Anne E. Mitchell

Thursday Oct. 6th ~ 2011

2011-10-06T21:18:00.002-07:00

I was driving south towards Miami Florida last week, dusk was approaching as I drove south and in front of me was the this huge cloud. It looked like that massive cloud from the movie Independence Day when the alien space craft was entering the atmosphere. There was lighting all over those clouds, just like in the movie and as I drove south I got to drive through it and at one point the light show was all around me. It was amazing. At one point there was horizontal lighting that went across the entire sky light a wave. I have never seen or experienced anything like it.

During the weekend of the show, I got to spend time with great friends and that made the long journey totally worthwhile. There is not much that can make things better then just relaxing with your friends.

I was driving north in the dark of the early morning after my few days in Miami I watched as the sky lightened and the day dawned. There is not much that can compare to a this kind of sunrise. It is just different; I love the mountain sunrise with its majesty and the desert sunrise with it's subtle changes as the sun comes up over the horizon. But here in Florida I love the way the mist gathers in the low places and rises to meet the sun.

The completion of this amazing morning was to watch an American Bald Eagle fly about 50 feet in front of and above my car. It just took my breath away.

It really is the simple things that make me happiest.

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." ~ Buddah

Wednesday Sept 21st. ~ 2011 ~

2011-09-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

I got back from the fall Tucson Gem Show a few days ago where I was exhibiting at the Whole Bead Show. As I drove through Hatch on my way to I-10 west towards Tucson, I was totally shocked to see an amazing 5 megawatt CPV project.

The last time I drove on that stretch of road from Hatch to Demming in February there was no hint that this was to be built. I had a bit of a sense of how big each of these panels was. It seemed that each panel was about the size of a small house and there seemed to be close to a hundred of them.

Here in the Southwest these types of installations just seem to make so much sense and are so efficient. A megawatt is one million watts… that is a lot of power and here is how to put it into perspective

A typical house has a 200 amp main,
That breaks down to 10-20 amp circuits
A 20 amp circuit is equal to 2400 watts.
This installation can power 25,000 homes with ease.

This is totally cool! Biggest CPV Project in US Up and Running in NM

Elizabeth Warren spoke these words and it is the clearest summation of what I have been trying to find words for. It is clear, concise and comes directly to the point. I thank you Elizabeth and I wish you great success in your Massachusetts Senate 2012 Campaign. I hope that your ideals catch on and I wish that I could vote for you!

"There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody! You built a factory out there - good for you.
But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn't have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory….
Now look. You built a factory and turned into something terrific or a great idea - God Bless! Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along."

Sunday September 18th ~ 2011

2011-09-18T10:54:00.001-07:00

One week ago this nation held vigil for those lost on Sept.11th 2001. As I looked through the posts on my Face Book feed there was thesame question asked over and over again; "Do you remember where you werewhen you heard the news?" Well, I do remember, vividly, yet to me, that isnot the question I desire an answer to. The question that I keep asking is:"Do you know where our country has gone?"

I am dismayed at the fundamental shift that this nation hastaken in this last decade and it saddens me to my core. For the briefest ofmoments, right after this tragedy, this nation actually cared for its citizens.We were kind to one another, courteous, aware of the people around us and tookthe time to see if any one needed a hand or a shoulder and I was proud to be acitizen of this Nation.

Over this last decade we have allowed a small group ofpeople with very boisterous voices full of hate, fear mongering and bigotry tobecome our loudest voice, all with the banner of a God or Jesus Christ behindit to give it credence. Last week in the GOP debates, the crowd cheered asTexas Gov. Perry (with his God Driven Campaign) lauded his states executionaccomplishments and a member of the audience yelled "YES" when askedif a man in a coma with no health insurance should be left to die.

Osama Bib Laden is accomplishing his stated goal. He soughtto destroy our Nation from within and he may be succeeding. He has driven a wedgethrough the core belief in what this land of opportunity was founded on. Wecame together as a melting pot and this mix of people, cultures and faiths wasand is our greatest strength. Our base ideal; that all are equal under the law, are all able to thrive and grow, that we do unto others as we would haveothers do unto us, is what has driven this nation for well over 200 years.

Yet now, I see all of that slipping away from our grasp. Isee greed, fear, hate and a distain for difference eroding the moralfoundations that so many generations of this nation have died fighting for. Andfor what? What are they gaining with all of this hatred?

To my unbelieving eyes, see a portion of our Nation thatdespises our President because of the color of his skin. And what blows me awayis that most of these are people that claim to be faithful and God-fearingpeople that put God and Country first. Do they even know where this countrycame from? Do they not realize that their families were also once immigrantsthat came to these shores from another country seeking freedom and a chance tothrive? They claim to love America yet hate Americans and what this Countrystands for.

Do so few see that there is no other place in the world thatyou can arrive, join in and become a core member of that society. One cannotmove to China and become Chinese, one cannot move to France and become Frenchor move to Germany and become German but you sure as hell can move to theUnited States of America and become an American. Do you not see that is whathas made us great?

I despise this class warfare that is being perpetrated bythe GOP. It is actually a war they may be winning. The desired goal is todestroy the middle class, by removing it's voice in our Government and toenslave the lower class of citizens to where they have no way out of their lotin life. All of this is being made possible with their hate speech and them tellingyou who you need to be afraid of and whom you need to hate. They areaccomplishing this with vitriolic speech and the false pretense that what madethis nation great is what is destroying it.

I do not know how to make it stop, then I find a quote like this:

"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people." ~ John F. Kennedy ~

Monday August 22nd ~ 2011

2011-08-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

I have been traveling a bit and working on new work while getting submission in for next years tour of shows. Images of new work to soon follow...
Most importantly, I have been reading poetry again. This poet has caught my imagination....

As One Listens To The Rain

Listen to me as one listens to the rain,
not attentive, not distracted,
light footsteps, thin drizzle,
water that is air, air that is time,
the day is still leaving,
the night has yet to arrive,
figurations of mist
at the turn of the corner,
figurations of time
at the bend in this pause,
listen to me as one listens to the rain,
without listening, hear what I say
with eyes open inward, asleep
with all five senses awake,
it’s raining, light footsteps, a murmur of syllables,
air and water, words with no weight:
what we are and are,
the days and years, this moment,
weightless time and heavy sorrow,
listen to me as one listens to the rain,
wet asphalt is shining,
steam rises and walks away,
night unfolds and looks at me,
you are you and your body of steam,
you and your face of night,
you and your hair, unhurried lightning,
you cross the street and enter my forehead,
footsteps of water across my eyes,
listen to me as one listens to the rain,
the asphalt’s shining, you cross the street,
it is the mist, wandering in the night,
it is the night, asleep in your bed,
it is the surge of waves in your breath,
your fingers of water dampen my forehead,
your fingers of flame burn my eyes,
your fingers of air open eyelids of time,
a spring of visions and resurrections,
listen to me as one listens to the rain,
the years go by, the moments return,
do you hear the footsteps in the next room?
not here, not there: you hear them
in another time that is now,
listen to the footsteps of time,
inventor of places with no weight, nowhere,
listen to the rain running over the terrace,
the night is now more night in the grove,
lightning has nestled among the leaves,
a restless garden adrift-go in,
your shadow covers this page.
~ Octavio Paz

Friday July 22nd ~ 2011

2011-07-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

To say that I had a last fantastic day of hiking in Glacier and then 3 even better days of teaching at the Powder Horn Trading Co may be one biggest understatements I have made in the last decade.

McDonald Creek- LoL

The park on Thursday was so beautiful. The weather was cold and over cast and the trails had the most unusual quite calm quite to them. It was almost unnerving at times. But I hiked a good portion of the McDonald's Falls Trail along McDonald Creek. (The word creek seems a bit understated at this time of year. The creek are more like raging rapids.)

After the Falls I picked a trail that is not on the major lists of trails to hike. I hiked along the South Boarder Trail up to the cut off for Loneman Mountain Lookout Tower. I had to turn back at Harrison Creek due to the lack of other hikers. I did promise my GF that I would not get attacked while I was partaking of nature. This trail follows the Flathead River ultimately cuts back along the Coal Creek up to Buffalo Woman Lake. After being the total geek that I know I am and scouring the topographical map of the park that I bought this is a hike that I need to take the next time I am back in Glacier.

Benton Bridge & Flathead River

Classes were a blast and each and every student was a total joy to get to know. I am excited about the possibility of coming back next year for another round of classes and I know for sure that Terri & I are coming to Glacier next summer for some serious fun.

Not only were my hosts Cindy & Bud, the owners of Powder Horn Trading Co, totally generous by opening up their home to me, they also fed me almost to bursting. As Cindy said she did not want me to go back and say that I was not fed well. My second to last morning the 3 of us went on an early morning horse back ride for over 3 hours that went up to what Cindy called the nose bleed section of the hills where they live. The views back towards the Mountains was spectacular.

*** I will see if I can get my hands on some pictures of the 2 horses I rode, Nada & Pepe as well as Bud and Cindy's most excellent dog Hank. ***

My drive back to New Mexico was uneventful and as the miles passed the unfolding scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Had I really paid attention to my return route I may have decided to take a few days and do some hiking in Yellowstone National Park. I had no idea that I would be driving right by the eastern side of the park. Well, maybe next time I am out that way I will figure out a way to add that into the itinerary.

It is good to be home and I enjoyed taking Thursday off to rest and gather together the memories of my past 2 weeks away from my wonderful life here. It was an action packed 2 weeks and I have to get right back at it ASAP.

Wednesday July 13th ~ 2011

2011-07-13T22:41:00.001-07:00

Day 2 in Glacier National Park did not disappoint.

The decision to hike the 7 mile Haystack Butte trail at Logan Pass was the choice for this days adventure. The departure time from the hotel was 9am on the dot and looking forward to a most excellent day.

Today, the Logan Pass was opened and it was the latest date for the pass opening in the parks 101 year history. This road is called the Road to the Sun and it is a breathtaking 50 mile drive that takes you up to the high point of Logan Pass. The elevation of the pass is 6646 feet and upon our arrival we were greeted with a great deal of snow. Logan Pass is actually on the Continental Divide which is cool.

The snow a Logan Pass

The Park Ranger told me that the Haystack Butte Trail was totally socked in with snow and was "totally scary" so the grand plan of hiking a high elevation trail was a big fat NO. So… back in the car, over the pass and off to St Mary's Falls and Virginia Falls for a 5.5 mile hike that was no less amazing.

St Mary's Falls

Virginia Falls

Even though the traveling in the car today was close to 200 miles there were amazing sites to be seen. At the end of the day there was the surprise of a heard of goats bounding down the side of a mountain. I have not laughed that hard at something that cute for a very very long time.

Really Cute Goats

The most disappointing aspect so far is that the hotel does not have the Verses Channel so I am actually missing the Tour De France. UGH, and tomorrow is the first mountain stage. I need my tour.. I am going through withdraw.

Tuesday July 12 ~ 2011

2011-07-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

After working like a crazy person for these last months I am getting 3 days of hiking in Glacier National Park before I start teaching at the Powder Horn Trading Co. in Kalispell Montana. Today was day #1 of the adventure.

"Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river." ~ Lao Tzu ~


Trail of the Cedars trail head

The hike along The Avalanche Lake Trail is a total of 6 miles. The entire trail runs parallel to the Avalanche Creek. Now, understand that the word "creek" is a total understatement. It is really the Avalanche Gorge and is an extremely fast running heavy duty stream that is fed from the lake and the lake is is fed from the glacier melt.

As you hike along the path, it is the sound that surrounds you and is the most amazing. During the entire 4 plus hours of the hike the presence of the rushing water is always there, is every present, always moving letting you know that you are getting closer to your goal. It is so powerful and so awe inspiring to be a part of it for just those few hours.

The hike to Avalanche Lake

My last National Park experience was Yellowstone with my parents when I was in my mid to late 30's. (i know… I know…) This was a very different experience. Where Yellowstone is all about the effects of thermal features on the surrounding landscape, Glacier is all about mountains, melting snow packs & the rushing waters from the many glaciers of the area.

The view end of the trail

This is a much needed respite and rejuvenation of my soul. My camera is clicking and my creative spirit is starting to glow again.

Sunday July 10 ~ 2011

2011-07-10T23:20:00.002-07:00

Well; I stand admonished: George, a longtime student and follower of my blog came up to me today at the Puget Sound Bead Festival and admonished me for being a slacker for not positing on a more regular basis.

It has been year since I relocated to Albuquerque from Tucson and this shift in my focus and in my life has been a positive one. I have loads to say and so much to talk about. Only now, I have another person to talk to and I do not just have to type out what I am thinking and feeling. So, my drive to post has been diminished to some extent.

Life is a constant ebb and flow, as I learn how to incorporate a constant presence in my daily life am figuring out how to keep on task and still meet all of the goals that I have set for myself. It is a harder task than I thought it would be. As much as I know that I am in a totally wonderful relationship that I would never trade for anything there is some small part of me that is a hermit and loves my solitude.

So, my travels are still my solace and my time for introspection. I have spent my drives of this year contemplating my past, both professionally as well as personally. I am sure that there are things that we all wish that we could do differently or try again, but I will say with all honestly that I would not change one aspect of the last 3 & 1/2 years of my life. I have made hard choices and I have made the right ones

I am at peace and I am at home in my own skin as I feel I have not been for a very very long time, or if ever. True happiness and contentment is a constant goal and to find it, grasp it and accept it is a true test of ones self.

Bead and Button this year was fun as always and I am now hanging in Tacoma at the end of the Puget Sound Bead Festival and getting ready to head out in the morning to Kalispell, Montana to teach at the Powder Horn Trading Co. next weekend.

I have never been to Montana and I am excited that Jeannette Cook (seed bead artist extraordinary) & I are going to be hiking in Glacier National Park for the first part of next week before I settle in to teach next Saturday - Monday.

For those of you that have followed me for the last few years know I am up every morning in July before dawn to watch each stage of the Tour De France and I have my favorites and as I drink my mornings Peet's coffee, I cheer at the end of every day as the riders that are my favorites succeed or struggle on.

I am digging into all of the political nonsense again so I will warn you now that many of my posts over the next months will be politically slanted.. I know that will be a surprise for many (NOT) but get ready, there is steam coming out of my ears on so many issues.

I drive to Montana tomorrow and am looking forward to a totally new adventure. Stay Tuned for Amazing Updates.

The Simple Tao

The Way is to benefit others and not to injure.
The Way is to act but not to compete.
It does not show greatness and is therefore truly great.

~ Start The Way ~
Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river

Tao ~ "the way", "the path": it is often represented by water because water always seeks the path of least resistance, yet is strong enough to demolish even stone when no other recourse is available. everything below flows from this.

Monday May 2nd ~ 2011

2011-05-02T20:42:00.001-07:00

It has been one crazy week for our little world. I do not think that I have ever witnessed a week of more news worthy emotional extremes.

I am in awe of our President and his ability to multitask and not let anyone down in these past days. I know for sure that we elected the correct man for the job. Could you even begin to imagine the mess that McCain and Palin would have made of these same circumstances?

I am proud of our British and Italian neighbors, each nation put on a beautiful show that gave the rest of us a bit of a breather during an incredibly hard week.

Here is the last six days as I watched it unfold. Be amazed!

April 27th

• The largest outbreak of tornadoes and super cell storms ravaged Alabama, Tennessee and several other states.

I waited in fear of knowing the damage that these storms can inflict and waited to hear from those I know in the areas that are suffering the effects of these storms. I grew up in Ohio and watched the Xenia tornado pass over my house so I know very well the power of nature.

April 28th

•The President of the United States faces down an idiotic group of "fundies" by releasing his long form birth certificate and it was no surprise the "fundies" still were not satisfied.

I was mad. I hated that our President needed to personally address our Nation and the News agencies to focus on what actually matters. Come on folks. STOP giving time and pandering to a circus clown.

April 29th
• Prince William and Kate Middleton were married in England. An event that was watched by over 2 billion people and broke Internet records.

I got up at 2am to watch live. I had baked scones the night before to feel just a little bit British. The ceremony was so beautiful. No one does pageantry like the Brits! I loved the pageantry and I truly loved that the British accomplished the impossible. They incorporated the majestic pageantry of the day and totally made the event feel intimate and meaningful to William and Catherine.

• Obama gives the order to take out Osama Bin Laden after an intense several months intelligence gathering.
• Obama tours ravaged Alabama
• Obama tours Cape Canaveral and meets with Gabriele Giffords
• Obama gives commencement address at Miami Dade College

I watched the news live of the damage in the south that the storms inflicted and took count of friends that were in its path. I breathed a sigh of personal relief with the knowledge that the people that I knew were okay.

I waited for the Space Shuttle Launch and wanted to Giffords so I could personally see her amazing progress. I was disappointed by the delay but was pleased to know that the President met with Giffords.

April 30th
• Obama shakes a finger at the "birthers" and he Seth Meyers lambaste Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

"The Donald” cries like the spoiled baby he is on Sunday morning Fox News. (Who else would listen to his crap pandering?) Welcome to the Big Leagues Donald, Wanna Play In This Sand Box? Here you go! I could not have been more delighted to see these two very intelligent men rip this idiot to shreds. I love watching that jerk just sit there and grind his teeth while the President put him in his place. (All during that event, our nation was preparing for the dangerous mission of crossing into Pakistan to take out Osama Bin Laden.)

May 1st.
Obama signals “GO” on an incredibly dangerous and risky mission to take out the most wanted man in the world and the mission is successful.

Beatification of Pope John Paul II was celebrated in Rome in a truly beautiful and memory filled ceremony at Vatican City.

I watched a good portion of the beatification, it was hard to concentrate with all of that Latin going on but the music and the pageantry was so beautiful. It has always been a dream of mine to see Vatican City to be able view the amazing structures and art first hand.

