The Fair

We went to the fair last night with Bob & Marcia. It was rather hot - so we found ourselves jumping from one shade spot to the next. Tom bought some yucky cotton candy....didn't know there was such a thing, but there is! It ended up in the trash.

I find the fair rather interesting. It makes me think of times long past when you could get potion from a man in a covered wagon for what ails you. There are so many booths selling hokey items! I can't believe people actually buy in to all of that stuff!

We did enjoy touching the sting rays and munched on some yummy corn dogs.

Pictures

Here are some miscellaneous pictures.

Work on the patio continues...

Tom and I spent most of the day working on the extension of our patio. Just to give you a little background - Tom got a permit to go pull rocks last year and we ended up with about 8 ton of rocks in our backyard for this project, which I think was a little bit of an overkill but he sure had fun going out and getting them. So these are actual rocks - not pavers that we are using for our patio. It has been a long process in getting the ground prepared (which I didn't help with) to actually setting the rocks and putting the mortar around them. I have rubbed the skin off my pinkie finger so I had to go get vinyl gloves. It will be nice when it is complete. We have a pergola above the rocks and we bought an outdoor fireplace for that area as well. Here are some pictures of the work so far. ~Shanna~

I just did my nails! So much for that!

Tom - leveling the rocks

Progress so far!!! (This takes forever!)
I have the mortaring down now though!

Glass and more Glass

Well the end of another weekend and a few more items to add. At the top is a marble. I tried to encase a deep blue smaller marble in clear. But it sort of bled out and get milky swirls. I raked it some just to see what would happen and it brought some of the blue back Weird stuff. The left ball is actually a bead and a hollow one at that. Center is a heart pendant that was an experiment. It's got some cool coloring inside the glass. Then on the right we have a pendant that was made from a maria that I fumed with silver and then dotted and imploded. Towards the end I added some purple amber. The picture is not helping the pendants beauty. Tonight I played out there again and made an inch and a half diameter lentil bead with boro. Umm that stuff takes a lot of heat to shape people and a one shot shaping did not happen. But we also added some surface colors and gold aventuring frit. I saw dark red, green, some red and other colors before it went into the kiln. Of course this one is for mom to work from. So maybe my stuff will end up in something useful. I have more glass on order because I just don't have enough colors and too much blue. I can't help it, I like blues, greens, purple, red and bright colors. But this stuff is expensive so I buy when I can and what I can. I think this next week will be like Christmas with whats coming in the mail.

I hope you all enjoy my post and the new skills I am developing. I encourage all of you to send requests of what you see and would want to me and I can try. Unless it consumes a ton or resources I would be happy to make it for you. I haven't developed my own style yet but it will get there. Heck I have part timing this hobby for 2 months now. James my friend and glass guru is a great guy. I would not be where I am in such a short time if I didn't have him. Thank you James.

Well it's bed time I feel the world tilting and think it's time to be horizontal. Please leave comments and requests I promise I check and will respond. I sort of like the name Rondeau Studios but I don't know. A name might be helpful. And ideas? pass them on.

Tom

Grandma Stella

My reality has been significantly altered. I don't have the words to describe my experience over the last week. I am so full of emotions ranging from sadness, gratefulness, loneliness, feeling sorry for myself, and a bittersweet happiness. It was such an honor and a privilege to serve my grandmother and be with her as she exited this life. It is an experience I will never forget..... and I will miss her deeply.

Chiquita Banana!

My sister was putting her makeup on in front of the mirror in my grandma's living room. She turned to me and said, "With this yellow towel and my big earrings I look like that Chiquita Banana woman".... My Aunt Susie came up and started singing the song.... Gotta love Brenda's improv dance moves!

4th of July

My Precious Girls

TAYLOR & KRISTEN

4Th of July

Greetings, it's July 3rd and I am at work. But I am having a tough time focusing as it is that time right before vacation and our family is traveling up from central California for a visit. An enitre motor home full of family, what more could a person want? So, umm yah, I am really excited but I don't have any pictures to post at this point.

For those of you in the motor home.... Hurry up and get here dang it, the wait is killer! Tom

Lightning!

We woke up this morning to one of our wonderful mid-summer thunder storms. I wasn't even out of bed when I heard Tom grab his camera and tripod and run out into the backyard. He captured this image of lighting. I had to change the picture to black and white and also dim it a little bit so the lighting would show because it was already getting light out. Lightning shots are best taken at night - but I don't think Mother Nature will change the storm times for us.