This weblog is my online journal. You'll find my opinions on a variety of topics as well as links to other things on the web that I find interesting. When the spirit moves me, I may also include longer essays.

Terry the Innkeeper

Raine the Potter

Rex the Border Collie

Sunday, May 15, 2011 A Wedding, a Vacation, and a Birthday On April 30th, Jamie and Elizabeth exchanged wedding vows at Raleigh's Sacred Heart Cathedral.  We're so happy to finally have Elizabeth part of the Middleton clan!   Jamie was a handsome groom and Elizabeth a gorgeous bride.  The grandkids enjoyed their roles – Chalmers did a great job with his reading and Kinson and Gracie were so very cute as ring bearer and flower girl – with Mike (their dad) serving as best man.  It was a special weekend filled with family moments, friends, roses, good food, classical guitar music, and a lot of laughter. Yes, I did cry, but the tears were happy tears…                 After stowing away the wedding attire in the back seat, the innkeeper and the potter head out to Ocracoke for a well-deserved vacation with friends.  For those of you not familiar with North Carolina, Ocracoke Island is part of the Outer Banks and accessible only by ferry.  We drive to Nags Head and then head towards the Hatteras ferry traveling the thin strip of land with ocean on one side and the sound on the other.  By the time we get to Rodanthe, time seems to slow down – gulls draft high in the Carolina blue sky  as kite surfers skim the sparkling sound, sea oats sway in the salty breeze, and sand blows across the road.  After a smooth ferry crossing, we're on island time – dinner with friends at the Back Porch, fishing on the beach, shopping in galleries (my pots are sold at Over the Moon), bike riding, reading, shelling, and relaxing. (Jan came over from Avon and brought some jewelry for the gift shop at the The Blue Heron – come check out her beautiful and unique jewelry.)  Hard to believe it's time for the ferry crossing back to Hatteras and the drive home.                                                     And what about Rex, the border collie?       Rex celebrated his seventh birthday during the week – and we wouldn't be surprised at all if we heard he had thrown a party inviting all his girlfriends in the neighborhood…   9:40 pm est Sunday, April 24, 2011 Carolina Spring Welcome to the Blue Heron Bed and Breakfast and Hartzog Pottery.  Terry is the innkeeper, I (Raine) am the potter, and Rex is our most beloved border collie.  Spring in the Carolinas is a season of fresh starts - waves of daffodils, irises, azaleas, and rhododendrons and cool mornings followed by warm sun-filled afternoons.  Terry is celebrating the new season with a newly remodeled common room for guests here at the B&B. Yesterday, I drove to Shelby to attend a wonderful pottery workshop on British slipware with Hannah McAndrews and Doug Fitch.  So now I'm excited about some fresh ideas - many new concepts to incorporate into my ceramic designs. This weekend, we hosted guests in both our B&B rooms.  They started the day with a fresh fruit medley garnished with lemon balm from the garden and eggs to order, hash browns, bacon, and toast, juice and coffee - all served on the dinnerware that I made here in my studio.  The plate of Aunt Beulah's cinnamon bread was a hit and the leftovers left with the guests who boarded their boat at the dock for a relaxing day on Lake Norman.  Rex enjoyed playing ball with the guests and escorted them to the pier for their sendoff. The Blue Heron B&B on Lake Norman is located lakeside in Denver, North Carolina.  We have two rooms - The Bonnie and The Bessie - named after our grandmothers.  My family made pots here in Lincoln County in the 1800s.  I continue the family tradition but my style is anything but traditional.  My pottery business is named after the Hartzog/Hartsoe potters. I look forward to sharing our experiences as innkeeper and potter and highlighting our neighborhood, state, local restaurants as well as my pottery journey.  And through it all, Rex is constantly at our side, trying to instill some order in our lives, and of course providing unconditional love to the innkeeper and the potter. 8:57 pm est

2011.05.01 | 2011.04.01

B&B Common Room	Fresh Fruit for Breakfast	Breakfast on Raine's Dinnerware
Blue Heron Rhodie	Gas Kiln in the Background	Azaleas in Full Bloom
Blue Iris	British Slipware Workshop	End of the Day

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