Let me first say, yes I am a potter, and yes I can teach pottery to children, but one lesson I have learned with children is, I always end up the student. This trip to bring some of America to the Lutheran kids camp in Monor only emphasized that.  Pastor Lajos brought us clay and the children surrounded two very large tables eagerly wanting to participate. You can see the anticipation and excitement as each child's eyes grow bigger and bigger at each cut off the clay hump. These kids do not need much instruction they are all very much "self starters" . The clay projects they created with out a "program" to follow were as diverse and unique as each child themselves.  Being with these children there is no language barrier, you show them a little and they accomplish a lot. A smile, a gentle touch, a simple plan, and the results are affection and love combined with creativity and imagination!  The thing I love so much is that, to me this is such a little thing to bring skills to share, but to the children our being there is HUGE!

Did I teach these children, no they taught me. From their singing praises before meals to their   gentle brotherly love for one another, they taught me that there are still wonderful places to grow up. Places where things get done, not because they have to but because it is life and it is life filled with love, and the love of Christ shines through this little congregation. Everyone here has a

light to shine, not on themselves but on others, everyone participates in creating a beautiful fruitful place for the children to learn. Pastor Lajos is a fine father figure and has no problem with discipline. The children behave because they are taught to behave properly, and they love because they are taught to love one another as Christ loves us, and they get it!

Rita Ryan

Potter (Not Harry)

I'm not disappointed in you. I am disappointed for you. I had hoped you would have a better chance if you stayed in school. Work is no fun and especially no fun when it's not what you want to do.

More crazy potter thoughts...

I think that sometimes if I were to stop moving so fast, that the world would catch up to me and then I would be behind.

Spinning my way to Inner Peace

Certainly throwing clay could be considered a better sport than throwing a temper tantrum. One of the perks to spending so much time alone in my studio is I am centered!

I find it most peculiar, that as I go along my clay journey, creating and re-creating my pretty little pieces of art pottery, the more I learn about recreating who I am in God’s eye’s and heart.

When I was younger I never really believed I had worth, or real value, I saw myself as snot nosed kid that didn’t want to grow up. Oh, and you couldn’t make me!

When I did reach adulthood, I had no idea of how to handle myself. What to say, what to wear, how to act, it seemed as I was constantly fighting myself and the only half way sensible solution at the time was to watch other people, so I became a avid people watcher soaking in some good and a lot of bad. It’s like opening up a clay pot on the wheel before it is centered and ready to be opened. I was like a pot that leaked with no idea of how to glue myself back together.

Then as I began my pottery path, I found a stick to it-ness that gave me a new hope.  I started to think about God all the time. I would be heartbroken at a kiln mishap and even have been known to scream out loud at a botched glaze load, then I would think, gosh this is just clay, what must our creator think when he loses a person even a favorite pet, weather it be a bumble bee or bunny, its living, breathing, moving and speaking, squashed by some untimely element.  

When I would open the kiln and see all the pretty pots stuck in one place by runny glaze I could not help but think, how many times have I been stuck in one place emotionally, obviously not a pretty sight.

 I love all the emotion that evolves from creating a pot from a lump of clay to a beautiful work of functional art. And my heart breaks for those that are broken.

                                                                                                to be continued……….

                                                                                                                        Rsryan 10/20/09

Shop with the Artist!

Come on down to Cravin' Cookies and More....

Saturday May 16th from 10am to 2pm

Cravin' Cookies ... and More!

10420 Fourth Street NWAlbuquerque, NM 87114
(505) 298-2597

Rita's pottery includes beautiful and unique plates, platters, Ikebana vases, and other fabulous creations such as her fun soap dishes recently featured on HGTV!

It seems my best pottery tools are kitchen utensils!

