Wow, It's Late!

Champagne in the handblown flute, the quiet of an empty house as the spouse is on his way to pick up the sprout from a late playdate for music. It was my longest day in the studio post-surgery yet--and it was entirely pain and discomfort free. I am becoming accustomed to being handicapped and have developed a smooth set of work-arounds for daily actions and motions so as to avoid The Leg.

This is the count-down week to everything that precedes the Bullseye Instructor Workshop, the summer Buyer's Market Show, and a two-week vacation in the ancestral cabin on the shores of Flathead Lake in Montana. It's a race now, and to the fleet go the spoils. I, the gimp on crutches, am not so fleet, but I have big determination--and a whole village to support me.

Kay and Lee both participated in etching the first half of the awards for that project today. Licha called and offered some fine transparent red frit and though I said no, after I looked at what I have left in my 5-lb jar I may need to call back and beg for some. Tood gave an order to Christie to deliver for him and she brought me some *lovely* brie and fuji apples from the farmer's amrket when she dropped it off. Becky worked through an inventory of the metal and glass pieces I need to fill all my orders through the mid-end of August just to make sure I hadn't missed anything--I am in great shape--now I just need to fire all my pieces for the show! Finally, I checked in with the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and we still need to work through some color issues on the companion pieces we are doing for their Greene & Greene exhibit. Got to overnight another set of samples tomorrow and hope that I can get all the pieces fired (again) before I go.

On the plus side of all this work, I am looking at having over $20K in receivables that have shipped in the past month and a half. Yes, we are in a recession. No, some people don't seem to know that. As a gallery owner I work with in Florida reiterated to me today--the haves still have and aren't afraid to shop with it. The gap between the haves and the have nots is widening, and the have nots aren't even going to be able to manage the new small pieces for awhile.

The receivables mean (if everyone pays--knock wood), $20K coming in in the next month to cover my glass and metal bills, my assistants' salaries, and some new coldworking and hotworking equipment. Christmas is saved! Shoes for everyone! Or at least a bit whittled off the Visa bill.

Tomorrow sees more of the same in the studio--following my post-surgery doctor's appointment where I hope to see my incision for the first time and get back into my old (beloved) black boot. G'night all!