Pottery a contact sport?

Having rheumatoid arthritis means having to learn to adapt in many areas of your life.  My RA is particularly bad in my right hand and both wrists.  I found that when I tried to knead clay, it caused a very large amount of pain and more swelling in my effected joints.  So I learned to do what I always do...adapt.  I put on a little vinyl apron I found at the dollar store and use my upper body to compress the clay.  I lift it up, lean down on it and repeat.  Believe it or not, it looks just like the pictures I saw of the proper way to do ram's head kneading.  If I want to, I can spiral knead the clay also.  I have been determined from my first day of the awful diagnosis that I would still do whatever I want even if it takes 3 times longer.

Oh well this is not sob story so on to today's piece.  I needed a couple new soap dishes so came up with this one for my shower bath. 

I also need to replace the one in my large bathroom since it is getting some rust spots so I decided to make a dish to go with the little tumbler I made earlier.

I need to do 2 projects a couple days this week to keep up with my goal of one a day for a year.  I am leaving for a dog show early Thursday and won't be home until Saturday.  Hope no one thinks this is cheating :P 

I almost forgot to mention that I also made 4 hump molds today and cleaned up 6 of my now greenware pieces.  Hope to get the kiln going when I get home from the dog show.

Clay used: Amaco X 15
Starting weight:  didn't weight it
Ending weight: ditto
Technique: first one cut with wiggle wire and tossed, second one slab, textured
Glaze used: