Be Mindful of Your Personal Light

It's Tuesday, so it's a swimming pool day. I'm dressed appropriately in my skin suit and the shirt and pants I wear over it to the gym, and I'm dashing this out on the fly, as usual. I don't tend to put a lot of thought into my daily posts - they're very "off the cuff" and whatever pops up in my mind. But the mind can be a scary place, so I do try to stay away from darkness ... there's quite enough of that around us in our daily lives in this world of conflicts. 

It's sometimes hard to find the light in the darkness of 
midnight or in a soul who is hiding from too much 
torment. Be kind today. That simple command, if 
followed, will bring and spread light behind it as you 
walk through your day. 

That's the state of mankind, though. Conflict. I don't like it, and we speak of peace often and with great fervor, but let's be realistic. We're a very conflict-oriented society and world. Mankind didn't grow up to be the dominant species by waiting in the wings. We didn't wait for the animal to die a natural death (although we'd almost always take advantage of natural gifts like that). We stalked the animal and killed it so that we could eat it and live to hunt again another day. 

Sometimes we're the ones doing the stalking, sometimes 
we're the ones being stalked. Sometimes it's hard to tell 
the difference in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives 
in this industrial world. Don't lose sight of the fact that 
you are often the prey, not the hunter. 

We live our lives in a similar fashion. We set a lot of goals in our lives. We might not be saying we're going to kill a gazelle at the next watering hole, but we are saying we're going to wrap up that sale, or going to choose one day care over another or simply going to choose one head of lettuce above others on display at the grocer. We're making decisions - large and small - decisions that change the direction of our lives in small ways, but that do change it. What ... you don't believe that the choice of one head of lettuce over another wouldn't be earthshaking? Well, you're right. It wouldn't change the world ... immediately. But many people choosing one type of lettuce over another could change agricultural practices towards that more popular type, and those less favored would possibly start to die out because of a simple choice. 

A single kindness, one gesture, or one word can change 
the world for someone else. If you act in a positive 
fashion, you'll leave smiles behind you and isn't that so 
much better than leaving frowns? 

It's said that one action can change the world. All actions have reactions as well. Try to keep your actions positive and helpful, and see what gets reflected back to you. I think you'll have a good day as a result, despite whatever's on the daily news tonight. Just work things one person at a time, one on one. It's really the best way to move happiness through from you to others. Have an excellent day and Slava Ukraini. I'll be back tomorrow. 

I'm Happy, I'm Excited and I'm Leaving for the Pool!

I'm excited, sitting here dressed in my swim gear, my swim bags ready to go to the pool with me in less than an hour. I'm SO excited. I actually got some sleep last night, but it I had been up all night with anticipation, it wouldn't have surprised me. But, I also have to get used to that schedule again- things are a bit different, and time is a bit more constrained on my swimming days. So my blog gets posted much earlier and I'm out of the house in the dark hours of the morning. 

I'm SO excited - it's time to return to the swimming 
pool. I have to wear a support bra, but that's a minimal 
issue. I'm allowed back in the water and I can do one 
of my favorite workouts and get into shape for the 
Olympic-sized pool which opens Memorial Day weekend. 

I'm very grateful that it's been a mild winter. I don't have any snow to contend with and add to my schedule. I can get used to the new/old normal, and finally ... FINALLY ... I can see my friends from the pool once again. I've missed them SO much. I recharged my underwater headphones two days ago so that I'm ready to continue my audio book. I know I was getting down to the end of this volume, but that's OK. I'll have plenty to listen to for today and I'll be able to figure out where I'm at for the next days. 

GRRR - there's nothing to aggravate me much 
more than computers, even though I'm on them 
every day. Sometimes something as simple as 
attaching pages to an email turn into mountains 
I need mountaineering gear to ascend. This was 
one of those GRRRR times. 

