In the studio tonight processing my reclaim clay… slicing, layering, wedging, blending in some fresh new clay… then slicing, layering & more wedging! And look what I found… I’ve been wondering where I “lost” that orange scoring tool?!

When bad things happen to good mugs… looks like Bill’s favorite mug went for a tumble. It was apparently his favorite mug… so he’s already looking for a good replacement. Gravity can be a terrible thing!

Looks like another fortune cookie has been found!
Congratulations Leslie… thanks for playing!!!

While cleaning up the “remains” from my Holiday Home Shows… I’m finally taking down shelves… and I’m finding that my neglected orchids have apparently been doing just fine without me! With my dining room window covered with shelves, my plants unfortunately get “wedged” in between the shelves & window and get very little attention for quite awhile! So imagine my surprise today when I found several of my orchid plants sending up new flower spikes already!!! So I’ve watered, cleaned, propped ’em up… and I’m now looking forward to some fresh new orchid blooms coming soon!!!

Looks like the hunt has begun! Allison has found her first fortune cookie of 2024… perched high in a tree!!! There are plenty more out there… gotta keep searchin’ searchin’… cue the song by Del Shannon!

While I was at Illinois Beach State Park, I wasn’t just focused on hiding fortune cookies… but also the amazing natural beauty all around me! It was a bit gray & overcast, but that didn’t deter me. Wintery wooded areas, sections of moss, marshlands, sandy lake fronts & more. A wonderful mix of nature to start off the New Year!

I loved traveling through both sections of the park… but a bit frustrated that the farthest north beach access is closed for renovations. But then I saw how many renovations they’ve made to the rest of the park and I was AMAZED!!! The beaches used to be covered with cement boulders, dead trees, sand-smoothed bricks & terra cotta tiles… not the “prettiest” of beaches. But they have now put in some breakwaters out in the lake to prevent erosion… and back-filled with what must be TONS of fresh new sand! This is going to be a huge beach destination this summer… now living up to its name… Illinois Beach State Park… now with an emphasis on BEACH!!!

Yes, I have once again hidden some handmade ceramic fortune cookies to kick-off the New Year. Spreading good will & good fortune around for people to find. The following photos are the “clues” that you can use to find the twenty-four fortune cookies scattered around Illinois Beach State Park. I’m not going to make it easy… but the search is on! Go outside & play in nature… and find “your fortune” at the same time!

Let the search begin… twenty-four fortune cookies for 2024!!!

Starting a New Year… with a beautiful sunrise over Lake Michigan. So excited to see the sun as we look forward to a great year. Wishing you a year full of beautiful sunrises & bright sunny days… both realistically & metaphorically!

Looks like I wasn’t the only one who made homemade chocolate chip cookies for New Years Eve! My friends Mike & Patty also made a batch… and served them on one of my stamped platters! As everyone knows that homemade food tastes even better on handmade pottery! Even Casey their boxer had his eye on them!