Snow-magedon..... Meh.....

Well we did get a bit of snow but nothing off the charts, as once again predicted by the weather guy.  Kind of wish he'd take some doggie downers.  The temperatures on the other hand are a bit mind numbing.....  -3!  Toss in wind chill and it's a knee knocker!   I can hardly wait for next Tuesday when it's supposed to be -33!  

The evening the storm hit I was in the studio working away at the wheel when the room started glowing pinks and raspberries.  My first thought...... The house is on fire!  Heating our back room with wood, you just never know.  I jumped up and ran out the door but got smacked in the face with one of the prettiest sunsets in a long time.  The wind had shifted and it was cold but how could I not walk down the driveway in my shirtsleeves?  It's like the pied piper and I'm a mouse!  

Within in minutes it was gone....... 

The end of the day when you sigh and say;  good to be alive.

Still decorated!  and probably will be until Easter, it's tradition.

Sunday was downright balmy.  I was supposed to go to the studio but never made it.

Cleaned out the chicken coop, everybody fed and watered.  Then I treated myself to an afternoon in the tunnel house.  Here is the harvest of oak leaf lettuce and a bit of romaine.  In the dead of winter I think it is the best salad I've ever eaten!  This to me is the Christmas miracle!  I will be wrapping the entire yard in poly next year!  Just the smell of moist dirt on cold Dec. day is worth the tunnel!  

Took the time to pot a few plants...... again, moist dirt :) 

Still perfecting my sourdough bread! 

New Year's Eve we had a neighborhood progressive dinner!  

Haven't pulled out the hidden extensions in the old table in a good long time.  Was so much fun to have 12 people crowded around the table as the wood stove crackled.  I had the salad course and broke out garden beans, sun dried tomatoes, beans, potatoes, nasturtium vinegars, sour dough breads and other goodies tucked away.  We feasted on appetizers, soups, salads, main courses and dessert as we rang in the new year..... and we stayed up until the wee hours visiting.  

A very nice way to ring in 2014! 

Wednesday it started....... 

a good 10 inches and now the wind...... YEAH!  for living in the snow belt! 

Even with sub zero temps, the pond still pumps!  The birds just love it! 

The weather has kept me in the studio.  

Why all the teapots?  Come February the Cleveland Museum of Art will be opening a new exhibit: Modern Art of Japan, remaking tradition.

  CMA gift gallery has requested teapots.  I am honored ...... 

March 1st will find me back on the east coast as featured artist in the gallery shop at :

deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum

again...... so excited! 

  So busy days ahead and right now the snow is keeping me in the studio..... a very good way to start the New Year! 

Ahhhhh....... the day after

The day is gone, the wrappings hiding anticipated surprises, then warmed our toes as it burned brilliant flashy colors in the wood stove.  The big ass ham has been eaten and re-wrapped for a week of leftovers as have the host of sides and dessert.  I can see the floor again, I love my floor, it grounds me......

 

This morning is the day I love, the day after!  Still, all the mixed feelings of this holiday season swirl through the early morning house.  Can't say it was a grand and wonderful Christmas but it was a nice day.  We sort of went through the movements of what is expected on the grand day.  Ok, I hate it and don't do well with this holiday...... or any holiday in reality.  This house used to be filled with people; laughing, children twirling, setting small fires with candles while coating fingers and clothing in wax, coloring on walls, fighting and just plain bursting with people.  I can't say I loved that chaos either.  Today it is filled with three and a cat, I think we were spinning but certainly not twirling.  A CAT, who would have ever thought there would be CAT in our home?  Neil is a survivor and plucky so I guess it's why he fits just fine.  It's not that any of these Christmas's are good or bad or anything; it just changes and no matter if the house is bursting or just three fill our decorated rooms.  The decorated rooms now seem large.  How did we ever fit 12 to 14 people around this house?  It's the same amount of holiday stuff, amazingly the stuff remains the same.  Over the years we hashed out the holiday;  I cook, bake and clean, Butch decorates and goes to work.  It works.  

