How do you???????

What do you get when you mix a 6'2" stud, a lump of clay and some mouth watering bbq? Our first lesson! Our cousin, Shad, has been throwin' pots since high school. If you didn't know him, this might be hard to believe. He is a towering, powerful guy who, at first glance, might be a little intimidating. Once you start talking to him, you quickly realize that behind this hunk of man is a BFG (Big Friendly Giant). Once you see his pots, you realize that this BFG has a really gentle touch and skilled hands. We arrived to find our teacher grinning and ready to get started. Over dinner, he started giving us some key lessons in using the wheel... Rule #1: Take it slow, even when you freak out. If you are going to take your hands off the clay while it is spinning around on the wheel, do it slowly, even if you think you've messed up. If you move to quickly, you can really mess up your pot. Rule #2: Symmetry is essential. Pots shouldn't be lopsided! Refer back to Rule #1...

We are embarking on a journey of discovery. We realized not long ago that we know a lot of great people that know a lot of great things. We also realized that we know nothing. Okay, so that is not exactly true. Between the three of us we can analyze storm water runoff for EPA compliance, salsa dance well into the night, and insert IUDs with ease. But let's be realistic, that's only the very tip of the iceberg. Just thinking about our immediate family we realized that there is so much to learn. Thus, we have decided to embark on a journey to learn 100 new things. Of course we have set up a few rules: 1. One of our teachers each year must be under 8 years old. 2. One of our teachers each year must at least 80 years old. 3. We must learn at least 2 things a month. Only one of us has to be present at a learning session so long that the person blogs about their experience. 4. Each person can teach us no more than 3 things. Suggestions are welcome! So let us know what you can tea...