A Morning of Mourning

Scruffles
(aka Scruffleupagus Rex, or informally as "Da Scruff")

I woke up this morning to find that my days must now go on without Scruffles. He passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. Totally unexpected. He was perky and happy last night as I oozed his goo, scritched his itchy spots and he groomed my hands. A picture of contentment. Little did I know it would be our last time together. He was an old man, by rattie years, though. When I rescued him, he must've been nearly two and then he lived with me since September 2008. But I'm still in a bit of a shock.

He was so affectionate, sweet and good-spirited despite the lackluster start he had in life as a half-starved "disposable" breeding buck for a pet store. I'll never forget how he fervently chewed his way out of the pet store cardboard carry-box in the car on the way to his new home here because he just wanted to be held. He loved life here, thrived on the attention and fattened nicely and settled in quickly. He was an expert shoulder-sitter, who liked to hug his little body close to my neck and cuddle in the crook of my arm. All he really wanted was affection and to express affection. Everyone loved him, not just me. He was just one of those little spirits that captured your attention immediately. Life without Scruff seems, well, incomplete, oddly uncomfortable.

You will be sorely missed, Scruff. I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to have you in my life!

"Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight." ~ Rossiter Worthington Raymond

A Morning of Mourning

It's a Wuzzle World

Wuzzle? What are you doin'?

That's Wuzzle up there, casually bruxing away while laying atop his brother, Jeepie. The hammock is supporting him, but just barely, but Jeepie doesn't seem to care. They are both big, blobby boys, refined experts at eating, sleeping, and bruxing. Horribly spoiled, these two live the Life of Riley. It's hard to believe that when I first got them, their little baby bodies were as big as their heads are now. I'm still trying to get pix of them running amok on the rat couch (I had hoped I could snap one good enough to Photoshop into a Christmas card), but they still hog the camera. So I'm stuck snapping photos of them in their cage during the day when it's sleepy time. I'll keep trying, though.

But the stamped stoneware tiles are about ready to fire! I'd thought about just plowing forward and using up all the pugs for one big fire. But it occurred to me that (1) Christmas is around the corner and well...that entails things other than tiles tiles tiles and (2) I should probably do a small batch first to see if this grandiose plan will even work, otherwise I'll just be wasting a lot of time and clay.

So I need one day to clean up the ones I had to drills holes in a bit, and to fret and recheck everything about a dozen times. And then into Big Al they go for the first stage of fire (Cone 04, or 1945˚F). My new high-fire glazes should be arriving any day now, and when they get slapped on, the tiles are again fired and brought up to Cone 5 (about 2167˚F). This is reverse to earthenware clay which is bisque fired hottest (Cone 04), and then glazed at a lower temperature (Cone 06, or 1828˚F). Something new and experimental -- I can't wait! But it'll have to wait until after Christmas -- doooh. This is worse than the anticipation of Christmas morning!

Anyway, I also ordered some bisque ornament tiles from Cowtown Ceramics, Inc. They've been wonderful to work with, so I'm really excited about getting their tiles. The interesting thing is that their tiles are cut from a clay sheet, not slip cast from plaster molds. This means they can custom-cut any shape for you for a modest set-up fee, opening up whole new pathways of creativity.

But my grand plan is to create ceramic decals from my black and white drawings (some of them “serious” and some of them fun and doodle-ish) and fire them onto these tiles as giftware. If that works, I may even have color decals produced of some of my paintings (this company was recommended by a friend). My aim is create lines of giftware that are affordable and relatively quick to produce to start diversifying and expanding my studio. In economic downtimes, I’m not one to hunker down and entrench. I see it as an opportunity to grow and explore new markets, so we’ll see what happens. It could end up being a complete waste, but unless I try it, I'll never know, right? So onward!

And speaking of "onward!"...Mom came over today to help with the KP for the German Christmas feast. We pre-prepped the rouladen and made the rumkugeln (eighty of them!), and finalized plans for the big day. To grease the proceedings, Hubby kept us well coddled with plenty of spiked eggnog and made sure ol' Bing's Christmas CD was hummin' along.

But this morning, I delivered my finished painted Christmas balls to my friend, Tina, who'll take them to her family for Christmas. Every year I paint them for her family, who kinda adopted me when I first moved here to Idaho. So for a week every year, the studio stops so I can whip them up. I also paint one for my parents, which I gave to Mom today, so now I have one more to paint -- Hubby's. I've painted a Christmas ball for him each year since we first met (1997), and I paint onto them the major things that happened to us that year. Since I don't keep a photo album, they are the only record of that year. So it's a special ritual to unpack them one by one and reminisce. We joke that when we're close to croaking, they'll be a collection of 50+ balls and we'll need to get another tree! And then all manner of salty jokes about balls comes into play, of which I'll spare you. Anyway, I'm going to have a rather late night finishing it tonight. After Christmas, so's not to spoil the surprise, I'll post pix so you can see what I'm talkin' about.

But I also have to get up early tomorrow morning to prep food for the Christmas Eve feast with my Mother in Law here. So let's just say this entire weekend is going to be a shameless wallowing in food and libations and indulgence. We're gonna live the Wuzzle Way and be a Jeepie for each other.

PS: And btw -- those funky dried seed pods I wrote about in this blog post are called "teasles." Thank you everyone for your heads-up! What a fun name -- it fits their alien-like shape!

"It is true I gained muscular vigour, but with it a prodigious appetite, which I was compelled to indulge, and consequently increased in weight, until my kind old friend advised me to forsake the exercise." ~ William Banting

It's a Wuzzle World

Punching a Hole in Tradition

As I look outside, at the bitter cold and grey skies, it makes me so happy to look upon my Blobbies, all cozy and warm, content and safe. And gooey. I was able to snap this photo of Scruffles, aka Scruffallupagus Rex (he's a curly coat) or Scruff (for short), eating a breakfast of scrambled egg nestled in his nest. He's still a little bleary eyed from just waking up to munch. Ah, breakfast in bed. Life is rough being Scruff.

