Ripples Never Really Stop

I should be getting ready for the gym. In fact, I should be leaving the house in about 15 minutes to allow myself time to shovel my part of the driveway before leaving. BUT ... I took a realistic look at my schedule for the day and something had to give. In a rare decision, I realized I either had to shorten the gym or just skip it completely - I need an extra 30 minutes this morning to be in one of the southwestern suburbs by 8:30 am, then in one of the southeastern suburbs by 10:45 am. I also have to drop off my income tax payment for the corporate taxes, but that's close to home so no problem. My decision? Skip the gym. So no pool for me today. 

I've used this pic for years as one of my LJ choices. I also have a
copy posted on my wall at work with the cation "CRANKY". I
haul it out on particularly bad days to warn my staff that I'm not
in a good mood. 

DH is being ridiculous, acting rather like a spoiled and petulant 5-year-old. That's making me really have to stretch a bit to keep my usual positive outlook. Why is he acting up? My ex-fiancee - from more than 40 years ago - is still a friend. We're in contact through Facebook, and have met two or three times over the past years for a drink or a meal when he's pulling through town. He works music concerts - handles some of the production aspects of the shows. He messaged me and offered us tickets to the Santana concert coming to our area in August - a true solid because he knows I love Santana. 

I love Carlos Santana, his music has been a part of my life since
I was a teenager. I'd love to go to the concert, but I'll probably
end up thanking Seth for the tickets, but turning them down.
I haven't made my final decision yet, but I'll probably compromise
for the sake of familial peace. 

I told DH that we had been offered tickets, and he has barely spoken to me since. Apparently he's got a problem with the fact that I'm still in touch with my ex - a person who is a friend, nothing more. He also, apparently, blames me for wrecking his friendship with a longtime girlfriend from almost as many years ago. OK ... right. His girlfriend phoned while he was out of town, I told her he would return in two days, that I was sure he'd love to hear from her, and that she should phone back then. This was in the days before cell phones, so I couldn't just shoot her a number and suggest that she call or text. She didn't call. I'm blamed. 

It's not that difficult to find someone from your past online. I've done
this for several people - high school and college friends. It's a lot
easier to find guys since their names remain constant. So no ... no excuses. 

I do think, however, that in this day and age of social media and web presence, it's pretty darned easy to find someone if you take a little time. His ex-girlfriend could very easily find him - his name hasn't changed, he lives in the same general area, and his name is unusual enough that she could find a thread leading to him if she gave it 15 minutes of web work. I'm not taking the full blame for this one. 

Oh! And look at the new t-shirt I got yesterday. I found it
on-line and loved it. A lot of my t-shirts are looking pretty
ragged and old, so it's going to be nice to have a new
one to break in and wear. 

Still, it's rather silly how events from so long ago are still rippling and impacting us today. Take this as a cautionary tale - the ripples from a thrown stone can move through the ether forever. 

Time for me to go out and shovel - oh joy. But I'll reward myself with coffee and a nice breakfast before fighting the traffic for my early morning meeting. Have a wonderful Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Actions and Reactions

Life throws a lot of things at us, usually in such broad strokes that we have little chance to avoid the lessons. Yesterday, as the residents of the city of Denver and suburb of Aurora held their breaths hoping that the horrors of the shootings and the explosives were ended, the world caught up with the news and reactions set in. A young man had killed 12 people and injured more than 50 others.

Each of those people injured and killed, as well as each of those who were in the theatres or who have now read about it in so many venues had family and friends who were affected. The ripples spread; ripples of shock, anguish, anger and fear. This negativity can spread across our land and world so quickly, and it must be counteracted. Darkness cannot be allowed to grasp more of a foothold than already exists for evil. So do something to create positive ripples today to help break up the negativity.

Pass it forward. Buy a cup of coffee for the next few people in line behind you. Smile, it's always amazing what a smile can do to improve the mood of others. You who are authors - write something positive and uplifting today. You artists - work in bright colors today; no shadows and hidden meanings, but sunlight and joy. Read to a child, sing a song, hug a tree. Bring joy to your world, one person at a time, and through this small gesture, multiplied by millions of people, the Light will prevail.

Goddess Bless....

The Ides of April Eve

The Ides of March with Caesar's assassination has nothing on April 15th, but the events of the 15th were staged on the 14th. Within fifty years of each other, two major events happened that still reverberate now, a century or more later. One was the death of a single person, the other the deaths of more than 1500, but each still echo. So let's walk through history for a little while today.

