Dh's birthday, finished sculptures, & figs!

We're having a fairly quiet Sunday... tomorrow is DH's birthday and he went to Central Market yesterday while I was at the Pottery Studio and got an Italian Creme cake. Since I have my Medicare Wellness Check scheduled for this Tuesday, I'm trying to cut back on the sweets. But I do plan on  having a small piece of birthday cake.

My playful seal sculpture and tiny fat cat sculpture both came out of the kiln this week. So my sea creatures finished pieces look like this:

and my tiny fat cat sculpture now joins my black & white collection:

Now sitting on the oxidation cart in the studio are my last 2 sea creatures pieces...

and...

hard to see as they are wrapped in plastic while drying

First attempt this semester to throw on the wheel. I did a cup and a small bowl. Clay is wet and I don't want it to dry out too fast as I probably won't get back to the studio until next Saturday to finish them off.

Tropical Storm/Hurricane Barry is the slowest moving weather phenomenon... seems like it's been around forever. I just wish it would get a move on. Keeping touch with family in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Houston, and San Antonio.... 

Had us in a panic when they were predicting about 26 inches of rain in either Baton Rouge or New Orleans... bad for Baton Rouge, but would be devastating for New Orleans. Hopefully it won't be that bad from what we can tell, but just wish it would get a move on and continue to downgrade.

Last pic:  figs gotten off our Celeste fig tree yesterday:

 first harvest of figs...

So, yes, the squirrels and birds are helping themselves... also the box turtles when they find them on the ground. But we were able to salvage these... and hopefully more in the days to come.

Have a wonderful Sunday! And thanks so much for dropping by. I would serve you some of this Italian Creme cake if I could... (much too much for just us). But I plan to send some home to kids tomorrow.

Hugs,
- Rian

new things to think about...

After reading blogs yesterday, I got to thinking about all the things we need to think about today that never entered our minds in years past. 

Things like:

1. Passwords... such a pain. They recommend you have a different one for each account and even that should change ever so often. This is almost an impossibility. When someone asks me my pin or password, my mind does a blank.  I would think someone could come up with a better way.


2. Scams... usually by phone. With Caller ID, most of us don't even answer calls by unknown people or numbers (if it's important, they should be smart enough to leave a message, right?) Our cell phone service actually says "Scam Likely" for some numbers (like whose going to answer those??). 

3. Security questions... I have to laugh at these - because some of us (at least those who have been married for 50+ years) could answer these questions for our spouses... (favorite places, first car, etc.) But it's possible that this wouldn't always be the case.


4. Terror attacks -  something that never entered our minds in years past. And although we mustn't let our lives change due to this new (relatively) threat, now we are even given instructions as to what to do when such should occur. 

I could go on (as I'm sure you could too)... 

5. iPhones, laptops, and computer games.... a wonderful convenience or a mass addiction? 

But I won't. 

It's just a lot to think about... besides aging, health, finances, children, etc. No wonder we get those occasional 3 am dark nights of the soul...

Now I'm thinking that I need to end this on a better note... something uplifting, something fun... 

Hmm...mmm  I had a birthday Saturday! We ordered pizza and I drank part of a Guinness. Slept like a baby. That was fun...

Hope you have a wonderful week!  And as always... thanks for visiting and letting me vent my thoughts. Wish I could serve you some coffee (or tea) and some of our left-over fresh peach custard pie...

Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit! July 1, 2019

Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit!

The 1st of July! I can't believe it! My birthday is next week (can't believe that either... I think it comes around much too fast these days). But I guess when you're in your 70's,  I should be glad that I made it to another birthday (and I am!!).

This summer will go by in a flash.  And before we know it, we'll be thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas again (scary). How is it that it seems forever to Christmas as a child and always just around the corner when we're grown?

Anyway, I have no plan today as to what I'm posting.  Just wanted to say "Rabbit!Rabbit! White Rabbit!" since it was the first day of the month. 

DH and I had a really nice weekend. A friend happened to go to the Ceramics Supply Shop (which is way across town) and was nice enough to pick up some grey underglaze for me.  Having renewed my supply of underglazes recently, I had forgotten to get the light grey... which is what I need most when working on my seal sculptures. So I've been able to continue working with them this weekend (hurray!). 

Also DH and I met some friends for dinner Sunday night at Whiskey Cake. We really like Whiskey Cake as their food is great (all fresh and local), their service is great (extremely nice people), and their Whiskey Cake dessert is fabulous (served in a large enough piece for all to share - and with a bowl of fresh whipping cream!) And the coup de' resistance for me is that their coffee (served in individual French Press) is delicious! 

And to make things even better... we really love the couple we were meeting. They are old friends from home (New Orleans/LSU Baton Rouge) who now live here, but we just don't get to see often enough. But time flies when you're having fun and we talk, talk, talk... and the hours flew by.  Now with them going to Ireland and us going to Hawaii in the next few months, and Thanksgiving and Christmas coming before we know it, I doubt that we will see them again until  2020.  But that's OK... because when we do, it'll be worth the wait.

As always, thanks for visiting! And I truly hope you have a wonderful week...

Hugs,
Rian