At 10:30pm I was texted by my girlfriend who is away in TX to turn to the news for the President. Obama informs the world that Bin Laden is dead and his body is in the custody of the American Military. I was in a surreal state of shock for the next 30 minutes. I was concerned by the jubilant response to the news. It is not what I felt at all.

I was taken by the following quote. "I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." --Martin Luther King, Jr.

May 2nd.
Can we all take a breath now? I am tired and need a break from "The Breaking News."

Thursday April 28 ~ 2011

2011-04-28T11:47:00.003-07:00

I never thought that I would see, in this day an age, in our nation, a small, ignorant and short minded group, under the guise of patriotism, refuse to admit their own short sighted bigotry. This entire "birther" issue has absolutely nothing to do with our nations President being born in the USA but it is absolutely and totally about his being black.

This resolute refusal to accept that an exceptional individual could come from a minority group in our country, utilize the system provided and attain the greatest seat of power this nation can offer one of is citizens flies in the face of the countries deepest creed; "Achieving The American Dream". Or is this "Dream" only for the "White Folk"?

When I see a *man (disclaimer: I use that term with the greatest of reservations) like Donald Trump pandering to the absolute lowest common denominator & stirring up this race based vitriolic dialog and baiting these groups to further his own fame the worst of all possible behavior for a *person (please see above disclaimer) in his position of being able to command attention and TV time.

I absolutely loved Ron Reagan's comment on MSNBC's Hardball last evening asking how we could take person with a "confectionary cotton candy combover" seriously and WHY were we paying him nay heed. I was also proud of Lawrence O'Donnell's attack against NBC's entrainment division for allowing this farce to continue when Trump may already be contractually committed to another season of his FAKE Reality TV show.

I watched the news in spurts over these last 4 weeks due in most part to the entire month of April being spent driving over 7300 miles up and down the East Coast for 3 gigs in 3 weeks AND moving my mother into her new apartment. I was actually shocked to see that this story still had ANY teeth left to it after EVERY news agency and even that flake Bill O'Reilly from Fox saying that this should end due to the fact that there has been absolutely no evidence to support these ridiculous notions.

There were no riots in 2008 over the fact that John McCain was born on a military base in the Panama Canal, ANOTHER COUNTRY, and the issue was put to rest as soon as everyone said it was okay. Is this because he is the "White Guy"? I am actually starting to really believe so and that there is a group of individuals in this country that just cannot resolve to accept that a black man is our Commander and Chief.

This ability of these hate mongers to find each other and gain momentum is due solely to the rise of the Internet. This form of information retrieval and communications devise is as much a blessing as it is a curse. It allows the insanity gain footing and yet at the same time it lets me voice my absolute dismay that it can continue.

I was as proud as I was saddened yesterday as I watched our President address this issue yet again. My overriding thought was that he was actually doing this as much for our nation as he was for his children. My heart breaks for those two beautiful young girls as well as his wife Michelle who also has to witness this attack on her husband.

I cannot abide hatred and bigotry, I cannot fathom a persons hatred for the color of their skin. I saw it first hand just over a year ago in my classroom in Santa Fe, when I was playing music for the students to work to, and a male student called BB King a "Screaming F-ing N-word" in front of my class.

We need to make a choice in this Nation of ours.

Are we a true melting pot or not?

Are we a Nation that believes in attaining the American Dream?

Are we or are we not and entire nation of immigrants?

If not, I would kindly ask those that do not believe in equality for all to leave the country and choose another place to reside.

Thursday March 31 ~ 2011 ~

2011-03-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day: "Only the educated are free." Epictetus

When I sit down to try to write after a prolonged absence from posting I get frustrated by too many things to say. Not only do I have loads to comment on in the political arena I had much to say in regards to my personal life as well.

The beginning of March found me in Oakland for the NorCal one day show with my friend Gail Crosman Moore. We had some much needed time together and as usual it was way too short.

I got home to Abq. just in time for my presence to be required in jury duty for two weeks. Now this is two weeks of not being able to get work done during the day due to my inability to take my MacBook Pro into the courthouse. (it has a camera) I actually had to get my old PowerBok G4 shipped out to my from Tucson the last 2 days of my daytime "incarceration."

With my days being shot to hell in a hand-basket, my evenings were dedicated to scrambling like a crazed person getting ready for 3 weekends of events and teaching in April. As well as driving across the country and up and down the eastern seaboard for 3 weeks I am bopping in and out of Dayton getting my mom moved into her new apartment.

My mom has decided to finally sell the house that I grew up in from when I was 3 years old. I have not lived in this house since I was 18, so I have no real attachments involved. It is just difficult timing. I only have a two days here and two days there to get a load of things accomplished for her final move. I am very happy about her choice to get out of a house that was way to large for her needs and feel that this will simplify her life in a great many ways as well as be a very great new adventure for her.

This evening I am sitting in a hotel just east of Nashville TN drinking my tea and waiting for the Melatonin to kick in so I can get to sleep.

I am watching the news and am dumbfounded by so much of the fighting amongst the two parties in the House and the Senate. The bickering just keeps going on and on. The Republicans keep talking about how they want to focus on jobs but can only see fit to take away a woman's right to affordable health care by the de-funding Planned Parenthood, to pass legislation to de-fund NPR, eliminate collective bargaining through the newly elected Republican governors in our nation and try like hell to demean our President by any means necessary.

A post from the Daily Kos that made my day:

According to most right-wing pundits, President Obama represents the demon seed of socialism. Just today, for example, Rep. Michele Bachmann said he's intentionally making Americans poorer.

But let's put aside all the hot air and just look at the facts. Based on this chart of stock market performance under Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama, can you figure out which administration had the anti-growth record?

Wednesday February 23rd ~ 2011

2011-02-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

I moved to Albuquerque last June, evidently after the worst of the allergy season had passed by. Well, 3 or 4 days ago the winds started to pick up here and I started sneezing and my eyes started watering. Not thinking that the two occurrences could be connected, I thought that I was getting a cold. I asked my health care providing girlfriend what I should take for these symptoms to avoid getting all out sick. She promptly informed me that I was having an allergic reaction to all of the pollens that were being stirred up due to the winds and to not expect it to end till mid May. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked by this pronouncement. I have never been allergic to anything and now I am on Zyrtec and I hate pills.

Sombrero Galaxy

So why the picture of a distant galaxy? I am gonna tell you.

First off, let it be known to all that, sneezing and sniffing is hard and takes it out of you. After 20 plus hours of these draining activities, I was really tired and worn out by this newly addressed affliction. I was tucked in bed with some tea and watching a NOVA series on space. The experts were talking about all of the different Galaxies and Dark Matter and Dark Energy and how our Galaxy is part of a bigger Galaxy in a sea of Galaxies.

I was so tired and my mind so fluid that these theories started to creep into my mind and the notion of infinity started to take shape. These theories were so immense, I got totally freaked out by the concept of infinity and I was starting to grasp the enormity of this infinity and I could actually start to see it. I had to turn off the program because I was starting to feel very insignificant. I realized that we individuals are less than a grain of sand on the beach of the universe and I really did not like that feeling too much.

We live on this planet that is floating in a sea of infinity, there is no end, it just keeps going. Yet, to us, this world is so amazing and huge and intricate that we can easily become overwhelmed by the sizes of it's problems. I believe that there is nothing that we can't over come, nothing that we can't solve and nothing that we can't dare. I believe that if we can see into the heavens, look back through time to the beginnings of our universe, I am sure that we can tackle the issues that we are presented with and solve them. If there are those on this planet that can grasp something as huge as "out there" surely there are some of us that can grasp "right here" and work to solve what confronts us.

Friday February 18th ~ 2011

2011-02-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Arizona is headed off the deep end and Jan Brewer is the sadistic wolf that is leading the sheep off of the cliff to their doom. She actually has NO right what so ever to sound off on these issues. I am truly sick and tired of the extremist right activities that this governor thinks she is entitled.

1. AZ SB 1070: She signed a law that systematically tried to force the police to profile anyone that may "look" like and illegal and ask them for documentation as to their right to be in AZ.

2. AZ Health Care Cost Containment System: She has denied transplant patients life saving medical procedures, several lives have been lost to her callus and irresponsible stand.

3. She is promoting a bill in AZ to calls into question laws that have been on the books in our country since the Civil Rights Act of 1866.

Here is what the 14th. Amendment actually says

14th Amendment to the United States Constitution

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

I lived in Tucson for a few years and was pleased to find that bastion of liberal blue in the sea overwhelming restrictive red. The people of AZ have to stand up and end this systemic dismantling of the rights that this country has fought and died for.

What I am glad to see that is that the democratic tsunami that is sweeping through middle east is igniting a fire under the ass of the people that let the Republicans gain control of the House in Congress & elect a number of Republican Governors whose only allegiance is to the top 2% wealth of this nation.

Wisconsin was to see a 121 billion dollar surplus in its budget, then the newly elected governor Walker set in place a number of tax cuts to the wealthiest of the wealthy and NOW the state is in line for a 151 billion dollar deficit. He is now trying to lay that cost on who???? Oh yeah.. the middle class, and is trying limit the collective bargaining rights of union workers of those middle class workers.

Over the past few days, these people are standing up and telling the Republicans of Wisconsin that this is not an option. I am so proud of the Democratic representatives standing along side of the middle class and actually leaving to state to stop this steamrolling legislation from being voted on.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are some unions out there that have way to much power and can send me screaming down the street , but I will defend the rights of these unions to represent it's workers that gave a voice to those who spent generations having none.

Voices are not to be silenced and the Democratic liberal voice has to become organized or else we will be forced to live in a nation where is it commonplace for our rights to be dismantled and our voices to be silenced by those who only answer to the wealthy of our nation. Believe me when I say that the Koch family does not care about American Family Values, they only care about their billions.

Friday February 11 ~ 2011

2011-02-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

Here is to those who flourish against all opposition. My heart soars for Egypt and all of those that chose to follow the teachings of Gandhi & Martin Luther King in knowing that non-violent opposition to oppression would give them the freedoms that they so desire.

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swaps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. DO not let the hero in your soul perish in the lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exhausts… it is real… it is possible… it's yours." ~ Ayn Rand ~

Thursday February 10 ~ 2011

2011-02-10T23:41:00.001-07:00

My week in Tucson, exhibiting at the Best Bead Show and teaching, was a great time, once we got there! Terri & I left Albuquerque at 10:10am on Tuesday morning right as the blizzard conditions were just hitting their stride. As we drove south towards Hatch, NM the storm only got worse and at times we were traveling through near whiteout conditions. The conditions cleared as we approached Truth of Consequences, NM and to say that I was grateful to finally set the cruse control and relax my death grip on the steering wheel.

Setup went smooth and we hooked up with friends for our favorite Shrimp Culichi. Wednesday was our 14 hour day and it was so freaking cold that the outdoors exhibitors and those in the tents had to close up early. In the years that I lived in Tucson, I had never experienced temperatures that cold.

The rest of the show days got continually warmer and those customers that had gotten trapped in the countrywide storm trickled into town and added to the fun. It is always so great to see friends that I only get to see just once a year for these few days and the show atmosphere adds to the enthusiasm.

Terri & I got to spend this past Monday exploring the To Bead True Blue, Pueblo and Riverview Inn shows before we started out trek home.

As always, it is wonderful to get home, snuggle with my grey fuzzy and sleep in our own bed. Spent this past Tuesday, being a totally sloth, resting from the previous week and trying to get a list together of all of the things that I needed to get accomplished before Friday

All during these few days home I have been totally absorbed in the demonstrations in Egypt. The news has been on almost non-stop since I got back to New Mexico. I am amazed by the courage and determination of these Egyptians and the desire to fight for the freedoms that they have been denied for the last 3 decades. I am impressed that the people are demonstrating peacefully, policing the square themselves.

This evening’s announcement by Mubarak only continues to demonstrate the amazing amount of self-delusion that this man lives by. For some reason he just continues to believe that these protests will just fade away and everything will return to business as usual. He continues to try the same old propaganda, to try to blame exterior forces for causing this disruption and blaming the cable news media for inciting the hysteria.

I too, take off my shoe in disgust for this regime and yes… he must go!

Wednesday February 2nd ~ 2011

2011-02-01T23:49:00.001-07:00

The Rules of Being Human

You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for as long as you live. How you take care of it or fail to take care of it can make an enormous difference in the quality of your life.

You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time, informal school called Life. Each day, you will be presented with opportunities to learn what you need to know. The lessons presented are often completely different from those you think you need.

There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error and experimentation. You can learn as much from failure as you can from success. Maybe more.

A lesson is repeated until it is learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it (as evidenced by a change in your attitude and ultimately your behavior) then you can go on to the next lesson.

Learning lessons does not end. There is no stage of life that does not contain some lessons. As long as you live there will be something more to learn.

“There” is no better than “here”. When your “there” has become a “here” you will simply discover another “there” that will again look better than your “here.” Don’t be fooled by believing that the unattainable is better than what you have.

Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. When tempted to criticize others, ask yourself why you feel so strongly.

What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you create with those tools and resources is up to you. Remember that through desire, goal setting and unflagging effort you can have anything you want. Persistence is the key to success.

The answers lie inside of you. The solutions to all of life’s problems lie within your grasp. All you need to do is ask, look, listen and trust yourself.

Tuesday February 1st ~ 2011

2011-02-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

Well, here is February 1st and I am out the door for the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. I am exhibiting at the Best Bead Show at the Kino Sports Complex. If you are in town.. stop by booth G-510 in the main gym.

I had one of the worst days at my bench that I have ever had today. No matter what I touched I ruined it. I have about 10 pieces that I wanted to assemble and after I totally screwed up the first 3 I decided that I needed to listen to that screaming voice in my head to "STOP" and "LET IT GO!" I have not had one of these days in a very long time and it was rather disappointing to know that I had hit the proverbial stone wall.

So I just went on with the other mundane tasks that I had on my plate for the day and got all of those accomplished in my very retentive manner and only had one minor melt-down when I could not find my jewelry pricing tags that were right in front of my face the entire time.

I am fascinated by all of the events that are unfolding in Egypt and the Middle East this last week. It is incredible what role the Internet, Social Media and Cell Phone Technology have played in the social uprising against "President" Hosni Mubarak and against Tunisia's leader. (Now, I use the word "President" loosely, Mubarak is a dictator who heads one of the worlds most corrupt and brutal Police Forces in the world.)

His regime has been in place for 30 years and even though their have been "elections" all who follow the goings on in the Middle East know that there is none of the freedoms that we hold so dearly. Over 40% of this nation lives on about $2.00 a day and these people work for pay so they can feed their family that evening.

I think that it is amazing that is was the youth of this nation that have risen up and for the most part have participated in peaceful demonstrations for the ouster of this dictator. Egypt is a very peace loving nation and there is no chance of any Islamic power struggle in this country.

I will continue to follow this action with great interest and it is my fervent hope that the protests are peaceful and that these people gain the freedoms and services that they so desperately desire.

Wednesday January 26th ~ 2011

2011-01-26T23:03:00.003-07:00

I need someone to explain this to me please...

I spent the last week getting to Florida and back so I could teach Friday, Saturday & Sunday of last weekend. I also gave a talk on "How to Find Your Creative Voice in an Over Stimulating World" on Thursday evening at the South Florida Guilds meeting.

During the 2000 mile drive from Albuquerque to Miami I drove through some of the most conservative areas of our country. As I was traveling along I started to see a very interesting pattern. I tend to drive through the center of the country a great deal and most of those states are considered pretty conservative. As I passed through these last few states I noticed something strange.

What has struck me as an odd dichotomy is the very real fact that there are more XXX rated Adult Super Stores in these Ultra-Conservative, Religious Fundamentalist Republican states than I have ever encountered in any liberal state that I have visited

My perplexed state comes from a very real double standard that is being represented. How is it that these states that lay claim to be so morally and religiously superior to the rest of us heathens, have more billboards touting the damnation that a woman will incur is she dares to have an abortion and yet have HUGE billboards for strip clubs that "bare all" & XXX rated video stores with 1000's of the hottest titles and massage parlors that I am assuming are not actually giving massages.

How do the people who live in these states reconcile these two diametrically opposing points of view? Do the inhabitants of these states find it acceptable to have such establishments open for business and having these billboards seen for all who travel along see their moral two-faced lives?

Now here is the major caveat to these observations, to me it seems that the majority of these establishments are placed along the highways so that maybe the locals can claim that it's the travelers that are passing through that visit these businesses. But as I was driving, I actually took the time to take an exit or two and look at the cars in these lots and I was not surprised at all to see that majority of the cars were locals plates.

I find the moral dilemma here a fascinating one for sure. I would truly love to understand how the strict moral right can reconcile this issue for me in a way that does not demean and belittle the moral values that they scream so loudly about.

Thursday January 20th ~ 2011

2011-01-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

I do own the Classic black iPod.

I am in Miami after a long drive of 2 and a half days. I forwent my usual book listening routine and I decided that I needed to listen to some music during this trip.

The first day I set my iPod to shuffle and was entertained by a very wide variety of musical selections. Yesterday was dedicated to Tom Waits, his gravelly voice unique view of the world. Today was spent jamming to Prince while I finished up my trip in 80º sunshine traveling south on the Florida Turnpike. All in all a very rewarding musical drive.

I gave my talk this evening for the South Florida Jewelry Guild and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and catch up with friends and even a kindred spirit that I have not seen in over 2 years. So.. to say it was fun is an understatement and that are a totally delightful group of people.

I am teaching for the next three days and am looking forward to it very much, it has been a few months since I was in front of a class of students, bending them to my will and forcing them to do what I tell them to do.. (just kidding) I love teaching, it is one of the few times in my life that I am totally at ease.

Tomorrow morning we are tackling the Loop-n-Loop chain and then we will abuse some heavier gauge wire in the afternoon. Saturday's class is the hand forged cuff and Sunday is two Chain Maille Classes. This group keeps me on my toes for sure!