Our first event that occurred on April 14th was the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln while he was sitting in a box at the Ford Theater watching a play with his wife. Although it is fairly universally supported that John Wilkes Booth actually pulled the trigger on the gun, the various conspiracy theories, bankroll theories, and other plausible points of view have made this a fascinating topic for writers for years. Lincoln died later, but the bullet happened today (many years ago, of course - LOL).

The second event that happened on the 14th of April was the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The iceberg hit the ship at 11:40 pm on the 14th of April, and less than three hours later the ship was beneath the waves with less than 800 people saved, less than the total number of the crew assigned to the ship. Why does Titanic hit the imaginations of people world-wide even now, 100 years later? Although there are many reasons, I think it was the combination of the fact that it was so highly touted as being unsinkable, the notable people who were on board, the fact that it was her maiden voyage and sank only four days into that voyage. So many reasons. But underlying all of them is the fact that more than 1500 people, many of them almost unknown and poor, lost their lives that night. Don't forget them when you think about that magnificent ship. What will you do today that may echo through the years to come? It could be something as simple as helping a child or painting a picture that will be given or sold to someone and become an heirloom. It could just be one small act that will have ripples you could never imagine. Act kindly today, and remember the dead.

Why I Don't Leave Town...

Catastrophe always seem to happen when I'm out of town.  Those "happenings" are part of the reason why my poor DH really hates it when I leave town.  This year's conferences were no exception. 



Ripples in a pond move outwards from a single

point, intersecting and moving the waters far

away.  Sometimes I feel as if I was the stone

starting the ripples.  Read why...

1 - Before leaving for Bead & Button Show, my car decided it needed $2000+ of work *head...desk...thunk*. 

2 - Before leaving for MCWC I needed a refill on a prescription.  That turned out to be impossible to achieve.  The doctor's office finally called me with an approval AFTER I was already at my conference.  Obviously THAT didn't actually happen until I returned a week later.  *head...desk...thunk* again...

3 - And on that note...this prescription used to be part of the $4 generic program at Wal-Mart, Target and other stores.  How much does it cost now?  $75/tube!  WTF???  My three tubes which should have set me back $12 set me back $225!  Ouch!  (It's a miracle med for me though and already, after only having it for two days, my hands are almost 100% healed with only two applications.  Goddess bless whoever invented this stuff.) 

4 - When I had called my DH on Saturday while I was attending the final day of the conference, he sounded pretty crabby (not that it's unusual, but...).  I later found out that we had 5-1/2 inches of rain in an hour early that morning, and that shrew burrow holes had caused a leak into my craft room and yet another flood.  Oy!  The water was restricted to his side of the room, so not as bad as we've sometimes had in the past (we've had waterfalls into that room in the past, flooding up four inches or more of water - very nasty), but it was still a pain, requiring wet/dry vac, fan set-up, and the dehumidifier running.  And then, of course, he had to get to work since he was covering my shift for me. 

5 - The heat!  -'Nuff said...

And now, Chickie is off on her vacation.  And my luck seems to have followed her to Montana because...

6 - Chickie phoned me yesterday and, while her Mom was visiting her Grandmother in her nursing home, the nursing home cat - apparently known to have "issues" with visitors - bit her mother.  Her mom has subsequently developed a raging infection to the bite and is hospitalized, where she will be for at least another day, perhaps two.  Since Chickie and her Dad were actually camping in Glacier National Park, unreachable by cell phone, etc., and a cousin had to drive up to the campground to get them.  They left everything set up in the hopes of returning in a day or so.  I'm not sure I would be quite so trusting...but that's just me. 

So...now you see why I am strongly discouraged from leaving town....guess I'll be here for a while - LOL. 

Retrospective and Looking Ahead

What a year it has been.  I became bolder.  I reviewed more fanfic stories and, because I was more vocal, made friends in fanfic throughout the world.  That's one of the highlights of my year - I enjoy having friends in places other than the US, it helps me pull away from being so insular.  People in the US have a habit of staying inside their comfort box and dismissing the outer world as "others".  But those "others" have lives every bit as important as ours, ideas every bit as ingenious as ours, and they outnumber us by a large amount.  So I think it is important to open the gates to the castle and not lose sight of the land beyond the crenelated walls. 

Sometimes it seems that the US perceives

itself as a castle against the forces of the world. 

Wake up America!  It's a big scary world filled

with some wonderful people.  Open the castle gates!

