Who do you love?

I have a rather tough month ahead of me with 3 more wood firings and a prestigious show 260 Fingers in our nation's captital city of Ottawa.  With glazing, wood prep and firing making pots is the furtherest from my mind.
I'm the working stiff that prepares all the wood for these firings so it can feel a little daunting pulling this all together.

13 pallets of wood ready for blast off

I figure with the stress and time spent on the run I need to love myself a little. There was snow and hail falling today as I took refuge in the studio to glaze and wad pots.
I'm pretty good at loving myself. I dropped in at Lisa's my favourite flower woman to get a bouquet for tonight's dinner. Lisa said the flowers were free because it is the end of the season and I am one of her best customers. I paid her the usual rate of $5 for a beautiful bouquet. She then ran into the house to give me 3 bags of her special blends of Mexican spices. Give and get. I had dropped off a $200 shino platter at her door step on Thanksgiving so that she could serve her family her amazing home cooking. There are two kinds of people in this world- givers and takers. I love giving.

Lisa's lovely mums in a Jen Allen jug.

Loving yourself is the key to loving others. I love my house clean. I love good real food prepared and served with class. I love flowers on the table. I love music playing and being surrounded by art. I love the feeling of being out in the fresh air splitting wood today, feeling physically tired and being home in a nice clean, warm house.  Beef on the smoker from Uncle Donny and Aunt Nancy.  Life's simple pleasures.
When you keep your gratitude higher than your expectations you will have a very good day- Ray Wylie Hubbard.  I am having a very good day.