Busy weekend.

    Saturday's "Trunk Sale"--that's what Tohono Chul called the ceramic show--was so good.  The first day was great, the second was even nicer.  It was warmer, and no wind (which is always a good thing when you have a table full of breakables,) lots of people came through and enjoyed themselves.  Was so fun to see so many friends come out for it, and I can't tell you what your support means to me. Thanks just isn't a big enough word but that is all I can say--Thank you.

      My hummingbird feeders all sold, they were a hit.  I got a big affirmation when the head of the Tohono Chul gift shop approached me and asked me to make some for the park's gift shop.  Well, OK!!

Yesterday was Rodeo day!  Finals of the Tucson La Fiesta de los Vequeros.  We never miss when we are in town.  Larry and Jean came down from Phoenix for the day and went with us.  Always a good time--Yahoo!

Tohono Chule Ceramics Show and Sale

I'm all set up and ready for first day.  The whole clay artisan's market was very well attended--lots of people came to see and browsed and shopped and enjoyed the event.  I had a more-than-ok first day!  Weather even cooperated.  We'll all be back tomorrow.

Home again. . . to SNOW

We're sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for our connecting flight on Wednesday, on route back to Tucson when we hear that flights have been diverted from Tucson airport because of SNOW.  WHAT!!  Well, by the time we got here, the airport was cleared out and flights landing on time but it was still snowing.  Or snowing again.  This is our windshield--we didn't get any snow in New Jersey so was a surprise to have to scrape our windshield at home. 

 

Next morning there was still snow in the desert and have to admit it was pretty.  By mid morning it was gone as it remained above freezing and the sun came out.  Lots of snow in the mountains surrounding the city and thats a nice sight also.  Tons of kids out trying to scrape up the snow to make snowmen.

DeBoer's doin' whatever in New Jersey

Time for a family picture! 

Lilliana was the center of most of our activities this week but today we left her with the guys and had a girl's morning out. Tammy took us to a local spa for a Korean body scrub and then a message.  It was AMAZING.  We began by soaking in the various hot tubs, one just hot water, another was heated mineral water.  We could have alternated with cold pools also but that did not appeal.  We were in the sauna for a while but I didn't last long.  Tammy enjoys that more than Steph or I.  That is what the cold pools are most used for--right from sauna into cold water.  Suppose to be healthy but I think it would give me a heart attack.  This was all "woman's only" portion of the spa so we are all fully--unclothed. 
    Well, the best part was next.  It was 45 minutes of body scrub. A kindly woman scrubbed every part of my body with what looked and felt like kitchen scrubbers.  There was truly not one dead cell left for sure!  That was followed by another 45 minutes of wet message. It was deep and hot and so wonderful.  At one point I realized that she was actually using her full weight to massage my back and spine.  Never had a massage quite like it before.
    Can I go again? I wanted to take pictures of the place to post on my blog because the space was all so beautiful and luxurious but somehow I don't think the other patrons would have appreciated it!

Lia loves watching YouTube videos--especially while she is eating!  She watches everything from Sesame Street clips to Japanese cartoons, Korean music videos.  There is a whole world of children's videos--or just videos that kids like to watch.  She is pretty good at flipping through the video choices to find the one's she wants.

She and grandpa have developed a special bond.  They have long conversations and play the best games together--Lia's rules of course.

She is mezmorised with bubbles.  Here she is at her gym class catching them.  I brought a little bottle of bubbles for home and she loves it when we blow them at her!

 

Grandpa and Lilliana

DeBoer's together in New Jersey

Now what could possibly make us want to leave sunny Arizona and come to cold and snowy New Jersey!  Well a grandbaby will do it every time.

Doug is here from China for Chinese New Year holiday, Steph flew in from Indiana and we came up from Arizona for a DeBoer gathering.  Actually, the sun was shining and it was pretty warm.  Snow melting and nice day for a walk outside.

We got to go along with Doug to take Lia to her gym class.  Was so precious.  Toddlers and Moms/Dads doing various activities. . .

