Visit the Kelpforest (pt. 2)

My mother grew up in the village of Andover (pop. 1100) in upstate New York, a very small town where the only stoplight was actually outside the village limits (and it was only a blinking stop sign, not an actual signal. In the nearby town of Almond (pronounced "Elmond" if you live in those parts) is a very old, white, two-story house by the side of the road. My mother's great-great grandfather lived there - we have a rocking chair in the living room that he made by hand, and there's a gouge in the seat where my mother's grandfather carved a hole with his pocketknife, when he was sent to sit there as punishment.

The family that lives there now operates a pottery studio in a small building adjacent to the house. They were kind enough to give us a tour of their house last time we visited back there. This teapot is from their studio. It has pattern of dark irises on it, but blue and gray mottled glaze is dark as well, so they may be hard to see. My father dropped the lid and busted the handle, so it's been glued back together. I need to find a new bamboo or reed handle for it.

By coincidence, my grandmother went to nearby Alfred University when she was young, and majored in ceramics.



My grandmother was quite fond of antiques, including antique dishes. After their retirement, she and her husband bought and sold them as an income (what an internet business they could have nowadays). After she passed away, we found a large collection of Fiestaware, all different colors. My father sold most of it to our neighbors several years ago, but I kept a few place settings, including the tea service. I don't use this one all that often - the placement of the handle looks pretty, but it's hard on your wrist if the pot is full, and my hands are really too big to hold it comfortably.