Happy Halloween

It's the same thing every year, we buy the super sized bags of candy expecting 80 to 100 trick or treaters to  arrive on the doorstep, extorting treats.  Invariably we open the candy early and eat "just a few" and then make an emergency candy run to Walgreens before the ritual commences.  I figure in another decade or so we'll have paid off the karma debt from our son's far ranging trick or treat territory by paying it forward to the minority kids who view this as a safe neighborhood for fun.  And yes, our area is so white bread Scandinavian that it's really obvious who lives here and who's visiting.

May your evening be pleasantly spooky and safe from little goblins in the night. Boo, ya betcha!

Proverbs 22:9

It was a busy weekend, here on the edge of the Prairie.  Saturday was an open call for potters to throw bowls for our high school's Empty Bowls fundraiser.  I did a modest 20 bowls in four hours, and watched in absolute awe as volunteers from a production studio cranked out bowl after bowl after bowl.  Oh to have the upper body strength those young guys have for slinging clay like a boss.  What a fun morning and for such a good cause.  The funds go to supply nearly 600 children with a backpack of food for their weekends if they live in a home with food insecurity.  What a quaint expression meaning they have nothing to eat after Friday's school lunch until Monday morning's school breakfast.  It makes me quite militant toward those who vote to cut funding to needy families,  I suggest they forgo eating every weekend to learn what it must be like for those children.  How can they possibly come to learn on Mondays after being hungry for two days?

The husband and I spent a pleasant autumn afternoon raking the leaves and he's out mowing the lawn one last time.  The garden decorations are cleaned and put away until Spring's arrival.  We are very cognizant of the storm of '91 which dumped 31 inches of snow on us Halloween night.  The very young future service son was the Lone Ranger that year, and had to be stuffed into his snow suit under his costume,  when he and his dad returned from their trick or treat travels his cowboy hat had 6 inches of snow atop!  Just like the Scouts, we're prepared.

Hope your weekend was also productive - did any of you find an art colony close to home?

Namaste.  Proverbs 22:9 Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.

Not all Readers are Equal

This week has seen a surge in views from Mother Russia, outnumbering my own modest readership by a margin of 50 to 18.  It's both unnerving and unwanted.  I hope it won't be necessary to pull the plug on this blog, just a heads up if it disappears. If anything inappropriate should appear - that won't be from me either.

Namaste friends.

Autumn in Eden

With the change of each season, I go about professing this is my favorite.  The first snows of winter are favorites, the soft chartreuse leaves of spring are favorites, the balmy summer days, and the deep reds, oranges and amber leaves of autumn. Each beautiful day might be the last, before the temperatures plummet and the ground freezes and the snow flies.  So when a gorgeous autumn days presents itself I head to a favorite park to hike the trails and paths through an old oak savannah.  We're so fortunate to have such fabulous parks in our home area, and they are available year round with trails in the winter to hike and snowshoe and cross country ski upon.

Today was sunny and the air temps had risen from our frost on the pumpkin morning to near 60, so I joined the crowds of families and trail runners out enjoying the woods.  The leaves crunched underfoot, and the geese honked as they v'ed overhead on their migration.  No horses met me on the paths although there was ample evidence of their passing with piles of their apples dotting the trail.

It was just the most perfect day until, as the biblical creation myth of Eden presented the serpent in the garden, one such creature slithered across my path.  When you're hiking at a good pace it takes a step or two to halt, and for the brain to recognize it's survival signal: SNAKE!!!

Because it's an involuntary response, of course I screamed. And waved my hiking poles and poked the ground to encourage it to move away from me, immediately! And then I could feel this sensation of a thing wrapped around my upper back and neck and my brain fired off another warning.  I flung my head back and forth, stooping and straightening rapidly while shrieking, trying to keep both feet off the ground to prevent the snake on the trail from joining the one I was convinced had dropped off a tree onto my neck.  Eventually whiplash stopped my trail performance, and I realized Sir Hissss had slithered off, and the cord from my hoodie was wrapped around my neck trying to strangle me, not another serpent.

The family behind me had stopped a safe distance away,  the mother had her hands covering the toddler's eyes while their young sons gaped at me with equal parts awe and horror.  Without making eye contact the parents herded their young away down a different path, and I continued along my path, chastened and oddly invigorated.  At least my heart rate met it's workout goal today.

Our family has more than met it's quota of snakes this year.  I look forward to their hibernation.

When I was the Forest

Today the tree canopy is growing sparse, leaves rain down in a shower set off against a brilliantly blue sky.  I know winter is coming, but for today, this moment, I shall live in golden light.

Peace.

Unintended Consequences

Life has a funny way of offering what we need at a time we least expect.  I started pottery at a community education class for adults back in 2000, the first time I sank my fingers into a ball of clay on an old kick wheel in the middle school classroom, it was as if my soul had finally found it's groove.  Have you ever had an epiphany like that?

A few years ago I decided to try making a few bars of soap to sell along with ceramic trays, and today I sell a few trays along with my soap.

Scratch n' Sniff feature may be disabled on PCs

This is what 400 bars look like on the curing rack, I'll need another few hundred for the holidays, along with hand balms, foot scrubs and the candles now scrabbling for shelf space in hand thrown cups.

Just to remind myself that I still love pottery (the most), I sat down to make a few bottles with textured side walls.  Every potter has a different style, every customer is drawn to their own unique aesthetic.  Sometimes there is a happy collision of style and desire and there is a sale.

