11-11-19

Monday night, I taught then came home to snuggle on the couch with my two kittens!

11-10-19

Just a sweet photo of my sleeping kitten.

11-8-19

This evening marked a milestone in our family. Our dear daughter Aza got engaged to the fabulous Supbra. We are so happy for her, for him, for us!

11-5-19

 My kiln is kiln' it! I got some great stuff out of it today.

11-4-19

Just a cute picture of Grayson! He likes hanging out in the cat tree.

11-3-19

I unloaded my kiln this morning when it was around 150F. This tumbler above is cool looking but not food safe due to all the bubbles in the black glaze. I do not think that glaze reacts well with the dark clay. Will try it on white clay.

This cauldron below was made to look like copper with copper oxide as opposed to cast iron. I love it! 

All is well on the Teensie/Grayson front. Here is big sister getting warm by the vent. It's been SO cold here lately, as far as Alabama standards go. We need to start a fire in the fireplace!

11-2-19

Not a great photo of me, but I finished my silk scarf today! I designed it and like how it's not itchy at all. Warm as wool but soft as cotton. 

This weekend I'm going to do pottery pottery pottery!

10-31-19

On Halloween, after three days separated, we united these two. It went quite well! Grayson loves being out in the house exploring. He hasn't even been all over yet... just in the den mainly. 

We only had four trick-or-treaters this evening, all teens. Poo. We saw a kid dressed as a huge dinosaur go up the street but the dino did not stop in. 

10-28-19

Finally, a photo that is NOT of a pot. This is my new kitten, Grayson! He is so sweet and cuddly and friendly and playful! 

10-26-19

I walked almost 10 miles today. Dan and I walked to Jones Point to see this lighthouse at the bottom corner of the diamond that marked the boundaries of DC when it was first formed.

We strolled through Alexandria.

Then, after a taco lunch, we went to the Metro to see the African American Museum. It was disturbing and very crowded.

For dinner we met up with Dan's mom's first cousin and wife, who were such great supports for us when we were first married and lived here in Alexandria. They are in their 80s now and doing great. That is strange... 30 years ago when we leaned on them for support, they were younger than WE were. They had a teenager at home, who is now 46 years old. Time. Time. Time. Such a strange thing.

10-25-19

Day 2 done at NSF. It was a hard two days but worth it. Now we get to spend the weekend in DC enjoying ourselves.

10-24-19

 While I was at my meeting today, the lady who is taking care of the gray kitten send me some photos of him. He's still a bit ragged looking but I'll take good care of him and get him used to a brush. Isn't he adorable? My meeting is going ok but it's hard work.

10-23-19

We flew to DC today so I could attend a two-day meeting at NSF.

We are staying in an AirBnB in Alexandria, Old Town. It's so neat to be here!!!

I caught a rainbow on the Metro platform.

10-22-19

The friend I made all these for came by today to pick them all up. I'm so happy with how they all turned out. It was quite a lot of work!

10-21-19

Look at this stinky little kitten. I was telling my co-worker last week that I wanted a kitten and she saw this bugger at the vet this morning. It was found in a ditch and brought in for care. I think I'm going to adopt him.

I taught this evening and when I got home, enjoyed this piece of pumpkin tiramisu that my mom made and dropped of for us. Oh boy was it ever good. So much for my 25 pound weight loss. It's less than that now. I keep eating yummy things. But it has to stop. My cholesterol is 270 and I do not want to go on a statin.

Picked these up from the studio in Opelika today.

10-20-19

A soap maker in Huntsville mailed me this bar so I could take photos for her to use. And so I could try her soap!!! I took photos of the soap in all my soap dishes....
I've made a new friend on Instagram who speaks French and we have been chatting back an forth in French and it's so neat to be able to practice my little skill and improve it. Instagram is an interesting platform that way. I wish it's wasn't owned by Facebook.

10-19-19

Saturday night. Dan and I got shingles shots yesterday so we are taking it easy this weekend. I'm crocheting a blanket for my sister for a Christmas gift. She never reads my blog so she won't know!!! This is a mug I made over the summer with some hot cocoa in it. Yum. We are watching Netflix and chilling....

10-18-19

This is a little figurine I made of Aza's cat, Zara. It was in my second glaze load, which contained a lot of test tiles with glazes I bought. I fired the kiln to cone 5 which wasn't hot enough for the black glaze I bought, but this cat was on the top, hotter, shelf so it turned out ok. One of the four bowls I had in there cracked, so, I have to make a replacement. Lesson to self- always make extras!

10-17-19

Today there was a tour of the new College of Education building site and so I walked there. It took 15 minutes compared with the current 25. On the way I snapped this photo of a magnolia seed pod. Strange looking.

Tonight we went to hear Act of Congress (a band out of B'ham) at Sundilla.

10-16-19

I made this travel mug for a friend's birthday. It fits perfectly in her car cup holder!

Teensie is doing her yoga on the den rug!

10-14-19

Back from our trip, I went to the studio today in Opelika to pick up fired pieces and got this bottle back. It's pretty large. I made it over the summer at the university.

10-12-19

I went with Aza to her pottery studio today! I got to show her a few tricks of the trade and see where she hangs out to make stuff. I'm so glad she is learning the craft that has me so in love with creative making. It may not become the obsession for her that it is for me, but she is diving in at a much younger age than I was... so if she ever wants to take up the pursuit in a more serious way, it will be easier. Heck, maybe she'll share my kiln one day if we ever move to Richmond :)

10-9-19

Fall break! Dan I and flew to Richmond today to spend a long weekend with Aza and Supbra. I made myself an iced "latte" on the flight :)

We got to meet their new kitten, Aria, and see the life they are building for themselves. Aza is so grown up now.... duh... she's 31, which is strange. I mean, that's the age my mom was when I was 2 and I always thought of her as such an ADULT at that age. My little baby Aza is that now... in a beautiful apartment with a kind and devoted partner, in a rewarding career. We are so proud of her.

10-8-19

I had lunch today with my young friend, who was allowed to invite one guest to lunch and she picked me. Her grandparents were a bit miffed that they weren't chosen!!! We had a good time. She reminds me of me as a child.... 

10-7-19

Dan and I spent part of the weekend in Georgia so I could attend a small conference with my grad student, who gave a presentation. 

10-6-19

All these pieces were made for one friend who came and bought them all today. Quiche bakers, berry bowls, mugs.... all this took me three months to finally make!!!

10-4-19

Photos of the kiln load with the "new" lens. I love the reflection in the one below, taken outside on the brick wall.

Today I had a department meeting with the president of the university in attendance.

10-3-19

Ugh. The kiln overfired. The blue glazes turned dark, even green. All my cauldrons bloated. 

The only good thing about today is that my mom gave me a camera lens that someone left at her house-- and she cannot get the photographer to claim the lens. So, in the meantime it's mine. It's an amazing portrait lens and will do amazing things for my pottery pictures!