Say What?

Tammy asked me recently what I'd like for Father's Day. Without hesitation, my thoughts turned to things glassblowing related. I mentioned that we could use some more frit (small bits of glass color). She countered with a suggestion for glassblowing tools instead. Even better! We've been using the shop's tools and while they're okay with where we're at in our skills, it's not a bad idea to begin assembling our own toolkit. She did some research and came up with some ridiculously expensive but beautiful Carlo Dona shears for cutting through hot glass. I think I'll be content for the foreseeable future with glassblowing tools for any gifts she may want to shower me with and I'm thinking that she won't mind if I return the favor. I did buy myself one gift for Father's Day. I ordered a model kit of the class of ship I served on during my time in the Navy in the mid to late '70s. This is something I've been wanting to do for some time....

I don't make the rounds of Facebook as much as I used to. I grew weary of a few people among my friends who use the site to rail on and on about the Obama administration and its failings with their associated links to Fox News and other similar sites bent on seeding the land with their propaganda. They offer no solutions, only criticism and the base of ignorance they display (at least to me) is nothing short of frustrating. As we move closer to the fall elections, it's only going to become uglier. I went through my friends list a few nights ago and hid the most blatant offenders from my feed so I no longer have to read their rantings. It was freeing. That's not to say that I've hidden all those I disagree with; only the ones who are out to obnoxiously provoke others with no intention of opening their own ears and eyes with a desire to hear what the other side is saying. I continue to get the majority of my exercise through my walks. I find it so enjoyable out there ...

Finally! We both feel like we're making some progress once again in the studio. It's been a while since we've felt that way. I only scored one successful piece this past Thursday But I was still happy. I had one rather large vase that was just a few processes from being completed but I made a rookie mistake and bumped the end of my punty rod against the bench rail on my way to the furnace and it was enough to cause the piece to fly off the punty and end up on the floor. It was a nice piece and I'd have loved to have finished it but I took away some lessons from the effort so I'm fine with that. Rachel came with us, killing time as she relaxes around our home for a week before going back and beginning work as a camp (sports enrichment) counselor at the YMCA in Rochester for the summer. The vase in the photo to the left is the one I was referring to last week in my blog. My doctor says I can come off Coumadin (blood thinner) in February—one year from my bilater...