Spring has finally turned into summer.  We have had a lot of rain these past few weeks so everything is as green as can be.  My garden is in full bloom, and the black flies are out in full force. Here are some pictures of my garden:
                                              There is no question that gardening tills MY soul.

When it’s too hot for gardening we have been spending a lot of time out on the water canoeing and kayaking.   It is definitely that time of year when there is nothing better than being by the water.

Boy does it feel great to be home. Summer in Vermont is not to be missed. Here are few pictures from our trip. We did see some amazing pottery, met lots of wonderful people, ate tons of very good food, and walked our feet off.

We camped overnight on the Great Wall of China.

We visited a small family tea farm, where we got to pick tea leaves and we LOVED the people watching not to mention the amazing porcelain!
Now it is time to relax, enjoy our gardens and the lakes and ponds all over Vermont. Mark and I are kayaking when we can and we got to go to Peaks Island, Maine. This Rachel Field poem so expresses the wonderful islands all along the Maine coast.

Spring definitely arrived early this year. It is a little shocking but fully enjoyable. We have been going to shows in the Washington DC area, trying our our newest ideas and meeting our customers. I have noticed a lot of new babies and dogs!

Families are expanding and I am seeing a lot more Dads at the shows than there used to be.

We met one cute family that required the Dad to entertain their one year old for a very long period of time, while the Mom picked out some plaques. About an hour later, the Dad reappeared in the booth, alone this time, and bought a  standing “brother” plaque for a birthday present.

I wrapped several plaques under cover of secrecy for surprise gifts. Most notably, the “psycho” plaque, which tends to make people laugh so hard they cry.

It takes all kinds of people to make the world interesting, and it is so fun to get a window into people’s lives.

Retirement plaques were also quite popular, and it was interesting to hear everyone’s story about how their retirements were going. Some people were out looking for jobs because they were bored while others were still reading through their piles of books.

Mark and are going off to visit our son and new daughter-in-law, Brittan, in Asia. Ariel is coming with us so it should be a very special family time together. I am excited to look at the pottery that inspired me as a young potter while we are in China! Who knows what I will be making in a few months.

Stay tuned!

Deborah

I am sitting by the fire knitting baby pumpkin hats (here is a link to the pattern I used) for a set of twins that were born just a few days ago. What cold be more appropriate for a fall evening? We have had weddings, births and sadly, a death here at Mountain Meadows. Our long time friend and carpenter David, passed away, suddenly, leaving us wondering how one person could have built so many useful things for us. Everywhere we look we see the products of his labors, tools, and ramps, shelving and displays, cherry cabinets, and pine doors.

Then, a few days ago we got word that a pair of little girl twins were finally born after a very long brave and thoughtful struggle by their parents.

Fall in Vermont is a very important time!  It is beautiful and magical as it transforms the landscape and our lives. We prepare for the quiet of winter, dreaming of the long nights by the warm fire with thoughts of new lives just arrived and lives passed on.

Gifts for loved ones, no matter who they are:

Enjoy your fall wherever you are,

Deborah

Ok , this seems to be the year for weddings. I am not sure exactly why, but I personally know eight couples who are getting married this year. One of them is my son Nathaniel and his finance’ Brittan!
What an exciting event! We are buying dresses, planting flowers, planning meals, choosing music, and sending invitations.

Suddenly all the sayings we have been creating for weddings seem a lot more relevant! I can’t wait to include Brittan in our family.

It feels like a new life is beginning for all of us!

Mark and I have been married for 35 years. These days more than ever the old adage  “in life the best thing to hold onto is each other” is especially true.

You can see all our sayings for shower and wedding gifts in the section called Wedding
Then indulge your imagination and check out the “Babies” section.

I have noticed people buying groups of 8, and sometimes more, plaques with sayings about wine.

It got me thinking that there must be some “wine tasting friends” out there who are getting together on a regular basis. So I began to look further into how people are “expanding” their friendships by meeting with their friends to drink wine. Well, I have discovered there are plenty!

