Glazed... and Unglazed

Well, my pottery studio sessions are over!

Week by week I've been trying to glaze things that are ready - to avoid a last minute rush when everyone wants to glaze their stuff at the same time.

Here's some of it - glazed - and unglazed.

Some of it looks better unglazed! I was disappointed that the owl above was so splotchy (below) after glazing.

I take a weekly picture picture of what I've been working on. I also keep brief notes. From one week to the next, it's easy to forget.

The two items on the left are in the top photo  - unglazed. Not sure if I like them better before - or after - glazing. That's the first time I tried the pink glaze. 

I'm  always surprised by the way things look after glazing. 

Sometimes I don't even recognize my own pieces once they're done! I've  heard other potters say the same thing.

Milestone

"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth," the old song goes... 🎶

(I really hated that song when I was my granddaughter's age!)

It must have been popular at the time because people kept asking me if I wanted teeth for Christmas!

So annoying! Teeth weren't even on the list!

Hopefully, my granddaughter will have new ones BEFORE🎄 Christmas.

Beautiful Sunset!

I took this picture of the sky after my last pottery session last Wednesday, just as I was leaving. It shows the sunset ... at 5 pm!

Beautiful skies in the morning and evening bring me such joy!

What Happened to the Snow?!

When I woke up yesterday morning snd looked out the window, I was surprised - and delighted - to see that most of our snow had disappeared!

Later, I headed outdoors...

A bit windy - but BEAUTIFUL!

No complaints here... I - for one - would NOT mind NOT having a white Christmas!

How Cold?!!

I recently came across an article about an Australian research project that has determined that temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius are harmful to one's health...

I was confused... 10 degrees Celsius is 50 degrees Fahrenheit... which, here in Canada, I would consider balmy weather any time of the year.

Until a few years ago, Terry would set the thermostat at 56 F daytime, in winter, and 52-54 degrees at night. We did sleep under a warm duvet and wear several layers of warm clothing indoors during the day - a long-sleeved T-shirt and a sweater - but nothing "excessive," in my opinion. (No coats, hats or mitts indoors.) Now, in our older age, we sit a lot, so we've moved the thermostat up to 62.

But according to this article, at room temperatures 50 degrees Fahrenheit, ones blood starts to thicken, increasing one's risk for strokes and heart attacks.

I think about our early years in this house, when we needed to save money to cover all our bills. Terry used to turm the heat OFF overnight(!) and gradually increased the thermostat in the morning... i remember, on occasion, seeing my breath in the morning before the heat was turned on. 

This is how the kids were dressed to play indoors. For naps the babies wore several thick layers of hooded sleepers and had rosy cheeks. But we were all healthy.

Perhaps there is a danger in quickly going from extreme heat (sweaty hot summer weather in Australia) to 10 degrees Celsius/50 degrees Fahrenheit. This is what is happening in the experiment. 

Is it possible that going from outdoor heat into air conditioned spaces in summer is really what's harmful to one's health...??

Elegant Dinner Out

I don't remember when Terry and I last had an elegant meal out...

I'm sure it was long before the Covid pandemic.

But we impulsively decided to do it again...

The food was all delicious.

But next time, I'd do one thing different...

 I'd only order a bowl of soup for my main course... 

...and focus on dessert!

Almost done!

Yesterday was my final pottery session for 2022.

I haven't decided whether or not to sign up for the next session in January.

One thing is certain - I'll have leftover clay and unfinished pieces that will need to dry before they can be glazed.

So it's not really "the end"... 

Rather, "To be continued" - though I'm not sure when!

Plant Dilemma

One day this week, part of my snake plant, which looked to be healthy, suddenly listed to the side...

Was it too top heavy? Ready to divide? I was puzzled.

I was even more puzzled - and a little dismayed - when I next walked by and discovered that the top-heavy part had totally broken off!

What to do now? I'd hate to throw it out healthy-looking growth.

A Google search suggested putting broken leaves in water and letting them grow roots.., if they aren't  diseased. 

So that's what I'm trying... I don't think the plant is diseased. They say that roots should grow in about 2 weeks... 

So stay tuned...

The original plant looks happier now, too!

String Art

Sorting through stuff in the basement, I came across this "string art" - one craft I've never done.

But my daughter must have! It has her name on it. (Though, strangely, I don't remember her doing this piece.)

She (and Terry) are the only ones in the family patient enough to hammer in all those nails, so precisely!

I think it's lovely! Now... where to display it?!)

Oven Cooking

Cooler weather means an end to barbecuing - Terry is not one to stand shivering outdoors!

We also like to warm the house with cooking!

Prepare - then (2 hours later) - enjoy!

Dancing Shoes

Nothing like new dancing shoes…

… to make you want to dance!

Birthday Boy!

Our little grandson is three-years-old today!

I remember those early months...

Life is definitely more exciting now! Nice to have a big sister to help you figure it out...

Hope you have a great day and an interesting year ahead!

First Snow!

The weather has been relatively mild this autumn. A few weeks ago we had our first frost.

Then - to my surprise - the weather warmed up again...

Some years we don't  get snow until December, I reminded myself hopefully ...

But then, two days ago, there was snow in the forecast...

I was shocked! (I was living in denial!!)

It is pretty. Hopefully it's not here to stay!

November Running

My daughter sent me some photos from a recent run she did downtown...

It's nice to have running trails near the river.

Two main differences for her these days are:

One, that she now tries to run early in the day - preferably before she starts work at 9 - to avoid running in the dark.

And two, she now tracks her distances more carefully - she's part of a team raising money to donate to "Movember."

Walk in the Woods

There's a lovely wooded area not too far away. It's near the studio where I do pottery.

My daughter and I used to go walking there often when she was in high school..., but I haven't been there in years.

Is it still the same? she asked recently.

Let's go see...

So we headed over.

A lot of large trees were lying on the ground - brought down by last May's destructive wind storm.

But the paths had been cleared and we encountered others walking on the trails. It's still a popular place to walk.

But I did wonder if anyone had been walking here that Saturday in May when the storm struck and trees came down, snapped in half or uprooted. 

That would have been a terrifying experience!