Mata Ortiz Pottery Workshop Fun

I had the most wonderful opportunity to attend a local workshop featuring Eusabio Ortega and his Beautiful wife Isela Cota Ortega. Eusabio demonstrated the hand building techniques of the Mata Ortiz potters in Mexico. Each pot is hand constructed and takes 4-5 hours to construct. Eusabio starts with a slab set inside a small plaster bowl. He first compresses the bottom of the base to avoid any cracks when drying. As he starts constructing a bowl type base for is piece, he is keeping the walls even as he spins the little plaster bowl in a circle to keep the pot moving. after the piece is tall enough he trims off the top using a simple safety pin edge and rolls out a rather large thick coil. The coil is placed inside the pot around once and his thumbs are then placed inside to allow for opening the pot he pushes his thumbs in and up as he continually spins the pot in a circle, he repeats this several times until he has the height he needs. Then Eusabio starts with his coils on the outside of the pot to start to close up the top and switches his thumbs from the front of the pot to the back of the pot and his thumbs switch to the outside of the pot creating more pressure inwards. Eusabio keeps his hands clean and dry to keep the wet clay from sticking to them. Eusabio's wife Isela Cota quietly sits painting a pot that is dry and has been sanded and burnished. Her hands are steady and she is completely focused drawing line after line, I am sitting directly across from her and am thoroughly amazed at how her design work just keeps coming together. She is drawing a little fellow playing a flute, he is a Raramuri Indian. The Raramuri are a gentle tribe of Indians that have lived in the Upper Sierra for over 10,000 years now. Isela is so incredibly talented with her drawings even her husband is in awe of her. As Eusabio continues his demonstration he tells us the story of the Mata Ortiz people and how everyone in the town has some job related to making pottery, from the small children to the elders. He tells us of the tourist trade and how with the economy slow down here how greatly it affects the people in the town who have relied on the tourist trade. Eusabio also sees as the town young folks grow up with these skills that the young kids take short cuts and sell pots for much less and how this really is having an effect on the marketing of the Mata Ortiz pottery bring the price way down creating more economic stress.
Eusabio is so very generous sharing his knowledge with us; he shows us all the steps from sanding to burnishing (they use horse fat)to firing. He shows us how to make our own clay from clay found practically in our backyards. He works fast and is funny with his stories. The workshop ends and you can tell no one wants to leave, there are plenty of questions still and the day went so fast. The Ortega's sell the one finished piece that they have brought with for the demonstration and I offer to purchase the wonderful piece Isela Cota has been decorating all day. I feel as though this day I got to live a different life, I was transported to Mata Ortiz, Mexico for just a few hours and one cannot put a price on that. What an amazing experience, and now I will have a little bit of Eusabio and Isela Cota Ortega's life in my living room. :o)

Sorrow

Some believe if sorrow stays inside you it kills you.

When we mourn let us remember the fate of the Righteous;

"The Kingdom"

Matthew 25:31-34

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“Ramblings from Rita”

Is it just that time of year, or is it just me. It seems like as soon as winter hits and the end of the year is imminent I lose all my momentum. I start to question why am I torturing myself with pottery and shows. I question my motives, should I just go back to the days of gifting my pottery to friends and family? And today I felt compelled to inventory my pots. After unloading all my boxes of pottery onto tables I looked across the room at the tables filled with stoneware and I caught a glimpse of all the colors melting into to one and for just a moment everything looked so foreign. I thought when did my colors get so dark? I pictured for a moment white pots with red apples and little geometric designs and smiled thinking of all those sweet apple pots I made, how long ago was that? I try for a moment to re-focus on the kind and generous comments from my customers about how they have never seen pottery so beautiful, but the thought eludes my grasp. I want desperately to grab hold and feel that appreciative kindness but instead I just feel crummy and out of sorts and my good thoughts fall hard on a blank slate that feels like a black hole. Then, I remember the dream I had last night and really; it was “a bit of a nightmare”. I was trudging through the snow in the Jemez mountains, I couldn’t find my car and I was desperately trying to get to my pottery tables, I had dutifully paid my fee to the Indian tribe to exhibit and I needed to get to my tables to sell before the day was over. I kept walking back and forth, through a maze of adobe buildings in one door and out another, finally I find my space, it’s around a corner out of sight from the main traffic, I think why am I here, how will I ever make any sales in this awful place. I see all my pots are thrown into boxes, and I am missing most of my inventory. I am feeling horrid and I still don’t know where my car is! I dig to the bottom of a box and there is a very generous check with a detailed listing of all the pottery purchased and a “thank you” note from the tribal chief himself telling me how much he loves my pottery and asking me if I will come back next year. I smile, and think, surely I will. In the mean time, I do believe a nice long break is in order! I wish you all a very “Merry Christmas Season” And Happy Potting for the New Year!
Rita S. Ryan
Clay Artist and crazy person!

Fashions to Futures

I just made the connection I went from Futures markets to Farmers markets………
and originally from Fashions to Futures....

My 1st real job was running my own business, I was 13 years young and my step-dad thought it would be a good idea to teach me some business sense. So my mom and I opened a shop on the south side of Chicago called it "Rita Sue Fashions" and I picked out all the clothes for the shop, we shopped the wholesalers down on Maxwell Street. I ran the shop for a few months, sort of lived on a cot in the back of the store. We never really made any money, but the experience was invaluable and I had a lot sweet clothes including one really cute pair of "HOT PANTS" ha ha ha remember hot pants.

"His thoughts"

Often when I am compelled to write I assume God is leading me to a greater life understanding that it is not my thoughts but his that follow here.

