*at home in the wild flower fields

Walk barefoot – day in, day out,

finish thoughts and postpone answers,

let the grasses dance between your fingers

and your hair in the warm winds.

Drink sun and eat clouds,

feel the summer, be the summer!

 {Claudia Voglhuber}

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*In the heart of summer warmth

We are in the middle of another heat wave right now, up to 35 degrees, so I stood up early to pick black raspberries to make some fresh jam. Also I took up drying herbs again and yesterday the first apricot fell ripe from the tree. We do not have many this year,  because of the cold spring, but enough to eat them right away and maybe make a cake. I tried several times to grow pink hollyhocks from seeds, but only the purple ones grew, but suddenly a hollyhocks plant  appeared at the other side of the garden. First I was not sure what plant it could be and just let it grow further and on the weekend it was clear that it is a hollyhock, but it had not opened the flowers yet, so I was not sure about the color, but today it started to bloom and the blossoms are really light pink! I couldn't be happier! What a lovely surprise gift from nature!

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*my recent ceramic pieces

{Music: Sweet Forest – Matteo De Grandis}

I also made a little video of my recent ceramic pieces. It took me almost half a year to finish them, that is also the reason why many pieces are a bit more wintery, but I thought I will share them anyway. And I like to have a chronological order here and sometimes it's even nice to light a candle on a mild summer night, don't you think?

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*high-fire ceramic pieces

Welcome to another update of my recent ceramic pieces!

It was nice to experiment again with different sorts of clay and glazing.

We are having hot and humid days and I was able to harvest the first cucumber and zucchini on the second of July already! So good! Tomatoes will be also ripe quite early this year and I cant't wait that my dahlias will start to bloom!

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*touch & scent

A dear friend asked me recently what is giving me the most comfort and I had think a little about this question, but came to the answer: touch & scent. Those are also the two things that I remember about people of my past the most, how the hands of my grandmother felt like and how her hair smelled, and the smell of my grandfather when he came home from woodwork in the forest and how tight his grasp was when he clasped my arm. And my mother's pillow that I would cuddle in, when she was away and the feeling of her hands on my back when I was little and was not able to sleep after having a nightmare. I have this blanket that Sunny had all those years and every now and then I take it out of the closet to unroll it and it still has captured his smell. I often ponder about how genius the great spirit was who devised everything around us, that we now can experience with all senses. Every flower, every plant has his own specific scent, every human has a different smell. Isn't it a miracle on its own? 

What is giving you the most comfort?

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*Early summer days in the countryside

{Music: Breathe – Emotional Soft Piano}

After those difficult weeks, I felt eager to be out in nature again, to be able to walk and move and enjoy the simplest things. I just want to feel summer, be able to take part in this new season that is coming with so many blessings. And it has just begun!

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*softness

Some softness for your day.

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*dog days in June

Almost another week has gone by,

we are having dog days, at least temperature wise. Everyday above 30 degrees and I'm very busy with providing water for the garden plants. Those pictures are from May. In the meanwhile the blowballs have gone with the wind and everywhere are red glows from the wild poppy that is growing wildly this year. I will go outside now to pick some woodruff for fresh tea and raspberries for the breakfast. I don't feel very communicative these days, but I hope you can make the best of your time and don't forget to enjoy the little things.

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*dreamy ceramics

  

It is still going slow here, as you probably already have thought so yourself when noticing my absence.

Besides of doing tasks in the house, I started to do more in the garden again and currently I am collecting lots of camomile, mint, elderflowers, rose petals, thyme and many more to dry and preserve for winter. The strawberries have grown so well this year, I'm enjoying them everyday for breakfast and as a little snack when working outside. The rich garden season has officially started!

I wanted to show the first batch of this years ceramic pieces a while now. I made them in winter and did not think that it would take me so long to finish them, but the circumstances delayed everything and now I was not sure if I should wait to show the candle holders, when darker days are here again, but I decided to show them anyway. But a candle can also be nice when lit in a mild summer evening at the balcony or terrace, don't you think?

My shop is closed at the moment, but I hope I will be able to open it maybe in July again.

Take care + until soon!

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*June

I'm recovering from a very bad relapse right now, but today I'm feeling like sharing some pictures again which surely is a good sign. The first two pictures show a surprise letter that I got from my dear friend Olivia, she painted herself with my little Sunny in her arms. I was very touched, also because there is a certain story behind it's making. I really love her art and feel very grateful!

 When being bound to bed, I miss my little companion very much. He gave me strength to go further in difficult times. I always said that he is my greatest "joy bringer" and he truly was.

I hope June is treating you better and that you enjoy the early summer days!

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