More Fun

 Started developing a cold a few days after the blizzard.  I assume I caught it from Proge and that he picked it up when we did our pre-snow market run.  I have been rapidly improving...........until I woke up this morning with a sight temp and lungs feeling tight and congested.  Things are loosening up and phlegm is clear so it's more of a nuisance than a disaster.  BUT STILL!!!

I also realized that a tick bite I got a while before the storm has not cleared so I started antibiotics this morning.  I am supposed to start them if a bite has not cleared in a day or two.  It may not bee full-blown Lyme but active enough to cause problems..  

Excuse me....but....I fail to see the need for ticks in the balance of living things!

Meanwhile the snow has been melting nicely due to warmer weather and heavy rain last night.  We now have a yard full of slush.  Toes crossed any freezing temps are fleeting or else we will. have giant skating rink on our hands.  It has happened!

We go on Daylight Savings on Sunday.  To which I say AAARRRGGGHHH!!!  I have gotten to the point where the sun shines directly into my bedroom window so have not needed my SAD lamp.  Not so fast, girlie!  I'll be back to using the SAD lamp for the next three or four weeks and continue with all the other stuff I do to fight this.

On a happier note the marigold seeds I planted are sprouting nicely.  I love growing the little French variety.  They bloom quickly and have such cheerly little yellow to orange flowers. They'll be ready for their first transplant in a week or so....time to gather supplies.

We're going to do a quick market trip this afternoon.  Think I'll look for primroses.

Stay strong, stay safe, and as always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

Valentine's Day

A mug for Valentine's Day.

Wishing all a happy day!  I haven't really celebrated since 1997.  But there are a lot of happy memories I like to revisit.

This is a design I came up with many years ago.  I have only resurrected it in the last year or so.  It is is a test piece.  The bottom is glazed in one of the Spectrum low fire metallics.  The rest in majolica base Spectrum #799 with my own mixed stains.

I am still practicing building tripod mugs.  It's not quite as easy as it looks!

I should learn how to use the movie function on my camera.  Then I would not have to post four photos for one mug!

I may make some fish today in honor of the fish in the pond who are snuggled down in the depths of the pond.

It's sunny and cold the temp has fallen since earlier this morning.  It's now about -2F.  Toes crossed that it really does warm up later in the week.

Enjoy the day, and as always, thanks for stopping by............*s*

Winter and Mugs

Two years ago today we drove to Connecticut to look at a rescued litter of half corgi pups.  The woman said to her co-worker "They've come to look at 'Stella'."  We took one look at a very small pup in the back of the stall and said, "No, we've come to take 'Stella' home."

We quickly renamed 'Stella' Winter. (We had no desire to be calling "STELLA!" after a lost pup.)   She has been a delight to us ever since.  

These are the daffodils she posed among that first day.

It's a far cry from the day we brought her home.  That week end was abnormally warm, but we generally have a few blooms by now.  Not this year!

I have written about starting a group on Facebook to be called Monday Mugs.  That was before I found a terrific group called Mugshot Mondays.  It would be redundant to start another page with the same subject.

This is a pair of mugs I did with decoration inspired by Mucha.  Proge has adopted the one on the left as a beer mug.  I gave him a choice after I broke a favorite beer glass.  He likes the narrow opening and the way the clay is thick enough to keep the beer cool.

Go over to Mugshot Mondays on Facebook to see a lot of interesting mugs.  I still find much of Facebook confoosin'; eventually I will get the hang of it, but really, I like my blog better!

The weather has gotten cold again.  The high today was 30F..  It's predicted to go down to 12 tonight and be cold agin tomorrow.  Hopefully things will start warming up a a bit in a few days.

Enjoy spring, if it has come.  As always, thanks for stopping by........*s*

Winter.....Weather Not The Pup!

As most of your probably know we are going through a cold wave here in the north east.  Today has been a little warmer...... 10F at 6:00 AM rather than yesterday's 2.  There are places a lot colder than here, but the people I really feel for are the Sandy survivors who still have no heat and are spending nights in heated tents. I find it irresponsible and reprehensible that people who live in one of our largest cities are still without heat and other utilities.  I have always thought that it is the duty of an advanced society to take care of those who suffer disasters and other deprivations.

Climbing down off my very large hobby horse!

Now that we have the Jotul installed it provides  (even without fans) enough heat along with the southern windows and my little heater  to make it possible to work in my downstairs studio for about  four hours every day.  The exception is when it stays below 15F all day.  I have a small area upstairs where I can decorate  and paint.  But I haven't needed to make it a permanent space which I use until March the way I have n previous years.

I rolled out several slabs of clay and cut them into various sizes.  As I may have said before I feel no particular attachment to them and throw most of them in the slop bucket.  The roosters below are the first ones I have even thought about saving.  I was messing around with color, then realized I really want to work in a true ink and wash style.  I'm using a black mason stain with frit 3124 thinned to various densities.  A little glycerin in the mix makes for smoother brushing.

After all these years you would think that I would be prepared for the way brushes and inks feel and respond to different surfaces!  Alas, such is not the case.

I baked a nice yeast corn bread yesterday.  I soaked the corn meal by pouring boiling water over it and letting it cool before I began the making.  It gave the loaf a nice corn flavor with out the grittiness I sometimes find in corn bread.  The only thing wrong was that the crust on the bottom was too light.  I know it's because I didn't heat the cast iron pan first.  Maybe next time I'll get a photo of it before it's mostly gone.

And a correction on                                  Helper Cat Haiku

Pristine blank surface

Curious cat explorer

Black paw prints remain

Stay warm, cool and happy and enjoy your week end.

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