One of the major dysfunctions in life that I grew up with, my mom grew up with and her mom too is “lack of love”. When children grow up in situations where love is not demonstrated those children unless they are very fortunate to marry or hang around with extremely loving giving people they end up “Adults” on the outside looking in, wondering what in the world he or she did to not be able to love or deserve love, The truth is love is attainable we have just to teach ourselves how to love. I have learned is that as adults we very much need to learn to “re-parent” ourselves to be able to have someone safe that can give us the love we need to survive in this world. And by someone safe I mean ourselves, I believe God has given us the tools we need to survive; we just have not clearly understood or discovered them.

Some effective ways I have learned to re-parent is to realize that I am in control of my life not my husband or children or friends or mother or father. And in that control I alone am responsible to God for my choices. I control what I look at, what comes out of my mouth, how I feel about all the little things that bug me, how much love I give and most important how much love I accept. To honor God is to honor, love and respect myself and the more I “choose” to honor myself the better my life is, the more meaningful it becomes. I choose simple effective behavior without assuming the other party dislikes me or thinks I am stupid. I do not hold onto assumptions that if I put down what I’m doing to help someone achieve some peace that someway I’m losing precious time. I can’t tell you how many women I know that fight for some freedom in their lives and only end up in further bondage hiding in their minds. Trapped like rats in a maze. How do we get here, I believe “bad parenting” is one key, selfish behaviours another, the devil finding open wounds to live in another. I don’t believe the majority of parents want to hurt their children and if they knew they would hurt them they probably would not have children. Parents struggles today are not all that different from yesterday and thorough out time.

Man has struggled with “who am I, why am I here, what have I accomplished. Honestly I have met more stubborn stuck people in my life who have a need to hold onto stuff, people, or ideas. I have a very wonderful friend who would give you the shirt off her back but won’t get rid of the 197o's Cougar that does not run that’s been sitting in her garage for 25 years, I have joked with her that we are just going to bury her in it!. I regularly clean out my possessions and my old thoughts and beliefs to let in new ideas and when I find myself struggling with an issue I always ask God to show me what I need to see and then I make sure I am open to receive what he tells me. I believe we have to always negotiate with ourselves and others in as positive way as possible. We need to be as kind as possible and that does not mean driving oneself nuts in service, there are so many ways to serve God. Some positive ways I have found to re-parent myself, love myself and serve God at the same time I will list here.

Walk the dog, stop and talk to a neighbor, say something nice.

If someone you meet along the way has something not so nice to say, ignore it, don’t own it, change the subject find something positive to focus on, let the negativity blow through you like a breeze in the wind, continue on your journey to love.

Pray non-stop for your neighbors, your children, spouse, and anyone you come in contact with in distress.

Be kind, be helpful, be careful to listen to what God wants for you. If you choose to take on your neighbors burden spend some time praying first so the devil does not end up controlling your life running you in circles and then running the show.

Pray for yourself non-stop

Pray for wisdom non-stop

Learn about forgiveness, forgive 1,000 different ways, forgive everyone always, and that means you too.

Never assume you are not worthy, if you did not have some purpose on this earth you would not be here.

Kiss a lot of babies.

Hug a lot of children.

Play with children as often as possible, big kids and little.

Laugh at bugs, talk to barking dogs like a baby, wonder at the sunshine on the petals of life.

Work with children and adults as often as possible, there is nothing like a community service project and some pizza after to make one feel absolutely outstanding about their life.

Love yourself non-stop.

Love your best friend non-stop.

Tell your friends you love them non-stop.

Tell your family you love them non-stop.

Support your church and support your local neighborhood church's.

Get rid of the myth that you can over love and smother everyone you meet with love, start that love with a smile and a kind word or gesture.

Let Jesus shine in you non-stop, smile at everyone, have a kind word for everyone; acknowledge your love for life.

Don’t worry, be happy, pay your bills always early, never late and you will add to that happiness (best advice I ever received). Be fiscally responsible.

Do not take on more than God has planned for you, if he wants you home praying, stay home and pray, if he wants you out shining a light in the world go shine it as bright as you possibly can. If he wants you planting a garden, share some flowers or food from your garden with some one.

Pay attention to details, get as clear as you can, when you look at someone look at them directly, love them just the way they are.

Always remember this Old Proverb ”One cannot stop the birds of sorrow from flying overhead, one can however; keep them from building nests in their hair.”

Martin Luther said “Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.” More great advice.

Remember, Jesus gave the woman at the well “living water” he did not take her home with him to change her, she accepted the living water and she took control of her life and went out to share the good news.

Well enough said, I hope someone in need will read this and understand my intent is to be open to accept that I am lovable, and capable because I am of God molded from his clay.

Potter (not Harry)

This morning I had the most beautiful colorful dream.
I dreamt I saw a beautiful bird with gorgeous red wings outstretched and looking right at me. The bird came closer and closer to me in a very deliberate way and I could see how really small and delicate it was, to my surprise tucked safely under its wing I saw a little baby bird with big eyes peeking out from its safe shelter.
The beautiful bird followed me home in the same deliberate way, desperate for shelter for it needed a warm place to nurture its young baby. After I had prepared a place for the bird to stay warm, it occurred to me that the baby under the bird’s wing was already out of its nest and ready to fly that it really did not need to be under the momma’s wing at all.

