It's Not Easy Growing Old - Discussing Time (and Holiday Cards)

I almost forgot that I had an early morning appointment with my Dermatologist yesterday, but fortunately remembered in time to get over to the clinic and get checked in with five minutes to spare. It was for my annual full body check - yes, I get those because my skin is so wonky. There was one mole on the bottom of my back that she thought merited a closer look, so she took a biopsy. I should know in a few days if it's cancerous or not. Everything else looked pretty good, and even this would be quite minor, so I think I've lucked out for another year. 

I had a small, unusually-shaped mole that the Doctor 
wants to have the lab look at, so she took a biopsy 
to send down for a workup. We'll see what comes 
of this. Hopefully, if it is cancerous, we've caught 
it soon and can excise it quickly. 

Today, though, I was tired and only managed two miles on the treadmill. I'll have to do better on Monday, but I suspect I just need some sleep, which I will be able to get tonight since Daylight Savings Time will be eliminated in the wee hours of Sunday. The movement now is to eliminate DST completely, but the question remains - do we have standard time all year which would mean we'd still be dark at 9:00 am in the Winter months, or do we have DST all the time which would seem far more sensible to me. Just my opinion, for whatever it's worth. 

Sunrise in Winter can be stunning, but I 
would like it to occur a bit earlier than 
9:00 am. It makes no sense to have 
"Standard Time" year-'round up here in
the "Frozen Northlands". Keeping 
Daylight Savings Time year-'round makes 
much more sense for those of us 
in the Northern states. 

I was in a serious cooking mood yesterday, so made my Ogre Juice for the next week, and also made two soups - the Roasted Butternut Squash soup I liked so much, and the Carrot Soup, which I made in Thai style this time, adding Thai Red Curry Paste (Vegan style) and lime juice to the final recipe. My blender got a good workout for the day, and again performed like a champ. I finally collapsed into a chair around 4:00 pm or so. 

The Vegan-style of the Red Curry Paste 
is gluten-free, so I felt fairly comfortable 
adding it to my soup. Hopefully it will 
be tasty. If not, I'll have to suffer through 
a couple of generous servings and won't 
try that variation with the carrot soup 
again. 

I'm going to start bringing home my Holiday Cards bins and equipment now that I'm almost finished for the year. I'll work on the final list of people tomorrow and if all goes well, start printing out envelopes. Then it'll be time to paint and then to send. I'm warning my friends that this year's card isn't as elaborate as some I've sent in prior years, but this was what sang to me this year, so this is what I'm sending. I'll let you know when the cards are in the mail. 

So, have an excellent Saturday and wonderful weekend. I have every intention of being back here with all of you on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

Thoughts About Sun - Do You Live in a Sunny Place?

Yesterday's swim was glorious. The sun was rising as I swam, and the clouds scattered the new daylight into a light show of brilliant orange and peach shades with hints of rainbows on the sides. It was truly spectacular and one of the reasons why I love swimming in the outdoor pool. There's just something about being able to do something I really enjoy while the sun is rising that has always been a happy point for me. 

Obviously NOT my pool (we don't have palm trees or 
ocean views here in the Frozen Northlands). But the photo 
is very similar to yesterday's sunrise which started my day 
out on a really positive note. I'm hoping today will be just 
as pretty, and that the day will be just as excellent. 

When I was a child, my favorite time was the early morning hours before the world had really awakened and started the daily noise. I would wander down the row of trees my Mom had planted in front of our house and listen to the birds while the sun rose in the blue sky. There were a lot of blue skies in Colorado - it's a state known for the number of blue skies it gets in an average year. 

Colorado is known for its' blue skies and mountains - lots 
of mountains. They looked splendid when I was growing 
up here, but overpopulation, pollution and other stuff that 
comes along with being a popular state have pretty much 
ruined the beautiful views I had in Denver as a child. 

Colorado is the 6th sunniest state in the nation, preceded by Arizona, New Mexico (I lived here for several years), Nevada, Texas and California. Minnesota, on the other hand, is in the middle. Amazingly enough, December is our sunniest month, with June being our least sunny - I assume because we get a lot of rain in June. It makes our plants happy, but the people a bit soggy. 

