It's rainy here in Hillsboro. I'm told to get used to it.

Jello mold of Millennium Falcon and R2D2 for a church party.

I wonder if I could somehow mold a hollow one with clay to make a cover for a R2D2 shaped tray.

Lotion bars.  I made these with a higher beeswax content and lower oil content.  I like the feel of this batch more.

Ginger bread men mold and two TARDIS in the back.

One of the TARDIS broke getting it out of the mold.  It's not bigger on the inside any more.

R2D2 and Millennium Falcon pumpkin bread with extra chocolate chips.

Today I cleaned  up my pottery room.
I took the tools, the splash guards and bats outside to clean them with the hose.

I put a small bucket of water with a sponge on the wheel so I could wipe the table around the wheel.

Then I started to sweep the clay dust off  into a pile in the center of the floor.  I saw a sponge on the floor behind the wheel.  As I leaned over the wheel to pick up the sponge the broom fell on the wheels foot pedal.

  Apparently the switch wasn't in the off position because the the wheel spun and the bucket of water slide off onto the floor.

Then I swept up the mud.

I made hard lotion last night.  One part (by weight) beeswax, one part coco butter (smells good), and one part coconut oil (also smells good).  I added a bit of vitamin E oil too with just a hint of peppermint.

You rub the bar on you hands and you body temperature melts the lotion.  For those that don't know the mold is  a dalek.  I will  add a picture of the T.A.R.D.I.S. tonight.

  I tried to color the shapes but failed.  I also have a more mundane mold that has not color added.  I think they will be good Christmas gifts.  I'm storing them in the freezer until then.

Mom's 75th Birthday

After a work trip in Boise, Val and I drove to the SLC area to meet with all my brothers and sisters for my mom's 75th birthday.  Here are the pictures.

Janey and Natalie

Dinner

Richard

 cake by Natalie

 He figured out how to play "happy birthday' that morning without music.

 Mom told what it was like when she was growing up.

 My sister is a Grandma.

I grew a pumpkin.  Jon, David and the rest were discussing what to do with it.  Should we eat it or carve it for Halloween?

They described this:

Well, ya know the downstairs TV room with blue walls and clouds...well, it magically got turned white.  I think it saw a ghost or something.  Or some random paint brush...

Dodecahedron made from 12 folded paper flowers.  Each petal is folded from a full 12 by 12 sheet of scrap book paper.  Then the 60 petals are grouped and glued into the 5 petal flowers.  Then all glued together to make the flower ball.  The whole thing is just over a foot tall.

 Dad Amanda and David after dinner of meatloaf, and pumpkin bread.

I used the finger nail polish to paint wood spheres and cubes. I'll show you what it's for after I do about 20 more.

Melinda gave David and Amanda a companion cube cookie jar for their wedding.  They loved it!

Jon made apple boxes for dad to use in photography poses.

'

Melinda gave dad a camera lens shaped thermos for his birthday.  Fooled David.  He thought "the lens cap doesn't come off"  Amanda said " It's a thermos" then admitted she was joking and thought it was a lens at the time.

The Amazing Thermos That Thinks It's a Camera Lens

Thanks so much Melinda.  :D

Juliette  didn't like the water at the beach.  Here are some pictures of her at the Oregon coast.

Happy Birthday to my mom!
Elaine, Mom and I went to Applebee's, one of my favorite restaurants for lunch.  There was pleasant conversation and good food.

We went to the all you can eat sushi place in Pocatello after a trip to Costco.  It is so empty i'm afraid it will close but it is very good.  If we travel all the way to Poky it would be a shame to miss out on sushi I can afford.  

Then dad, Jon and I went to Lava hot pool.  It was packed.  There were so many people finding a spot to sit was a trick.  I did sleep better last night than usual though.  the water is so relaxing.

I thought of Janell because we had salmon and green beans for dinner.There was plenty of green beans.  The whole bowl would have been what Janell would have eaten.  Miss you kid.  I also ground wheat and made bread and one loaf of cinnamon pull-a-part bread.

Downtown Idaho Falls turning onto Yellowstone,  Jon took the picture of a limo pulling a U-Haul.  He said  "Red neck class."

The table Jon made is of walnut.   It had  a crack in it he had to fill with walnut chips and resin.  He also used the left over resin to make a chunk he then turned on his lathe to make a ring.