Broken

The furnace is broken. And Mercury is in Retrograde.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of astrology. I like to read my horoscope (Scorpio, in case you were wondering) from time to time. But, since this furnace fiasco, many people have been telling me about Mercury in Retrograde. In a few short days, I have become a believer.

For a glassblower, there is no other piece of equipment that you'd like to see broken. The furnace is the core of our work. It keeps the glass molten, and without it, there is little that can be done.

Is it fixable? Yes.

Can we do it? No.

So, we must wait until our "furnace guy" is available to come to town to fix it. At this point, it looks like we won't be back to 100% for 5 weeks. (*gulp*)

I know what you're thinking......but Christmas is right around the corner!!!!! I know. I KNOW.

Fortunately, I live in the land of glassblowers. There are many studios in Rhode Island, and a good number of them will rent studio time. As best I can tell, I really only need a handful of days to keep my inventory in check.

It's not ideal, but it's the best I can do.......for at least 5 weeks.

Thankfully, Mercury will be long gone from Retrograde when that time comes.

(not soon enough for me).

Olivia

Olivia on the day I brought her home.

Just over 4 years ago, I adopted Olivia from the Warwick Shelter. I'll be honest, it was not a match made in Heaven......we had a rocky start, but with A LOT of patience, hard work, and a good dog trainer, we survived.



Now, she's not perfect.....she still likes to pull on the leash, eat stuff she's not supposed to, and *occasionally* ignore my commands, but I love her. Man, do I love her.



And we have some things in commom. Besides our mutual love of peanut butter, Olivia and I also share an affinity for Glass. As you know, I'm a glassblower.....I like to make things with it. Olivia seems to enjoy stepping on it, cutting her paws, and requiring emergency trips to the Vet.

(not at the glass studio.....no way is she allowed there! She *finds* it while running around some local parks).



Three times we have rushed to the vet. Twice she required sedation, many stitches, and 3+ weeks of recovery. Not fun. I repeat.....not fun. For either of us.

It was after the first Vet visit (and Vet bill) in 2006, that I looked at her, and told her "she needed to start earning her keep". She just stared at me, unresponsive.

As I stared back, my brain started turning with ideas........and the ideas quickly became products. Mostly centered around sandblasting Paw Prints on glass, I added those designs to Sea Stones, ornaments and magnets.



Now, 3 years later, Dog and Cat themed items are a major part of my work. Good Dog and Good Kitty magnets have become a top seller at my craft shows and in my Etsy shop. And as I continue to expand the designs available for the Leash hooks, they continue to sell well.



The moral of the story? There are two.
First, inspiration is everywhere.
Second, necessity is the mother of invention.



And it looks like Olivia has earned her keep. *phew*