Well, okay. Dammit.
Got to pottery. Unwrapped my hibiscus, set it down on the work table and somehow in that very short transfer, I lost the anther and stamen. I didn't really lose them. They were right there. They just weren't attached to the rest of the flower.
I don't think I cursed. I did, however say something like, "What more evidence do I need that the universe doesn't think I should be doing pottery?"
But that's ridiculous. The universe isn't telling me shit. I am just not being careful enough.
So. I rounded off the end of the stamen the best I could and instead of having darling little balls attached to represent the anthers, I had to just paint them on as you see above.
This is what it had looked like yesterday.
Doesn't matter, doesn't matter, DOES NOT MATTER.
As I said to Tammy, one of the women in our class, it's not like I was a woman in the dust bowl trying to walk to California with her four children, one of whom was an infant.
So I finished up the glaze-painting and that took me the entire two and a half hours of class but I didn't mind that. At the end of class, I had done all I was going to do and now it's on the to-be-fired shelf. I really hope that I don't just hate and detest the colors.
And if I do?
Doesn't matter.
And now- back to fishes!
There was a lot of chat in today's class. Quiet chat. We learned that Felisha is going to visit France for a week with her aunt and we are all so excited for her. Lizzie is heading to an island off the east coast with her entire family and she's looking forward to that. She travels a LOT. Shelly, who is not taking pottery this session came in for a visit and hugs and it was great to see her. The Gentleman Caller did not make an appearance today as he had some work-related situation going on that demanded all of his time and attention. He was missed.
I complained (of course) about how my jigsaw puzzles take up the entire dining room table and how I have company coming in July and oh dear, what shall I do? The pottery ladies did not fail me. They told me that there is a thing called a jigsaw puzzle board which can be moved and has drawers and is on a lazy-susan sort of thing so you can work on it from all different angles and how have I not known this? So when I came home I went online and found one to buy and I've ordered it but selecting one was incredibly anxiety-producing because there are about forty-nine thousand of them to choose from. But I finally did in sort of a oh, hell, whatever move, and it tilts, too, and I'm very much looking forward to getting that.
So once again, I enjoyed the class. Just being there and sitting and doing something with color and a paintbrush and talking to sweet and smart and funny women is such a lovely, lovely thing to do.
More rain here today. We're supposed to get more all weekend. Tomorrow I really hope I can find enough time between the rains to prop up my pepper plants and perhaps pull a few weeds. And pick beans.
Glen just got home from the cabin although he spent most of today aiding and helping three different people in three different situations. He ran in this afternoon around 3:30 between two of those situations to change and get some things he needed and I was just this close to furious when I found out he had not eaten lunch. And I doubt he had much breakfast. I tried to make him a sandwich but he didn't have the time so off he went, me fuming at how he does not take care of himself.
Oh well. He's a grown man and as such, he can make his own decisions about whether or not to make eating lunch a priority. He's getting soup tonight made with the rest of the chicken I roasted along with celery and carrots and onions and green beans and spinach and garlic and lemon juice and rice and lentils. He shall be sustained. As shall I be. I'm not feeling great and I'm starting to think the symptoms I'm having might be due to the barometric pressure and humidity and so forth. Maurice seems to be affected by the weather as well. She is sleeping far more than she usually does and once again, spent almost the entire day on my bed. I think I will use her as a good example for self-care and go to bed early tonight.
Now if I can just talk Mr. Moon into doing the same...
Love...Ms. Moon


I know absolutely nothing about pottery, so keep that in mind while I suggest you fire the stamen piece separately and then use some super duper E6000 glue or Gorilla glue to put it back on the flower blossom. No one would know if you didn't tell them. I won't tell.
ReplyDeleteI had considered that and am already planning to superglue a small ball which is part of the legs which came off in the first firing. It occurred to me though that the dang thing was bound to be broken off again sooner or later so...
DeleteI think this will be lovely....I just have difficulty abstracting in my brain the color differences from prior to being fired...and how they will look afterwards. I trust a potter just *knows* in time.....pretty much?
ReplyDeleteSusan M
I really don't know! That's the fun thing! I mean, I can look up the color name of the brand I'm using and see what it looks like on the internet but that doesn't really do it. Also, I mixed some colors on this one.
DeletePottery challenges again. I wonder if an experienced potter can suggest why it happened.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, you're not in charge of seeing Mr Moon eats. You offer dinner, and he has that done for him. Up to him really. He seems to be doing okay with or without lunch
Anyone can tell me why it happened- too delicate.
DeleteI'm know I'm not responsible for Glen eating lunch. I just want him to take care of himself and when he doesn't, it drives me crazy. And then he suddenly gets almost sick with hunger. But you're right. He's big boy.
Maurice is wise. Be like Maurice. She delivers you food and if you choose not to eat it, then that is down to you, but she has done her duty. Mr Moon is the same. If he chooses not to eat your dead mouse (or equivalent) then that is down to him.
ReplyDeleteCat's rule.
You're right about Maurice being an example. I had a friend who used to say that if she bought squash and it was in the refrigerator, if her son didn't eat it, it wasn't her fault. She'd done her job!