In Minnesota, we celebrate all of our seasons. We have 
the annual Winter Carnival in Saint Paul during 
the Winter, and the Aquatennial in Minneapolis during 
the Summer. We love our celebrations and enjoy 
living up here. Despite its' problems, it is a great place 
to live. 

I like the sun - a lot. But with my skin and lack of pigmentation, the sun is not my friend. I wear a lot of hats and scarves and use a lot of sunscreen because I don't want to risk my tattoo (or skin cancer). I wear a lot of long-sleeved shirts and light-weight overshirts. I wear long skirts instead of pants because they are cooler and we're hot and humid up here. But I do get sunshine - I'm not closed in by clouds all the time which is a good thing because clouds are NOT my happy place. I'm not a rain, doom and gloom person. 

I would love something like this to wear in the summer 
months. I may have to check this one out. It's pretty, 
it has long sleeves and a relatively high neck, I could 
totally rock this dress. 

On that sunny note, I'm wrapping this up. It's a busy "day off" today with lots on my agenda. I'm back in the pool again in a little more than an hour from now and I can hardly wait. Every day is a new experience and a new adventure, so go out and experience yours! I'll be back tomorrow. 

Statistics Versus A Single Ray of Sunshine

It seems as if the whole world has gone a bit crazy about the COVID-19 virus. I've got to assume that's because it seems to be so easily transmissible, because realistically, the flu kills more people annually than this virus. Of course, there's also a variety of vaccines available for the flu, but nothing really developed yet for the COVID-19, but that's just a matter of time. Still, the highest rates for mortality hinge around the age of the person contracting the illness. Take a look at the chart below. 

COVID-19 Fatality Rate by AGE:

*Death Rate = (number of deaths / number of cases) = probability of dying if infected by the virus (%). This probability differs depending on the age group. The percentages shown below do not have to add up to 100%, as they do NOT represent share of deaths by age group. Rather, it represents, for a person in a given age group, the risk of dying if infected with COVID-19.

AGE	DEATH RATE confirmed cases	DEATH RATE all cases
80+ years old	21.9%	14.8%
70-79 years old		8.0%
60-69 years old		3.6%
50-59 years old		1.3%
40-49 years old		0.4%
30-39 years old		0.2%
20-29 years old		0.2%
10-19 years old		0.2%
0-9 years old		no fatalities

*Death Rate = (number of deaths / number of cases) = probability of dying if infected by the virus (%). The percentages do not have to add up to 100%, as they do NOT represent share of deaths by age group.

As you can see, as you are older, your mortality chances increase. Right now, I guess it doesn't really pay to be a senior citizen, but then, those of us who are in that age bracket really didn't have much of a say in when we would be born or what variety of illness might be around to bring us down. Apparently it also helps to be female, although why that might make a difference isn't really clear. Still, the statistics are bearing this out.

COVID-19 Fatality Rate by SEX:

*Death Rate = (number of deaths / number of cases) = probability of dying if infected by the virus (%). This probability differs depending on sex. When reading these numbers, it must be taken into account that smoking in China is much more prevalent among males. Smoking increases the risks of respiratory complications.

SEX	DEATH RATE confirmed cases	DEATH RATE all cases
Male	4.7%	2.8%
Female	2.8%	1.7%

*Death Rate = (number of deaths / number of cases) = probability of dying if infected by the virus (%). The percentages do not have to add up to 100%, as they do NOT represent share of deaths by sex.

We're being inundated from all sides now. COVID-19 on the one side, the precipitous fall of the stock market on the other. It's doom and gloom and it's taking over the airwaves. So I've got a single request for all of us. Let's all take a deep breath, let it out slowly, and allow ourselves to think about some positive things today. The news might be focused on lots of terrible things, and they will ripple through all communities - we're all affected in some way or another - but we don't have to succumb to the negativity. We can still smile at others. We can still brighten a single person's life in some way. By doing that simple act of kindness, we've opened the clouds to one ray of sunshine. If enough of us do this, we'll dispel a lot of the gloom. 

Have an excellent Tuesday. I get to see my accountant for our personal income tax prep tonight. Oh joy. The best thing is, however, that if I forgot to bring something along, I can easily drop it off tomorrow morning, so no major delays in getting the darned thing done and into the system. I'll be back tomorrow - enjoy your day! 

