The Before

Yesterday I felt pretty creative so I worked with my glass. Before all was done, I had created two pieces. I really enjoy this process of being creative. I walk around during the course of my day and images pop into my head of the patterns and designs I would like to create. I need to start walking around with a pad so I can sketch out my designs so I do not forget them.

After work tomorrow I will take the two pieces by the glass studio to be fused. What happens is I create the design and then pay the glass studio to fire the pieces in the kiln for me. The glass goes through two firings. The first firing is the fusing of the glass. There are also two types of fusings. You have tack fusing where you will end up with a bumpy glass. The two pieces do not completely melt into each other. The other type of fusing is called full fusing where you heat the glass up enough so that they melt into one sheet of glass. After that has been done and the glass cools down you go through the slumping phase. This is second firing where you take your glass and place it on top of a mold. It is then heated again in the kiln long enough so that it takes the shape of the mold.

I am slowly learning and getting more and more creative with each piece I create. The two photos shown in this blog show how the two pieces I have made look before I have sent them to be fired. I will do a full fuse on these and slump them into a small platter. Glass is not always predictable, a lot of variation can occur. And glass can change color once it is heated up, so the color you start off with could end up being something else.

Once I pick up the pieces from the studio I will show you what the end result turned out to be.

k

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday and what a good Friday it is. I did not have to go into work. I slept till 9:00 am. It is spring, sunny, and absolutely beautiful outside. The temperature is supposed to get up to 71 degrees today. What a great day!

I feel very rested this morning. I needed that extra sleep. I want to work outside today in my garden if I get the chance. Yesterday when I got home from work I started in the back yard, but I have a lot of work. There are weeds every where. I was lazy last year and let things go and I guess I will pay for it this year. Spring has sprung around my neighborhood. The Azaleas are in full bloom and all the trees are budding. Color is popping up every where.

My Plum tree is absolutely incredible looking. It is simply full of flowers. I think this year I might try to make plum jams and preserves. Not sure exactly what the difference is between jam, jellies, and preserves but I plan I making one or some of them. I will have to ask my grandmother for her recipes when I see her this Sunday for Easter.

Well I am off to start the day. Have a great Good Friday!

In Bad Taste

I just recently put a land line back in after just using my cell phone for several years. I had forgotten how irritating it is to have all the telemarketing calls. When the phone recently started ringing off the hook I quickly put my number on the do not call list. But I understand it takes a while to get removed off all the lists.

Tonight my phone rang and I answered it and sure enough it was a telemarketer. This one was for the Sheriff's Department or something like that. They were raising money to help support the families of the Sheriff's Department in a time of need. The very first thing the gentleman on the phone said to me was that just tonight an officer died. I was told he has a wife and little kids who know were left in peril.

Now come on, Isn't this a bit much. Trying to give me a guilt trip into giving up money. This in my opinion was in very bad taste. Good cause or not, this really turned me off. I just hung up.

k

Second Glass

I just got back with my latest creation. I am still using the white glass but I think I am getting better with my designs. I am tyring to keep it simply but with a retro look to the piece. I have just tons of ideas in my head and I can not wait until this weekend. My goal is to try to do at least two pieces. I have one more of the white platters to do and then on to something new. I purchased some new material tonight and I am going to make some smaller platters but this time with some colors. I am having a blast and I hope people will enjoy them come gift giving time.

k

The Book Club

Long story short............I tried to join a book club and I couldn't get the president of the club to return my calls or emails, so I created my own club!

We had our first meeting at my house this past Monday. For this meeting we read the book "Wicked Charleston: The Dark Side of the Holy City" by Mark R. Jones. If you are not a fan of history or do not have an interest in the city of Charleston, SC then this book is most likely not for you. I found it interesting overall, but at times it got a little boring and did not always keep my interest. I will say by far my favorite part was reading about boo hags.

I was very surprised to be honest with you about how much fun I actually had with the club. The mix of the people was great and every one had some great comments about the book. I am very excited about the club overall and can not wait till next month.

Happy reading.

Time for a change

Just recently I decided to make some evaluations in my life and make some changes. This is a practice that I do once in a while to help improve myself. I do not like getting stuck in a rut so to speak. I want to learn and grow and become a better person.

One of the changes was the amount of time I spend on line. Long ago I broke my addiction to television and now suddenly I have replaced it with something just as evil, the Internet. I spend way to much time on the computer surfing the web and doing various things. And to what gain? There is none. It has just become time filler, just as television has done in the past.

I was actually amazed at how much time I spent on MySpace. I have wasted a lot of time that I could have devoted to reading, learning, or working on some artistic adventure of mine. It has not been all bad, I have made some really interesting cyber friends through my time with MySpace and I hope they continue on as I down grade myself with the entire MySpace world.

I just need to focus the time and energy I was spending on line in other directions. I no longer want to be tied down to a computer on my lap. I want to control the time I spend and not be controlled by it. I have such a compulsive and obsessive personality. When I get into something I tend to really get into it. With that said, this is a positive move for me.