I will try to remember to post some pictures of this weekends class

Monday January 17th ~ 2011

2011-01-17T22:30:00.003-07:00

No matter how horrific as last weeks events in Tucson were, the citizens of my former city gathered their courage, faced the pain and embraced the people that were injured and who were tragically killed.

The questions that have followed have given me some very important thing to consider. I grew up in a household that had guns my father hunted when I was younger and so I have never been opposed to people that own firearms and hunt.

What I have become opposed to is semi-automatic hand guns and riffles whose ONLY purpose is to kill. I do not care what any "hunter" says, these guns are not about hunting and to say that they are actually belittles the true hunters.

I am now also very opposed to these ridiculous extended clips that can hold over 30 rounds of ammunition. Who, except one who is bent on destruction, needs to rapidly fire off 30 plus bullets in less than 20 seconds?

I found myself pondering many things on this holiday.

So, today we came together as a Nation to honor Matin Luther King Jr. and to remember all that he stood for and all that he fought for.

We lost this amazing man to violence as well as Bobby and John Kennedy and still we have learned nothing as a Nation. We have children going to schools and killing fellow students. We have disgruntled and disenfranchised people going into their places of employment and opening fire.

How many more tragedies do we want our nation to endure till we see that the ease of access that we so adamantly embrace in our country needs to be rethought and addressed in a sane and reasonable manner and, I am sorry to say, the NRA has got to take a pill and be quiet.

So with Mr. King in mind and in true fitting tribute, I leave you with this final thought.

"Last week we saw a white Catholic male Republican judge murdered on his way to greet a Democratic Jewish woman member of Congress, who was his friend. Her life was saved initially by a 20-year-old Mexican-American gay college student, and eventually by a Korean American combat surgeon, and this all was eulogized by our African American President."

Saturday January 15th ~ 2011

2011-01-15T10:33:00.001-07:00

I am getting ready for a wonderful 2000 mile drive to Miami starting next Tuesday morning. I have a date with the South Florida Jewelry Guild where I will be teaching and giving a talk on Thursday night.

I am getting to drive through a few more states that I have not been through. I have never been through Mississippi, Alabama and I have only ever driven around New Orleans in Louisiana, so I do not think that really counts and I am looking forward to seeing some new sights.

As I charted out my path to Miami I pulled up a map of the US and started checking off the states that I have driven through and I have to say that I have been through more than I had thought.

I need some suggestions for going to the following states that I have yet to visit.
Let me know what each of these states has to offer for exploration. I am always up for a new adventure.

1. Idaho
2. North Dakota
4. Minnesota
5. Arkansas
6. Maine
7. Alaska

If I can get to these last few states I will have driven through all 50 states of this nation. Now I have driven in Hawaii but only on the Island of Oahu so I have some more exploring to do there for sure…

Wednesday January 12th ~ 2011

2011-01-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

~ Well spoken Mr President, thank you! ~

‎"I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us - we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children's expectations." ~ President Obama ~

These words were spoken this evening at the Memorial in Tucson Arizona. I was moved by the entire service and with the cross section of individuals that were in attendance, letting vitriolic discourse take a break for the time being. All who stood at the lectern spoke with eloquence and heartfelt humility.

It is time like these that reaffirm my faith in humanity and that there may be hope for us after all to embrace the changes that we need to make. As I stated earlier this week, it is these moments that matter for us as humans, as citizens of the country and citizens of the world.

We need to do better, we need to exist in this world with people that we disagree with and honor their right to a differing opinion. It is hard, because it is hard is what makes it so worth fighting for but it is what makes this nation an amazing place.

My one and only partisan statement this evening:

In attendance this evening:
Barack and Mrs Obama - The President and the First Lady of the United States
Nancy Pelosi - House Minority Leader
Janet Napolitano - Security of Homeland Security
Eric Holder - U.S. Attorney General
Jan Brewer - governor of Arizona

Absent this evening:
John Boehner - House Majority Leader -

He decided that attending a GOP fund raiser was more important that showing respect for those that lost their lives and showing that he might actually give a damn.

I am sorry Mr Boehner, I do not believe your tears have ever been heartfelt.

Here is a fun thing to do for the day for a really good laugh!

1. Go to Google Maps - Get Directions
2. Write Japan as your start point
3. Write China as your destination
4. Go to the 42nd point on your route, and when you stop laughing, pass it in so others can laugh as well.

Tuesday January 11th ~ 2011

2011-01-11T22:20:00.001-07:00

Seven Deadly Sins

"Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Science without humanity
Knowledge without character
Politics without principle
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Think about these words and the man that spoke them.
This was a man that lived by the practice of non-violent
demonstration and forced an occupying nation to recognize
that the people of his native nation had worth and mattered.

These are truly deadly sins and we need to heed his words.
Why? Because they are the truth and these are words that fostered change!

Monday January 10th ~ 2011

2011-01-10T22:40:00.002-07:00

We Must Choose Peace and NOT the Crosshairs of a Gunsight.

I have not spent a great deal of time on my blog last year, which I am sure is obvious. My thoughts have been focused inwards and my life has been shifted onto such a crazy busy track that even when I feel I do have something to share, I run out of time in my day to write it down in a coherent form to share these thoughts. It is my desire to get back to writing, I have missed it!

This weekends horrific events in my former town of Tucson have rekindled my desire to write and to express myself and I feel the need to share some very real observations that I have taken in over the last decade.

There were real heros in Tucson this past weekend. Daniel Hernandez, a 20 year old intern who is credited with saving Congresswoman Giffords because he chose to stay in the line of fire and not run and Patricia Maisch, 61, who wrestled the clip of bullets away from the gunman.

We honor those who acted bravely and our thoughts and prayers are with those family members and friends who lost loved ones while they were living and practicing our democratic freedoms.
~~~~~~~~
Just in the first ten of the 21st century their have been witness to some very amazing events that have caused our national consciousness to be united as one and it is my fervent hope that this weekends tragedy rises to that status and causes a real revue of how we speak and what we speak. The rhetoric and hate speech must end and we must restore our civility.

There is no excuse for a member of congress to call our President a LIAR during the State of the Union Address nor is there any reason for a citizen to yell out from the gallery in the House of Representatives during the order of business.

It has to end and we must remember that we are a civilized nation.

Right after 9/11 I remember the feeling that this country was totally united in being a nation bonded together more strongly and we would turn a corner towards a more compassionate and caring nation. I watched as people went out of their way to be kind and considerate and we were just aware of the fact that we live in a world full of other humans and that these people were aware of you in the world.

Those moments of our collective unity deserted our conscious all to quickly as we dulled our senses with the mind numbing tasks of day to day life and we did fail on a solemn promised. "Never Forget".

Then in 2008, this nation came together as I had never seen in my adult life and we chose to elect an optimistic and charismatic African American to the office of President of the United Sates. We elected a man who dared to bring out those qualities in us again and for a short while we as a nation basked in that light once again.

We existed in that glow of awareness and the aura of a conscious knowledge that we must act together as a unified nation and that if we do work together we will be able to solve any problem. But that time passed away too quickly as well, it was over shadowed by hate speech, out and out lies and a right wing TV and Radio media that made a choice to destroy that hope and that light. We chose to let lies and hate take away what we had fought so hard to bring to out of the darkness.

We need to take the events in Tucson, focus the collective nation, demand an end to hate speech and incendiary rhetoric and require that those that say they speak the truth actually do just that! Speak the Truth!
~~~~~~~~~
Here is your hero test for the day!

Our nation loves it's heros and yet we forget them all too quickly.

How many of you can tell me what Chesley B. (Sully) Sullenberger was responsible for in 2009 without Googling the name? This is a real test of how much you choose to actually pay attention and to place in your minds Rolodex happenings that we should actually remember.

Sunday November 28th ~ 2010

2010-11-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

~ Now on to the serious stuff. ~

Because Words Cannot Describe How Dumb This Is.

I have been very frustrated by the turn of events that our Nation has taken in this past election cycle. We are an impatient lot and I guess that it does not matter that we were warned that recovery was going to take time and that there were no quick fixes and that it was going to be hard and going to hurt to achieve the recovery that is desired.

But what I find more disturbing than anything is the continued popularity of that quitter of a Governor from Alaska. I have a hard time even saying her name. What bothers me is that people are giving her credentials that she has in no way earned and are believing the hate filled rhetoric that she spews forth.

Here is a "political" figure that only operates on a one way street. She does not allow questions or confrontation, belittles anyone that challenges her and only communicates with the world through social media. Her handlers delete detracting comments on her posts on Face Book and she does not even have the courage to have a BLOG and then have to stand by her statements.

This country has two years to get our crap toothier and not let the unthinkable happen. I am begging us all to not get complacent, do not lose hope. Remember to keep the courage of your convictions and speak out for the promises that this administration is fighting for. I am not saying that they have been perfect but they are a damn sight better than the ones that just got elected to congress.

Please, read the following two columns and start to do real research, then do not keep this information to yourself. Read from the all sources and come to real conclusions and to not get suck into hate speech and fear mongering.

First Article:
THE HUFFINGTON POST - Why Sarah Palin's North Korea Flub Matters

One of the Huffington Post Moderators commented on this article and the following text is one of the most insightful comments that I have read in awhile.

LMKay66: "This is the same woman who didn't know Africa is a continent. So I'm not sure it was just a slip of the tongue. Besides that, she is not qualified to speak on the matter, or any other matters as far as I'm concerned. I think she's a fraud who has gotten this far on her looks and her so-called charisma (though I don't think junior high school-level snarkiness can be construed as charismatic). She didn't make a good mayor or Governor. She was a joke of a VP candidate, and she couldn't even finish one term as Governor. Now Fox news calls her a "news analyst" as if she's supposed to be taken seriously? I can't tell you how dangerous it is that the media's obsession with her continues to enable her and her ego to the point where she is seriously considering running for president. The media has the power to influence elections. I believe the media influenced the midterms with their Republican takeover narrative. If they decide to take up a Palin as President narrative, we're in trouble."

Second Article:
Des Moines Regester - Political advisers: Sarah Palin's 'star power' alone isn't enough

In closing, I am sure that we can all agree that we desire and desperately need leaders that are actually smarter than ourselves. I know that I would prefer a Rhodes Scholar (Clinton) or the President of the Harvard Law Review (Obama) over a C average Harvard Graduate (Bush Jr.) of someone that went to 6 colleges and came out with a Journalism Degree. (Palin)

Saturday November 27th ~ 2010

2010-11-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

tied to the monthly planner

I have spent the last two days making sure that all of my dates for 2011 are in order and I am looking for those few rare slots in my schedule that I want so I will be able to open up my in home studio classes. I have really missed the intimacy of my smaller studio sessions where I actually get to know the names of my students and we get to have some quality one-on-one time.

My real goal for the next 48 hours is to truly get my website updated and have all of those dates plugged in and get some real work done in in my studio during the month of December. I have some sketches and some ideas that have been stewing for long enough that I think that I am actually ready to take the next leap of faith and start creating.

I love my Kindle...

I have been reading a great deal lately as well. I broke down and bought myself a Kindle DX and have been truly enjoying getting back into the groove of the taking in a good story. I started off quickly with the two latest Laurie King novels, "The Language of Bees" and "God of the Hive." Then I jumped full into Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End." Now, after a huge recommendation from a friend, I have chosen to dive head long into the Stieg Larsson trilogy.

It has been way to long since I have been able to sit down and read a book without getting huge headaches. When I was in college, I put my head through a windshield and I suffered a loss of muscle coordination that made it hard for my eyes to work together to read for extended periods of time. But to my delight, I find that the Kindle screen does not make my eyes tired nor does it make my head pound, so I have been devouring books again for the first time in ages.

I am finishing up my 5th Master Muse challenge that will be sent off on Monday for all to see. I am pleased with this one and think that it is one of my better ones for the year. After this, I have only one left and then the next group of Masters will take over.

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful start to the holiday season. Mine, so far, has been excellent indeed.

Wednesday November 17th ~ 2010

2010-11-17T00:37:00.000-07:00

Can someone please tell me what happened to this year? How has Thanksgiving snuck up on us already and where have the previous 320 days gone? I swear that it was only January a few weeks ago.

I am looking forward to Holidays this year; having a new and invigorated outlook on life is always a plus. I cannot even begin to express how a different point of view and ones personal feelings of inner peace can change your outlook on the entire picture.

Andrea, Christine & Anne doing Mr. Napkin-Head

I just finished up with the BABE show in Oakland last weekend and am now crashing for the rest of the week at my friends Andrea's and Whit's house in Washington State for a few days before I am off again to exhibit this next weekend at the Bellevue Bead Festival.

I love this time of year. I always arrive in Oakland a few days before the show or stay a few days afterwards to hang with my friend Gail and it is always one of the highlights of my year. We both love the Bay Area so much and we always make sure that we get a room in Oakland that has that amazing view of SF.

I had a full days drive up into the Seattle/Tacoma area on Monday had to do some serious driving through an intense rained and wind storm as I passed over the Puget Sound on my way to Port Townsend. I arrived to my destination in a total power blackout, dodging pine branches being blown here and there. Who knew that the "flash light" APP on my Droid could ever come in so handy.

I got to spend today doing our best Mr. Napkin-Head impersonation at breakfast and just relaxing while catching up on good stories and playing a little bit in Andreas studio. I have a few students tomorrow for 2 impromptu fusing classes and then I have some serious work to get done for my next Master Muse project that is due in a few days.

I have a long drive back to Albuquerque the beginning of the next week but I am really looking forward to getting back home to all three of my sweet girls, one very large Odie and a Goodle.

Wednesday October 13th ~ 2010

2010-10-13T22:23:00.007-07:00

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Are we able to rise to the task?

Is humanity able to remember what we have witnessed in Chile for longer than the next few news cycles? Are we, as the human race, capable of keeping this amazing act of humanity in our collective conscious and call to the forefront that many risked all to save 33 individuals?

How is it possible that the human race can be capable of such beauty, bravery, compassion, creativity and a single minded drive to rescue 33 people yet we are able to kill indiscriminately, hate without understanding and live in ignorance without the desire for true knowledge.

I watched in awe and wonder as 6 brave men willingly risked their own lives and descended down that drilled shaft to rescue those trapped miners. I watched till the last rescuer reached the surface and only then did I feel that I could breath again.

It is my hope that we can keep these images in our collective consciousness. It is my hope that we can maintain that drive for the sanctity of human life and hold it sacred. I will continue to hope that we can; but I have little faith left that we will. It does not seem to be in the nature of man to live beyond the immediate.

I was living in San Francisco on 9/11. I was actually up early that morning, cleaning my kitchen, because I was due to leave for London and Paris on the 14th for a 3-week vacation. This was to be my first vacation in almost 3 years. Needless to say, that flight did not happen for me till December.

Immediately following that horrific day there was a deep need for the familiar, a deep need for routine and a desire to be near others. What I remember from that time and for a few weeks following was that we were a collective nation that actually saw others before we saw ourselves. People were conscientious, considerate and thought about how their actions reverberated in the pool of their surroundings.

I was ashamed of how quickly that sense of the world was lost and once again we became a country of the selfish and the self centered, resigned back to our ignorance and isolation.

So, yet again, humanity has been given the chance to unite and to become connected to the rest of the world. Is humanity able to rise to the task? Are we able to cease hating that which we do not fully understand, able to be inclusive instead of exclusive, able to accept that all of humanity is deserving of the chance to strive and rise?

I live by just a few simple rules:

1. Always say thank you.
    (everyone deserves to be acknowledged)
2. Always hold the door open for the next person.
    (that is just plain nice)
3. Smile as you move through the world.
    (most will just wonder what you are thinking about)
4. Never give expecting for a reward.
    (give because it makes you happy to please another)
5. Let the person merge into your lane with a friendly wave.
    (I promise they will not get there any faster, but it makes them feel better about themselves)
6. Kiss your pets every morning.
    (there are few things better than my fuzzy girls purring me awake every morning.)
7. Kiss that special someone good night and good morning every morning.
    (I might suggest that kissing that special someone before you kiss your pets might be a really good idea)

Tuesday September 28th ~ 2010

2010-09-28T22:03:00.004-07:00

Can you believe this week? This has been a week of "what the heck is going on in the world."

A PLEDGE OT AMERICA
A ~ I down loaded the GOP's "Pledge to America" and was mystified by the number of things that they "PLEDGE" to do that have already been done by the current administration. Just the section on health care alone made me want to throw something hard at John Boehner's head. What a load of whooie this piece of propaganda perpetrates. If you want a really good laugh and you really want to get irritated, download the document and pour yourself a strong drink to wash it down with. Be careful you have to wade through page after page of images in between the "pledges."

THINK PROGRESS
B ~ Think Progress had a very interesting article made possible through the Freedom of Information Act, that uncovered proof of what we all knew. The Bush administration was looking for any excuse possible to start armed conflict with Iraq. How many of our nations men and woman in uniform died because of one individuals obsession and why are we not making more noise about it? He is living a secluded life of comfort and isolation and we, as a nation, are left to deal with his disastrous legacy.

THE TEMPEST IN A VERY SMALL TEAPOT
C ~ "Is the tea party one the most successful scams in American political history?
Before you dismiss the question, note that word "successful." Judge the tea party purely on the grounds of effectiveness and you have to admire how a very small group has shaken American political life and seized the microphone offered by the media, including the so-called liberal media."
• Add to this quote the conservative media of Fox News. Here is a broadcast station that states it is delivering the news and it is doing nothing but spoon feeding people who do not want to research for themselves the truth about anything. I have news for you all: 1. The President IS a citizen of the United States, he was born in Hawaii. 2. He is NOT a Muslim, but even if he was; why should we care? Who the heck give a flying fart. 3. The mess we are in right now is NOT his fault. The bailout of the Auto Industry and the TARP deal was all done under Bush's administration. This dude is having to clean up the jerks mess.