This year is was just different.  Maybe is was the lack of days from Thanksgiving to Christmas, maybe it was the year of challenging shows and lackluster sales culminating in a full week of driving and parceling out work to galleries, maybe it was the idiot in the black beamer, maybe it was Ruth (my mother in law) admitted to a nursing home last Friday, maybe it was having my better half usually known as Mr Christmas, trying to sort through mounds of her paper work, missing paper work, meeting with nurses, nursing home staff, doctors, cleaning her house for his sisters arrival, washing loads of her laundry, offers to help being turned away, watching a guy who sacrificed his year of badly needed vacation to take care of his Mom.  For the first time I watched him bend under the weight and the rest of us trying to bolster him but knowing it wasn't helping.  We carried on because it seemed the right thing to do and we suck at this.  In the back of our minds the oil bubbled to the surface as we remembered the Christmas morning he ran out of the house as his Dad severed the gold thread that tethers the spirit to physical boundaries, it was a hard Christmas.  

Christmas morning as I rambled down the stairs I found him standing in the old dining room, hurriedly hanging ornaments and apologizing for not getting the tree decorated or the last box of decorations up.  No worries, we will drink coffee and get the ornaments on the tree before Abby is out of bed!  Merry Christmas honey, we are here, warm and glad to have each other today.  We really don't need a tree!  Well I don't need a tree but he really needs this tree...... I get it, I really do.

Mortality hits you in the face, especially at the holidays when you look around the room and realize how many are gone........ whether passed on or just scattered to the four winds.  

But this morning the house is quiet, the snows gently floats on bitterly cold air, the coffee is hot, and we are back in the snow globe bubble of a quiet winter.  Mr. Christmas is still off his game but seems happy to be off to work this morning.  He put the trash tote on the curb although the trash pick up isn't until Monday.  I'll bring it back when I let the chickens out...... 

Yes, the ornaments got on the tree, the nisua was toasted, more coffee was made, the presents were opened and the dinner was good!  It was a nice day.  By 4:00 p.m. Abby and Mr Christmas ran up to the nursing home for a visit, I stayed back to clean up the kitchen and get the dessert course ready on their return.  They returned, cheese cake consumed, Abby and Neil packed and headed back to Kent with a car load of food and Christmas bounty.  We settled in to watch a movie on a quiet Christmas night.

It hit me, it's over.  Tomorrow life will resume, normally....... phew!  

Abby got just what she wanted, a GPS!  Otherwise known as MAP!   

She got a bird feeder too with a 50# bag of bird food!  She actually asked for a bird feeder, I almost cried at this request :) 

Dinner was perfect; Abby rocked the stuffed portobello mushrooms this year.  Feta and green bean salad, sweet potatoes made with the canned rum pineapple sitting on the basement shelf, ham and homemade rolls.  Best part of this table; taking 20 minutes to walk around the yard and prune greenery and holly bushes.  

We had a nice time and stayed busy texting Rachael with updates. 

  No cookies this year, cheesecake!  

And I got a new Food Saver as mine died the week before Christmas!

What amazes me every Christmas..... we seem to have an inner compass for what we need.  One year, without knowing we got each other cross country skies.  We laughed pretty hard in our amazement.  It's gone like this over the years.  This year our inner compass seemed to realize we needed time together. He has been absent so much of this fall and winter season, we missed him this year, I missed him this year.  Along with the obligatory package to open Christmas morning, each of us had stuffed our stockings with gift certificates to local eateries and a micro brewery.  A night to steal away, grab a meal and let the world fall away.  

Sincerest Holiday wishes to all who wander to Paine Falls........ :) 

Dear God........

we are in the final stretch of holiday hell.....  I have shopped alone this year and it was good, but alas I have said the "F" word so much I can't even say the word gingerbread without working it in.  

In the car alone, miles of tail lights before me, the windows steamed up. Why?  Because I had on winter attire, shopped in an 85 degree store, stuck in a freezing car and breathing heavily.  Elvis belted out Blue Christmas on the radio and I wanted a cigarette!  I have not smoked in 25 years but there are those times I would smoke 'em if I had 'em.  A guy in a black Beamer, holding a cell phone to his ear with a hand sheathed in black leather driving gloves, jumped the curb and wedged in front of my bumper.......  I wrote the "F" word in the steam and pressed my lips to the glass.  Two stops later, more shopping, the windows had cleared and once again stuck in traffic, the windows again started to fog, the word just magically appeared.  I was sitting next to the Precious Cargo bus.  The busload of cherubic faces with busy fingers writing the "F" word back at me in their steamed windows.  Awesome.....  

