Ceramics

Ceramics was entirely new to me when I randomly signed up for a class last summer, wanting to stretch my comfort zone.  It was just a four-week class, but we got to it immediately.  It was much harder to throw than the instructor (a lovely, lovely lady) made it look -- as most things are -- but it was so fun!

Week 1: Get right into it!

[wheel, clay, tools]

[first throw]

[flops]

[splatters]

Week 2: Carry on, then!

[small bowl]

[more tools]

[cleaned up]

Week 3: More practice

[guess which is mine?]

[more splatters]

Week 4: Glazing

[awaiting glaze]

[glaze]

[best bowl]

[kiln]

Finally: Pick up time!

[first piece (with handle)]

[little things]

[initials]

I loved being in a creative space.

I learned a lot about rhythms, subtlety, movement, and color.
I loved the sandy clay slipping through my fingers. And splattering all over my clothes.
I loved watching the clay thin out and move. Reacting to my slightest movement.
I loved... creating.

I loved seeing the finished pieces (the glaze is not at all like the finished color; it felt like Christmas! Glazing, by the way, is an art form entirely unto itself).

In review: I'm least happy with my first piece:  I did something wrong with the glaze and it ended up very rough and chalky. I even thought about throwing it away, but then found an acceptable use for it.  My best piece, the bowl, wasn't there when I came to pick everything up!  I'm so sad!  But at least I have a picture of it.

I thought about signing up for the 10-week class to practice more throwing and learn other techniques, but in the end, the fact that I have no space to accumulate pieces kept me from registering.  I'm so happy with what I learned and made during those four weeks, though, and super glad I did it.  I'm committed to learning more this year and pushing my creative boundaries.

Handmade treats

Last year, right after Thanksgiving, I got a surprise package from the ever lovely Marsha.  I opened the box to find several mini-packages, all with little hints and messages!  It was thoughtful, wonderful: an oasis during a rough storm of a time.

[gifts, wrapped]

[gifts, opened]

I mean, it was everything that could possibly touch a heartstring.  I've never received such handmade and heartfelt gifts before!  From flowers and magnets to tea and soap and lip balm, everything was relevant, useful, and beautiful.  And oh, the handmade:  a ceramic bowl, a mug, a knitted washcloth, and a knitted cowl.

I especially appreciated the ceramics because I'd just taken my first class over the summer, and realize that it takes A LOT of work to get a presentable piece (for me, at least).  I feel so special whenever I drink out of my new favorite mug.  It is a perfect color combination, too.  Love that speckled white and blue. 

And the knitting.  Gracious!  What's special about the (red) cowl is that it's made out of yarn that I'd gifted Marsha when we first became Interwebs friends.  I had no idea that it would 'come back' in that way.  I'm still blown away when I think about it.  And I LOVE the design: it looks like a bunch of necklaces.  And it's SO soft and warm.

Thanks, Marsha, for being SUCH  a MAKER and a GIVER.  I am truly honored and blessed by your friendship in so many ways.  Thanks for reminding me of the human factor behind the cyberness. (And sorry it took til now to post.  The Goo had put my memory card in his mouth and I had to reformat it, thinking I'd lost a lot of photos.  I had to do some major reorganization in order to find these!)

Just a bit more reminiscing, and it's onwards with the New Year!

Wednesday dinners

Growing up, my mom cooked a new meal and my family had dinner together every night.  I always thought that was what everyone did, until I went to my friends' homes in high school and it was every man for himself!

Over the years, the older kids grew up and lived on their own, and the younger kids grew more independent, and meals became mostly my mom and dad.  They could afford to eat out more often, too.  I noticed take-home boxes more and more in their refrigerator, and after my mom's aneurysm surgery in 2007, I decided to come home and cook for them once a week.  My older brother joined in the effort, and we were having family dinners together twice a week.  Gradually we reduced to once a week and divvied cooking privileges between the four siblings.  It became a family tradition that we are still continuing each week.  This year I decided to document what we cook and eat.

I had a visitor in town over the New Year, so the first week's dinner was moved to Honda-ya, one of my favorite izakaya restaurants in LA.  We went more for ambiance than food quality (their food is good, but there are other places that are better): we sat in the tatami section and ordered pitchers of beer and tons of food, reminiscent of days in Japan (where I met my friend, so brought back old memories).

[izakaya]

It's Dungeness crab season, so last Wednesday we decided on seafood shabu shabu, adding salmon and shrimp along with the usual goodies (napa cabbage; spinach; enoki, shiitake, white and brown kinoko mushrooms; tofu; konnyaku; green onion).  We used ponzu and lemon for dipping.  It was delicious!

[seafood shabu]

I'm looking forward to the culinary delights that are in store for us this upcoming year!  I hope to come up with a better name than "Family Dinner."  Suggestions are welcome!

Breakfast

Anyone who knows me knows that I am simply not a morning person: getting out of bed is one of the hardest things I have to do each day.  So I linger, and linger, snooze, just another minute.  And then: oh, shoot, any longer and I'm gonna be late, there's the 15-Minute-Flurry and I practically run out the door.  These days I've been plugging in the kettle before I brush my teeth, and getting the fresh press on while I'm doing my makeup.  The French press is done in just four minutes; dash of milk, and I'm ready to go.  Once in a while I'll even have a couple minutes to get some toast on, though admittedly, those days are rare.  To be honest, I had to force myself to get up and get breakfast, just because of the P52 theme!

I'm working on it, though!  I've been trying to both go to sleep and wake up earlier, and have made it official by naming it one (two, actually) of my New Year's resolutions.  I actually started late last year, getting to bed about 10 or 10:30 and feeling refreshed all the next day.  I could never quite get to it more than two or three days straight, so it's a work in progress.  There are tons of articles out there (like here or here or here) on reasons why it's better to wake up earlier, and how to go about doing it.