I had a difficult time with a PDF yesterday - something that should be common place and easy as pie. I needed to scan a series of pages for an order I needed to place. The store printer wasn't being recognized by my laptop, and I couldn't get the two of them to communicate. ARGH. I finally ended up taking the order home, scanning in on my home scanner to my home computer. That turned out to be a bit tricky too, but finally I managed to attach two different formats to my email and I'm sure at least one of them will work for my vendor. That took me almost two hours of work, though. It gets frustrating when newer systems and updates make the older versions much harder to operate. GRRR

Yesterday might have been frustrating, but today is 
starting out great and I get to SWIM again! To say 
I'm happy is a total understatement. 

But, I'm heading back to the pool for the first time since early January. I truly couldn't be much happier, even though I'm out of swimming shape. I've been working out on the treadmill, and I've been keeping in shape, so it will just be a matter of rhythm and breathing. Frankly, I can hardly wait. I'm so EXCITED. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow for Day 2 of my swimming this week. Slava Ukraini. 

Spread A Little Bit of Happiness Into the Lives of Others

Happy first day of February! I hope all of my readers can look back over January and be happy with how that month was lived. Did you lighten the day of anyone? That goes into the "Plus" column. Did you say something or wish for something awful to happen to someone? Well, usually that would go into the "Negative" column, except there are some people who probably should fit into that category, and for whom you wouldn't be punished. Putin comes to mind, that little dictator in North Korea (who doesn't even deserve to have his name listed) joins the Russian on that list. There are others - almost too numerous. So, let's not concentrate on the negatives, just the positives today. There are an abundance of wonderful people, some of whom you might interact with today. Share a smile and a positive word. Let's start February off on a good note. 

We all could use a smile, and passing a 
smile on to another person is something 
that will make both of you happier. Be kind. 

I loved yesterday's grocery shop experience. I was at my neighborhood store, and wandered the aisles back into the produce section - one place I always spend serious time. I had two different clerks make their way over to me to say "Hello" and catch me up on how they're doing. That was lovely. Phil, a lovely older gentleman, hovered from the warehouse door he was going to enter, just to say "Hi", and Justin got me up-to-date on how his wife is doing. She had a major surgery about a month ago that will keep her in recovery until the end of the summer. But she's doing great, so I'm very happy for him. 

It's a new month, so help to make it a good 
one for those people you meet today. They 
may be having a tough time. See if something 
you say can't make their day a little brighter. 

After wandering the store and getting what I needed, my favorite clerk was back behind the cash register where she's been missing for almost a month. Polly and I shared hugs, and chatted and caught up while she was scanning my groceries. Apparently she had surgery which kept her away from the store for almost a month! It was grand to see her again. 

Everyone has a story to tell, if you open your 
ears and allow them to tell it. People will amaze 
you with their kindness, resilience and actions. 
Every action has a reaction, so make the reactions 
positive as you go through your day today. 

Do you make friends of people you see often in places where you might not think about making friends? I find it simply lovely to exchange greetings and get to know the people who make my life so much easier. Everyone has a story to tell and a life to live, do you actively go out of your way to make their life better? Maybe you might consider trying to get to know these "shadow" people - the ones in the background that make everything go smoothly. 

Everyone needs happiness in their lives, and happiness 
is possible through small acts of kindness just as 
easily as large ones. Simple things can bring great 
happiness, so interact with people in a positive way 
and that will only make the world a little bit better place. 

Even when I was on the phone with customer service later in the afternoon, trying to get access to my brokerage account to check a few things for taxes, I still ended up leaving the agent laughing and happy. "Job done and dusted." LOL So, your job for today, this first day of February, is to spread a little bit of happiness and joy into the greater world. We need these positive things in our lives. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

