Monday, January 05, 2009

opened, but not as imagined

I did spend most of today working with clay--hooray! But it was not just as I had imagined. I went to bed especially early last night (~9:00)as I was determined to get an early start in the studio. Kenny does not get to breakfast until around 10:00 because it takes that long for him to shower and dress. So my plan is to get up early and go right out to the studio and come in for breakfast when he was ready. But last night Kenny called for help at about 10:00. He was not feeling well and was showing some baffling symptoms. We got him to bed and back in our own beds by 11:00 but then spent a bit of time worrying about him--maybe we should have called EMS?? There were a couple more calls for help during the night. So I did not hop out of bed as early or as energetically as I had planned. But I did go out while he dressed, then I came in for breakfast with him, and back out after breakfast. Kenny decided to spend the day inside "taking it easy". He did need some help mid-morning but after that he was fine. I was able to work until about 3:30--so I got some good time out there.

I made 2 slab pieces that I am optimistic about--a large oval casserole and a smaller rectangular casserole (sorry the pictures are not very clear)--from wood forms made for me by my friend and fellow potter Herb. Those are drying slowly now under cover. Then I put about 7 pounds of clay on the wheel to do some work 'off the hump'. There was no 'theme' to that work--just getting my hand back into the work. It felt good getting back to work!



Tomorrow Kenny goes out to the medical center for the first of 12 therapy sessions. That punches a hole in the middle of the day three times a week for the month of January--Jim is going to share the taxi service with me. I don't know if I go tomorrow or not yet. Then I have a doctor's appointment with my eye doctor at noon on Wednesday. Gosh, life sure gets in the way of doing what I want to do!! I'm sure I'm not alone in that experience. And I am luckier than most given the support Kenny and I have.

I have restarted my meditation practice. Jim and I began regular meditation practice and study in 2000. We had incredible experiences in that pursuit. Yet, a couple years ago, I dropped my commitment to my meditation practice. I have regretted that failure but have not had the fortitude to get back on the cushion. So I am very happy that with the new year I am back on the cushion. My experience in the past was that meditation was a very empowering practice.

4 comments:

Tracey Broome said...

That looks like pretty good progress to me considering what you have going on! I like the casseroles a lot. Life gets in the way for me too but I am just trying to accept that and do what I can do. My 15 year old is more important right now than clay. I started doing yoga for the new year and I have been sooo sore this week. Maybe I should do meditation instead:)

chaetoons said...

Hi Gay
With all the interruptions, you are still accomplishing more in the studio than i am at this time!
Bravo !!!
Yesterday, we had a driving sleety-driving-snow storm but still had to brave the elements to go pay bills! Nightmare for me; i hate to drive in the snow.
Meditation is an awesome experience. Used to do it regularly but observed that many of my "thoughts" materialized during that period of my life. Scared me for sometimes my thoughts are not all that loving and i certainly didn't want those thoughts to materialize !!!
Praying with you for Kenny's progress.
Hugs
Chae

Sister Creek Potter said...

Chae, Do you get Robert Genn's newsletter? Ron referred to it today and I think it had an interesting take on meditation:
"It seems that the regular act of prayer or meditation gives the brain a sort of anaerobic workout in self-control. It may not be the content of the prayer or even the particular deity involved that tunes people up. Apparently it's the regularity of the act and the committed repetition. A good example is the Muslim ritual of facing Mecca and kneeling on a prayer rug five times a day. Reading a different encyclopedia article at proscribed intervals might do the trick for some folks. For many of us, it means the formalized and regular act of entering the cathedral of our studios and rebooting ourselves at the altar of our easels."
Ron was reacting on a different aspect of that newsletter, I think. I enjoy getting the Genn newsletter though he paints, not pots!
Thanks for the good thoughts. Gay

chaetoons said...

Thanks Gay. Will check out Genn's newsletter. Yes. I believe that regularity of the act of meditation and the committed repetition are important.
Also believe that the willingness to give up the ego and unify with Universal harmony are important factors in this.
Last 2 days have been up too early and abed too late trying to get some pieces kilned, so my thoughts seem a bit "spacey" re: lack of sleep!
Hugs
Chae