OK, get a grip!  I dug in the bag of groceries and found the pink rubber band around the head of fresh broccoli, secured it over my wrist and every time I said the "F" word I snapped it.  By the time I got home I couldn't feel my fingers and my wrist had gone limp.  Maybe I should try my forehead! 

and it's only 8:30 a.m....... 

I was done, completely done, stick a fork in me.  The big ass ham had been scored, the sweet potatoes had been captured, presents lovingly picked out, everything else was in the freezer or garden, time to head for the barn.  The moat would be filled with alligators wearing red bows, the sniper towers would be decorated with holly berry trim, the razor wire was secure and lit in red and grean!  Merry "F'n" Christmas........SNAP!  I snapped so hard the Christmas trees fell off my socks.   

I am safe, I am in the bubble....... I have coffee, I walk around the compound and breath, I cannot leave until holiday crazies are over.  

Thankfully, yesterday was glorious!  The sun came out after three hard days of rain, temperatures soared into the high 50's.  I got my kitchen stuff done and was out the door by noon.

The girls finally emerged from coop!  

Good Morning ladies!

The first sign of garlic planted in the fall!

The rosemary is snug, insulated with leaves.  

It was warm enough to work the compost pile for a bit.

I broke out the shovels and moved the elderberry.  This was a project slated for last fall but it never got done.  It haunted me!  Finishing this one project made me happier than a visit from Santa! 

This is Betina, how do I know it's Betina.  She is bald.  The other girls have pecked her bald.  Betina is broody and loves to sit on the eggs all day while reading the 50 Shades of Beige.  There will be a line to use the nesting box, there are three nesting boxes but they only like on particular box, the one Betina is sitting in.  They will peck at her until she is bleeding and still she sits, undeterred by the bullying. 

I think Batina would smoke cigarettes if she had 'em too.   

This cuckoo maran hen has stopped laying, you can tell by the pink comb, should be bright red and no wattles to speak of, thus no eggs.  I followed this molting hen around singing:  

Chickens roasting on an open fire, 

Bourbon nipping at my nose

Farmers lighting their stoves with a glow.

Will find it hard to wait for pork......  

Batina looked on and laughed! 

Sunday was so nice I dug the last row of potatoes while the chickens gobbled cut worms like they were butter pecan ice cream!  

The sour dough bread is coming along nicely!  

And the ginger beer is really getting good!   I made enough to freeze two pints and this large green bottle kept in the fridge. 

This is pretty simple to make!  1 cup of ginger (I run it through the food processor),  1 grated lime peel and all the juice of the lime,  2 cups of honey, 1 cup of sugar,  4 cups of water.  Bring to a low boil, turn down and simmer for 12 minutes.  Turn off the heat, let stand for an hour, strain through cheese cloth and bottle.  I use 2 tablespoons of the syrup to 12 oz. glass.  Top it off with sparkling water and ice.  Also good with a splash of pineapple juice if you have it.  Also really good with a shot of rum, if you have it! 

Now we can say Merry Christmas!  Well not yet as we are out of bourbon and the liquor store doesn't open until noon!  

Wickedly Good!

Wildly good night of entertainment last night.  One of those nights when you find yourself standing on your feet with hundreds of other fans applauding wildly....... and thinking why don't we do this more often?  

The grandeur of this restored theater is such a jewel in the crown of Playhouse Square it is worth the trip to Cleveland more than once.  I wish I had taken my big camera but the little point and shoot hopefully will convey the richness of a wonderful night on the town.  

As you exit the concrete floor and chill of the parking garage, the world changes.  

The street washes away and civilization seeps in.  People hold the door for each other and say hello, kindly.  

This is the entry to the Palace Theater, next door.  

