Treasure Your Mum

A Day Off, The Least They Deserve

   It's once again that time of year when mums all over the country get a day of rest, they I hope get spoilt rotten and treated like princesses, it's the least they deserve after all they do the rest of the year. I think we all know how important mothers are in our lives and being one of many who lost their mum I know that every day feeling of loss when they are taken away from us, in my case my best friend and teacher in life was taken from me, that one special person who was always there to support me and advise me when I most needed it, I for one wish I had the chance to shower my mum in chocolates and flowers again.
   Today is a mixed day for me, lots of ceramic beads to glaze ready to fire over night and lampwork beads to clean, photo and list also, I have more seeds to sow in the greenhouse and we have Nicola visiting as it's mothers day, so all in all a busy Sunday in this house as always.  I must admit it's nice to have a later start to the day this morning, no hurry , no rushing out to get my torch lit ready to make those first beads, I think I need a easy start the odd morning and no better than on a nice quiet Sunday when there are no cars roaring by on the way to work, just the sound of the garden birds and the gentle sound of water from the ponds.
   Last night I found myself making more new ceramic beads, I know it will be a good week before I get to list them but it was exciting trying a lot more my forms and some worked out really well, Monday I hope to start listing in the new etsy shop, it will be the normal type of beads to start with and some pendants but as the weeks go on I'll be adding more different work, I just want to start slow and add new designs as I go. I have a number of bowls, pots etc all waiting to be glazed or pit fired so I should be having fun with those this coming week too, but bare with me, you know how I worry about people not liking the vessels so I'll only list them as and when I'm happy with them, but they will be listed I promise.
   It's funny but when I'm working with the clay my mind goes back to the days spent in Ashwell as a kid and the little shop there run by two sisters, one of which made and sold ceramic pieces, they were figures and buildings all connected with the village and we used to stand at the shop window looking at the different buildings on display, the church, museum, the odd village inn and figure groups of say the cricket team or the football team, they were something that us kids loved to look at always stuck in my mind. She was a nice lady who would show us school kids the home made brick kiln in her back yard and how she used it, I remember there was always a great pile of plastic bags full of clay in one corner of her yard and always I wondered how many years that clay would last her, still to this day some of the older members of my family have some of her pieces in their homes, it's strange who that one lady living in a quiet little village making her own little Victorian world still to this day 40 years later brings back such great memories for me. Next time I visit Ashwell I'll see if the yard is still the same and if those bags of clay still sit in that corner waiting to be used.
   Ok, it's time to start getting those ceramic beads glazed so I'll leave you all to enjoy your Sunday and I hope all you mums out there gave a very special day with your families, nobody deserves it more than you.