HIDDEN UNDER TAX EXEMPT CLOAK, POLITICAL DOLLARS FLOW
D ~ Do you really want to see what is happening in the world of Political Action Groups? Many of these so called Grass Roots groups are run and organized by big business that only have their own pockets and their own profits in their sights. These are dangerous people with an amazing amount of political clout. They are lying to the public and hiding their agenda behind the cloak of "Tax Exempt." They do not have yours or my interests at the forefront of their minds. They just want to put people in power that will continue to turn a blind eye to their unscrupulous business practices. Just go to the Americans for Job Security site and see what a good job these people do to hide behind the mantle of GOOD FOR AMERICA and be afraid, be very afraid.

WHAT TO AMERICANS KNOW ABOUT RELIGION
E ~ This one was my favorite of the week. Our nation is under attack and is under the influence to religious groups who cannot even answer the simplest questions about the faith that they espouse to. The simplest of questions were asked and most could not answer them. The agnostics and the atheists did a much better job because they have actually questioned religion and not just gone on "faith" or just believed what they were told to believe. I for one actually want to understand what I believe in, not just regurgitate doctrine that I was spoon fed. Can you actually believe that less than half of the people asked knew that the Dalai Lama is a Buddhist?

GLORY DAYS
F ~ My BEST news of the week? My beloved Cincinnati Reds won the National League Central Division Title tonight with a walk off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Way to go Jay Bruce.

Thursday Sept. 16th ~ 2010

2010-09-16T13:29:00.002-07:00

Can't believe how time just gets away from me. Right after I got back from Tacoma I had to actually try to finish unpacking and get my house into some sense of order. Adding to that insanity, I had to get my submissions for Bead & Button 2011 made and photographed and submitted.

To accomplish this, the last week of August and into the beginning of September I actually got to run away and hide from the internet and from email and distractions so I could hunker down and get my submissions done.

We escaped the dry-ish heat of New Mexico south, to the 100º plus humidity & heatwave in Texas for a week. I got back into the groove and back to my AZ routine of getting up amazingly early, working for several hours while downing an entire pot of coffee, grab a snack and dive into the pool for an hour swim and then get back to work till dinner time.

I found a good rhythm and I think I got some really nice new classes stepped out and it felt really excellent to get the creative juices going as well as the "fix it" & problem solving part of my work that I so truly love.

At Bead Fest Philly, Gail Crosman Moore & I taught our last session of Color & Patina on Metals with Cold Joining Techniques. We had a blast but we did not get nearly enough time together since she had to leave the next morning to teach up in Maine.

The remainder of my classes went great, but I had my most embarrassing teaching moment. I got to the classroom nice and early on Friday I could get all of my wire cut, handouts passed around, tools redistributed, my teaching bench cleaned and organized. It was 20 minutes before class was to begin, all of the students were sitting in their seats, I was TOTALLY prepped to teach a full day of Low Tech™ Metalsmithing. The problem with this was that I needed to be set up to teach Hand Forged Cuff. Glad I got in early and had that extra 20 minutes.

Almost the moment I got home from Bead Fest Philly, Terri & I left for a real vacation in Toronto for 10 days. I know… what a luxury… and it truly was.

A good part of these days was spent at Shadow Lake about 2.5 hours out of Toronto. Listening to the loons in the morning mist and kayaking on a clear and calm lake, cooking excellent dinners, reading for hours in the sun and just relaxing. It was just amazing.

View of Shadow Lake from our cabin

While in Toronto, we got to go to a Blue Jays game and visited the Royal Ontario Museum to see a wonderful exhibit of the Terra Cotta Warriors from China, got to go up to the top of the CN tower and see all of the city laid before us.

View of CN Tower form our seats at the ball park

View of Toronto from the top of CN Tower

View of Toronto from Center Island

But the best day in the city is when we took the ferry out to Center Island and road bikes around the connecting islands all day long. My best discovery of that day was this collection of toys arranged and hidden in some bushes. The only reason that I found this delightful display of dinosaur combat was that I wanted a picture of the house across the way and I happened to look down. I love the child's mind that created this little scene but what I love even more is that is was left for others to discover and enjoy.

A wonderful discovery of Dinosaur Combat

We need more of these things in the world, small discoveries of joy that make you smile and stop for just a moment.

Tuesday July 20th ~ 2010

2010-07-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy week since I got back from Tacoma. Classes at the Puget Sound Bead Festival were fantastic, the show was fun and I had the worlds best booth neighbor, Jeannette Cook. When we made Facebook plans for a good dinner out for oysters and salmon we had no idea that we would be spending the entire weekend side by side, laughing and people watching. I could not have asked for a better neighbor and I have to say that our entire aisle of vendors was fun and helpful and there was a great deal of frivolity and the sharing of potato chips.

My drive back was wonderful. I ran out of the convention center on Sunday evening as quickly as possible (exactly 22 minutes after the show closed) and drove south to Salem OR to have dinner and spend the night over at my friend Michele Goldstein's house. We hung out as the sun set drinking beers and grilling steak. What a lovely way to unwind after a whirlwind 4 days of teaching and shows.

I drove for 16 hours on Monday and missed the exit I was aiming for and did not realize it for over 20 plus miles, having no desire to turn around I ended up in this mom-n-pop hotel in the middle of nowhere Ludlow CA about 60 miles from the AZ border. To check in you had to go to the gas station across the street and I have to say it felt a little bit Norman Bates… but I woke safe and sound and was on the road by 6am the next morning. The temperature at 6am was already 85º.

I got home and I have to say that I crashed for the next 36 hours and I have now been cramming my brain and getting ready for my submissions for next year. I have have about a month to planning all of 2011 and seeing what I can add to buff out the schedule. I am also getting my house set up and unpacked. I am loving my new studio space.

The house is going to be totally excellent for classes. I can't wait to get some dates up and posted.

Life here in Albuquerque is settling down nicely and a rhythm to life is emerging. Life is good and I am happy.

Wednesday July 7th / Thursday July 8th ~ 2010

2010-07-07T23:51:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last 2 days driving 1800 plus miles to get to Tacoma, Washington for some teaching and some selling. It was a long drive and I got in too late this evening to get to my classroom to set up so tomorrow morning is going to SUCK.

This was a new drive for me this year, now that I am living in New Mexico I no longer have to drive through the LA basin or go over the Grapevine ever again. Never having to make that portion of the drive was totally worth the move alone.

I do love the driving but I have not truly recovered from the move, Bead & Button, un-packing and then repacking. I am tired and I need a few days off after this whole thing.

This image was the best part of my drive today… gives a new definition to hitchhiking don't you think?

Monday July 5th ~ 2010

2010-07-05T21:56:00.002-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe 4th of July. I am not used to being able to buy fire works in the local grocery store. It blew my mind to see an entire aisle of packaged explosives down the center of the frozen food section with a fire extinguisher shoved underneath said explosives, totally out of reach should the need to use it arise. New Mexico has been exciting for sure.

I am getting ready to head out in the morning for the Puget Sound Bead Festival in Tacoma WA. I have a long 2 day drive ahead of me but am looking forward to a very full class of Low Tech Metalsmithing™ on Thursday.

Today has been a crazy day of
~Packing,
Getting any last minute work done,
~More packing.
Printing,
~Even more parking,
A workout at the gym
~And even more packing
Clothes washing
~And have I mentioned … Packing?

The amazing part of this is that I had packed up the classroom tools and my display days ago..

As you can see it has been a day of repetitive progress but I am pretty much done and am off to get as good a night sleep as I can. I am hoping to get as close to Santa Nella, CA tomorrow so my drive up to Tacoma on Wednesday won't be so nasty because I truly need to get my classroom set up for Thursdays class with enough time to get a good rest on Wednesday night!

Sunday July 4th ~ 2010 Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

On July 4th, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed by a bunch of guys who would have been guilty of treason if our desire for independence had not worked out on their favor.

The words are beautiful and speak to our desire to be a nation that believes in freedoms that we are all willing to defend to the end. I know that we all have differing opinions as to how these freedoms are to be insured but I truly believe that we can all agree that these freedoms are essential to the core values and foundation of this nation.

Today; remember in your thoughts the men and women of our nation that have chosen to defend our freedoms and place themselves far away from their families and friends. Give them our thanks as we fire up the grills, crack open the beers and get ready end the day with fireworks.

The following is opening text of the Declaration of Independence with the original spelling and capitalization left in place.

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

Saturday July 3rd ~ 2010 ~ A New Beginning!

2010-07-03T08:16:00.003-07:00

I have needed to take a break for these last few weeks. I have been going through a great many adjustments over the last months. As well as having one of the busiest traveling years that I have had in a decade with way too much driving, I have been finding the desired time at my bench way lacking. Creatively, I have been craving some uninterrupted time with all of my tools and toys within reach and it has not been happening and that fact has been driving me just a little crazy.

Ultimately, all of the life changes that I have embraced over these past several years have culminated with my choice to leave Tucson. Since January, I had been working towards making the move to Albuquerque the end of August but the discovery that I could save thousands of dollars if I hunkered down, got all of my belonging in a POD and moved the very same moment I departed Tucson for Bead & Button was too much to ignore. It was a massive month of insanity, getting up at 5am, packing up stuff for a few hours and then shifting gears to getting things prepared for Bead & Button, then at the end of the day packing up a few more boxes.

That final morning, the movers arrived to pack up the remaining large and heavy stuff and I was finishing packing up the car. I tucked my girls in their carrier and placed them onto the front seat and I drove out of Tucson. There was this release and a weight that left my shoulders as I drove east on the I-10 that was amazing to me. In the end it was one of the easiest choices that I have ever made and one that I am sure was the right one.

To say that I arrived in Milwaukee a bit drained and totally bruised was an understatement. I did get 2 days of rest in Albuquerque before starting the long drive to Milwaukee and that was so very essential. Most importantly, I had to get my two grey girls settled with Terri taking care of them while I was teaching. I could not have asked for a better caretaker, making them feel loved, spoiled, well groomed and totally at ease within hours of their arrival.

As hard as it was to choose to leave Tucson it was just as easy. I miss my amazing creative group of friends and my Bri but I have just been anxious and unsettled and the desire to follow my heart had been growing more intense for over a year.

I am getting settled in a great new house, setting up my studio and I am looking forward to scheduling classes and workshops in most excellent new classroom space.

I am happy and at ease. I am feeling that the choices I have made, the path that I have trodden, the way that my life is moving forward is a positive one that has given me new depth and new clarity.

Tuesday May 18 ~ 2010

2010-05-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Whew, I am back home after a fast and furious trip to California. I departed Tucson Friday morning at 3am to get to Oakland by 4pm and that would get me there in time to get my booth mostly setup for the one day BS NorCal show. As always my friend Gail Crosman Moore and I have a blast when we do this show and the BABE show in November. We get together for these 2 shows and then spend a few days just enjoying San Francisco and the entire Bay Area.

The best part about a friend like I have here is that there are no expectations. We meet up for our fun and we can laugh till our sides hurt, enjoy a fine meal, walk for hours on end talk about creativity and we can just enjoy the quiet of each others company.

I sort of needed to get some down time on Sunday after a very good show on Saturday and then on Monday Gail and I messed around SF and Berkeley all day on Monday. We ended up at a restaurant that was an old favorite of mine, Skates by the Bay has the most amazing view of the entire bay and we enjoyed the sunset so we could avoid getting back to Oakland during rush hour through the MacArthur Maze.

As per my usual ways, I had a mind clearing drive to and from the Bay as I listened to books on tape and delved into my own processes and tried to organize thoughts and desires and creative notions. It is always so important for me to have this time to myself, time that is not disrupted by tasks other than concentrating on the road and seeing the landscape unfold before me.

I have loads to do in the next 12 days and I will keep you all up to date on my progress.

oh and by the way … Shhhh … keep this on the down low … my Cincinnati Reds are doing very well so far this year … I do not want to jinx them so I am not saying much..

Saturday May 8th ~ 2010

2010-05-08T20:30:00.002-07:00

I have always loved Kurt Vonnegut and his work. The following list was a piece that was presented as Kurt Vonnegut's commencement address at MIT in 1997. It's great stuff, but apparently it wasn't written or delivered by Vonnegut. But it's still a beautiful piece... and very much in the Vonnegut style.

~Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:
~Wear sunscreen.
~If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
~Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
~Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.
~Do one thing every day that scares you.
~Sing.
~Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
~Floss.
~Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
~Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
~Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
~Stretch.
~Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
~Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
~Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
~Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
~Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
~Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
~Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
~Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
~Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
~Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
~Travel.
~Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
~Respect your elders.
~Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
~Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
~Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
~But trust me on the sunscreen.

Thursday May 6th ~ 2010

2010-05-06T20:46:00.003-07:00

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."
Albert Einstein.

Well not like this sign. This one is at Saguaro National Park here in Tucson. My hiking buddy Bria & I crack up each time we see this sign when we go out for a hike in the canyon.

But Anyway ~ A few years ago I taught 2 young men how to ride bicycles without trainers. The elder of the two caught on pretty quickly but the younger one had a hard time finding his center of gravity. We went to an open parking lot to practice one afternoon and after a great deal of trial and error I could feel his personal frustration growing and I gave him the following advice.

" Just keep your eyes on the horizon and peddle faster than you are falling. No matter what, just keep peddling and do not look down."

He took off like a rocket and just kept going.

I read Einstein's quote this evening and it reminded me of that experience. I guess I can live on in confidence of my advice to this young man. There are a few wonderful moments in my life that I carry with me that will always make me smile and this one that is tops on my list.

I continue to get ready for my two upcoming shows and for all of my upcoming adventures. I am still looking for sign-ups to fill up my Texturing and Riveting Your Cold Join Pendant Creations class. Pass on the word if you know of someone looking for a really excellent class at B&B this June.

Also, I am very excited about my next Master Muse Challenge. I got all of my supplies on Wednesday from Tonya and for a total change the inspiration for it was right there in my head, I had been milling over something similar in my head for quite some time and the design was pretty much thought out.

I have a rather strange process for a design, I tend to mull things over for ages and figure out all of the steps in my head before I dive in. So having a challenge handed to me that I have been pondering for a while is exciting for me. So, I am going to enjoy working out the final kinks with a few sketches. Keep your eyes tuned in to all of the up coming challenges as they are revealed.

Sunday May 3rd ~ 2010

2010-05-02T21:27:00.001-07:00

I had a very productive day. It was a day of organizations and list of what I needed to do and what I need to buy what I need to print what I need to pack and trying to thing 30 plus days in advance.

The most excellent part of today was the weather. It was cool and breezy and the scent of the rains was blowing in a good two to three hours before they reached my door. To the day I leave this earth there will never be a scent that so relaxes me. The combination of earth mixed with the rain is so unique to Tucson and so a part of my soul. I will always be a part of this desert and I do love it so.

I have lists of lists that are actually getting organized and a plan is forming and being implemented. These next 30 plus days are gonna be insane but I am looking forward to the end result.

I have the Bead Society of Northern California NorCal show on the 15th at the Oakland Mariott Convention Center.

Then Bead & Button the beginning of June. Then I can breath for a week or so before the heat of the summer shows kick in. Be prepared for the craziness of it all.

Check out this Bead & Button Class

2010-05-01T09:31:00.002-07:00

Texturing and Riveting Your Cold Join Connections

Here is the latest class that I added to this years Bead & Button list. If anyone is looking to add to their 2010 Bead and Button Experience. Join me for a extremely fun class that will hone your cold join techniques.

Friday April 12th ~ 2010

2010-04-30T22:47:00.001-07:00

Well, one month of travel done. I traveled through14 states, racking up almost 8000 miles and I listened to the unabridged Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows and the first 6 books of James Patterson's "Women's Murder Club" series.

It is actually a very Zen experience for me, taking in the passing countryside and listening to books on tape. I am not sure how Zen it is listening to Murder and Mayhem along my way but I love it. I have had to promise that I will no longer nap after dark at Rest Stops for fear of the unsubs lurking about in wait.

I now have to get all geared up for a solid month of preparations and ordering and making handouts prepping kits for classes and packing and and and… I am looking forward to the time at home, not having to go out further than getting my hair cut and to the grocery.

I have loads of orders that I started packing up today and I am sorting through all of the back orders from the 3 sets of classes that I taught. All of those things will be out the door A.S.A.P.

I had 3 wonderful and diverse experiences of teaching and many of them have touched me in a most amazing profound way. From a student that did not think that she could grasp it with her OCD and living up to the expectations of a student that had been holding her breath for weeks waiting for class. Each venue was truly excellent.

Lake Erie

Lastly, Upon my arrival in Cleveland Gail and I took a long walk on Lake Erie. Walking out into the lake along the stone jetties and listening to the swells of the lake pounding on the shore. It was so wonderful to breath the fresh air and feel the cool breeze on my face.

I could not have asked for a better end of my trip than being in Cleveland with my friend Gail and totally amazing Cleveland PMC Guild. Because I had several of my previous students in class the silliness kicked in early and ran the entire weekend.

Gail & I taking pictures of each other at the same time! LOL

Ever since I met Gail a few years ago it has been an on going joke that there really is not husband named Lou. He is just a ruse. But now I can report, that there is a Lou but he is Sean Connery. I know that it is confusing, just accept it as the truth and go with the flow!

It was sort of strange to even walk in the door yesterday afternoon. I almost felt disconnected from my own life and my own belongings. That feeling soon melted away as soon as I saw my two grey fuzzy kittens forgo their usual aloofness and greet me immediately. There is not much better than snuggling up next to my girls and relaxing for the evening.

Well after I unloaded the car and returned it to the rental agency.

I am recovering from my journey and I am full throttle for the next 6 weeks till the end of B&B when I actually get a few weeks off till Puget Sound in July.

