Christmas Day

Christmas Day my brother fell, broke and fractured some ribs, deflated lung, and had internal bleeding.  He did not go to hospital until the next day where they found all these things in emergency surgery.
Fortunately, he is feeling better, his ventilator was removed today.  Hopefully in a few days he will be home.
I cannot imagine what parents with sick and hurt children go through.  This is a grown man, I am 54 and it nearly killed me to see him like that!  One thing, with this kind of incident, my empathy grows for others.  The illness that my mom suffered did the same for me.  Now this.
Lord, I need these lessons, I know I do, but I hate to have to learn them at my family's expense...I hate Satan, he is the one that comes to kill, hurt and destroy.
God will raise my brother up and make him healthy again and I praise His Holy Name!  Thank You Heavenly Father!

Catching Up

Well, it did snow too much for me to go to the Humane Society last week, but I hope I can make it up this week and go another day besides Wednesday.
Dad has been gone for 33 years.
Drove the van in the parade at Pennsboro for the Humane Society Saturday night.  I think they walked eight dogs and I know they had a good time.
Yesterday was a wonderful lazy Sunday and after out TV evangelist went off air I fixed breakfast and slept most of the day.
Have chores to do today and then some clay play--I hope!

Beads 2011

Sent my submission for BEADS 2011 today.  A pair of Shard earrings and two buttons.  I hope they can use them.  They did not call for buttons, but maybe they will put them in anyway.
Planning on working the HS tomorrow, I pray it doesn't snow too much to get there.
We made a flying trip to Parkersburg today to pick up guitar pegs for Ruth's guitar.  Rusty is restringing two of her guitars.
I made a couple sets of shard earrings tonight with a pendant to match.

Winter Weather

We are expecting bad weather for the next few days, snow and around zero cold.  I hope things are going to be okay at the shelter, I won't be there until Thursday.  And Fiber Arts is this week...maybe.
I hope to do some clay tomorrow.
My brother has been having anxiety attacks and he is worrying me.  I try to be upbeat with him and I hope all he tells me is the truth, but I worry about him.  Lord, please keep him in the palm of Your hand and give him peace that passes all understanding.  Help him to clear his mind and to rest in You.  I love him, he is my only sibling and I need him here.  Thank you Lord!

Kitty Hammocks

Sewed for a while this afternoon making some more kitty hammocks for the Humane Society.
Russ wants to go to Parkersburg tomorrow, I need to write a list for groceries and things.
It has been very cold the last few days and I'm not liking it.  I am getting cold again after not getting cold for several years.  I haven't even worn a coat for the last four years in the winter and now I could sit in the house wrapped in a coat...not good!
Millie and Quincy play twice a day and they really tear it up in here.  They are pretty good together, run and play, but seldom get mad at each other.  I always separate them when we leave the house.
Am sort of frustrated with not selling many of my clay pieces.  Don't know what to do about that.

Saturday120410

This has been a long day, but I really don't know why.  I can't hardly wait to go to bed and that hasn't happened in a long time!
Caught up on a few loads of laundry since the the water line has been fixed.
I made a few beads a while ago.  I added "sprigs" which I haven't done before.
Listened to Hard Rock line up all afternoon, heard some really good songs.

Unavoidables

Have had a couple of mishaps around the house this week.   We had a huge water bill and found out there is a leak, so poor husband is out in the freezing weather with his bad knees digging and fixing the leak.  I wish he would ask for help, but that is not his style so he is doing everything himself even if it is hard on him.
The car should be out of the garage and we get to take back the rental tomorrow I hope.  Someone lost control of a grocery cart and gouged the side of the car.  Bad scratches and one dent, but hopefully that will be fixed very soon.
I am planning on going to the Humane Society again tomorrow too.  I am anxious to see how things are going, I know it is much better out there now than what it was!  God bless those girls, they have really been working hard to clean up out there.