The War Continues - Is War Genetic? Also a Small Victory and Celebration

I'm celebrating a small victory today. I had to go to Target on a quick errand yesterday, and on a whim gathered up the multitude of gift cards I had accumulated. I wanted to find a pair of pants that actually fit me, and maybe a Spring or Summer top. So, I went shopping. I've been as high as a size 16 in my life, and usually level out at a size 12 which is a perfectly acceptable size, but I knew that the jeans I'd been wearing were 10's and 12's and they were WAY too lose. So I grabbed a 10 and an 8 and headed to try them on. To my surprise, even the size 8 was way too big. So I handed the jeans to the clerk and went to get some size 6 pants to try on. I found two that I liked and went back to the changing station. They both fit beautifully! Total shock! I also found a couple of really cute tops, so I paid for them with my gift cards, augmenting the remainder with my Discover card. I'm beyond thrilled! Size 6! I would never have imagined I'd ever be that size, and I'm comfortable and happy. The new pants are in my laundry bucket and I can start wearing them on Monday. Whoot! 

I'm totally doing the happy dance. I'm amazed and so very 
pleased at where I am now, compared to a year ago. 

The war goes on forever, or so it seems. It appears that the human condition is war and aggression rather than peace and cultivation. I don't know why this is the case - certainly we celebrate peace in our conversations, poetry, music, books and artwork. But, when you look at the history of humankind, it's a history of battle and war, aggression and conquest, and simple coveting of what the neighbor owns that you don't. Obviously this must be hard-wired into our general genetic makeup. I doubt it would be something that could arise independently, over the millennia, the millions of times battle was chosen as the correct pathway. 

Ancient cave paintings already celebrate conflict 
between different groups of people. It's obvious 
that sharing and peaceful negotiation wasn't on 
the table, even back then. 

So if conflict is in our DNA, maybe it's a good thing that we rarely live past a century of life. The thought of that much conflict and that much blood loss is depressing enough, without pushing it out to centuries. In my lifetime alone, the following conflicts have occurred: 

        The Malayan Emergency and Kenya Emergency were ongoing when I was born.
        The Cyprus Emergency began in my first year of life.
        Vietnam, that horrible war, began in 1955, continuing for 20 years.
        The Suez Crisis was in 1956,
        the Brunei Revolt in 1962-1963,
        the Indonesian Confrontation in 1963-1966. Continuing on,
        the Aiden Emergency was 1963-1967,
        "The Troubles" from 1968-1998,
        the Falklands War in 1982, and
        the Gulf War from 1990-1991. 
        The Civil War in Sierra Leon stretched from 1991-2002,
        the Bosnian War from 1992-1995,
        and the Kosovo War ended the century from 1998-1999.
        The 21st Century kicked off with the War in Afghanistan from 2001-2014,
        and the Iraq War from 2003-2011.
        Wars that are still ongoing are the Libya Conflict (began in 2011),
        the Syria Conflict (2011-present),
        the Yemen Conflict (2014-present)
        and the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS which began in 2014 and is still ongoing. 

The basic estimate is 187+ million people who have lost their lives in war and conflict since 1900. That's a lot of people! And even with all of those losses, we're still overpopulated and straining the abilities of our planet. Maybe that's one more reason why we're in eternal conflict - Mother Nature knows we will destroy the planet with our numbers even without that aggressive tendency to thin down the horde. It's a rather depressing thought, isn't it? While we're working so hard to save the people of Ukraine? I'm sure it doesn't come as a huge surprise to many of you, though. If you're interested in the full timeline starting in 1900, or information about a conflict I listed that you hadn't known about, I got my information on this from 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/timeline-of-20th-and-21st-century-wars

It almost seems safer to deal with driver rage and individual crazy people with weapons. Almost ... but not quite. Because if aggression is genetic, we will be involved in conflict from birth to death, no matter what. I think that's a very depressing thought. So I'll continue to concentrate on art, sunshine, bird calls, the promise of Spring, and reading fiction. I hope you have an excellent day today, and I'll return on Monday. Peace! 

Things Giving Me Joy and a Garage Door Malfunction

Had a lovely update from my sister Starlet in Pine Ridge, South Dakota this morning. Her laptop had been broken, but is repaired once again and she sent a quick update on the family and what's been going on back on the Reservation. It really made my morning hearing from her again, and I sent her an immediate reply, catching her up on what's been going on here in the Cities. Hopefully we can get a bit better at staying in touch. Having her with a laptop helps a lot, since her phone is ancient and doesn't text well. 

