Peppers and Belt Sanders - An Adventure in Texts

I've got my first load of the season in my little dehydrator. Two days ago I harvested the first peppers from the multitude of pepper varieties DH purchased for the garden this year. I currently have a Hot Banana, a Ristra Cayenne, a Jalapeno (fat and sassy), a Sweet Pepper and four Hot Peppers in my dehydrator. I dry them, put them through my mini food processor, and then into jars in my cupboard to use in my cooking for the coming year. It's like bringing a bit of July sunshine into my winter recipes, and I love it. 

A pepper similar to this - a Hot Banana Pepper 
is one of the five varieties currently in my 
little dehydrator getting dried for my soups 
and salads. Yummy! 

I've got to decide on a summer soup to make later today. I used up the last of last week's soup for yesterday's dinner, and need something for the upcoming week. Soup is always a winner, and I downloaded five different recipes to try a week ago. The first one was a grand success, I can't wait to try some of the other four I decided were worth the try. 

My Ristra Cayenne pepper is green, 
just like this photo. All the Ristra 
peppers I've known in the past have been 
red, though, so I'm a bit confused. I'll 
have to look this up and figure it out. 
Meanwhile, I've got one of these in the 
dehydrator too. 

So I'll actually have foodstuffs to get at the store today. Originally DH had been talking about having me work today while he did the fence, but the fact that it rained overnight and misted yesterday morning stopped that thought. We need that fence as dry as possible. The respirator arrived at the shop yesterday and I brought it home with me, so he's set on that. Oh! ... 

I think the belt sander looks similar to this, but 
it wasn't visible as I pulled into the garage. This 
is smaller than I envisioned, but it's probably more 
correct than the much larger version I had in 
my head. 

The latest DH "adventure" was the assembly of a belt sander that I had purchased for him more than a decade ago. I think he wants to use it to make the vegetable recycling bin, and yes, the belt sander would make it a lot faster than using the orbital sander. I'm grateful that I wasn't home. Here's the conversation on my phone: 

DH- Glad u not home, cursing up a storm trying to get my belt sander assembled after all these years. 

ME- So VERY glad I'm not home for that one. 

DH- Should never have gotten out of bed. Directions suck, I've lost parts, my headlamp is shot, and I don't dare use your flashlight the way today is going (I've threatened him with great bodily harm if he EVER uses my flashlight again - he's broken two of them and a good flashlight is hard to find.) 

ME- Probably wise to step back and have a soothing cup of tea. 

DH- I've been working in this for 4 freaking hours. Do you have a head lamp anywhere?

ME- No, my headlamp is tied into those eyeglasses I wear when I bead. Sorry. 

DH- I quit, you're gonna have to park in driveway for the next week. 

ME- Week!?!?! What the hell?!? I can if I have to, but really ... WTH???!!!

DH- I gonna have to wait til u get here and hopefully I can get this next part done. 

ME- OK. You need a second set of hands?

DH- I finally got light into it, but I can't get allen wrench to seat correctly, and when I do, it's up against the guard so I can't turn it. 

ME- That's a PITA. Is there a different type of wrench that might work? Maybe something used on cars?

DH- I think I finally got . Whoever engineered this outta be put out to pasture. What a stupic set up. 

ME- Only thing that matters is that it works. If I need to park outside for a couple of days, I'll manage. I swim tomorrow (Wednesday) and Friday and I'm off from work for three days in a row (jumping up and down for joy). I have lots of things to do, but not at the shop. 

DH- Now my lamp just fell on the floor and broke. 

ME- Shit! Really getting all the bad mojo! If it's the lamp, it's probably toast. If it's just the bulb, it's merely inconvenient. 

......

DH- Got it together finally. Gonna watch Vera and maybe eat whole container of ice cream. 

So ... quite the saga. Apparently he ended up putting it together, and disassembling it again at least five times because of dropped screws or other issues that cropped up. I think his headlamp is toast - but that's an easy thing to get at any hardware store. He says he knows where he wants to put it, it will take a bit of spring cleaning in the garage to clear that area, but it's actually a good place for it. 