DeleteHe gets so busy in town that he forgets to eat. If he's at home, he generally remembers.
🤞fingers crossed for your hibiscus. It seems our expected rains are only going to be overnighters, with our winter skies being blue and sunny right now. But the wind is icy!
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to imagine icy cold winds right now.
DeleteI need one of those puzzle things. I have a puzzle I want to do but can't use the table because kids and kids keep coming to eat
ReplyDeleteI am really excited about getting this thing.
DeleteIt does matter. Well, not in the grand scheme of things-- but personal interests/efforts/obsessions matter. Otherwise, why do them? Even small bits of pride and satisfaction in one's achievements matter. I bet you'd want your grandkids to think so about things that they create.
ReplyDeleteIf the stamen is lost, could you make another one to fire separately and glue on?
Well, in this case, this tiny bit of pottery breaking off really doesn't matter. Not to me or the world. And I have learned that delicate protrusions on pottery are going to break off. Simple as that.
DeleteYour Pottery Class 'family' sound like a delightful group of people. Hoping your Hibiscus turns out to where you feel proud of the end result, you seem to have put a lot of effort and work into creating it. I think changing the extension of that delicate little part was wise, better if happen now breaking off than when it was a finished product. As for Men taking Care of themselves, well... we can keep suggesting they do, that's all we can do.
ReplyDeleteI just hope I like the colors of it when it comes out of the kiln. And you're right about the breaking of the stamen. Oh well. Live and learn. You're right about men. And it would appear that the older they get, the more stubborn they get.
DeleteHibiscus plate….very shall we say provocative
ReplyDeleteIt really sort of is, isn't it? I have no problem with that although I did not consciously try to make it so. Perhaps unconsciously though.
DeleteI think Mr. Moon must have been Florence Nightingale in a previous life. SG used to get seriously upset when I skipped meals. It took some years, but I finally stopped doing that. Such a shame about the orchid. But it still looks great and I hope you end up loving the colors. That jigsaw puzzle thing sounds interesting. I might follow your lead. I love jigsaw puzzles but don’t like having the “mess” on the table at all times since there’s no rec room for it.
ReplyDeleteIf Glen didn't get almost sick with hunger around 4:00 when he skips lunch, I would not worry so much. Or care. But he does and it's so easily preventable.
DeleteI'm glad that SG has finally gotten the message across to you.
I'm so excited to get this puzzle board. I'll be doing a review of it. You can bet on that.
Love that you've adapted the hibiscus to a more "practical" shape. Good idea, which needed the nudge of the accidental break...clay pieces do work better if they don't have delicate protrusions. I like the O'Keeffe style of the plate, and am looking forward to it's completion. I miss the community studio camaraderie. Rain is due this evening here...batten down the hatches!
ReplyDeleteI really did not have an O'Keefe-ian ideas when I was making that thing but it has some serious overtones, doesn't it?
DeleteDid you get the rain?
You can "glue" your little pieces onto the bigger plate with Elmer's Glue! It will burn out in the glaze fire, and the glaze that is under it will stick them to the plate. You can use glaze as an adhesive--your little pieces covered in glaze will melt and stick them to the bigger pieces.
ReplyDeleteAre you scoring your little pieces and plate and using white vinegar to stick them together?
Now I did not know that about Elmer's glue. That is good to know.
DeleteAre you asking if I'm scoring and using white vinegar in the original building of the piece or the mending?
Really, the socializing and laughter are more important than the actual pottery results. It will be fun to see how the plate turns out but the friendships are more important to keeping us going day to day. :)
ReplyDeleteThe two and a half hours of friendship are so very good. I honestly need to watch my mouth more though. Not everyone in the world or the class believes the same things I do and I forget that. Especially with Lizzie right there. She's as profane and irreverent as I am!
DeleteThat dust bowl woman shows up in my thoughts when I start feeling put upon, she is a very helpful spirit in my case. My great grandma was known for saying things like "worse things happened in war time" when people complained; given her age (born in the 1860s) we always wondered what war she was referring to.
ReplyDeleteCeci
Oh my goodness. You made me laugh! Yes, great grandmother! WHICH war?
DeleteYour hibiscus is gorgeous!! Oh Dad. Well at least he got your delicious soup. I had one of the worst migraines of my life yesterday and am still feeling the after-effects today. I hope you got some rest and are feeling better today. <3 -Rachel
ReplyDeleteOh Dad is right.
DeleteThat soup was really good. I've been adding lentils to soups and they make it creamier and of course, add that much needed fiber! And some protein too, I guess.
I am so sorry you had a migraine. I know they are insanely painful and can wear you out for days. I hope you'll be totally recovered by tomorrow and DON'T DO THAT AGAIN, OKAY?
Yum! The lentil soup Jessie gave me after my surgery was divine. The migraine was pretty awful. One of those things that nothing helps the pain. Well, at least the zofran helped the nausea. I should be ok by tomorrow. I am lucky that I have only had a few migraines in my life. They plagued my mother since she was a teenager. Many a day spent tiptoeing while she slept in the walk in closet where there were no windows.
Delete