I always love watching this video of Beethoven's "Ode 
to Joy" from his Ninth Symphony. It's such fun, and 
always leaves me moved because it's one of my absolute 
favorite pieces of music. I've put the link below in 
the paragraph in case you'd also like some Joy in 
your life today. 

An online friend sent me a link to a flash-mob performance of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" just to spread some happiness. (Want to see it too? Here's the YouTube URL https://youtu.be/kbJcQYVtZMo ) I've seen it before, of course. Many times. But I always watch it completely through because I absolutely love it, and the music always makes me weep tears of happiness. There's nothing like Beethoven to make me transcend the small worries and embrace the greater view. I was addicted to Beethoven in my youth (and still am, to be honest), especially the 9th Symphony. I still count him among my top 10 at all times. 

Dusty Hill (on the left) was the bass player in 
the long-time Texas trio "ZZ Top". Best known 
for "Legs" and "Sharp-Dressed Man", they 
were a force in music for decades. 

Yesterday I heard that the bass player from ZZ Top died earlier this week, age 72. That's not too many years from where I am now. I have every intention of living until age 85 or longer, but it's still a bit scary when the ages of people passing get closer and closer to your own age. I loved ZZ Top - their music always made me smile. I'll play "Sharp-Dressed Man" today in his honor. 

I probably have at least one set of all of the above 
earphone/earbud styles. I really want a set of 
wireless earbuds that will settle down into my 
ears well and stay through activity. It may be an 
impossible dream, but I'll dream it anyway. I added 
a set of bone conduction transmitters for swimming 
coming in my latest Amazon order. I listen to audio 
books while in the water, and it's annoying when I 
can't hear well. I also like tunes every now and then. 

Apparently today is a day for music. I guess I'll fire up Spotify and listen when I can. I have a new set of earbuds coming, but the several sets I already have will work for the time being. I have weird ear canals, it's really difficult for earphones to fit properly, and it just doesn't make any sense to wear wireless ones when one or the other is always falling out. I have too many sets of earplugs I had high hopes for sitting in their boxes below my computer desk. It's not that they don't work, it's that they don't work for my anatomy. *sigh* But I live in hope, and I hope the new sets I've got coming will work better. 

This is NOT my garage door, but it's one that has a 
similar problem to mine. Our door is very old and 
very heavy. Mark (my garage door guy) has warned 
us that we'll have to replace it at some point, but 
we're trying to push that off as long as possible. 

On the home front, one of two cables that help raise and lower our garage door broke last night as I was closing the door after I got home. I immediately called Mark at our garage door repair company and he'll be here at 8:00 am (or slightly before) to get things fixed. I might have to go into work for a short time until DH and Mark are finished with the repair, but we'll at least need to get the door opened long enough for one (or both) of the vehicles to get out of there. Just one more thing! 

I'm out of here. Have an excellent day, enjoy yourself and spread some happiness if you possibly can. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Another Day, Another Grant - I'm Very Lucky!

Another day, another set of legal documents and hopes for a brighter future. In other words, more money to keep the store alive through this year, and I'm very grateful we got lucky a second time. Earlier this year (not all that long ago, actually), we got lucky and were one of the businesses randomly selected to receive $10,000 County Grants to help small businesses through the COVID time ahead. We gratefully accepted that and thought that was the end of it. 

We're doing the Happy Dance once again. We were randomly
selected to receive a State Grant and we desperately need
those funds to keep our doors open for our customers. 

But at the same time as the county grant application was available, there was also a State Grant made available for application, and they were requesting almost identical paperwork. So, when I filled out the one, I went ahead and also filled out the other. It was a bit confusing, because two grants so similar in construct were out in cyberspace at the same time. 