So ... that was the long distance saga from yesterday. Me? I'm heading to the pool for a lovely outdoor swim on a perfect summer morning. Yesterday was a VERY cold in and out of the water, but the water itself was absolutely glorious, with a fabulous sunrise. These are the days that make my swim very worthwhile and enjoyable. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

A Busy Day of Errands - Things To Do, Places To Go

It's my "day off" today, and it's going to be a busy one. I can always tell when I've got a busy day scheduled. In my mind I'm plotting the stores I need to go to first and when they open. Today's errands start with meditation (done), first load of laundry in the washer (done), doing my blog post (in progress) and follows with take the trash and recycling to the curb, go to the gym for my mile+ of swimming, come home again, have breakfast, then CUB Foods, Target and Lunds/Byerly's (my local grocer). Finally, after all of that I can return home again and dive into making my two soups (Roasted Peppers and Tomato Soup and Avocado Soup). Whew! That's only the morning and I'm exhausted already - LOL. 

Remember that double rainbow I saw over my local 
Lunds-Byerly's grocery store earlier this year? It's 
still a favorite memory of mine, and I loved going back 
inside to share the photo with my friends who are 
cashiers and other workers there. 

The one thing I'm pleased about is the fact that I'm doing well with my teeth now. There's a little bit of gum sore as the tight teeth loosen up slightly, but it's not really anything close to a true pain (although I was good and bought a jar of Tylenol for those difficult days I might have in the future). I'm being very careful to brush properly and floss wherever I can. 

The reviews were pretty good for this product, and 
it was less than $20, so I figured I'd buy it and give 
it a chance. I'm powering it up today and I'll try it 
tonight (maybe a test run this afternoon so that I 
know what I'm doing a bit better - LOL). It'll be 
a bit of a learning curve - it's very adjustable - and 
I think it will help quite a bit. It's nice looking too. 

My orthodontist had been a bit sorry to hear that I didn't have a Water Pic or similar piece of equipment at hand, so I bought one on Amazon that seemed like a good fit for me. It was delivered to the shop yesterday and I'll need to fully charge it today and start using it tonight. I don't usually floss at night, so using the water pic will be an excellent idea to help keep the spaces between my teeth as clean as possible. One more week until I get my braces actually installed (it sounds like I'm getting a new furnace or work done on my car, doesn't it ... installed! What a word in this case - LOL). I'm very much looking forward to it. 

I have several bags of Platypus Dental Floss for 
braces. The orthodontist had recommended this 
brand specifically because it has that flat side 
you see on the bottom. Other similar products 
are slightly thicker at that point. Apparently 
this design is the easiest to get under the wires 
and into the teeth for flossing. Who knew it was 
such a science to floss after braces? 

I've bought all sorts of things to help me with the braces - specific  dental floss devices that allow me to get under the wires and floss easily, more rubber bands because we'll need bands for my back teeth, applicators to help me apply the rubber bands (I already can foresee them flying all over my small bathroom - LOL), and now my water pic device which is designed for many things, but braces among them. I think I'm set, so we'll see. 

I also bought a bag of elastic placers and some 
orthodontic rubber bands. I know we have to use 
bands on some of my teeth to get things moved in 
the proper direction. I have a feeling my bottom 
teeth are going to be a challenge, and I know they 
won't be 100% straight after all of this, but they'll 
be improved - vastly improved, and my top teeth 
will be realigned, so I'll be happy with the results 
in 18-24 months. 

I'm going to wrap this up, toss in some pictures, and head to the swimming pool. We're colder again today, and I'm feeling cold, so I'm wearing a skin suit again today. I just want to be warm and cozy while getting in my swim. I've got the skin suits, so I might as well take advantage of them. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

A New Toy That You Might Like

I take and use a lot of photographs, and have for years. My digital photos are stored, along with much of my life, on my various computers over the years - never truly organized, but at least accessible, if I'm willing to dig deeply enough. However, a computer crash (don't really even want to think of that!) happens, I've lost a lot because the paper versions of digital photos ... no, I don't really have that and printed versions never are as nice as the digital ones in any case. 

I purchased two of these - one for myself and one to
give as a gift to Chickie. I tried mine out on my computer
last night. I have to say, I'm impressed! 

I indulged in following positive reviews, etc, and a sale and purchased a small digital device called
"The Photo Stick" and it arrived earlier this week. I bought two of them, in fact, giving one to Chickie who has been making me so many fabulous masks to wear at the shop and outside of my home. This digital thumbdrive plugs into your computer and self-loads (or you can find the file and double-click on it). I decided to try mine out last night. 

When you click on the big green "GO" button on your
screen, ThePhotoStick goes to work. It eliminates
duplicates and finds all of the photos (and videos if you
also check that option) and stores them. I'm not sure
how long it took, since I started it when I went to bed,
but it was finished when I returned to my computer
early this morning. 

