Saturday, January 29, 2011

Black Swan

Anyone else think a lot of money has been spent on marketing a really bad movie?

Friday, January 28, 2011

Hedingham Fly Through

This flock stays a few days and decimates the feeders. The robins have been here for weeks or I'd call this flock of German Natives a sign of Spring.


Starlings are usually so smart. The one dude seems to be trying to figure out how to pry frozen mealworms off the tray.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Paisley Park Server

I love the color and the shape of this bowl. It makes me smile.

This plaster form would also make a great sink with the added fixtures of a drain and overflow. I'd make it a wall mount so you could have the faucets mounted above on the wall. WAY beyond me right now. I cannot wait for you to see the teapot I made Tuesday and the three bowls I threw today. They were not teeny weeny! WOOOT.


Wednesday, January 26, 2011

It's Not the Painting

It's keeping the cats off them for four hours.

It's easier with Basil at a new home. It's very quiet here without his bulk stomping around or backtalking. But I do miss him. I hope he's going to be happily playing for hours everyday and spoiled rotten.

Buddy started prednizone yesterday and I hope he shows some improvement soon. Exchanged the Blue Wilderness formula for IAMS Lamb and rice and no one has thrown up since.

There must be something to the idea that cats digestive systems have been changed by the industrial pet food industry. We do our best.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

New Pottery Minus Two

Tyler and his Dad, Rod needed their very own Sybil pots so we're missing a light turquoise ice cream bowl with a blue-black slip rim line and a small coin/keys bowl with a carved rim, deepest licorice inside and lime green outside.





Saturday, January 22, 2011

Hello Gorgeous

Screened-in Wren

I love Carolina Wrens. They're adorable. Ivor thinks they look delectable. It's thanks to his furry face that I realized there was one trapped on the screened-in porch.

Apparently the visual of an open door isn't too dissimilar from a screen. Fifteen minutes later I can't feel my fingers.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Comfort

I find it in sunshine. Even a partly sunny day promises Spring soon. In a longer walk with 2 healthy dogs - thank goodness! In a siamese who looks at me with love and purrs even as he seems ever skinnier.

In the love of my sisters who are convinced greatness will rise out of this fear and turmoil. In everything about P.E.O. From offers of their husband's help in fixing my house to sell. And from fixing my hose reel/hanger myself!

In calls from a man who was a stranger last week, with the names of more people who might want to buy art and collectibles. A man whose kindness comes from fellow-feeling not any sense of profit.

From an invitation to model for life drawing - two and a half hours to meditate and earn $35! Comfort is all ten fish surviving several hard freezes and eating well today, and a russet Carolina wren so full of life and attitude at my full feeders.

I find comfort in knowing that shopping at Trader Joe's isn't an indulgence. That it saves me money over Walmart (and makes me feel better).

Comfort is knowing I will prevail and the grief will pass. Comfort is a mother who calls me everyday.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

One More for the Road

For the men and women who lived on it - and those of us who saw them.

Living in the Now

For anyone who hase been in radio a LONG time, these things will be familiar: carts, air checks on cassette (a "skimmer" would turn the cassette on when the microphone was turned on so you could just tape yourself and the end and beginning of things like songs, commercials and newscasts), and pie chart "clocks" that we'd rely on for what to play when and what we talked about when.

Back in the day when we still spun vinyl - then music on cart (looked like eight-track tapes with a hole for the wheel that drove the continuous loop of tape through the machine) - back in the day when disc jockeys were live on the air instead of pre-recorded or tracked. Back in the day radio stations had MANY disc jockeys (one every four or five hours), but usually only a couple made enough money to avoid a real job! Technology has brought us a lot and yet has taken away even more. May there be people left who still want to do this when there are owners who want to do it the way it really works and matters.

They picked up the trash today and I filled it to the top again! I can remember the past without living in it.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Priorities

I feel so at peace. I know I made the right decision when I sold the record collection to pay the vet. Because now I know.

My Buddy may have lymphoma - it would explain his digestive disorders and his lack of response to antibiotics. And the way his intestines feel to her - ropey and thin. He may also respond to more meds, so we're trying that. But in no way will I put him through massive doses of steroids or anything else extreme if the outcome is inevitable. He is my favorite fur person and always will be.

Boris has either a ruptured or slipped disc in his neck or he's strained or pulled something - we're hoping it's the latter... but if five days of aspirin and rest don't do the trick he will have to start steroids.

"You don't mess around with discs," says the good doctor. His teeth look good. Hallelujah. So do Buddy's for that matter.

So it's not great news and could even be considered really bad news but I think The Beatles and The Who and all the rest of that lot would understand.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

For the Kids

I have a collector/dealer coming over shortly to buy some or all of my vinyl. The vet comes tomorrow.

Monday, January 3, 2011

For Those Interested

Here are my sound files!

http://www.archive.org/details/SybilMcguireAudioFiles

http://www.archive.org/details/SybilMcguireAudioFiles_b

I am quite good if I do say so myself.

*grin*

Where It's At

Panicking is exhausting so I "do."

Consequently I now have an audio webpage and about a gazillion resumes and cover letters out. I had a phone interview this morning which lead to an in person being scheduled for Wednesday in Sanford. It's an two-hour round-trip drive for a morning gig that's part time and doesn't offer health insurance. Speaking of, I need to contact State Farm to get catastrophic but keep putting it off. This is the issue that really paralyzes me. Lalala I'm healthy, no that's not a toothache!

The groaning noise my wheels make on a hard turn "can't possible be because of our tire rotation" said the dude at Discount Tire, and in one swell foop he lost the chain my business. As my mechanic said, "the response should always be - bring it in and we'll look at it. Even if they have to say - this is beyond us and you need to see someone else - no charge!"

I'm going to see him Tuesday at 9am so I don't end up stranded somewhere in the sandy hills of rural North Carolina.

Emailed a couple of people at the former home of employment regarding getting more audio on a jump drive - since my computer can't seem to recognize anything on the CDs I have as MP3s. My Ops manager will get a jump drive after my car appointment - pray for me it's just differential/power steering fluid.

I talked to a nice collector of a man (Mr. Ellington) who reponded to my Craig's List posting about downsizing and he was very understanding about me needing to have a neighbor present if he wanted to check out my stuff. I'll ask Rod if he can be available if I decide to go ahead with selling some collectibles and furniture. Mr. E suggested I not totally discount an estate or tag sale even if it would cost me 30% of a pittance. Not to mention the unutterable sadness that would come from getting the stuff they didn't sell back. Talk about rejection!  

Mr. E also says that this is a very sad time we're living in and it reminds him very strongly of the depression. How do people with less love and support in their lives make it through times like this?

Bless every one of you. Your love lifts me.