There was movement in the ceramics studio. The kiln was fired and I got one piece back from last session. I originally was revisiting a comb jelly I had made several years ago. The problem was that there were no stilts for firing. That meant that it couldn't be sat on the kiln shelf if there was glaze on any part that would touch the shelf or it would melt and stick. This would result in needing a chisel to remove it from the shelf - a detriment to the shelf and destruction for the ceramic piece stuck to it. To avoid that it was suggested to put some sort of spike that would hold the piece off the shelf surface and then break it off after the firing. To my way of thinking it sound like an awful lot of wasted work. So I just incorporated the spikes into the piece. The body is glazed in Super T. I painted the glaze on which results in the splotchy appearance and reveals the variation of color in the glaze. The spikes were done in red iron oxide stain. The rest was unglazed which gave it a nice matte finish. These creatures live in the ocean in deeper waters. I love the way they swim - but I really can't capture that in a static clay form...

It has been nearly 2 weeks since I went with saintvi to the Wine and Canvas night in Stevensville. I had only been to the location in Granger - in a new strip mall. This one was at an Italian restaurant. Saintvi said that it was a hoity-toity eatery and she was right. They had a very different Ladies bathroom. Which is not the point of this post but was one of the more unusual aspects of the venue. As you walk in a bronze statue reproduction of Michelangelo's David greets you. It is not, I repeat NOT, life size. It stands about 4 feet tall and is on a marble table in the corner. It is obvious that myriad visitors to the ladies room have rubbed part of David's anatomy causing it to be very polished and shiny, but has not resulted in it becoming any larger... Anyway as you go about your business, instead of music or Italian crooners they pipe in an Italian language lesson. I visited the restroom twice that night and was unable to retain any of the phrases in Italian although I remember them in English, "Do you have red wine?" and "I am ready for the check. Thank-you."

But more to the point we were painting a Wine and Canvas version of van Gogh's A Starry Night. It was painfully apparent that most of the class was unfamiliar with his art. Here is the original.

We started with a blank canvas and went immediately to a solid blue. It looks easy but it takes a lot of work to paint a canvas a solid color. Your arm gets a real workout when you are trying to do it rapidly!

The next part moved so fast that I was too busy to take a picture of my canvas. We put in a horizon line, made spots for the stars and then the big swirls in the sky. No sooner than the stars were made we were instructed to make the reflections in the water. Hold on you say. There was no water in van Gogh's painting. You would be right. However we were doing a starry night over Lake Michigan with a lighthouse... Yeah I know that is ranging pretty far from the original but this was not about painting a forgery of the original. So the next photo showed the painting pretty far along. With the negative space between the stars added to make them pop out.

Then we added more color to the stars and moon and the land for the lighthouse.

Next it was the lighthouse. This was the hardest part because you had to draw straight lines. It was really difficult for the people who had been guzzling alcoholic drinks! The instructor had been stressing that this was a "loose" painting and everyone needed to relax and "drink more wine" so they could paint in a less uptight way. It didn't work for most of the class. This became obvious when it came to the lighthouse.

After I got the lighthouse in place I needed to put the top on. Unfortunately my star swirl was a little too low so it wasn't positioned behind the lighthouse to illuminate the glass windows at the top. But a little help from the instructor sort of fixed that problem. Then it was adding the yellow and some orange and we were done.

The girls across the table from us (drinking chocolate martinis) made their paintings smooth as did a number of people. Saintvi said mine was the best in the class but I like hers too. I'm pretty pleased with the end result.

Halloween is one of those holidays that is either hated or loved. Some people attach Christian beliefs and others attach pagan beliefs to the night. Overall I think of it as a night for kids to have fun and dress up and get their fill of candy. When my sons were little I would decorate the house. I had black sponges cut out like bats that I would hand from the ceiling. We had a big plastic skeleton on the front door. I would put the candy in a big aluminum pot and wear a witch's hat to hand it out to trick-or-treaters. By the time we got Ranger-dog the boys were nearly too old to dress up and beg for candy. He was a terror and we'd have to put him upstairs or in the basement until the candy was passed out. By the time the boys were going to college, Ranger had mellowed. But by then we weren't really participating in the whole Halloween madness. But I still kind of like to dress up. At work we dress up a little - I have a couple of black and orange scrub outfits that I wear with Halloween themed scrub jackets. And I'll wear my bat pin and my headband with the black cat ears... But I digress.