I'm starting to gear up for Christmas in earnest, and have immersed myself into the painting of the annual Christmas balls for some dear friends. These are a lot of fun -- cartoony and quick, they're a nice departure from realism. I'm playing Mystery Science Theater's "Santa Claus" on a loop, and even though I've watched it probably twenty times, I still crack up. "Santa's army of walking corpses," drones Tom Servo. Now that's what I call the holiday spirit! You can even catch the episode (in segments) on YouTube.

Speaking of Christmas spirit -- sometimes it can become, well, monumentally boring. In particular, the food. After thirty years of memory, it became unbearable to cram turkey, ham or capon, and all their various manifestations, down my gullet one more time. So last year, I put the kibosh on the traditional Christmas dinner, or rather, I was able to convince the rest of the family that we could no longer beat this dead tree anymore. So last year we opted for a Polish Christmas and this year we decided on a German theme (and Hubby is blissfully happy about this!). We decided on rouladen, close/knodel, spaetzle and roasted asparagus (that last bit was my rather un-German addition just for kicks). For dessert, we'll be making these dollops of devilish delight, rumkugeln. For an appetizer, I'll be making my popular camenbert pastry puffs with cracked pepper. OK...so they're not classically German, but they're good and I know how to make them blind-folded.

So on the 23rd, Mom is coming over to do some pre-preparations, like wrapping up the rouladen, "sampling" the rumkugeln (I suspect I may have to quadruple the recipe for this) and finalizing plans. Mom and Hubby got our tree lights going today, too, and my plush Emile now sits atop our tree, grasping his wedge of cheese, as our Christmas angel. One of these days, I want to sculpt an angel rattie, using the slab technique with my slab roller, for atop our tree. I think this might actually be a fun sideline -- fun, whimsical angel animals to top Christmas trees.

And speaking of slabbin' -- Barry from Bear Cast LLC came over yesterday to drop off what's probably the last of my "Reflective" plaques and I showed him what I was doing with my slab roller. Because of that serendipitous decision, I noticed that I'd forgotten to punch holes in an entire batch of tiles! I'm just not ready to figure out what to do with thirty-six tiles with no hanging holes! But they were too dry to use the tube -- drat. So I ended up having to drill (very carefully) holes into either corner of all those tiles. That's seventy-two holes. Yow. It did create a different look to the back, but golly -- what a mess with all the clay "chips" from the drilling. I much prefer the tube! But they have holes now and all is right with the world again. Phew.

Anyway, I do hope your Christmas preparations are going as smooth as eggnog, and you're staying cozy and warm, too!

"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together." ~ Garrison Keillor

Punching a Hole in Tradition

For Every High, There Must Be A Low

Life can throw some curve balls at you, ones that whip around and whack you in the side. Yesterday, I had to put my little buddy, Bixy, to sleep. He was a big boy. About three pounds and large. He also was beautiful -- lovely coloring and pretty ruby eyes. He was healthy as a horse his entire life, never needing medication (which is rare for a pet rat). But he was very old and started to show it. I knew his time was coming, though I had no idea it would be so sudden and out of the blue! His body finally started to give out and he started to crash, so I rushed him to my vet and had him peacefully put to sleep.

Bixy was quite a character, and a bit of a mystery (you can read about how I first got him here, nearly two years ago -- quite a terrible beginning). Predictably, he was a handful from day one. He was quite young (maybe eight months), and perhaps his experience left him a little "rough around the edges," but he was sweet and playful nonetheless. Beasley and Zeebee (my adult males I had at the time) had to socialize him quickly, though, as Bix was prone to playing a little too roughly and throwing his weight around a bit too much. So Beasley would adroitly flip Bix onto his back and lay on him, pinned down. That's all he'd do -- just lay on him, with this patient, "The boy is at it again," look on his face. After about twenty seconds of Bixy spazzing out, he capitulated and Beasley immediately let him up. After about two weeks of that (yes -- it took two weeks!), Bix started to behave more mannerly with the old men. It reminded me of what old bull elephants do with young bull elephants -- they teach them how to behave.

But what I didn't know was how attached Bix became to the two old guys, especially Beasley. When Zeebee and Beasley passed, Bix fell into a deep depression. He wouldn't come out to play, wouldn't eat and barely drank for nearly a week. Though he seemed to snap out of it -- he was never the same rattie again. He had suffered some kind of trauma, and he became insecure and aggressive as a result -- a bad combination. Despite my attempts to assuage him, he was my first rattie to go from being sweet and socialized to becoming an aggressive biter. And when he bit -- he meant it. Trust me when I tell you that when a rattie means to bite you out of anger, it's not something to laugh at.

This broke my heart, but I was determined to give him as good a life as I could regardless. He was my little "rebel without a cause," and over the next year and a half, I endeavored to earn his cooperation on some level. I didn't force myself on him, and that non-threatening approach was rewarded by him allowing me to pet him for a time, to give him rides on my shoulder (he'd crawl up my arm to get there), and finally being allowed to pick him up (about eight months ago). But he still retained a decided idea of his own "space," and a low tolerance to getting "buddy buddy." And was still quite hostile to anyone but me.

I believe we have things and experiences in our life for a purpose, and his presence in mine clearly was to teach me several important lessons about life, loss, empathy and patience. I'm also grateful to Hubby and my parents for tolerating an animal in my life who was dangerous -- simply out of trusting me and knowing that I needed to care for him despite anything else.

"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." ~ Inuit proverb

For Every High, There Must Be A Low

There And Back Again

Phew! We made it back, safe n' sound. What an experience. We are exhausted, and in that post-vacation daze only a great trip can induce. Wow. We had an amazing time with my Dad's side of the fam, and an awesome time with Lesli and Addi at Brookgreen Gardens and Myrtle Beach.

I'll report more throughout the coming days as I sort through the 2,000+ photos we snapped. Yes. You're reading that right. 2,000+ photos. 1,125 photos alone at Brookgreen Gardens. Yow!

Until then, I wanted to show off my treasures I collected from Bald Head Island -- a wad of wonderful shells! (above) I love shells, and collecting them is like a treasure hunt. Happily for me, the island was littered with them! I even found a hatched Mermaid's Purse (a shark's egg case), that dark, rectangular thing in the middle of the photo.