Tuesday April 27th ~ 2010

2010-04-26T22:26:00.001-07:00

My months journeys are coming to conclusion. I spend this evening in Oklahoma City and as of tonight I have driven over 7000 miles. Within the first 60 minutes of driving to morrow I will pass into Texas on my way home and it seems like a lifetime ago that I was driving east on my April adventure.

There were a great many wonderful experiences and a few that left me wondering.

The Auction for Meesh was an unqualified success. I watched as the auctions came to the closing minutes and I was so moved by the people driving up the bids. We came together as a community to render aid to a fellow artist and to a friend and I have never been more proud of the people that I call friends, colleagues and conspirators. Gail and I were both moved to the core of our souls for what we saw as a unifying spirit that binds out wonderful little community together.

What has left me wondering over these last few weeks is what is ego exactly. I learned my lesson about my own the day that Gail & I announced the auction. I re-posted Gails Blog on mine and the comments were all aimed at Gail and props for her for what she was trying to do for a friend. I have to say that those comments praising Gail got my "green eyes" flaring and after about 5 minutes of feeling undervalued I kicked myself in the ass and asked myself what I was doing this for? Was I trying to help a dear friend or was I looking for a pat on the back. I guess what was important is that it only took me a few minutes to realize that I was being an ASS.

What I am trying to get at is that I am so very worn out by the games and that are played solely for maximum effect. These are individuals that just want to make sure that they are seen by as many as possible in the best light possible. The problem is that they are not any of the things that the profess to be. The fact of the matter is, the game that they play will never win them the final acclaim that they desire. The reality and the selfish egotism cannot be sustained over time and their true colors will be seen in the end.

I have gotten to spend a great deal of time this month contemplating many things as I watch the miles and the scenery pass by. I am grateful for the solitude and for the time to delve deeper into my own ego and give myself a reality check on what is truly important in my life.

Thursday April 8th ~ 2010

2010-04-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

I am way late but hopefully not coming up too terribly short.

The Biggest of the BIG news, I am sure that most have heard about, is that the auction for my friend Michele Goldstein started last Saturday morning on Ebay. Click here ☞ Michele Goldstein Auction ☜ for the link.

Here is the short story for those who are not aware of the situation. Michele Goldstein is an amazing Lampwork artists and dear friend. She had to stop working for several months in order to care for the father of her two boys. He was diagnosed with terminal cancer and he passed away after a very brief but debilitating illness. During those months that Michele cared for Steve things got tight on the financial end as you can imagine. So, Gail Crosman Moore and I decided to get our artist friends to all donate work for an auction to help out Michele and her two boys.

There are 3 auctions that are ending in just under 3 days so take a look at them first. Auction number 56 is one of my favorites, that painting by Kathy Dorfer is truly so very special.The remaining 53 auctions will continue on for another 5 days so please check it out and bid often and bid high.

This has been a wonderful experience seeing our community come together and give of themselves and their art to support a colleague, fellow teacher, artist and friend. There are several of the artists that have donated work that do not know Michele and that act in itself speaks volumes to me of the nature of humanity

On the traveling front:
I have been a driving crazy woman. I left Tucson on Friday and spent Saturday with my girl before heading out across the country. I am here to tell you that the pan handle of Texas is really very flat and that Oklahoma is as well. The highway system in Missouri is a disaster and thank god Illinois and Indiana are very skinny states. All in all, an amazing 1800+ miles from Tucson, AZ to Dayton, OH.

I only drive 500 + miles tomorrow... a walk in the park be comparison no?

I start teaching this Friday morning bright and early at Bead Fest Wire at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA. If you are in the area come and check out the show..

Sunday March 28th ~ 2010

2010-03-28T21:55:00.003-07:00

Dare! Dare to Believe! Dare to Have Faith! Dare!

I signed up for one of those silly applications on Face Book called Daily Zen. Each day words of wisdom and guidance are posted on my wall. I have to say that the zen given for today had sounded so true in my ears.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."

If we take this in the context of our country, in this time and in this moment in history I can find no truer nor more insightful comment.

"Where there is no vision, the people perish."

I am tired of the hatred, I am tired of the rhetoric and I am tired of the falsehoods and I am way too tired of the lies that are being touted as truths in order to scare those that are not informed.

I got into a war of words with a complete stranger the other day. A FB acquaintance of mine posted an image of Sarah Palin that was in no way flattering, she was voicing her opinion about how distressed she was with Palin attending rallies in both AZ and NV. My verbal advisory from Alaska stated that that we just needed to spend time in Alaska and get to know her. I found myself adding my 2 cents to the conversation.

What disturbed me the most about this woman was that she had no interest in the truth nor any desire to listen or to learn. She accused me of not seeking the "real" story. I responded that I actually read from the extreme left and the extreme right and from the middle. When I asked her if she read "The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, The Christian Science Monitor, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post or The New York Times, her retort was to belittle my comments as uninformed. I had to say, in a rather "hoity toity" phrase, "I took umbrage with her remarks". To be just a little "snotty" I am sure that she had no idea what the word umbrage meant either.

I was raised in a very conservative household, in the conservative state of Ohio and it was not until I moved to NYC and traveled outside the boarders of my country to see the rest of the world that I understood that we are just a small part of an entire community of the world and that to be isolationistic is to doom ourselves to perish.

But here is my point for this spring evening: now, on this day and in this time we have a person with a vision in the seat of power and for that I could not feel more secure. For the first time, in a long time, I take pride in my leader and I believe in his mission and his vision. Change cannot happen in a week, in a month or even in a year. Patience is our ally and with it the vision for brighter future is truly within our grasp. We need to believe in what 53% of this nation voted for on that wonderful November day.

Do not let the hateful and the angry gain enough voice to win. Do not let what we have fought for wither and perish with impatience.

Dare! Dare to Believe! Dare to Have Faith! Dare!

Saturday March 27th ~ 2010

2010-03-27T11:31:00.001-07:00

Wish me luck: My plate is full to over flowing and I leave my home for almost a month in less than a week. There is a great deal to update here. I have been negligent on several levels especially in the professional realm. So, here we go.

Several months ago I was asked to submit and article and give an interview for Kalmbach Publishing. The publication is the Art Jewelry Special Wirework 2010. The magazine hit the newsstands just over a month ago and is still very much available. It is loaded with some very fun projects, I highly recommend that you all give it a thorough once-over.

While giving the phone interview, I was grateful to have the opportunity to attempt to give credit where credit was due. I would not be where I am today without the guidance and mostly gentle prodding of Kate Ferrante Richbourg. (Who is now associated with the totally awesome Beaducation.) I look back over these past 10 plus years of teaching and I will always be grateful for that fateful evening, when we were laughing while trying to puzzle out the mysteries of Chain Maille. A great deal of the silliness & humor of that night was lost in the final editing and that is just a sad fact of trying to fill as much information into a very limited space.

Also out this month is the April 2010 issue of Bead & Button Magazine. In this issue the staff of Bead & Button ran a survey to ask the respondents to give up the names of their favorite instructors. When the top 10 were announced, I was blessed to be included with some pretty amazing company. These women: Marcia DeCoster, Celie Fago, Diane Fitzgerald, Mary Hettsmansburger, Lisa Niven Kelly, Laura McCabe, Cynthia Rutledge, Kim St. Jean & Sherry Serafini are some pretty heavy hitters in our world and to be in their company on any level is an honor.

If you take a look at the calendar on my website it will be noticed that I am a crazy traveler for the month of April. I am off to Interweaves Bead Fest Wire, April 9th - 11th, in King of Prussia, PA. I am teaching 3 classes and am really looking forward to participating in this show for the first time. The following weekend I drive south to Miami FL for Best Bead Miami, April 16th-18th. I am teaching there as well and will also have a table in the show. If you are in the Miami area please stop by and say hello. Then I am off to the Cleveland area to teach for the local guild the last weekend in April. Then I drive home and fall over for a few days before I get up and dive into the heart of the summer travels.

I have to finish up my tutorials for the Master Muse Series with Whole Lotta Whimsey. I am working away and trying to give Tonya all the images that she requires. It is a funny thing, I am a minimalist when it comes to images for projects like these and it in direct contrast to what is required here.

I have classes to get up and moving for CraftEdu as well. Keep a lookout for them as well.

There is so much creativity out there right now, it is hard to keep up with it all. It is especially hard when the daily running of life just keeps interrupting.

What a day of fun is in store!

2010-03-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Anne Mitchell and Gail Crosman Moore will be teaching a "Coloring Metals, Assembling Outrageous Components" class the day after the NORCAL Bead Society Show in Oakland at the City Center Marriott on May 16, click on the link above which will direct you to my site to sign up.

Tuesday March 23rd ~ 2010

2010-03-23T22:14:00.001-07:00

Is it a right or is it a privilege?

Edward Kennedy: "Affordable health Insurance is a fundamental right and not a privilege."

For the first time in nearly century this country has taken on the great challenge and has started down the road of providing affordable health care for every person in this country. I watched as our President signed the House Bill this morning and I see us on a road that may actually have a light at the end of a very long dark tunnel.

I am one of those stories that has been talked about. I was laid off from my job after the dot-com crash and 9/11. I used the California COBRA system for as long as it was available to me and at the end of that insurance I had my regular checkup. I was in surgery for the removal of a lump in my breast within 14 days after my insurance ended even though I regularly had my checkups. I was one of the lucky ones, the lump was benign and all I had to do was empty out my retirement account to pay for the surgery. But for the next 5 years I was uninsurable and lived in constant fear that the next mammogram would show another problem.

I watched Obama sign the bill and I listened to both Democratic and Republican responses to its passage. I listened and weighed out both the praise and the condemnation. I cannot fathom the reason as to why there is so much opposition to this and to a public option and to why there is so much opposition to a person being required to have mandatory health insurance.

The Republican Official response this morning stated that there are just a great many people that just do not want health insurance, are healthy and do not need it. I have a very simple and complete response to that imbecilic notion.

1. We are simply a nation of drivers, it is how a great many of us get around. A drivers license is "mandatory" in order to operate a motor vehicle. It mandatory for several reasons, but mostly it is to insure that everyone is as safe as possible, knows and observes the rules and to keep the roadways safe for us all.

2. We are required to carry drivers insurance. WHY? We are required to have this insurance in case there is an accident, if you as a driver hurt someone and that the bills can be paid for and that this person can have health and property restored. This insurance is required for the safety and security of all on the roads.

The Obvious Answer: So, the logic of this mornings argument follows… if I as a driver have never had an accident, never had a ticket I should not be required to have a drivers license and I should not be required to have insurance. If I do not want it I should not be required to get it.

All I can promise you that if this person who does not want insurance has an accident they would expect, hell, they would demand that an ambulance show up in a timely manner and get them to the hospital, they would demand that they receive the proper care at that hospital. If this happens to be a catastrophic accident and this person did not have a large stash of cash then we would rest of the country pick up the tab in the form of raised premiums.

We need to have a nation of people that are healthy and that understand that preventative health care will make the costs of a universal health care system so much more affordable than the horrific system that we are faced with now.

It is a RIGHT for every person in this country to have access to affordable health care. We are a diverse and complex nation and to believe that not having these fundamental basic services not what we stand for as a nation.

Monday May 22nd ~ 2010

2010-03-22T18:07:00.001-07:00

Haters and Big Ol' Meanies Not Allowed

Sorry for being away for so long.

Whew! Santa Fe is over and I have absolutely no time to properly recuperate till I turn around and leave my home for 3 weeks. I am heading to the East Coast for Bead Fest Wire in Valley Forge PA, then off to Best Bead the following weekend in Miami FL, then finishing up in Cleveland the weekend after than one. Right now I think I am going to be leaving Tucson in 12 days for a visit with my mom in Dayton and then on my east coast tour and then finally back home somewhere around the 26th of 27th.

I had one experience in teaching this time that totally shook me to my core. In the safe haven of my classroom i was not prepared to be confronted with pure hatred and bigotry. I turned on some music for the students to listen to while they were working and I chose BB King and a student stated very loudly for all to hear "TWICE" that they could not listen to BB King because he was just a "screaming n_iger". To say that I was shocked, shaking and ashen faced was an understatement.

It took me a day or two to really figure out what it was that had shaken me so badly. While I was taking to the girls about it a word that I had not used before slipped out. I said that I felt violated in some way. I have witnessed hatred, bigotry and the downright stupidity that comes with this kind of ignorance. But, to have it face me in my own classroom in a world where we welcome all individuals shook me to my core.

This experience has changed me as a teacher and as a person. Nothing about this persons appearance or demeanor could have clued me into their extreme levels of ignorance and bigotry. I wish that there was an option for teachers to insert into the class description…

"NO HATERS ALLOWED!!!!"

Wednesday March 10th ~ 2010

2010-03-10T23:40:00.001-07:00

Time passes to quickly and there are never enough hours in the day to get done all that I desire to get done. It is the constant struggle to find that balance between what needs to be accomplished and that which I desire to do.

Just to be clear, I do cherish my solitude. I long for a long and romantic journey on a train, I have slept peacefully and alone under the stars on a beach in Greece and traveling to far and distant lands is a desire beyond desires. I do follow my instincts and always sort of kick myself when I do not listen to that little voice in my head. My only desire is to be true to myself and my friends and to have them to be true to me and the "fitting in" will figure itself out.

I totally believe in kissing for hours on end.

Tuesday March 2nd ~ 2010

2010-03-02T01:16:00.001-07:00

All I can say is that I am so ready for March to be here. The beginning of this year has been way too intense on so many levels. It has been a non-stop whirlwind of one thing after another and each of these things is an obstacle that had to be overcome. I am hoping that with the beginning of this month we can start from scratch and sort of have a do-over for the beginning of 2010. Is that okay with everyone?

To say that I have had a blast watching the Olympic for the last fortnight is a huge understatement. I have been a fan of the Olympics since I was old enough to understand what they were. I have been witness to some of the most amazing sporting events in history because my parents instilled in me the importance and passion of the games.

Franz Klammer - The most famous downhill run in Innsbruck 1976.
Dan Jansen - Speed Skating collapse in 1988 and his glorious victory in 1992.
Olga Korbit - the Russian gymnastic darling of the Munich games of 1972.
Nadia Comăneci - the Romanian gymnast that was the first to ever score a perfect 10 in scoring in 1976 Montreal Games.
Mark Spitz - the American swimmers 7 gold meals at the '72 Munich Games.
Brian Boitano & Brian Orser - Mens Figure Skating - The Battle of the Brians at the Calgary games of 1988.
Dorothy Hamill - American Figure Skating Gold Medalist from the 1976 Innsbruck Games.
Greg Louganis - The American diver that smacked his head on the spring board and went on to win gold at the 1984 & 1988 Games.
Michael Edwards - Eddy the Eagle - The horrible English Ski Jumper who was so bad that he had all of the coaches from every team giving him advise in 1988.
Edwin Moses - American Hurdler who won gold in 76 Montreal and 84 Los Angeles and bronze in 88
Seoul - He could not compete in 80 due to the US boycott of the Moscow Games.
American Hockey - The Miracle on Ice - the 1980 Lake Placid American win over the Russians in the semi-final match. These were college athletes because this was before the inclusion of the professional players inclusion into the games.)

One of the most horrific memories I have is from the 1972 Munich Games and hearing Jim McKay saying through a strained voice "They're all gone" upon hearing that 11 Israeli athletes had been murdered by the group Black September, a militant Palestinian splinter group of the PLO terrorists. I was nine and it was trying to grasp what was happening.

What I have grown to care about over the years of these competitions is that it does not really matter to me who wins. I love that all of these athletes come together and are competing to try to claim a dream that they have striven for. Even through the Eastern/Communist Blocs usage of steroids and the boycotts of the Moscow and Los Angeles games the dreams have endured and the desire to be an Olympian remains such a height to attain. The history of the games is that the Greeks stopped wars to assemble to compete and I believe that this desire to come together in peace and good will still exists.

It is the smiles of the athletes as they attain personal goals that keeps me coming back for every gathering and my heart breaks for each athlete that suffers disappointments. It is the humanity of the games that has captured my own imagination and I love being allowed to take the journey with them.

So, in closing for the 2010 Winter Games, thank you Canada for hosting such an excellent gathering. I await the London Summer Games of 2012. Let the games begin!

2010-02-24T23:21:00.000-07:00

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." Anais Nin

I greeted this day in awe and wonder as I try to greet each day. It seems that some days the sun shines a bit brighter and what I saw as an obstacle pales in the light to what I witness my friends face and overcome. I hope to honor their courage by meeting my obstacles with a modicum of how they face theirs.

Whew, today was a day sitting at my desk with filling out paperwork. I figured out that by spending the billion dollars on the Adobe Creative Suite I coulds now fill out PDF forms without printing, filling out the form by hand, scanning them then attaching them to response emails.

What this means is that the 10 hours I spent filling out and signing contracts and submitting booth applications and really getting loads done today could have actually take twice as long as it did.

So, as much as I sometimes curse technology, there are times like today that I am pleased to have these tools at my disposal.

It has been a long day and tomorrow is going to be another day of lists and placing show orders. I took a brief break for 2 hours this evening to watch the Olympics and am looking forward to a good weekend of sporting events.

Tuesday February 23rd ~ 2010

2010-02-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

I have been hiding for the last week. I really did not mean to, but I just needed to spend time with my GF and to not be interested in anything other than the Olympics. I was spending some serous down time in Albuquerque after the week plus insanity that was the Gem Show. I have gotten some very much needed rest and also got several pieces done for orders as well as for the Mariposa Gallery in Albuquerque. My metal work can be seen with Terri Caspary Schmidt's lampwork. I think the 3 pieces are nice indeed.

Being back home is always nice. I have missed my grey fuzzy girls and I look forward to curling up with them this evening. I still have a load of things on my "to do" plate that must be attended to over the next 48 hours. It is a rather daunting list of things that actually means I need to make a list of my lists in order to make sure that I get it all done.

