I have awesome friends

.....and a continuing struggle with LJ. Attempts to troubleshoot via LJ support are proceeding very slowly as I can only access social media at home. I did a "traceroute" and sent it off when I got home from work this afternoon. We'll see if this results in anything useful.

Back to the awesome friends part.  I'm friends with a mother and daughter who make and sell pottery at SCA events. Lovely ladies who produce functional, often fun, often beautiful pieces, and who I have been dutifully sending links to museum websites of any period ceramics I happen to stumble across. Anyway, some time back, I sent them this link. The piece in question is 20th c. Kutani ware, but hey, it's a great dancing monkey holding a mask of a Very Cheerful Japanese Goddess (with whom I identify, having chipmunk cheeks, a weapons-grade sense of smartassery and an affinity for thumping upon tubs in common). Well, I found a photo posted to my FB wall today, which, of course, I cannot upload here (yet) because LJ is still at a crawl. However, the ladies produced a pair of tea cups based on the Kutani sake cup. Which, of course, I will pounce upon and happily buy when I see them Saturday.

Another Awesome Friend sent me his travel itinerary for a visit over July 4. (You know who you are, you read this darn thing....)