sabatical

Pardon my unexplained absence. Early last week I was pushing to glaze my last big batch of ware for the Deck the Halls event. On Wednesday I set up, Thursday was the opening night. I think I threw a little more to finish my orders - on Wednesday, perhaps? May have been Tuesday. Since then, I've been a slug. A little knitting, a little reading. We put up the Christmas tree, lit it up. It fell over. I left it splayed in the living room floor for a while. I haven't done any holiday baking, wrapping, much of anything besides sitting. Last night I did my last bisque fire of 2009. I'll begin glazing this evening and finish and fire tomorrow. All this pottery has worn me out.

Despite my cranky weariness, I'm grateful for so much. During this past month I met my 2008 sales. It isn't a pattern I could keep up, but I'm grateful nevertheless. We really needed that income after my husband's pre-thanksgiving layoff - it has gone straight into savings until his freelance practice kicks in. Most of my Christmas shopping is finished- not wrapped, but finished. My mom helped us weatherstrip my charmingly-drafty 1922 bungalow this weekend. Now we can stand to be in the kitchen and den. It was so chilly in there that I seriously considered closing off that end of the house except for when I had the oven on. I'd really love a woodburning stove for the den, santa, if you're listening.

And I'm most grateful that I'm almost finished with pottery for the year. I'm sure that in a week or two my fingers will begin to itch for the clay again, but I'm looking forward to a break in the 10 hour production days. And I'm looking forward to celebrating Christmas with my family. My posting here will be pretty light until January, but I look forward to sharing new pursuits with you in 2010.


Oh, before I forget, this photo is courtesy of Lana Chu of Ginkgo Glass, who is also showing at Deck the Halls.