Funny how dreams can go.

Clay Addict

I’m feeling a little like a Clay junkie right now, I get so excited about making clay art, and I run off to a 3 day show to sell my art. The compliments I get are so incredible; one woman’s comment is, this was this finest clay work she had ever seen. I immediately thought to myself, well then she probably has not seen much in the way of fine pottery, (mistake #1 bad mouthing myself to myself) Even so, my feathers fluffed up just a bit at the compliment. Three days of endless praise did not make me feel any better at the very slow sales of a few soap dishes and one or two Ikebana’s (mistake #2 money isn’t everything) I left at the end of the show with my tail between my legs, dazed and confused, wondering am I so gullible to believe that my art is worthy, (mistake #3 it’s like slapping God’s face and saying “why the heck did you make me a potter!”)

Why not buy fancy pottery, was the question rolling around in my mind. Whilst wallowing, I found my self paralyzed emotionally, I was digging a hole and filling it with quicksand. I really felt stuck, I was feeling a little guilty for not going to Chama with hubby and son and I found myself really wanting to connect with someone on a very real level and at the same time feeling very disconnected and animated and incredibly lonely. Amazing trickery our little pea brain minds can play on us (mistake #4 endless wallowing never did anyone any good).

All that boo hooing and Tuesday morning as I rose early for my real job, yes Virginia Santa has a real job! I looked up to the sky and saw the tiniest bright little shooting star and somehow it gave me renewed hope, I started my week over, thanked God for my talents, listened intently to the preacher on Christian radio going on for 30 minutes with a sermon about “MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING” Relationships come first, God expects us to trust him and he will provide our needs. Some things I really need to work on, #1 Self worth, #2 Money isn’t everything, #3 Trust God, he made me good. #4 wallowing does not show God’s light in me.

Rita Ryan/Potter

(not Harry)

Letting Go

Last night as I quietly lie down for bed a very large lump entered my throat, I could feel my body convulse as I mouthed the words, "Our little Pippi is really gone off and on her own". Much is changing fast and on the surface it doesn't seem like such a big deal that your only daughter is living at the local campus in a dorm room. I keep thinking as parents we are getting off easy having our child basically 5 min from where we work, It's a bit hard to explain how I am feeling, and as I slow down my emotional reaction to the sadness it becomes easier to feel the pain of letting go of 18 years. I am ok with the realization that she is no longer in our charge. I have for a long time understood my job was second to God's. The humanness of the grief my body feels causes me to pause momentarily.

“I’ve taken up a new “Healthy hobby” “Ballooning”, and went for my second time crewing on Sunday this time with a pilot from Colorado Springs. I hadn’t planned on going up especially with all the rain we have been having, but at the last min. the young (Chinese) lady that was to fly got spooked and so I took her place. We flew for about 40 min. west of the field in Rio Rancho, it was sooooo much fun. We flew quite low to the ground to avoid the scattered clouds that were chasing us. Watching the Jackrabbits run wild through the bracken was quite thrilling. Even though I had been up before as recently as June when I crewed for another balloonist from Pagosa Springs, add the element of danger and the flight takes on a whole new life. We had to deal with some sudden wind and find just the right landing spot so when we were dragged by the wind it would not be into the trees. After we landed on our side (up-side down is what the pilot called it) the envelope deflated and we crawled out just as the crew was driving up. The pilot did a remarkable job of detailing to me just how to position my body for the least amount of impact and how to keep from straining or breaking any bones. We all agreed that probably was not the best flight for someone’s first time and so it was a good thing I went instead. All I have is a tiny scratch on one knee and enough excitement to last a good long while!”