As I am flying towards Tucson the snow is covering the high desert and I have to say that it is truly beautiful to see. I love a contrail, you know what I mean, those long white cloud-like trails that planes leave in their wake. Whenever I see one several thoughts go through my head.

1st - All of those people in a metal tube hurtling through space, damn that is so cool.
2nd - How did we, as humans, ever figure out how to get that thing off go the ground.
3rd - Are having beverage service right at this moment & what might I order.
4th - Landing is not really landing, it is just really controlled falling

But in a more transcendent flying note: Seeing the curve of the earth at the horizon line from close to 40 thousand feet is a really amazing thing and I will never forget the very first time I saw the Grand Canyon from a plane. I was flying up to the Seattle area and just happened to look out the window and I about crawled over the person sitting in the window seat to get a better view. I have never in my life seen colors like that and to actuality grasp that is was the Snake River below me was way too cool. (I will always associate Evil Kneivel with the Snake River, can't help it.)

Well, I am off to get things accomplished and to make my list shorter and shorter as these next 48 hours tick away.

Friday February 12th ~ 2010

2010-02-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

It is already half way through February? ... Excuse me?

Whew, what a blazing, insane and whirling past nine days. I had a house and a guest house full of people exhibiting and assisting exhibitors for the Gem show and I was doing just the same, so for over a week every time I sat down to write about and post to my Blog I was just too tired and promptly curled up under warm covers and fell fast asleep till my alarm went off the next morning.

Gail and her Life Saving Get Around Wheel-y Cart.

The week and a half was as challenging as it was fulfilling. My friend Gail Crosman Moore overcame way to many obstacles in order to get to Tucson from Massachusetts. In December she had hand surgery, so her poor right paw was in a hard splint to protect it and then to add to her difficulties she fell and broke her fibula just four days before she was due to get on a plane. She always has been a person that I have greatly admired for her humor, talent and soul but this display of grace under fire was totally inspiring. What a total trouper and every day was met with smiles, laughter and several cups of coffee.

Terri and Andrea at the Whole Bead Show's Late Night.

The show itself is always so much fun. I love that, pretty much, everyone shows up to either exhibit or to shop. There are many greetings and much hugging and the show is the kick-off for a new year. Every year the Gem Show seems to signify a new beginning of shows and teaching engagements and we garner the temperature for the new season to come by the general level of optimism those attending. I think that all of us were pleased to see that there is a greater feeling of optimism and a sense that the worst it behind us and that we are moving forward. I know that I certainly hope that this is in fact the case.

My favorite part of the week is Saturday night. We are all at the end or our perspective shows and the tensions of the build-up to it all has ebbed away. Last year, I had a large group of friends over for a cook-out and a real sit down dinner. We did the same this year and just as much fun and silliness and laughter was had by all.

We can be a boisterous group and I love to watch as each niche started laughing at their own conversations the general volume of the room grew. I enjoy how we share our stories of the week, our plans for upcoming years shows and how we can just relax for an evening. The simple bastion of a house and home to sit down in for few hours can really revive the soul. I truly love this night and I so covet this time that I have with my friends loved ones.

Terri and I drove back to Albuquerque yesterday and that officially brought the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show to a close for me. As we drove away from last minute shopping from the Gem Mall I realized how truly tired I was. I can normally drive for upwards of 10 to 12 hours at a time before I start to feel the effects but I only made it 3 hours before I had to hand over the task.

I have loads to do over the next week and a half and I am overwhelmed by the number of emails that I have to answer. I think that I will actually have to make a list of the lists that I need and start from there.

Wednesday February 3rd ~ 2010

2010-02-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

There is an amazing clarity of thought and a sense of peace when you realize that time is fluid and that in order to feel totally a part of your world you just need to let it all go. I feel at times like I have suddenly been shifted to another reality; an alternate universe and that I have tripped through the time space continuum. I can walk into a room and certain things that I am totally sure of are just not so. I can look at a wall and comment n the new coat of paint and am told that it is several years old. Crap like that happens to me at times and I am just dumbfounded and I am no longer sure of which reality I am on or what reality I belong in. So, I just realize that time is not something that anyone can grasp and that our individual reality is only one reality out of billions of realities.

For the last few years, every few months I would do a Google search for an old high school buddy of mine. We where super tight and we did so much together for those 3 years of High School. Then came graduation and I went off to college, then I moved to NYC a few years after that and that was just it. I have no idea why that happened or why either of us let is continue. So, about 4 years ago I started looking. Face Book has re-connected me with several people that I have thought of often and I kept looking for my old friend. I was shocked and deeply saddened that he passed away just over a week ago.

The connection with these two paragraphs and the moral of this story is that do not let time pass into years and then let those years pass. Do not let this reality shift to where a friend no longer exists you cannot find someone that you once held dear.

Rich Masters was a comrade in our mutual theater antics, a fierce conversationalist, funny as all get-out, and a simply a really good dude. I counted him a good friend during my years in High School and I am kicking myself for not working just a bit harder to find him and re-connect. Had Rich not been taken too soon the series of events that has happened would never have occurred. This event has brought together a number of people from that time in my life that I have not seen since my graduation.

I am refocusing and I am going to try to do better in this aspect of my life and I hope that I can find the value in my handling of the time that I am given in this reality.

Gail Crosman Moore arrived on Monday afternoon and I am one of her official chauffeurs. What a trooper she is and having her stay here in just the best. I love the silliness and conversations and the silliness and the amazing company and I really love the silliness. It is going to be some kind of week and I know that we are all looking forward to it.

Terri & her dear friend/assistant Carolyn got in on Tuesday afternoon from Albuquerque for load-in. We stayed up ways to late getting our individual last minute preparations organized for our shows. Sleep was illusive on Tuesday night and we all pretty much depended on our many cups do very strong Peet's French Roast Coffee in order to properly wake up.

I will post tomorrow about "all" of the happenings at the first day of the show. I am just a bit too tired and I need a better nights sleep tonight.

Thursday/Friday January 28/29 ~ 2010

2010-01-29T00:36:00.007-07:00

Today we lost an icon of American literature: J.D. Salinger, the author of the 1953 must read High School Literature Classic " The Catcher in the Rye" died . He last published in 1965 and retired to the seclusion of his home in New Hampshire. Where he spent his days scowling at the photographers who dared peer into his private world.

In 1997 in an NPR interview he was quoted as saying. "I refuse to publish. There's a marvelous peace in not publishing. There's a stillness. When you publish, the world thinks you owe something. If you don't publish, they don't know what you're doing. You can keep it for yourself."

Also from NPR "The Catcher in the Rye inspired censors, assassins and innumerable ordinary readers, who found in Salinger's hopeful yet disillusioned heroes an uncompromising kindred spirit."

He is believed to have stashed reams of unpublished fiction in a vault.

"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."

~Henry Van Dyke~

As I insanely get ready for the Gem Show next week I find that I am growing overly concerned with the passage of time and how swiftly it seems to slips from my grasp.

• Is there time enough to get all of my work done?
• How much time can I get out of each day to work?

Here is the truth about time: As soon as you surrender to time, surrender to it's inevitable rhythmic cadence, knowing that you will not get it all accomplished and that no matter how hard you try there will always be more that you could attain. Surrender to that simple truth and only then will their be a peace that fills you. The goals and tasks that you desire to achieve will gain even greater heights. Be warned, never fail to give time is due, it does not stop and it does not wait, it is ever flowing and much can pass you by if time is not given the proper payment of respect.

MY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

So, here is my big announcement, a few months ago I was invited to participate in a group design team in organized and by and in conjunction with Tonya Davidson and Whole Lotta Whimsy. The owner of this most excellent establishment just happens to be a friend and I am honored to be part of the group.

There are 10 of us and we have been given the auspicious title: Master Muses and over the course of this next year each of us will present 6 projects that challenge us within certain imposed parameters. These projects are meant to expand our techniques and inspire each of us to new levels of creativity. I was "chosen" to be first so click on the above link and let us know what you think.

♥ ♥ "Time goes to swiftly when we are together and too slowly when we are parted…" ♥ ♥

Saturday/Sunday January 23/24 ~ 2010

2010-01-23T23:30:00.001-07:00

A web-cam in Szentgotthárd, Hungary captured this curious bird looking into the camera. The webcam is set to shoot only one frame in every minute, so what are the chances?

I have had a whirlwind 10 days of travel and teaching and I am beat. My last 4 days of teaching for the most excellent Great Lakes Guild has been so wonderful. This is a groups that is totally full of talent and creativity all rolled up into one big ball of laughter and gaiety.

I love coming out here and seeing all of the people that I have gotten to know from my several years of teaching for them. It seems like another lifetime, my first trip out, all I taught was 4 or 5 days of double chain mail classes. Then to come out here and pretty much have an entirely different slant on my career within the profession.

I am now heading back home for a single day of recovery (NOT REALLY) and then I make the last and final push for the Gem Show. I have so much to get done and so much to finish up I just hope that I can accomplish 1/2 of what I desire.

I am pleased to see that our President is getting a little mad. This latest affront from the Supreme Court stating that there are really no limits on campaign contributions is a challenge to the democratic ideas that this country was founded on. We have delivered every elected office to the lobbyists and to the corporations.

I want my politicians to have to sport their corperate sponsorships just like NASCAR driver!

I fully believe that each representative should have to wear patches on his jacket like and NASCAR driver so we the people can see who bought his seat in Congress.

I am also glad to see that he is stiffening his resolve on the banks. They are close to getting back to business as usual and this can just not occur. So many people are in desperate situations because of the selfish acts of these people. We bailed them out and now we are still paying for their arrogance.

I need to see President Obama be okay with not being the man who wants the two sides to come together. I want him to be angry with their "childish politics" and to fight back. I want him to fight back because then all would see how truly inane the opposition party actually is.

I am patient, the truth will won out and we will be stronger for it in the end.

Tuesday/Wednesday January 19/20 ~ 2010

2010-01-19T23:20:00.003-07:00

Check It Out! My friend Bronwen Heilman's face bead made the front cover of the Main Show Guide.. Rock on for you Bron.

Well, I made it to Detroit and I finished my talk this evening. It was wonderful to be back here with this most excellent group of individuals; The Great Lakes Bead Workers Guild.

My topic for this evenings discussion; "Defining Your Creative Voice in an Overly Stimulated World". It is a conversation that I find exceptionally relevant these days with our 24/7/365 lifestyle that has overtaken our society in the last decade. Finding a creative singular and personal voice in a sea of visual input overload.

I am looking forward to my classes over the next 4 day. Resins, Riveting, Chains and Viking Knit are all part of the slated entertainments. Looking forward to the frivolities.

During my last few crazed day of getting ready for my journey to the mid-west I had several errands that took me to all parts of Tucson. I am excited to see all the preparations for the Gem Show really getting underway. I know that these 10 days away are going to bring huge changes as the vast open expanses are overtaken by the tent cities that are erected each year. It is such an exciting time of year here. IT feels as if the entire world of rocks, gems and beads descends on my small desert town. (Oh, Wait.. the entire rock, gem and bead world does descend upon Tucson and it is Fan-Tas-Tic.).

I changed venues this year. I switched over to the Best Bead Show ~ BOOTH SH-9 AT that the Kino Veterans Memorial Sport Complex. I am totally stoked to be in this venue with so many of my friends. I will miss my friends over at the Whole Bead Show but this move just seem like a logical choice for me.

Well, I am beat tonight/this morning and I am gonna tuck in and try to find my sleep. I have to say that I am totally dismayed by the happenings in Massachusetts. I find it hard to fathom the seat that was occupied by Senator Kennedy for over 45 years is to be taken over by a Republican. I thought that Coakley would have been a refreshing change for the Senate. Just knowing that she was not part of the Party Elite, and seeing her quiet yet determined style that served her so well for so many years. She knows the law, she was a prosecutor not a politician, how nice would that have been. I am discouraged that the people are not willing to be patient and to give it a chance to get fixed and to be realistic about the total mess that we are in. This is not going to be fixed or healed in a few months. Eight years of the hellish course we were on cannot be corrected overnight.

Sunday January 17th ~ 2010

2010-01-17T08:54:00.002-07:00

What a week I have had. I have not been this up against the wall slammed in quite some time. The logistics of splitting up my workstations, figuring out when to send off those boxes to arrive in time and still worry about inclement weather has made my salt-n-pepper hair a little more pepper I think.

I altered my travel plans ever so slightly and instead of driving directly to Iowa I got to spend Friday with my friend Elizabeth Bartky. It was wonderful to see Elizabeth and to head out to the Art Institute to take in the Caravaggio exhibit. We had a great time looking at the Masters assembled in those few rooms and yet; the silliness and giggles came out and we had an even better time making rather inappropriate observations of some of the facial expressions and posses that these artists chose to represent.

Prior to the Art Institute Elizabeth took me to the Cultural Center, this building used to house the library but has been transformed and renovated for it's new life. I would have loved to have seen this building full of books and tables and that smell you only get in a library. The artistry of this building is amazing and the Tiffany dome was truly amazing. This is a must-see for anyone that comes to Chicago and is one of my new personal treasures.
Tiffany Dome:

After these 2 most excellent adventures we walked back up Michigan Ave. in the wonderful winter chill and headed for Joe's Steak House. We both had really good meals and really nice wine and we toasted to Scott and started to share our memories and more stories. Scott loved good food, good wine and a really good stories and we did our part to keep a wonderful tradition alive and well. The evening ended up with Elizabeth and I scouring through Borders.

I drove to Cedar Rapids yesterday afternoon, got the classroom all set up last evening and relaxed last night filing and sanding the 19 cuff bracelets that I have been making and assembling piecemeal for the last week in the midst of all of my insanity.

Class today, relax and pack this evening and I fly to Detroit on Monday for four days of classes with the Great Lakes Guild. My whirlwind mid-west tour is off to a great start. I have two really fun designs for chains knocking around in my head and I am looking forward to fusing for 5 or 6 hours today!

Saturday January 9th ~ 2010

2010-01-09T21:40:00.006-07:00

I have stumbled upon www.stumbleupon.com. After you sign up and click on the subjects that are of interest to you this site will randomly pick out web sites that match your selected interests. You will be amazed at what you will "stumble upon". This is one of the most addictive internet activities that has invaded my little insular little world. One of the topics that I checked was philosophy and today these are two of the sites that popped up. What a wonderful, interesting, insightful, informative and intriguing waste of time.

"Seven Blunders of the World"
1. Wealth without work
2. Pleasure without conscience
3. Knowledge without character
4. Commerce without morality
5. Science without humanity
6. Worship without sacrifice
7. Politics without principle
~Mahatma Gandh"

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."
~Albert Einstein

Thursday January 7th ~ 2010

2010-01-07T15:23:00.006-07:00

I am really liking the typing out the numerical twenty-ten... do you think that the start of a new decade brings out optimism? I kind of do...and saying it is even better. Comes out so much easier than 2009

With the passing of friends and loved ones you will always spend some time in reflection and remembrance. I have spent time this last week remembering the loss of two people that I considered friends in the last months. In those moments of tears would come flashes that would make me smile and even laugh out loud.

As Dolly Parton's Steel Magnolias character •Truvy Jones• said: "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion." Nothing could be more true than those words in times of remembrance.

I was recalling a late night with Scott & Elizabeth at their condo in Chicago. We were discussing all of the crazy toys and gadgets that we had collected over time and Scott told me he could put all of mine to shame in one-second: then he broke out the "THE VIOLET RAY". This quack medical device was sold in the 1920's & 1930's and it is a hoot. We plugged it in and cured ourselves of all manner of ailments. Click on the link above and see what all can be cured. I just remember all of us laughing and tearing up as we each tried a wide variety of the attachments. My favorite was the comb.

I did get a bit of a late start this morning; no matter how I tried I just could not remove myself from under my warm covers and the fact that I had two cats trapping me in did nothing to assist in the matter.

But, so far, the rest of day has a productive day, spent gathering all of the stuff that I need to ship out on Monday for classes in Iowa City & in Detroit. I have loads to accomplish in the next week and I am looking forward to the intensity that these type of preparations require. My dining room work table is covered with everything that is to be packed all spread out and me and my laptop have been relegated to a small corner of the once vast open expanse of wood.

Wednesday January 6th ~ 2010

2010-01-06T12:32:00.010-07:00

Welcome to the new year and we are off to a running start. I usually do not get much work in January but this year is a bit of a shift for me. I leave for Cedar Rapids, IA in just over a week for a single day class of Fine Silver Fusing at The Bead Haven. Then I am off to Detroit to spend a week with the most awesome Great Lakes Bead Workers Guild. I am looking forward to a wonderful and FREEZING January.

Because I have been getting ready for this January's travels I have had to get a huge jump start on getting stuff ready for the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. I have to say that I think I have done pretty well where that is concerned. I have 2 dozen cuff bracelets that are almost finished up, a load of new pieces that feature Terri Caspary Schmidts work, finished necklaces and the like. So I am feeling pretty okay with how the work is progressing. As usual it could always be better and I am determined to get much accomplished before I head out to the frozen midwest.

I am really getting excited about this years BeadFest Santa Fe Show. March 18th - 21st this is the first major gathering of my people for 2010. Even though so many of us gather in Tucson for the Gem Show we are so spread out all over town that it is almost impossible for us all to schedule time to see each other. At least when we all meet up for the other major show we are in one convention center.

My classes for Bead Fest Santa Fe are a very fun offering check them out and join in the fun if you are in the area.
(Too see the classes, scroll down through the very long Workshops Page)

Color & Patina on Metals with Metal Joining Techniques ~ Class #1412

Fusing a Heavy Gauge Fine Silver Bracelet ~ Class # 2424

Hand Formed Sterling Fused Fine Silver Cuff ~ Class # 3424

Explorations in Low-Tech Metalsmithing & Fine Silver Fusing ~ Class # 4424

Even if my year has gotten off to a quick start I was deeply saddened by the news that with the very turn of the new decade a dear friend of mine has succumbed to his battle with a variety of challenges. Whether or not you knew my friend, if you are at all involved in my industry, you owe him a great big thank you. Mr. W. Scott Bartky invented the crimping pliers and he pretty much changed our industry. I was honored to count him a friend and he will be missed by all of those who were touched by his generosity, kindness and humor.

