Another Early Start

Up With The Lark

   I can remember when on these dark November mornings I could lay in our warm bed until late wishing I could stay there all day, now I still wish I could sleep all day long but seem to be up as soon as I wake. I know I'm not getting any real sleep and I understand we all get that when there are things playing on our minds but it seems to be every morning now that I'm laying awake listening for those first early cars going by and thinking it's ok to get up now.
   I'm sure it's a family thing as my grandad was always up and about before 6am as was my mum and I have uncles and aunts who manage on just a few hours every night, I'm really hoping I haven't got that to look forward to.
   I've just been out to turn on my kiln and to check the ceramic kiln is all cooled and ready to empty, the fog as lifted from last night and morning is very dark, now I get time for a cuppa before I start the day.
   I hope when I empty the ceramics that the new colours have turned out ok, some I'm sure will be fine, others, well we just have to wait and see. I put a few pots and bowls in so touch wood they will be ok, I'm starting to understand now that its not the making of the ceramics but the glazing thats takes the hard work. There has been a lot of times when I've made some really nice pieces only to find when I glaze them the colours look crap and they go straight in a cupboard out of sight or finish up being used to store tools or unglazed beads, I guess there is always a use for them.
   On the lampwork side of things today is focal day yipeeeeeeee, I get to play and do whatever I want, the glass gets to show me something new again which  means yet another exciting morning tomorrow opening the kiln to see the results and I get chance to try out a couple of colours that have stood collecting dust in my glass rack for months, so thats a bonus too.
   Ok I'm off to get that cuppa while the rest of the world wakes then off to my torch and the warm seat next to my kiln.