Monday, October 31

Old Country

When I was little and my "Mumma" (grandmother) talked about living in Hungary, she always referred to it as living in the 'old country'. So you could say I'm back in the old country. I'm in Canada right now - looking after my boys while their father is on his honeymoon with his new wife. Cross your fingers that this one (marriage) sticks.

I'm always shocked when I cross the border, and I don't get any feelings like "oh it's nice to be home ". As beautiful as British Columbia is, I just get chilly willy shivers up my spine when I return. Life here, was just too damn dramatic. Everything was a struggle, a big ordeal, a mess. Moving away to the USA, was the best move I ever made..... with the exception of leaving my dear, sweet friend Patty behind. And of course being apart from my oldest son is hard too, but we have finally got to a great point in our relationship, which might not have happened otherwise. My youngest, Tyler, is spending the year up here. It's really hard having no kids in the house, but I console myself with the fact that he'll be home at the end of June.

I moved away from Canada in 1997 and although I really like it here - it's just not home for me. Whenever I think of home, I think of Marina del Rey. I only lived there for 2.5 years, but there was something about it that made me feel that I belong there. Now living in Oregon, I'm comfortable in my tiny little town of Florence. I think that Canada is not only the 'old country' for me, but the old life as well. Thank God.

Wednesday, October 19

Ugly duckling update

Here's the results, after firing. Could have used more glaze on the green base glaze, but oh well, live and learn.

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Monday, October 17

The Ugly Duckling

I was trying a new glazing technique on some pottery peices today. A few people were in the studio wandering and/or painting and they all shared the same look on their faces... something that combined wonder and disgust, lol. You see, they were not familiar with pottery glazes and didn't realize that what comes out to be a brilliant, luminous blue can start out as ugly, dull brown. "interesting color choices" they would say, as they saw my hidious brown beside a rusty brown. "that foam you have there.... uh is that normal?... and what about those chunks?... are you doing that right?" "Just wait till you see..." I replied, "...this ugly duckling will turn into a beatiful swan" I explained I was trying out a new glaze technique that incorporated shaving cream, and 'the chunks' were glass bits, that would melt and explode into a neat pattern. It's true, pottery glazes really turn from ugly and wicked to gorgeous from within the amazing chamber of the kiln, but I ask you this.... since when are ducklings ugly? I happen to love those little fuzzy things.


ugly ducking 1 Posted by Picasa

ugly ducking 2
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ugly ducking 3
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Sunday, October 16

paralyzed

It's Sunday - my true day off - nobody is home - I have the car - I am totally free to do as I please. I want to go the beach, but I'm still here. I want to work on my art, but I'm not. I want to go clean my studio from the mess I left last night, but I'm online. I want to go do my hair - but it sits like a little brown helmet upon my head. I want to go get groceries and make some delicious food for the week - BUT I AM PARALYZED. Unable to move, leave, motivate myself. I wait all week for Sundays, so I can do all the things I want to do, instead of being at work, but when it comes down to it - I feel depressed on Sundays. I'm thinking back and sure enough, every week this is the same thing. I have grand plans to wake up and enjoy a leisurely coffee, do a quick tidy of the house, plan meals for the week and then head to the beach. All week long, that's my plan. When Sunday actually comes, I am lucky if I manage the coffee part, and then boom - I shut down, like a heavy weight that makes me sink to the bottom of a pond. It's almost 4:30, I just got dressed, it's sunny out, someone - please, push me out the door and point me in the direction of the beach.

Wednesday, October 5

she who eats: different looks, same tastes

Check out this neat blog entry about Haagen-Dazs made into sushi...

she who eats: different looks, same tastes