La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Saturday and Sunday were unproductive days at our house. We try not to care. We bought a new small light fixture for over the sink in the kitchen, a poorly lit corner. We were supposed to hang that together but only got as far as discussing where exactly and how we would hang it. It sits on the kitchen island. Maybe we’ll get it done today.
San Geraldo bought a kintsugi repair kit. If you don’t know the Japanese word, it means “golden joinery” and is the art of repairing broken pottery with powdered gold or silver (or platinum). The kit doesn’t include the real thing and is much more basic. No laquers, no flour, no curing box, no multi-week process. No real gold dust. We have glitter.
Saturday, I organized the materials, laid out the two small items to be repaired, and that’s as far as I got. My desk is large enough (it had once been our dining room table, until we bought a larger one). I have an art space behind my computer display with a chair on that side, as well. Sunday evening, I decided to make my first pass at kintsugi. One small decorative plate made by a kind friend for SG for a birthday is in three large pieces and one small piece. I followed the less than excellent instructions to attach the first two pieces. I held it tightly in place for 3 minutes as instructed. Actually, I held it for 4. When I let go, it came apart. I cleaned off as much of the gold goop as I could and will try again today. But I think I’ll use a ceramic adhesive I’ve used in the past and add the gold to that. I just used it again to repair one of the cat bowls. It worked like magic.
Saturday was Andalusia Day and the annual Andalusia Bike Race took place both weekend days on the Paseo right behind us. I missed it Saturday because I slept too late. Sunday, I saw them lining up at the start. But I then went to my office for breakfast at the other end of the apartment and missed it. I had decided last year, I would go downstairs to get photos from ground level this time.
As Robert Burns said: “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, gang aft agley, an’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, for promis’d joy!” If you don’t speak Robert Burns, he meant: The best laid schemes of mice and men oft go awry, and leave us nothing but grief and pain, for promised joy!
I’m not in grief an’ pain, although I do have a paper cut on my thumb and The Kid Brother ran out of money again this month. He phoned me again yesterday. I was supposed to call his office last week and I procrastinated (because I dread talking to them). So, that’s on today’s agenda. Every time I woke up during the night, that was on my mind. And given the time difference, I have to wait until this afternoon to phone. It’s giving me agita.
El sábado y el domingo fueron días improductivos en casa. Intentamos que no nos importara. Compramos una lámpara pequeña nueva para colocar sobre el fregadero de la cocina, en un rincón mal iluminado. Se suponía que íbamos a colgarla juntos, pero solo llegamos a hablar de dónde y cómo. Está en la isla de la cocina. Quizás lo terminemos hoy.
San Geraldo compró un kit de reparación de kintsugi. Si no conoces la palabra japonesa, significa «carpintería dorada» y es el arte de reparar cerámica rota con oro o plata en polvo (o platino). El kit no incluye el producto real y es mucho más básico. Sin lacas, sin harina, sin caja de curado, sin un proceso de varias semanas. Sin polvo de oro auténtico. Tenemos purpurina.
El sábado, organicé los materiales, dispuse las dos piezas pequeñas para reparar, y eso fue todo. Mi escritorio es bastante grande (antes era la mesa del comedor, hasta que compramos una más grande). Tengo un espacio para pintar detrás de la pantalla de mi computadora con una silla a ese lado también. El domingo por la noche, decidí hacer mi primer intento de kintsugi. Un pequeño plato decorativo hecho por una amable amiga para un cumpleaños de SG consta de tres piezas grandes y una pieza pequeña. Seguí las instrucciones, que no eran muy buenas, para colocar las dos primeras piezas. La sujeté firmemente durante 3 minutos, como me indicaban. En realidad, la sujeté durante 4. Al soltarla, se desprendió. Limpié todo lo que pude de la sustancia dorada y lo volveré a intentar hoy. Pero creo que usaré un adhesivo cerámico que ya he usado y le añadiré el oro. Acabo de volver a usarlo para reparar uno de los comederos de los gatos. Funcionó de maravilla.
El sábado era el Día de Andalucía y la Carrera Ciclista Anual de Andalucía se celebraba los dos fines de semana en el Paseo, justo detrás de nosotros. Me la perdí el sábado porque dormí demasiado tarde. El domingo los vi formando fila para la salida. Pero luego fui a desayunar a mi oficina, al otro lado del apartamento, y me perdí la salida. El año pasado había decidido que esta vez bajaría a sacar fotos desde el suelo.
Como dijo Robert Burns: «Los mejores planes de los ratones y de los hombres a menudo salen mal y no nos dejan nada más que dolor y pena en lugar de la alegría prometida.»
No estoy de pena ni dolor, aunque tengo un corte de papel en el pulgar y El Hermanito se quedó sin dinero otra vez este mes. Me llamó de nuevo ayer. Se suponía que debía llamar a su oficina la semana pasada y lo pospuse (porque me da miedo hablar con ellos). Así que eso está en la agenda de hoy. Cada vez que me despertaba por la noche, eso estaba en mi mente. Y dada la diferencia horaria, tengo que esperar hasta esta tarde para llamar. Me está dando nervios.
• El campanario de la Iglesia de San Nicolás, construido en el siglo XV sobre los restos de un minarete.
• Otro más. ¿Color o blanco y negro? Me encanta esos tonos dorados.
.
