post-holiday post

I trust everyone had a wonderful holiday, whichever one you relate to, without too much underlying tension this year. We had a fun evening at our daughter's house for dinner.

My brother always sends us chocolate covered strawberries. This was the card included...

I'd say he knows me well.

Other happenings...

One of my anti-Trump posts finally got noticed by a Trumpet and he, I presume it was a he, left a comment from a fake account that was mild in comparison to some of the stuff that has been going on. Let's see...he told me I was a stupid pig, called me a moron cause obviously I hadn't heard Trump won, and then told me I 'must be' very ugly. I deleted it and reported it as spam. But not satisfied with that he sent me an email I assume under a fake or spammed account because would he be so stupid to use his real name? maybe, which got caught in my spamblocker, just to tell me I am very ugly. So, what the hell, I replied. I told him what a coward he was for using a fake name, that he obviously had a little bitty penis and couldn't get a date, hence his lashing out at me, and that I found it hysterical that he thought Trump gave a rat's ass about him unless it was trying to figure out how to con him out of his last dollar. Then I marked his email as spam. I didn't expect him to get it, you know fake account and all, but apparently he, or someone, did as I got a reply which showed up in my spamblocker which I did not read and immediately marked it as spam.

Another confrontation...I worked in the antique store Friday and right at closing a couple came in asking what time we closed. Right now but come on in and take your time. As they were leaving, he says 'merry christmas, we can say that now with our new president' or something to that effect. That just set me off. You could always say it, everyone could always say it, no one is telling anyone they can't say it, it's a tempest in a teapot! Well, he says, in the schools it's got to be 'happy holidays' (as if he doesn't know holiday is a contraction of holy day, on second thought he may not). I asked him what was wrong with that as there are many holidays during this season and what is wrong with people who can't accept well wishes for a festive season from a stranger. His wife was mostly silent during this but she did sort of murmur assent at that. Well, I'm christian, he says as he is leaving, and I say merry christmas. I pretty much guaranteed they will never be back. That was probably wrong of me but I will no longer let crap like that pass, I don't care what time of year it is or where I am.

On the non-political front, I chased another wren out of the house yesterday, something I do four or five times a year. They love to come in the garage and poke around and if the door is open, which it often is weather permitting, they just come right on in.

I've been over at the shop making waxes for use in new pieces 

The wax makes these swirly patterns as it cools.

and starting on the reorganization now that everything our friend is bringing from his vacant and deserted studio is here. I've spent three days over there moving boxes and small equipment, got the wax working set up in it's new permanent spot...maybe, I know where I'm putting the mold making area but the sandblasting cabinet is there right now. It doesn't look like I've done much but at least I have a plan. The four kilns are going over in the single bay and the big table is now back over in the double bay. The dozen or so crates of sheet glass and frit are going against west wall and the cold work machines will stay pretty much where they are.

Left to right: wet belt sander, kiln (silver), kiln (blue), flat lap, kiln and another flat lap behind the table, tall rolling rack also behind the table, work bench with grinder, ring saw, small flat lap underneath, and glass saw on the bench, behind the work bench is a tile saw and the fourth kiln. And this is just the stuff in the middle of the double bay.

And, finally, we're having unseasonably warm weather which is saying something since it's in the low to mid 70s on christmas more often than not. It's springlike except that everything is turning brown instead of green.