Kate McKinnon

We all had such a great time that today we scheduled two return trips! I’ll be participating in their Taste of Art and Wine show, October 24 and 25, and have scheduled a Boxbuilding class there February 20 and 21 of 2010.

I think it’s very brave of him, really. I think Bill is brave to be in love with me, too. It’s an E ticket ride, when you choose a wild and unpredictable creature for your lover and mate.  Sometimes, you have to be willing to not care what people say or think.

(Today Neil changed his Twitter avatar to include Amanda.)

But Stan Ridgway will have to substitute.

That’s what I feel like I’ve been hit with.  In a good way. Franken seated? And guess what else?

Having complained vociferously about The Attorney who has handled my mother’s estate, I was utterly stunned today when he returned the final (and rather large) check that I had written him, under protest, and told me that there would be no further billings.  I’m not sure if my letter to him changed his mind, if he had some sort of Coming To Jesus on this, or if he just decided that I was too much of a pain in his ass, but it’s over. And done. And in the end, he treated me fairly.

I had to fight for it, but damned if it didn’t happen. It’s like a little of the Waters rolled down today. As soon as I can pick my brain up off of the floor, I think I’ll celebrate.

Thank you, Mark.

The new Senator from Minnesota. I am so pleased. I just can’t even tell you how glad I am to welcome Al to the US Senate. 

I turn in my manuscript for Sculptural Metal Clay tomorrow, at 5:21 p.m. at FedEx. I admit that I am somewhat exhausted, although definitely not complaining. Things are going well.

Picacho Peak, on the way to Phoenix. I am always fascinated by this mountain.

I’ve had the requisite moments with each of the cats.  One of them (Miss Fish) is driven to express her grief when I go away, with, as Tristan says, “the sweet lips that never told a lie…” This time, it was the purple carpet in the hallway. That and the thermocouple getting fried in my kiln were the only down sides of my recent days. Rather bad timing on the kiln, as I turn in my book in three days, and I’m quite sure that I’m going to need some last minute shots.  My favorite camera ascended to Heaven last month, and can only Kinnear (you MUST click that link!) and my computer is announcing its intention to expire. It could be discouraging, if I wanted to dwell on the financial ruin that my equipment is visiting on me. Happily, I don’t. It’s nice to have extra money, but I’m OK with having none as well, as long as I can meet my responsibilities.  It’s interesting that each of the things that broke and are breaking are essential to the completion of all of my deadlines. The real down side of emergency equipment replacement (other than the afore-mentioned financial ruin) is that one doesn’t have time to properly evaluate the options.  

I have been in bed, for HOURS, catching up on email and watching one of the new Poirot movies. I absolutely love David Suchet’s portrayal of Poirot, and Zoe Wanamaker as Ariadne Oliver.  Zoe also played another one of my favorite characters, Madame Hooch, the flying instructor at Hogwarts.  The casting is uncanny, with care taken to staff even the smallest part with real talent. Details matter…

I’ve read the Agatha Christie books a zillion times, and I just wouldn’t be able to enjoy them if they weren’t exactly right. So many of these are beyond exactly right; the characters are so perfect (and therefore undistracting) that the movies are able to amplify the settings for me.

The incomparable Joan Hixson, as Miss Marple:

The great thing about getting up at the break of day is that even after feeding cats, unpacking, confirming the temporary Death of A Kiln, making coffee, catching up on the Invisible World, answering email, and doing my mail, and watching a full Poirot movie, it’s only 8:30 a.m. Ha! I feel as if I have gotten away with something, every time.

Everyone was so damned cute. Seriously. And they made the most interesting things. I’m really looking forward to going back. Here is Pam Cullen with a huge smile and a handful of rings and parts. You can see Diane in the background.

Above, Beth, the owner of Fire and Friends, and Diane Sepanski, maker of extraordinary objects. Below, Diane and Penny Dickenson, modelling an assortment of their rings, and Rita, modelling a beautifully made metal clay pendant.

Above, Rose Nash and Doris Pridemore, below, Heidi Pridemore and Cindi Shafer.

Above, Lynn Gustafson and Paula Weiss Attride. Below, Suzanne Ericksen.

Diane and Penny’s rings (well, SOME of them. Talk about prolific!)

After getting up for our early morning walk, teaching all day, and driving home from Phoenix, I admit that I’m exhausted. It was a great trip, but it’s good to be home, and I look forward to sleeping. I took a ton of photos today.

In the meantime, here is an extremely cute photo of Neil and Amanda being lovebirds.

I’ve had a rather amazing couple of days. When I arrived in Phoenix yesterday (Friday) I cruised into town at 1:00 in the afternoon, and went straight to Lona’s house. Lona lives in Central Phoenix, in a fabulous beast of a house, a 50’s atomic ranch house much like mine. It’s best because it has Lona, and all of her vintage midcentury STUFF, in it. It can’t be described, simply experienced. And we had a swim, and a few hours together to talk, and a meal, and it restored my soul. 

Then I went over to the studio, which is a very open, beautiful space. High, high ceilings, big open rooms, the whole place lined with exactly the right equipment. They had a metal clay Guild meeting, while I fossicked around in my belongings, setting up things to see and shop for, and getting a few demos ready.  We had a really good turnout, many more people than I expected, and it was a lot of fun.  The demos went well, and I raffled off a prize of $100 toward anything I had for sale, and Sheila won, and got a full set of books.

After the trunk show, I went to Allison and Everett Shock’s house, and spent the night. A and E have a house that also can’t really be described efficiently- it’s packed full of rocks and sticks and art and STUFF, and everything is interesting, and it’s all vastly different stuff than can be explored at Lona’s. It was an excellent day, and then I woke up this morning and had another one much like it. Class from 9-5:30, and then home to Shockland, for another full night.

Tomorrow morning, we’re starting at 5:30, to take an early morning walk around Papago Park, and then I’ll be off to Day 2 of the Ring class. Then home I go, back to Tucson, as soon as class ends. Day 1 of class, which we had today, is always fairly packed with information, and with us trying to get things done and in and out of the kiln- it’s a fast paced day, with zones of mild chaos occurring predictably, and then the day often ending with a feeling of something left hanging, as we are all in between jobs, and almost nothing has come back finished.  

It’s a really great room of people- lots of different skill levels, and ideas, and everyone really very interested in learning new things, and in doing a good job. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow morning, when the feelings of disassociation that we almost always leave Day 1 with resolve into excitement, when pieces start coming out of the kiln, when the first rivet post rings go together, when ideas start coming together into finished rings, multiplying like rabbits on fingers.

All in all, this has been a most excellent two days.