Christmas 2010 is over

It's one of those perfect days when the "weather outside is frightful" and it's nice to cozy up inside with the fireplace blazing and let the day just develop as it may.  Maybe I'll start my book I got for Christmas, or throw some pots or watch a movie or make a big pot of soup.  

After getting home from our Bond's Christmas get together at Jeff's house yesterday, I spent some time in the studio.  I really liked where this piece was going until I blew a hole out its side and had to crash the whole thing.  I think I'll blame it on the effects of the wind and snow howling outside the studio.

We've gotten about 8 inches so far I'd guess.  It's hard to tell because the wind is blowing pretty hard and moving the snow around quite a bit.  

I decided to try some carving on a piece I'd thrown a few days ago.  The best tool I could find was a kitchen paring knife until Rick brought me up a rather nice woodcarving knife after I was done.  I'm eager to try it with another piece.  

Here are a couple of pieces I made a while ago and are waiting for the first firing in my new kiln.  

The lighting wasn't very good here to see the hand made roses and leaves on this piece.

Here's Rick trying to shovel a path one handed.  He can't get a glove over the brace on his right hand which is still recuperating from wrist surgery, so he keeps his hand in his pocket, holds the shovel with his left hand and kicks it to break a path.  He managed to feed the birds and squirrels but didn't bother to blaze a trail all the way down the driveway to the newspaper box, assuming he would find it hadn't been delivered.  (I hope newspaper delivery people don't risk their lives delivering our local rag on a day when the biggest news is the storm raging outside.)  

I'm glad that I'm still on vacation and don't have to even think about the things I "should" be doing.