It took me a little bit to find the file, but once I did, and clicked on the large green GO button, it was running through my files, eliminated duplicates, and backing everything up - organized - onto my 128 GB ThePhotoStick. When I returned to my computer this morning, I found it had backed up almost 14,000 photos and still have 3/4 of the drive available. I can update easily and it will only pick up the new photos to add to ThePhotoStick. I think I like this! Because it was so easy to use and because it actually seems to do what it purported to do, I'm recommending it to my friends and readers. 

Because today is a bit of a crazy day - appointments and errands and grocery shopping, etc., I'm going to call this post done for the day and start figuring out the most efficient way to get my errands finished before the heat gets too bad. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

I Love A Good Tool and Fashion News

I have a great love for tools, and I own WAY too many of them, but yesterday I knew I needed a tool that would allow me to punch holes far away from an edge. I could use a drill, but that would take too long and leave a ragged hole in paper. I wanted a punch of some sort. I have hole punches of a variety of types that will allow me to punch a hole in an item within an inch or two from an edge, but I needed deeper (to be honest, I WANTED deeper). I could make do with less, but I wanted more. 

This is a Big Hole Puncher from Crop-A-Dile, my latest tool
purchase and a really cool tool. It punches holes in items
up to six inches deep, but it also sets rivets, It's multi-purpose.
I just HAD to have it.  

Taking a few minutes to travel to my nearby Michael's, I found exactly what I wanted - a "Big Hole Puncher" by Crop-A-Dile. Now ... I already own a different Crop-A-Dile punch that I have used for bookbinding. It's more of a pliers-style, however, and has a shortened jaw. It works great, but I wanted something that could hit a fold of paper from the edge - a distance in of a minimal 4", but hopefully closer to 6". 

I bought one of these Crop-A-Dile punching pliers several
years ago when I was doing some book binding. It's a wonderful
tool, but I wanted greater throat depth for my new punch. 

I quickly went to their website for a coupon. Would they have a good one for me to use on this? Would it even qualify for a coupon reduction? Oh yes, there I had a "50% off any non-sale item" e-coupon. In the end, my $42+tax purchase was cut down to a grand total of $22 after my discount and my Michael's club membership were taken off. SCORE! The turquoise bruiser came home with me and is traveling to the shop to be put to use today. 

Zac Posen is a fashion designing wonder, brilliant,
clear-spoken, and not afraid to take fashion to a new
level. His latest "statement" fashions featured embedded
LED lighting, 3-D printed fabrics, and sculpted pleats. 

On a totally different note, did anyone else notice that Zac Posen shut down his fashion house on Monday? Zac, a fashion design icon and judge on Project Runway for many seasons, closed the doors on his business operation as well as his "House of Z" and "Z Spoke" lines. He had been trying to sell the company after a major investor had announced they were pulling out, but he and his Board of Directors hadn't found an appropriate buyer and all negotiations had fallen through. He will continue in his position as Creative Director for Brooks Brothers Women's Line.  

Stars wearing fashion by Zac Posen have been numerous over the years.
Here we have Katie Holmes on the left and Naomi Campbell on the
right. He also designed for Royalty, with an after-the-ceremony
dress for Princess Eugenie's wedding earlier this year. 

Zac launched his brand in 2001 and quickly became a sought-after designer on Red Carpets and Runways in both the USA and Europe. A fashion prodigy, he entered Parson's School of Design at age 16, continuing his education in England before opening his own studio 20 years ago. The announcement came as a shock after his Spring 2020 line had just walked the Runway at New York Fashion Week. He declared that the Spring 2020 fashion line will not be shipped to buyers. 

So there we go, another fashion icon shutting the doors. (If you recall, Calvin Kline shut down in May of this year.) Zac Posen produced and oversaw as many as 20 different lines which were released throughout the year under a variety of brands, as well as designing bespoke fashions for stars on red carpets and runways throughout the world. I'm sure his decision was difficult, and it's a fact that the fashion world was rocked by his closing. 

On that note, I'm dressed in a spectacularly unfashionable set of dual-layered sweats and shirts. It's a cold one out there this morning and I don't want to freeze just getting over the the gym for my workout. Have a wonderful Thursday and be kind today. Spread some joy, and give some unexpected happiness to a stranger. It'll brighten your life too. I'll be back tomorrow if I don't freeze today. 

I Should Probably Start to Pack

It's my day off and that works out well since it's supposed to be the rainy day of the work week. I can get my errands done without getting too wet, and spend the day at home getting things in line for next week's workshop and vacation. It's hard to believe that I'll be leaving to play with metal once again, and I haven't even pulled a suitcase out of the storage closet. 

