Times That Try Men's Souls

Our valley is reeling. A levee broke, and flooded the city of Pajaro, on the edge of the local river which heads to the Pacific Ocean. The rain storm caused my school to have to be evacuated on Friday. The streets surrounding my school fill up with water from the Salsipuedes Creek with extreme rainfall. Also, our school is only a few blocks from the larger Pajaro River. I am worrying about the friends and the families that I know in Pajaro. I am praying for their safety. The levee broke down on Saturday morning. As with the recent wildfires, it is such a feeling of helplessness.  

My body is physically unable to do anything useful. This morning, I woke up at about an "8" on the pain scale. Even filling the water bowls for the dogs hurts. I have to be ready to go back to school, and to provide comfort, and stability to my students. Some of them were very stressed on Thursday, when we heard that school was cancelled on Friday. Many experienced the flooding in December, and were worried about safety. There is a distinct feeling of being "let down" by infrastructure. I realize that building on a flood plain is a precarious business. But, why were the levees not adequately reinforced? They were built in the 1940's, and the area certainly has a history of frequent flooding.  

Working on glazing some pieces helps to take the edge off of the pain. Hoping that as a community, we can rise to the occasion, and aid those in need. Thinking of all of the jobs that will be lost, due to the crops being ruined. Hoping to figure out a way to help.

 

Broken, But Not Beaten

I haven't been on here for a while... After months of scheduling doctor visits, I've finally been told that my right hip needs to be replaced. I was given a shot in my hip socket, and it lasted a month. Currently, the waves of pain are returning. My knee still isn't working properly after the scooter accident. But, there is a need to prioritize the problems.  

In the meantime, the pain has not stopped me from working in the shed. I also finally replaced my old kiln. This means that my work no longer needs troubleshooting after each firing. This is such an incredible relief. The new kiln is smaller. So, I can fire less work, and everything cools quickly. This is in keeping with my new artistic mission statement. No more shows. No more galleries. No more.

It feels good to simply hobble out to the shed to make whatever happens to strike my fancy. I'm making less, and feeling more.