Yoga Saga

Well, hello again!

I have gone back to my original yoga book. sigh. Rodney is just a little too hard core for me these days. I will work up to him, because that is such a great book and I feel wonderful the more I practice yoga. There, I confessed to my 2 steps back.

More to come. Pottery too. I promise!

Have a beautiful day!

-Z

P.S. Feng Shui is really working for me.... Feeling out in the cold so to speak and wanting some help in life I cleared the garbage from my "helpful people" sector (yes, cleaning of any kind anywhere will probably help regardless but wait for it...) and not 1 hour later my Dad called to say he was on his way up to do some work with my husband on this outrageously scary big project we have going on. Wow. Thanks God! (that's how my Dad says it, I have always liked it best this way)

28 Days was a long time ago

Well, I finished my 28 Day Yoga book ages ago. Yeah for me! And now I want more (I think), so as a birthday treat (Thank you Bob and Gean) I went out and bought another Yoga book!

Moving toward Balance, 8 Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee

This one is a lot more intense but I think I'm going to like it. The one snag is finding an hour and some space in my tiny cold house...

Which means some time cleaning.

Day 13

I just completed day 13 of my "28 Day Exercise Plan"... I know, it seems totally unrelated to my studio work and that is what I really must focus on now ('cause geeze, it's about time!) But, I am sticking to something (which may lead to sticking to everything) important to me and perhaps conquering the voices of my past. Yes, I am this old and have had this much therapy and this much spiritual practice under my belt and still these voices persist. Time to say good-bye to them or at least turn them down a bit... or drown them out with something more useful, like a good deep breath, which I noticed is where I seemed to stop in this book on previous attempts through the years. I will now allow myself to breathe deeply and take in my fill completely in every way.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said: "If I didn't pray for two hours everyday, I don't know how I would get everything done."

p.s. I would like to thank my friend (however distant) Jeremy for the inspiration. You teach even without being present!

Deep Breath... here I go!

I have just finished Day 5 of Yoga 28 Day Exercise Plan.... This is my usual stopping point. I have had this book for almost 20 years! Holy cow! I have had many other intentions and plans for this long and longer... NOW is the time. In so many ways this is the time... If you look at the news or look at the stars, which ever suits your personal out look, you cannot deny that "the times they are a changin' " So, Deep breath (which is day 5's practice) and a changin' I will go. I deeply believe by living to my most authentic I will be doing my part to make this world a better place for us all. And a big part of that is communicating from my heart, (so hello bloggoshere!) I haven't done that before. I, and I suspect a great many of us, have been hiding and keeping quiet. Thank you to all those in Wall Street for the inspiration. (Yes, I know... can 'o worms with no segue, oh well, you'll live) Have a great day and breath deeply! This is a beautiful planet and we are all beautiful tender souls, let's try to see each other that way, just for the day :)

OK Let's Try this again...

My amazing and inspiring friend Idabelle has just launched her jewelry business and started a blog. Which naturally got me thinking about my own neglected business dreams... So here I am back from the edge of reason staring into the land of bytes and gigabytes. (yeah, I know, but it sounds computery)

Hello!

I have (finally!) completed a studio overhaul/rearranging/decluttering/feng shuiing jag that will soon lead to regular Open Studio Hours. Stay tuned!

"Soft" opening is scheduled for October 16,

with a "Grand Opening" the first week end in November.

Collaboration

Lora Shelley and I are working together again on a few things for the holidays. We will be, both separately and together, in the Haute Craft Show at Posie Kviat Gallery in Hudson, NY. the opening reception is Sat December 5th if you are in the area. Here is a picture of a platter on it's way to Lora's studio....

We are having alot of fun with these!

:)

Off ?

I took the summer "off", which translates to, I was really busy. I had H out of day care for the summer session and thought it would be a lot of empty days... not so! We were on the go quite a lot this summer. 

I'd like to send a BIG THANKS to all of the people we visited! It was so much fun! Hilton Head, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Ohio... and NYC.  

This is I believe the quintessential picture of the summer.

 It took her months but she finally got brave enough to jump right in. (she was just waiting for the right outfit)

 I hope you have all had a great summer. I am looking forward to the Dog Days ahead of us and posting more. 

Sale!

Announcing my first ever 

Seconds Sale 

Sunday 24 May  from 9am-3pm

90 Bruceville Rd

High Falls, NY

845-687-4517

I am cleaning house, litterally... I am also having a Yard Sale same time and place. 

Happy Mother's Day

I entered a contest and now subscribe to a few blogs. One of them had a posting of lists of 6... this should be the link. Well, last Saturdays topic was 6 ways you are like or unlike your mother...

Here are mine;

1. I am irreverent and find humor in most things, like she did.

2. I write letters (as in correspondence) with the same quirky      style and infrequency.

3. I question authority and am a Feminist (though I call it Humanist).

4. I love my daughter.

5. I love life.

6. Unlike my mother I am still here (she passed away many years ago).

I believe these things to be true from what I have gathered through the years of comments from my relatives. 

This was not supposed to be such a downer! My mother was a lot of fun! Even I remember that! And I hope to carry on that legacy of "Joie de Vivre!" 

 I hope all mothers everywhere had a wonderful weekend. It is important work worthy of lots of celebration! 

Getting it all together...