I also take my travel talismans with me on every trip (I'm just weird that way) (below). My lucky marble and horse I found along the roads at various times, and the beaded string Merryl made me years ago when she was a young girl and the Pokemon card Lloyd gave me years ago, when he was a wee tot (Merryl and Lloyd are Laurie Jo's kidlets, both of whom are in college now -- how the years sweep by!). Otherwise, they reside in my purse for everyday.

Anyway, what shocked us on our return was the presence of Fall in bloom -- we leave for a week with green trees, then return to Fall-kissed foliage! So until I post about my island trip (and our Seattle-Tacoma trip)...here are some Fall images from our yard...

I now have my Charmkins back from my rat-sitter. JOY! I was jonesin' for my Blobbies in a big way. Life is slowly getting back to normal, and we're "remembering" our routines again. You know you've had a great experience when you come back feeling a little askew from your everyday life.

"Little by little, one travels far." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

There And Back Again

Mixed Messages

Howdy do. Normally, I'd enthusiastically post an account of my recent trip back east, but that may have to wait a few days. I'm just not in the right frame of mind right now. While I was gone, I lost Eppie, who passed away Saturday night for unknown reasons, but not in the most peaceful of ways apparently, if "the scene" was any indication. He was totally normal, then sometime during the night while Hubby slept, something went horribly wrong. He'd had a long history of respiratory issues, which is why he was always skinnier than his blobby brothers, but he was being aggressively treated for it. But there's only so much one can do, I suppose.

To say that I'm devastated and depressed would be an apt description. See...here's the thing...ratties don't usually pass into the next life under the kindest of circumstances. In the wild they obviously don't (sigh), but surprisingly as pets, their suffering often meets with ambivalence since they (initiate eye rolling and sarcastic tone) aren't "real pets" like a dog or cat (terminate eye rolling and sarcastic tone). So it's of paramount importance to me that at least the boys under my care cross the Rainbow Bridge with the compassionate and humane assistance from my rattie vet (who doesn't use the needle). But alas -- that didn't happen with my dear little Eppie, which makes his passing very bitter and upsetting.

So I come home from a splendid weekend to this. I have no motivation to do anything, and I've been pretty much sleeping and doing laundry. He was such a sweet, gentle, playful and delightfully mischievous little guy...he will be greatly missed. I'm still coming to grips with only Two Amigos now.

Now one would think that after years of having ratties, that I'd get used to this. Nope. Each one is like the first because each one is so different. Ratties get under your skin very quickly and you never forget them. And how I miss each and every one, every day.

Yet determined Hubby, in an effort to cheer me up, got me turned on to what is now listed under "One of my favorite shows of all time." Now I'm not a sitcom aficionado, but when one is really clever and unique (such as Red Dwarf), I can't resist. And so it is now with The Big Bang Theory. I've now watched all of Season One and I'm completely hooked. Sheldon kills me. He's like Rodney's (from Stargate Atlantis) more eccentric younger brother, and how can I resist that? And the scary (?) thing is -- I can understand what the guys are talking about and saying when they yap on in "geek speak." What's really cool is that the equations and science info on the show is all factual, since real physicists are consultants. To hear Leonard say that "25 people at a particle physics symposium is like a physics Woodstock" is funny. To hear them go on about those scientists who worry that the new Large Hadron Super Collider will create a black hole as "cry babies with no lust for glory" is, to me, hysterical. To watch them "get their geek on" by remotely connecting their robotic toys and light switches to global Internet control is, to me, cute.

My Dad is a physicist, so I was raised in a household rich with science, and so developed a love of all things "SCIENCE!" (said ala Thomas Dolby in "that song"). If I'd been smarter, I probably would have gone down that route as a profession, but alas...math is my nemesis (and chemistry is right out!). I still have to carry a calculator to figure out the tip for the waitress. Phythagoras? -- You can keep your theorem!

Hubby also is a full-blown "geek," so all the goofy computer-y/game-y/movie-y geek-outs the guys do on the show is endearing to me. I understand it, like I understand the World of Warcraft episode of South Park (my favorite episode other than The Startling with the guinea pigs), and like I appreciate the whole LeeRoy Jeeenkins escapade. I live with it! Hazzah!

Indeed, in the new Information Age, smart is the new sexy. I really don't think this show would have been successful 10 - 15 years ago -- it's taken a cultural paradigm shift to allow it to happen. And thank goodness for it! If the worship of sports people or celebrities continues much longer, I think I shall scream.

Anyhoo -- watching that show has indeed been a good distraction. Thanks Hubby! So if I'm a bit sluggish to post my trip's report, please be patient. I'm still smartin' from a great loss. I do look forward though to sharing my trip with you, though -- it was awesome. I just need to be in a better mood. Hang tight.

"Storms make trees take deeper roots." ~ Dolly Parton

Mixed Messages

Hello from another planet....

I pretty much feel like Eppie (above) -- tired and blobbed out (well well well!). Only not as cute.

As fate would have it, I got sick as a dog* after the euphoria of Mayhem, and so I've been back under the comforter sleeping most of the days away. What is it with me and being sick this year?! I'm feeling much better, though, and should be as right as rain in time for Junefest, when Stephanie M. and Sonya J. arrive next week. Whoo hooo! Junefest is like the cold-painting and sculpting version of Mayhem, with just as much culinary indulgence.

Anyhoo...I was convinced to join Facebook during Mayhem, and did so about a week ago. As planetary alignments would have it, Facebook promptly decided not to recognize my password, and also has prevented me from resetting it. Is this divine providence? Whatever it is, I'm waiting to hear from the Facebook team to see if they can remedy the hiccup. If they can't, well...I'll cross that ether bridge when I get to it. I really don't want to open another account, and so I may opt out altogether. But who knows. I could just be cranky about it.

The good news is that in between naps, I've been able to work on the Haflie mare! She's coming along quite nicely now, and getting her "hair done." Take an in-progress peek from the salon....

I apologize for the fuzzy photo, but I'm so hopped up on cold meds it's a wonder I can operate the camera. She's going to be very "pasture-y" so that mane is flopped around every which way. I think it's so lovely when painters "follow" the flow of the hair in their coloration detailing, and this little lady will give them a fun canvas for that.