In this middle time between crafting soap and delivery, my home smells amazing.  Mmmm - stop by for some aromatherapy if you'd like.

Namaste friends.

The Adorable Mr. Macaroni

When little Mr. Macaroni was rescued for the second time, our son dedicated his every waking moment to ensure the little feline's happiness. (well sort of). Their relationship was a bit spotty for the first year until Mac stopped biting him. The cat in question is one of two most pampered felines that share the household with said son, both of which receive a monthly box of treats that they will occasionally give the gleanings to little Mr. Rocky the Yorkie.

This current assortment of delights featured a pair of 3D glasses for Mr. Mac, which makes him look even more stoned than he was after a catnip roll on the rug. I suggested the adults submit pics and videos to various sites for a bit of economic aid, and was met with a derisive "I'm not going to pimp my cat, mother". However he changed his tune upon learning the earnings potential of other famous internet cats.  So, meme fame, here comes Mac.

I've been furiously happy crafting soap

Lavender Cedar in the mold

every day, and trying to keep pace with our ceramics class to have enough ware for the next soda firing. It's such a labor intensive process making handcrafted pottery, and when you see cheap (and read also toxic) ware from places like China it's a bit discouraging that people value the mass produced items at big box stores and don't understand the true value of using something in everyday life that was slow produced. Sewing and quilting has been put on the back back burner for after the holidays when I can focus again, I feel like a juggler balancing spinning plates on a stick and trying my best not to drop them.  The spouse suggested that perhaps I have too many hobbies. What a goof!! As our son said during his three deployments, sleep is a crutch.

Trying to spiff up the entry of our home I decided to repaint the tired looking bench we've used for

ages, that I bought years ago on an antiquing trip with a good friend. The new chalk paint is a dream to use, no odor and cleans up fantastically.  It was probably the easiest paint project I've ever done. Then of course the old cushion looked even worse on the new bench so that went into the trash and new foam and fabric for a cover was bought and sewn.  Now try to imagine it with new gray paint on the walls because we've definitely entered the Decorating Domino Zone where one project cascades into the next.  After seeing how fab the new cushion fabric looked, I had to get new rugs for the floor as well.  The spouse looked a bit weepy and was muttering "where will it end" but I'm sure he was just overwhelmed with gratitude at my efforts to provide a comfortable home.

Now the walls look dated, so perhaps I'll start taping paint chips to the wall to decide on the new color.  The spouse wishes I'd just go back to quilting and let us do one home improvement project at a time. Did I mention we're about to gut our master bathroom and see if we can survive a renovation?  I'm going to lay in a case of wine and he's on his own.  I have severe arthritis and cannot get into, nor out of the bathtub. We have an '80s jetted tub that takes 40 gallons of water to fill, and is just gathering dust.  The new bathroom will have an extended zero entry shower with a bench and handheld sprayer, and grab bar.  It's going to be fantastic!! A potter friend suggested that should I ever add a stair glide chair to remember cup holders so I have a secure spot for my wine glass! Brilliant woman!  I wonder if it's too late to add a niche for wine in the shower?

Before we leave here's a picture of the small in physical form but big in personality Mr. Rocky.


Namaste friends.

Here, There and Everywhere

We recently took a trip to exotic Milwaukee with friends, taking in the sights and enjoying a brilliantly gorgeous fall weekend with blue skies and mild temps.  The Art Museum with it's iconic ship appearance was our morning outing, to see the modern art exhibit.

A stunning glass sculpture created by the world renewed glass artist Dale Chihully greets the museum guests at the front entrance, the vibrant colors are in contrast to the cool whites inside and out of the museum halls.

Having a guide made the experience meaningful for us, his knowledge of the artists, their times, and techniques brought the flat surfaces to life in a manner our simple viewing would never have given us.

Off to lunch and then onwards to shop at a world market where I purchased an armful of wonderful spices.  The minced candied ginger has already been baked into gingerbread scones this morning, along with the most heavenly cinnamon to grace the earth.  We jammed in a visit to Lakefront Brewery for a tour of the bottling process, where our guide was catering to the let's get drunk crowd and we were hideously out of place among the bachelorette parties and young adults slamming beers.  The night was mild and we opted for outdoor dining along the riverfront, to watch the excursion boats glide past and do some people watching.  H had a unique experience being upbraided by a belligerent homeless man in a darkened parking lot, chalk up a mental reminder never to go in iffy locales again.

The next day was a unique trip to the estate home of the Broadway actors Alfred Lunt and his wife Lynn Fontaine, where our docent, clad in white gloves, led us from room to room explaining the lifestyle, decor and guests that held court in this midwestern gathering spot for the celebrated actors of that time.  The second docent followed our group of 8 merely to lock each door behind us as we processed through the home, her eagle eyes were dedicated to ensure no guest picked up an item as a  souvenir.  The women had to leave purses at the visit center in a locker, but our guides were enthusiastic and well versed in their subjects.

While we wined and dined in our deluxe vacation spot, the favorite son took his first vacation in 5 years to enjoy the tropical delights in Central America.  Poor guy, forced to go on zip lines through the rain forest, rappelling down waterfalls, hot pools at a volcano retreat, daily yoga, ocean sunsets.  What a burden!!

Look Mom - no hands!

That's the news from our corner of the world, where all the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.  Thanks Garrison, for gifting our world with that phrase.

Namaste.