Political junkie and I’ve been tagged
Hard Clay
When I went into my studio on Wednesday, hard clay greeted me. I really need a damp box or need to figure out a way to retrofit the area where I keep my clay by lining the shelves with some heavy plastic or some other system to keep clay from drying out. Heat and low humidity are the challenge for Colorado potters. My friend, Mary Cay, uses an old Fridge as her damp box. She removed the motor and just kept the shell which works like a charm. I’m sure I could find one on Craigslist, but I’m not sure where I’d put it. Anyway, I added warm water to the bags of clay and have been rotating the bags in an attempt to soften the clay so that I can work with it.
Mini bottle
I did find a little bit of soft clay and basically just played around. In fact, I’m not sure I kept more than 2 pieces – everything else was recycled.
Meanwhile, I’ve become a political junkie. On the one hand it’s sort of toxic, but on the other, I think this year is one of the most important elections of our times and think it’s important to have as much information as possible. I’ve watched most of the speeches at the RNC this past week, to balance the ones from the week prior at the DNC. I’m a left leaning democrat and also in the midst of some great debates with folks on the other side of the political fence – so I have to be able to rebut and defend my position.
I was tagged by Patricia last week, yesterday by Judi, today by Mak, and again by Anne with the same meme – I’m taking some liberties and making this a 4fer1.
Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog. (this is what you’re now reading.)
3. Write 6 random things about yourself (see below).
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them. (This is only a game.)
5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.
Six Random Things About Me:
I’m not sure there’s much you don’t know about me since I tend to spill all the beans all the time, but I’ll give it a shot…
- As an army brat, I lived in Germany for 6 years of my life as a youth and I graduated from Patch American High School – a DoDDs school, in Stuttgart Germany in 1984.
- I met my husband in high school when I was in 10th grade in 1982. He was a junior and after he graduated in 1983, we continued our relationship long distance for 4 years before finally deciding we had better live in the same town if we were going to make it work long term. We have been married since 1989 – almost 20 years.
- I took a year off between high school and college and moved to Waynesboro, PA to live with my mom and worked as a waitress at Pizza Hut. That experience convinced me to do something else.
- I applied to a few schools and settled on the American College in Paris now known as the American University of Paris where I spent 2 years. This is about as far removed from Waynesboro culturally, linguistically, politically, and diversity wise that I could imagine at the time. Despite the name, AUP is an international school with students all over the world, US, Europe, Middle East, Africa – you name it. Quite an eye opener.
- I didn’t really do well as a business major, but I sure as heck had a great life education living in a foreign country where I had to find a place to live, apply for a carte de sejours (residency permit), navigate the transit system, negotiate getting utilities turned on (that was a barrel of monkies dealing with indifferent French utility clerks), grocery shop, all in French with only 2 years of high school French under my belt.
- I lived on $350.00 a month – but this was an era where the $ was 1 to 10 Francs and my standard of living was considerably less.
- I discovered art after taking a life drawing class as an elective at Parson’s School of Design, which also had a campus in Paris and a reciprocal agreement with ACP, which forever changed my life. Business administration lost its appeal and I moved back to the US to pursue an art education.
- At one time I was fluent in both German and French – but now, I can only really speak either language after being plied with a couple of libations.
Couldn’t stop at 6….
I’m going to be a party pooper at this point – and am not tagging anyone else since I noticed that many blogs I read have already been tagged. Otherwise, I’d have to do some gorrilla tagging on unknown blogs and I’m not sure that would be appreciated.
That’s it for today,
~Cynthia
Linda Starr
September 5, 2008 at 7:17 am //
I find the older the clay gets, the harder it gets, the frig is a great idea, thx. Wow, what a world traveler you are – what fun you must have had.
Deborah Woods
September 5, 2008 at 3:01 pm //
Hi Cynthia-I am an Air Force brat. From when I was about 4 or 5 until I was 19 when I moved away from home. It’s different life isn’t it? I am a right leaning Democrat, or a left leaning Republican. I vote Democrat for president, but have a lot of republican views. I actually voted Bush in his first term, and desparately tried to get him out of office his second term. We have enough kings in the world don’t we? I also am a political junkie. I do love NPR because whether or not they lean to the left, they still have guests debating both sides fairly and usually without hostility and name calling. I have a hard time watching or listening to Fox however. I am stunned by the propaganda on that news channel. I love to listen to the other side-but not when they are acting like Bill O’Reily.
cynthia
September 5, 2008 at 4:26 pm //
I have discovered that too, Linda. Sometimes I like a stiffer clay body, especially when hand building. But it’s not so much fun to throw.
Hey – Deborah – we have something in common! Not many people understand what it’s like to move every 2-3 years. In retrospect, it was a really good experience being a brat. I was exposed to so much that I might not have otherwise experienced in my life. Even moving in the US was an experience – we lived in Indiana, Oklahoma, Florida, Connecticut, Brooklyn, and Texas. Such different places and the military itself is diverse which is cool. NPR – I don’t have a radio in my studio, but if I did, I’d listen to it all day long. I must be a masochist, cause I like visiting uber conservative blogs, listening to talk shows and TV stations to learn about an alternate opinion. Though I must confess, I left some anonymous comments on some of the FOX news postings the other day cause I just had to speak for the other side – I was all riled up. Never voted for Bush – either of them, but I know a lot of people who did.
