It's Sunday night, which means tomorrow is Monday. Which is my day off, right? Yes. But I still have to give the students stuff to do while I'm gone and Susan fills in, which means I need to make one Latin vocab quiz and some Greek/Latin Roots study sheets tonight. Luckily, it's only 8:35. What is going on with the time anyway? Maybe it's because I got up at a reasonable hour today (and that was still 10:30), it has just dragged on, which I really shouldn't complain about. Except that I was going to use that time to do laundry. And the washer is on the fritz. Well damn.
I did however, dye my hair! It's dark again, as I tend to change my hair color seasonally. It still isn't dry all the way, so no telling how it looks. But its *dark*. I also hacked at the bangs, which were in some serious need of TLC. Biggest problem with bangs: you want them to stay one particular length, but hair grows, imagine that. I feel like I cut them every week. Maybe I do?
We just fired our first load of pottery this weekend, and I'm pleased to announce that everything made it through alive! Woo! Eme's mom has a kiln, and offered her services, thankfully. Eme's mom also used to pot professionally, which makes me feel quite dumb, quite frequently. I mean, I took pottery in high school and college, but I am by no means a potter. She talks to me about all kinds of crap that she assumes I know... and... I don't. S cracks? What in the hell are those? Especially doesn't help that we weren't ever really taught how to fire.. that would have been rather handy. All of my pieces look at least slightly better than the students', which makes me feel very good. Though some of them had much more creative ideas, or came very close to matching skills with me (obviously not hard to do...) I still haven't made anything on the wheel... which is weird. That's what I liked best in college. I actually hated all of my handbuilt stuff... Guess I need more practice! Ok, so photo shoot time!
My magic Box! Probably better than the one I made in college. Maybe because I just left it as a square, rather than slamming the living hell out of it. I love that the lid ACTUALLY FITS, and the dots & wood grain sides came out stellar. The other are not as exciting (top is fine.)
A Mayan tile. This actually means something. But I've forgotten what. Maybe it starts with a z?? Other than the fact that I forgot whatever in the hell it means, I like this little guy. Thinking about painting him rather than glazing (possibly the box too) because I want more detail. Glaze always runs into each other... Mainly cause I'm probably bad at glazing.
This little piece is almost an exact copy of the pin that I bought from Lori. I have no defense except that I wanted to try it out. Brilliant idea Lori. Obviously much more successful when it's in one piece. Also, I have no idea how she managed to get the safety pin to stay in the back (it's embedded in the clay.) Maybe she didn't play with hers before firing.. hmmm...
I hate to be crude, but I think this pot looks like big ol' pieces of poo. I can't help but think that. Otherwise, it's actually fairly symmetrical **cough, fairly, cough** and I like the outside as coils and inside being smooth. Except that it looks like poo.
This pot doesn't even deserve a picture that's in focus. ITS THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA. How in the world did I make it that crooked? And why did I not wad it up and throw it back in the bag? We'll never know...
I title this piece "The Aliens Have Landed, and We Have Their Ships." Just so that I don't ever get cocky about my creativity, it's nice to have examples of how bad things can go.
But then there are those things that you LOVE. Like my MAYAN SALSA BOWL. I don't know how into salsa the Mayans were, but right now I could pretty much eat the stuff through a straw. And I made this pot with the full intention of filling this bad boy full of salsa! Made to my exacting, salsa-eating specifications, it boasts a bowl neither to shallow, nor too deep, and adorable little tripod legs that I AM SO PROUD OF. I am obviously the queen of scoring and slipping. In other words, I rock. I fully admit that it is not even all the way around (handmade coil is almost impossible to make even) but the walls are straight and THE LEGS STAYED ON. I am stoked, obviously. A little food-safe glaze, and we'll be in salsa Xibalba! (On second though, I don't think that's a good thing...)
Mildly related to the subject of Xibalba (pronounced like Shibalba. Close enough right? I love when people throw out x's just to fuck you up.) Friday was our Dia de los Muertos Fiesta (yes all you good little DDLMosians, it ended many many days before that, but hey! Fridays are good party days!) The kids made an altar, lots of papel picado, and we made a feast worth of the gods! Mole, tortillas, beans, rice, guacamole, churros, and sugar skulls abounded! The altar was extremely touching; I wish we could keep it up all year.
I was especially touched by it because my kitty, Gato (irony of the name/holiday?) was put to sleep on Tuesday. He had chronic kidney failure and was way past the point of return. It was nice to send him off with such honor. (He's also buried in an extremely beautiful part of the farm, under towering butterfly bushes, and sheltered by a gigantic white mum. Sleep well, little boy.) I'm still in denial I think, but it's made me realize that I need to shower the kitties with affection every second they're with me. He was also an awesome cat, and I'm sure the universe will bring him back to m in one form or another. He was just too good to lose.
Going back to the altar, Zoe's dad had this little gem from a trip to Mexico:
I. Adore. It. I want one. I will make one (Sculpey maybe? Papier Mache is too lumpy and uncontrolable.) I especially love that the eyes are named Pedro and Lupe (as is evidenced on the top of their heads.) Some day... sigh. I did make my own papier mache head, and he is hilariously adorable, but I forgot to take pictures! Maybe later? Anyway, this post is bordering on bcoming a book, so I will leave you with this little gem:
Goodnight All!