Holding my camera through the gated entrance I found it impossible to capture the double marble staircases resplendent in ruby red and gold carpets and Christmas greenery.

Abby was running a bit late;  time to hit the streets of Playhouse Square.

We had enough time for dinner at the sushi restaurant next door.  Butch found the menu a bit

daunting but eventually settled on a steaming stone bowl of veggies and glass of wine.  Abby arrived just in time for dinner.

Back in time to grab our playbills and find our seats! 

It was a sold out performance.  The sets and costumes were rich beyond wonder.  Reading the book, I had a hard time getting into the story line.  God bless the creative minds of this world, who made the leap from book to script;  they make the world a better place!  Now understanding why this play has had a 10 year run on Broadway, it should have another 10, at least! 

We were entertained for 2 hours and 30 minutes and had a 15 min. intermission, and we rushed back to our seats after intermission.

As we left the theater I was struck by the throngs of people toddling along to their cars or public transportation.  Young children bouncing around and some using the walls or walkers to support their trek to snow covered streets.  Some well heeled, but most were working people who came to the theater for the love of theater and performance.   A young black man with downs syndrome sat two rows in front of us.  As the curtain rose, he fist pumped the air and he knew the words to the first act.  He jabbed the air with each crescendo.  His Mother and Father sat on each side, she moved her hand over his arm and he became silently focused on the actors and storyline.  

At the end of the play he bolted to his feet and waved his baseball cap wildly in the air..... we followed his lead, all of us jumping to our feet, applauding and cheering.  It was a magical night we don't often treat ourselves to........ thank you Abby, love Mom

Stuff.......

After almost killing myself trying to walk across frozen parking lots with full totes of pottery, I bought a pair of Yaktrax at Dick's.  Walked in the house, plopped the box on the counter and ran out the door to see "THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG", more on that later...... 

This morning on my way to the chickens at dark thirty, I slipped off the patio, landing in a snowbank in my jammies!  The chickens were not even off the roost yet so I cursed my way back to the house.  BC (before coffee), I pulled the Yaktrax out of the box and thought, well don't these look like kiln elements!  Slapped them on my boots and ran out the door, oh yeah I was in my antique blown out yoga pants and long sleeved rugby shirt.  Fashionista in the 'hood!

 

No worries, Butch was snow blowing again, he lives to run that beast of a machine and by the way, I do not consider it garden art!  It will be on the patio until the Easter Bunny visits. 

 

Dodging the flying snow I ran around the driveway, patio and yard.  These things are great!  Kind of springy but do grip on the ice.  Figure the $19.99 was cheaper than a cracked tail bone or worse.  Plus the entertainment value of looking at my Sasquatch snow prints will keep me walking for miles this winter!  

Each and every night the deer have been using the bird feeder like a pinata'.  On my way to the chickens I noticed the perch laying in the snow.  Had an old dowel in the studio I popped it in but it was to small for the opening.  I stuck a clothes pin on both end to keep it in place and walked in to get coffee.  Topped off my coffee and settled in to watch the blue jays dine at the bird buffet.  They looked like they were in a log rolling contest, never getting breakfast.  Bought the right size dowel and left the extended dowel hanging off to the side for the deer and extra junco lineup.  

The bluejay is not impressed...... 

The sharp shinned hawk has found the feeder too; slate blue feathers on the new white snow tells me there was junco munching going on yesterday.  

He finally stopped decorating and snow blowing long enough to work from the kitchen table.  He has a real job....... who knew?!

 

It has begun.  Sunday I locked myself in the bathroom with my iPad, as the giant Christmas Wreath appeared out of the shed.  For two days he has tried to find the burned out singular twinkle light that shorts out the whole wreath.  I have watched him grip the flashlight between his teeth poking through fake foliage looking for the culprit bulb.  I'm all for putting it on the curb.

Then he went to the store for milk and came back with a giant box of, "Three Spiral LED Trees".  I read, made in China, no directions, good luck.  Then I saw the ladder walk down the driveway.  While hiding in the bathroom he rattled the giant sleigh bells under the door.  GO AWAY!   He yelled back;  Not until you say;  I BELIEVE!  I flushed, ran water and yelled, GO AWAY!  I read gardening blogs and texted the kids I was being tormented by the bald elf!   There are bells on every door knob in this house, including the bathroom!  

