I might have mentioned that Sparky accidentally knocked some of my ceramic orbs of their display stand. They fell onto the carpeted stairs. The carpet cushioned their fall and there was no breakage at that point. However he was unable to prevent them from bouncing down the stairs, which didn't cause any of them to break. Sadly the orbs all made it to bottom of the stairs in quick succession where they crashed into each other like croquet balls resulting in complete demolition. He felt very bad. This tragic event has provided an opportunity to try to redo some of the broken orbs. The first one that I attempted was Syracosphaera prolongata. This coccolith is found in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. The first one I made was much more detailed and fragile. The photo below shoes where one (of many) spikes broke off during the firing. I glazed it in Oribe which by a stroke of luck turned pinkish in the grooves. The spikes were glazed with Mamo Yellow and miraculously appeared yellow instead of the usual sickly green Which for the record is one of my favorite glazes for that very reason! The spaces on the body between the coccoliths was painted with red iron oxide and resulted in a pretty metallic brown.

This is the micrograph of the original coccolith which doesn't really do it justice. I decided that I could do better on my second attempt having resolved to make the spikes more substantial and try to avoid having them all break off!

This is the final result. I glazed the body in Phil's Celadon which looks a lot like the Oribe except it won't ever go pinkish and is a tiny bit more green. I put the lovely Super T glaze on the spikes in hopes they would be a brilliant turquoise. The kiln gods (or demons) had other plans and the Super T ran off the spikes and mixed with the Celadon. The resulting swirled and pooled color is delightful. The tips of the spikes were covered with red iron oxide stain. This was done out of necessity since the stilts are all missing.

Valentine candy clearance
Crumpled corners on pink hearts
Broken biscuits and stale cookies
The holiday heartbeat forces choices
Keep the candy or look for love

People are so easily confused. It takes a long time to figure out life and how we fit into this world. Sometimes we never really figure it out. It has been nearly a month since Valentine's Day. While looking at the discount bin at the grocery I discovered a variety of marked down holiday items. There were several boxes of kid's cards and a stack of gift bags (shedding glitter), and a whole bunch of heart decorations. The hearts were pretty beat up. Some were iridescent Mylar coated and others had sparkles and glitter but all of them had seen better days. They were marked to sell at only 25 cents for a stack of 5. It reminded me of some people who mistake infatuation with love. You know that state of desire and obsession that like a Valentine cookie looks good but after a few bites it loses its appeal. Too many people can't seem to learn from their mistakes. They cling to the idea that pretty plates DO guarantee a good meal. They are so sure that the icing flowers are the prize even when they know after eating just one they will have a sugar headache. Either by force of habit or fear, they refuse to look beyond the heart shaped box of chocolates... Too bad they are missing out on real love.

The poem is some free verse using Winter Scavenger Hunt 2017 prompts #10 - Write about love, and #12 - Use the words: biscuits, beat, choices, pink.

When I look at the sky I hear Beethoven
Fierce chords and crescendos
As cumulonimbus clouds sail by
His 5th symphony plays in the wind
Soon the thunder and lightning join
Resonating in my chest
As I’m sure it did in his
To bypass deaf ears

This is my offering for the Winter Scavenger Hunt 2017 using prompt #9 - mention a famous composer. It is now March and it certainly looks like this month is going to be very lion-like this year. The upside is that according to folklore March should go out "like a lamb" meaning we will have mild weather at the end of this volatile weather month. In the interim I'm torn between swapping the winter clothes out for the spring finery. My heavy winter coat really should go to the cleaners but I'm afraid that as soon as I send it off to be cleaned it will snow! So in an effort to avoid any more frozen precipitation my coats will stay in the closet. You can all thank me later.

Capture the moment
The empty frame expectant
Memory captured
Our shy smiles frozen in time
A snapshot of friendship

This is a tanka - a Japaneses poetry form consisting of 5 lines with a strict syllable count of 5-7-5-7-7. The first 3 lines are a haiku. Like most Japanese forms rhyming does not occur. This fulfills the Winter Scavenger Hunt 2017 prompt #4 - Discuss something in a frame.

