Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Kathryn's stained glass and organic Chemistry

It goes like this...
You are a week away from going to Rochester to experience jazz, where a woman you have never met, but is your friend, is willing to house you. You are thinking of her and this kindness.
You remember those organic chemistry doodles you drew back in the day, 23 years ago. A design pops into you head. This woman who was a chemist and desires to teach chemistry. This is her design.
Sit in an Episcopal church listening to jazz and imagine a cross made out of carbon rings. You like that idea but your mind flows back to those old doodles.
Wake up on Sunday, after three nights of jazz, to a feast of fresh bagels with all the stuff that make them better. You continue to think about the design for this woman who has been so kind.
Draw the design with paper, pencil, and erasure. You erase and draw and erase and draw... then the design is there.
Make the design become glass and hang it in your window. You don't really want to take it out of your window, but you do. Place it into a box and hand it over to the USPS.
You notice your friend is gone from Facebook. She comes back and you ask her if she got the glass.
She says no. The USPS says they delivered it four days ago. You feel a wave of immense sadness. Feel the sadness. You try to keep some hope. Your friend says she will track it down. You remember all the scraps of glass you used up and know it would be difficult to duplicate. You don't want to duplicate it. You want it found.
It comes in the mail the next day. Your friend e-mails you.
You are happy and wish that you had either waited another day to ask about the glass or the post office had not said they delivered it if they only meant they had it stored in the post office or they had delivered it the day she got home with the rest of the held mail.

15 comments:

  1. Wow! Thanks for letting me be surprised by the design and not posting the picture earlier. I am honored both by the beauty of it and the thought that went into it.

    It was a delight to both host and meet you and Mosaic Woman. I just hope that your schedule and that of the jazz festival conspire to bring you back soon. I know your schedule goes later next year but perhaps the jazz festival will be later.

    There aren't enough words to adequately say thank you for this beautiful gift. I was honored enough by your trusting enough to visit. Peace, my friend and thank you!

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  2. It is another beautiful piece! Lucky KJ!!

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  3. Kathryn-- we so want to come back


    Giggles--- Thanks. lots of luck in this story.

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  4. I can admire the chemistry, not only the shapes, but in the glass!

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  5. Michelle--- even at the quantum level?

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  6. I can admire the chemistry, not only in the art that comes out of the heart, but that which is in the heart, itself......

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  7. Oh, that's beautiful!

    It makes me so happy to think of my friends becoming friends.

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  8. Jim--- thanks. my imperfect heart thanks you too. which reminds me, I've got something with your name on it.

    Gannet Girl--- and to think that 2 years ago I was just about to start a blog.

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  9. Immense sadness was warranted. That is such a glorious piece, Stratoz. Glorious.

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  10. Beryl--- I left that evening with hope it would find its way home, but Kathryn's e-mails declaring a great desire to track down the package from her end was uplifting.

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  11. love it! You are inspiring me to dust off the counter and cutter and start creating!

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  12. msklem-- I hope you fine the time. I've been on a role. Today I got all the pieces cut to create this design in amber glass. and posted a few things at our ETSY site.

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  13. mid-life rookie--- welcome back. Thanks.

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  14. Finally, this beautiful piece made it into my blog. I really can't thank you enough for the beautiful stained glass. You realize, it's a lifetime pass to stay at my house whenever you are near.

    http://getrealscience.com/teacherkathrynj/2009/09/02/lighting-a-candle/

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