Just Keep Singing...

Day; 218. Sunny with brilliant azure blue sky. Breath-taking gorgeous day....

Temperature on outside kiln; 48 degrees
kiln firings; none
Music in the Studio; Andrew Ripp (piano/vocals; beautiful!)

Whoa, 3 days just went by again..! But as I usually write this at night at the end of my day, if I happen to have plans in the evening it just doesn't get done. I need to start writing throughout the day or starting earlier. Between birthday parties, Maggie and the Magpie's gig, and dinner party last night for 4 friends, I just couldn't find the energy to sit down and write...
I was also a bit stressed about work/commissions and trying to figure out how I felt about all of it... After having a tossing and turning kind of night on Friday, I woke up on Saturday firm in my decision to bow out of the tile special order... As the total number went from 272 to 732,  I knew it was just too big for me and I needed to step away. Of course the interior designer I have been working with didnt much like that idea but I needed to hold firm to my decision. However, after another pow wow between the two of us  yesterday, Monday afternoon, we came to a compromise; I would make 300 tiles, not a tile more, and they would give me an extra month to do it in, a total of 8 weeks. So, now I have the time to slowly do this commission over x-mas holiday and I think that will be just fine! It all worked out!!

On Sunday Maggie and Magpies went up to Dixon, NM, to play and sing two sets for our ukelele player, Miya Endo's, Open Studio Tour. Our  performance was set for 3-5pm, outside,  right when it starts to get cold and the sun dips below the hills... a bit of a challenge, but not too bad... I have to say honestly it was not a shining moment for us; I made a  lot of little mistakes and I could feel us struggling to play together and on a constant tempo.. The lead guitar player/singer had played for several hours the night before and I think she was a bit worn out with two gigs in 24 hours, I would have been definitely, that is a lot of mental focusing and can be very tiring..  And I was just so happy that I would be playing for strangers, as singing for friends/family adds an extra does of stage fright for me... but when I got there and was just about to start singing our first number, about a dozen  other people/potters I knew suddenly showed up! Yikes!!! But I did get through the 13 songs I was scheduled to sing, a little shaky, but I managed... Here is what one of the studio visitors wrote in the guest book about us; 

"We also enjoyed the music, the group singing: you are all a delight to
listen to -- do you have a cd, even a simple recording? ...I like the
harmonic sound of the women's voices and the combination of instruments.
Your lead singer has a very nice voice, too."

I guess we did better than I thought....!!