Be Prepared

We are 100+ miles from the coast but we are still expecting hurricane Florence to have a significant impact on the Seagrove, NC area. The brunt of the storm will probably hit us overnight. The wind gusts have arrived ahead of the rain. A large tree has already fallen in my neighbors yard.

Jeff and I spent the last couple of days securing our yard and kiln shed. We are really glad that we put up additional side walls on the shed this summer. The kiln will be much more protected now.

Jeff trimmed limbs from trees. Yesterday we brought all the patio furniture and plants into the studio. We have all of our pitchers and containers filled with water. We have town water and typically don't lose it when the power goes out, but who wants to chance it?

Our preparations are complete and today we will get back to work in the studio, as long as we have power. I have some piggy banks to assemble and will be able to work on them sans-power... As long as it's not too dark!
If you are in the path of the storm, be smart and stay safe.

Slowly moving forward...

The last two days have been spent glazing. I have quite a few orders for "Bull" piggy banks so while I was at it I turned a couple of the larger banks into bulls as well. I think I finally have the "Bull" assembly down and the making is going a little quicker.

We are a few days behind in our firing schedule. I can blame some it on the heat. It takes longer than usual to stand outside, sand pots, and load, when the temps are in the 90's and the air is tropical. Add an elderly, sick cat to the mix and some days it felt like I was crawling along. Sophie cat is hanging on but some days she is just pitiful. I am not sure how much longer she will be with us. Last night, after a "bottom half" bath and some new meds, she seemed to have rallied a little. At 17 years of age, she has lived a good long life.
We love her dearly.

Something sort of new...

The personalized piggy banks sell so well that I decided to start offering personalized mugs in my Etsy shop. The first prototype was a gift for my great niece.  I delivered it to her when we visited New Hampshire last month.

Last month... wow. Where did August go? I can't believe it's September already. I am looking forward to some cooler and less humid weather. I am hoping it arrives soon. There is nothing like windows open and fresh air in the house. Especially for sleeping at night.

Back to the mugs. I will offer these in a few more glaze combinations and probably with some other stamps. I will be adding more to the Etsy shop in the coming weeks.

Enjoy the Labor Day weekend, even if you have to labor.