So today I'll be working on her some more, and pouring the first of the slip-cast Bjorns. The mold should be dry now and I'm so very excited to try it! This fun piece she created will give Sonya lots of fodder to learn how to pour, clean, claybody and underglaze her creation! And if I get my act together, we can play with the overglazing goodies Lynn provided me, too. I'm anxious to try them and it'll be fun to explore the media with fellow newbies together! And so....we flail! But laugh as we do!

So...time to set the tea on and get to mixing slip!

"As the artist matures she is continuously shaken by what she manages to discover: by the earth shifting beneath her feet once again, by her own amazed, ringing laughter." ~Eric Maisel

*I wondered about where this saying came from -- it's a rather sad thought! And lo...I found a plausible answer here.

Hello from another planet....

A Fantastic Day!

What a terrific day! Mom came over to help me pot the last of my flowers -- and phew -- we're all done! Thanks Mom! Everybody is happy in their new pots, ready to grow big, bright and beautiful! I splurged this year and bought a Korean Dwarf Lilac for the front porch -- so pretty. I popped it right in front of a front room window, so its intoxicating fragrance can waft into the house. Mommy bird was rather cross with us, for creating such a disturbance on the front porch as we worked. She chirped angrily at us and stared! But she settled right down once we were finished...a bit perturbed, but no worse for wear.

I'm nearly finished with "Jax," and should be able to post pix of him and "Reflective" either tomorrow or Thursday, with their ceramic counter-parts so you can see the changes. Surprisingly, the really difficult part I've been having with "Jax" is matching the background texture between the two mediums -- the effect in the oil clay original is a bit tricky to duplicate in epoxy because of the different textures and properties between them and the solvents used to smooth them. Go figure!

Anyway, the crowning glory of the day was the massive lightening-thunder storm that swept through here around 4pm, thankfully just moments after we were done with our potting! We could see it...heck, we could hear it...smell it...coming from the West and hurried to finish our potting. And WOW. Did it deliver! Dark skies. Ominous clouds. Hail. Wind. Down pouring rain. Lightening. THUNDER. Booming, roiling, bellowing THUNDER. Thunder so deep, it rattled our windows and walls. Yessssss. Then CRACK....BAM....POW! A thunderclap right above our house and out went our power with a pop! WHOO HOOO! AWESOME! For about an hour, our only light came from the big window to our back yard (above.) Though I must say -- it's alarming how dependent we are on electricity. We just basically sat around and twiddled our thumbs until the power came back on! Anyway...No -- our fence isn't on fire (below)! That's steam swirling up from the wet fence thanks to the sun's rays after the storm had passed. Wild.


Anyhoo...here's another "Well well WELL!" moment...I walked into the office (which is still a wreck) and find Wuzzle fast asleep on his side, with his blobular belly oozed between the wires of the cage...in all his gooey glory. I, of course, had to ooze that goo after I snapped this picture.

Anyway, I hope to post pix of "Jax," "Reflective," and perhaps more teasers of the Halfie mare soon!

"Shock is still fun. I won't ever shut the door on it." ~ Nicolas Cage

A Fantastic Day!

OK -- Now I'm Dead

I carefully snapped this pic this morning, and I just couldn't wait to share it with you! Do you see the little mommy bird nested there in the wreath? In the middle, there? Couldn't you just die!? I did! How cute is that!? This nest is right outside our front door, and we get to hear her happily chirping through the windows of our front living room! What a wonderful Spring gift! I can't believe our luck! There are eggs in there, so I'm anxiously waiting little cheepy-chirpy baby birds! This is too exciting! Stay tuned!

Anyhoo -- I often get asked, "Why do you refer to your rats as The Well Wells?" and the answer to that would be -- because whenever I walk in on them, they're invariably doing something that compels me to say, "Well Well Well!" For instance, things such as this:

Note how Jeepie is using Wuzzle to lean on while he eats his morning scrambled egg. Leaning on him like a counter-top. Well Well WELL!

Now back to the studio to continue work on the Haflinger mare!

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." ~ George Carlin

OK -- Now I'm Dead

Blue skies...

I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend! That's the view from my parent's backyard up to Bogus Basin on Easter Day (above). And (below) is my Mom's Easter necklace she wore. She has a whole collection of holiday-inspired jewelry -- it's really quite impressive. The puffy cheeks on those bunnies slay me. We had a wonderful meal (lamb kabobs) and Mom and I watched Kung Fu Panda when the guys retreated off to do guy things (Viva Master Oogway!).


Spring has sprung with a vengeance here in Boise, and thank goodness! Glorious days where we can open up the entire house to the sweet air of a new season. We were both ready to be done with Winter. Hubby has already given his Harley a good wash-down in anticipation for long blissful miles on the road, and we're thick into planning our year's rides and rallies, something which Hubby gleefully fixates over. As for myself, I'll be planting my petunias in my front door pots soon for my guard frogs to watch, ever-vigilantly, and begin cogitating the giant Spring-cleaning both my office and ceramic station desperately need. Family is scheduled to visit in summer, Mayhem and JuneJuju dates are set and we luckily snagged tickets to see the band AC/DC in August (score!). AC/DC is the one band we both like, other than Dick Dale, techno and classical...his regular "ugly noise" makes me cringe like a Blue Meanie (Yellow Submarine being one of my very favorite films), and my "screeching banshee" music drives him up a tree. This will be the first time either of us have seen them live, too, so we're....in a word...stoked. The concert sold out in mere minutes...an entire stadium...so we're still kinda in shock we even got this lucky! So lots of great stuff to look forward to in 2009!

I also organized a whole shovel-full of tax stuff and mailed it all off today. What a production. Ugh. And what a weight off my shoulders. I have an accountant do the work, but golly -- it's still a major undertaking. I know my brain would simply liquefy and drain out my ears if I had to do it all. So I feel renewed with that out of my life and now I can focus on studio work and getting The Boat published -- yeah! The fun stuff! Play time!