Exhaustion and Darkness Can Lead To Paths I Don't Want to Walk

I'm really tired. I suppose that's not illogical - I usually operate on between 5 and 6 hours of sleep a night, but I'm just "bleh" right now. So, instead of hitting the running track (and since my knee is still bothering me), I'm going to swim today. I can't say I'll be any more awake, but I won't run into a wall. 

I'm just "bleh" today. It's dark, I'm cold, and I'm
exhausted. I should allow myself more sleep, but
I can't. I have to get my time in at the gym. Some
days it's hard to get up. 

I was so tired last night that I only got a single bead attached to my Owl Project before I told myself I wasn't seeing clearly enough to actually get some work accomplished. Like I said - "bleh". At least I got some work done at the shop yesterday. It wasn't a total waste of 24 hours. Sometimes days can seem as if they are - a waste. 

I would probably be better off getting more sleep, but it's the fact
that I am at the gym 5 out of every seven days that makes the
end result worthwhile. Not all days are easy ones. Today is a
bit harder. 

Maybe it's the darkness that gets to me around this time of the year. I wake up in the dark, I go to sleep in the dark, and the only light I get to participate in is through glass panes keeping the warm in and the cold out. I know that the dark would be much worse if I lived any farther North, so I guess I'm grateful I'm not living in Canada or in Alaska, but I miss my light. I am a creature of light, color, and the interplay of the wind causing the shift of both. I don't reside easily in the half-tones of the dark. 

I need the moon and stars, but at this time of the year, seeing
them clearly also means bitterly cold temperatures - no real
ability to stand out in the yard and look at the night lights. 

Is the darkness a mystery, hidden challenges and opportunities lurking around the next corner? Is it comforting - a chance to lay down your burdens for a time and relax in the embrace of sleep? Although I love the moon and the stars, in these dark days of February when the clouds most often occlude that view of hope, I turn inwards and become introspective and self-questioning. This is the time of year when I can spiral downward and lose myself in the darkness. 

Roy T Bennett may have been onto something here. It's a lot harder
to put that distance in when depression hits than when people are
upbeat and happy. Long periods of darkness and cold can bring
depression to the doorsteps of many people. I'm not immune to
depression, but I recognize the signs and I actively work myself out
of it as quickly as I can. 

So I cling to hope, live in light, and try to soak up those times when the sun and I are able to interact a bit. Even a small amount of bright blue sky and brilliant light, although the surroundings might be decorated by banks of snow, can life my spirits. Today I'll carry on in the darkness, but tomorrow I'll once again see and walk in the light. Have a glorious Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Huinare!

Two late nights in a row and I'm closely resembling a zombie. *sigh*

I desperately need sleep, and that's just not going to happen this week. 

Today is hectic, but should be a lot of fun too. After my morning swim I'll grab breakfast, then get the store prepped for the day. I would like to make it to the wallpaper store if possible, but I also have to drop a package off at the post office. I have a 10:00 am appointment at my new bank to finalize my new accounts and get my debit cards for them. And ...

Wheel Fun Rentals rents pedal boats for 2 or 4 people, bicycles,
kyacks and canoes, at several different lakes around town.
We'll meet up at their location at Lake Calhoun. 

... at noon, I will meet Huinare at Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis for a few hours of sun, water and talk. Last year when Huinare came to town we met at the Science Museum and looked at dinosaur skeletons. It was great fun. This year we're going to rent a pedal boat and cross one more thing off our "Gee, I've always wanted to do that," lists.

Friends are the BEST thing. 

I always have fun when I have an opportunity to meet one of my on-line friends in real life. My on-line friends are a community of writers and creative people. They are smart, usually liberal, and always interesting. Meeting them in person means conversations instead of delayed posts and responses. It's a real treat.

Ummmm . ice cream. It should be the perfect day for some with sunny
skies and temps in the low 80's F. 

So even though my laundry will have to be spread over the next few days, it's worth anything and everything to have the chance to share time with Huinare today. We'll pedal, we'll walk, and maybe we'll eat lunch or ice cream or both. It'll be a blast for me, and hopefully she'll also have a fun afternoon in the middle of her short visit back home. Happy Wednesday to all!