The point of this post was to show you all what I found at a garage sale. Now Ranger is gone but I still will see things and think "Wow. Ranger would have worn that. I could have made greeting cards.." Anyway, I was digging through a bin and found some dog costumes. There was a bat - the ears were sewn on a hood that fastened under the chin and it had eyes on top the head. It came with little doggie leg warmers in black and purple. There was the green wig in a Marilyn Monroesque style. The rainbow mohawk looked cute at least on the photo of the Pug on the package. But what really caught my eye were the collars. I couldn't resist. I thought of saintvi and the dogs in her life - Boo and Jack. When I asked how much the collars cost (since I was debating on which one to get) and the woman running the sale said, "Twenty-five cents." I couldn't help myself. I bought 4. I think they will look so cute.

Bats!

Spiders!!

These are a little bigger and I hope they aren't too big for the boys.

A perfect motif for Boo - those skull and crossbones are not just for show! But Sparky forgives him completely. And the bite has healed and there is just a dark scar and it is fading....

I was shopping with Sparky this last weekend (as is our usual Saturday routine) when I was nearly incapacitated by laughter. Some who have met me and have gotten to know me know that on occasion I get tickled. When that happens I laugh myself to tears. I can scarcely breathe. I wheeze and snort and then I let out very unladylike howls. Sparky had wandered away as I was looking at the soup aisle. With fall upon us and the anticipation of soup weather in the future, I was looking at the broth. Well, I was reading the prices when I noticed what was written on the sale tag. I started to snicker. Pretty soon Sparky returned to find out what I was laughing about. (I think he was one aisle over when he heard me laughing.)

When I see the word aseptic I immediately think in medical terms. According to the dictionary aseptic means 1. preventing infection. And although I sincerely doubt that chicken broth can prevent infection, it seems to be a popular remedy once you are sick. My next thought was that perhaps it meant 2. free or freed from pathogenic microorganisms. I had started to giggle at this point thinking that I hoped the broth didn't have any pathogenic organisms in it. I looked at the other labels and they didn't make the same claim. Did this mean that they DID have bacteria??!! If I were to purchase the seafood broth was I taking my life in my own hands?! By this time my eyes were tearing up. Of course the other possibility was the other definition of aseptic -3. lacking vitality, emotion, or warmth. If you have ever had the low sodium, no fat chicken broth you know that it definitely fits that description. By this time I was wheezing and Sparky was at my elbow. I was hanging onto the cart for support and people were clearing out no doubt afraid I was having a psychotic break. Sparky managed to understand my gasped request and took my phone from my shaking hands. He snapped the photos above. After regaining a little composure, but unable to capture my dignity, we finished shopping. Once home I wanted to find out why the heck they would put "aseptic" on a label. Turns out that the food industry has its own vocabulary. In food speak aseptic means free from the living germs of disease, fermentation, or putrefaction. When applied to a product, like milk or fruit juice, it means that it is marketed in an aseptic package or container which is a system of packaging sterilized products in airtight containers so that freshness is preserved for several months. So it turns out that although it struck me as hysterically funny it was accurate! Still, I will probably have to stifle a laugh every time I see it on a grocery shelf.

Yesterday Sparky and I made the trip to Fernwood Nature Preserve and Botanical Gardens. We were on a mission to hide geocaches we had put together for the Fernwood/Geocats geocaching event in October. This involved not just stomping around in mosquito infested woods or trying to find a spot one tenth of a mile distant from another geocache location. It required making the caches. This year's theme is trains. We had met with the other Geocats and brainstormed some cache ideas. Here's what I worked on.