I'm not sure Lilliana has quite figured out what is going on

But she's having a good time!!

 

Busy weekend

We packed this weekend full of good stuff.  Friday night we went to our friend's Susie and Jasper's annual Yokohama Whist card party.  The rules are simple and silly--in fact the rules change with each hand played. Its a game where partners continually change as you move from table to table as winners move "up." One's skill has nothing to do with winning in most cases.  Will won the unluckiest player award.  The award states that "outstanding skill has been overcome by poor deals, bad lighting, confusing rules and poor partners."  Made for a lot of laughs

 

Then Larry and Jean came down from their winter "digs" in Phoenix and the 4 of us went to Tubac for some serious shopping. . .well looking, anyway.  Tubac's 4 day Arts Festival was on so along with the myriad of regular shops in town there were lots of vendors selling all manner of arts and crafts.  Looks like the guys found the perfect shopping spot. Actually, they did as much perusing of fun stuff as Jean and I did.

On Saturday we drove to Sierra Vista to the Cochise Poetry and Music Gathering.  Was a beautiful drive as a snow squall had just passed through and the desert was iced with a beautiful layer of fresh snow.  Didn't last long but was certainly pretty.  I'm all excited to see the snow and Larry and Jean just shook their heads in disgust at the white stuff.  They did not come to Arizona from Iowa to see snow!!

The Poetry Gathering is an event that we look forward to every year.  The best in song, story telling, and poetry all celebrating the cowboy lifestyle past and present.  Entertainers come from all over to participate.  One minute you are laughing so hard at a tale told in rhyme and the next minute you are in tears over a precious story.  We all agreed this year was one of the best we could remember.The music of the Morales Brothers and a group called Syd Masters and the Swing Riders out of New Mexico were amazing.

This is Jay Snyder from Oklahoma spinning a yarn. And Doc Mehl kept us in stitches with a hilarious poem about his beloved departed dog.

Another kiln opening

Kiln has been heating up again.  Getting ready for another show on the 22/23 of February.  Also haven't fired the new ideas from the workshop I did a couple of weeks ago.  Lots of samples and test pieces to see what actually works. There is my teapot-with-an-attitude,  and the small colored clay sample plate.

It is functional
lidded pot with quail

I've made a bunch of these hummingbird feeders

Casserole dish

 

Gem show again

   Went to the Gem and Mineral Show again with two snowbird friends, Judy Rolefs and best buddie, Alice Haan.  They had both visited the Gem Show in other years but I was able to take them along with me and get into a wholesale only venue because I have a business license.  This one was mostly beads, gems and precious stones--cut, uncut, polished, unpolished, in settings or ready to mount, jewelry findings, some assorted imports of decorative items and clothing and accessories--Tons of stuff.  Two huge tents which we barely covered in the 5 hours we were there.  By the end we were pretty much passing through pretty quickly.  We had such a good time. 

     One of the funnest finds for me were these glass buttons from the Czech Republic.  They are exquisite and so unique.  Apparently a dying art, hand made individually in one small village by just a hand full of aging men. I was interested in the intricate designs and thinking I could make stamps out of them to use to decorate my clay pieces.  Wish you could see the detail.

http://www.wildthingsbeads.com/article-cbi.html

Here is a link to the website of the distributer if you'd like to read more.  He has more stories and better pictures also.  He also has some other pretty interesting treasures.

Tucson Gem Show

Today was the first official day of the 2013 Tucson Gem Show.  Will and I went down to the Kino Gem and Mineral Show that was held at Electric Park.  That was only one of something like 40+ venues going on all over town.  We were there when the doors opened and had the best time just taking it all in.  You name it, you can find it at the Gem Show. . .need some beads?  Need some fossils?  Need tools, or some Chinese imports?  How about some uncut rubies or jade, maybe some walrus bones, or a real coyote tail, some amethyst or amber. . .you can find it here.  Will and I both found a few treasures that we didn't know we needed until we got there.