Luminaries

I have been thinking about making luminaries for quite some time. About two years ago I made a small one, but didn't do a good job sanding the edges of the cut outs. They were much to sharp so it got the hammer. How about that crawly shino on the left? Rather scary! We aren't sure why, but we had a few pots in this firing with the creepy crawly shino.

 The luminaries are about 6" tall. 

There is a little cutout in the back of the jug to insert the tea light.

Dad update: He is still in the hospital. They aren't sure when they will move him to the rehab center. The day before yesterday he began hallucinating and has been delirious ever since. The vascular doctor ordered an ultrasound to see if his carotid artery was blocked. All they could see was a little calcium, which he doesn't think would cause this. So we are all still waiting. 

Dad

Dad is still in the hospital. The doctors would like to move him to Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital in Portsmouth, NH but he has been having small strokes everyday. Until he is stable for 24 hours he isn't going anywhere. Yesterday he was doing much better. My brother Paul sent a photo of Dad eating dinner. He was even feeding himself for the first time since the big stroke last Friday. Then an hour later he sent a text that he had another small stroke. When the strokes happen, he doesn't know his name, or where he is. His speech becomes "word salad", a term that the nursing staff uses. The little strokes aren't showing up on a CAT scan. His hip replacement is too new to do an MRI, which would give the doctors a lot more information.

It's hard for me to believe that this photo of Dad, taken five years ago when Jeff and I were moving to North Carolina, is the same man in the photo that my brother texted me last night. I bet those pants would fall off of him now! Five years ago he was still mowing that green grass and trimming bushes and hedges. My Mom's been gone a year now. Dad has been a trooper. He has managed living alone much better then any of us kids ever imagined. I am not sure he will be going back home.

It's always something

What a week it has been. We are trying to keep up with studio work and complete our kitchen rehab so that we can move by the end of next week. Wednesday, I got a call from my sister. Dad fell and broke a hip. He had partial hip replacement surgery late in the day Thursday. Friday morning he had a stroke. His right side is week and his speech is slurred. It's a wait and see thing now. This is when I really hate being so far away. I just want to pack my suitcase and buy a plane ticket to New Hampshire. 

Enough of the depressing side of things, how about some cheery celadon?

 Two different Highwater porcelains with the same glaze. Notice how much darker the cup is? I think that must be the P-10. The plate is Helios.

Enjoy your holiday weekend, I hope the weather where you are, is as nice as it is here Seagrove, NC.

Art Therapy

I never made it into the pottery studio on Sunday. The day was spent doing household stuff like pushing the vacuum around and running the washing machine. The bisque kiln was firing away, getting our pots ready to be glazed today.

In the corner of one room, three new canvasses have sat for nearly a year. I bought them to create a triptych of ginkgo leaves for Danielle's birthday. The evening that I came home with the canvas and a few other supplies, the phone rang as soon as I set my bag down.  It was my sister. She was calling with the news of my parents car accident. The accident that began the spiral of events that consumed my winter and ended with my mother's passing in May. I had neither the time nor inclination to start the painting. As time wore on I would move them to vacuum behind them but still couldn't bring my self to peel of the plastic coverings and get to work.

Yesterday I decided it was time. I set up my work space and started to paint.
It felt so good...
So good that the time got away from me. I was listening to music and happily mixing colors and laying down my background. When I looked at the clock it was 10pm and we hadn't eaten dinner yet! Jeff was still in the studio throwing pots. I cleaned up my paints, gave some leftovers a new life, and we enjoyed our late night dinner together.

Meditating with porcelain

It was time to clean up the wheel and break out the porcelain this week. Jeff had been after me to make some small cups and carve them, so I figured now was as good a time as any. While I was at it I threw and carved a variety of shallow bowls. Most of these will get celadon glaze. This next firing will be a test. I'll do one in only celadon and another in celadon with black underglaze. I really like carving through porcelain, the cream cheese texture feels so good under my carving tool and it's quite meditative.

Working a little differently also kept my mind occupied and it was a good escape from the worries of my mother's illness. She is still at the rehab center of a nursing home. She hasn't gained any strength and in reality is much weaker. I have to force myself to call everyday. It's so depressing to talk with her. She is having a very difficult time coming to terms with this. Everyday she tells me she is so tired and doesn't understand why. I just don't know how to respond to her without saying, "Mom, you have terminal cancer, what are you expecting?" But of course I can't say that to her.  I think because she is in "rehab" she has it in her head that she should be getting strong enough to come home. I guess that was the goal when they moved her, but I really don't think she is coming home. My sister is going to be with them today for appointments with the oncologist and palliative care. I am hoping after today we will have a better idea of what we are facing in the next few weeks. I am staying on top of laundry here at home, in case I have to quickly hop on a plane... on the bright side, at least we haven't been running out of socks!

Heading North

My mind has been preoccupied, therefore I have had nothing to blog about. I can't say that I have gotten much work done either. I have spent a lot of time worrying about my parents in New Hampshire. Last week my sister Anita had to go back to work and my parents were alone for the first time since the accident at the end of February. They have lots of support, my aunts and uncles are nearby. A nurse comes nearly everyday and there are physical and occupational therapists a few times a week. Anita took a day off to take them to an appointment with the surgeon that will eventually do the skin grafts. Despite all the support, they had a tough week. Dad isn't sleeping, my Mom had quite a bit of pain, and was sounding grumpy when I called. When I got off the phone with her on Friday Jeff and I came to the conclusion that I needed to go. I will leave tomorrow, flying out of Charlotte, and spend a week. When I called to let them know I was coming my Mom was so happy she was crying. I made the right decision. No matter how much they sometimes (often) drive me crazy, I need to be there for them.

Last night Anita filled me on what to pack (light clothes, summer jammies, their apartment is 75 degrees!) warm clothes for going out (it's been in the single digits most mornings) and what to be prepared for as they are very particular in their old age. She also said that when I grocery shop, my Aunt Rita will stay with Mom and that Dad will tag along to the market... and will insist on pushing the cart. She said he is also a bad cart driver and you have to make sure he doesn't run over the other shoppers! We don't need anymore accidents.

The wonderful sister that she is, she left a bottle of wine in the fridge for me... she said I'll need it.

Jeff will stay behind and hold down the fort. He has been working on a large dinnerware order. I absolutely love it and I am hoping there will be a few extra pieces that will find their way into our cabinets. Large and small plates and mugs are done, as you can see. He is now making the flared rim soup/salad bowls, serving bowls, and a two quart casserole.
No internet access at  my parents. Since I only have a "dumb phone"I will be unconnected for most of the trip. Ya'll have a great week!