Catching Up... again.

I'm having a hard time keeping up with this blogging thing right now. I don't feel like my life in between adventures is all that exciting and I don't know why anyone would really be interested in most of it.

So since the Energy Fair I haven't gone anywhere. In fact I've mostly only traveled for business in the last month. I have done two art shows with another one this Saturday. The one show I got my first ribbon in three years, I received an Honorable Mention ribbon for, the judges said, my new work and display. This is the only exciting thing I have to share with you from the last month.

My Honorable Mention ribbon and display of my new work.

On a different and completely unrelated subject, about a month ago, we had to send one of our cats over the rainbow bridge. Neptune was my buddy, always cuddling, and he had the loudest purr. We got him and his sister, Saturn, 18 years ago when they were just babies. We all miss him and Saturn has started to adjust to not having him around at night. Sort of. She still wakes us up yowling for him.

Probably my favorite picture of Neptune from the 18 years he was with us.

About five days ago I put a note on my personal Facebook page asking for help from my backpacking and hiking friends for advice on what gear to get, what brands are the favorites, most comfortable, best of what they have used. At first there was no response, but then people started sharing either things to remember to have or what they preferred. And then I got two separate responses from my friends of two different people I should contact because they had experience with hiking and backpacking. I spent one evening messaging with one woman about her gear and made loose plans to meet up this summer to discuss gear and possible further into the future plans to do a practice hike together. So that will be helpful. I also got several messages from a friend listing her gear and things that she has found good for her and luckily some of the gear she mentioned crossed over some of what I had already heard. I may actually start buying gear soon instead of just thinking about it and forever debating what to get.

A serving bowl covered with a tree design.

I have been busy getting pottery made. I have done a few firings now of my new work and I am really enjoying it. I have also started getting things made with the Renaissance Faire in mind. I have several dragon whistles made and I have a new idea I made a prototype for that I'm fairly excited about.

One of my new dragon whistles.

Things have been happening around here, and I'll try to share more often. I just don't know how many times you want to hear about how I fired a kiln two days ago and I fired another one today. (Here are the pictures on my Facebook page from the firing I did two days ago.) My whole life becomes consumed with keeping my inventory stocked, now at three stores (Artistree Gallery in Land O' Lakes, Chocolates and More in Minocqua, and the Three Lakes Center For the Arts) plus my inventory for shows. July is my busiest month with three shows, then in August I have two and September is the one four-day Renaissance Faire. And I am trying to keep up with my show coming in the next week, but also I'm trying to get new work made for the shows next month and the specialty things for the Renaissance Faire and trying to anticipate what is going to sell so I can maybe make some ahead of time. Like mugs, I always have mugs going in some stage of the process because they always take just a little longer to get from start to finish. 

Anyway, enough rambling for now. Hope everyone is making the best of whatever weather you are having and having a great summer.