Aches And Pains

Stiff As A Board
   Well, the Coeliac is making itself known to me more this week, although I feel ok in myself, my joints ache so much that most of the time I'm hobbling around like some old guy of 80, on the Coeliac forums it sounds like this is a major part of the disease, ok I have had problems with stiff legs over the last year but to be honest I have just put it down to getting older and the fact I'm sitting at my torch long hours, but now I realise what the cause is.
   After the last couple of months I'm getting used to the gluten free diet and on a good point it means I get to eat more fruit and veg, which can only be good for me. The fact that the gluten free products are so expensive means I'm eating far less bread, I just can't afford it at the moment, yes I do sometimes long for a simple sandwich but for now we have more important things to pay for, plus a simple home grown mixed salad isn't a bad replacement and one I always enjoy.
   This week I've been working half and half days, lampwork in the mornings until lunch followed by ceramics in the afternoons, this seems to be helping improve my skills on the potters wheel, even Yvonne mentioned how better the bowls, cups and pots are looking, like everything in life it just shows how the more time you practise the more you improve. I was the same when I started lampwork, I remember spending hours making those first simple beads, in fact most evenings ran into the early hours and to this day I still believe this makes you a far better bead maker.
   So often when people first start making beads they tend to want to make those nice flash, in fashion beads that are full of detail, fancy designs and all round bling, but can they make ten beads all the same size, you bet they can't. I know bead makers who have been making beads for a year or two who still shy away from making commission sets for customers or even sets of spacer beads, the reasons, well, they find they have to make so many beads to get ten the same size that it just doesn't pay.
   If, when they start lampwork they were to put in the hours making simple tyre beads or spacers this would help them in a huge way, these hours may seem boring but believe me they teach you how to make good regular sized beads, a skill that will never leave you and will serve you well over many years.
   So now I'm once again putting in more hours on the wheel and as with lampwork I'm still enjoying it, even if the items I'm making are simple in form, I must say I'm beginning to amass a large collection of these bowls, pots etc but it means that I'm on target to get some listed in my etsy shop, I promised this coming weekend would be the first time I list and fingers crossed it will be, Friday evening will I hope be the bisque firing for both pots and lots of beads too, this will mean the weekend can be spent glazing and listing, by next Monday I hope to have a good selection of items in the shop.
   Wow, look at the time, I better get out there and get some work done, I have beads to make, ceramics to make, ceramic beads to sand down ready to fire and of course if the weather is kind a few garden jobs to do, I may ache all over but it ain't going to slow this stubborn old sod down, enjoy your day.