I'm usually pretty good at packing for a trip, and this is a trip I've
gone on annually since the mid-1990's. I guess that counts
as experienced - LOL. 

In days/years past I would have my suitcases open on the living room couch and half-packed by this time, my supplies would be selected, and I would be planning my visit to Milwaukee (or other cities in which B&B Show has been held through its' long history). This year, although I'm attending a workshop that I've wanted to be in for many years, I'm a bit too laid back. That's not a good look on me - LOL. I think I have to light a fire. 

I had an old Logitech webcam similar to this, but
older (made to work with Win 98 computers). I was
going to donate it to my local Tech Dump, but
I decided to disassemble it instead. The lens
in the front turned into a really fun component.
It's coming along on my trip with me. 

Since the class is "Innovative Captures", working with metals to entrap unusual items or to use non-traditional settings, my focus has been centered around what I might want to capture. I've manage to collect a rather eccentric grouping of materials - everything from an old video lens to shell pieces to antlers and stones. But I'm still unsure about how to approach this, and that has me concerned. 

I'm very fond of abalone shell, and just had my
associate pack up misc weight bags of odd pieces
to put into the shop. I went through them and liberated
about 20 pieces in miscellaneous shapes before I handed
her the bag and told her to pack the rest. They're coming
to Milwaukee with me. 

Tomorrow I'll take time at the shop and go through my portable tool kit. It's a bit over-the-top right now, and weighs WAY too much. I drive to the show, so I'm not concerned about shipping weight, but I do have to lug the kit with me and lighter would be better with my arm. I'm quite sure I won't need all of the materials I usually have at hand in the drawers, so I'll pull things out for the show, then return them after I get back home. 

I have an assortment of Fretz hammers, but I really only
need to pack three of them - the two Revere-style hammers, and
one that has interchangeable tips. I probably have at least
six hammers in my portable kit. I don't need that many at
this workshop. 

I was good and got two appointments set up with my doctor - one for my arm and a general wellness physical - all happening within the next six weeks. Now my goal is to not increase the tendon damage before getting a chance to see her and get a treatment regime. Spending yesterday away from the pool and just working on the machines helped a lot, but *sigh* I really miss my swimming! 

I have a list of things I have to do today, though, so I'd better get cracking. Have a wonderful Wednesday, and I'll be back tomorrow. My busy day awaits - LOL. 

I Love A Good Tool, and It's HOT Outside

I hate it when I awaken early - a bit too late to grab any more substantial sleep, but too early for my alarm to go off. Especially when it's on a day when I usually get a little more sleep than my Monday through Friday. Oh well, I'm just going to be ahead of the game today, I guess. Since I woke up at 3:15 am, and decided that additional sleep would be illusive, I guess I might get ahead a little bit ... or not. What I do know for a fact is I'll be ready to swim outdoors at 6:00 am, and if I'm really lucky, they won't have to close the pool because of rain and lightning until after I've had my swim. If I'm lucky. 

It's going to be a scorcher today. At least I have A/C at the
shop (although I'm always turning it on and off because
it's either too cold or too warm). 

It was hot yesterday but today will be worse. We're under a heat advisory for the day with temps expected to feel like they are in the low 100's. The thermometer might not say that, but the heat coupled with the humidity will make everyone feel it. Ick! 

This set that I purchased features jaw diameters
of 3mm on both jaws. It's sturdy, and the
parallel jaws construction will make it more
versatile. I'm totally in love with a tool! 

While at the Bead & Button Show last week I did treat myself to one thing - a set of tools that I drooled over. Like many other people I know, I'm a "tool whore". I love a good tool - one that is designed and made beautifully and performs its' assigned task exceptionally well. My Fretz hammers are tools like that - beautifully made and balanced, they are the perfect tools for their task. But this time I bought pliers. 

Standard hinging for pliers (here on a set of oval
bail making pliers) gives uneven pressure along
the jaws. The jaws pivot along the hinge instead
of being pulled apart and together along an axis. 

Pliers are deceptively simple - handles hinged together in a formation that allows pressure from the handle to be magnified at the jaw's end, increasing pounds-per-square-inch proportionately. The majority of pliers work on an offset X design, where the longer handles provide power to the shorter jaws. The jaws pivot along the junction of the X, and the application of force isn't uniform across the length of the jaws. 

This set that I also purchased has two sizes of
rounds - 4mm and 6mm diameters. I suspect this
one will be getting a lot of use. 

