It Was a Lovely Sunday - Except for the Broncos, Who Were PATHETIC!

DH and I were at the Minnesota Gem and Mineral Show by 9:45 am, looking at the offerings of the outdoor exhibitors. I gathered from the inter-tent gossip, there had been quite the windstorm coming through the previous evening, requiring everyone to collapse their booths and rescue their merchandise from a storm front that was moving through. But everyone seemed to have come through in good shape, and they ended up with a lovely day yesterday. 

First of all, let's deal with this right away. Because we 
were TERRIBLE. It's the most points in a football game 
EVER, and the Broncos were pathetic. I was really 
glad that I don't get their games on our TV stations. I 
watched the Vikings instead. But OMG!!! REALLY?????

DH found a few slabs (slices) that he liked and bought, but I didn't see anything that really sparked me, even when we looked through a second time on our way out to return home. Inside, the vendors took full advantage of the space and were beautifully spread out. My customer who runs a booth out there said that Saturday had been extremely busy - shoulder-to-shoulder lookers and buyers. That's great - that's what they all want for this sale. It's one of, if not THE, largest sale they put on in the Cities. 

Just a rough photo of my newest 
pendant that I purchased at the MN 
Gem & Mineral Show. It's a fossil 
called Orthoceras - the white is the 
critter, and it's encased in a black marble 
matrix. So lovely, and so versatile. I 
think I'll get a lot of wear from this. 

I saw a pendant that really attracted me in the second booth, but decided to look at everything before making up my mind. But, after looking at everything, I decided that if it was still there, I would purchase it. It's a lovely piece of Orthoceras, and I just loved the setting - it really complemented the piece beautifully. In fact, I'm wearing it today. It's a short piece, probably no more than 18" total length, and the pendant itself 35mm long, 12mm wide at the widest part. So it's delicate, but I thought it showcased the fossil beautifully. 

I usually get stone when I'm at the Gem & Rock Show, but 
this time I ended up with a fossil. It's quite pretty, and very 
old. Such fun! 

Orthoceras fossils are found in Morocco, more proof that there used to be a LOT more ocean on Earth than there is today. Of course, that was 400 million years ago - LOL. The species is related to today's squid or octopus. I think the neutrality of color will make this a very versatile part of my jewelry wardrobe and I'm going to get a lot of use from this. 

When we returned home DH gave me $20 to pay for my pendant, since I hadn't found anything else at the show I'd really wanted. So that was lovely of him. We watched football for the afternoon (very disappointing for both of our teams), and then settled down to broiled steaks and veggies for dinner, finishing the day with our usual Sunday lineup on Public Television - "Professor T", "Unforgotten" and "Van der Valk". All in all, it was a lovely Sunday. 

This is what Chickie's chicken looks like when she 
has it illuminated. It's fairly large - almost 24" square, 
so she has to find the perfect place for it. It's really fascinating. 
when the power is off, it's just a bunch of white LED 
tubing connected by fine wiring. I want to figure out 
exactly how this comes together. I've always loved 
the concept of designing with light. 

Finally, the LED chicken for Chickie finally arrived at the shop on Friday, and I opened it on Saturday to take a closer look before allowing Chickie to take it home. She took it home with her that night and plugged it in as soon as she got home to make sure it worked correctly and that she was happy. She's delighted, and I share her photo here. It's not up on her wall yet, but as soon as she figures exactly where it will go, I'm sure it will be up. She won't let this sit around for long - she adores it too much, and it is VERY cool. 

So, have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Since it's a swimming day tomorrow, my post will be shorter because my time is more constricted. Still, I plan to write, as always, and I hope you have a great day. Slava Ukraini.