Best thing about doing the happy dance? We're not
only happy, we're getting a good workout at the same
time - LOL. 

Two weeks ago I received a follow-up from the State Grant, requesting two small items of documentation, and within a week, I received news that we had been approved. I actually sat on it for almost a week, double-checking to make sure it was a separate grant, not the County Grant we had already accepted and used. But no, it was separate. DH read it through last night and approved it, so I sent the final signed documents out to the State this morning and hopefully, by the end of next week, the grant money will be in our account. 

Color Coding expenses can be an easy way to isolate them,
but I suspect DH will just do everything in pencil with
separate spreadsheets for each loan/grant. I don't care how
he gets it done, as long as we have documentation on
hand if we need to submit anything. 

DH says we'll need to make a spreadsheet of what expenses are being paid with which loan or grant. We do have to be able to document where the funds were used and that they were used for the proper items, and with three different funding sources, we have to keep things straight. DH is old-school, too. It might be easier to do such a thing in Xcel with color coding, but I'm pretty sure he'll be doing it with pencil on ledger paper. 

I do remind myself now and again that I am NOT a
special snowflake. I'm just one of millions of people
on this earth with talents of my own, but I'm in the
pack, not leading it. That's OK. 

So, it's a bit of a relief for me today - a bit more money to help us push through this year and into next. Originally we had been thinking about retiring this year. COVID made that impossible for us to do properly, so we've had to push things out another year or so. It doesn't make me happy, but it's not a tragedy. We're all affected by the Pandemic, in so many ways. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm really NOT a Special Snowflake. On that note, have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Please - be safe, stay well and wear your mask! 

Serendipity and More Russian Names

I finished reading "Midnight in Chernobyl" last night, and immediately dove into "Chernobyl Notebook" by Grigoriy Medvedev. I adored the first book and decided to add one more to my virtual collection and knowledge base. I hadn't thought about the politics in the USSR at the time of the meltdown, but it seems that an argument could be made for Chernobyl to be a linchpin in the vast political changes that took place near the end of Gorbechov and beginning of Yeltsin's "reign". (I know it's not really a reign, they're not monarchs, but they're also not elected by the populace and their term of office is until they are killed or kicked out. If you know the appropriate term, please tell me.) So, onward to another bout with Russian names, all of which sound beautiful in my head but that I can't pronounce orally at all.

This is one of the first photos to be made of Reactor No 4 at Chernobyl
after the accident. The type of reactor that was used had an underlying
instability that wasn't acknowledged, and the "fix" didn't work. It was
one of the worst nuclear disasters. 

Sometimes things happen because of serendipity. On Thursday, DH went shopping and found some really wonderful heavy plastic turquoise bowls for the shop that were quite inexpensive. He purchased them for us and dropped them by. Chickie loved them and took a photo, putting the picture on her Facebook page where it was seen by her friends. One of those friends looked past the turquoise plastic bowls and saw our case of Pueblo pottery. Texting Chickie, she asked to see photos of the pottery.

After finally managing to clear the area enough, the government
erected what was called the "Sarcophagus" over Reactor No 4.
Because of deadly radiation levels, most of the construction
was done from afar, but almost 4000 workers put their lives at
risk to construct this multilayered covering. 

By the end of the day, with a couple of hours of multiple photos and back and forth texting, she decided on three pots she wanted to purchase and have shipped to her in California. I'll be finalizing the sale today and DH will come in to double-pack the items for shipping. Meanwhile, I'll be finalizing shipping information and charges and arranging for them to be picked up for shipment. It's a really nice sale and I'm super appreciative. She's getting a great deal because I haven't raised my pottery prices since the mid-1990's, and I'm getting the opportunity to sell something beautiful to someone who will love them. Win/win all the way.

