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Friday, December 31, 2010

An Invitation


Come for a visit



Your cottage is ready

We can paint, we can cook, we can bake,
We can go for long walks,
We can drink a glass or two of champagne
You have kept me entertained, 
I have shed a few tears, not many;  You have made me think
And you have made me laugh, you have given me great ideas
And for all those reason, I thank you

Happy New Year, my dear blogging friends

Love, Gina



Wednesday, December 29, 2010

I thought I could do without

The good things in Life



Original Danziger Goldwasser
with 22k gold flakes




A little Goldwasser Liquer goes into my Stollen




And so does Marzipan... added to one side

It is snowing outside





The dough has to rise twice, I can go out and play in the snow





And I can play some more




I wonder what our friends are doing at the "Geyerhof" in Soprabolzano



I baked enough to share with you

Gina


Monday, December 27, 2010

So here is what I think



I have seen similar figures in the Cairo Museum in Egypt



Are these figures very old?




Are these figures from the Orient?




Maybe I don't need to know




But now that I have so many blogging friends who are experts in antiques....




Maybe you, my dear friends, have an answer.  I purchased these figures  from an elderly couple who came into a consignment shop in Santa Barbara
http://ginaceramics.blogspot.com/2009/12/do-you-recognize-these.html 

 
Those who have seen these figures admire them but no one knows anything about them.

DO YOU?

Gina


Sunday, December 26, 2010

The Day after Christmas



Yearning for Peace



Bearing the Olive Branch




Offering the Olive branch with pure thought




The secret is knowledge


Aeneid
Virgil (70-10BC)

High on the stern Aeneas his stand,
And held a branch of olive in his hand,
While thus he spoke: "The Phrygians' arms you see,
Expelled from Troy, provoked in Italy
By Latian foes, with war unjustly made;
At first affianced, and at last betrayed.
This message bear: The Trojans and their chief
Bring holy peace, and beg the King's relief."

Gina


Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas



Merry Christmas


To your family we send our warmest wishes of friendship and love



May the beauty of Christmas fill your heart
today and always


Gene and Gina




Saturday, December 18, 2010

Too much is not enough


That's my Motto and I'm sticking to it



It said so on the inside of a pair of shoes I owned

The shoes are long gone but the Motto has stuck

Merry Christmas

Gina




Thursday, December 16, 2010

A Promise is a Promise


This time of year it is a luxury to sit down and paint


There is so much to do

But I promised to deliver this hand painted Ceramic Mural before Christmas





My clients, from Illinois, will be moving into their new home on New Year's Day





The beginning




Ready to be glazed and fired in the kiln to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit




Just in time for Christmas

Merry Christmas

Gina


Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Georgianna "simply adored the little rocking horse"


This post is for my lovely friend Georgianna of


who commented on my blog




Georgianna "simply adored this little Rocking Horse"

How I acquired it ?

It came with an extra present




The Gentleman from,  Nuernberg, Germany,  who sold these wonderful and old wax ornaments to me was so happy that they were going to America that he gave me this little vase as a present. 

Those are the memories that make each and every one of our trips so very special


Do you have a favorite Christmas Ornament?


Merry Christmas

Gina

The well intentioned Christmas Gift


What would he like for Christmas?
Repost from 2010



He might like a Pocket Watch




A watch like this one; made in 1857 by a George R. Frodsham, Greys In Road, London, England




It is replete with golden chain, watch fob and 2 keys
The watch is chain driven, not spring driven as most watches are




A key winds the pocket watch from the back
And then, one day, the watch stopped working

We took it to the best Jewellers.  None could fix it because it is chain driven.  On our trip to Switzerland the watchmaker said that he would try.  He placed it in his vault and we went off to Egypt.  Upon our return, we picked up our watch.  He was sorry but he couldn't fix it.  Why not take it to England, he suggested.




But wait, a qualified person was found in Boston, USA

Yes, he would try.  After all, he was an Englishman and he was a certified member of the "Jewellers Board of Trade". 

An appraisal of said pocket watch followed by said person, hereafter unnamed.  Appraisal $20,000.00  Cost to repair, $3,500.00.   Return of our watch, NOT REPAIRED $300.00. 

What would you have done?

The person received $3,500.00 from us and we received our gold pocket watch, repaired.

A year later, while on a visit to London, we stopped in at Christie's Auction House, King Street, St. James, London. 

We were ushered into a private office.  An expert in solid gold pocket watches admired our watch.  We then showed him our certified appraisal.  The expert was speechless.  Excused himself to confer with one of his colleagues.  

We were left alone in the office.  Were we going to be wealthy?
Were we going to be arrested?  

The two charming gentlemen were shaking their heads.  Shaking their heads in disbelief at the $3,500.00 repair fee.  Christie's had recently repaired the "Tower of London" clock for 80 pounds,  about $120 US dollars at the time.  

They were incredulous that a reputable Jeweller and one of their own countrymen had taken advantage of us.





Christie's provided us with a Letter stating:  "We refer to our meeting yesterday and now confirm that your watch is a gold hunter lever pocket watch with Liverpool jewelling numbered to movement and case 11927 by George R. Frodsman, Greys In Road, London." 

"We would estimate this watch to fetch 300 to 500 English Pounds in auction and hope this has been of assistance."

Gina







Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Old and new friends...my Christmas Tree Ornaments


They all have stories to tell



And I remember them all



They come from many places




But our Christmas Tree comes from the mountains by our house




My sweet friend Helen, gave me many beautiful ornaments




This little fellow is only an inch tall, he is from East Germany, the place where I grew up





A sweet bird, another gift from my dear friend Helen





One of many ornaments from the Nutcracker Ballet series





I love heart ornaments on our tree, any kind of heart



Hand painted on a wintry afternoon



Thin paper glued onto clear glass balls



More paper napkins glued and varnished



A cornucopia, a symbol of abundance




More hearts, more Love




From the Christkindles Markt on a snowy afternoon in  Nuernberg






Merry Christmas my dear blogging Friends


Gina




Sunday, December 12, 2010

Of Mice and Men and my Cymbidium Orchids


This time of year my Cymbidium Orchids start blooming ... just when I need them



The first year my orchid had 3 flower spikes




The following year my Cymbidium had 6 spikes





In the summer I park my orchids outside, behind the garage, in partial shade.   I leave them outside until the first light frost in late September/early October.  (A light frost will set flower spikes) 




Last year, just about this time of year, 16 glorious flower spikes appeared all at once





 And this year I have pots of Paperwhites blooming,  MICE ATE THE ROOTS OF MY CYMBIDIUM ORCHIDS


Gina