What a Great Weekend and Catching Up

Weekend in the title above might be overstated, since I only get Saturday night and all day Sunday for my weekend, but what I had was wonderful. DH and I had a relaxed Saturday night and finalized our schedule for our Sunday at the museum. Getting up earlier than usual on Sunday, we treated ourselves to a nice breakfast and then went on to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to sink ourselves in Matisse as well as other exhibits and their always interesting store.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is one of my favorits
places to go. This is their seasonal entrance, only open
during the summer months. There is another entrance to
the left of this picture that is ground level and year-round. 

We wandered through the Matisse exhibition and I took lots of photos (no flash, of course) since they were allowed at the museum as well as the special exhibit. I was a bit surprised that the special exhibit allowed photos - they usually don't - but the admission instructions said photos were fine so I took advantage. I haven't downloaded them from my camera yet. I'll try to get to that tonight.

The cutout gauche paper and hand-written paged book
called "Jazz" was exhibited throughout the final
room of the grouping. It was just fabulous to see
each collage. I wish I read French because not
all of the text was translated. 

The Matisse exhibit was fabulous. The collection of paintings, drawings, lithographs and sculptures gathered were more than fifty individual works ranging in size from two inches to very large wall sized and ending with his cut paper work in his very rare book, "Jazz". It encompassed the whole of his creative life and went into detail on how he worked on pieces, changing them time and time again until he was finally satisfied with them. When he grew tired of painting, he would sculpt. When he wanted a change again, he would draw, or work on stone lithography. And then he would pick up the paintbrush again.

This amazing stone lithograph was one of many
prints in the exhibit. The shading, the hint of
transparency, and the patterning are
outstanding. Often he worked directly on
the stone instead of making a drawing to
be transferred to the stone for printing. 

I took hope from his changing media often because I operate in similar ways. When I hit a wall with my writing, I turn to my art. When one media doesn't do it, I work in another. I bounce back and forth with my creative structure and although it drives DH crazy, it actually allows me to channel my personal creativity into methodologies that can best take advantage that day. It works for me and seeing that Matisse did similar things made me feel much better about my lily-pad hopping style of art and writing.

Just look at this little duck crossing the lilypads! CUTE! 

After spending several hours more wandering other parts of the art museum, we shopped the gift shop (didn't buy anything though - we were good!), then left. The hockey game had started at 2:00 pm and we were early enough that we could catch at least the second and third period, so we decided to get pizza and beer at Old Chicago and watch the game.

Flights of beer usually will run from light to dark,
but can be organized any way the customer wants. 

We had flights of beer - DH chose a grouping of Mexican beers, I went for a flight of imported beers and a second flight of Colorado beers. (The import flight was fabulous, the Colorado flight was less enjoyable.) For those who may be unfamiliar with the term 'flight' of beer, it is four four-ounce pulls of draft beers, allowing you to try a variety of beers with small potions. That way if you don't like a beer, you haven't committed to a large portion. I was glad a few of these were flights, I won't be ordering them again. But there were some winners in the group, of course.

Left Handed Milk Stout is a beer I've recommended in the past and
would easily have again. It's a bit lighter than Guinness, but with the
same black look and mellow taste. One of the bartenders sometimes
puts ice cream into this stout. I think that would be FABULOUS.
It's a Colorado beer that's a winner!
What is a milk stout beer? Follow the link to find out. 

After lunch and the game were over, we boxed the rest of our pizza for another time and headed home where we collapsed and watched TV for the rest of the evening. It was a totally fabulous day, though, and I had such a good time. The sun was out, I wasn't even wearing a jacket, and since it was also Art in Bloom, I got to see lots of floral exhibits at the same time. A great weekend.

Sunday was also the final day for Art in Bloom. Art in Bloom has
amateur and professional floral arrangers who make art in flowers
to work alongside a selected piece of artwork that inspires them.
It's always fun to see what they come up with. Some are amazing
and exquisite. 

So now it's time to get back to a schedule and try to catch up with my writing and reading. Sorry I've been so uncommunicative over the past week in my LJ comments. I'll try to catch up by mid-week - it will take me that long just to flow through the old posts I've missed (shame on me). I also promised Aearwen that I would write 500 words by Wednesday. Since I haven't written anything (except my daily blogs), I'd better try and get going on that too :-) Happy Monday, all!

