party!
You sure all that was burning in that kiln was red oak? That sure sounded like a *weed* induced conversation.
Em was definitely under the influence of something, but I never saw a drink in her hand. Obi did say something about skunk smelling like "sticky weed"...
DrMax, are implying that someone was holding out on me? I feel so rejected.
SSB, but she never left the kiln area and I never saw her with anything. Hmmm...
That sounds like a great party. Not sure that I'd want mac & cheese that bad, though! :-)
Next time I make Mac N Cheese I am going to think of my left eye.
I also can't wait for the next party!
Heather, that is exactly what I was thinking while she was saying that.
AG, me too! on both accounts.