Anyhoo, much to our delight, a little finch has built a nest in the Christmas wreath I neglected to remove off the front porch, so rest assured...I'm waiting anxiously to snap a pic of the little critter with wee babies! Plus, a pair of mating ducks has again...hopefully...set up shop in my parent's pond and we're hoping that adorable baby ducks will show up soon! Fingers crossed! Speaking of babies...our fish are still having babies (ack!), so I had to buy a nursery tank to keep them from getting gobbled up. Now Todd, Steve, Rodney, Teylah and Sheppard are happily swimming and growing in safety. Also, here's Eppie sweetly snoozin' away, with his little arm tucked under his head -- too cute.

I hope your Spring is as lovely as it is here! Off to the studio to work with a renewed sense of freedom and rejuvenated inspiration! Hazzah!

"Without freedom, no art; art lives only on the restraints it imposes on itself, and dies of all others." ~ Albert Camus

Blue skies...

I'm not dead. Yet.

It's The Three Amigos! They're even wearing the black and "silver" costumes Steve, Martin and Chevy wore in the film. All my Charmkins need now are sombreros and tiny six-shooters. My little clowns have grown into three rambunctious and cheery blobs, who miraculously stood still for a whopping two seconds, in "formation," so I could snap this pic.

I've finally come back to my life. Being sick with this blasted flu for nearly three weeks drove me into a hole, away from the world. I couldn't even play with my ratties for most of that time, for fear of getting them sick, too. My poor little fellas were crawling up the sides of the cage by the time I was well enough to at least scoop them out and plop them on "the rat couch" to get "the beans out." For nearly that entire time, I didn't check email or keep up with the news -- I just sat under blankets on the couch, high on meds and watched Stargate and Stargate Atlantis DVDs. Hubby took great care of me, though -- he's a textbook caregiver and, boy, am I grateful! But I've never been hit so hard by a flu before. Wow. It drained my will to do anything but stare at a TV and drool. Now I'm back (pretty much) and it feels odd -- like I came out of a dream. I'm slowing becoming aware of my life again, re-learning how to get back into the swing of things.

I have to admit, however, that the forced "leave" did clear my mind. It was a mental vacation. I realize now that my little grey cells had become clogged with too many stresses, which were impeding my progress on the Haflinger mare and other studio projects. I was able to get back into the studio last week, and re-started working on the Haflinger mare (sneek peek here, albeit bald):

Things have gone much smoother with her after my "leave," and she's just about ready for her mane, tail and feathers (one of the last things I apply to a sculpture). Ironically I was working on that troublesome left hindleg with fresh epoxy when the flu hit, so I popped her in the freezer, thinking that I'd be well enough the next day to complete it (the cure time of the epoxy I use for sculpting slows almost to a stop if frozen, which allows me to put a sculpture "away" for a short time to come back to it later). Alas, that wasn't the case -- the key term being "almost." After two and a half weeks in the freezer, it finally cured. So I had to yet again dremel it off and restart it. It's become almost funny at this point. But things are far easier now, even with that leg, so I should be able to complete her by the end of the month. I've never had a sculpture challenge me more, but I think she's not only taught me new things about sculpting, but made me aware of just how badly stress can compromise my ability to work in the studio.

Anyway, as soon as I get my head fully screwed, stapled and hot-glued back on, I'll snap pix of the new WB plaque in resin, "Reflective," and the new Jumper plaque, "Jax." I've made some changes to both since the flexible molds for resin casting allow me to play with cut-outs and undercuts more, unlike the rigid plaster molds used for ceramic casting, and I think you'll like the additional touches. This way, you'll also be able to identify a ceramic casting from a resin casting at a glance, which I think is important for collectors. I also want to dive into creating a new edition of Rune Horses and other tiles, so I can really start to use my tile press in earnest. My Sister-in-law, Megan, is cycling in the AIDS run again this year in June, too, and I'll be creating another fired item for auction to support her (HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY NOAH! I miss your face goo!).

Now back to the salt mine -- Cheerio!

"Conscious and unconscious experiences do not belong to different compartments of the mind; they form a continuous scale of gradations, of degrees of awareness." ~Arthur Koestler

I'm not dead. Yet.

Holy Frostbite Batman!

We've hit record snowfall here in Boise...we must have nearly one foot at our house...and it's sticking! It's supposed to snow through 'till Monday, weather cold enough to keep it all next week (brrrrr!), then more snow predicted next weekend. It's crazy time! The roads are treacherous, but it's very beautiful, I must admit. Big, fluffy fat snowflakes falling all day long inspire the want for hot cocoa, a thick fuzzy blanket, a Muppet movie, and a warm rattie snuggled close...well, at least for me! Poor Hubby, though -- he has to shovel the driveway and walkway every day, but well, I guess it works off the hedonistic feasting we've been doing lately!

Here are a couple of shots over the last two days:

My first Beef Wellington was a smash hit! My favorite part, however, were the big crusty, doughy ends filled with wild mushroom puree -- yum! :While I got lots of fabulous gifts, Hubby got me toe socks! I love toe socks. Now I can wear my beloved flip-flops throughout the house and ceramic studio even in these cold months! The poor man ventured all over town trying to find a good assortment, and boy did he achieve his goal! These are my current favorites (I'm wearing them right now!):Here's the view of Christmas evening from my parent's back patio, with the winter sun setting:

And for those who are curious -- here's the product of that mold I made (below). In keeping with the Rune Horse series, this is my first "Runedeer" ornament, with stars on the top part, and snowflakes on the bottom part (cuz he's flying). I'm going to redesign the original clay plaque for the tile press method (these initial ones were slipcast), which means I'll have to modify the delicate lines of the snowflakes, and perhaps the stars as well. I plan to come out with a new Runedeer every Christmas, and perhaps expand into a whole series of "Runic" Christmas animals. Fun! I'm thinking of offering two of these slipcast Runedeer at auction as 100% benefits for some charities I support, so stay tuned.

Anyhoo -- that's Duncan Celedon Crackle glaze on the piece, with directional spray of a brown underglaze underneath -- a really lovely combination! Celedon Crackle is my favorite glaze by far because I love glassy glazes best, and the crackle effect and cool greenish tinge, that pool so beautifully in the recesses, win me over every time. I'd like to develop a purply crackle, a bluish crackle and perhaps a goldish crackle by mixing various glazes together with clear crackle -- wish me luck! And I just had to share with you the gift Laurie Jo Jensen sent me for Christmas. Needless to say -- I went BANANAS. Truly. Ape. Crazy. BANANAS.