Busy with sorting through my life (it's been an up and down hill thing). So sorry I haven't posted lately. There are some small vases in the works and some BEAUTIFUL new glazes! I was foolishly excited about them and rushed them out the door without pictures, but there is more where they came from. I finally have a few glazes that  don't play all the dirty tricks that my old ones did (crazing, bubbling chipping and messing with my stains) so I feel much more confident about sending my work home with other people.  Yeah! Must get back to it... more later.

 really.

A Little Too Much Nature

Yesterday was BEAUTIFUL! Really, one of those days that reminds you why you suffer through the winter and heating bills and outrageous NY State taxes. Spring. Spring is the reward for it all. But... we got home (H and I) yesterday afternoon to find a bat flying around the living room. All well and good, we just left the doors open and went out side. He must have found his way out  since he's not here now. Out side we weeded and swung and generally had a good time :) Upon re entry to our humble abode I noticed... yes they are here already, mosquitoes, in the house! (I hate that, add that to the winter and taxes...) But they are still slow and not as blood thirsty as later in the season so we carry on... A tickling on my thigh during dinner which I assume is an ant (we were weeding) so I shake my self about and think nothing of it... Until later when I go to investigate what I assume is the first mosquito bite of the season and... a tick! The first tick bite of the season, ah mother nature. Spring has sprung!  ( It's still worth it all to be here this time of year! :)

A Cute Picture

Harriett is mad for my camera...

This is a self portrait, with jelly on her lip. 

(I love the look of concentration, and we really didn't plan the finger-in-the-lens thing)

Hi, can't talk now...

Beacause it's spring! Finally, I think it's really hear, I think I can safely put away the winter coats without fear of the wrath of Jack Frost... We'll see. 

So today I...

Today I sorted through my freezers. We have two, the one in the fridge and a small chest freezer in the basement. 

I have always been a food saver/storer, even the beautiful Los Angeles sun shine couldn't keep me from stocking up on frozen peas in September. 

I was raised to clean my plate, regardless of how full I am and "waste not want not". However, I was never taught the domestic arts of cooking, planning, organizing and so forth. (yes, I'm sure some one tried)

I found some great resources on about.com (Ooops! This link is not working, sorry) for determining how much and what one might want to have on hand. The information is posted by the Later Day Saints who feel you should have a years worth of essentials on hand. (they make no mention of pet food etc. please don't forget your pets!) I found this a good starting place and went on to more gardening oriented information, root cellering cold frames and so forth. My motives aren't quite the same as the LDS community, I am more interrested in being able to "put by" as it were, but they have really thought things through, check it out. 

Which brings me back to my freezer. I was pleased to find the oldest item was only 3! (years that is) Maybe it will still be OK in a soup, I can't throw it out!  

So, one organizing project knocked of the list in less time than it took to write about it! Yeah for me! 

Getting it all together...

I have come to the realization (yes, rather late in life, but better late than never?) that I REALLY need to get my **it together. I have known this all along but just couldn't bring my self to do it. Not entirely true, there seem to be phases... The point is, I have been looking for a point for this Blog and think I've found one. How'd you like to watch me transform myself from 40 year old struggling pathetic weenie into 41 year old successful organized FABULOUS weenie? You would? Great! So lets start with where we are now.... The above photos were taken during the last couple of weeks of the various spaces in my life. I own my own home and have never settled into it really, never set about to decorate, never really made it my own. Would you like to know why? Perhaps another time, for now let's just say I never gave myself the time. Well, the time is now. So here goes! :)

Hair Today...

...wig tomorrow. Yesterday I took my long orangey hair to Shapers in New Paltz, NY (they are so nice!) I was planning on a cut, just some style for my long newly unorange locks,(if you have "friended me" on facebook you may have heard about the argument I've had with the boxed color over what one means by "light ash blond") when the lady washing my hair asked if I would be donating. Donating? I hadn't thought of it. I've given my hair away before ( I have a very talented puppet making friend) and I went to art school so my hair has been in paintings and journals and... you get the picture. But with 10 inches or more you can donate to Locks of Love and provide materials for wigs for children. So here's my hair drying on the bathroom table waiting to be mailed off and here I am growing my next donation. 

Open hearts

Here they are! This is a kitchen table photo shoot, so not too professional, heart confetti and everything. I really need to get some help with my glazing. But I am really fond of the shape. And I did actually get them done on time. (not all of them but that's good since I don't like the glaze!)

Deadlines Shmeadlines

OK so now you know why I was not a straight A student... Actually I have an excuse, really, I do! Harriett began vomiting profusely Thursday morning, the day I was to be in my studio glazing. I got glazing done and pots fired in time to meet my deadline but didn't take the picture in time.... So here is a cute little girl picture to tide you over until I get my camera into the studio.

My little sweet hearts

I am so excited about these little guys! Unfortunately, as with most things worth loving, they have become a challenge. I HATE TO GLAZE! Is it my fear of failure or something? Because if so... I want my money back from all those therapists I've seen about this over the years. I procrastinate and have come to a point in my life where I really don't give a hoot about why, I just want it stopped. NOW! So if in the next 48 hours there is not a picture of the finished little cuties (who may not be so cute by then) for all to see here in cyberspace , well then, I shall be cross. Very cross and will have to have some words with myself. Harsh ones. Yeah that'll teach me! 

Pre Valentines Picture

Hello, Long time no see! Sorry, overwhelmed cold and a bit down. Well, up and down, it's winter... Here is a hint of the holiday to come. I'll be posting properly soon, really.