Glaze class taught by Tammy Vitale

Where to start?  There are so many things I haven’t written about that this is going to be all dribs and drabs and maybe then I’ll feel like I’m caught up and emptied out and can just start posting regularly again.

The glaze class went well.  Everything is already fired and resting in the kiln waiting for me to come unload.  It was fun because all of the attendees felt at ease playing with the glazes and just seeing what happens.  None felt compelled to make it "beautiful" this first time out:  Beginner’s Mind.  I anticipate some wonderful things.

I started my tall piece.  I got the base made and it’s cooking.  How to continue has been a problem that has started solving itself in my head and needs me to get in the studio to see if the idea will convey into the real world.  Yesterday was a perfect day for that.  The kiln was going so the studio (basement) was warm.  But I went to the doctors and xray and am told I have acid reflux (which would explain heartburn and lots of pain) and one of many things I can no longer have is any caffeine, which took coffee and tea right out of my life and sent me to bed to sleep, depressed and pouting.  I’m better today (head wise).  I realize in the scheme of things giving up some food and drinks isn’t all that bad.  But my inner child needed a day to pout and stamp her feet and so I let her and I’m glad I did.  So today I’ll hop into a cooling studio and play in the mud (after physical therapy this a.m. – I’m simply falling apart.  Must be the approaching birthday).

Husband and I went to Joie de Vivre in Cambridge (MD) to outload my show that’s been there since November.  Joy kept three torsos and a batch of new fish.  Joie de Vivre now has a website, which is a new thing for them, so hop on over and visit. Afterwards we went to Artiste Locale in St. Michaels to get Husband’s soap and found the shop has changed hands (but still has soap) and has all kinds of yummy yarns.  Joie de Vivre also has a newly hatched yarn room.  Anyone out there taking up knitting?  I have to say these new yarns are so luscious I am tempted.  Joy’s new room has some lovely yarn for needlepoint, which I do do, and I had to keep my fingers away from it since I don’t do it enough anymore to spend $$ on it, and have enough to cover what little I do needlepoint for the rest of my life.  Anyways, we got to chatting with one of the new owners at Artiste Locale and I left my address here with her on a sticky pad since I’d used all my cards loading in to Room with a Brew last week (and Husband got to give me a hard time about it, laughing, since I used to really give him a hard time, not laughing, when he didn’t have business cards for our sound business on him).

A poet friend of mine is having her first chapbook published:  After the Fairy Tale by Maureen Sherbondy.  You can get an advance copy for $6.00 before March 15.  I met her on-line in a poetry class around 1998 or so and then we discovered that she lives 3 doors down from the brother of my longest friend, Linda, in Raleigh, so we get to visit when Linda comes to this shore from California and have developed a long-term relationship.  The power of the web, way early on – long before blogs.  The poems are reworks of fairy tales that I think you will greatly enjoy. 

Speaking of books, check out Sculptural Pursuit’s ezine this month, which tells you how to publish your own art book.  Pretty cool (link will take you to main page.  Upper right corner box has link to the  January ezine which contains the article).

For those of you not familiar with Artella Words and Art, check out their January ezine:  always chock full of good stuff to read as well as wonderful projects and upcoming workshops.  They are focused toward the collage community and have lots of giveaways as well as membership goodies for those so inclined.  I support them because since their inception, years ago, they have supported both my art and poetry time and again in their printed magazine, which is gorgeous and advertising free.  Just all art and all artists all the time.

Finally, I am guest hostess at Create a Connection (CaC) Creative Sundays for February and have managed to get the first post written and saved, ready to go.  Good to get deadlines out of the way early on as they tend to stress me out.  I can remember when I didn’t pay any attention to stressing out – maybe I didn’t when I was younger, or maybe I’m just more in touch with my feelings now.  Or maybe when you have kids you don’t have time to worry about stuff like that – there’s so much to do you just plow on through and don’t look back.  There are days I wonder how I did it all!  Click over and see what others are posting – there’s something special for each day of the week – surely to keep you from getting bored!

thought for the day (or week if I quit writing again):  A certain amount of stress is essential to life.  The problems arise when there are more demands made on the mind/body system than it can handle.  It is all work for the nervous system.  Most of the time we are not even aware that we are overstressed, because the nervous system is also responsible for our perception.  We usually think we are fine until something inappropriate occurs, like bursting into tears or yelling at someone.  Uncontrollable laughter is also a sign that the nervous system is overstressed.  When the system becomes overloaded is begins to malfunction.  Have you noticed when you are overstressed that you are also unable to see possibilities?  When we are overstressed we simply cannot see solutions to our problems.  If the stress is not too severe, after we get a good night’s sleep things look different.  The rest has give the nervous system an opportunity to heal itself and return to its normal functioning.  Bobbie Stevens, Unlimited Futures:  How to Understand the Life You Have and Create the Life You Want