In 2010, because the Sarcophagus was beginning to crumble and
self-destruct, the world's nations got together and funded a huge
project - the "New Safe Confinement" shield that should last 100 years.
This shield was assembled in sections. It's HUGE. It's tall enough
for the Statue of Liberty and three times larger than the Vatican.
Each section was moved into place along rails, then assembled using
explosive bolts. Of course, welders couldn't be used, the radiation
is too great. More than 40 countries donated to the NSC. 

On a final note, sorry about the double post yesterday. Dreamwidth has been having issues with cross-posting, and even though I waited a bit to make sure the cross-post had a chance to work or not, I guess I didn't wait quite long enough. My bad, and I'll consider their issue resolved for the time being. So, have an excellent Friday. Tomorrow will be the end of our first week back in business and in a lot of ways, it's been nice to be back on a schedule and interact with customers. As always, stay safe and I'll be back tomorrow.

My Beast Is Back and PR Is Starting Again - So Happy!

It was a long day at Dale's yesterday. I got there shortly before 8:30 am and I didn't leave until shortly after 3:30 pm. But it was a good day. He put the desktop computer through its paces, cleaning up old files, streamlining applications, and troubleshooting what might have been causing my Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). Of course the BSOD appeared immediately upon turn-on, but then it was absent for quite a long time. Finally, when we thought the general cleanup of files, etc might have done the trick, it came again, with a different code. 

The Blue Screen of Death came up several times as Dale was
working on the desktop. The codes changed, but eventually we
were able to isolate the problem and resolve it. It was a very long
day, but at least I'm back up and running once again. 

Finally the culprit was found - one set of the two sets of RAM chips that I have had developed a fault. This is rare, but it can totally mess up a machine. Replacing the bad set with a newer version of the same type/speed didn't work - the two sets weren't talking to each other. So we ended up replacing all four of the RAM chips - two good and two bad. The bad chips were trash, the good (old) chips were replaced, and suddenly the computer was happy. We set it to do a full system backup and settled down for more than two hours of catching up while the computer did its thing. Finally, he shut everything down, charged me for one set of new RAM and exchanged my one good set for the other replacement set (for a $0 charge), then agonized about what to charge for the repair, ending up with charging for two hours of work, when I had been there for seven hours. Yeah - he's a total treasure. 

When he built my computer years ago, we picked RAM that was almost
at the top performance level. It's been surpassed in subsequent years, but
it still serves me well. Fortunately he still had older chips of the type I
needed, so we ended up replacing my four blue ones with four red ones instead. 

On the way out, as he carried my desktop back to my car, he asked about progress on my holiday cards and I assured him I was working on them. Then I dove into my day - grocery shopping, making dinner, and I actually managed to get two loads of laundry done before bed. Unfortunately I had to text Aearwen and cancel our chat for the week. It made me sad, but time had simply evaporated. 

I'm looking forward to the new season of Project Runway. Although I
adore Tim Gunn, I think Christian Seriano is one of the best mentors
EVER. He knows the industry from all sides as a contestant, a winner,
a designer and a producer of fashion, he's got all of the bases covered. 

Tonight (and tomorrow morning) I'm going to be tired. Project Runway starts the new season tonight, and the time slot is late - 8:30 pm until 10:00 pm - an hour later than I usually go to sleep. I can catch the re-run next week before the next new episode, but I like to be current and up-to-date with this show, to share with all of you. I know it will start out with a bang - an immediate Team Challenge. I can hardly wait. I suppose sacrificing some sleep once a week for a while won't be horrific ... well, it will since I usually only get six hours of sleep average. But such are the sacrifices I must make for fashion - LOL. 

Have a wonderful Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with pics and a rundown on how the first episode of PR, Season 18 went. 

It's November and It's Friday!

It's November! How did it sneak up so quickly? Only two months ago Sharon and I were wandering the Fairgrounds, catching up with our lives and putting another memory into place between us in our long history together. Only one month ago I settled down on a firm plan for this year's Holiday cards and got to work on them (they're looking FANTASTIC, by the way, so get your address to me if you want one sent to you - quantities are limited). 