One of my last questions to Scott "What haven't you done?" We decided that cowboy and astronaut were safe bets.

I was blessed that during my trip to Chicago in October I got to visit with Scott one last time and spend an hour with him and his beautiful wife Elizabeth for a little mutual birthday get together. I was also pleased that they got to meet Terri and she got to put a person to my stories.

You can read about this mans amazing life. Chicago Tribune Obituary

My visit with Scott in August of 2008.

Friday January 1st ~ 2010

2010-01-01T12:58:00.001-07:00

Please read and pass it on:

Today I want to share with you all a post from Gail Crosman Moore regarding an urgent matter that we could use your assistance on. You--our friends, fellow artists and colleagues--can assist us in this task by reading this post, passing it on, and raising awareness for our friend who is in need. These are the times when our community with its deep collective well of creativity and generosity can come together and be a powerful force. Please be a part of this and join us in this effort.

a day in the life:

In my ego-centric world things aren't going so great, but my plight will be relatively short lived. I'm going to follow sage advice and bring your attention to my/our dear friends plight....Michele Goldstein is caring around the clock for the dying father of her children. (There is no time for their family to prepare for the end of his life. Steve's sickness was unexpected and the cancer is moving quickly through his body. His death is imminent, and it's only been three weeks since he was diagnosed.)

If you know Meesh, you know that she is the kindest of souls and is always generous and puts others first. She would never think about asking for money from others. That is why her friends are asking you to think of sending her something.

In looking at the dawning of a new 'age', a new year, I want to start it right and send a loving message of direct help to one of us who is in need. Meesh has been unable to work, has needed to cancel shows and is looking at an uncertain future for herself and her two young boys.

It is my hope that we could take some immediate heat off of her situation by laying down a little padding to her nest. Could you help?

If you can help, the most direct route would be through her Paypal account.(meesh@michelegoldstein.com) If you could forward this to anyone who might be interested in helping, please do!

We will be following this up with an interesting auction of donated items, if you would like to become a part of this please contact either me at gail@gailcrosmanmoore.com or Anne Mitchell at anne@annemitchell.net to develop a trust for her children.

Michelle's On Line Studio & Her Collaboration with Stephanie Sersich Hearts & Bones Studio

Wednesday December 30th

2009-12-30T22:54:00.006-07:00

~DETERMINATION~

Can you believe that this year is now over but the first decade of the 21st century has passed? Look at what has ingrained itself into our Lexicon that was not there 10 years ago. We knew nothing of Blogging, Twittering, Instant Messaging, YouTubing, Blackberry SmartPhones or Skype. Our world has changed so quickly and it constantly amazes me how quickly we human beings are capable of mastering these new techniques and make them our own so they show off our individual styles.

When 2009 started I would never have imagined that I would be where I am now. I never considered the notion that I would be in a relationship that is 500 miles from where I live nor would I have ever imagined that I would have found a group of people in Tucson that I could be this close to this quickly.

It has been an amazing year for me on many levels. For me this was a year that had as many trials as it had successes. Each year, I pick word to focus my plans on for the year. My word for 2010 is to be ~DETERMINATION~. Not matter what goals I set for myself the focus on the path to each of those goals is ~DETERMINATION~. Choose your words wisely and make sure that they are words of strength and not words that put up boundaries for you.

~HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE ALL ~
This New Years Eve we are to be treated to a ~Blue Moon~ A blue moon is a full moon that is not timed to the regular monthly pattern. Most years have twelve full moons which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each solar calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days compared to the lunar year. The extra days accumulate, so that every two or three years (on average about every 2.7154 years[1]), there is an extra full moon. The extra moon is called a "blue moon." an astronomical rarity that occurs just seven times every 19 years, hence the famous phrase "once in a blue moon." The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028.

What's more, this New Year's Eve, people living in the Far East will see a lunar eclipse, making this an even rarer...er rarity. A blue-moon eclipse only happens once roughly every 15 to 20 years.

Revel in the festivities, have a safe and prosperous 2010 and I wish much happiness to us all.

Friday December 25th

2009-12-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

The Sound of Music / Central Station Antwerp

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder~

The holidays arrive each season and families gather and we all eat way too much and then it is all over and for another year the obligations have been met and everyone goes back to their own lives. Sounds rather pessimistic right? Well, in some simplistic way this is just the way that it is. It really does not matter how much we care for our families, how much we love them or enjoy seeing them, the simple facts are just this; we get together for the briefest of times and then return to our own lives.

I find the passage of each Christmas amazing to witness. My niece and two nephews are all pretty much grown but it was not that long ago that the youngest of them still believed in Santa Clause and this meant that the insanity of presents on Christmas morning was a joyous occasion. There is still some of that wonder and amazement in the morning but I as the years pass the traditions continue but the mornings and the day grow more subdued and the conversation a bit more in depth and interesting.

I leave to go back home on Monday and back to my life and I leave these simple traditions for another year.

Tuesday December 22nd

2009-12-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

I am all packed, the house is clean and I leave tomorrow for Dayton. The only hitch in my day was the fact that the winds kicked up early and ripped part of the roof off of my home this afternoon.

Luckily, my handy man Monte was not busy and he spent several hours patching the issue to get me through the rains that were due to hit this evening. And hit they did… The rains came with a vengeance and they smelled so good and all of the vegetation in my yard has been very thirsty.

I have a very cavalier attitude about the plants on my property. I do not water any of them, no matter what genus they are (well except for my Oleander plants)… my philosophy is "Live or Die" If they can get through the heat of the summer and make it to the monsoons then survive the dry of the fall till the winter rains hit then they are the hearty vegetation that I knew they were and they can stay … other than that … sorry.

Did you know that today is Puccini's birthday? … this dude was an amazing composer and is responsible for one of my favorite operas … Manon Lescaut. originally produced in 1731, this was one of the first operas that I ever listened to and I was introduced to this opera with the voice of Maria Callus singing the role of Manon. The opera takes place in France and ends up in Louisiana. The last act takes place in the desert outside New Orleans. Puccini never made it to America and just assumed that Louisiana was part of the Wild West. That story makes me smile every time I hear the score, just pondering Puccini's image of all of the cactus in the desert outside of New Orleans. I guess he had never heard of Lake Pontchartrain.

Listen here to one of the most famous arias ever, preformed by one of the most amazing voices to ever sing the role of Manon …

Monday December 21st

2009-12-22T00:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Winter Solstice to us all.
The days will get shorter and these dark nights will not seem quite so dark for so long.

The Winter Solstice occurs exactly when the earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26'. Though the Winter Solstice lasts an instant in time, the term is also colloquially used like The first day of winter to refer to the day on which it occurs. More evident to those in high latitudes, this is the shortest day, and longest night, and the sun's daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest. The seasonal significance of the Winter Solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice occurs on December 22 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.

Worldwide, interpretation of the event has varied from culture to culture, but most cultures have held a recognition of rebirth, involving holidays, festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations around that time.

Sunday December 20th

2009-12-20T22:10:00.002-07:00

I have spent the last 2 days getting projects set up for me to take on my trip to Dayton for the holiday. Yesterday, I wound, cut and fused 10 troy ounces of fine silver jump rings to weave into loop-n-loop chains. I do realize that I will get a good 8 to 10 necklaces from this day of preparation but I just look at these 2 very small bags of rings. I nod & just sigh at the hours of assembly line work that went into getting me to this point.

But once I do get to this point not many tools are required to finish up the necklaces, so it is a perfect travel project. I do this every year so I do not feel that this time away from my bench it totally wasted.

I also have set my sights on some Dendritic Agates that I picked up at last years gem show. I am gonna set these into square wire wrap settings. I will post images as I get them done.

The only thing that I am not looking forward to is the weather that awaits me in the midwest. On Christmas Eve morning I have to drive from Dayton, OH to Ft Wayne, IN. For the last several years the weather has been horrible either coming or going and the extended forecast it is not looking good his year. I just am hoping that the predictions are wrong. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

It seems I did make a better travel choice this year. Well, the choice was actually made for me… Last year I flew Frontier and all connections take you through Denver. I beat a blizzard out of Denver back to Tucson by 15 minutes. If I had not made it out I would have been stuck at the Denver airport for 24 or 36 hours. This year my flight connections take me through Atlanta. There are two down sides to this travel scenario. The 1st bad part is the Atlanta Airport (nightmare) and 2nd is the fact that I am having to fly Delta.

I despise the larger commercial carriers these days. There is not one thing that I like about any of them. They do not care about the traveler anymore all they have done is jack up the prices over the holiday and apply Tack-On-Charges to nickel and dime the traveler to death. The ONLY reason that I am traveling this way is that I got a practically free ticket. Oh what we do for family… right?

I am looking forward to seeing my niece and my 2 nephews. I usually only get to see them for these few days each year and I look forward to catching up with them. We are all on FB together and I do have to say that I really like to see what they are up to and just generally keeping in touch every so often. I will admit that it is sometimes hard not to be an adult with them and not just the "cool aunt."

I hope that every ones holidays have started out wonderfully and will only get better as this season progresses.

It is important that all of us remember this time of year is not just a Christian holiday season. It seems that a good many celebrations converge during this time of year...

Hanukkah was in the early part of December this year.
Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st.
Eid El Fitr - marks the end of the fast of Ramadan
Festivus, a secular holiday created by writer Dan O'Keefe is celebrated on December 23rd.

Thursday December 17th

2009-12-17T23:27:00.004-07:00

Today in 1903 Orville & Wilber Wright made the first heavier than air flight at Kitty Hawk North Carolina. Now even though the flight took place in NC, it is Dayton Ohio that calls itself the birthplace of aviation and lay claim to the Wright Brothers. I even attended college at Wright State University.

Just think of the 1900 to 1999, what a century our parents lived and my generation got to see the last 30 + years of. I do not think that there has been a century that ever saw such leaps and advances.

If Charles Duell had had his way the 20th century could have been a bust. He was the Commissioner of the U.S. Patent Office and in 1899 he declared "Everything that can be invented has been invented" and he actually considered closing the Patent Office for good.

I think that if we can go to the moon, defy gravity, explore the depths of the ocean and dream of creations that have gotten us to the heights that we have attained, I truly feel that we should be able to find the answers that we are struggling to find now. All we have to do is decide to do it together.

An excerpt from Kennedy's Speech in 1963 about going to the moon sums it up pretty well.

"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."

Wednesday December 16th

2009-12-16T21:53:00.001-07:00

Washington Irving: "There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love."

I approach each holiday season with trepidation. It was 4 years ago, Christmas Eve, my father was admitted into intensive care and I rushed home Christmas Day to be with my mother and father. My parents friends rallied around my mother and were there for her and for us. I spent the next week at home, spending my days at the hospital and evenings with my mother in my childhood home that I had not seen in over a decade. As I was getting ready to go back to California, I kissed him and told him I would be back as soon as I could. At that moment I looked into my fathers eyes and held his gaze as I never had before. I hesitated, knowing what I did not want to know, that this was the last moment that we were going to ever see each other. The depth of his gaze will be with me forever, he knew.

I dream of my father often. Mostly we are doing stupid stuff, regular things, then we always end up walking side by side talking. My most vivid dream of him came months if not a year ago when I turned to him in my dream and just simply told him that I missed him so much, he just continued walking and replied " I know, I miss you too."

I share this story now for one reason only, the holiday season can bring so much family tension. Cherish the moments that you bring those you truly love together and always look your loved ones int he eye, make contact & tell them how much they mean to you and how much they mean in your lives. There is nothing more intense, screwed up or more precious than our families. They know our past, our secrets, our weaknesses and our fears and yet… they are still family…nothing can replace them, no matter how hard we try...

Tuesday December 15th Part 2

2009-12-15T21:10:00.004-07:00

Just so we are all aware.
On this day in 1791 the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, know as the Bill of Rights was ratified...

The U.S. Archives & Records Administration

www.archives.gov

The Bill of Rights: A Transcription

The Preamble to The Bill of Rights

Congress of the United States

begun and held at the City of New-York, on

Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine.

THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution.

RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, two thirds of both Houses concurring, that the following Articles be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States, as amendments to the Constitution of the United States, all, or any of which Articles, when ratified by three fourths of the said Legislatures, to be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution; viz.

ARTICLES in addition to, and Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, proposed by Congress, and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the fifth Article of the original Constitution.

Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form. These amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights."

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Amendment VII

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Tuesday December 15th

2009-12-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

I went out of town to visit my girlfriend and to relax for a few days and it turned into a few more days. I got some work accomplished and the biggest thing I did, other than install new lighting in her kitchen, was to get my mind wrapped around the new version of Dreamweaver CS4 that I had to get to replace the older version that my web site was built on.

To say that I had an uphill battle is an amazing understatement. Just the simplest tasks had and entire new command sequence and to just simply change the color of some basic text became a battle of wills that almost cost my poor wireless mouse it very existence in this world as I came very close to throwing it across the room in frustration.

As you can see, I feel that I won this particular battle, I have updated my calendar for next year, updated my front page and soon I will have a new work for sale on my jewelry page. I am also working on a very cool slide show that will be the new introduction to my site… Keep a look out!

All through these last days I have been mildly amused to absolutely frustrated by our current affairs.

First: This childish war that AT&T has tried in vain to wage against Verizon. To me this idiotic bantering and name calling is endemic of the same problems that we are facing on a larger scale. While the iPhone is the device that put AT&T back on the "MAP" so to speak…it is now complaining that the users of the device are taking up too much band width and slowing down service for the rest of their customers. Verizon is not lying about the coverage and AT&T is upset because the truth hurts..

There is a trend to not try to be the best…the desire is to do just enough to get by is the trend that most are trying to skate by on. There are so few that are willing to stand up, hold true and be accountable. When we do find an honorable person, one who is truthful and does not flinch, we hang them out flap in the breeze to fail instead of honoring a person for being honest and trustworthy.

Second: We have people in the country that are trying to use their influence to murder gays in Uganda. Can you actually believe that "religious" individuals from our country that are supporting Uganda in this referendum? Who are we and what are we becoming?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Third: We have some members of our Senate that are so full of their own power and self importance that they do not even remember that they actually tried to institute anti-filibuster legislation and now all he wants to do is to filibuster the most important reforms our country has tried to take on. I would really like to find out who is paying for his retirement and I want him to go without health care and to have to sign away coverage because of a "pre-exhisting" condition. I wonder how he would feel if he had to clean out his retirement account to pay for a surgery that insurance would not cover.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Saturday November 28th

2009-11-28T19:39:00.005-07:00

Well, as so many of my friends know I am a totally gadget geek. I got a Blackberry Storm 2 years ago, the day that they were released and I have really liked it so far. Just 2 days before my birthday last month I spent about an hour doing the recommended upgrade that was to fix some of the bugs the phone had. Blackberry also finally got the interface for the DeskTop Manager for the MacBook.

The majority of the update worked like charm and I was pleased with the better speed and better battery performance. But it did create a few small "issues". I knew that fixing these "issues" was going to take some time and today it took almost 3 full hours and 4 different tech support people. I kept getting up graded to the next level of assistance because I kept asking questions that they did not know the answers to…

Well, now that my entire afternoon got shot to smithereens I decided to sit down and watch a good movie with a glass of wine. I decided to watch Forrest Gump. It is such a wonderful movie and has been one of my favorites since it first came out. Tom Hanks rocks.

My bench is beckoning and I am glad that it is finally calling me again. I have not felt like working for these last few days and I have been filling my time with all of the other tasks that I have needed to get done. I have loads of ideas that have been floating around and I am now feeling the real urge to get back to work.

I saw this video a few days ago and I have to say that I am really rather saddened by these Ohioans. I was born and raised in this state for the first 20 years of my life and I have never seen so many ill-informed individuals in one place. Can anyone offer me any reason why people refuse to grasp even the simplest notions and refuse to look beyond what they are spoon fed by Fox news?

After you watch this video please click on the following link at the Christian Science Monitor and read the article.

Opinion:

The dangers of revolutionary right-wing rhetoric

Friday November 27th

2009-11-27T19:57:00.003-07:00

It is the fact that it is hard that makes attaining it worthy.
The easily won prize is never honored:

The following quotes by Martin Luther Kings seems to mean more today that it did in the 60's when he spoke these words.

Quote #1

"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think."

Our society has shifted to one of instant gratification. TV, controlled by a remote, that requires no dedication to a plot. "News" that is spoon fed to us without the requisite facts to back up the false statements on a crawler that runs 24/7/365

For a brief shining moment, we grasped the fact that is was going to take someone that was way smarter than us to help guide us towards solutions. But we are a greedy nation, we have gotten lazy again and we want our problems solved immediately and painlessly and we are unwilling to face the facts that this is gong to take some serious time to fix the mess that we are in.

Here is the answer to the problem.

Quote #2

"Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."

We are entering the holiday season and it is a time of year that tells us to be thankful, giving, forgiving, kind & caring.

Thursday November 26th

2009-11-26T11:21:00.004-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

I have been home for just 48 hours from a tiring 2 weeks away. Many classes, Many days of exhibiting and shows and many friends and way to much driving.

After my drive up to Washington I got to spend a day with Andrea Guarino-Slemmons and Whit and I finally got to meet Towanda, the coolest calico cat in all of Washington I am sure. She is a love muffin.

I got to take the Edmonds/Kingston Ferry and truly enjoyed the ride. The weather was grey and foggy but the water was calm. It was a nice and relaxing 45 minutes in the middle of lots of rain and bad driving conditions.