Jean Levert Hood
September 5, 2008 at 5:39 pm //
Fun list to read, Cynthia!
Lynette
September 5, 2008 at 10:58 pm //
You’ve had some fantastic experiences Cyn, aww I’m jealous LOL! I’ve only been to Canada and I was a baby and don’t remember it. My husband was an Air Force brat when he was a kid and got to live in Germany, Guam and all kinds of exotic places. On the election, I watched both of the conventions and listened to the speeches to keep an open mind but I’m leaning the same way you are.
I’m looking forward to seeing the detates, that should be something.
Cynthia
September 6, 2008 at 6:21 am //
Thanks Jean!
The debates should be good Lynette – it’s going to be an interesting couple of months.
Nancy
September 6, 2008 at 7:35 am //
Ahhh, the mystery of Cynthia continues to unravel – we learn just a little more. *smile.
Hey, that refer idea sounds great. It should be relatively easy to find I’d think.
Also, wanna say how much I continue to enjoy your new blog look. Clean, tidy … yet, changing frequently.
Chae
September 6, 2008 at 11:51 am //
Signing in on the political junkie bit. I am too. Followed both conventions for exactly the same reasons – need to have correct first-hand information instead of second-hand opinions from the pundits.
http://www.factcheck.org is a good source for finding the discrepancies between what the politicians say and what actually happened . . .
Was in the book store this morning picking up the book by Hollings and asked the most innocent question: “What do you think of Palin?”
You should-a heard the hullaballoo which followed !!!
Y’all were “lucky” to only have to have moved every 2-3 years. I grew up in Massachusetts BUT every 6 months we went to Florida for 3-4 months. (Dec. to April). The Mass. schools were progressive and way ahead of the Fla. schools. We returned to Mass. just in time to take final exams. Unfortunately, while the 2nd semester (Fla.) was a repeat of info learned up north, the Mass. schools had taught a whole semester of new material !!! Developed a strong case of test/exam anxiety . . . .
Hugs
Chae
LB
September 6, 2008 at 12:47 pm //
After reading all that, I am sure you have more foreign policy experience that Sarah Palin, too! LOL
Mary T.
September 6, 2008 at 1:58 pm //
The dryness here is a problem with Acrylics too, but I’ve just heard that Golden makes a new product that is sublime for us in semi-arid locals.
When did I know about art and that it would be in my life? Wow! That’s a whole post or two.
I’m so not into politics so I’m glad someone is. Thanks for taking over for those of us who only vote and listen!
Cheryl
September 6, 2008 at 8:18 pm //
I am also a military brat. Born in Lahr Germany and then lived in Baden-Soellingen in the summers between university terms from 1987-1991. Lots of fabulous travel!
Michael Kline
September 7, 2008 at 3:03 pm //
Well, a lot of brats are checking in, I might as well, too. Yet I didn’t travel as much and maybe can’t claim the tag. I was born in Wiesbaden (West) Germany and moved to TN (Ft. Campbell) when I was 4. Luckily we stayed there and I had a fairly provincial childhood.
Anne W
September 8, 2008 at 11:48 am //
Okay, *now* I see you’ve already been tagged. Well I’ve tagged you too. Oh well.
Being from Canada, I am always amazed at how many people I know here in the States are forces ‘brats’ or have at least one relative who has signed up. In Canada, I think I only knew one or two people and they were the exception, although in these times, things, unfortunately, may be changing.
Undaunted
September 8, 2008 at 11:56 am //
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for posting about your hard clay dilemma! Our freezer packed up many months ago and we still hadn’t got round to taking it to the recycling centre – and now we won’t need to! I now have a new purpose for my freezer! Kills two birds with one stone! (Not that I would ever stone a bird, you understand) Fantastic idea! I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to use one of the other drawers for my paints either, just as storage space. I have new storage space! Yippeee!
Anne W
September 8, 2008 at 8:28 pm //
An old cast off fridge makes an excellent damp cupboard. I highly recommend it. If I’ve thrown pots that I know I either won’t be able to get to at that “critical point”, they go in the fridge. Sometimes have left pots in there for SEVERAL weeks and they are still perfect to trim or carve a design into. After I put handles on mugs, they go in the fridge for 2 or so days and when I take them out the mug and handle are of homogeneous consistency and, from there, dry so nicely under plastic without cracking. I would make the space in your studio, Cynthia.
Cynthia
September 15, 2008 at 6:18 am //
Thanks Nancy!
At first I read “reefer” not “refer” as in refrigerator. I had to double back – lol.
Thanks for that link, Chae – I forwarded it on to some of the folks on the other side of the debate from me. I keep saying that we really need to read between the lines when it comes to both parties.
Diana
Common sense would be my campaign platform.
Mary – I think I have that golden product – oh what’s it called? It’s something like a “retarder” or extender.
Cheryl & Michael – isn’t that weird that there’s so many of us out here, even if it’s brief. I didn’t necessarily like it as a child, but I’m thankful for my experience now that I’m an adult. While many of my classmates did join the military like their father (or maybe mother), I never had that desire – nor did my husband. I would stink if I had to go to war – I would be that person trying to talk it out, “Can’t we all just be friends?”
Interesting Anne – I should learn more about our neighbor to the north.
That’s fantastic Linda! When I make more space, I’m going to look for a fridge on Craigslist for free. Okay – Anne, you’ve convinced me.