Artist Rita Ryan's One-Woman Business Won't Compromise on Quality

-->By Amanda Stevens Of the Journal

The dancing woman in the home studio that has Billy Idol's "White Wedding" blasting from the stereo is Rita Ryan, doing what she loves: working. "It makes you feel like a kid. I get to play," Ryan, a clay artist said. "I get to make money, and I get to play." Ryan owns, operates and creates the merchandise for her out-of-home business, Rita's Pottery Garden, based in Rio Rancho. Wanting to keep her business small, Ryan has no intention of expanding beyond her capabilities. "I don't intend on employing anyone else. I like the solitude. I get along with myself good ... I don't want someone ruining my chi here. It's a very happy, relaxing place," she said. Creating everything from soap holders to large platters, Ryan prides herself on creating only unique, functional pottery. "I have an idea of what I want to make, and that's pretty little functional pots. If you want a toothbrush holder, go to Wal-Mart." Ryan said she has refused several requests for items such as toothbrush holders and butter keepers, but tries to keep an open mind for ideas. "I'm not opposed to ideas ... I made (butter keepers) for a while, but I hate making them because I haven't found a way to make them unique. If I'm going to make it, I want them to be really special," she said. These "pretty little functional pots" can be found at the Los Ranchos Growers' Market on Saturday mornings during the growing season. www.ritaspots.blogspot.com. Ryan started her pottery business in 1991 after she witnessed two women arguing over a piece of her work at the Los Ranchos Growers' Market. "Ladies at the farmers market started fighting over a pot and I thought, 'I have something really good here.' " From that point on, Ryan said she can barely keep up with the ideas she has and the requests she gets for more of her creations. "I just can't make enough stuff," she said. "People are looking for more and more and I can only do so much ... There just isn't enough time to make everything I want to make." Even though Ryan's creations sometimes sell faster than she can make them, she still has standards for her work. "I expect a little bit of perfection," she said. "If I look at a piece and there's something wrong with it, I'd rather not make it at all if it doesn't fit my idea of what I wanted to look at. "The person looking at that piece on their coffee table will appreciate your thinking about perfection when you were making it."

On Teens

I don’t worry so much for my children that they will make bad choices in life, they are pretty apt and aware, my worry is how does the kid who’s at the party where something happens and they maybe could have helped prevent it, handle it emotionally the rest of their life when someone they know drives drunk and gets killed or drinks too much and gets raped, no one can be prepared to emotionally handle random acts of stupidness by them selves or someone else. And it stays with you all your life, scars run deep and some fade over time but they are always there, and it is for those scars of life that my heart breaks.

Full up

Some days I just love who I am, I have a full understanding of God and his mercy, and other days I just Puke, I wonder what in the heck am I doing, Surely THEY will find out what a fraud I am, how totally unworthy I am. Then I shake it off, have a little laugh, remember sin, picture the cross, remember forgiveness remember my little peanut holding her arms out singing "Hoodge U" and Ta Da...I love this place....I love the moment... I Love God... I really really love forgiveness.

Glass Half Full

This was graduation week and as I watched one of my best friends shed tears at her daughter’s graduation ceremony I thought to myself, no way I'm crying over this. These kids have it made they are just beginning their lives; their glass is only half full. Then came my turn, I got through my daughters graduation party the day before her actual ceremony patting myself on the back for a job well done, for deep down I believe we all would like to take credit for all the good that our children exhibit. Of course knowing how analytical I can be I stayed away from the balance of what negative aspects I might have passed on to her, that could wait for another day. The party was great; a good time was had by all. Next day was graduation day, I wondered would I get teary eyed as I watched my daughter, my little Pippi, march up and receive her High School Diploma? Would I ball my eyes out later when I knew that she would want to run off with her friends to party after the ceremony and have nothing to do with us? No, not I, a pillar of strength I smiled and enjoyed my understanding of youth. And she the good daughter spent just enough time with us to make us feel comfortable, a picture here, a kiss there, then she and her little white sandals and big pearly smile ran for the exit. It wasn’t until the next day when I sat down to read some of her perfectly worded thank you notes, and I came to the note written to my dear friend Rose, I barely got through the first sentence, and then I read…"you are my family and I thank God for you". That was all it took the tears flowed and I shook, more from relief and disbelief, surely this couldn't be my child, so grateful, graceful and thoughtful. And then again last night at the tennis awards banquet, her coach repeating what I so well knew, that this girl comes to the playing field every day with a smile and grace. So today I thank God for his wisdom and guidance through the years to me as a parent, I know I haven’t gotten everything right, but as a mom I can not help but swell with pride as I look forward to the next 18 years of watching my Pippi grow. Oh and yes, I did cry again all the way home from the banquet as I watched her walk off into the night holding hands blissfully with her boyfriend.