I hope your Christmas (and these 12 days of Christmas!) are blissful and wonderful, too -- though perhaps not so chilly and buried in snow!

"Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." ~Douglas Adams

Holy Frostbite Batman!

Babies babies babies!

Now that I'm over that darned bug that kept me planted on the sofa within a wall of tissue boxes, I'm back up and running, desperately playing catch-up from the lost week (and with Christmas just around the corner! GACK). Anyway, it appears that Fate gave us some early Christmas presents this year, in the form of baby fish! They say the sign of a healthy tank is reproducing fish, however, that wasn't our intention -- we were told all our Platys were males, but that fact was proven swimmingly false when we spotted four tiny fry hiding amongst the rocks. I have to admit, they were darned cute. They looked like swimming eyeballs. They've grown quite a bit already and are becoming progressively bold. The tiniest one has a black tail, which I've named "Black Tip," who is my personal favorite. While all the other fish avoid the cleaning tube (we use to change out the water), Black Tip must always investigate. He (she?), being particularly pugnacious, explored just a hair too close this last time and ended up being sucked into the tube and into the holding tub! We scooped him out with a net and plopped him back in the tank, no worse for wear. You could almost hear him bellow to the others, "You haven't lived until you've shot the tube! What a rush, dude!" As cute as they are, this does present a problem: We cannot identify which are the males or females (no matter what online sources advise), but we are assuming that the two really fat ones are the females, with bellies full of eggs. So now we must get another tank to separate them because I simply won't allow any of our babies to meet ill-fated ends for the sake of population control. We really like the new BiOrb or BiUbe -- it's like the Mac version of a fish tank. Mindlessly easy to set up, clean and run, a 9 year old could do it. No complicated filter systems or biochemical degrees necessary! It's quiet and it looks beautiful, too!

Speaking of babies:
How they've grown! Their heads are now as big as they were when they were wee munchkins! So here are the "Three Amigos" (albeit in a fuzzy shot)! I like how their tails are looped and Wuzzle's bleary-eyes are peering at the camera. When I dive into rat motifs in earnest, these fellas offer no dearth of design inspiration, but when they aren't eating or sleeping, they're running amok and it's difficult to get a decent photo to use as future reference. To me, happiness is an armful of little squirming rattie bodies, silky-soft, hot (like hot-water bottles!), gooey, whiskered and you can feel their little heart-beats going a mile a minute in their little chests.

Speaking of inspiration, Lynn Fraley and myself are off to my rat vet's annual Christmas studio sale tomorrow! She works in fused glass and hand-built clay, in fun animal motifs and crazy people characters, often integrating the two together. So fun! I always find wonderful stuff at her sale for friends, family....and myself! Her studio is amazing, too -- a big airy room with big windows on three sides. And her kiln is huuuuge -- you could fit two people in there! Fabulous! I'm going to teach her about pressing tiles, and she's going to teach me how to do hand-built animals...can't wait! She's a great egg, and during my rattie's check-ups, we always yak about animals, clay and the general mayhem that is art and inspiration. When she can, she stops by for Mayhem, too.

Then tomorrow night, Hubby, Mom, my cousin, Greg, and myself are off to the annual Christmas concert held at the Ann Morrison Center nestled inside the campus of our local college (Boise State University -- GO BRONCOS!), put on by the BSU Music Department. Now I must admit -- I completely forgot about this date, and now I have to re-juggle my schedule this weekend that was originally intent on packing Stormys for shipment on Monday, while also catching up in the studio! But after the deflated Christmas last year due to my back surgery, we're going to go full tilt this year as a "do over" -- and Mom is making sure we don't let things "slide," either. She's already put up a festive wreath outside, and Christmas bells on our door. I also must admit that have a tendency to neglect putting up Christmas decorations in favor of using that time for studio work (even though I have boxes full of them!). Plus I think of all the work involved with putting them away -- blorg! But I don't think Mom is going to let me get away with that this year .

However, I did get into the Christmas spirit unusually early already (I'm the type that usually gets whipped into a holiday panic two weeks prior) -- our local Barnes & Noble is having a Christmas children's book drive and I donated The Tale of Despereaux (of course). I can't wait for the movie! Giving kids the gift of reading great stories is a great way to kick off Christmas!

I don't know about you, but as a kid (and even now), I never cared about Santa or the Elves. They were something I completely ignored. Boring. For me, Christmas was all about the marvelous reindeer and the Christmas mouse! I've always been entranced by the reindeer, and this year's ornament is of a reindeer theme. While sculpting it, I actually decided to create a new reindeer ornament every year to fulfill this seasonal yen. Hey, one must follow a childhood vision!

"Dasher: Hey, what’s that reindeer doing with Santa’s sled?
Prancer: Oh, he’s just Vixen the broken seat."

Babies babies babies!

Sweeeeeet

Wooot! Voting has its perks! To avoid the long lines at our precinct today, we voted early then toodled off to get our treats. A breakfast of champions: Caffeine, carbs, sugar and fat -- I should be a mad woman today in the studio! I was impressed, too -- when my name was announced that I voted when I cast my ballot, the gentleman actually said my last name correctly! It's a historic first!

However, Bixy was nonplussed. His ratty Super Funtime was delayed this morning for voting, which in his not-so-humble-opinion is an outrage. But now he's rampaging about on the rat couch, just a hair grumpy, but getting over it in the glory of shredding ratty blankets and tissue boxes with unusual zeal.

I dislike politics and try very hard to tune it all out. However, I enjoy watching our systems at work and it makes me verklempt to see the record turn-outs. So however you vote -- just get out there and vote!

As for myself on this blustery, grey day in Boise, I'll be workin' in the studio and trying to keep today's political madness to a minimum. I need to finish up some projects and get new ones started in earnest (Christmas is right around the corner -- BLORG), and by golly -- my ceramic studio needs a good clean. But today the winning vote for Top Priority goes to finishing up my challenge awards for Clinky Classic in December. They should go into a glaze fire tonight and I'll pop pix up here for a peek. Thank you, Kristina, for this opportunity! VIVA LA CLINKY!

