Feeding the soul

It's been months since I last lit my glass torch and spent any significant time working with it. I almost hate to say this out loud, because I don't want to jinx it, but my schedule has been pretty lightly scheduled this week and next, and it being unbelievably cold today, I thought, hey, I should go make some beads. Nothing better than sitting in front of a six-inch torch flame, next to a 900*F kiln on a 25*F day.

But first I did get some day-job work done.

Then I went rummaging through all of my glass research books, papers, and magazines to find images of ancient beads form all the cultures I could find. Islamic, Viking, African, Roman, Byzantine....I had pictures of all kinds of stuff. So, I set up the fuel hose, flipped on the kiln, dipped a bunch of mandrels, and got out some glass. An hour and a half later, I had made these:

Not a great picture, but hey, it's early. I'm particularly proud of the black, white, and red ones and I may make them into a bracelet or something. The rest, I need to make more of before I do something with them. The translucent green and blue ones are copies of Roman-era beads, intended to look like semiprecious stones. The Romans figured out they could make glass look like other things, like expensive stones. That way, the lower classes of people could have what the more affluent people had -- expensive-looking jewelry. The world's first costume jewelry! Those Romans were pretty forward-thinking.

I'm getting the urge to go back to Corning to do some more research. Especially with no academic library privileges of my own, I have to visit there to get my hands on the materials I want.

I wish I had more time in my week to spend making beads and doing the research I want to do. But, there are horses to ride, and good restaurants to visit, and tickets to experiences to purchase, so I guess I will stick with the day job I already have. :)

Anyway. Schools are on a 2 hour delay here this morning for snow. We didn't get much at all, and my friends in upstate NY will laugh, but this is the road outside my house at 7:00am this morning:

We're supposed to get more, but I don't know what that will really look like. So, for now, the kids will all be at school by 11:00am. Unfortunately, that means I will probably miss my riding lesson today, which makes me sad. Noah has to get picked up by 2pm, and I don't know if I can make it out to the barn, groom, tack, ride, groom, put away, and make it back to the preschool by 2pm. I also don't know if the footing is at all good in the ring at the barn, either.

I love riding in the snow. This snow is perfect for it, too, because it's so cold, the snow is dry and light and fluffy. If I could, I'd probably be out riding in it right now.

....oh please, Universe....in about three years, please finally lead me to the farm and horses I have wanted for so long...and please let me not be too old or broken to enjoy the lifestyle.