12-13-17

Saw the doctor today and then drove all the way back to Alabama. He wants me to take a bunch of new meds and finally confirmed that my neuralgia was caused by my neck being hyperextended during my thyroid surgery in 2002.

12-12-17

We voted, then hit the road, and drove 8 hours to North Carolina and spent the night with our friends from college. Shell and I were roommates. She introduced me to Dan!

12-11-17

We decorated for Christmas. Teensie's first Christmas.

I felt really nervous today for some reason. Probably because we leave tomorrow for North Carolina. Or maybe because tomorrow we vote for Alabama's next US Senator.

12-9-17

It snowed. I did not go outside in it though. 

I stayed inside and graded journals.

12-8-17

My students invited me to a gathering at the local sandwich shop to celebrate their completing student teaching. I got hugs from all! I'm so proud of these people.

12-7-17

This is a new thing I've tried-- putting a copper solution on the glaze. But it ran, so maybe I should put it on white clay and then put a clear glaze on top.

12-5-17

I can knit with a cat on my neck!

This is a busy week- meetings with students every day.

12-2-17

At my mom's... beautiful leaves on the fall ground. 

11-30-17

Our 32nd wedding anniversary on the Pacific Ocean.

11-29-17

 Tonight after we were done for the day, and Jes was in class, we met Jen for dinner. Jen grew up in the house next door to us on the dirt road, and she played with Jes and Aza and Squirt when they were all little. I was so neat to see her all grown up.

This is one of the classrooms in case you were curious! 

11-28-17

Today Jes took us for a tour of UCLA and then we went out to dinner.

Here i am at a famous part of campus... and here they are up on a roof looking at the sunset.

11-27-17

We were so nervous and excited to get to the school this morning and prepare to teach. The day went very well. Not everything was totally smooth, but we learned from all that. 

 For dinner Dan went on a Sushi run. This was amazing stuff. The real deal.

11-26-17

Today Sakura and I went shopping together and we bought each other bracelets. Mine is knotted stone beads. Her is pink "diamonds."

Afterwards, Dan and I had to rush and get into our apartment for the week, pick up my students from the airport, and meet Jes for dinner. We had a great dinner and then settled into our apartment.

11-25-17

Today was THE IRON BOWL!!!

I made gumbo. Jes came over to Sakura's house. The DeeDays came too. 

We were all excited to see the commercial about Spirit, that Sakura narrated.

Towards the end of the game I got very ill and Jes took me to the Minute Clinic at CVS. I got a prescription and spent the rest of the night trying to feel better. 

11-24-17

Today Dan and I took the boys and Jes to The La Brea Tar Pits, which we learned means The the tar tar pits, and the pits aren't really pits, and the tar isn't really tar. It's really a place that should be called Asphalt Seepage.

I cried when we got to pet two whippets. This one, named Gracie, was so tender. I really really got emotional. It was just like being with Frisbee again.

11-23-17

Today we flew the friendly skies to California.

We picked up our car (it only took ~2 hours to get it) and drove to Sakura's house. Jes made a delicious vegan pumpkin pie and Sakura made lots and lots of dishes.

Here she is demonstrating how to cut bread at the perfect angle.

The boys and LV got to sit at the kids; table! 

11-22-17

Today I packed up all the stuff into kits and cut the snail sponges.

I tried out the new power plant circuit diagram and mounted them on box lids. There is so much to do! 

11-21-17

I got to hold a baby on the day she was born! 

I decorated my little creamer with cobalt oxide. Hope it doesn't run.

Teensie with catnip.

Urn

Bee urn

Large stick bowl ready for the first firing.

11-20-17

Spent most of the day working on the curriculum some more.

11-18-17

I'm participating in a postcard making thing to encourage people to vote on 12/12 in the special election in our state. We have a very strange republican with some bad behavior running against a democrat with integrity. Overall, the democrat is a better person to represent us and do good things.

11-16-17

The blue shino pie dish. It's ok.  A little warped.

11-15-17

My students and I go every week to a couple of afterschool programs to try out different activities we create. Here are some in action.

11-14-17

Working working working on a solution to the Kindergarten gravity light!

11-12-17

The day after a big win!