"Don't ask for what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~ Howard Thurman

Sweeeeeet

Charmkin Shangri-La

As many of you know, I'm a rat nut. To me, there's just nothing cuter. It's the beady eyes, the goo, the little feet -- those little faces! I go nuts. I love all rats -- yes, even the "yucky, scary" wild rats that roam the streets. In many ways, I'm rattish: I love food, safety, affection, warmth and according to my husband, I'm also prone to random fits of insanity.

The piRats are the mascots of The Boat, and I gotta say -- "dressing up" ratties in pirate clothes with Photoshop® is just too dang fun. Speaking of The Boat, the Summer issue has left dry dock! Phew -- it feels so good to get another issue out, though I've already started work on the Winter 2009 issue. Can never start soon enough with these puppies. I'm so proud how this publication has shaped up now that it's in electronic format. The hard-working proof-readers (Irenne and my Mom), the fabulous regular columnists and the special guest writers all do an amazing job to make this ezine really special and totally unique in the world of equine art. In my opinion, one of the greatest joys of knowledge is in its sharing, and watching it grow and evolve as each mind puts it to work.

Anyhoo -- Who's that in the photo? That's Scruffles! He's peeking up at you from his daily snooze. "Scruff" is a little rescue I scooped up about three weeks ago. He's a curly-coat and the poor little guy had lived his whole life in a stupid tiny aquarium tank -- skinny and dying for affection. Of course he came home with me, and started to fatten on the real food I give him (I've yet to meet a rattie who doesn't love scrambled eggs or tofu boiled in beef broth), and has turned into a "scruffley" ball of love, thriving on the attention he gets from us. Such a wonderful little character! He goes bananas on the "rat couch," the shredded, dilapidated couch dedicated just for "Rattie Super Funtime." Speaking of going bananas, I also have three babies I got a few months ago -- Epi, Wuzzle and Jeepie -- but they won't sit still long enough for me to take their photo -- stay tuned. When I got them, they looked like tiny mice with biiiiiig feet, but boy, they've grown! They've also turned into irresistible love bugs -- such a joy! They're black and white hooded, and so remind me of The Three Amigos, plus they're prone to the same insane antics. Rats are the only other mammal documented to "laugh," and if I listen hard enough, I hear them giggling -- a lot!

My little Charmkins instill such whimsy and happiness in my life -- I can't imagine a life without the sound of little rattie scuffling! Give your critter a hug today, and maybe a special treat, too. The caring bond between species is a rare thing, and we are truly blessed to peer into the glimmer of "The Bigger Picture." So back to work in the studio for me, to again express that bond through my work. Hopefully, I'll have something fun to show you soon!

"A smile starts on the lips, A grin spreads to the eyes, A chuckle comes from the belly; But a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, Overflows, and bubbles all around" ~Carolyn Birmingham

Charmkin Shangri-La

HELLO NEW YEAR!

As you can well imagine, I'm frothy and agog that 2008 is the Year of the Rat. I'm pretty well freaking out. I have all my rat gear and I'm so ready to welcome in 2008 with open arms! And, personally, I just can't imagine a better symbol for any year, but in my case (and I suspect for many of you out there, too) a more serendipitously apropos symbol for our life paths these coming months.

Like many of you, hubby and I watched the 100th Year Anniversary Ball come down in New York, and it was beautiful and meaningful. But I can't wait for February, for Chinese New Year, to roll around, then I can really get crazy with celebration! I mean...c'mon...I'm existentially bitter about being a Year of the Monkey person, and fully intend to wallow in Ratiness this year, as I hope you all do, too! May all the blessings of Ratiness pile in through your door in 2008!

And I'm happy to report that my recovery is going well. My mobility is almost back to normal (though I still have to take it easy and I still not allowed to sit upright) and the numbness and impaired coordination of my legs is almost completely gone! And, just as important, I was able to cook my customary breakfast this morning for the first time in ten days, and Beasley was especially grateful to get back to his morning routine. He's a little scrambled egg junkie. That's him peeking out at you from his Kleenex box hideout. Like cats, rats love to play in boxes, particularly those that have little peep holes and inner hidden compartments and paths inside. He and Bix entertained themselves for about two hours exploring every nook and cranny and playing through the peepholes last night. Beasley was on my shoulder when the New Year's Ball came down, too. He likes to join in on the party!

And it's a beautiful New Year's Day here--white snow on the ground, blue skies, bright yellow sun and crisp winter air! It doesn't get any better for an Idaho winter! I hope the day, and the coming year, is equally beautiful in your neck of the woods, too! I feel ready for 2008. Really. Ready. Eager. Bring in ON!

And so with that: "We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come." ~Joseph Campbell

HELLO NEW YEAR!

Glad Tidings to You!

Out of nowhere, the holidaze has descended upon us like a frenzied whirligig. Gadzooks!...Duck, man...DUCK! It's truly amazing how much we can cram into one week, isn't it? So congratulations to each of you who has so efficiency (or not so efficiency) wrapped up your holiday preparations and are now coasting, like a gleeful tot in a new sled, down the mad hill of December and smack-dab into the Season's festivities.

I, on the other hand, have pretty much accomplished nothing.

Yes, a couple of outstanding tasks and projects got done (and came out a lot better than I'd hoped!), but everything "holiday" will be about a month late from MinkieMundo. This back surgery, which is tomorrow morning--finally, has shook my sensibilities like a dimestore snowglobe, being the cause of The Great Disruption that has festered on my nerves like a bad case of D'OH. I'll be so glad when it's all over and I wake up. I truly dread anesthesia. Truly.

But it's been a very good day today. A brilliant day. Hubby and I spent the day together, which is always awesome! And he bought me two CDs by The Clash (I'm upgrading my old tape collection to CD) and we went out to our favorite sushi place for dinner and totally porked out. And best of all...he bought me a new Charmkin!

