Fiorghra: christmas

Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Christmas Celebrations 2011

Christmas Eve gathering for our Yankee Swap

Rick had been going on all night about how he was going to get #1 for the Yankee Swap and sure enough he did!

Jared opening a bottle of Gray Goose Vodka. Unfortunately it wasn't long before someone else traded him for it.

Jenika was very happy to get the batter bowl I made, along with some pancake mix and real maple syrup.

Unfortunately for her it got scoffed up, first by Linda and then later by Sara who was the final owner.

Jared

Lisa with Chelsea and Justin looking on

Sara, Chris, and Donnie

Justin

Moi

Anytime Rick makes anything resembling a lap, Karma makes himself comfortable.

Christmas morning breakfast.

Monkey bread and egg and sausage casserole

Christmas morning breakfast

Emma enjoying her bed by the fireplace

A visit from Mom the day before Christmas Eve

Sunday, December 18, 2011

I've been really busy with work and trying to get a few pieces of pottery made before Christmas. I was surprised that the tall vase below came out so nicely. I'd glazed this piece quite some time ago and but the red chun I'd used on it was turning out gray on every other piece I'd done so I decided to dip this piece into the celadon blue (the color of most of the other pieces in this photo) figuring it might come out some color in between but lo and behold, the red chun came through beautifully!

My small bounty from the most recent firing. The red chun actually came out nice this time.

On Wednesday, December 14th, in response to our idiot Governor's effort to cut 65,000 people off our state's Medicaid program, we helped to organize a rally at the State House. Reports said over 500 people attended, many of them staying to testify afterwards.

It was a hectic week working with folks on their testimony and trying to close cases and getting things wrapped up so that I could be gone for two weeks. Rick sent me a nice bouquet of flowers on Tuesday. Thursday evening we went to The Liberal Cup and listened to Back Woods Road. Rick came down and sang a couple of songs with them. Tammy Trask joined us as well.

I had planned to go out shopping on Friday but ended up staying home and throwing a couple of pots. Went to Eddie's Christmas party for a bit and then to The Mad Dog in Gardiner to listen to Rick Dosedlo and Logan. On Saturday we went out and bought our Christmas tree and hit a couple of stores. I got home by mid afternoon and then just puttered until about two a.m. decorating and cleaning.

Emmy had been acting pretty sick and not eating so I gave her the bed I'd bought for her for Christmas early and she lied close to the fire and seemed to feel better after a few hours. She even ate some canned food and was back on dry food this morning.

Overall a very nice start to my vacation.

Monday, December 27, 2010

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.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas 2010, Monmouth & Belgrade Lakes

Relaxing in front of the fire Christmas night

Justin trying to show Jenika the new head massager. It's wicked nice!

Chris and Sara - first Christmas together.

The Bond/Dale household

The "kids."

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas 2010 with Jason and Adriana

Stockings all hung by the chimney with care

Opening Christmas Stockings

Rick, me, Adriana, Jason

Adriana and Jason

Playing Apples to Apples: Rick, Jared, Sara, Justin, Chris, Adri and Jason

We had been hoping for a snowstorm while they were here but it held off until the day we had to drive them to the airport in Portland. Being from Los Angeles, they don't get to see much snow.

It was the first time Rick and I had met Jason's girlfriend, Adriana. We really liked her and we had a great visit. We had a big family dinner with all the boys, plus Sara and Keeley on Sunday. On Monday I gave her an introductory less in throwing on the wheel and later we took a trip up to Farmington and showed them around UMF where Rick works, shopping at Reny's and Liquid Sunshine and then dinner at The Dugout. On Tuesday we played a few rounds of Pictionary (Rick and I won the playoff round by the skin of our teeth!) and had dinner at The Liberal Cup in Hallowell.