Do you think THIS will deter Christmas sale shoppers??

This is the scene out my window this morning! Snowed all day yesterday and windy too.. Last night I was glaze firing and spent the evening going back and forth to the garage until 2:30 a.m.!! and each time I went out I swept a path down the steps and to the garage..if I would not have done that, this 8 inches of snow would have been on our doorstep this morning.  AHhh winter in Alberta.. My husband shovelled a path to the house two down from us where my sale is weekend. I pulled boxes of work on a car trolley to Letty's and Dave carried a few.  We will finish setting up tomorrow a.m. with the excitement starting at 4 p.m.  (will post some pics later).

Here are a few photos of some of the finished pieces. I want to insert here, that preparing for this sale has had some stressful moments.... firstly because I was late in getting started with 'the making', and then with my Mom not feeling too well and spending some time with her, and just generally being behind in most things leading up to this weekend.. My good friend, mentor and fellow potter, Verna came over last week and mixed up two glazes for me while I glazed work (I asked if I could borrow a couple of her glazes and she said 'Why don't I just come over (a 25 minute trek for her) and mix some for you and than you will have them?").  How fabulous is that?...what a generous gift that was! Thank you again, Verna.  One of the glazes is the red on the above bowl, which is over 'nutmeg'.  Verna is a glaze guru! She has adjusted many to fit our clay bodies and is always testing and tweeking to make it just right.  I appreciate her help sooo much, as I am NOT chemically-glaze making minded at all.  ALSO, last week I had visits from my good friends, Helen, Betty and Sue who brought me coffee and goodies one morning since I couldn't attend our usual Friday gathering to solve the problems of the world :).. I love you ladies!! These kind of people plus many more keep us moving forward, don't they? Encouraging and cheering us on, supporting us when we are anxed to the eyeballs with deadlines and stresses.  Thankfully, non of these problems are life threatening (and some self inflicted :)), but the appreciation for 'my people' is top of my list of gratitudes.

 A few more pics of some finished work:   The red is great on the goblet and a glaze I call Floating Blue, which is rarely blue for me, but is this great green/breaking brown which continues to be a success. These glazes are mostly cone 6 glazes, but I push them to cone 7 and they don't mind the heat.  I like the results at cone 7 and sometimes get some crystals showing on some.  The white/ cream on this bowl is the Cream Satin Mat from Mastering Cone 6 Glazes which again Verna has adjusted to fit and it looks great in my kiln at cone 7, IF it is thick.    I will close now, as it was a late night and a longer day.

 We attended the funeral today of a good friend who died from Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS). We thought he would be around for a while yet, but complications and his weakened state took him sooner than hoped.  So I am reminded that the rush, rush and stresses of this season are just a mini, mini drop in our oceans of life and do not need to be taken so seriously.  Life is short and being grateful for each moment should be a priority in the microseconds of our days.  Relax and enjoy your sale days this weekend.

I bid you Good Eve, rest and be well. T.