At  the end of 2017 Facebook and Instagram volunteered interesting accumulations of data for social media users. One day a page of words showed up on my Facebook feed and apparently they represent the words I use most in my posts. I’m amused that it’s really quite apt.

Instagram, which I’ve only been using this past year, is much more a place for me to post photos without much conversation. Anybody can see them, unlike Facebook posts which are only seen by ‘friends’. On Instagram I post photos of my pots but I also share my best photos of scenes, birds, flowers and interesting places. So when we were given the opportunity to see which were the nine most ‘liked’ photos I discovered mine. Yes, folks liked my salty jugbirds but they also liked my photos of other potters’ work, especially the ones I’d seen in London. Top left is Aaron Nelson’s translucent cup. Bottom left is the earth above the exit from Circle Craft’s Christmas sale at Vancouver Convention Centre and bottom right are crescent shapes which appeared on the day of the solar eclipse here.

After Christmas I did some throwing and put together just one jugbird. He is now coated with slip and awaits my attention in my excellent damp box, along with parts of others.

Then Alan and I flew off to Mexico, to our favourite holiday spot, Puerto Vallarta, for a brief week. Alan really enjoys a spell of warmth and sunshine to get him through our grey and wet Winters. Me, I can cope with the same, plus no cooking for a while and the chance to read a couple of novels. We like to stay in the heart of old PV, in a hotel on the beach, from where we can walk along the beach, on the pier and into the town to visit markets, boutiques, galleries and the River Cuale. I’ll probably select my best photos of exotic birds and tropical flowers for an album and post them here soon.

This was just one of the sunsets over the Bay of Banderas.

Yesterday our family were here for a Sunday supper of rich beef stew and apple and blueberry crisp. Small grandsons are a joy! They like my cooking and spending time in my cluttered studio. What more could I ask? But their clay play time has nudged me to stop procrastinating and fish out fresh clay tomorrow.

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