Say hello! He is such a little character and so very sweet! We were actually getting supplies and new fish for Hubby's fish tank on a spontaneous errand, but I wandered over to the rodent kiosk and there he was...all alone. I peered at him, and he peered at me, and he just had to come home with us--and so he did. I'm so lucky to have a husband who understands and indulges me on these matters. And ZeeBee and Beasley have welcomed him like a lost little brother! It's so fascinating to watch them parent him, and how so very patiently and gently keep his playfulness and boisterousness within acceptable boundaries. They're all asleep now, cozied up into one big blobby lovepile. Oh, to be that size to snuggle up into that warm, fuzzy goo! And speaking of goo -- a place where large, friendly rats roam around is my idea of Heaven on Earth.

But though he hasn't told me his name yet, it was meant to be. Some things just are. I mean--get this: Some blankety-blank jerks had bought this little guy as a White Elephant Gift for some holiday party. What kind of person buys an animal as a White Elephant Gift?! No one who would survive two seconds with me. And get this, the recipient apparently debated for a week what to do with him, while he was stuck in his cardboard petstore box the whole time. And thankfully rather than killing him (which apparently was a viable option-???), they returned him to the pet store. And that's when I found him. He was very timid at first, but has tamed almost instantly and is so excited to be here, he can barely sit still. He's enthusiastic about everything. The mere fact this little guy can bear any goodwill towards a person after what he's been through testifies to his graciousness and willingness to try again. Truly, the perfect lesson as we end the year--To always be willing to hope! So we now have much more to celebrate this Christmas--a new sparkly light on our family tree!

And though I can't eat or drink anything now since my surgery is at 11am, earlier I scarfed down...er...ate...some chocolate, drank some hot chocolate and watched Totoro (Thank you, Elaine! I LOVED it!). Hubby is going to show me how to transfer some materials from my iMac to my iBook, so I have some projects to work on while trapped in his Lazy Boy, like some confused Iron Maiden. "You shall sit in the COMFY CHAIR!" Ugh. But thank God.

So while our Christmas and New Years will be sedate, it will most definitely be filled with gratitude and cheer!

And so may your Holidays been shiny and bright, too! Celebrate! Sing with gusto! Don't skimp on the tinsel! I wish you and yours all the joy, laughter and love this season brings, and most of all, to carry that through 2008, too! And, in true ratty nature, of course, I wish you piles of sinfully delicious food and treats! May you be warm and content, and may your bellies be full this Holiday Season!

Joy and Best Wishes to you! ~Sarah

"Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow" ~ Helen Keller

Glad Tidings to You!

Ritual

In this modern age, when so many things can be distilled down into a concise scientific explanation, the persistent mystery and magnetism of the ritual still drives our daily lives. I believe this behavior goes beyond mere routine because these rituals create a transcendence of our acts, and by extension, our lives. As humans, we somehow crave this transformation. Even with our iPods, plasma screens and Mars landings, we remain elemental creatures of magic and faith. Amen! It can be so easy to lose our humanity amidst all the information and technology bombarding us, trying to strip it away, layer by layer. We need existence beyond our explanations to remain ourselves.

And so it is with my Martian Cup.

My morning ritual is to cook and share breakfast with my rats (otherwise known as the Well Wells or Charmkins). It's the same breakfast every day--scrambled eggs and a wheat bagel with cream cheese. The crowning glory of this daily intake is a good, strong hot cup o' joe. A day simply cannot be started properly without that one crucial ingredient. But little did I know how important is the container for this elixir!

I found this magic martian mug jammed to the back of a shelf in a 50% off sale in a gift shop about twelve years ago. I had to have it. I mean look at that guy. And over the years, it has strangely become my herald of good fortune, of miraculously potent good juju in the studio. For some inexplicable reason, I do my very best work the day I grab that mug from the front of the line in our jam-packed mug shelf, eager to douse my appetite with ritual coffee. Whether it's the power of suggestion or if there actually is some supernatural energy imbued in those buggy eyes, the result is the same -- a good day. A very good day.

And speaking of a good day, which today certainly is as you'll soon see, my breakfast these past two days has been abnormally decadent! We celebrated my husband's birthday by trying out a new steakhouse here in town, and upon ordering their chocolate cake for dessert, we were shocked to be served a slab the size of an 8 x 11 sheet of paper and 3 inches thick, doused in icing and chocolate indulgence. Oy! What's better than chocolate cake? More chocolate cake!

And so instead of a bagel with cream cheese, a hefty slice of this sinful extravagance has complimented my steaming joe--and what a magical combination! Really, the eggs are simply a flimsy excuse to call this meal "nutritious". But there's my Martian cup, the one thing that could outshine chocolate cake for breakfast.

So I ask you--what's more nourishing?--Food for the body, or food for the soul?

And so today will be a truly remarkable day in the studio, between my Martian magic and chocolate intoxication. Already, the Haflinger foal I'm sculpting is flowing from my fingers, without thought or effort. Perhaps I should procure more chocolate cake for when I sculpt his dam? Hmmm.....

And so I leave you with this: "That's the thing with magic. You've got to know it's still here, all around us, or it just stays invisible for you." ~ Charles de Lint

Ritual

Ahoy Me Bucko Bilge Rats!

Today be Talk Like A Pirate Day!

We here sailin' the addled waves at Minkiewicz Studios have gone on account to pillage booty and grog with those fierce pygmy landsharks, The piRATS! These scurvy wee sea dogs are eager to give chase and keelhaul the poor soul who dare hoard ye grub fer yerselves!

SQUEEEEEK! (translation: "ARRRRR!")

Avast me hearties! These blobbie buccaneers have outright mutinied and are running amok o'er the seas in their jollyboat! So beware ye good souls! Use yer deadlights an' watch out! They be after the contents of ye ice box! Ye brethren o' the Coast! Gangway! Or suffer a drink in Davy' Jones locker!

Two blobby bilge rats and a sack o' grub
Yo ho ho and a gooey belly!
Scamperin' and snatchin' it all in a hubbub
Yo ho ho and a gooey belly!
Yo ho ho, Yo ho ho, Yo ho ho...and a gooey belly!

ARRRRRRRR!

So I bid me farewell to thee with this here reckonin': "Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates." ~ Mark Twain

Ahoy Me Bucko Bilge Rats!