The rest of the mad dash to meet the Christmas deadline photos are below … As well as some pretty pics – fruits of all that labor.  The kids sure are spoiled monster brats – but whatcha gonna do?  I love them and want them happy …

I made candles … yummy winter scents that had the whole house smelling great.  Family packages full of things we make – candles, bowls, ornaments and wine … pretty!    And my trashed studio … it’s all cleaned up and ready for my next round of projects now.

So – having officially survived Christmas weekend – both at home and work … It’s time to start moving towards the New Year … what that means for me as a mom, nurse and warm glass artist … I tell myself every year that I won’t be making any silly resolutions – but I always do.  They usually come out sounding something like this – “I’m going to be a kinder, gentler me …”  And so goes this year’s resolution:  I will NOT get upset, pass judgment or take it personally when patients or visitors are dumb. 

Case in point – Christmas evening, just after starting my shift, I had a mother hit the call light just to ask me (the idiot that responded) when she and her child (the patient) could leave, as they’d been there “for 3 hours, and it is Christmas day [snarl] …?”   The new me will not immediately wonder who forced her, at gunpoint no doubt,  to come to the ER in the first place? 

As we’ve entered round 86 of the GI flu in my small community, the new me will not cringe when I see the 18th patient of the night with the chief complaint of “Vomiting x 2 (whole) hours” … 

I will not spend anymore time on wasted visions of making a magic wand, complete with pixie dust to sprinkle over people who present to the ER refusing all diagnostic tests but demanding to feel better …

The new me will not ponder over family lineage, trying to determine just how inbred a person is …

You get the idea … now to see how long it lasts …

Back in the studio … I’ve had a coffin slumping:  Pretty bowls and spoon rests … I got a new mold for Christmas – and used that ugly ‘blue coal swirling blob’ blank to test it out.  I like the shape of the bowl a lot, and this ugly bowl will be a great addition to my work bowls in the studio …;  I’m working on my next round of blanks:  I LOVE this one – fall colors (my colors).  It is super thick, so that when I de-bubble, it will grow to (hopefully) a 14-15 inch blank (since I gave my last large bowl to my sister …);  Two other blanks (Shades of Amber and a greener Amethyst & Peridot).

I will also be focusing on what new projects and techniques I want to try … quenching glass, pressing glass, boiled glass, powdered glass … I’ll probably take a class on PMC.  Etching glass, painting with glass, enamel and glass … SOO many projects …

I’ll leave you with my Christmas photo … not so flattering, but it looks like I could be deep in thought over the New Year.  Actually, it was more ‘shell-shock post Christmas morning’ meets ‘lack of sleep numbness’ … Thanks John!