Great Day and Happy Birthday Wishes

Sunday was a wonderful day. Waking after a nice long night's sleep (still sleeping on the couch, probably why I'm sleeping better - LOL - no snoring dwarf keeping me up) DH went out to get the newspaper, picking me up for breakfast and shopping at Target. The cloudy skies disappeared and the sun finally arrived just in time for us to rake and leaf blow the upper back yard. After a few hours of work it now looks tremendous (very happy). We then showered and went forth into the world.

We have been looking for a new bar since the one near our home that we used to frequent closed more than a year ago. It's a tough call - but we decided to try Stout's yesterday afternoon. It actually wasn't too bad, we might consider going back there. They had Guinness on tap, so I was happy. After a couple of beers we visited one of our favorite stores that just moved to a new location. Holy Buckets! They more than doubled their space! They just opened for business on Wednesday at the new digs and it was a massive economic gamble for Bob and the crew, but I think they'll do well. They are obviously still getting things out onto the racks, but it's a nice space.

To top off the day, wish Hans Christian Andersen a happy birthday today. The author that so many of us know and revere for his wonderful fairy tales was actually a very prolific author. He wrote six novels, several travel books, thirty-five plays and one hundred and seventy-five fairy tales. His first novel was so successful that he began traveling, eventually spending almost twenty years abroad. He was of humble birth and always championed the common man. So...Happy Birthday Hans Christian Andersen.

Oops and Success

I started today off with a big "OOPS". My alarm went off, and I turned it off - I thought. Apparently I hit the snooze instead, and I did't check the lights on the face of the alarm as I usually do. So, with each bit later, it gets louder, and my poor DH came down at 4am complaining that my alarm was blaring. Since he was still playing LOTRO when I went to sleep last night, he might have only had about 4 hours of sleep when my alarm awakened him. Poor DH. I tucked him in with an apology and let him go back to his complaining sleep.

I didn't accomplish anything at all on holiday gifts yesterday, although I met with my broker and got all things mailed except for seven cards that I will address at work today. I just had a tough time getting in the mood. I'll have to do some shopping for the holidays. I can do some next Wednesday.

Yesterday was a magic day, though. And I knew it would be a good one beginning in the early morning. I had my meeting with my broker scheduled for 9am and he is across town, so it is a drive to get there during rush hour traffic. But I had enough time to mail my packages on the way out, and looking to the southeast as I was driving, there was a beautiful rainbow sun dog around the sun - totally magical. Then the meeting went well, and my friend at my box store gave me the one box that I needed at no charge for Solstice - so sweet! I had a nice lunch, got the groceries and a couple of small holiday gifts, and then went home, did some computer work and finally played LOTRO for a few hours. All in all, I had a wonderful day. I hope you did also.

Ticking Down

Busy working on the Chickie's birthday party.  I went and met with the General Manager of Osaka, the restaurant at which I want to hold the party, on Wednesday.  I got a tour and ended up booking the night for eleven of us.  I also sent out reminder Emails to those who had not responded so that I could either add them or tell them about the procedure to send me a card for her.  Now I'm just thinking about decorations and the logistics.  I'll have to go back at least once to measure the chairs and see if I can craft a quick tombstone (or two or three) for chair decoration.  I'm operating on a short budget, so it's important that I get this together. 

Temps will be in the 30's (F) on Sunday morning
so I'll be pretty cold until the sun really hits. 

I got the flourishes painted around the hood of my cloak yesterday and will heat-set those this morning before I leave for the shop.  I need to attach the closures and I can get at least one set attached before I open the shop this morning and the other two tonight.  It will be COLD on Sunday morning.  The cloak is wool, but it's light-weight wool.  However, it will be some help against the cold.  I think I will probably add beads to it at some point, but I know I have no time to do so before Sunday.  My time is too compressed. 

King Crab legs - yummy!  I'll have a nice
anniversary (several weeks late) after all!

We went to the grocer last night and picked up their latest flyer.  They are having a BOGO (buy one and get one free) on large king crab legs.  These things are HUGE and with this offer are selling for approx $11/pound.  DH owes me an anniversary dinner so we decided that he will buy crab for our dinner tonight and I will do Italian on Monday night instead of my usual Saturday.  I'm looking forward to it already.  DH always laughs at me when I eat crab.  I take FOREVER to eat it, but I enjoy it SO much.  I hope I'm busy at the shop today so I don't think of my crab dinner ALL day. 