I have lots of empty picture frames. This is not because I lack photographs that are frame worthy. It is instead because I have so many frames! I've always liked old and antique frames. I went through a phase where I bought many frames at estate sales. Sadly they usually still had photos in them. It makes me wonder why someone would sell their great grand parents' wedding portrait. After purchasing these frames I'm loathe to remove the existing pictures. So they sit in my basement storage until I find the perfect picture to insert over the current resident. Then too I have been gifted numerous frames. Some are modern and some are artistic. Some have photos already in them and others are earmarked to receive a special photo. I have one that was given to me by saintvi. It is a metal frame that says "One Big Happy Family" and in that frame is the group photo of GeoWoodstock X in Sellersburg, IN. We missed the photo and ended up taking a picture (Sparky, me, saintvi and Jola500) and being photoshopped into the picture. It was the best group photo of a GeoWoodstock event to date! The other frame that I have that is special is one with a dragonfly on it that was a Christmas gift from Crystalline. It contains a photo of the two of us taken at my sister's resort house this last Christmas! Both of these frames contain more than the photo - they hold a memory of a day and a trip and an event - laughter and joy and a camaraderie that transcends time and space. When I look at these frames I see more than the smiles in the photographs...

If you’ve ever wanted fairness
And had your wish granted
You would realize the folly
Of punishment for sins recanted

If you’ve ever wanted mercy
And pleas fell on deaf ears
When the prison cell is locked
Not to open for many years

If you’ve ever wanted justice
And righteous judgement too
Remember mercy’s value
If you wore the other shoe

Last week's sermon message was interesting. It was about fairness. We all say we want things to be fair. And at the same time we know that life is not fair. Yet the concept of fairness is plainly illustrated by the "eye for and eye and tooth for a tooth" from biblical times. That was only fair. We only want fair when we are the wronged party. When the tables are turned we crave mercy. It was explained that God is righteous which means we will certainly get what we deserve but God is also merciful which tempers the punishment. If there is righteousness without mercy there is only punishment and no redemption. If there is only mercy without righteousness there is no accountability. The two must be in balance. But it must be clear - being merciful is not fair. So what do you want, fairness or righteousness and mercy?

Seeping into the space between
A kind word and a warm heart
Taking over conversations
And relationships before they start
Occupying a seat at the table
Pushing us together yet we remain apart
Demanding attention undeserving
Phones and technology become too smart
The human condition deteriorates
Going to hell in a hand cart!

Here are some rhyming couplets for the Winter Scavenger Hunt 2017 - prompt #5 use the word: technology. It has finally happened that my phone is smarter than I am. I hate to admit it. The fact remains that my phone has functions that are completely foreign to me. I have to go to the Sprint store to figure out applications I didn't know I had. I need to learn the secrets of password protection. I have to figure out how to get the most out of my computer, my printer, my phone. Until I figure out how to make them serve me, I am a slave to the mystery of their functions. Technology can be the bane of existence or it can be a help for everyday tasks. The question is whether we are the masters or the slaves...

Today is Ash Wednesday. It is a day of fasting and prayer marking the beginning of the Lenten season. As a reminder Catholics attend services where we receive ashes on our foreheads. These are made from the palms from last Easter and are mixed with a special oil called Chrism. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Many people think that Lent is when Catholics "give up" something and then as soon as Lent is over they can pick up right where they left off. Really what should be happening is a conversion - a turning away from self destructive activities and habits. The idea is that come Easter you will have had a change of heart and with that a change that becomes permanent. I am not giving up chocolate. I am going to try very hard to give up mean thoughts about some of the people I work with. I have to realize that when I entertain negative thoughts about them I only hurt myself. If I can approach the little irritations that come with rubbing elbows with other humans with a sense of forgiveness and tolerance, I bet I can be a better coworker and a better person too. It won't be easy. Sometimes people jump on my last nerve. Sometimes I'm not as patient as I should be. But I have the power to ignore the slights, hurts, and button pushing.