• Vea las siguientes dos fotos para ver lo que hay detrás de la puerta de hierro.
• Esperando con ansias las flores de la pared.
• Tu carruaje te espera en el hotel boutique Las Casas de la Judería.
Click the thumbnails to enlarge.
Haz clic en las miniaturas para ampliar.
Oh, I hope the next attempt at Kintsugi repair goes well 🙂 Grrr… I can just imagine what it’s like all night long, when you feel that you have to take care of something that is hanging over your head. Uggh.
Judy C:
And then last night I stewed about taking the cats to the vet Tuesday. All’s well. I’ll share all Wednesday.
I’ve never heard of kintsugi, so I’d like to see what your finished piece looks like.
We, too, had a lazy weekend, part spent waiting on the roof guy–small leak–part running to the Winter Market to get scones from Farm Girl Bakery … dee lish.
Then there was reading and napping and laundry.
I hope you get the KB’s money figured out; read ’em The Riot Act,
Bob:
All’s well…for now. I’ll report in Wednesday. Today has been a day and a half. Ooh, fresh scones!
I’d have to break something so I could repair it. Sometimes the most important thing to do, is absolutely nothing. You had a very important weekend.
David:
The first step in the instructions
Optional: Cover the item with tape, seal it in a clear plastic bag, and lightly crack the item so fragments cling to the tape.
I perceive a certain joyousness in this post, but maybe that’s all in my head. A certain “Ah yes… life,” bemusement at the mundane: broken pots and kid brothers, paper cuts and agita–millions of years of evolution and this is what we got? You sound very well indeed.
wickedhamster:
It WAS a sort “ah yes… life” post.
PS: The golden color is lovely, but I think the shadow is more striking in B/W. I also very much want that door that leads to the coach.
wickedhamster:
There are two of those doors. Stunning. AND it turns out that’s where Steve ana Dave stayed. I love the golden color. I love the drama of the shadows in B&W. “Ah yes… life.”
I’ve heard other stories of disappointing results with those kintsugi kits. I think your idea of mixing the gold into another type of glue is a good one.
I am so charmed at the way plants are hung on walls.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
Plants on walls, especially in glossy blue pots, is very common in Andalusia. I love it. Good to know what you’ve heard about the kits.
I adore the concept of kintsugi. I hope you’ll show us your completed repair. And “To A Mouse” is my favourite Robbie Burns poem!
Debra:
I will definitely share my psedo kintsugi results. I do love Robert Burns and so did my sister. She hardly understood what he was talking about but she found his writing to be like music.
Just getting out of the bed is being productive some days. I’m going with the color photo this time.
Kelly:
Oh yeah. I’ve had many todays when I had to give myself a pep talk to get out of bed. Sometimes a very big, long pep talk.
Everyone needs a “do-nothing weekend” every so often. As for the repair kit, sometimes the hype doesn’t live up to reality…
My choice for the photo is obviously the full-colour shot – the blue sky above that golden wall is magical! Jx
Jon:
The colors in the photos are just so vivid and pure, it’s difficult to give them up for the shadow.
Kintsugi is lovely. I hope today’s repair works. I had to work Saturday and was wiped out that night. Princess and I went for a walk Sunday and drove to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. That was about it. I was too tired for anything else. I’ve turned on my work computer for today and already discovered I can’t access some sites. *sigh*
Love,
Janie
janiejunebug:
Didn’t get to the repair today. Long day. Not so long story, but I’ll tell it tomorrow. And, oh sigh. I hope your day got better.
Ugh. Dealing with unpleasant things and people.
I think the shadow on the wall may be a little more dramatic in b&w but give me the gold glow.
Geraniums in the pots? should be striking when in bloom.
ellen abbott:
Yes, geraniums in the pots. I’ll be sure to get pictures all over town when they’re in bloom. I’m beginning to lean toward the gold glow despite how much I like the B&W shadows.
I keep reading it as knitsugi, some kind of beautiful knitting repair or something. I’m looking forward to seeing the repaired dish. Boud
Boud:
I kept typing it as knitsugi and had to correct it!
Hey, that’s our hotel! I’d know that carriage anywhere! 🙂
I’ll be interested to see how the kintsugi repair goes. I have a large platter that I found in a skip (dumpster) that’s cracked, and I’ve often thought kintsugi would be a great way to seal the crack.
Steve:
That is so funny that I came upon your hotel and liked it so much. Fun location and beautiful entrance. I assume that’s the carriage they used to haul your around town, too. Tomorrow will be the day for the plate, he says with false confidence.
I see my carriage awaits……….
Mistress Maddie:
All I could hear in my head was “Ladies. Our carriage awaits,” from Into the Woods.
The arched doorway reminds me of the Arabian Nights, whereas the carriage is more like something out of Dickens. A definite clash of cultures.
Kirk:
I wonder the history of the doors. It must have been a grand home in the Jewish Quarter way back when and that style was very much like what we know as Aarabic.
It’s called “being stuck in neutral”. I have days like that.
The blizzard last week put all our schedules off kilter; seemed to put us in that neutral. I hope this week gets us back to normal.
Rade:
Yeah, neutral is a gear I get stuck in often.
Good luck in your next attempt to mending that plate.
Must be very frustrating dealing with KB’s admin from a distance. Hopefully all will be resolved soon.
Jim:
I’ve lost a lot of sleep due to KB over the years. We always get through it.