Alexander Graham Bell's Home.

What a rich and varied day I had!!!   I had so much to get done so i can get the kiln on on Sunday....means all the mugs and cups had to trimmed and handled.   Whilst doing that there were many visitors to the studio.  

By far the most interesting was Heather and Minga, to check out the urns i've made for Jim.  (See extra).  

I made 5, and wanted to see which one they liked.  I had spent a lot of time researching size and capacity....but thankfully they brought the actual ashes with them!!!   In plastic bags and in a box....it was a rather surreal time for all 3 of us.   they hadn't yet opened the box, so you can imagine it was pretty emotional!   but also we managed to find some humour in the situation.   Anyway, there is really only 1 of the urns that can hold 2 of packages, there are 3 separate bags to be distributed in various parts of the world!   Jim was Irish, so some of the ashes will go back there, they lived a long time up in the Yukon so another bag will be spread there and the 3rd bag will be spread among some of Jim's favorite places here on Cape Breton Island.   I've decided to use 2 of the urns, a tall thinner one (2nd on the left)  that they can put the ashes for Cape Breton into, and a rounder one (1st on the left) that will hold the other 2 bags.   I actually had to try and very gingerly, place them into the rather fragile raw vessel.   this is the part that made us all laugh quite a lot :)  We believe Jim was, wherever he is now, laughing at us trying to squeeze him into a large jar!

Then Mark came buy to pick up a bowl i had made for him (see extra).  Unbeknownst to him, his lovely girlfriend had bought one of my paintings that he has been admiring for some time.   So i had put a sold sign on the painting, and handed it to him...he was quite disappointed and then confused....she had me put a note on the back that read...The Painting belongs to Mark Anderson!!!   He was so stunned.   We had a lovely visit and once again, even altho it had already been a very busy day, i was so happy to be interacting with such lovely, warm and interesting people! 

Then....oh yes my day wasn't over at 5pm....when i finally got to sit down for a few moments and take a bit of break...20 minutes...cos then off i went to have a wine and chips date with this lovely new friend Lea!   That's her in the 3rd extra! She is married to one of Bell's great, great grandsons....  Many of the Bell decedents have summer homes on the big estate, so i got treated to a visit to The Big House...very impressive!   then we settled down inside, the bugs were fierce, to get to know each other a bit more.

All in all, and as much as i complain about all the comings and goings here at Big Hill, it is indeed a very rich and vibrant community...and i feel very lucky to live here.