Whew, I'm back....

Yes, jury duty all done.

I'm glad I did it, I hope I never have to do it again. Long story short, we have a pretty fine system of justice. Things are taken very seriously, and every effort is made to make sure decisions are right and fair. Not bribes, not who-you-know, not intimidation.... but 12 people doing their utmost to get it right. Believe it. And believe in it. And be thankful.

Back at the ranch, I'd like to tell you about my local arts society's spring conference. Titled 'Spring Into Art', it is of interest to all artists in the Ottawa area. Paula Murray, from Chelsea near Ottawa, will be one of our speakers. For those who don't know of her, she is an artist working in porcelain and exploring unusual techniques to express her ideas. She has been featured in many publications, Ceramics Monthly among them. For more information about the conference, click here. Other speakers will address how to use social media to advertise your business and give a demonstration of some new art materials. It's also a very enjoyable day, relaxed, great lunch (included), lots of artists to meet, and a chance to hand out biz cards.

Now, back to work!

Radio Silence

Which is what you'll get to enjoy on this blog for the next two weeks or so....

I did indeed get picked to be on a jury. Juror #3, that's me! We've been told to expect to be in court for somewhere between 7 and 10 days. Of course it could change at any time, but that's their best guess.

So I'm concentrating hard on seeing this as an interesting new experience.

Pottery will have to be done evenings and weekends. A lot of you won't have any sympathy, I know!

At least February will go by fast!

January, Yeeth....

Alright, let it be known, I am now a month behind.

The two orders I postponed till 'after Christmas' are not done. Not even started. The 10-cup teapot somebody wants for his mother in spite of the fact that it will be pretty heavy for her to lift is not done. Not even started. The glaze tests to see if I can find out what is causing those darn dots are not done. You guessed it, not even started.

What happened? Well, January happened. It was cold, it was snowy. I was tired. A powerful urge to make soups and stews made itself felt, the sweater I started months ago needed finishing, and I really did have a mountain of paperwork to do. Then, to top it all off, just when I was getting ready to buckle down and get some real work done, I got notified that I have to report for what is called a 'jury panel'. I have to go, wait around to see if my number comes up in the lottery, and then see what sort of jury duty I might be assigned to.

This has me quite worried, actually. If I have to do days and days of it, how will I manage everything else? We self-employed people simply cannot take weeks or months off. Arrrrggghhh.....

I drove down to the Courthouse today to make sure I knew the route and to see about parking. Pretty sad when you go downtown so seldom the streets have all changed from the last time you were there! And I hadn't thought about Winterlude. Being a warmish day, there were masses of people trying to find parking so they could go to the canal and skate. I never did get down Elgin Street because it was blocked solid with cars disgorging crowds of children with skates. Oddly enough, all the outdoor parking lots were closed, with chains and barricades up. I saw one parking garage, but it was expensive and the skaters didn't seem to favour it.

Tuesday is the day. I have to be there by 9 am and the letter warns me to be prepared to wait all day. I'm thinking knitting, a book, a Sudoku or three, and better bring a drink or two and a cookie. Sandwich? Maybe.

This too, is the life of a potter.