Copyright and other blogs currently being worked

Happy Year of the Dragon. Here is my Dragon Girl Bird sculpture from 2018.

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Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Last Tuesday of the month

These months with 31 days just get to me.  Why oh why is May so darn long?
OK, let's look at it another way.  Look, May is still here!

I thought up a new calendar system.  Why do we have to follow such an archaic one, with names of gods from ancient mythology, and a seven day week, where people in most of today's world work 5 on and 2 off?
Shelly and Baxter at the Tailgate

Us retired people don't think in those terms on a daily basis quite as much.  Monday is no longer the drudge it once was, and taking day trips during the week means avoiding the tourist traffic on weekends.

So why not have weeks of 10 days each? That's the way us humans have been counting many things forever...on our fingers and thumbs.  Actually the solar year of 365 days works well with 30 weeks of 10 days, and one of 5 days.  The leap year could still be added every 4 years too.

Months? Well, I'd sure even them out so there isn't the silly 28 day one, and those with 31 days.
Any ideas?  I haven't thought that far yet.

I get these crazy inspirations when in the dentist chair getting drilled.  It's something to do with the horrible vibrations of that drill.  I swear he had one that was synched to a vibration that drove me bonkers.

The other thought I came up with was to write a letter to my future self...say to be opened in 10 years (should I live so long.) I think it would be interesting for anyone to read how this May 2016 is full of such craziness, from politics to legal bathroom useage.  I can coin a new term for this interest... genitalmania. 

Outside the office at Blue Ridge Apartments

Monday, May 30, 2016

Memorial Day Wishes

A sad day, to honor fallen heroes, to remember all those wars fought which may have not had a victor, but the sides grew tired of dying and decided to make a peace of sorts.


This is a day of remembrance for me. Of all those I've loved and lost.  Never lost anyone to a war, thank goodness.  But I knew many naive young men who learned how to make war.  And I've lost many people and animals who knew how to love.

My winter view

I hope someday there will be no more wars. That is my wish.

My summer view from my nest

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Nouveau Vase Three, before and after

Designer Liner by Mayco, and Stroke & Coat glazes, same manufacturer.  Then a coat of their Matte Clear glaze.



This time I timed it just right, and the kiln had room for it last night and it came out from cone 5-6 firing today! Oh I'm happy about this one!



Of course I see lots that I can do better next time, as well as things that I didn't expect (the way glazes always work!)


Saturday, May 28, 2016

Beauty as I pass by...

In my neighborhood, I daily pass these peonies.
So pretty...

Tightly curled, all those thin petals waiting to burst open...when?

Peonies are such lovely flowers, but their stems seldom are strong enough to hold them up!


My neighbor Faye is also concerned about the weight of the blossoms!

And today is my first-born's birthday! Happy birthday Marty, and many more! I love you!

Hope to see my pottery friends on Saturday dropping by the Black Mountain Tailgate Market...even if I may only be shopping since other Mud Buddies are taking care of our sales this week.  I love my Mud Buddies and all our friends in Black Mountain NC!

Friday, May 27, 2016

Art Saturday and Great Uncle John Webb


John Singer Sargent (American, Impressionism, 1856–1925): Scuola di San Rocco, 1903. Created in Venice, Italy. Watercolor on paper, 35.6 x 50.8 cm. Private Collection. Image: Pragmatic Romanticist.
I wonder if museum quality art which is posted on Facebook is allowed for Sepia Saturday Here?
If it's not, this painting will disappear quickly.
The meme is ...

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OS2pa5Klx1w/Vsw_1Y29kaI/AAAAAAABH-M/D0Uxf0j5BiECMqZI8IDmfyThTeqLYB--ACKgB/s1600/SS332b.jpg

John Leroy Webb

In honor of my eldest son's birthday tomorrow, I am also sharing a photo of his Great Great Uncle John Webb (1880-1938)  What do you read from this photo? At least a dashing student. I have no idea when it was taken.

My mother's father was his brother...Albert Bud Webb (1891-1919).  They were 2 of the 8 children born in Huisache (or the Anglicized version that is now on maps) Weesatche, Texas, in Goliad County.

Albert Bud Webb (my grandfather)

Here's Bud's draft card from June, 1917, when my mother was 2 months old.  It was apparently enough to keep him from going to the war.

Registering for the Draft in World War I
(Source: Ancestry.com - not my relations!)


But unfortunately Grandfather Bud was killed by an electrical accident (bad wiring and being electrocuted) in 1919.  My mother remember it as being Christmas lights, but it happened in September, so it must have been some other wiring in the home. His business listing on his draft card said Restaurant, self employed. His death certificate said he was a restaurant proprietor, and the electrical accident was not occupational.

But back to Uncle John. He was older by 11 years than Bud.  His draft card in September,1918 states he was a Postmaster and Clerk, for a mercantile business, partly owned by the Webb family. But he was already 39 by the time he registered for the draft.

JLW&ELH
Uncle John and Aunt Lizzy Webb, 1901

 His wife was Elizabeth (Lizzie) Hohn Webb (1883-1960) born in NY perhaps, and had parents born in France.  They had 3 daughters, Anne Lorraine Webb Cross (1902-1949), Hazel Marguerite Webb Doughty Hinds (1908-1970), and Pearl Adelle Webb Hammerle (1918-2005).

