Saturday, September 6, 2014

Time Fugits

I think it's been almost three weeks since my last post.  I've been cleaning and sorting my studio.  It never fails to amaze me at the amount of stuff  I manage to accumulate.  Some of it I am tossing, particularly if I can easily get more.  Just how many herb and vitamin bottles do I need to save?  Some of the shapes I use for handbuilding I keep even if I use them occasionally.  

Then there are the surprises.  I have no idea when I made this little spoon.  It holds about a half teaspoon.  It's glazed and ready to fire so into the kiln it goes.  I am jamming more and more stuff in, but am not going to fire until the weather cools down a bit.

Of course now that it's September we are having the hottest weather of the season.  I am so glad I did not close the pool during our chilly weeks in August.


I've been baking bread.  This is a loaf of oatmeal sourdough hot out of the oven. It has a very nice toasty flavor. I have a countertop convection oven which is wonderful for baking in the hot summer months.


It's Allergy Season!  We have managed to get rid of most of the goldenrod and ragweed among other stuff, but it's rampant here on top of the hill.  I'll put up with annoying allergies if we can have one of our long golden autumns.

I've learned the hard way to read labels on vitamins and supplements.  I switched to a chewable Glucosamine-Chondroitin supplement.  I was feeling worse and worse over a week or more until I finally asked myself, "What's new?"  The ingredients list coconut oil.  I can't eat coconut; it seems to be a family thing.  Within two days of stopping them I was feeling better.  Live and learn!

I hope everyone is enjoying these late summer or winter days, depending where you are.  Toes crossed that no one is experiencing floods, fires, landslides or any other disasters.

We're expecting thunder showers later on; any rain is welcome at this point.  We'll see, grasshopper ....we'll see.

As always, thanks for stopping by...........*s*

18 comments:

  1. Every label has to be read nowadays, I found modified food starch has gluten and there are so many nebulous ingredients and some not even listed. My Gary takes the GC as well but I don't think he gets the chew-able but one brand is not the same as the other that's for sure.

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    1. Hi Linda....It's rediculous the way we have to read labels these days. I even find myself limited to certain brands of animal food.
      I should have guessed the chewables were not good for me when they tasted so awful!
      BTW, your new kiln and area look terrific. Are you concerned about ventilation? Or is that not a problem as it's outside on the porch?

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    2. ventilation will be ok since it's outside on the porch and there will be plenty of windows to open when it's firing. same here with the cat food, it's loaded with everything they don't need, probably the same for the dog food. I've been feeding Katzen Flocken

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  2. the bread looks delicious... it's hot here too. Too hot for me to think about bakings.

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    1. Hi Michele....Thanks. The bread is good. I bake in my countertop oven which hardly puts out any heat at all. I wish the same could be said for the kiln!

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  3. Enjoy that bread...it's lovely looking and I'm just imagining the smell, let alone the taste. Yes on reading ingredients, it's so slow purchasing new things these days with all the fine print! And no comment on allergies...we mostly all have them these days!

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    1. Hi Barb....Thanks. Since when did marketing become a defensive pass time? We have taken to doing most of our marketing at a small local three store chain. We can actually get around the place without feeling like we are doing marathon training! I only have two food allergies, chocolate and coconut; unfortunately they are in everything these day.

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  4. I know, terrible allergies and STUFF! Yes, ugh, how does it collect and grow?

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  5. Hi Gary....I think STUFF multiplies on its own when we aren't looking!

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  6. You bake the most beautiful breads!
    Yes labels, I find myself taking longer and longer in the grocery these days, now that Wesley is vegan, I have to read everything. It's amazing how they can slip in an animal product in the most unlikely things. I have been using coconut oil in my soaps. I wonder if people that can't eat coconut also can't use a soap with the oil.... So many allergies these days, what are we doing?!

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    1. Hi Tracey...Thanks. I thought the future was supposed to bring easier shopping, not this. We are using very few prepared foods these days. As you say stuff is easily hidden.
      Some of my allergies appear to be inherited, coconut, aspirin; it's odd to say the least. I have no idea how soaps and topicals would work. Now there's a subject for scientists to explore!

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  7. Dearest Suzi,
    Glad you found out what was causing your allergy and stopped it!
    Oh, cleaning out we all need to do once in a while. I did a lot of that before we went on vacation to Arizona on August 30. We were almost praying for rain as our garden was so dry but while we were gone for those 7 days, it rained enough to make things look green again, especially the lawn. We too got heavy thunderstorms with lots of rain late in the evening since we're home on Friday evening.
    Your bread sounds like a real healthy and yummy one and how clever to have a countertop convection oven.
    Yes, it can get hot in the kitchen when you bake during the summer! I used my stove and oven a lot before the trip and put lots of portions into the freezer. Knowing when you come home there is so much to catch up on!
    Sending you hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. Hi Mariette....Food allergies are easy for me to avoid. I am always thankful that I'm not allergic to eggs the way my mother-in-law was.
      We are still waiting for a good rainstorm. Ponds are low everywhere.
      Enjoy the week ahead.

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  8. I have stuff in my studio that I wonder why I'm keeping. I really want to clean it out today, but it is raining.

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    1. Hi Lori....I have to be thoughtful about what I toss. Too many times I have thrown something out only to need it a month or two later. Oh the fine line between keeping necessary stuff and hoarding!

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  9. Hi Cheri....Thanks; the weather is cooling a bit so I should be able to fire soon. Read those labels!

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  10. I used to throw away things happily, but after I started ceramics, I keep so many things, which might be useful one day! :D Your bread made me hungry even though I just had lunch! :D

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    1. Hi Midori....As I said, the fine line between holding onto the useful stuff and becoming a crazy hoarder! Thanks, bread baking is a constant in my life!

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