During the latter part of March I was mainly concentrating on throwing some stoneware pieces for the TriCity Potters’ upcoming group soda firing but I found an afternoon to roll out some more slab plates and platters. Mina and friends were hoping for another Raid so I filled my kiln with said plates and my slowly accumulating earthenware jugbirds and some bowls for a bisque firing.

Mina Totino, Michelle Normoyle, Tamara Mills and Kate Metten came out on Thursday. Eric is coming separately for a mini-Raid on Monday. He will bring out Kate Bellringer and we three will discuss plans for a show of Raiders’ work in the summer. She will become an honorary Raider as she has asked to paint a plate as well.

Thursday turned out not to be the forecast showery April day so my guests had a bright day to paint.. all day, until almost 7pm! Alan had errands to do so missed the wonderfully creative lunch, and afternoon tea.

My photos show the pretty green salad that Mina arranged on an Eric Metcalfe platter (that he’d given to Alan and me in 1995!) plus glorious cheeses and bread, a home-made batch of cornbread by Tamara, tasty roll-ups from Kate and delicious corn and squash chowder by Michelle. Somehow we found an appetite for a Mina cake-with-marmalade with our revivifying tea later on.

While the Raiders worked in concentrating silence for much of the time I was pleased to get the last two stoneware bowls trimmed and all of the soda-destined pieces sprayed. It was good to get those into the kiln on Friday and bisque-fired last night. The plates from Thursday will be bisque-fired after Eric and Kate B have been here on Monday.