I did some craft work - not as much as I wanted, but I had a good time with the items I made.  My jewelry box "When Anar Rose" is an excellent project that taught me how to paint silk, something that I want to play with again this coming year, and my Holiday Stars were sent to friends throughout the world and loved wherever they landed.  My enamel work, although incomplete, also turned out excellent, and my metalwork continued.  I didn't get a chance to sketch as much as I wanted, but I don't think I ever truly get enough time for my creative side. 

My happiest times have always been with my

nose in a book.  Now I tend to read electronically,

but my nose is still in a book, it's just a virtual book.

I did review many stories, acted as a beta reader for my friend Iris, and became a more active participant in the fanfic boards that I joined.  Reading, as always, has been extremely important to me and I don't see that ending - I've always had my nose in a book since I first learned to read.  The only difference is that I can carry a library along with me in my Nook now, so I can have my nose in electronic pages instead of paper, but the general effect is the same. 

Every action causes a reaction.  Try to make your actions

have positive results.  I fail at that often enough, but it

is a constant goal of mine and I try to achieve it daily.

And I worked hard at the shop and at my craft, met my friend Seth for a delightful afternoon of wandering the zoo and catching up on our lives, threw Chickie a birthday funeral that she is still talking about, entertained my BFF Sharon who came up for the Labor Day weekend again, and attended the Renaissance Festival each weekend from August into October.  I went to workshops, saw friends both old and new, and donated to charities and causes when I could and when they needed a helping hand.  Looking back on the year, I can live with what I accomplished.  I tried to make the ripples that I put into the world good ones that, in turn, would cause positive ripples of their own.  I hope to continue that in the New Year.  I think that's probably the best goal I could have.  Have a Safe and Happy New Year, enjoy your families and your occupations, and spread joy.  It will return to you ten-fold. 

Perspective

So, if you follow my blog, you just had two days of downer posts.  Not negative posts, but posts examining the worst of human nature instead of the best.  After all, my usual topics of conversation are not torture and 9-11.  So the question begs to be asked...where do we get the positive out of these negatives? 

I firmly believe that attitudes and beliefs can be changed.  We are artists.  Our work appeals to people on a visceral level.  People walking by a painting or a piece of jewelry don't stop and examine it carefully because of a calculated decision to stop at that location.  They stop and look because something in that piece speaks to their soul.  That's as it should be - art should speak to the soul.  And through our art we can influence people's thoughts into the positive or negative.  Think about art pieces that have caused thought, and controversy, over the years. 

Picasso's "Guernica".  If you haven't looked
carefully at it, Google or Bing it and take
a close look through the images.

Picasso's "Guernica" was his statement on the horrors of war.  It was his masterpiece and helped define him as an artist.  (In fact, I think it is one of the very few pieces that he created that was worth the accolades that it received.  But that's just my opinion.)  What counts here is the large number of people who have viewed this piece and who have come away from it thinking about the horror of war and how they could effect peace in their lives.  Art speaks. 

Andreas Serrano's controversial piece.  Would
he be as well known without having made this?

Another piece that speaks, although in a more controversial role, is Andreas Serrano's "Piss Christ" where he had a crucifix suspended in a jar of urine.  People were up in arms about this piece when it first debuted; for all I know, they still are.  It was considered disrespectful to put a symbol of God (to so many people) into a vat of human waste.  But it made people think.  Art speaks. 

So make your art speak.  But make it speak to the positive - the good in people, the beauty of our surroundings, and the positive hopes of mankind.  Perhaps our artwork will influence other positive thoughts and we will start a landslide of kindness instead of the constant barrage of negatives that seem to fill our world today. 

Hatred and Fear

People are afraid.  And, given the news lately, perhaps there is a basis for that fear.  Hatred of others who are different in any way seems to be rampant.  So here are two instances to think about. 

Are you afraid?  Maybe you have reason to be.

First of all, there is the Reverend Terry Jones and his on-again, off-again play to burn the Quran.  Why anyone would want to burn a book - any book - is beyond me, but to burn a book considered Holy by many of the residents of this world seems above the par of stupidity.  Whether or not you, personally, follow the Quran as your holy text, the book is not the problem.  The interpretation of that book by radicals, however, is the issue.  It is as much an issue as the interpretation of the Bible by radicals, or the Old Testament by radicals, or any other "holy" text by radicals.  It is radical believers who are the problem - they close their eyes and ears to any input save their own and believe that their personal interpretation is the only way.  Unfortunately, Jones heads a "church" - the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida.  Therefore, his narrow views can hurt more people than just himself. 

