Saturday, February 25th

Yesterday morning before Arne came over to begin his HaldeCraft internship, I took Corwin for a walk around NE Park… where we found a little fairy home. Which of course I had to photograph. While I was standing there trying to upload the photo, Jogger Girl came past, and asked if I was adding something to the fairy home — she didn’t know who put it together, but said that it’s always changing just a little bit, and she’d never seen who was moving things around. I guess I look like someone who would make a fairy home! It just occurred to me that I didn’t open the little door to see if there was something inside. Guess I have to go for another walk…!

So, I have an intern this week. I think I mentioned that was going to happen, and sure enough, I have a minion! Arne wants to learn about dyeing yarn and making soap, and I want to teach him those things but also a bit about how to make this kind of thing work. Because it’s more than just making things, having a craft business like mine. It’s being the one responsible for all the customer service. Being the one that has to balance the checkbook, do the taxes, figure out what you need to order for restocks and office supplies and when you can afford to do so. Being the one who takes care of packaging up all the orders and mailing them out. Advertising. Communicating with customers and potential future vendors. Everything, if you’re doing it yourself, is all on you. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!

One of the things I showed Arne yesterday was opening the kiln and some basic photography things… he’s not going to be doing ceramics, but he’s down here studying at HaldeCraft so he gets to learn what I teach him (and he’ll LIKE IT!), and opening the kiln is fun like Christmas morning whether you’re invested in the results or not. I was happy with most everything, except for the plate and the large brown mug, both of which were re-dos and both of which failed miserably. Again. Sigh.

Arne had mentioned wanting to get to Chopstix at some point this week, and even though I had just been there yesterday, hey, there’s no time like the present! So he and Tim and I went to Chopstix and PIGGED OUT. Later last  night we went to Craig and Rhea’s, and Greg and Caitlin had picked up Satchel’s, so … yeah. We ate well all day long. NOM.