Listen, one of the worst ways you can repay someone for an extremely thoughtful gift is to feature them on your blog. I’m sorry Tony, learning to throw pots was just too much damn fun. Please forgive me.

This adventure began as a Christmas present: Tony handed us a beautiful, handmade plate with a note saying he would teach us how to make our own bowls. I more or less assumed we would be watching Tony create something, which was already one of the sweetest gifts I’d already received — but he invited us to sit at his wheel as he talked us through every step of the process.

He even had an entire slab of clay with our names on it.

The process is slightly intimidating but incredibly fun. It is also cathartically messy.

I honestly did not expect to walk away with something even resembling a bowl on my first try, but thanks to Tony’s expert guidance, Dan and I were both successful.

Tony has invited us back again soon to try our hand at a few more pots while we still remember what we’ve learned. Eventually we will trim our bowls of excess clay, fire them in Tony’s garage kiln, glaze them (painted and strengthened), then fire them again at an even higher temperature. And then wash them and fill them with ice cream, I assume.

Tony is the kind of guy who rolls his eyes and shoos me away when I try to tell him how sweet and thoughtful and smart and interesting and kind I think he is — but if I write it here I don’t see what he can really do about it. Thank you, Tony! You’re one of my favorite people on the planet! Teach me how to make a porcelain trophy that says WORLD’S GREATEST TONY!