Daily Adventures

I got my breathing capacity test today at the allergy clinic. I knew that I needed a checkup with my doctor to continue getting a couple of my prescriptions refilled; so I called this morning and the receptionist said that Dr. Murthy had an opening at 10:30, so I just up and went.

And I now have 75% lung capacity, when four years ago I had only 67%. This is good news.

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I've been having a mildly unusual time of getting taken care of by a lot of people. A good number of them are from our church, and the biggest flood of that was on Sunday, where everyone offered us a hug, condolences, and a few moments of thoughtful conversations. It was amazing how much support we got on that day.

And I'll never forget Strider's words, he said that his experience was nearly the opposite of what John's was when his father passed away; but that on hearing John's story he could find the world a gentler place because he now knew that such a passing was possible.

We've had two meals already delivered to our door, and a third offer that will be in a day or two. When I was first asked if we wanted a meal, my first inclination was that they didn't have to bother, or that I was okay with cooking, but really it was a way for them to let us know they cared. So I said, yes, and I've been comforted and I think it comforted them as well. Remembering the times we've brought meals to people, it was a good thing for us as well as them.

( And sometimes I have to remember that, yes, I am exhausted and a little fragile as well, and at others, I don't... )

This morning Jet and I were playing in the basement to stay out of the housecleaner's way as Jet had a Late Start Day and he had a pile of presents from his ninth birthday yesterday. He'd been really patient, not opening them in the morning because I got up late and not opening them when he got home from school because John was helping with tutoring readers at school until 5.

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Finished Jet's socks and he does, indeed, like them very much.

My Iris bowl, the last I saw, was going for $60! Not bad for a bowl. *laughs*

I bought some New Orleans "recycled" doubloons, aluminum coins minted by the various krewes with the krewe names, themes for the year, and I even got one special one from the Bacchus to match the necklace I'd found in the street. The detailing on them is astonishing.

And I got a picture of a plate I'd done for myself to use a while back and finally got a photo to put up.

( Cut for the pictures. )

So, just by chance, my husband and his parents were working at the OUR Center today, and Elaine Klotz, who does all the fundraising for the center for feeding folks was there. And she had all the bowls for the auction in her office.

I hadn't seen this since I painted it, and the glazes dry differently than they come out when they're fired. I'd blindly done the extra lines on all the petals because as soon as the glaze dried they disappeared into the background tone of purple. Also one coat looks just like two when it's being painted on, so I while I had some idea that I'd put two coats on most of the areas that I wanted darker, I couldn't actually keep track...

Kinda did it by guess and by golly and if you look at the previous picture where it's just dry... you'll notice it's very different now that it's actually fired.

Peers at it with bemusement. Even the leaves look cooler, because they show all the brush lines now. I really love how the butterflies turned out as well. You can click either picture and it'll take you to where the butterflies and flowers on the outside of the bowl show up.

I love my in-laws. This morning, they went with John to the OUR center in order to just wander about town, see the library and stuff in order to give me time alone with my computer. *laughs* They are so very cool.

And George took all these pictures for me, if you click on either picture you can see all seven he took. And the lady in charge of the fundraiser actually rushed out and grabbed John to say, "You wife is such an artist!" *rolls eyes*... okay, okay... maybe I'll get it someday...

Jet's birthday party day. I do litergist today and we all paint bowls for Empty Bowls again.

( Details and pictures and Stuff, oh my. )

Some shots of the bowl...

( Cut for pictures. )

... you can see pictures of my past Empty Bowls bowls, along with Jet's and John's, at this link. I just realized I hadn't actually posted a post-firing picture of the hummingbird bowl before.

... there was an Empty Bowls get together, with lots of kids and parents, and just the primary palette, which I always have trouble with. I was assuming that there would be black and had planned on just doing simple black and white. There was a pine branch and swallows I wanted to do, which would only have required a touch of red and plenty of black. But when we got there there was no black whatsoever. No black glazes, no black mosquitoes (bottles for doing fine lines), and I kind of gave up.

( Cut for length, a bit more bowl stuff and knitting stuff. )

So I got a bunch of pictures, and loaded them all up at my flickr site.

Empty Bowls started, as a concept in Michigan. The Longmont OUR center version has folks in the community donating bowls by buying them from Crackpots and giving them to the soup event. Then folks pay to go to the event, get a free bowl along with two bowls' worth of soup, and a chance at a silent auction for bowls held over for "artistic merit", whatever that is, or by being made by a local celebrity. A few weeks ago, our church had more than sixty people making bowls for the event, but since John was organizing it he didn't get to paint one.

So we went back and painted some. :-)

( Cut so that there aren't THAT many pictures on everyone's friends' list. )