September 4th, 2025

Greetings, Friends of The Carefree Quail!

This week, I am reflecting on the gift that it is to have a place in my community where I can encourage and love others. I am discovering the joy of “hand memory” to make and produce items that make my heart sing. How lovely it is to make cute chickens, cats, dogs, sheep, and spiders that have a future home in places that are far beyond Tumwater, Washington, and the United States. I am blessed to hear stories of how my handiwork is now living in places and continents I have never visited!

Let's return back to the “hand memory” idea. As I sculpt, my hands are being taught how the clay needs to feel, how my fingers need to move it, and then I see it come to life. I had two lovely visitors last weekend who watched me make dogs, and as I was working, I mentioned the process of practicing and how it is a way of making my hands remember what to feel, what to do next. One of the gals lit up and shared that she knew exactly what I meant, because she loves to sew and used to sell her creations to future brides. She recalled how, at some point (and I could finish her sentence), she didn’t even need to be looking at what she was doing because her hands were in charge.

At home this week, this was brought back to my heart and soul, and I made time to use up leftover pulled pork. I decided to experiment with adding the pulled pork to a bread recipe I have been doing all of my married life, and create something like a meat cinnamon roll.

As I am kneading the dough, I realized that this is the same as the “hand memory” I have with clay. For generations, my family has baked bread from scratch. I have memories of watching my mom use her hands to get the perfect consistency, feeling, and product from humble ingredients– that always resulted in love and joy. Many loaves of bread and cinnamon rolls were waiting for me after I walked in the door from school.

Do you have a “hand memory” in your home?

Share your stories and pics with me, I’d love to see yours!!

Thanks from

Momma Quail (Lois)

The Carefree Quail