In the 1900 Census, John was living with his 2-years-older brother, James, and listed himself as a salesman, while his brother was a bookkeeper. They lived next door (or perhaps in a building separately built on the same property) as their parents in Goliad County, TX. By the 1910 census he was living with a wife and his first 2 daughters, lists himself as a Postmaster, again in the same area of Goliad County, TX.

Between 1918 and 1920 his family had moved to San Antonio, TX, and he gave his occupation on the census as a traveling salesman of dry goods. By 1930 the census gives his sales as hosiery. He was living with his wife, now listed as born in Texas, and 2 daughters.  At this time the census tells us Aunt Lizzy's father had been born in Alcase-Lorraine, and her mother in NY.

I take the census' birth places with a grain of sand these days.  It's a big maybe.

So why go through all these details?  Well, my son might like to know these 2 Webb men were both listed as tall on their draft cards, and having blue eyes, and light hair.  Granddad Webb had slightly balding hair in his 20s, while his older brother at 39 had light hair.




And since these are the genes which come from great grandfathers and uncles, it's nice to see that they could have lived a fairly long life for that generation.   Great Great Uncle John did die from stomach hemorrhage, at age 58.  With new medicines which treat ulcers, he probably could have lived much longer.  And working with electricity is much safer these days, as my son well knows!

Thanks for reading through all these family details.  I love pursuing the census and draft cards to find what the actual interviewer put down, even if it is different sometimes than it was on another one.  That's what makes genealogy fun for me.

And as suggested in a comment, I've now added the following photo of my son when in his 30s (holding his son, Will)











Thursday, May 26, 2016

Beauty all around

 Much later than the native Dogwoods, a Japanese Dogwood is in bloom now.

What a lovely Fuchsia plant!


Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Nouveau Two vase finished

Conversation opened. 1 read message.









The vase without its lid.


As you may remember when I showed the unfired piece HERE, there's clear Matte Glaze (by Mayco) over all the surfaces outside.  The inside and upper lip are glazed with satin white.  The colors of Mayco stroke and coat glazes keep their shine even under the Matte clear. (More about the Process Here.)

I love how many designs can be incorporated into one vase.  Do you think it's too much?







Blogger Note: I also just learned a sad thing about blogger.  If you use the same title twice, it can't handle it, even though the publishing date is different.  So my post "Nouveau Two" from several days ago confused blogger, and my attempted post "Nouveau Two for Wed. the 25th, got posted on the 18th, then the 19th, and then sent to my email address (all of which transpired in real time on Fri the 20th).  I tried to copy it into a new post, and it kept going to the past post, which is when I figured out to delete the never published one, and use the info that had been sent to my email to make this one, which has an extra few words in the title, to keep poor blogger happy.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Barb's birds and bees Part Three

There were some bee mugs in the last glaze kiln.  I think I like them a lot. Nobody else in the studio said they did.  But they feel just right for me.

They are simple squared off cylinders.  And inside is satin white, with some of the stoneware showing through.  The exterior glaze is matte black, then dipped into the same white over the black on the rim, which gives the dripped down effect.  It also makes a really smooth rim for one's lips to drink from.



I seldom make 6 of anything, usually it's 5 because one just doesn't make it.  So this is rare for me!
And I'm thinking of keeping 2 for myself.  I already christened one with my morning coffee!

Monday, May 23, 2016

Barb's Birds and Bees Part Two

Some places the glaze was too thin.
Some places the glaze was too thick.


I'm not very happy about this one.  I think all that time and work gives me only the satisfaction of knowing how to change the next one.  And if I don't take a hammer to it, it will be at most a "second."


Using regular glaze for the nutmeg brown, rather than stroke and coat, I made it too thin and too blobby on both the inside and exterior birds.  The ones inside got gobbled up by the blue thick glaze, including at least one which lost its head!


Sunday, May 22, 2016

Barb's birds and bees

Part One:
Birds in the works...a bowl for birds.
My brief visit by nesting doves made me think of doing some birds nesting on the exterior...

 The interior has some flying silhouettes of birds over clouds that circle the center...the grey glaze will be blue.
All the birds, inside and out are nutmeg brown. And the nests lie tucked inside leaves of turquoise trees limbs,


The outside is then coated with matte clear glaze, with blue at rim and foot.  We shall see results soon!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Memories shared

Some of my favorite things from Long, Long Ago.
Newborn babies! (This is close to the Sepia Saturday meme this week)
Retiring to North Carolina (2007) where friend Rosie (on left) and her husband lived. Then they moved to Washington state!


Going back to college to finish my degree in art (and then grad school also!)



One of the men I almost married...

The thrill of takeoff, Pan American from Miami, FL (I'm second from r. front row)







Marcellus Williams (Sun Bear) visited Tallahassee and shared on Indian Mounds near Lake Jackson

Muffin, the furry one

Cat toes, those little pink ones in the white fur.
 And not so long ago, but every single day now...
Living in Black Mountain, photo by joye ardyn durham

I'm submitting this post to Sepia Saturday...because I can't figure out anything to say about their photo this week.  I've very little interest in baby beauty contests!   (Except my own beautiful babies, and my grandbabies! Of course!) But check over there to see what others have come up with.