Our Humane Society

I worked at our Humane Society today for a few hours.  Well, you can't really call it work, mostly answered the phone and helped where I could.  I wish I could have done this 30 years ago, I could work then.
Anyway, we adopted  out three dogs and it looks like they went to good homes.  I would like to have them checked in a few weeks, but we'll see.
There are the most beautiful cats there too.  One I saw today puts me in the mind of a snow leopard.
I've never been involved in something that is either loved or hated as much as this HS.  Most folks around here don't even agree with a Humane Society, but I don't much care for what they think.  I love animals, always have and hope to be able to spend a good bit of time there...

New Glazes and Clouds

Opened the kiln this morning to a so-so glaze fire.  These are Georgies glazes and the pieces here are showing the ones with the most color.

Also had to go to town this morning to get our rental car while ours is in the garage getting a new paint job on the back door where someone gouged it with a shopping cart.  

On the way I took more cloud pictures, they were awesome this morning!

Glazing Beads

Off and on about all day I've been glazing new beads and pendants.  These are greenware and will only be fired once at cone five and I am anxious to see how they come out.  I've done a single fire before, but it's been a long time.
The glazes are new from Georgies and I am really looking forward to seeing how they do.  The colors are very pretty so I hope they turn out.
This glaze fire also has the clay class Christmas Ornaments, so lots of anxiety and prayers...lol
Will share some pictures later on.

My Pets

I love my pets, can you tell?  Millie came to me after I lost a dog companion of 13 years.  Her name was Precious and she was my dog from day one.  She was a maniac and I loved her dearly and she loved me.
Millie just happened to debut online and every time I saw her little video, my heart would smile, even though just losing Precious had broken it.  She would woo at the door of her foster parents and it was just adorable.  I've had her over two and a half years now and I love her dearly.
I began looking for a pet for Millie after our 17 year old cat died.  I went to our local shelter which is always full of cats, kittens and dogs and there was this little black and white fellow who pushed himself to the front of his cage and really made me notice him that day...but I wanted a long haired female and he was a short haired male.
Anyway a few days later I took Millie to the shelter and we sat on the floor while at least a dozen cats and kittens ran all around us and didn't pay any attention to us at all, they were just thrilled to be out of their cages for a bit.  Quincy was the last one out of a cage and he sat right at my feet and looked me square in the face.  After which, he crawled up my left side, around my neck, nuzzled my right cheek and then crawled down my right side and nuzzled with Millie.  Needless to say, he was going home with us!
I am so thrilled with him.  He fetches, follows me from room to room, goes outside on a leash, and so many other "doggie" things that Millie wouldn't lower herself to do!  They are a riot together too!
Quincy has been learning to sleep with me and he's getting the hang of it.  I love having him with me, he is a real doll.
Two months and two weeks after I got Quincy our humane shelter burned down and his little sister that was with him in the crate and many, many others lost their precious little furry lives that night.  No people were harmed, thank God, and now there are many working hard to get a new and better shelter built where that will never happen again.
My little fur-babies are a blessing to me, and I love them dearly.    

Thanksgiving Day 2010

This has been a blessed day.  Family, loved ones and our furry babies all are well and full.
The weather is rainy and in the high 50's.  Unusual for this time of year, but we are grateful.
Sorted through some buttons this afternoon, needing to get rid of many non-competition buttons.  I have enough wreaths to suit me, so what to do with them?
Thank You Lord for this day, our friends and family and our many blessings.  Amen!

Wet Sanding

I cannot remember who told me about wet sanding the first time, but I am sure glad I heard about it.  Most of this day has been spent with my fingers in muddy water, wet sanding each piece, each bead until I have them all ready to be glazed.  All one hundred of them today.  Not as many as usual, but with the clay class pieces, it should be enough to fill the kiln.  

more beads and buttons

Made some more stoneware beads and buttons today.  Should have a kiln load so I will start wet sanding soon and hopefully will get to fire this weekend.  I am anxious to see how the clay class pieces turn out.
The weather is cooling down and has been a bit rainy today.
Tonight is the end of Dancing With the Stars...sure miss Maks!
Got a visit from a button friend today.  She had found the Burwood oval football player for me and I am so glad to have it.  My husband was a high school football quarterback and the button reminds me of him.  He thought it was "cute".  That's more of a comment than most of my buttons get from him...lol
Tonight is beginning to feel wintery.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

beads and pendants

Worked off and on and only got a few beads and pendants made.  Mine are shaped by hand and some of these are two sided which took a bit more time.  I made a mold for pendants from an old Victorian salt shaker and am anxious to see how they will turn out, but it will be a while for those.  I am planning on glazing these after they dry in a couple of days and then fire them once.  I've done that before and they turned out fine, so I hope these will too.

