Random reminder

Press, 20 July 1977, Page 25

Random reminder

THOUGHTFULNESS

Information archaeologists have dug up for us reveals that primitive man carved his first cups and bowls from stone. But before long, in a few thousand years or so, man started playing round with clay, and sunbaked clay ornaments became a cave-girl’s best friend. The earliest-known pottery vessels appeared circa 6000 B.C. Crude they were, but since then pots, though not potters, have gradually become more refined. Just recently pottery has grown in popularity with New Zealanders, and many a hungry breadwinner has arrived home after a long day’s snooze at the office, to find his poor little wife, smothered in clay, bent offer

her wheel throwing a pot. Should he comment on the hour, however humbly, she is likely to throw an artistic tantrum and ask if he would rather be married to a cabbage, a question which he has not the intestinal fortitude to answer. The other day a certain husband found his feet had taken him into the bottle store of a particular hotel, and being, like most of us, concerned over the diminishing value of the dollar, he glanced along the shelves, pondering the possibility of procuring a little something as a hedge against inflation. A familiar brand of whisky had yielded good returns in the past, but a dark green bottle caught his unself-

ish eye. He recalled his wife saying coloured glass spread on the bottom of one of her pots could make a pleasing glaze, if only she had some coloured glass. Seizing the chance to help her, he bought two bottles; his old favourite and the dark green one whose contents he would consume before giving the coloured glass to his potter wife. She did not kiss him, or go into raptures over his gift when he showed her what he had bought, and explained why. Apparently, increases in the price of groceries, etc., etc., warranted an increase in house-keeping if he could afford to buy two bottles of spirits,