This is a magentic key holder painted to look like a boxcar. The plan was to affix a piece of train track to a fallen tree to have something it will stick to! So we had to find a fallen tree... you would think that would be easy but it wasn't.

This is my "train wreck" cache. All of the train cars have notes and some swag but only one has the official log and some of the coordinates to the bonus cache. They are in a large Rubbermaid™ bin that I had to find a spot for. Since there are only so many spots I opted for the bridge where it could be out of view...

The other caches are Sparky's. He is re-purposed his Odlaw cache for the train theme. I drew a railroad sign that he put in place of the drawing of Odlaw. He stocked it with a log book and some swag. It has some of the coordinates to find the bonus cache. The cache container was originally chained to a tree. We tried to retrieve it 2 weeks ago but Sparky had misplaced the key to the padlock. We intended to cut the chain and use a new lock. Sparky underestimated the strength of the chain and was unable to cut it to move it to a new spot... Same location but different.

Then there is the bonus cache. Saintvi gave me a Thomas the Tank Engine bank to use as a cache. It is really pretty and since it is ceramic it is in theory fine to put outside. However it is really nice. Too nice to sit outside in the snow and rain and cold. I was hoping to set it somewhere inside the nature center so that it will be protected. I haven't heard yet if we got the OK. Some of the people there are wonderful and there are a couple who are grouchy and very negative when it comes to geocaching!

The other caches placed were very well done. There is a Travel Bug Train Depot that is absolutely delightful. Also a Hobo's bindle as a cache - very inventive! One is a trumpet case as luggage which I thought was well done. Then there is the gadget cache which I believe is called "Get your ticket". I'm not sure where they were going to install it but it will be fun!!

All in all a great afternoon. Only got 1 mosquito bite!

The hospital gown was short on Liz accenting her now very long legs. The daughter she was rushing toward had turned into a woman of Amazonian proportions. For the first time in Liz’s life, her mother was stopped dead in her tracks. She took advantage of the situation by stretching her long arms out and reaching to embrace her tiny mother. Her mother evaded her hug. Turning on her heel and nearly knocking her father over, Mrs. Amanda Fuller fled the room. Liz was stunned. She turned to look at her father. He was looking at the door. Her father was trying to decide if he should go after his wife. He finally turned to look at Liz. A man of few words, he looked her over and his eyes softened. All he said to her was “Liz.” He walked to the bed and gave her the hug she needed. His first words were a statement “So tall.” He held her hand and then ran his palm over her bald head. With a wry smile he commented that without hair her eyes were more noticeable and beautiful. He asked about her job and her friends. He laughed and told her that her mother had bought some clothes that were not going to be suitable. He winked and said it would be good medicine if she spent some time returning them. Liz realized that her father was not unaware of the dynamic between her mother and herself. This was reassuring and also disturbing. She thought to herself that if he had known how domineering her mother was, why didn’t he intervene? Her father patted her hand, commenting on the softness of her palm, before excusing himself to make sure his wife wasn’t getting in trouble.

Yesterday was a confluence of catastrophes. From Sparky's flat tire at 5:30 AM to the building evacuation due to a "suspicious" package at work, the whole day was more than a series of unfortunate events. I am prohibited from discussing work issues on public media. I can however say that I was able to maintain my composure. I faced adversity and stared it down. When the "Dementors" in my world swooped in for a kiss I puckered up and gulped down Hershey kisses and fists full of M & Ms. Yep. I ate chocolate yesterday! Several times people intruded into my office to foist their troubles on me. It was like being handed a knotted ball of string and told to straighten it out - all the while with a loaded gun held to my temple. I was thankful when I clocked out at 5:57 PM and was able to flee the workplace. Today is Friday and I sense catastrophe lurking. I am ready. I have chocolate and I'm not afraid to use it! For all of you working at stressful jobs just remember the weekend belongs to YOU! Do NOT check your work email. Do NOT answer the phone calls or text messages from the boss. Tell them that you were in a dead zone hiking in the woods and enjoying the first weekend in autumn - and then make sure you did go hiking!!!