Art Gallery Pottery Display

After working all day yesterday at the commodities office, My dream of being an actress was about to come true (Now, there’s something you didn’t know about me) HGTV film crew came to my studio at my house to film me making pottery for their “That’s Clever” show.
It was grueling……. smiling every two minutes for the 6 hours of filming, jumping in and out of the camera for action shots, by the end of the day (10:00 at night) I was reduced to a babbling idiot.
I did manage to embrace all the folly of the show, dancing for the camera, threatening jesters with my rolling pin. Swinging in the hammocks, the outdoor shots were fun; My dog was the real star of the show.
I did get the two pieces made a funky soap dish and a “Nagiere” vase, they both looked good.
Having four people and two cameras in your face at close range for that long of time was much more nerve racking than I could have ever anticipated. I consider myself an outgoing person, confident about my art but I just could not keep up the pace of stop and go filming. Switching between working and talking, my brain just could not adjust I either wanted to talk or work and I felt kind of like a ping-pong ball bouncing around my studio.
I laughed hysterically at the blundering blubbery words that were coming out of my mouth, You should have heard me try to say “Bone Dry” after 5 or six try’s we gave it up and I said “Green Ware” the term for clay that has not been fired yet. And if by some miracle I got the shot perfect, then just my luck the cameraman messed up on his end and we had to start over, too many times to count.
I tried my best to stay positive and perky to the end. And not to worry about the CRAZY LADY THEY JUST FILMED After about 4 hours I was ready to fall over, and I had not even started on the main project, my vase! I was amazed at how hard the crew and the producer had to work to keep on task, and I have a new respect for this type of work, it is so much more than one can imagine. I no longer wish to be an actress, my commodities job fits me perfectly, I Praise God for his wisdom…and I pray for GREAT Editors.
I am so looking forward to getting back to my solitude in my nice quite studio.

But, Lots’ wife looked back!
Genesis 18
(my disclaimer; assumes the reader knows this passage and is intelligent to look it up if they do not)

I really love it when God speaks to my heart to give me clear direction. My hope is to be able to convey this message loud and clear not only so you may hear it, but so that I will own it.

I never really understood this passage, why would such an awesome God who found favor with Lot allow him to get his family out of town before the destruction, then zap Lots’ wife into a pillar of salt. After all her only sin was looking back, come on who hasn’t looked back, it was her home, her way of life, her whole being.
Was there no room for error? Wouldn’t it count that Lot had an “in” with our savior?

How many times have I read this passage and just shook my head “it’s a metaphor silly I’d tell myself the message is clear go forward don’t look back, And today God showed me very clearly why the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah needed to be destroyed.

It is so easy for me to justify today, I very clearly hear my self talking to my husband as we watch prime time television wow, people should really watch what their children see, this is awful, every channel we flip through there is some deviant sexual behavior, women walking around half naked, sexual acts being actually acted out, some under covers and some just plain out right in your face. Sexuality talked about like it’s a crumpled paper bag ready for the trash not something to be treasured and revered. The idea of same sex partners being pounded into our brains day after day, wanting to make it seem normal when we all know in our hearts it is not normal, but we are so afraid to say “STOP” this is not normal for fear of hurting someone’s feelings or at the risk of being politically incorrect. Not to mention the violence shown unabashedly, where killing is an everyday event. When I think of television today it looks a lot like Sodom & Gomorrah of yesterday. All evil bad things in one place and all you have to do is walk away and not look back and yet why is it so hard to make that decision. Whom will you disappoint? What will your life be like with out the distraction? Is it really all that evil? Or, am I just on a moral high horse! Why do we watch television anyway?

One thing I believe is that television makes us look good. We can have a moral superiority as we watch and look back and proclaim “wow” at least that’s not me, my life is just fine. I go to church on Sunday, I pray for my friends and family, I love God, I love my family. That rotten television is just not me so I don’t have to worry about it so much is the rationalization we make.

Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? That is the question Abraham asked God, before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. I believe God is very seriously speaking to me through Lot’s story “yes Virginia there is a God” and there is justice and it will be Gods way. The way I see it, the entire moral paradigm in the world won’t make up for looking back, for when you look back you look away from God. So for me, today I take a stand on God’s word which is the only advice relevant and I will turn away from the past and look forward to no television to distract me from my walk with God and man on this wonderful earth, lest I become a pillar of salt at my own doing.

May your day be blessed with strength and dignity.
Love,
Rita

Let's Wrap this year up!

2005 Was a nice calm year for me, seems like everything fell into place nicely, I didn't ruin my kiln shelves with runny glaze until one of my last firings. I bought a wonderful new slab roller for my studio and have been making some truly awesome hand built pottery.

The Farmers market at Los Ranchos was really nice this year we had a few new growers, several new crafters they weather was perfect almost every Saturday and Lavendar Fest was the highlight of the season.

Suprisingly I was offered a deal on a last min. table at Balloon fiesta and I worked really hard to get together some inventory to sell. I invited some potter friends from Yucca gallery to sell at my booth since my inventory was so low and inspite of good weather and fine art all around this just wasn't a good year for selling pottery at fiesta. I did make back my booth fee, but for 9 days and all the work involved I'd have much rather given away my pots. I praised God every day for the wonderful massage thearapists across from my booth and got a nice massage before I started selling each day, when crowds were really slow I pretended I was on vacation I walked every day and took pictures and went shopping on the main drag of the fiesta. I bought a wonderful hammock swing, we now own a half dozen hammocks you can see where my priorities lie.

Yucca Gallery sales were steady this year, in fact the Gallery it's self did so well the artists were rewarded with two months free rent. 2006 will find me as the assistant director at the gallery, I enjoy learning about all the operations of the gallery in another life I would like to own a art gallery.

