Bowlicious = Soup-er good time

OK. Here’s the deal.

You pay $50.

First, you select a bowl out of hundreds created by area artisans

You go to the beautiful-in-any-season Hunter Valley Farm. You select a bowl out of hundreds created by generous East Tennessee artisans. You eat cheese and drink wine while bidding on a better-than-usual silent auction (mostly one-of-the-kind products also donated by local artisans).

You fill your beautiful new bowl with one of four soups. Maybe have a delicious donated dessert. And then you take your bowl and go home.

This is a great, great fundraiser! We were home by 8:30. Since this was last Thursday, I got home in time to see “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice.” Love!

Event benefitted Second Harvest Food Bank.

Sponsors were Comcast, Clayton Homes and Clayton Bank and Trust, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Tennessee, B&W Y12, and Phillips & Jordan, Inc. The soups were donated by Copper Cellar Corp.

Here's the bowl I selected. Next Valentine's Day, I plan to use it as a candy dish.

Here are the ceramic artists who provided the bowls and auction items: Hugh Bailey, Gray Bearden, Marty Begalla, Judy Brater, Elise Denneny, Valerie Eiler, Candy Finley-Brooks, Jerry Harkenrider, Janet Harper, Pat Herzog, Becky Ibrahim, Hope Ingram, Lisa Kurtz, Karyn Kyte, Leanne Lewis, Patty Lewis, Bett McLean, Nancy Minturn, Jackie Mirzadeth, Tracey Morgan, Kristi O”Connell, Elain O”Sullivan, Cheri Pollack, Katie Ragsdale, Marioon Schlauch, Janice Threlkeld, Kathy Veverka, Marty Young, and Kim Zirkle.

Teresa Scott and the bowl she picked

These beautiful bowls featuring birds tempted me in the silent auction

It wouldn't be an auction in East Tennessee without something like this!

Chris Kahn considers a platter in the silent auction

Second Harvest head Elaine Streno and her husband, Glenn

From left: Tori Rose, Fletcher Kress and his mom, Kelly Fletcher. Thanks, Kelly, for inviting me to sit at your table!

Girls' night out! From left, Mary Fran Darwin, Nancy Bowen and Becky Dockery

Mike Charland and Mary Bogert with their bowls

Kevin Cowan, left, and Daniel Frye: among my table-mates

Carl Mathews and Jen Schroeder