One of my dear friends laughed at me and told me she was calling me out on this one. She said that I was just moving from one thing on to another, and by creating this blog I would be doing the same thing only on another website. I see things differently with this blog site. In this blog that I have created, I still get to express myself and write but outside interest and factors are completely taken out of the factor.

This blog forum is about what I write. It is not about the number of friends I have, the comments, the bulletins, or the emails you get from people. I get to express my views and thoughts and if there is a comment it is about what I have written. It is not about what I look like, or who I know, or what have you. It is only about the written word. I can post these blogs and walk away and do other things. And this is what I want and need at this point in my life.

First Glass

I just got my very first piece of glass work outside of glass class. When Blue Heron Glass called to tell me my piece was ready I was supper excited. I went straight to the studio to pick it up.

Just getting back from my vacation in Miami I created this platter. I was inspired by the Art Deco design of the hotels in South Beach. Very simplistic in design but the color and lines do remind me of the patterns you find along South Beach.

My goal is to created at least one of these each month and give them out as Christmas gifts to my family and friends. Who knows I might even sell a few of these along the way.

"Don't let de Hag ride ya"

The legend of the Boo Hags comes from South Carolina Gullah Culture. Boo Hag legend is similar to that of the vampire. Unlike vampires, the Boo Hag does not get its strength from the victims blood but from their breath.

When a Boo Hag attacks a victim it is known as 'ridin." They positions themselves over a sleeping victim and sucks on their breath. During the attach the Boo Hag puts the victim in a dream like sleep.

Boo Hags have no skin, so they are red in appearances. In order to blend in they will steal a victims skin and wear it like clothing as long as it holds up. Before a Boo Hag attacks, it removes and hides its skin until after the feeding. Normally Boo Hags do not kill their victims they keep them alive so they can use them again and again for energy. When the victim wakes, struggles, and fights back, the Boo Hag will kill them for a new skin. After taking the victims energy the Boo Hag must flee because it must be in its skin before the sun rises or it will forever be trapped without skin.

The next morning the victim awakes very tired and short of breath. They know they have been 'ridin" by a Boo Hag. To help protect you against further attack, you can place a broom by your bed. The Boo Hag gets distracting and has to count all the straws in the broom. They run out of time to ride you before the sun comes up.

So the next time you wake up very tired and short of breath, you might want to put a broom by your bed the next morning. You have just been "ridin" by a Boo Hag.

Le Petit Keller

Over the course of my life I have had many nick names. Some of these nick names I like and some of them are just hateful and probably should not be mentioned on this blog. Growing up with the name Keller Lavon Lee gave many people a lot of material to come up with all kinds of nick names. "Killer" would have to be the most common nick name I was called through out my school years. I never really cared for it much, but I have endured it for a long time. By the time I graduated from high school I was 5'5'' and only weighed a 100lbs, so for me to be called 'Killer" was a little on the sarcastic side.


Another name I was called is "Kelly." This is really not a nick name, it is just a result of ignorance. For some reason people are just lazy and do not actually read what is printed on paper. I hate being called "Kelly." There is nothing wrong with the name "Kelly," but it is not my name so don't call me "Kelly." When I graduated high school and the principle of my school called my name to come up and get my diploma, what does he call me? He calls me "Kelly." Just damn lazy is what I say, read the damn name as it is printed on your list. The same thing happened to me when I graduated college. I was called "Kelly" once again. What was up with that? Here are these educated people who can not read a name off a piece of paper. Go get yourself a new pair of glasses will ya!


Later in life, when I was hired by Revco Drug Stores to manage some of their stores I got the nick name "KillerBee." I love the story behind this name, for those of you who know me you will agree that it is truly a Keller story. My district manager told me to call the Trainer to set up a time to meet with her to begin my training. I called her and got her voice mail. I was nervous and hyper and blurted out my message about who I was and what I needed from her. When she called me back she told me she could not tell what I said on my message and it sounded like I said my name was "KillerBee." That nick name has stuck with me ever since and I use it a lot with my artistic creations.


My favorite nickname is by far "Le Petit Keller." It is used a lot by my friends. I got this name traveling in Paris. We found in a guide book a restaurant that was highly recommended. The restaurant was called Le Petit Keller and it was on Rue De Keller in the Bastille area of Paris. The restaurant ended up being one of the best places to eat on our trip. The owners were so warm and friendly and really took time to talk with us. They were great and made the experience at Le Petit Keller even better. I took a photo of the sign of the restaurant and it is framed and hangs in my kitchen.



Lets now sum up what we have learned here today. My name is Keller Lavon Lee. I have had over the years many nick names. You can use a nick name if you like, but let's stick to the approved list. 'KillerBee" is OK, but I prefer "Le Petit Keller." If you call me "Killer," you will get a little look from me. And don't even think about calling me "Kelly." I will set you straight and most likely use very foul language that might hurt your feelings.


That's my story. Be good.


Keller