A Creative Weekend

Our weather is beautiful (a little hot, but dry) and perfect for the opening weekend of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.  This year is a landmark year - we get a Royal Wedding on September 5th, causing us to switch our normal schedule and go to Ren on Sunday the 5th instead of our usual Labor Day (Monday the 6th).  I need to hunt through my CDs tonight and find the appropriate ones that we like to listen to on our way.  It's a 45-50 minute drive to get to the grounds, and I have no idea where they will have us parking this year or where they will have the gates.  The festival grounds are built on land owned by a quarry.  They are always playing around with where they are mining stone, so the staff and cast end up parking in "the pit" and having a fair hike to get to the grounds (with VERY limited handicapped parking - not good).  The public, the people who actually pay the bills because of their admission fees, get to park much closer, but rumors of having to change the location of the entrance gate because of quarry activities have been rampant.  We'll see tomorrow.  It will be wonderful to be out on the grounds again, even though it will be the beginning of seven Sundays that I can't sleep in. 

A contestant in the World Amateur
Highland Heavy Games Championship

from a previous year

We start with Highland Fling!, one of my FAVORITE themes.  Can you say "Men in Kilts?"  Yummy!  They will be holding the 4th Annual World Amateur Highland Heavy Games Championships over the weekend.  That's a lot to say, but it's really wonderful to watch the games, even though it is in a new area of the grounds without shade.  They have 16 lb and 22 lb Stone of Strength, 28 lb and 56 lb Weight Throw for length and for height, the Light Hammer and Heavy Hammer Throw, and the Caber Toss (my favorite).  Combine this with bagpipes, the various contests, and the Free Beer Tasting, and it's a perfect Sunday.  I need to gather my items and pack my sketchbook and I'll be off for a day of sunshine, fresh air, bagpipes (yeah!!!) and fun.  Talk with you on Monday, have a creative weekend. 

On the Hot Seat

Summer temperatures are here.  I actually had to have the air conditioning on at the shop yesterday - it was hot and stuffy and we want our customers to be comfortable.  We're working like little demons trying to get all of our new products packed, tagged, and ready for sale.  I'll send out an E-newsletter when we have things ready to go and hope that my poor staff doesn't get slammed while I'm out at Bead & Button in a few weeks.  We haven't had large numbers of customers through the doors lately, but they have been spending money (thanks to the Powers) and that's what we need.  With all of the products we have ordered, we're walking a very sharp edge.  Good thoughts are always appreciated, so please continue to think kind thoughts for us today :-) 

I will take my own courage in hand today and get my silk painted.  Since this is a new technique for me, I'm a bit nervous.  But I have a clear image in my mind and just have to hope that my skills won't desert me.  Once I get the image set into the fabric I can begin the beading process. 

I'm watching the early news and they are saying that Stress, Anger and Worry drops off greatly after people turn 50.  Well, I'm older than 50 and I agree with this in my own life.  My DH, however, is swimming against the stream here.  He is nothing BUT stressed, his anger management needs some serious work, and he worries all the time.  He is a walking time bomb.  Tuesdays are his day off from work, but he spends his day working anyway, just searching things out on-line, etc.  He doesn't know how not to work, and I think that's a serious problem - a heart attack in the works.  But it's things like today's studio day that keep MY personal stress levels lower.  I'll be experiencing that first-hand today while I play with silk :-)  Have a creative day!

St Patrick's Day Greetings

Happy St Patrick's Day to all of you! Celebrate by spending time with your family - families were always important to the Celtic peoples. Maybe indulge yourself in a green beer (or a good Guinness or Harp Lager) or an Irish Whiskey (Jamison is recommended). Wear green, kiss a cute girl or boy (depending on your sex and/or sexual preferences), and generally enjoy the day. I'll be cooking a corned beef and potatoes for dinner tonight. A rarity since I don't cook. I really...don't cook. But I love my corned beef for St Patrick's Day, so I'll cook it and enjoy it for a meal or two.