I treated myself to a set of three parallel jaw bail making pliers and I'm totally in love with them. Their parallel jaw design allows for equal pressure along all points of the jaw, allowing me to wrap wire all the way up consistently, or grab an item anywhere in the jaw with equal pressure. Parallel jaw pliers allows me to grip my item anywhere in the jaws and it will be held securely - no slippage. I've been doing more and more wireworking over the past few years, and having the ability to grab a wire anywhere on the pliers to pull a loop or circle from the metal is a real asset. I'm in love with my pliers. 

The final set of parallel jaw bail making pliers
that I purchased has 8mm and 11mm sized jaws.
(There actually is one more size available with
12mm and 14mm jaw sizes, but I'm holding back
on buying those until I know I'd use them.) 

Considering I walked the sales floor several times over three days, and three pliers and a single shaped stone cabochon were all I purchased, I guess I was under-impressed with the vendors' offerings. When the Bead & Button Show first started, almost 25 years ago, the marketplace was a showcase for individual artisans who made their own beads, and a few larger vendors who sold materials with which to use those beads (seed beads, stringing materials, clasps, etc.). These days, though, the vendors have shifted to a lot of importers from the Orient and India. Instead of the unique and hand-made, it's the mass produced. It's not a good change, but it is a mirror for what's wrong with our industry. Oh well, at least I got three beautiful pairs of pliers from all of it. 

Bill Fretz designs and makes some beautiful
hammers for jewelry making. They
are forged really well and their balance is
exceptional. I have a set of two that I always
travel to workshops with, but I also own
several more for my own workbench. 

Here's hoping you have a wonderful weekend. I'll be listening to and watching the US Open Golf Tournament, but I know a lot of my readers will have their eyes glued to the World Cup Soccer. Sorry, all. Soccer just doesn't do it for me. So have a wonderful and safe weekend, and if you're in the USA - Happy Father's Day. I'll be back on Monday. 

Unusual Materials

Last night's "Project Runway" challenge was their 'unusual materials' challenge, and no, I'm not going to tell you who won or who lost, just that (as usual) some of the designs were really horrid and others were fabulous. I didn't agree with who they pegged as worst and safe, so I didn't agree with who they sent home, but it's a competition. Eventually everyone except the three top designers will be sent home and only one of those final three will actually win.

My DH owns a Milwaukee Tools power drill, but it's
similar to this Black and Decker. I don't go half-way
when I need a drill. I use the one that could drill through
a thick board. 

Back to the subject at hand. Unusual materials. We've all had times when we used something unusual for a purpose it was never intended. As one example, I have used an ice pick to drill holes into leather belts for extending or pulling in a belt buckle to a new location. I have also used a power drill for that same purpose. Neither tool is actually meant to be used this way, they were handy and they did the job.

A kiss can be a medical miracle if given by the right person. 

Aren't relationships sometimes like that? A child falls and skins his/her knee. Often times the caregiver will not only clean and bandage the bleeding skin, but afterward will "kiss it and make it better". An unusual healing medication, but one that I remember as having been very effective in my own life.

The toes on my new Converse slip-on shoes are just crying out for
decoration. I may regret it, but I'm going to throw some
waterproof pens into my handbag and see if I have any spare time
to play later on today. 

Have you ever used something in a non-traditional way to cook with? To clean with? To make art with? On an art thought - I have a new pair of slip-on Converse shoes in a nice dusty grey. The toes on these shoes are just begging for decoration. Hmmm ... maybe time to grab a waterproof pen and start drawing... Have a great Friday!

A Tool Snafu

Packages have been arriving at the shop - things ordered by DH and things ordered by me. On Friday a package arrived from Maine with some hammers that I had ordered while I was at Bead & Button Show. A quick bit of background - once a Revere School attendee/graduate, always a Revere School attendee/graduate. Therefore, when I saw that Alan Revere had designed two hammers that had been made by Bill Fretz, I had to get them.

Fretz Hammers not only look fabulous, but they handle perfectly with
great balance and perfectly shaped heads. I have several seconds that I
adore, but this was the first time I've ordered top-of-the-line ones for myself.

I looked through their catalog and saw them - they were beautiful, dark handled, sexy even. I knew that if they were Fretz, they would handle beautifully and feel like nothing in my hands while being workhorses on my bench. I had to have them...

Jewelers use many different styled hammers, each one affecting
the metal in different ways. Some spread it out, some dimple it, some
move it in one direction only, others in all directions. Hammers are
a science in themselves.