Two months ago Sharon and I were at the Minnesota State Fair. Today
they're saying we'll get a light dusting of snow while I'm leaving for
the gym in a half-hour. Oh my - how time flies! 

Last night was Halloween, but it was cold - below freezing. For the second year in a row we had no people at the door. That really doesn't bother me at all. We spent the hours until I shut off the outdoor lights and went to bed, watching "Ghost Adventures" explore the Harrisville Farmhouse, the house that the movie "The Conjurer" was based upon. It actually was a rather interesting haunting, a bit different than the Halloween ghost explorations I have watched in the past. I still missed the last hour, though. I need my six hours of sleep or I'm not functional. 

Zak Bagans and "Ghost Adventures" is not my favorite ghost
hunters group, but it was the only good haunting for the night. The
farmhouse itself has history and has been investigated and made the
subject of a film. It's not a good place, but I'm not sure this team
was a good choice for the investigation. Still, it was entertaining on
Halloween night. 

I have to kick things into high gear - we'll have our after-Thanksgiving Day sales at the shop, and I need to plan for what I'm offering on this sale as well as what we're going to do for our after-Christmas sale. The year is flying toward its' end and I'm hanging on for dear life while trying to make sure things are in order for next year's goals. 

Of course I don't like losing any customers, but really ... I was working
on the rack right next to her! We ask this of everyone - it lets us keep
1000's of items in order, hanging correctly so that the next person can
find what they're looking for and so that the strands don't break. 

Of course, I angered a customer yesterday - my luck strikes again. Store policy is "Please let us put everything you've removed from the racks away for you". It really isn't hard. I was next to a customer who had just spent less than $10 on a package of needles, and was showing her friend a particular style of bead. I was hanging beads onto the rack next to her and asked for the ones she was removing so that I could hang those too. She insisted on hanging them, hung them wrong, so I removed them from the rack to put them up correctly after she was finished. She took offense. 

"I ... I'll never spend another penny at your store!" she exclaimed while leaving. Since she actually hadn't spent any (she had her friend buy the needles for her), it wasn't much of a threat. She wasn't a regular, I didn't recognize her, and she wasn't on record as a business or member of the Bead Society or Textile Center (we offer discounts for these categories), so I don't think I'm going to be missing much. Somehow, I'll survive. 

I think this will be a good goal for today. So, have
a wonderful Friday. 

So, have a wonderful first day of November. Yesterday's short time with my cards was delightful. The included gift ornament is turning out even better than I had hoped it would. Call me happy! Have a great Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Engaging the Senses

Shiny things. What is it about shiny things that grab our attention. Why choose shiny instead of dull, sparkling instead of drab? I suspect it has something to do with the long history of evolution of humanity as a species. I suspect it hits the deepest part of the brain; something like: 

"Hey, Sam! I think the water's this a'way. See that little bit of shine over yonder?" 

Look at this lovely waterfall. Here we get the swishing sound of the rushing
water, the smell of the water and the moss-covered rocks, the texture of
the rocks themselves, the smell of water and greenery, and I'm sure
the taste of the water would be wonderful and cold. 

Yes, that ability to find water by the sparkle of sunlight on the shiny arcs of liquid is a very human thing. I choose sight, because our sense of smell is rather dismal. There are animals who would be able to smell the water from long distances away, but humanity evolved into sight-operated entities with sound augmentation. We see, we hear and finally we smell and we taste. Sometimes touch comes into the equation too. To be truly satisfied on all levels, we must totally engage all of these aspects of being human. Think about it. 

The more senses are engaged in a project or event, the more you'll
be involved in it and the happier you'll generally be. Think about
attending a concert. You hear the music, you often drink a beverage
while listening, You see the musicians and their stage show. You
smell the people next to you and the singed smoke from any
pyrotechnics, and you touch the person dancing next to you. It's
a total experience. 