Ripples by Gregory Dolnikowski

And then there are the reports about torture of domestic workers behind closed doors in Saudi Arabia.  Saudi Arabia is one of our "allies", yet we, who supposedly are advocates of Human Rights, are turning our backs on verified cases of torture behind the closed doors of upper class Saudi society.  Check out the story of L.P. Ariyawathie who was hired as a maid, wanting to raise money to help her sick child.  She began working in May, and by the time she was deported back home for being unable to work effectively a few months later, her employer had hammered 24 nails and needles into her hands, legs and forehead.  I'm going to throw some more links (link #1, link #2, link #3, and a link to the article that first alerted me to the problem) up here so that you can examine this story in the world press and judge for yourself.   I am horrified at the inhumanity of mankind once again coming to the surface.  Every time I start to have hope that people are becoming kinder and gentler, something like this, or human slavery, or killing squads comes to my attention.  Evil exists in the world.  I don't usually use my blog to condem it, prefering to concentrate on positive images and feelings.  But sometimes it is necessary to face evil to understand the necessity of spreading love and kindness instead.  So today, pass goodness forward - spread ripples of peace - send love - prove that heinous acts like this are exceptions, not the rule, in human society. 

Good Days/Bad Days

Why are people so cruel and ignorant? I had a former customer in yesterday to complain about a repair we had done on a silver and turquoise bracelet that he owned. I remember the repair - we hadn't wanted to do it in the first place, and got backed into a corner on it - or rather my Manager did, since it was he who accepted the repair. I didn't want to do it because I knew I didn't have a stone that was the appropriate color for the repair. But he did it under pressure - more than six months ago. Yesterday the "gentleman" came into the store, ranting and raving about how we had done a horrible job, that he had gotten the repair redone in the Southwest for 1/2 the cost and that the repairperson had told him some crap about how the angle of the edge of the store that we had put into the piece was absolutely incorrect and therefore we didn't know what we were doing and he should be receiving a refund, or something, for the original repair. I guarantee he got an inferior stone this time around, and the gobble-te-gook about 35 degree angle edge versus 90 degree edge was a bunch of hooey. But, he left, unsatisfied, telling me that he would slander the store all over the internet.

So, I ask those of you who are our friends out there...if you see a negative comment about the shop on-line, we would really appreciate your posting something positive about us. Let's not spread negativity in this world of hate. Let's spread some love and positive feelings and only emphasize the positives in our lives. Please help a friend, if you can. On my part, I'll smudge the store this morning to get rid of any residual negativity that this "person" left in my store, and I'll thank the Spirits that most of my customers are absolutely amazing people who are positive and creative people. But please, help us out and post positive commentary about us if you see any negative commentary elsewhere. We can't look for negativity - I refuse to give into evil by allowing it a major place in my time and mind. I think I need to concentrate on the positive and the creative aspects of my life instead. (Of course, if I happen to come across something negative, I will also post a positive to negate those negative feelings.)

And today's Beading For A Cure auction pieces are by the talented bead artists Judi Burkhalter Grant (top photo) and Susan Kelovson (bottom photo). As always, I encourage you to visit the auction website and place your bid. Everything we earn (minus a VERY minimal operational fund) goes towards research to erradicate colorectal cancer. This is one more positive thing that we can do in this all-to-negative world. And, because I haven't pointed it out for a while - don't forget that the incredible hand-made bead that all of these Beading For A Cure items feature was made by my talented friend Laurie Smith. She's SO amazing and deserves to be acknowledged every now and again - LOL.

Saturday...what will the day hold?

It's always a question, when the day starts new like a new piece of paper in a sketchpad, what will be on that page at the end of the day when your head hits the pillow. In too many cases the page is filled with half-formed thoughts or actions, with little angers directed at things that you cannot change (can you say "Road Rage"?) or with regrets for what actions you should have taken that passed you by. Why not start today's blank page with a positive reaffirmance (is this even a word?) that you will make a positive difference in someone's life today; that you will bring a smile to a person, crack a joke with a child, or pet a dog. This small action can then spread from that person, child or pet to affect others in a positive way. And wouldn't it be wonderful if this small ripple of kindness could become as large as the movement of the very oceans themselves?

The oceans are too large for our focus. Indeed, your neighborhood pond or fountain is also too large for one person's focus. But a person can create a positive ripple one-by-one and those ripples can merge. When they have merged they can indeed influence the fountain, or the pond, or even, when enough people are acting in a positive manner, the ocean.

How would you give positive influence to others through your art? Why not think about it. Although statement art and "in your face" art has its' place, art that makes people smile and feel good will tend to be cherished and, perhaps if we are very good at our craft, passed down to the next generation(s) to continue the positive influence. Create positives today!