What a fabulous idea!

Even here at Mountaine Meadows, Sheila meets once a week with her 3 sisters and Mom to drink wine and visit.  There is a rumor that they are supposed to be doing rug hooking also, but that seems to be secondary to the wine drinking. She brings this plaque along to inspire the right mood, and I guess her Dad wanted it last week to give to a friend.

There are a few awesome sites for people who want to set up this kind of group. The one called Gottannins.com  was my favorite. It seems pretty simple all you have to do is invite a few people, pick a wine producing region that you want to experiment with, everyone brings a bottle and the fun begins!

Here’s a blog about wine that looks extremely deep with so many different types of wines that are reviewed and links to other blogs and groups! It’s called The Blog Wine Cellar certainly worth a visit.

But, back to the plaques…..

Mountain Meadows has both blue and brown plaques geared towards wine drinkers.

If you belong to a group of wine drinkers, we may have the perfect gift for you to share with your wine drinking friends. And…. the “deal” we have is great for buying multiples as gifts, because if you choose 3 plaques, you can pick another one and get it FREE.

Happy sipping,

Deborah

We have had numerous requests for sayings for daughters in law. So we developed two sayings especially for your daughter in law.

If you are looking for the perfect gift for your new daughter in law, look no further. Just as we have wall plaques for your daughter, son, father, mother, grandmother or grandfather or even your sister in law, we now include that member of your family who is the child you didn’t know you would have.

As the holiday season approaches search the Mountaine Meadows website for gifts for members of your family and friends. Not only do we have something for everyone, we will make them smile and laugh, and our buy 3 and get the next one free deal makes each plaque only $11.25. Plus we will ship your plaques, in a FREE gift box, in 2 days and we offer FREE SHIPPING on orders of at least $40.00.  This is a great deal.

Enjoy your holiday shopping from home with Mountaine Meadows Pottery.

Deborah Jurist

With our summer vacation and the 4th of July behind us, Mountain Meadows is back in full swing and things are bustling. One of our most exciting pieces of news is that Gail just announced that she is pregnant with her third baby! We are so excited for her. There is a great selection of children, baby, and grandchildren wall plaques here at Mountain Meadows. They are the perfect gift for someone who is expecting a new baby. It also seems like the wedding season is in full swing with Alissa and Aaron’s wedding approaching. Plans are coming together for a beautiful Vermont wedding. Not many couples think to request a Mountain Meadows plaque to hang in their new homes, but if you know someone who is tying the knot they can be a great token to remember the day by. See our extensive selection of love, wedding, and anniversary plaques. With all of the excitement in the air we are cruising through July. Pumping out new ideas and products for the upcoming trade show season. So much to look forward to!

Now that everyone has honored their mothers and all of their hard work, it’s Dad’s turn.  Here at Mountaine Meadows our husbands, fathers, and sons (who are now fathers) love Vermont and their time in the great outdoors just as much as we do.   The conversation while dipping plaques often turns to a husband’s last fishing trip, or the bait that he left in someone’s trunk!  Take some time to look through our selection of golf, retirement, cooking,and fishing plaques to find the perfect saying for the father(s) in your life. (Don’t forget the drinking category too!).  As Mark and Deborah’s daughter, I can think back on father’s days when I was five or six.  The sorry excuses for bowls, mugs, and trophies that I gave my dad each year with a giant “Number 1 Dad” scribbled across them.  It was so nice of him to appreciate that a lump of clay was my way of honoring him.  Nowa days I try to make a little better impression.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL OF THE DAD’S WHO HAVE CHANGED A CHILD’S LIFE!

Here at Mountaine Meadows we have young mothers, grandmothers, and mothers to be. They are all strong women who work and raise their children with love and devotion to both endeavors. Our children range from college professors, graduating seniors, potty trainees, and John Deere tractor lovers.

We celebrate the women who shape the future by raising strong and capable children.

Enjoy Mothers’ Day and share the feelings with someone you love.

 
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