Schelu Gallery owner Jensie Kessler discovered my pottery this year and was the biggest supporter of my art. Thank you Jensie it is an honor to sell in your beautiful Pottery Gallery.

Corrales June art show outdoors was lovely, AND I was famous for a day, pictures of my Nagiere's made it in the local west side papers which made sales soar.

Yeah, Harvest Fest I'm so glad Harvest Fest in Corrales is back I love the hay wagon rides and the wonderful family atmosphere Harvest Fest brings. Yeah Chip & Linda for putting the art back in the Library park. What a nice local venue. See you there next year for sure!

Placitas show Christmas at Clearlight was fun this year Pam Neas and I combined our booths to make one very large booth for selling and we both did fairly well selling our crafts. It was a little confusing for people who did not know us though who was the potter, who was the painter?

Clevland show was a bit of a bust, I have a theory here too, Albuquerque is a little crafted out, too many craft shows, close to 200 crafters at this show almost more crafters than buyers and every weekend Starting in October you can find a craft show the closer you get to December the crafty shows show up on every corner of the city. All the babyboomers retiring are looking to crafty venues to enrich their lives myself included!

Some of us choose to wear our scars on the outside, others on the inside.

Well, The Santa Fe Show was pretty much a bust, for selling anything except sun hat's,
maybe I need to make one out of clay :o) Can any one tell me why full body tattoo's are so popular,

I was horrified by the body mutilations I saw in Santa Fe this past weekend. I am living a very sheltered existence, fo shissle.

My computer hard drive at the office died yesterday morning, the funeral will be at 10am today.
Looking forward to the resurrection some time later tomorrow, glad I know about Plaxo at least I will be able to recover my contacts, all my newest pictures are dumped with the partition, I'll have to get busy.....

Insight is so much better than hindsight!

Pablo Picasso: "My mother said to me, If you become a soldier, you'll be a general; If you become a monk, you'll end up as Pope." "Instead I became a painter and wound up as Picasso."

I understand now so well the influence a mother has on her children
The one thing I have learned "Insight is so much better than hindsight"
Listen to your soul and you cannot help but learn from it. " Rita Ryan

Happy Birthday to me.....

This month I turn 50, I thought so hard about what I'd like to do to celebrate, Should I have a party? Go out to dinner? Sleep in late be lazy all day. The best Idea I could come up with was one that totally honored who I am. So I will get up early with the birds, and take a little hike in the mountains with a friend, come home hug my family and sleep in the hammock all afternoon, and then just possibly have a few margarita's in the evening while playing with clay. That will be my perfect Birthday.....Now lets see how it pans out.... be back on the 14th with a full report. r

God will lay it on your heart how to honor him...........

I had an interesting morning, I woke up feeling all the old stuff of not wanting to get out of bed imagining I was sick, dreaming about calling in sick and staying home. I got up took a shower, lie down again, got up, purposefully thanked God for the day for my job for my wonderful life. Listened intermittently to a preacher on the radio talk about God's heart in you and his covenants to you. Actually got to work 5 min early the first time in at least two months or so. A young girl (maybe 18) came up to my car and asked for my help, she had run out of gas and walked about 2 miles and didn't have any money needed something to drink and some help getting to her new job that she was starting today. I said get in, gave her some tea, asked her if she knew about God, she said her mom had been taking her to church on Sundays and making sure she understood about the blood Jesus shed for us. I drove her to work (about 5 miles) gave her $40 (I was about to give her $60 when God threw the other 20 back into my purse, It literally flew right out of my hand and back into my purse. I said to him in my heart alright I get it she only needs 40. I dropped her off she was so grateful she asked me if she could hug me. I held her very tight and hugged her back, we blessed each other and I was so grateful to God for the opportunity to help I cried all the way back to my office. My mom said evil demons were trying to get me to not get up this morning and go and do God's work by making me think I was sick. I think for the first time ever I really understood that concept. I am fine, and I am ever grateful for God in my life.

addendum: When I got home that evening I checked my mail and imagine my surprise on receiving a note from a special friend with an unexpected check in it to $50. My friend wanted to contribute to help me pay for my daughter going to help build a house in Mexico with the Casa Por Cristo group from our church. You can bet I made sure I wrote the check right away for the amount I owed the church plus the $50 my friend sent me.

Yeah God for great Kids!

Last weekend I opened my home to four wonderful young men from Sunne Lutheran Church in North Dakota. Part of a group of about 30 + kids on their way to Mexico with the Casa Por Cristo project. What a wonderful bunch of kids, polite and gracious. I am so happy to say we have an incredible generation of caring young men and women (kids) today, who will be our future, and I am proud to be a parent in a positive parenting generation that is turning out really great kids.
YEAH GOD!