Two of the major products I sell are beads and jewelry. They are often sparkling, with a sheen from the lights and a color that is augmented by the colors that hang nearby. Although sound doesn't often play into jewelry, there is something intensely satisfying when pouring small beads onto a beading surface so they are ready to use in a project. It's a "swish" type of sound, a small rattle at a low pitch. There's no taste, and no smell for either jewelry or beads, the materials they are made from are inert. I suppose there's a back-of-the-mouth metallic tang if I put tongue to metal, but jewelry is rarely (if ever) made for tongue and taste. Touch is big, though. A good piece of jewelry, a beading project in the making, these are items that beg to be stroked, fondled, and hefted. 

This is an item entitled a "Jade Fondling Stone". I'd probably be
calling it a "worry stone", but the concept is the same. Just look
at it. doesn't the light texturing of the larger stone invite
the hand? Isn't that indentation just asking to be caressed? Stone
and other natural materials are popular because they beg to be
fondled and stroked. 

Think about it for a moment as you go through your day today. How many of your senses are you engaging at any given time? Vision is almost always a basic, but touch and smell certainly come into play often during an average day. Try to engage your senses more fully today. Pay attention to your reactions to sight, smell, sound, taste and texture. See how many ways you can experience that cup of coffee or that book from the shelf. Deepen your appreciation of the depths of your humanity and find that water sparkling far away in the distance. Happy Friday, I'll be back tomorrow. 

Photos From Bead & Button - My Experiences Part 1

I arrived back home from my five days at the Bead & Button Show early Sunday afternoon. After unpacking and tossing my clothes into the washer, I settled down and relaxed, making a bold attempt to return to "real life" once again. Verdict? Totally worth it! I had a wonderful time, pushed my creative boundaries, met two fellow artists who became fast friends, and generally dived into a world I don't get to live, but wish that I did. Here'a a short photo essay of my week. I'll have show photos of some incredible things later on this week, as well as an update on the Project Runway we missed just before the Final Episode of Season 17 airs on Thursday. So ... here we go. 

My hotel room was on the 17th floor - one floor down
from the very top. It was wonderful! Here's the interior
view looking over into the central atrium, all the way down. 

I drove out to the show on Tuesday, arriving and getting into my room in plenty of time to catch my bus to the Milwaukee Area Technical Center where the "Meet and Greet" was being held that night. The idea was to have both sets of classes meet and socialize along with beer, wine and "heavy" appetizers. It was actually better than I had expected, and I ran into a dear friend for many, many years, so the week started strong. 

The MATC is a six story building dealing in the Technical arts - metalworking
among them. I've had several classes here over the years. It's a great
building and very well equipped. We had practically everything we
needed available and it was awesome. 

The next day we caught the bus again at 7:45 am for our trip to the MATC and the start of a creative journey. The class was "Innovative Capture" and was going to help us think outside the standard methods of holding items together. Everyone brought something, or several somethings that they were interested in using. I brought two - a piece of abalone shell that reminded me of the brow of an owl, and a plastic camera lens that had me fascinated. 

I saw the abalone shell as becoming something similar
to this (this is laid out on paper with scrap copper. 

After lunch we gathered together in a round table and everyone had an opportunity to show the others what they had brought and get their feedback on how they thought it should be handled. It was fabulous, bounding ideas off each other like that. 

On the left is Karen, and on the right, Paulette. These two fellow
students in the class went to dinner at "The King and I" Thai
restaurant. Fabulous food, that I can always take enough back
to the hotel to reheat for a second meal later in the week. The
three of us really jelled. So much fun! 

On Day 2, we settled down and got down to some serious work on our pieces. The challenge with the lens I was working with was the fact that it was plastic - no heat could be put to it at all. I had to work with drilling and manipulating. I started getting somewhere late in the day, but realized I needed wire and sheet metal - they weren't available until the marketplace opened later than night. 

OK, I'm running out of time and have to get going to the gym. I'll continue this tomorrow. I was good, though. I hit the fitness center twice while I was on my trip, and I only gained two pounds, so that will be a breeze to get back off. I have to run ... more tomorrow!