Mrs. Amanda Fuller was a woman of consequence. Her petite frame could scarcely contain the force of her personality. Liz had grown up in the shadow of her mother. It was hard to escape her mother's watchful eye since she was a room mother, PTO President, organizer for every fundraiser and chums with all the teachers. In junior high school Liz overheard some girls trying to recall a name. They couldn't remember and finally said "You know, what'shername, Mrs. Fuller’s daughter." It was a blow to realize that her classmates knew her mother better than they knew her. She worked hard to make a name for herself in High School. She made the cheer leading squad. She was Vice President of Student Council too. She participated in every club and activity that was available. By the time she graduated from high school she had found a small place beyond her mother’s influence. College had given her more autonomy and she thrived. Holidays were painful as she submitted to her mother’s decisions concerning her hair, clothes, even her music selections. Out of self-preservation Liz started seeing a school psychologist. Life was good. Her self-image improved along with her confidence. She felt strong and capable. The job with Mr. Jacan had whittled away at her psyche. The final straw was this strange illness. Now that she was better and soon to be discharged, she had a new fearlessness. At least until the prospect of being in the same room as her parents was manifest. She had spent several pleasant hours with Dr. Hawk before her parents burst into the room. Thankfully he had already left by the time her mother made her grand entrance. Liz had braced herself for the moment. When her mother rushed to the bed, Liz threw off the covers and stood up.

Last Saturday was the Notre Dame vs. Michigan football game. We had tickets. My original plan was to meet sintvi, her husband and daughter for dinner after they saw the play "Wicked". However Sparky put the kibosh on those plans announcing we would be at the game! So I contacted saintvi and we cancelled our plans. Fast forward a week. I find out that the game is at 7:30 PM instead of 3:30 PM as Sparky had stated. Grrr. I discuss this new information with Sparky and we decide to contact saintvi and try to revive the dinner plans. However I started to feel bad (see previous post) and decided I didn't want to expose anyone to my germs. Saturday morning confirmed my decision to give my ticket to son#2. I managed to get dressed and motivated by 4:00 PM. We went grocery shopping and then picked up some Subway sandwiches for dinner. I just didn't feel up to cooking. Sparky left at 6:00 PM to gather his son. His parting instructions were to watch the game and cheer on the Fighting Irish. I smiled and as soon as he pulled out of the driveway, I took some cold medicine and crawled into bed. I am not a huge fan of the game. When I was younger I would watch it and cheer on the Bears or the Raiders. Once I had small children it was difficult to carve out the time to just sit and watch a TV... The boys got older and would watch football with their father. This was an opportunity for some "me" time. With the injuries and brain trauma that goes along with football, I really don't want to watch at all any more.... I did check out the game just at halftime and watched the third quarter before thinking that my presence was jinxing them. We have a student worker that comes in once a week. He's a cheerleader for the football team. He takes the losses personally.

Nighttime congestion
Allergy or summer cold
I struggle to breathe

Here is a little Haiku that pretty much tells the story. I was under the weather and under water - at least that is what my sinuses were trying to accomplish. I got my flu shot last week and have been achy and sniffly since. This weekend intensified the symptoms despite massive quantities of Vitamin C, increased fluid intake, and the zinc tablets. Saturday was a lost day. By Sunday I was feeling much better! I went geocaching with saintvi and her husband in the afternoon. Sparky and I had made plans to visit a new restaurant with our old friends Charley and Julie Sunday evening. I felt great all day! Monday was a busy day but the late afternoon saw me traveling to visit with saintvi and do a Wine and Canvas painting (I'm sure that she has posted the process already). I wish I could stay home today except I took yesterday off and today is an all day training session for the highly anticipated and eagerly awaited Six Sigma Yellow Belt training. I'm feeling much better but it took nearly a week to recover from the flu shot...