Deck the Halls and Hit the Road

Coffee in the Alaska skyline mug, the sound of J clearing the breakfast dishes as my background music. Ah, it's good to have a child old enough to do chores and get an allowance! The kilns are open and cooling in preparation for the final three loads before the show. I canceled my reservation for an Econoline van this morning. Yesterday I bought plastic utility shelving at Home Depot that I think is going to be strong enough--and that is definitely light enough--to hold all my backstock and packaging. Whether I'll have enough room for both packaging and backstock (with any storage system) remains to be seen. Since J is staying here (and not taking up space with a seat, a car seat and a body) and I have a lighter display, I am going to stick with the mini-van

I sat down yesterday and counted up all the work I have for this show and it is the same (by value, not by piece count) as it was last year. And last year I didn't fire nearly as much. What the heck? Then I looked at the pieces and now I get it. Last year I took everything I had--old series, fill-in work, whatever. This year I am only taking the most popular work--Morceaux de Verre and only certain colorways. As a result, all but about three pieces were made in the last... 12 days. Over $20,000 in glass in two weeks. I feel somewhat better about feeling like a corpse.

Now off to sign all the pieces, inventory the final total, get the last slump loads in and begin the packing. I watch Dave and Jessie bringing all the Christmas ornaments and other decoration down from the attic and I know that my day is just beginning.