And so it begins........ 

Hunkered Down.......

There is a reason we spell OhiO like we do.  It's the weather, a real roller coaster and you better have your seat belt on.  It started snowing mid week, took a break and then started up yesterday morning.  Bitterly cold, walked out last night to put Betina and Chick-ets to bed and it was kind of nice, 30's.  

This morning the wind has picked up and we are in for another arctic clipper.  

Another 4-7" by tomorrow morning..... bring it!

 On my way out the door this morning.  

so quiet..... 

sleeping in.... again! 

Morning girls!  Get Up!  Pretty bad when the flock mistress has 

to kick the chickens off the roost! 

Still not coming out..... I spread straw.  They hate snow and cold feet.

They have all but stopped laying, 3 eggs a week is not laying.  

Time to hang that frying pan over the door! 

On my way back to the house Ralphie, the neighborhood cat was busy hunting around the raku kilns.

I love sneaking up on Ralphie, I yell his name and he just freaks out!  Ralphie, I am all powerful, queen of my domain and know your name, carry on Ralphie! 

 and I wonder if Ralphie is hunting deer that visit the chickens every night.

 Stop by the studio and yup, still have a gazillion pots looking for homes. 

Dropped off a gazillion to Val over at Gestures Gallery in Rocky River last week.  

And can I just say visiting my old gallery owners is just the best.  I miss them and hope to see 

them more often this year.  Tuesday, I will be headed over to see Liz at Gingko Gallery in Oberlin. And see that kayak hanging from the ceiling?  If the rivers were not 

frozen I'd be headed out for a paddle this morning!  

2014 I see big changes of sanity! 

The pond is still running and there isn't anything much better then hearing the pond 

in the still of winter snow.

And yesterday we crapped out and bought EZ Bricks for the wood stove.  

It runs $200 a ton and took two trips to our wood guy.  This is our winter experiment.  A cord of wood is twice that price and the wood from our maple is still green.  In the snow storm we just could not head down the road an hour away to get a load of cheap wood from our guy in Middlefield.  These EZ Bricks are compressed bio wood (no additives)  I called the owner of the company and asked him why I should buy these?  1. Easier to handle and store.  2. no seasoning or splitting (blasphemy!)  3. Stores cleaner, no fungus or bugs (ok interested as I just watched a carpenter ant walk across the floor from the seasoned firewood sitting by the wood stove!)  4. Burns hotter and longer due to lower moisture content and higher density.  5. Cleaner burn, less ash, less creosote, less smoke.  All proving to be true. 

Three bricks are heating the back room and then some and there is very little ash but I use ash in my glazes and garden, not to mention the bio char!  We will see how long this ton lasts.  The biggest draw back that pissed me off beyond words..... the amount of plastic this stuff came wrapped in!  The pallet was wrapped in SIX layer of plastic, then covered in black plastic and every three bricks wrapped in plastic!!!!  I am so anti-plastic I almost had a stroke when we picked these up and I will probably go back to splitting wood just over this one factor.

I have been making my own ginger beer this winter.  I have had some hits and some eye tearing misses. On a Trader Joe's run I picked this stuff up, as pineapple was listed in the ingredients.  It's delicious and now onto more fun in the kitchen with ginger beer! 

Current read I am just loving! 

And remember my post on "Sole Food"?  Well turns out one of the old ladies is a smart ass.

We had a get together down at the abandoned club house on Friday but alas I fell asleep in the chair watching "Tangled".  Butch went down for a beer and neighborhood meet up.  He brought this home, saying Joane sent this down for your Christmas holiday season.  Chicken Poop lip balm!  Being a smart ass myself I think this is hysterical!  Now it's my turn to take down a bag of chicken feed!

Homemade Cracker Jack, but I'm gonna label it chicken feed and slap a bow on it :) 

I have to get it out of the house because I am going to eat the whole bowl!

Haven't made it in years and probably won't make it for another few years.  

Anybody remember Screaming Yellow Zonkers?  So good!