Thanksgiving Weekend...

Day; 224. Sunny but crisp. Beautiful early winter day...
Temperature on outside kiln; 42 degrees
kiln firings; none
music in the studio; none

Taking the day off from studio chores... Still going back and forth from feeling good after a day in bed to feeling crummy after getting up and working. Whatever has settled in my chest loves it there and does not want to leave...
Yesterday I finally got it together with Pepe the-shy-but-hardworking-intern and we rolled out another 40 tiles for the hotel commission due in Jan. This assuaged my panic quite a bit as we are a good team and with the pug mill and the slab roller going at the same time, we had a good productive rhythm going... I also put aside a few pieces for the La Fonda Gallery, another large commission due in Jan., and that felt like aleast some progress was  being made on that front as well.
 It takes every bit of will power and trust in the Universe that I possess  to lay in bed reading/healing while I have tons of work due in the next 5-6 weeks... but I am determined to pace myself and listen to what my body wants... I also know that abundance has absolutely nothing to do with how hard one works.. a very hard lesson for me as it goes against every bit of childhood training I received from two Depression-era parents... Abundance like every other thing in life relates to vibration and attraction.. I am grateful to experience contrast of what I do not want as it brings such incredible clarity, and what I do want comes into perfect focus... Thank You, Thank You, Thank You....

#FUCKBLACKFRIDAY

Day; 223. Very windy and cold...
Temperature on outside kiln; 38 degrees
kiln firings; bisque firing to cone 04 ( 1,942 degrees)
Music in the studio; Democracy Now  with Amy Goodman

At least a week has gone by since I last surfaced... A tough one...
Today is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and the kick-off for all the crazy consumerism that blots the holidays... I saw  the hashtag above somewhere on the Internet and I like it so I use it for my own means today...

Still have a congested chest and sore muscles... after about two weeks I give up laying in bed and trying to heal... that clearly isn't working so I am in the studio very briefly today, where I am happiest,  loading a bisque firing and punching out a few commissioned tiles... 50 down, 250 to go...??!!

 I haven't worked since the beginning of last week when I was prepping for  the Clay Fair that occurred this past weekend. As I run/produce the show, and have a table selling  my own ceramics, being sick at the same time was very hard. I hid for two days behind various doors, couches, and in the kitchen, so that I didn't have to talk to any customers,  I just didn't have the energy. It was the only way to get through it... I saved my energy for putting out fires, helping the cashiers, assisting the other potters. Some how I managed to sell quite a bit of my work but I can't figure out how as I was never at my table. Thank god the show runs itself and has a central cashier station. If I had to stand in my own booth and ring up sales I would have been in trouble...
As it was, the show was record breaking in both attendance and sales. We had over 1,400 people show up!? The average would be around 1,100. The same number of folks showed up on Sunday as they did on Saturday which never has happened in the history of the show, 12 years now... We also sold thousands of more dollars in pots, go figure... and the Recycled Santa Fe Show was the same weekend, major competition, but it obviously had absolutely no ill effects. I don't know why this weekend was so huge, but I do know that as treasurer I am having all kinds of fun writing out hefty checks for all my potter friends.

One more big show to do next weekend, and I am done for the year... Thanks God! Just going to make it in inventory and energy. I do have two Sundays at the Railyard lined up before X-mas but if all I bring are buttons and earrings, that is enough. I might cancel the first one and only do the one right before X-mas, it depends on next weekend's Holiday Open House...
The rest of December I have two large orders to complete and look forward to just focusing myself on that... and singing of course.... ! I miss the Magpies!!...

Nothing left to Binge Watch.....

Day; 222. sunny and beautiful..
Temperature on outside kiln; 48 degrees
kiln firings; none
music in studio; none

Respiratory infection? severe sore throat? not sure... after two weeks of off and on again raw throat, I am crazy frustrated.... no studio work... just reading/sleeping/netflix trying to heal.... argggggggg

Fire and Ice

Day; 121. snowy, cold, but beautiful...

Temperature on outside kiln; 38 degrees
kiln firings; glaze firing to cone 6 ( 2210 degrees)
Music in the studio; Ben Rector

Still trying to completely shake this cold/sore throat.... I spent the weekend going from the studio and bed every other hour.. rest for one hour, glaze for one hour, rest for one hour... repeat. I did this for 3 days.. The kiln is finally full and firing... I am so sick of being in the studio glazing that I am now going back to bed to read and lay by the fire that is roaring in the bedroom. I truly think that a  fire place in your bedroom right next  to your actual bed is the height of luxury, what could be more cozy on a snowy day than that!?? I am such a lucky dog...

