A little bit of NC found in Nybro... sort of...

Sorry I didn't get this up last night, I thought the internet was dead again at the house... but it turns out I am just an idiot I think.  It was only broken for me and I fixed it this morning by running a quick scan on my computer and turning it on and off once.  Oops!

Yesterday was a really nice day!  I was in the hot shop ALL day! I was paired with Rosanne which worked out really well.  We decided to divide our time up so that one person worked for 45 minutes and the other assisted then we switched.  It was a nice way to really get in your groove and really make some good pieces.  We worked well together, we were able to joke, give advice and take criticism when doing something wrong.  It was a very pleasant day in the hot shop.  We worked on making bowls where you fold the top edge either into the bowl or over the outside.  It is called something funny, but I forget now, in lip and out lip but in Swedish.  I got really good at the in lip, which was surprisingly much easier.  It looks trickier but the centrifugal force really helps you!  I made a whole bunch of good ones and few really horrible ones.  The usual productivity of a day.  By the end of the day though everyone was exhausted. It is amazing how spending that much time in the hot shop just zaps you of energy!  

After school I napped for a while and then got a ride to Nybro to go riding!!! I was very lucky and got Poseidon again for my lesson!  It made the dressage lesson much more pleasant! I was crossing my fingers and holding my thumbs that I wouldn't get Lady again!  In the lesson we did a lot of lateral movements at the canter and trot... it was an hour of thigh burning (all without stirrups - where you put your feet) half passes (where the horse goes sideways and forwards crossing their feet), counter cantering (going on the wrong lead for the direction you are traveling) and turns on the forehands and haunches!  I am going to have thighs of steel soon!!! I am getting better at sitting as straight up and back as possible and carrying my hands much higher... Pia doesn't have to tell me every time she looks at me to fix it!  I really enjoyed Poseidon who also seemed to enjoy the work as long as he got a lot of pats and words of encouragement.  Pia and I tried to work on my noises.  I am having a hard time making the correct go forward noise and slow down noise.  Sometime she just bursts out laughing when I come by going "thhbbbbbtttt" to try and make the horse slow down and she is like "no, no! It is more of a bdddrrrrrrrr!"  It is so hard to try to ride, make new noises and understand her when she is speaking to the whole group in Swedish... but each lesson is getting easier and easier I am happy to say.  I think Poseidon remembered me because he instantly started searching me for treats which made me very happy :)

 Poseidon and Vagner!

Poseidon is begging... sadly he didn't like Ballerina cookies... but I brought an apple too!

Today, I went to Nybro to wave off Kirsten, she is going to Norway (where she is from) for a month for her practice session with some glassblower there.  It was sad to see her go... it will be different without her, but hopefully she will be back in time for Halloween!  Then Anniina and I walked around Nybro with her friend who is visiting for the weekend.  I got a new pair of rain boots! I need them for 2 reasons, so I decided it was a good purchase.... 1.  It rains here a lot! and 2.  In the cold shop your feet get soaked using some of the machines and I am tired of having wet sneakers!  They are black with pink and purple poka dots on them!!! 

Also, we did the touristy thing and went and saw the big statue/fountain in Nybro:

 Nybro is kind of the capitol of the Kingdom of Crystal.

Those are glass bubbles on the ends of blow pipes in the middle.  This is the first time I have seen it with the sun shining which I think really makes it better.

Then we went to Systembolget (where I saw a guy I ride horses with and got to chat like a real local! haha) where Anniina and her friend got some wine.  I wandered around and came across this bottle:

 It reminded me so much of Jenny who went to UNC-Chapel Hill... and it even has their school colors!!!!

I think it was from Austria though... but still! Yay Jenny wine!

Now it is time for a lazy Saturday afternoon.