Judy Elsley

After 15 years of diligently working at the potter's wheel, I have finally made a six pound bowl. There are many potters who can throw ten pounds of clay in their first year of learning, but not me. Partly, I don't have the brawn or the large hands to muscle the clay into shape, so I rely on skill. It's taken 15 years to develop that skill. I'm also an opsimath, one who learns late in life, a definition that also suggests a slow learner. It takes me time to learn, always has.

We put up a little free library a few years ago, and it's been a source of great pleasure. Our friend, Dave, built it in exchange for some pottery I made, and our neighbor helped us put it up. Then we were sock-bombed which just gave the library more character. At every stage, the little library has been a community effort. On one side of the library, I stack adult books, and on the other, children's books. I also keep a dish filled with dog treats. And what do you think is m

Once a month, Alan and I fill boxes of groceries at the local community food bank which we then deliver to home bound people who qualify for this service. Over the years, we've taken food to eight single women who live in the Ogden area. At our peek, we delivered to six people each time, but we're down to three at the moment. One lady died, another moved to Salt Lake City, two have gone into residential care, and one recovered from a broken ankle so she was mobile once more.

I accompanied Alan to his church, the United Methodists, this morning for the Easter service. I'm a long lapsed christian, but I love his church community and their pastor, Reverend, Kim. A number of women were wearing Easter bonnets, and they looked wonderful: I particularly liked Chris's hat, on the far left. She'd adorned a baseball cap, her usual head wear, with all sorts of artificial flowers sewn on: Now that's a great example of creativity at work. Chris starts with wh