I am wore out and just want to rest for more than one hour straight.... see ya' manana.....

I Don't Understand This Planet....

Day; 220. Sunny, crisp

Temperature on outside kiln; 48 degrees
kiln firings; none
music in the studio; only the sound of Handsome Husband practicing Bach in the background..

Argggg, still fighting a cold and sore throat.... Also a  sort of troubled sleep last night.. strange dreams of being in Paris for a singing gig and forgetting my passport so that I could not get home....

Must have been the news from live French television I was watching before going to bed.; multiple terrorist attacks throughout Paris on Friday the 13th. As my brother's two daughters live and work in Paris, I was checking Facebook and emails trying to find out if  my nieces Lia and Brigitte were home safe and sound... Turns out, Lia was, but not Brigitte...  The younger one was holed up in a building around the corner from the restaurant that got heavily hit, close enough to hear the gunshots....!  In the middle of the night she sent out a Facebook post saying she was ok, but afraid to leave and try to make it home, they stayed where they were for several hours... After tossing and turning a bit last night, wondering how she was going to make it home across the city without public transportation, I got up early to check Facebook again. As of 6am she had posted another notice saying she was home with her sister and all was well..

I really  feel for the families that are not getting such good news this morning... I really don't understand why this happens..? How do people get so far from love and into violence? Makes me really wonder about this place.... It just isn't something I can fathom...  I do know that hate breeds hate, and violence breeds violence, and the only way to overcome something like this is through the power of LOVE, the strongest vibration/force in the Universe...
So very thankful these two beautiful girls are alive and well...

Slowwwww Downnnnnnn

Day; 219. Stunningly beautiful day, cold, clear,  deep azure sky....
Temperature on outside kiln; 50 degrees
kiln firings; last bisque kiln for clay fair
music in the studio; none

Sick in bed with sore throat and achy limbs, shit! We were just talking about flue shots last night!! And how I hadn't gotten mine yet... I will feel better tomorrow, staying in  bed all night... stay tuned...

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....!!

When It Rains It Pours...

Day; 217. Sunny and beautiful, but chilly!! BRRRRRR 

Temperature on outside kiln; 45 degrees
Kiln firings; none, unloaded glaze firing this morning.
Music in the studio; Daniela Andrade

Whewwwww, busy, busy day. Just trying to juggle all the projects I have going and make sure everything is out of the kiln when it is suppose to be. I feel like I should make a studio  flow chart... hmm , maybe not a bad idea... So much is suddenly coming down the pike... The Contemporary Clay Fair of course in two weeks, the Holiday Open Studio two weeks after that, and now as of today an order for 272 tiles due in about 5-6 weeks, of course right before the holidays!!?? Some potters up in Los Alamos want me to come up and do a workshop and today someone booked a private lesson for next week... Of course there are other special orders I am working on as well, but you get the idea..
 However, I AM NOT COMPLAINING!!  Just trying to get all my ducks in a row and plan ahead so that my life is not crazy or chaotic... slow and carefully wins the race....

Yesterday winter arrived in a big way as well....

Here is the back garden during the storm...















I spent yesterday and today waiting around for more decal paper to come in the mail and so decided to just pump out the 25 special order x-mas tiles for one of my clients. These needed to be glazed and fired which I did last night. I will deliver on Monday and those will be out of my studio and off my mind.. yeah!  Also working on two shows for Santa Fe Clay, cup show next month and dinnerware show after the first of the year. Here are a few cups going back into the kiln for this exhibit during the holidays..

 After I get this load of transfer ware completed and fired, I will also start on a large special order/wholesale order for big fancy downtown hotel... They will order this month for delivery in mid-Jan. Holy cow, as I write all this down I am getting a little nervous!! I am very blessed to make a living as a potter but sometimes it can be a little nerve-wracking, so much can go wrong..... !!

December Could be Dicey...

Day; 216. Cloudy, cool, storm on the way....

Temperature on outside kiln; 48 degrees
Kiln firings; none
Music in the studio; More of the Potters Podcast with potter  Maria Dondero

It's Wednesday so that means I spent the morning singing with the Magpies and was only in the studio for a few hours this  afternoon... I did get  the thrown  feet attached to  the pieces from yesterday however and I am now working on the rims...

