Thursday, January 26, 2012

dawn, teaching, and a birthday



I'm up early this morning, woke at 5 AM when the cat wanted out. How does she do that? It's always around 5 AM when she wants out. Usually I can go back to sleep but not this morning. I laid in bed for nearly an hour and then just got up. That may not seem very early to many of you but I don't normally wake up til around 7 or 7:30 and sometimes sleep til 8 AM.

The nice thing about getting up when it's still dark is seeing the sunrise. Sitting here I am facing east looking out the windows and I have a nice view across the yard and the agricultural field. The not so nice thing is that I'm facing east and once the sun pops up this time of year, it shines right in my face over the top of my computer. The big tallow in the little back yard will block it out but I have to constantly shift my position as the sun rises past one big branch or another. Once the trees leaf out it's not so much of a problem.

Today is the last full day before we leave to drive to Austin for a 5 day workshop. We're teaching at Helios Kiln Glass Studio and will have 8 students. We like teaching there. It's a small place but Paul and Karen are such wonderful hosts and good friends and it's been a couple of years since we have seen them. Our students will be making a small decorated cup in the pate de verre lost wax casting technique. If you want to know more about that process you can read about it here.

Emma the cat is going to be left behind, housebound for the week, with my sister coming over every day to check on her. We always took her to our daughter's house before but in the two years since we went out of town to teach, they acquired a dog and two cats of their own.

I made two new cups (4" x 4" x 2") to go with the two I already had to show as examples for the students. I intended to document the process to show them in pictures what they would be doing before I just turned them loose but that was only partially successful. I tend to get absorbed in what I am doing so there are some gaps in the photos. Oh well. It will be better than nothing.

I also wanted to mention that it rained yesterday! A lot of rain for a long time. Lightning and thunder kind of rain. After it passed through there was water in the ditch and standing in low spots in the yard and on our way in to the city yesterday we passed the little creek that had gone dry over the summer and it has water in it again. I don't know how this affects the drought. We've been getting some fairly regular rain but they are still predicting drought conditions for this year. I guess we'll see how the summer goes.

Well, the male cardinals are singing their love songs and the females are chirping back at them and the wren is screeching at the cat and it's full blown day and the sun is shining in my eyes.

Oh, and today is my third blog birthday.




20 comments:

  1. Happy, Happy 3rd blog Birthday and congratulations.
    I very seldom get to see the sun come up. Our mountains are to the east and so we get light before we get the sun. Always fascinating to me when somewhere else to see the sun just come up out of the the horizon. Beautiful sunrise photo.
    Sounds like you and your students are in for a very good class. Have fun and enjoy your time. Linda

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  2. Happy blogoversary! My third is coming up in a couple of months. Weird because it feels like you've been around a lot longer than me :)

    I SO did not want to get up this morning. It was pouring rain & I just wanted to stay in bed & forget about going to work. Sigh. Oh well, it's better to save my vacation time for a pretty day than a rainy one :)

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  3. The cups are beautiful! I particularly love the one with the pink flower!

    My computer setup is similar to yours, facing the east, but I have to close my shades when the sun crests over the pine trees. The workshop sounds like fun. I hope you all enjoy yourselves.

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  4. Happy Blog Birthday Ellen, you know that I'm raising my coffee cup in a toast to many more blog posts ... Cheers to you :)

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  5. HBEAB!

    (Happy Birthday Ellen Abbott's Blog)

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  6. 3 years is real neat.It sounds like spring if those cardinals are singing love songs.I like that koi on the bowl, very unique.

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  7. happy 3rd blogiversary!!! yay!

    those cups are beautiful! the koi is gorgeous!!!

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  8. Glad you decided to blog three years ago! Makes my day! Your work is GORGEOUS!!! LOVE!!!

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  9. Thanks for the wonderful posts and pictures of the beautiful work and the wry humor--I havn't forgot the Texas rain gauge! Enjoy your workshop and see you next post.

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  10. Congratulations on lasting for three years, there are not many of us who regularly blog for this length of time, are there?

    Have a good time teaching, if your students produce work half as beautiful as yours you will do yourself out of a market.
    What's better, spreading your skills around or keeping them to yourself and reaping the rewards?

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  11. Congratulations on 3 years, Ellen. My anniversary is close to yours, on the 21st.

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  12. Wow, I feel like we have been friends forever. Happy 3 years and good luck at the class. Sounds like fun. :)

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  13. Happy Blog Birthday To You !!!

    I get up between five and six. I'd love to stay cozy til seven but my dogs won't have it.

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  14. Beautiful sunrise!! Happy Blog Birthday!!!
    Love the cups...gorgeous
    Your class sounds wonderful. How lucky for the students that you are teaching!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  15. What a beautiful post! Happy blog birthday - and many more.

    The sunrise is gorgeous!

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  16. Such pretty cups, Ellen. Happy blogaversary! And I hope your enjoying your workshop. Nice to get a way. :)

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  17. Happy 3rd!

    I hope the seminar is going well

    love your sunrise

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  18. The cups are just beautiful. Your students are going to be happy if they can create such lovely art. We are in the midst of a drought - 100 years since it has been this dry. The ski resorts are really hurting this year.

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  19. Happy happy birthday!!! Yaay!

    I usually get up just a bit later, 5 and something. I have a slow morning and start work at 7.30.

    Not these days, though... The school is closed because of the wind - has been for two days and will be tomorrow, too. So I get u around seven.

    I wish you many more blog birthdays!

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