After I let the last batch of jugbirds fly off to Victoria I decided not to succumb to the usual pressure of trying to fill the kiln again. My days of scrambling to produce work for Christmas Craft fairs seem to be over. My time-consuming pieces can find homes at any time of the year.
But I had arranged for a young friend to bring her son and another two children here to paint plates for gifts (see my previous blog). I have some unfinished yunomis and jugbirds but did not panic to complete them. Slightly guiltily I fired the children’s work, twice, in a half-empty kiln. At least there are some grandmothers out there who will have a permanent memory of this Christmas! Tammy and Deaken were happy to collect their pieces recently. Deaken had taken a lump of clay home to make his first pinch pot and popped by one day to paint it with underglazes. He is proud of it now that it is finished with glaze.
Alan and I wanted to show our grandsons the free seasonal light display at Lafarge Lake so we arranged to meet them and their parents at Evergreen Cultural Centre last Thursday. Camera-shy Caleb, now 4 1/2, remembered seeing the lights two years ago. His twin brothers, Bennett and Lucas, 2 1/2, were very excited by the display, to run around the lake in the dark, and check out how each bulb works. Even with four adults it was still a challenge to keep track of three boisterous boys, but what a treat for us!
If you plan to enjoy this great light display I recommend you take Skytrain to the end of the line, Lafarge Lake/Douglas College. The walk around the lake starts right at the station and you don’t need to find a parking spot!
We located a Japanese cafe nearby and the twins demonstrated that they are totally familiar with using chopsticks. 
Now, just today, we are experiencing our first serious snowfall and I’ve opted to take CBC Radio’s advice to stay off the roads. We hope that icy weather won’t keep us from joining our family in Pitt Meadows for Christmas celebrations. Our multi-ethnically decorated Christmas tree comes to you with our best wishes for comfortable happy times with family and friends for Solstice, Christmas and bringing in the New Year.
I have lots of personal intentions for 2018 which include starting on a batch of stoneware pots for soda and maybe salt firings, more earthenware pieces and of course preparing lots of plates and platters for returning Raiders!