Sunday 11 21 10

Today was a blessedly restful day.  Much to do this week but most of all I get to make some beads!

Clay Class

Had another clay class today, my last one for a while, so I was able to raise a tiny bit of money for my local Humane Society.  We made Christmas ornaments-angels, trees, etc.  Some kitties and dogs.  I didn't have enough sense to take pictures, but it was fun and now I can get back to my beads and buttons.

The Moon 11-18-10

The clouds were thick last night and were circling the moon and it was so lovely I took this picture, but the clouds did not show up as I wished they would have.

I have my clay rolled out for tomorrow's clay class.   I hope to get to work on some buttons for my button club and maybe some new beads.  The new glaze keeps calling me!

Patience...

It's time to begin to roll out some clay for Saturday's Ornament clay class.  I have such a good time sharing my "crafts"  and teaching others how to do what I enjoy so much.

Working with clay the last few years has been so satisfying.  It's like all the years and crafts before were leading me to clay.

One thing I have learned since working with clay is patience.  Clay takes time...it takes time to work up the clay just to get it ready to go, time to let it dry once the items are made, time to wet sand each piece, time to bisque, time to glaze and THEN the time it takes for kiln to cool down so you can open it without getting burned...patience has never been easy for me, but thanks to my clay hobby, I'm learning to be patient!

Clouds

I love to look at clouds.

New work space

Worked almost all day yesterday to get this space opened up in the living room.  Finally!  Space to work in and on.  It is our old kitchen table, moved to make room for a new kitchen island and the computer moved to make room for the table.  Now the computer is catty corner to the table and the table is in the nook of the bow window.  Now if I just had time to work on some clay!

Days Slide By

Days get past me so fast anymore and I cannot remember what was done two days ago...
I have appointments for the dog and cat tomorrow, so that will get me out of the house for a few minutes.
Have not been able to work in clay for more than a week now and I miss it.  Have some new ideas when I get to go back to it.  Must sketch them out or will forget no doubt.

achy breaky

This cooler weather is making my arthritis really act up.  I have been miserable the last two days and nights.  Called the doc, never heard back so honey went to the pharmacy and got me some ActivOn.  It's good stuff!  I really feel better!

Home

Picked up Rusty yesterday from his daughter's house.  He had spent almost a week in Katy with his son, daughter and all the in laws.  Saw his brother and his wife and had a really good time.  He doesn't like to travel much anymore.
I cleaned house while he was gone and really hope to keep up with it now.  It's hard for me to do anything with him here, I don't understand that, but hopefully I will keep up.
Had lots of pain last night while trying to sleep, and this morning the pain was bad, but it seems to be subsiding somewhat this afternoon.
Need to get stuff ready for the clay class next weekend and week after.  Hopefully, some will come and participate.

11-1-10

Lots to do today.
The house is so quiet with husband away.  It was nice for a day or two, but I am ready for him to be home.  Tomorrow I will pick him up.
At 6:24 a.m. the thermometer says 29 degrees outside.
I ordered some new glaze from Georgie's a couple of days ago, I am always anxious to try it out.  Will have it for the clay class if there is one.
I don't know why I try to blog, I have nothing to say...later!  

Oct. 31, 2010

When I was a child visiting my grandmother, it was considered a "sin" to work on Sunday.  I still have those thoughts even this many years later.  While Rusty is visiting out of town, I have been busy around here.  Throwing away "stuff" and cleaning house, things long put off and in bad need of doing.  Most wouldn't be able to tell I've done much around here, but I know how much I've done and I am pleased with what I've accomplished, even if on a Sunday.