 It feels good to make some larger pieces that will help fill the kiln.. Filling the kiln with cups and bowls takes forever!!!!! I've had a lot of warpage lately so I hope with the cooler weather and drying slowly this will be reduced. Stay tuned on the bigger pieces...

Just heard from the interior designer in town that I have been working with on the hotel addition... At first it looked like maybe not (the Magpie tiles put the project over budget) but now it looks like it might be a go. I will hear at the end of the week... I can't decide whether to be happy or to panic! 300+ tiles right before X-mas!? Holy Shit!! Take a deep breath and repeat after me 100 times; Remain calm, remain calm, remain calm... all will be well..... all will be well....

The Clay Fair, and Winter, is on the Way....

Day; 215. Sunny and gorgeous. Can't believe that it's November..!

Temperature on outside kiln; 55 degrees
kiln firings; none, just waiting for glaze kiln to cool
Music in the studio; The Potters Podcast, Marketing Strategies with Ben Carter

As we heat our home and studios with wood, we are always looking for cheap sources of fuel. One of our friends is a home builder and so Handsome Husband often goes to the building site and picks up a trailer-full of scraps... Today was one of those days... I am so grateful for all this recycled lumber that would otherwise go to the landfill... However, after unloading, stacking and splitting about two cords of wood, my body is sore and tired and I am only mildly interested in wrestling clay now..

This represents only about one third of what we sorted and stacked... We are thrilled, several less trips to the wilderness with the truck/trailer/chainsaw.... Of course it burns quite quickly so that it is important to mix in some large pine and hardwood logs to simmer during the night. Nonetheless, we have almost an endless supply of kindling if we need it...











And as the last meeting for the upcoming Clay Fair was last night (sending postcards, putting stickers on bags, space assignments, etc...), I forced myself to roll out some clay and get a few pieces made after being a lumber Jack/Jane...

I love these oval shapes, somehow they are very satisfying to make and use. I still need to throw some feet and attach them, but they are on their way..  After band practice with the Magpies tomorrow I hope to finish them.... 2.5 weeks and counting until the biggest holiday show of the year..... yikes!!!

Another White Toyota in the Family

Day; 214. Sunny, chilly but beautiful.

Temperature on outside kiln;
kiln firings; glaze firing to cone 6. ( 2210 degrees)
Music in studio;

Wow 3 days just went by..!? Fri.-Sun. I didn't get any blogs done.. Nothing to say, not  in the studio, and a bit stressed and tired, so I just went with the flow... Back at it and in the studio on a Monday morning, however quick trip into Santa Fe Clay to return the glaze ingredients I purchased on Saturday which were the entirely wrong things.... ! Must have been really tired  and cold from the market that morning... Back in an hour or so...

Ok, I'm baaaack! Had to exchange some zircopax for some zinc oxide and frit  #3134 for #3124 at Santa Fe Clay. Jeez, I must have been asleep when I went shopping on Saturday...!?

Friday, after working all day in the studio and waiting for Handsome Husband to bring back the truck, we did get it loaded up for the Saturday market before it got dark that night. Went to bed tired and stressed about car situation and how we would share the Toyota as we figured out our next move. Proceeded to get up at 5am in a  very dark and chilly dawn and got myself downtown in the railyard before sunrise...

It was a bit of a challenge getting my tent up in the dark but I did manage, and if nothing else all that moving and lifting kept me warm in 38 degree weather. However, as the morning wore on I realized it might not be worth all the effort, and in the end that became evident. I sold exactly $69. worth of ceramics, so that with a $50. booth fee, my profit for the morning was  meager at best. After standing and trying to keep warm all morning, by 1pm I no longer cared and  I just wanted a hot bath and a nap in my cozy bed....

....Which I did get later that afternoon and upon waking found an almost new large white Toyota SUV sitting in my driveway...While I and the dogs rested my Handy Handsome Husband went out and bought a car! I should have known that my particular Virgo would not allow a problem to stand unresolved for an entire day..!! Noooooo....!!! We now have a car payment but we also have a very reliable vehicle that he can actually get into without twisting himself into a knot and more importantly 4 large Siberian Huskies do fit into the back compartment... the ultimate selling point apparently!
As November is the thankful-and-grateful  month, I am just that; happy that we are back on track, everyone is happy and healthy and life is good! We will figure out how to pay for the new Sequoia as we go along, just like we do every month... all's well that ends well....!