Gallstones and Park Avenue Festival

When I came home from the last Tuesday's overnight firing, my wife was in extreme back pain, and her doctor told us to go to the emergency hospital. After the testing, she had 1.8 cm (0.7”) of gallstone stuck at the entrance of the gallbladder. Next morning, she went the lapaoscopic gallbladder removal surgery. The surgery took 1.5 hours and another 2 hours at the recovery room. She wanted to go home the same day, and was discharged after finishing her dinner (grilled chicken, mushed potato and green beans) and a short walk, 7 hours after the surgery.

I was looking at the Japanese website for more information (for me, still easier to read in Japanese), and found Japanese patient stays at the hospital for 9 days after the surgery. Why is it this much difference? Very puzzling. Japan has the universal (national) health care system. Next and first check up is two week from the surgery. Comparing the gallstone attack, it seems the pain due to the surgery was minimal, that my wife said. My wife went back the work on Monday.

I loaded the kiln today, and firing tomorrow. The Park Avenue Festival is this weekend.

Syracuse Art and Craft Festival

The first of three days at the Syracuse Art and Craft Festival today. Weather was typical of this summer, downpour and sun, actually the shower clouds are circulating around the upstate New York, looks like the hurricane, but very slow moving. I don't remember seeing this weather pattern in the summer. Like a tag of war between the unusual strong cold air from the north and the warm moist air from the south. Overall, we had good turnouts and business.



The Syracuse Art Festival is this weekend from Friday through Sunday.

I had the overnight glaze firing, first time in three years this week. I used to do the overnight firing when I had the home studio, a bed, a kitchen near by, you know. Since I moved in to this studio, I thought not comfortable to stay overnight. It turned out, it was much cooler, quieter, and had ok firing. My thought was to give longer candle stage, 3-4 hours instead of one hour, to heat the chimney to get better pull. It turned out the temperature rose quicker than I wanted after turning the burners on. So, I will go back to one hour candle, but maybe more overnight firing.

Corn Hill Art Festival and Clay!

Many people showed up on Sunday. The Corn Hill Art Festival is usually very hot, but not this year. It was very pleasant day on Sunday. Saturday was another story. It poured after 1pm as foretasted for good three hours, and very few people decided to stay after that.

I had my daughter helping me on Sunday.

I had clay delivered today, 2400lb of them. I was down to two bag of reclaimed clay.   I carried them into the studio and placed all over the studio, not weighting  too much on one beam. It was quite exercise.

Another firing done

It took me 11 hours from start to end. Firing is 2-3 hours longer now. I slowed down the beginning stage of the firing, and slightly heavier reduction (reading of oxyprobe .60 to .64) slowed the rate of temperature raise as well. The glaze flow looks better.

Kiln unloaded and the Corn Hill Art Festival

Kiln is unloaded while the bisque is done.  The reduction firing has been pretty consistent recently.  This was the best firing of the year in terms of reduction.  I am glazing next two days and firing on Wednesday to get ready for the Corn Hill Art Festival in Rochester this weekend (7/11-12).

Kiln is loaded

I finally made enough to load two kilns. I am firing tomorrow. This summer, so far, is cooler than usual, which is very helpful. Last year I was laughing stocks in the building as suffering from the heat in my studio.

I don't have good memory for US national holidays, and wound up working through them. National holiday here is very confusing, as banks and schools are closed while other business are mostly open. In Japan, national holiday means everybody other than stores take day off. I will be working through this weekend.