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2006 "I Think"...I was coming home from a cermaic show in Portland, OR.
My hair is shorter & greyer... I won't comment on my double chin at this point.
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ABOUT ME....WOW...Main thing I can say about myself is that I just am! But, I would like to believe I am absolute perfection at it' s best LOL But I will concide to being just me and excepting all my imperfections. I'm short, getting older and I am beginning to really appreciate the color grey . Not to mention that my body seems to be in a melting phase, meaning any muscle tone I thought I had is certianly flying the coup and I am diffenitly in the arm pit stage of my life :)
The last two years has been an awakening period for me. My son Michael moved to his dads & has sence come back home. My daughter Hailey has left twice & came back twice and now her bedroom is in my livingroom...AHEM. My youngest son Eric...wonderful young man who is to smart for his age will become whomever he wants no matter what anyone may think...Go Eric! Now my relationship of nine years has come to an end along with a 30 year freindship. I am losing home, my business and best freind all becasue of an internet addiction. Enough said there...alot of changes happening in my life. Some good...Some not so good, but certianly foul of unknown opportunitites and possiblities. Everyday I wake up being thankful for another day and being able to still brush my own hair :)
I had planned to go back to school on June 24th and take up welding...That has since changed. I got my move out date from my ex other half. I have 60 days to move the business, find a job and a place to live. Way to much to deal with and attend school from 7am to 5 pm four days a week. Hopefully I will be able to attend school in the fall. Everything should be pretty much managed by September. Hailey and Michael have decided to try and get a place of their own. Ther are good and bad points to that so I will do my best to be excited for them both but still afraid they will both end up back at home. Although, next time it will be under contract with all house rules in writing and what is expected. Lesson learned there for about the third time now. I have come to believe that you are never to old to learn lessons or to eat crow with grace LOL
I love the ceramic feild. I have taught all phases of it. The most rewarding for me has been working with physically & mentally disabled individuals and children. But now that I am older I do not have the patience I used to have. My mom said as I got older I would lose some of that...patience! Now I teach classes in my free time, "what's that" , with free hand drawing and painting on ceramic utility pieces. One of these days I will get some of my pieces online for you all to see. My thoughts are to open up another art studio someday and my own web site. Perhaps when the kids are done coming in and out of my door and I have retired.
I started in the ceramic business out of survial. My marriage ended shortly after I quit a very good job to stay at home with the kids. My hobby became a business overnight and it just grew and grew and GREW. I left Yakima valley to be closer to my family and my wholesale business came with me. Once the kids were all in school I could no longer make delivers all over Washington or Oregon and I opened up my first studio on a wing and a prayer. I have learned a lot of the ceramic business from trail and error but I also made it a point to become a certified Duncan instructor. I love to experiment with colors, glazes and techniques. If someone said it could not be done I had to make sure. Becaie of that I have turned out some pretty interesting pieces.
EATING CROW TIME...Against my better judgement and taking the advise of my other half I closed my store and moved it to my property so I could work at home and become more present in all their lives....BAD IDEA...BAB, BAD IDEA...The kids became brain dead instantly once I was readily available and soon after so did my other half. I attempted to manage the house, the kids, the business, the finances...You name it... I assumed the position on my own accord and of free will never asking for anything or expecting anything. I simple figured my turn would come...Then the kids became teenagers and if that wasn't a rude awakening. I did not fully understand the true meaning of "it's all about me". Also, it didn't take long to realize that one must be disciplined to work at home! I am not saying I am undisciplined but I do struggle with staying focused. I am like an octopus with to many arms. Plus, I am a pieces and I am really okay with having a scattered sence of spirit and drive LOL I soon discovered that I absolutely hate working at home...Did I mention I absolutely hate working at home! If I had no life when I ran the store it was because I was so busy running the store, but I loved it and everyone I meet. I was disciplined and focused in the store. Once at home I had absolutley no life because I couldn't leave my property in the event a customer might show up LOL. The within a few months of reopening my studio at home we had a string of really sad and unfortunate events happen in all our lives. Without realizing it I had buried my head in the sand and shut most of the world out. I slowely turned away from my business, my customers, freinds & family. I all but became a recluse. After I began to wake up and join the real world again I was on overload coming down from an overload. Every area in my life needed my attention. It was time for change and making decisions. I discovered Ebay.
I decided it was finally time to close the shop up and this time for good and I was okay with it. So I have spent the last few years downsizing and selling the molds I knew I did not want. I tried selling bisque but being a perfectionist I knew that was more work then I could manage. Everytime I went into my shop & studio everything became overwelming once agian. Thanks to the help of a wonderful friend, Colleen, together we have managed to sell more molds then I care to think about and opened up another Ebay store for books and misc. things. Then we decided we still didn't have enough to do so we began selling molds for yet another local ceramic shop. Last year I realized I would be out of molds at some point so I turned to my decals.... So here I am, selling ceramic fire-on decals...selling my molds through shoppebooksnmore and worrying about what the "H" I am going to do with the rest of my stuff when moving day gets here. I am now giving greenware and bisque away and becomeing more and more okay with the dump LOL
I do plan on continuing wiht the cermaic decals even though my life is so busy now myself and trying to just be present in my kids life and cleaning up the mess I am in. The cermaic industry is really changing. Shops are dropping like flies. I really think peoples wants or needs are changing. Everyone's lives are becoming so busy just managing simple everyday life and practicality is becoming a biggy. Cermaic decals are quick and easy and can be used on so many practical things. Whether you own a shop or are just a hobbist you can really turn out some fantastic pieces with ceramic decals.
With all that said...Come back often to see what is new with the decals and if you want to keep up on me, the kids, the move, my school, my job search come back and see me here. Stories will and pictures will change. If there is ever anything I can help you with or you are just looking for someting special just drop me a line and if you get the chance sign up for my hit and miss newsletters LOL and sign my guest book. I appreciate everyone of you and the business you bring me. Keep it coming...Maybe some day I won't need to have a job outside of my decals. Heck, maybe someday the kids will all be grown with lives of their own and...OH MYGOSH, kids of their own to pick up after and complain about. Don't you just love the way life has a way of coming back around. Nice thing about that though is the second time around I will be on the outsdie looking in listening with a kind ear and understand heart simply saying..."OH REALLY", with a grin on my face!
THINGS THAT MAKE ME ME...bubbles, flowers in the spring, fresh air, sunlight through a dirty window, green, enabler :), mom, artist, inability to hate, family dinners, enchilladas, wearing PJ's to the store, pony tials, Patsy Cline, the smell of lavender, a hot bath, achy feet, forever holding on to what tomorrow has to offer, my children, listening to a good audio book, candles in the middle of the night, being by myself and being okay with it, new freinds, old freinds, blackberry wine, dyslexic "thank god for spell check", knowing the taste of cermaic dust, 50's & 60's music......
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