Meanwhile, back at the pottery ...

We've been occupied with Dan Finnegan's surgical recovery the past few days, but thought tonight we'd get in a bit of pottery-related news. (Since Dan is rebounding so well from his surgery.)
First, Alli Connolly has been working hard here the past couple of days, coming up with the beginnings of some two-piece pots that will eventually be her entry into the student part of the student/mentor program's show at the Cape Cod Museum of Art early next year. Alli's pots show what can happen if you just stand at the wheel and work on the clay. She's doing well.
Secondly, Marstons Mills potter Lois Hirshberg came by today to drop off a couple of pots for next week's firing, pots that didn't make it into the recent wood-firing at the Castle Hill kiln in Truro. It's always good to see Lois stray from Marstons Mills to the big city of Falmouth. The two of us did a gallery talk last year at the Cape museum in which she spontaneously became a turning pottery wheel so that I could show the uninitiated how we throw pots.
Third, the Cahoon Museum's "25 at 25" show opens Friday evening, 5 to 7 p.m., celebrating the charming little Cotuit museum's 25 years of existence. Former director Bob Gambone asked me last year to be a part of this show, and it's a privilege to be there with friend and fine slipware potter Ron Geering. Most of the work in the show will be by painters and other flat art people. It should be a good show. The two photos here are my two contributions to the show. The tall jug and the squatter vase were both fired in Chris Gustin's anagama in South Dartmouth. The vase has been contributed to the museum's permanent collection. Please come to the opening Friday if you're free, or drop by the museum to see the show before it closes at the end of the year.

More grits, more ice cream, the man's doing OK

These updates are singing the same tune every day. Finnegan keeps getting better. Here's the latest tonight from Jerry Brent, correspondent at Mary Washington Hospital:

"Dan continues to do well. They want him up as much as possible and he did 15 laps around the floor! Still eating cream soup and grits. The doc says he's progressing nicely. Still no official word on when he may get out."

Waiting on the Finne-Gas

Sorry, that headline is a play on Toff Milway's description of the Finne-Girth. But it's apparently relevant and we can be lighthearted as our friend Dan continues his recovery at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg. The following is this afternoon's dispatch from Jerry and Lou Brent:

"We checked on Dan this afternoon. Doing fine. He's now able to eat cream soups, hot cereal, ice cream, pudding, etc. Imagine my surprise when he ordered grits! That and the fact that he makes face jugs is very encouraging! We'll make a Southern boy out of him yet. They want him up and walking around as much as he can take. He's also supposed to use some breathing apparatus we call "the bong". He hasn't been as diligent as he should with that. I told him he should use it every time the Falcons score against the Skins. He wasn't thrilled with that proposition! The catheter comes out tomorrow. Seems like the whole world is hanging on his ability to pass gas! That's when you know the plumbing is working properly. He's in good spirits and the Doc said he was a little ahead of the normal recovery process."

Finnegan spotted walking hospital corridors

Good news continues from Fredericksburg's Mary Washington Hospital.
Dan is up and about, gingerly, according to intrepid friend and reporter Lou Brent, who visited the post-surgical potter today with her husband Jerry. "When we went in today he was in his chair, having vegetable broth. And they've had him up and walking a bit," Lou said this afternoon.
Friends are taking turns staying with Dan through the night, she said. But he's showing steady improvement from the surgery and, she said, "He's looking pretty good."

Dan's surgery went "very well"

Lou Brent reported this afternoon that Dan's surgery went "very well" and that the surgeon was pleased. Lou's husband Jerry was at the hospital throughout the procedure and talked to the surgeon after the operation. At that point, Dan was still out, but by this time - 3:47 p.m. - he should be awake and in his room. All good news.

Updating the fundraising for Dan Finnegan

Dan Finnegan goes into surgery early tomorrow (Friday) morning, so we should get word on how things went some time in the afternoon. Jerry and Lou Brent, terrific people and Dan's great friends and neighbors, will be making the calls after the surgery. I'll post anything I hear here on the blog.
In the meantime, Lou sent this e-mail tonight, with information on how to contribute to Dan's medical costs.

Checks can be mailed or delivered to any of the following addresses or locations:
c/o Tina and Eric Olsen
914 Monument Ave.
Fredericksburg, Va. 22401

LibertyTown
916 Liberty St
Fredericksburg, Va. 22401

Union Bank and Trust
c/o Friends of Dan Finnegan
620 Cambridge St
Fredericksburg, Va. 22405

Thinking good thoughts for Dan Finnegan

Most of the readers who see my blog also see Dan Finnegan's (danfinneganpottery.blogspot.com) So most of you probably already know that the Fredericksburg, Va., potter and our great friend is having cancer surgery Friday. Dan has been diagnosed at age 54 with what is perhaps the best form of colon cancer that anyone can have, assuming there's a "best form" of any cancer.
It appears this disease was caught early (through a colonoscopy) and is eminently operable and curable. Dan is confident in his medical people in Fredericksburg and he has a community of loving friends in that town who will care for him while he recovers.
But Dan, like many extemely creative artists, has no health insurance. So he is discovering how the hospitals and doctors will negotiate the costs of expensive surgeries and other related health care downward. Still, there are already funds being raised to help him in his recovery. I'll be in touch with the Fredericksburg people in the next day or so and get further information.
Meanwhile, we at the Cape Cod Potters organization, where Dan has given a number of workshops, will auction several pots that he made at his last workshop and the proceeds will go to help Dan after surgery. I'll attach a photo of Dan in his most recent workshop and some of the pots that I glazed and fired here at Hatchville. Dan would no doubt hasten to add that he would never, ever, use copper red on his pots.
More word here when I get more information on how you can help.