I handed them my credit card (by this time I was already out of cash - LOL) and signed it. The order on the credit card was correct - one each R-GF and R-CR. The credit card slip was stapled to an order form where I filled in my shipping address and contact information. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the order form, just glanced at it. Shame on me. The order form was marked one line off, so instead of what I paid for, the form was marked for one each of R-GF and HMF-22.

I already own two different sets of the Revere jewelry pliers. They
also work extremely well and are sturdy and well made. I love using
them, which is lucky because I use them often.

I received my box on Friday and had a chance to open and take a good look late in the day. I took a quick glance and then closed the box up until yesterday morning when I opened it again and took a slow and careful look. OOPS! They ended up sending me an R-CR and an HMR-21, neither of which had actually been marked on the order form, and only one of which I had paid for.

Fancy tools aren't necessary to make stunning jewelry, but they
don't hurt. After all, jewelry has been made for centuries before
modern tools and electronic drills etc were available. But fine tools
can increase our production and allow for a better end result.
AND I LOVE GOOD TOOLS!

Today the HMR-21 goes back to them and they, in turn, will be sending me the R-GF that I still need and that I paid for. What a snafu! Both the guy on the phone and I were laughing about how really badly this order went. I can understand being fried at the show - by Saturday vendors are hanging onto their strength and sanity with their fingernails. It's an intense show with long hours and many, many people, so it is major exhausting for any vendor. But this was truly a mess. The things I will do for a good tool...

A Helping Hand and Future Fun

My day off will start busy, but good. Last week my friend Cindy phoned asking if I could help her remove curtains and curtain rods from her living room. This is my friend whose husband passed away last year in April and her mobility is quite limited due to MS. I'll be happy to climb up with screwdrivers (and possible power tools) in hand and get these pulled down for her. She'll be moving to Indiana soon to stay closer to her remaining family and her daughter. I think in the long run that will be a great decision for her and despite her reservations, it will end up with positive results.

Yippee - power tools. Gotta love them!

A customer had mentioned that the Field Museum in Chicago was holding an exhibit on the Lascaux Caves while I was going to be in Milwaukee attending the Bead & Button Show in June. I emailed my roommate to see if she had the day free to go down to Chicago and attend the exhibit, but she has classes scheduled for each day. So I decided to go on my own, as I have done several times in the past. Yesterday I had a chance to go on-line and purchase my train tickets and my museum tickets. It will be a long day because I'll have a scheduled event at the Convention Center that evening from 8:00 pm until 11:00 pm and I catch my train in the early morning at 6:15 am (very long day), but it will be SO worth it.

The bulls are so beautiful - such economy of line yet holding
strength and motion.

So many of these amazing Paleolithic caves are being closed off or severely restricted for visitation because of the damage that people unintentionally bring with them. People's body temperatures slightly raise the temps as they look at the paintings. People breathe and their exhalations are warm and moist, also leading to degradation in the quality of the paintings. This exhibit offers an opportunity to actually see the cave paintings in true reproduction - as close to the actual caves as I will ever be able to get. I'm over the moon that I get to attend this.

Horses and other animals chase each other across the upper walls/ceilings.

I hope that they have a great gift shop with pictured catalog books of the art available for purchase. I know my DH would love to have been able to attend with me and unless the exhibit travels to the Twin Cities, this may be as close as he can get. A good catalog can make up for some of this and can join our other catalogs in our bookshelves.

If I'm correct, the exhibition will actually have the cave replicated and I'll
be able to walk through as if I was discovering them for the first time. How
amazingly wonderful!

I also heard of a book cataloging software app this morning that I'm going to look into. I have thousands of books in hardcopy that we have always wanted to be able to catalog. I'll look into "Book Catalogue" this afternoon and see if it might work well for our collection. Maybe technology will come through for me one more time.

I remember card catalogs similar to these for libraries. I searched for books
for hours when I was writing school papers and my Master's thesis. Now
these can be electronic instead of index cards. If this program allows me to scan
the bar code or just enter the ISBN, I'll be in 7th Heaven!

And one last note. I had written a revision of the Rumpelstiltskin story for Untold Press for an open call for their next book. Unfortunately the story was not accepted because it didn't quite meet the undead criteria that they were shooting for. Oh well. It's still a good story that I'm very comfortable with. I'll start looking for a few other venues to submit it to before either keeping it for a possible future story collection of my own or putting it out there in my archives for all of my readers to enjoy. I'm actually happy to have an opportunity to shop it around a bit and, possibly, to add to my virtual rejections wallpaper. Two steps forward and one step back still results in forward progress.