Tell me all your thoughts on God.....

Some people believe art comes from your inner desires, I believe art comes like life,
through God in you.

Another thing....

What I really like about being a clay artist is no matter what your talent, be it nursing, swimming or potting, when you find your place in the universe you get a little closer to God.

In Loving Memory: David Po July 22,1954/Feb 9, 2005
Aloha, from the land of enchantment, I am David’s favorite sister Rita. I thought I would tell you a little you might not know about David and his family. He has four sisters & three brothers. Dorea, his oldest sister lives in Florida with her husband. They don’t have children but have an insane love of wildlife and lizards. Peggy, next in line is about the hardest working woman I have ever known, life has been hard for her but she has shown a wonderful “work through it spirit”. She has found healing in this life in her adventures of hunting and fishing, what can I say, run Bambi run! Debbie lives here in New Mexico only 8 miles from me, we see each other often, Debbie is a sweet nurturing woman who is always helping out others, often without regard for herself. Debbie’s children are her pets. Charlie, the business man in the family lives with his Wife and their many children in Wisconsin they are all very musical and Charlie plays the slide trombone in the church choir. Michael, David’s favorite brother is a very handy man always building something. Michael and David bonded as siblings often do. I recall a time when David and Michael traveled to Jamaica on a vacation together, Michael was a few years younger and he was so excited to have traveled the world with his big brother. I can still see their smiling faces at the joy of their high time's together. Larry the youngest of the boys shares a house with our mother. Larry has a wonderful family he and his wife have lots of children, too many to name. You can get the greatest hugs in the world from Larry’s children.

Then there is myself, wife, and mother and clay artist. My life here in NM is a wonderful life and I have, clearly have, my Dear brother David to thank for guiding me here. Many years ago David was here visiting friends, one of the many exotic places he traveled to and David invited me to come visit him here. We traveled all over the state, David had friends every where he went, His friends were some of the most generous, kind loving people on this earth. The words you reap what you sow come to mind.

The Land of Enchantment cast its magic on my soul, David left New Mexico and I stayed and built my life here. I imagine Hawaii and the magic of the waves, held the same type of allure for my brother as the call of the mountains held for me. I am fortunate to have a wonderful husband who got to meet and know David, and more fortunate to have two loving children who dreamed of traveling to Hawaii to meet this gentle giant of a brother that I often talked about. My children are sad knowing the loss their cousins must be feeling right now.

David and I both grew up in the "back of the yards" stockyard area of Chicago. I remember many hot summer nights when David cooled off the entire neighborhood by turning on the corner fire-hydrant and flooding the neighborhood with cool clean water to wash away the day’s dirt.

<>Oh the joy that lived in our hearts when David was around, for he did not live within the boundaries that we knew. He embraced life and like no one I have ever known. I miss him so much and always have.

David and I have both lived a tumultuous life so separate and yet so much alike. Many years ago I made a conscious decision to let go and let God work in my life. I have been blessed each day with forgiveness and grace. It's my hope that all will come to an understanding that life is bigger than you and me and nothing is as sweet as it is when you do it with God at your side. I believe David understood this and was able to give up his life to God.

I believe that we give a lot more to each other in this life than we ever give ourselves credit for and my life is a testament to that, had it not been for David’s unselfish act of kindness to me, my life might have turned out quite differently. I am eternally grateful for my Brother David’s love and life.

In loving Memory,
Rita S. Ryan

Hmmmmm.....

One thing I have learned playing in the mud is the original potter is the only one who has the right to choose what will stay here on earth and what will be recycled. What I'm learning, I believe will take a life time. Exactly what makes a pot worthy to fire? Bottom too thick, “might crack might not” go ahead wire it off. The heavy bottoms for stability are not meant to be fine and thin. Beautiful on the out side, air pockets on the top of the wall. Could these pots be called airheads? Too thin on the wall my anorexic little pots are going to have to be careful they find a safe spot to lie or they will chip and die. Forced that pot back to center pulled one side thin and one side thick “keep or throw”? If I keep it will people look at it funny? Will they turn their heads to try figure out its place in my life? Put three feet on this one, one fell off in the fire it wobbles but looks great and feels so good, might make someone very happy definitely a keeper! The grief the potter feels upon opening the kiln and seeing the one piece the potter tried so desperately to save has self destructed and has taken four others with it oh the grief is so overwhelming. But you get use to it somehow and later while the grief is still there somehow it's ok, Even though the damaged pots will never be the same. Some will be able to have cosmetic surgery and if they are blessed they will find themselves into a re-fire and only the maker will know what lies underneath that thick layer of glaze coating the sore spots on their bodies. Some pots will leak, some arms will hang low, some heads on crooked, but the real beauty will be in the creation itself.

Pretty Little Pieces of Art