This blog makes the idea of waking up and enjoying the morning so much more enticing.  My goal is to sleep by 10:30 and wake up at 6:30 five consecutive nights.  Slowly I'll add depth and variety to my breakfast menu as well: cereal, then oatmeal, yogurt and fruit, protein smoothies, etc.  I'm glad to have started this year with "breakfast" as a theme; it's something I hope to carry on throughout the year!

Here's what I had for breakfast on Thursday (yes, it took until Thursday!):

[water, coffee, read bean toast]

Preparing to write

There's something about a new year that's like a breath of fresh air, that crisp first page of a just-opened new journal that's waiting to be filled.  That's a good image with which to start the year, especially since I plan on writing a lot more -- both here and with actual paper and pen!

To that end, I spent the lunch hour today cleaning out my fountain pens. 

[pen parts]

Here are two of the three I own.  The top one I bought at a bookstore in Vietnam.  Fountain pens and inks were all the rage with my younger students, so I did it partially for the "cool" factor.  It only cost about USD$1, and it's one of the best pens I have.  The bottom one is a Parker, the first fountain pen I ever purchased, back when I was studying abroad (why did I buy an American pen in the UK?!).  It never really worked very well for me, and I chalked it up to being left-handed.  It's mostly unused, but I hope that after a good rinse the ink will run smoothly from any angle.  I've got one more at home, an old Parker that my dad gave me (rather, I found it when digging through an old desk and claimed it), which could stand a really thorough flushing out.

Most fountain pens these days have disposable ink cartridges, but I like to stick with converters so I can re-ink out of bottles.  That way I can play around with different colors.  Currently I use blues and greens, but I like the look of a brown or grey ink.  Or a deep magenta.

[samples]

You can't see it too clearly, but the ink runs differently out of each of the pens.  There's a different feel to the writing, too, since the pens themselves are so different in weight and texture.  I prefer the top one because the ink runs out much more evenly, albeit in higher volume; the metal case and slimmer body also give this a nice weight in my hand as I write.  The Parker pen is lighter, as the (clear blue) case is plastic, but it the weightiness comes when the cap's on top.  The part that you hold while writing is rubber, though, and while it provides more grip, I don't quite like it as much as the feel of metal in the other pen.  It's also a thicker pen, which doesn't sit as well in my little hands.  I'm glad that the ink's running out more evenly than before (maddeningly start-and-stop), but as you can see at the "h," "j," and "q," where it thins out, the ink flow is still not perfect.  I hope that it will become more so with more use.

My writing is not perfectly straight, so I try always to get journals with unlined pages (which means I usually end up getting sketchbooks) or a grid.  Whenever I start writing a new page, my nervousness shows in uneven writing.  But it smooths out as I get in the rhythm of the pen as well as the content.  I like that feeling of increasing composure and confidence.  

As the year begins, I am still a bit wobbly in many areas of my life.  But as I continue to think about the year's dreams and goals, I find myself more and more ready for all the weeks and months ahead.  And "ready" doesn't mean I see or am necessarily working towards a particular goal, but simply that I'm good to go, whereever the road may lead.  I hope that things will come into greater focus and that I'll pick up speed and strength as I head towards them.  I'm almost done with my list of resolutions for 2011; looking foward to writing them over and over on little cards and tucking them in all of my daily places, and sharing with you here.

Cold

The first real coat I ever bought was the year I studied abroad.  In England.  That's the first time I remember being really, really cold.  (It was a lovely navy blue peacoat that I found at a Marshalls- or Ross-like discount retailer, and probably the most I'd ever spent on an individual garment.  I found it the other day as we've been cleaning out my parents' old house.  Yes, I let it go.)

When my  neck, fingers, and toes are cold, I can't function properly.  When my feet are cold (as they are now), I can't sleep.  This is where a good hand-knit accessory becomes invaluable.  Scarves, mitts, socks: yes, please!

During my first winter in Japan, I wore two scarves at a time, wrapping my head and neck with only a sliver open to see as I rode my bike to and fro. No peripheral vision but it didn't matter much because I was the only one on the road, everyone else having access to a car or a friend with a car.  Coworkers would tell me that they saw me riding to work.  "Why didn't you pick me up?!?!" I would often think to myself...  I still remember Japanese winters as the kind that make your marrow cold.  Thank goodness for nabe dishes and kotatsu.

I don't run because my ears get cold.  Most people are incredulous when they hear this.  But it's true.  Even in warmer months, simply brushing up against the air makes my ears cold, which starts a headache, which renders me pretty much miserable.  Someone suggested a headband.  So on my to-knit list: Calorimetry.  Sooner rather than later, as I've got a 10K for which to start training!

Growing up in Southern California sure spoils a gal to seasons.

2011, week by week

I decided to continue with Project 365 this year on my own (though I already missed January 2nd -- I'll be gentle on myself and count the pic I took at 12:42 a.m).  Though I have no idea how it will work out, I anticipate that 2011 will be a significant year for me, and I want to document it photographically.  But I'm still interested in the idea of a group project, so have joined one started by the lovely Marsha, which will follow weekly themes set by the folks at Digital Photography School.

And what with all the synchronized writing challenges, I've decided to jump on that wagon, too.  But I'm not going to do the weekly post using Plinky's prompts.  Rather --and to make things easier for myself -- I'm going to both photograph and write about the same theme each week.  (If you're interested or curious, here's a link to the theme list.)

It's late night Friday/early morn Saturday, which gives me just a couple of days to compose a post about this week's theme: cold.  Wishmeluck!

In the meantime, here's this week's photo:

[week 2: cold]

Only in Southern California can you find fancy ice cream at a farmers market in winter!  (And tomatoes.  And strawberries.)