Second Saturday Soup n Bowl

This 'Second Saturday' was spent reuniting with the CCFA crew in Corning, Iowa. The gallery has been hosting monthly show openings and this month they decided to try something a little different. The soup n' bowl event featured homemade soups in handmade bowls by Paul Koch of Prairie Fired Pottery.

There were 5 different soups to choose from - salmon chowder, seafood chowder, beef and noodle, chili, and beef stew. Beth's salmon chowder was a new recipe and had many separate elements come together in new ways. Rick's beef stew was a total hit and the first one to be polished off by the public. It was kind of zingy with giant chunks of potatoes and veggies...and paprika? In fact, they were all amazing (yes, I managed to sample almost all of them ;) and the bowls we took home are fantastic mementos of the event. Wish I had thought to bring my favorite onion soup, Jon's butternut squash soup, the hawayedge chicken soup or chile corn chowder. Next time....Actually, it may be time for a soup exchange...Iowans???

I was there not only as a spectator (and soup slurper) but in an officially official capacity as well. Studio fuzzishu offered blown glass ornament make and take sessions. It was fun to see the range of people who tried their hand at glass working and catch their enthusiasm and delight. I love offering people the experience of doing something they've never done and having them go home with an original piece of art and feeling of accomplishment.

It was a great time...until fuzzi-mom and I were packing up to leave. Winter decided to make itself known again with a major white-out blizzardy type thing. We (foolishly) decided to brave it, since I was scheduled to teach at the Des Moines Art Center today. There were times during the grueling, white-knuckle-inducing, normally 3o minute drive to Creston where the road was literally invisible. So? A hotel. And lots of kitschy tv movies (Sundays at Tiffany's with Alyssa Milano, anyone?) But alls well that ends well, we're back in Des Moines now and gearing up for a week of ornaments and probably more soup! ;)