salad, pottery, and books

For lunch today, I made a quick salad with winter mixed greens I bought at a tiny local farmer's market last week. (Side note: winter greens are lovely! So much heartier than typical salad greens.) I made my salad in a newly finished ceramic bowl from my first time potter class. It is so great to reap the benefits of creative labor! I am not 100% satisfied with how the glaze came out, but I am satisfied with it's size/shape!

Our class is almost over and I will be taking a break from LAC (Lawrence Arts Center) classes for awhile. Only in the efforts to save money and plan feverishly for our summer trip to Europe!! I hope to return to pottery classes at LAC again this fall. I am thoroughly enjoying this new challenging and creative outlet!

I am busy reading, "Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes" by Elizabeth Bard. I decided to read some travel journals (which I LOVE to read) that take place in locations we plan to visit this summer. "Lunch in Paris" is lovely so far! I enjoy the recipes that coincide with her writing! Delightful!

I have already read "The Vinegar of Spilamberto" by Doris Muscatine. So.. I have Italy covered. I have also read "Everything is going to be great: an underfunded and overexposed European grand tour" by Rachel Shukert. This book primarily takes place in Amsterdam. I have started but not finished Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island." This will take care of London. I have also read half of "Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong" by Nadeau and Barlow. Which is a book about two Canadian's take on the history of the French culture. Very interesting stuff.

I am hoping to find an interesting travel journal that explores Germany as well. If I have time I will try to get through "The Oysters of Locmariaquer" by Eleanor Clark (more France) and at least the part about Italy in Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love."

Well.. Yikes.. I guess I better get to my reading!