My Mother-in-Law was Scotch-Irish and it is from her that I have my clan tartan. The Scottish tartan is gorgeous. The Irish is rather boring. But since I love the Scotch colors, that's the one that we would use for our formal kilts, etc. So somewhere in my Heinz-57/unknown heritage there is some legitimate Celtic and I will celebrate today in my own way. I'll be working on my next etching, finalizing the design. I'll also be stripping the papers from some of the boxes that are the project after this one and working on some of those designs. In other words, I need some good weather because some of the chemicals I'll be using today need to be used outdoors because they are so volatile. I'm grateful for our excellent weather today because my errands will take me all over the cities, so I'll have an opportunity to enjoy a St Patrick's Day with fine weather for a change. Many's the time I've shivered in the cold with high snow at this time of the year, so I'll enjoy the fact that today will be sunny and in the upper 50's. Beautiful!

And the pictures today are Dale Subitch's wonderful bead-embroidered mermaid. This item, along with others, are available for bid on eBay for this week's Beading For A Cure auctions. Don't you think she deserves a wonderful home with you? Bid high and help eliminate colorectal cancer from our lives!

Flame and Glass

Is there anything better on a crisp autumn day (actually evening/night) than havine a nice, warm studio and a high-firing kiln? I don't think so. Having my DH on the road for a few days has allowed me to branch my evening activities out to include my studio work. It's a delight to have fired the basic enamel coats on my copper so that I can cover them with silver and gold foil tonight and start placing the cloissonae wires. I really want to do this project over the next day or so. If I work on it for the day on Sunday, it will probably be complete. But I really want to get outside on Sunday, plus I have to try and fix my mailbox.

The Post Office, in its' infinite wisdom (NOT) has decided that my mailbox must be stabilized or replaced by next week or they will stop delivering mail. The mailbox is just fine, just angled because of snow from the last major spring storm. I looked into a new mailbox, but they are SO ugly. I found one style that I liked that didn't cost an absolute fortune, but DH would also have to approve it before I ordered it. I am appalled at how much money mailboxes cost, but I'll take a sledgehammer to the post on Sunday and see it I can straighten the post out and tighten the screws and bolts. Then I may treat myself to a Sunday drive afterwards. So, enameling Sunday night will be the plan and the pieces won't be finished until mid-week. Have a great weekend - draw something to express your feelings about the upcoming season - (that would be winter for us in the north and summer for my friends in the south - LOL).

Pass It Forward

Today is Friday, the end of the work week for many of you. On Fridays I usually treat myself to a cup of brewed coffee at my local Caribou Coffee. I look forward to it - one small piece of sunshine in my day. Considering that today is supposed to be cloudy and rainy - that small ray of sunshine might be all that I see today.

But what I would like to suggest for all of you is that you bring your inner sunshine to the outside and light up the lives of others today. Smile - a lot. Have a positive attitude. Use color in your work today; leave the graphite pencils and black markers in their carryall and use color. Buy a small toy for a child, throw a ball for a dog, give a pinch of catnip to a cat. (If I knew what would make a fish, hamster or snake happy, I'd probably suggest things for them too.) But, if you help to spread happiness and your own inner sunshine today, it will create light on this earth that will help illuminate the dark areas of the world. Those areas, which are very frightening, need to know that there are options. They need to know that life is joy, not a day-by-day plodding. They need to allow themselves to feel gratitude to life instead of hatred towards it. Please do your own small part to lighten the world today.

Fun, Fun - Hidden Sun

I am a child of the sun. I grew up in the Western and Southwestern parts of the United States, where we standardly received 270-300 days of sunshine each year. I moved up to the frozen Midwest US when I married my husband and have been up here for a LONG time. The thing that gets to me are the grey days. It's one reason why I love color so much. And, since the weather yesterday was determined to remind us of winter, it was a joy to spend the day at the kiln.

I purchased new enamels a few weeks ago for a project in-works. I had no color samples, just pictures in a catalog. Pictures in a catalog just don't make color clear. So, I had cut new color strips and marked them. Yesterday was spent stamping the color numbers, prepping the copper, and making color strips for the colors. Of course, since I couldn't find my old color strips from when I moved my enamel studio to my home from my shop, I started also making new color strips for all of my colors. I didn't get as much kiln time as I wanted, but it was such a joy to be back at the kiln - even if it was to do something as mundane as color strips. So...color your world in bright and vivid colors today. Enjoy and relish your day.