Hi there
Thanks for popping in. I hope you’re enjoying your Easter weekend, and that the sun has come out for you? I‘ve been drawing some new stamps, spring cleaning and listening to the new book that Grace has narrated on Audible. Very VERY good. It’s entitled Her Lost Words, by Stephanie Marie Thornton. It’s about a mother and daughter. Grace reads Mary Shelley, the daughter; the woman who created Frankenstein. The other woman is Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley’s mother; also very well read by another narrator. The two readers totally bring the two women to life. Well worth a listen. Based on a true story too.
Dave is at work again. It’s the big push on moving all the laser machines from one location to the new factory while there’s nobody at work. That happened yesterday with Paul, and today he’s fitting them, plus building tables for each one, for the computers. Lucky to have a Dave? Too right!
So I’m hanging out at the house with Ragnar and Erik, who are never far away when I’m home. It’s a good job we love them, because sometimes they do test me. Like nudging things off the piano, so they can sleep up there. Or knocking a pot plant over whilst ‘play-fighting’, so the soil flies all over my newly cleaned floor. And why Erik will insist on using the litter tray BEFORE going outside is beyond me! Has a dump, then strolls off, leaving me to enjoy the Aunt Nell (smell) !
But one thing they haven’t ever demolished is our ceiling decorations! One is always above the dining room table, (I made it years ago). I did catch one of them on the table, dinging one of the little glass droplets, but I think he figured out pretty quickly that if he wanted to live in this house (or even just LIVE), then that was verboten!
The beech branch in the kitchen over the island, which we brought in for Christmas, has taken up permanent residence too. It just fits so nicely, and again, the cats leave well alone. So I can get my little German eggs, birds and Mum’s slate ornaments out after all…
Is it stylish? Is it trendy? Who cares. It’s home. It’s not a show room; it’s where we live. I never was one for keeping up with the Jones’s. Much better to dance my own jig, to the beat of my own drum. And Dave lets me get on with it. Does everything match? Is everything tone in tone? Does the picture on the wall go with the curtains? Not even a little bit! But I know where every little ornament comes from, or who gave it to us.
When I was in my 20’s, when I lived in Germany, our flat in Nürnberg was very posh. White leather sofas, white ceiling-to-floor raw silk drapes, light grey fitted velour carpets, a huge Benjamin Fikus like a tree in the living room – you get the picture. Let’s just say that was B.C. Before Cats and certainly Before Children!! My priorities are so very different now. Much healthier. Sometimes we do have to have a declutter, but that‘s fine. The charity shops are plentiful around here. Dave loves buying and reading old books. Consequently, we have LOTS of old books! Beautiful actually. You can’t beat an old book. The smell and the feel in your hands. I love the old language.
But now it’s time to go check the kiln. I fired her up yesterday, and she should be cooling back down now. I think I may have spoiled the Norman piece that’s in there by using too much oxide, but hey ho. Won’t know till the door’s opened tomorrow. It’s just a bit of mud after all. Here it is, bisque fired. It looked very dark with the copper oxide I used when it went back in yesterday evening, and I really only wanted to ’age’ it a little! Ah well, more will be revealed…Either it worked – or it didn’t. When I closed the kiln, I waved goodbye to the 3 Normans – and detached. It’s all a learning curve, innit! And I have a Plan B. Always gotta have a plan B…
Quote of the day:
We have good days and growing days
Love always
Barb x x x