Service Please

At long last, I finally sent Gail's plate, so I can now post photos for your viewing pleasure ;) This was my first attempt at etching.

In other news, I attended two funerals this week for ladies I knew from church. The first was for my Mum's dear friend Rachel, who lived a few doors down from us. She was 92 and had bladder cancer and was very ready to rejoin her husband beyond the veil. She was a cheerful, generous woman with a smile for everyone and she will be missed. The second funeral was for Carol, a woman who was very kind to me when I was an obstreperous teenager. She always made me feel loved and special at a time when I was probably least lovable. She also had cancer and was at peace with her imminent departure. She and her husband Harry were college sweethearts, married for 59 years. At the funeral all their sons and grandsons, big strapping lads, got up to sing 'their song', a Kiss to Build a Dream On. Very sweet... and sad to see Harry sitting by the casket listening to the song they fell in love to and danced to all those years. Carol was a doer, always busy, very unlike myself. It is impossible not to evaluate one's own life in the face of such examples. If I live 40 more years I'd like to think I will have acquired some of the kindness and generosity of these women. They were both such sterling examples of serving selflessly. I need to do more.

Sir Ovis Aires

Woo hoo! I sold 2 books today :) :) :) :) :) And with my new found wealth I could have fed the hungry or clothed the naked... but instead I purchased this: I've been drooling over it for months. It's from one of my favorite Etsy shops, http://www.beatupcreations.etsy.com/ I love her stuff. I think it's hilarious and if I ever remarry, be forewarned. I'm going to register for an entire set of Star Wars plates from her as my wedding china.

AaaaaaCHOO! sniff

Hooray for good health, a blessing I take for granted except on the rare occasions that it desserts me. I just spent an uncomfortable 5 days curled up on the couch with tonsils swollen to the size of Easter eggs and muscles aching like I'd run a marathon, (as if). Yes, I was visited by the streptococci fairy, who left me a colorful basket of germs that my body found irresistible. Bless you Alexander Fleming. Bless you a million times over.

"But wait!" you say... "You don't have a couch!" Too true, very observant friend. I was cat-sitting at my uncle's at the time of the infection - another source of gratitude. No one was in danger of catching it from me except the cats, and they're antisocial enough with me that even if strep liked kitties there would have been no danger. I'm quite happy none of my family, friends or colleagues can have possibly been infected by me. Of course the downside is that there is no cable, no internet and no cell phone service at my uncle's house, so I was bored off my nut. I spent the ENTIRE time watching dvds and sleeping. I think I watched a minimum of 50 hours of entertainment. And what was the first thing I did when I got home?... I turned on the computer and watched the 2 episodes of House I'd missed while I was away :D

I did fold a few pages while I was there, but I mean a very few... like 10 maybe. I had such big plans, alas. This photo is of one of the first books I ever folded which I am just now getting ready to list. I love how it turned out :D

What up?!

By the way... I know new posts from me have been pretty thin on the ground this year... but I'm not the only one. Every blog I follow has slowed WAAAAY down from last year. What's up with that? Has the novelty worn off? Is blogging giving way to some newness that I'm too technologically disinclined to know about yet? I miss all my daily communion with my artistic sisters of the world. Now it's more like a monthly communion. One of my favs hasn't posted yet this year!!! Come on peeps! I too will try to do better.

Peter Piper Perfectly Painted Pleasant Purple Pots

I've been spending a lot of time at the pottery place lately and I'd love to be able to post photos of everything I'm making. Unfortunately for my blog, but fortunately for those who read it, most of what I make is for gifts and I don't want to spoil the surprise by posting before gifting. I might not be able to wait, in which case I'll just post without disclosing the intended recipient. Then it will be a guessing game :) Although I run the risk then of friends and family being disappointed that they got piece A instead of piece B...

This piece has already been gifted, so I can gloat publicly about it now. This was the most last-minute, haphazard piece I've ever done, but I like how it turned out, more especially since I don't have to look at it every day :) The photo in the frame was taken with my wonderful friend Gail at Crater Lake. (Poor Gail still hasn't received her birthday pottery from me. She's moving. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!)



In other news, the display case which was going to house my ninjapony works has disappeared from the building with no word of explanation from the owner. I don't know what's up with that, but poo on him for poor communication skills. Just as well. I haven't posted anything to my shop in months, possibly due to the amount of time I spend at the pottery place. Heh heh. Christmas is just around the corner, folks. But really I have a dozen or so book sculptures ready to post, I just don't seem to do it. The photographing is daunting for me. I never feel I do it well. Suck it up Simmons. Time's a wasting!

Welcome Henry!

I have been totally remiss in not informing the world of Henry's arrival, over a month ago. My great-nephew. That sounds so odd to me. My great-aunts and uncles were all in their 80's when I was a kid. I don't feel old enough to be anyone's great-anything. Of course, I'm sure my SIL and bro didn't expect to be grandparents in their early 40's either... Isn't he a dear? Last time I saw him he was dressed in a little plaid button up shirt and khaki's just like his daddy, and he had started to lose his hair on the top of his head, like many babies do, so he looked like a little old man. It was awesome! I hope his Grammy got photos because it was too cute.

Happy Birthday Kimi... 2 weeks ago...

I sent my wonderful and highly gorgeous friend Kimi a birthday package and now that it has finally arrived, (no thanks to me - I sent it to the wrong address,) I can finally post a photo of what was inside :) Naturally, I made her a plate :) And again, I went to take photos, got one shot, and my battery died, so here is the one and only photo of my lovely plate. This is my fav so far :)

Gloat, gloat.

My other wonderful and highly gorgeous friend Gail's birthday is tomorrow, NZ time, but as I still haven't posted her package yet you'll have to wait for photos of whatever it might contain...

In other news, I met with an acquaintance today who happens to own the old JC Penny building downtown which now houses Starbucks and Noah's bagels, among other things. He has display cases in the main lobby/hallway/entrance of the building and starting soon, Ninjapony Paper Arts will be there for all to see, admire, love and purchase :) Yay me! lol.