The Bellevue Show got under way on Friday morning for me bright and early. I had a one day Low Tech Metalsmithing class and we had a blast. Everyone did such a great job, created amazing pieces and i think learned loads. We even got to play with resin at the end of the day. Saturday nights Viking Knit class was also a success, everyone did great and totally had all of the kinks worked out by the end of the 3 hours.

The show on Saturday & Sunday was very fun. For a smear show the crowds were there and the attendance was more than we could have asked for. There were lots of familiar faces and made a few new acquaintances.

I decided not to start driving after the show. I got some much needed rest and was on the road by 6:30 am. Monday morning. Not as early as I had hoped but I did not catch any of the areas morning rush traffic.

I pulled into my driveway at 9am on Tuesday morning and had to rush to get the car back to the rental agency by 11. There was much unpacking and much sleeping all day Tuesday. The only other task I had to do was to make sure that I had food in the house. I had NO fixin's for coffee and that can border on catastrophic even on the best of mornings.

Wednesday was spent doing laundry, unpacking all of my boxes and getting the orders that came in filled and sorted out. Recuperating from such a long time away from home actually takes a few days and the desire to get back to work ebbs in slowly. My bench beacons me and the creative juices are starting to kick in. I will see what the day brings for me.

My horoscope is calling for alone time for me today and I have to say that I am in total agreement. As the end of another year starts to draw to a close I find myself reflecting on these past 12 months and all of it's adventures. If asked, would be where I am now from this time last year I would have to say no. The year has brought many surprises, twists and turns and as always, each of these give me something to ponder and consider.

I am grateful for friends and family on this day and I look around and my wish on this holiday season is for tolerance, acceptance and peace in the coming year. We are faced with so many obstacles and challenges and if we search out the goodness and kindness in ourselves then that can be passed on and built upon. We need to find common ground to fix these problems. We need to come together and face our them head on, without fear and we each need to find a way to come together.

On November 19th 1863 the following words were spoken by one of our nations most courageous Presidents. These words mean more today than they may have meant even then. Read them and let them ring true.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Tuesday November 17th

2009-11-18T02:42:00.002-07:00

This is a sample of the view we have of San Francisco from our hotel room.

This last week has been a whirlwind. Wednesday was an 15 hour day that was spent trying to make sure that I had everything that i needed to get out of the door and driving to Oakland by 3:30am on Thursday morning. I know that this sounds crazy but there really is method to my madness. If I do not leave that early I get caught 120 miles later in the nightmare that is the Phoenix morning commute. To say that it is painful is an understatement. So by leaving early I am up in the SF Bay Area missing the Phoenix & LA traffic insanity. It is worth it in the grand scheme of it all.

Class on Friday with Gail Crosman Moore was excellent. It was an all day extravaganza and we have a great time teaching it. We had a very full class and everyone did an excellent job creating some excellent components with Gail's brass bits and parts and some very fun cold join techniques. I had several of my "old time" bay area students that always keep me on my toes and I know that I am doing a good job when I can impress them and show them something new or solve a problem that stumps them. Whew… seems I am not a poser Cris…

The show on Saturday and Sunday was an absolute success. The crowds were steady all day long. I guess the best part of this show is seeing so many old friends and getting back to the bay area for a few days. I got to have dinner with two of the most lovely woman that I am graced to know. I have not seen my friends Ruth and Lise for over a year and we got to have a real meal and spend some real time together on Saturday night. It was wonderful to catch up and just relax and talk like no time has passed since we had last seen each other.

I was supposed to take of early Monday morning to my friend Andreas house to visit for a few days before I was to teach and exhibit up in Bellevue WA. All I could think of doing on Monday was sleeping and NOT getting into a car. I was so tired and the thought of being in a car for another 12 to 13 hours was not an option. So I did just that. I had some work to do and I napped and relaxed for the better part of the day.

It was good to spend time with Gail and Meesh, they always make me laugh and these are just the type of people that you can just be with and be totally at ease. I was not feeling totally up to par this weekend and needed to just be quiet and listen to them be silly.

I drove off early Tuesday morning and drove till I got well into Oregon. The weather in northern California and over the Ashland summit took a toll and I stopped just out of Portland for the night. I am off in the morning to Washington and then teaching and exhibiting this weekend at the Bellevue Bead Festival.

Tuesday November 10th

2009-11-10T23:52:00.001-07:00

I have been slamming and getting ready to depart early on Thursday morning for my 13 hour drive to Oakland. I have been making jewelry, making kits for classes, packing, printing, ordering and all of the other things that I do in order to leave town for almost 2 weeks. I am looking forward to seeing many friends in the Bay Area and getting to spend some serious time with them.

I have to admit that I am really rather tired. I always get this way at the end of a year of traveling. I usually get most of December and January off but January is booked solid for 2010 and I will be traveling for a good portion of December as well.

There have been some pretty huge things that have been happening in our world this last week. The horrors of a prolonged conflict and the cruelty of mans behavior to his fellow man has come to slap us right in the face. These things sadden me down to the very core of my soul.

We are a nation of immigrants and those in this country whose families have been here for a few generation seem to have forgotten this simple fact. Too many in this country do not tolerate and too many are unwilling to listen to a differing opinion. A majority of this nation elected a man of African American decent to be the leader of the of not only this country but of the free world and there is a portion of this nation that have taken a stand against the man solely because of his heritage. I am astounded by the fear mongers and the conspiracy theories that continue these unfounded attacks.

It was the eloquence of his speech, the strength of his character and his desire to bring our nation back onto the world stage as a source for positive goals that gave so many of us hope. Can we please focus on these goals and remember what it is that actually makes this country of ours an ideal to attain.

The issues that confront us cannot be solved in one year and God knows if they can be solved in his first term in office. It takes so little time to cause a mess and it usually takes a great deal more time to dig oneself out of the hole.

We need to recall several other very important elections in our nations history that have caused division in our country. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to a 4th term by the narrowest of margins. He beat Dewey by just over 3.5 million votes. Carter narrowly beat Ford by well under 2 million votes. Al Gore won the popular vote by 543,895 votes yet lost the electoral college number required for victory and Obama beat McCain by over 8.5 million votes. In the grand scheme of elections this was a landslide that was only seconded by Reagans defeat of Mondale. I bring up these elections to show that this narrow victory is an illusion. Most of our elections are won by margins that are slimmer.

There is a speech that is given by Michael Douglas in The American President that always resonates with me on many levels.

Watch…
Listen…
Realize that this is what we are as a nation..
There are few words that are more true…

Thursday November 5th

2009-11-05T23:32:00.001-07:00

Whew...Loads done today and loads more to do tomorrow before the weekend hits and I will be forced to stop.15 orders filled and dropped off at the post office and only a few more to get done. Paperwork getting done and articles getting written. I have to wait for some wire to get in so I can make a few kits but that's about it.

Tomorrow is Tools… Bricks…and Torch Orders as well as getting the printing all finished up.

There are 2 things that have been fun today.

1st - This week marks the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street. I spent the better part of an hour on YouTube laughing at videos of Elmo and Cookie Monster and the Counting Count…Man that is good stuff..And Cookie Monster got a HUGE nod from Google today...

2nd - Today is Guy Fawks Day in the United Kingdom. It is the celebration of the failure of the Gun Powder Plot to blow up Parliament. But what it really makes me do is watch "V for Vendetta" with Natalie Portman. I love that movie, the only reason that I ever saw it was because I got a really bad cold this summer and I could not reach the clicker so I just watched it. I know that is a really bad reason to watch a movie but I really did not feel well at all.

Now I am sorry to say that I need to express some serious stuff.

I am very dismayed and disappointed by the turn of things these last few months. Just a year ago we were so optimistic and so full of hope. The nightmare that this nation had endured for 8 years was finally over and the promise for change and cooperation seemed so very real. And now we are all just back to the same old CRAP. No one wants to REALLY do the job that needs to get done. All anyone wants to do is blame the other for not accomplishing anything. I just do not understand why they can't stand UP for the democratic ideals that they claim to espouse...try being REAL for a change maybe it resonate with the people and we could get behind it

These morons are actually not allowing for a woman to be able to choose in the latest version of the health care bill. Can you believe this? There is no access for contraception and a woman who cannot afford to terminate an unwanted pregnancy will be forced to carry an unwanted birth to term. They are forcing a woman to choose dangerous options and even worse all of this is going to end up costing all of us huge amounts of money when these unwanted children end up in the welfare system. These legislators are sidestepping is a right that was guaranteed to us by the Supreme Court.

But I'll be damned if a man want to get an erection he can sure get his get Viagra and any other thing necessary to make sure he can have all the sex he wants. I'd bet everything I have to anyone on this planet, any amount of money, that if it was a man that had to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term this would not even be an issue. The double standard that exists is so terribly unfair.

Good Job Congress!
I could not be more disappointed in ALL of you.
Democrats and Republicans alike.

Wednesday November 4th

2009-11-05T00:07:00.003-07:00

I had the best birthday week a girl could ever want to have. The week was a much needed time to recharge and to spend some quality with my gal. It was so nice to just wake up slow in the mornings, walk around and see what interesting adventures we could find. There was much art explored, sites seen and great food eaten.

The most terrifying portion of the week was when I was taken to the top of the old Sears Tower to get a view of the city from the SkyDeck Ledge. Just like the time I went into the pyramid in Egypt and I was sure that because I was in the pyramid on that day this was going to be the day that the darn thing collapsed and I knew that if I stepped out on that glass bottom ledge it was gonna fall off the side of the building. So scooting my rear out on the ledge and keeping one foot "inside" was the irrational option that I came up with…

I got home very very late last night and it took forever to unwind and fall asleep.My eyes got sleepy around 3am. UGH!

And to add insult to injury, I was up very early this morning getting right back at it. I got all of my images submitted to B&B for the catalog, I got final images submitted to the Great Lakes Bead Workers Guild, I got several samples made Then my energy level hit the Great Wall of China and could no longer think. I really find those times exceptionally frustrating. I am now in the process of getting a list made of the things that I MUST get done before I eave for Oakland and the BABE show.

Gail Crosman Moore and I are teaching a very cool Color & Patina on Metals with Metal Joining Techniques. We did a shorthanded version of this last year, Gail asked me to drop in on class and demo a few cold join techniques and this class was born right then and there. We have also had this class accepted at next years Bead & Button as well as the Bead Fest Shows.

This weekend is getting exciting as well. I am going over to hang at Margaret Zinsers home & studio on Saturday. We hare having an open house from 3pm to 7pm. It promises to be a very fun time for sure. If you are in the area stop in and take a look at some very cool beads of Margaret's and some fun metal stuff from me. The studio is located at 5322 East 19th St.

Then later on Saturday evening I am gonna go hear gHosTcOw at Vaudeville Caberet in Tucson. I am sure that it will be a blast. It is always a good time to go hear them play.

Saturday October 31st.

2009-10-31T21:57:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween

And here is to an extra hour of rest this evening as we set out clocks back.

I do realize that it has been a week since I have posted and I have a very good reason. Really I do. It has been my birthday week and I have been taking a few much needed days off to relax and enjoy the wonderful & windy city of Chicago with my gal.

I arrived in Chicago on Wednesday, October 21st and today was the first day that I have see blue skies and the sun since I arrived. I am not used to all of this grey and rain. I live in Tucson, all we ever have is sun. I think I was starting to get that funky no sun disorder, I have no idea how the people in the northwest do it year in and year out.

But now to catch everyone up on my past week. The Viking Knit class last Sunday was excellent. I had a full classroom and everyone did a fantastic job. There was much laughter and silliness as the day went along and that is the fun part of this class for me. As each student gets more comfortable with the weave they relax and start engaging their neighbors in conversation and I have to say that I love walking around and just dropping in on them when they are funny.

I cannot thank the owner of Bead Haven, Cindi Slater, enough for putting together the class and the snacks and a wonderful group of individuals. I am looking foreword to coming back in January for a full day chain making fusing class. Keep an eye out for the class sign-ups link…

My last few days in Chicago have been excellent. I love walking all over this city, enjoying the amazing buildings and the most excellent food. We went to the Field Museum and saw the Diamond Exhibit. I earned a great deal and I got one more bit of really cool trivia…

Did you know that the term "carat weight" was derived from using the carob seed? It seems that the carob seeds in the pods were uniform enough to guarantee the weight of a diamond and precious stones…

Carob became Carat…

How Cool is that?

Terri & I got to spend a bit of my birthday with my friends Scott & Elizabeth Bartky and it was wonderful to see them again. I got a wonderful bag of the most amazing pistachios from Lebanon as a birthday present. I have no idea why these are so much better then any other but they are and that is all there is to it.

The other bonus highlight has been that we have gotten to spend a bit of this visit with my friend Joe Butcher. It has been wonderful to see him, spend some time together and just hang out for a few good meals.

Tomorrow is an early morning in the Lincoln Park area to go explore and then it is off to the Chicago Art Institute for the better part of the afternoon. We are looking forward to many of the exhibits that we have been exploring as well as the new modern wing.

Thursday October 22nd.

2009-10-22T20:33:00.001-07:00

Is it already Thursday?
WOW… if it is Thursday I must be in Iowa City….
Guess What I am in Iowa City.
I arrived yesterday and had a relaxing evening with my fiend Cris and her husband Paul and the kitties Miss Sophie and the newest addition to the family.. Little Miss Lilly.

We had a working day today in Cris' studio…Believe it or not I actually got to use Cris' personal hammers and several of her very special tools…I am honored. We have had a very fun day and we are both getting final things ready for our trunk show on Friday & Sunday at Bead Haven.

Monday was spent finishing up paperwork, orders that needed to get mailed and starting to pack up all of my display. It has been so long since I have traveled just to exhibit and flying with all of that stuff has always been a hassle. At least I am on Southwest and I get to actually check 2 bags.

Tuesday was spent finalizing my sat few tasks and cleaning the house before I left. Now I have to say that I love to clean my house before i leave so when I get home I know that I get to walk into clean sheets and a clean house. (well except for the cat fur that will be deposited over as many surfaces as possible)

Well, I am getting all set for a weekend of events and I am very happy to be spending time with Cris. we really only get to see each other a few times a year and even then it is a shows when we are busy and stuff. So, time like this is really excellent and I cherish it.

I have been totally entrenched in the playoffs these past weeks. it was amazing to see all of the teams in the division playoffs be settled in 3 game sweeps. The Phillies are in for the second year in a row and that has not happened in the National league since the Reds did it in '75/'76. Now I have to say that since my Reds traded Pete Rose to the Phillies I am not a fan. Well actually, I have never been a fan of the Phillies…so I am relegated to rooting for the Yankee's cause I rooting for the Angles is not an option. Oh well, the continuing dramas of the Fall Classic. Next week starting on Wednesday we have the Word Series…I hope that it will be a good series and goes the whole 7 games. That would be sweet!

Sunday October 18th Continued

2009-10-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Some things are just too true!

Sunday October 18th

2009-10-18T13:19:00.003-07:00

I spent weeks getting ready for this event, getting all new table displays and working huge hours to make sure that I have a wide variety of price ranges and jewelry to offer….and I have spent the last 2 days exhibiting at the Arizona Ultimate Women's Expo. offering up my wares...

Now for the hard truth…I will say that I will never again participate in this event. There is not one thing that was promoted about this event that has come to fruition. I am surrounded by cheap pyramid scheme type sellers of prefabricated jewelry and the few of us artisans that are here are just amazed by it all. The over whelming question that I have been asked is if I actually made the things on my table. This is a crowd that has never contemplated the notion that someone actually has to sit down, design and create jewelry. I am stunned at the response I get from people when I tell them that I "MADE" everything on the table…(well except for the gemstones & lampwork beads of course.) And honestly, the only thing the attendees of this event are interested in are grabbing all of the "give-aways" from the product booths. I have to say that the experiment in this type of show has been an unmitigated failure of the highest order.

Each person that has stopped by and actually looked has loved what they are seeing but no one is prepared to shop at this event that is not what they came to do.

So, I sit here in the Phoenix Convention Center on this Sunday afternoon and I am remembering the last time that I was here and how different my life was back then. I was exhibiting at the BeadFest Phoenix show and actually had a blast with friends going to a ball game and goofing off. The show itself was not that great but man did we all have a fun time.

There are times that I feel I am still sort of trapped in between two worlds. It is a force of habit, I look up at ceilings in any room that I enter and I instantly revert back to my old profession. I am looking at the convention center with the professional eye of an event designer & out of pure boredom and my minds starts to inventory the space.

•I locate all of electrical hook-ups?
•I take inventory of truss hang points are there and what type of truss would I need to have?
•I count the Source 4 pars and ellipsoidal lighting units that are hanging in the air…
•I check out the catwalks and note that it would be easy access for the chain motor hang points.
•I take stock looking of the possibilities that the venue offers…

And then it hits me… I do not do this for a living anymore. It is amazing the paths that life offers and all of the course corrections that we take during our lives.

Well I am off to Iowa next week for a big trunk show at Bead Haven in Cedar Rapids on Friday & Saturday and then I am teaching the Viking Double Knit for them on Sunday. If you are in the area… stop by and say hello. My friend and AMAZING artist Cris Leonard will also be exhibiting along with me at the trunk show...

Tuesday October 13th

2009-10-13T10:28:00.004-07:00

Wow, my horoscope from the other day was so right on the mark…

You're tired of the same old, same old. The routine; you're so tired of it that in the middle of your intense little heart, you're quite sure that if you don't do something to change it soon, you won't be any good to anyone. Not yourself, not your loved ones and certainly not the people who depend on your keen intuition and impeccable work skills to get them through the day.

I think that I am tired of the same old same do. I know that once I figure out a project and work out all of the kinks I cannot wait to get onto the next creative endeavor. The one thing that I will say it that it keeps my teaching fresh. I am always learning. I had a student in Portland that was a graduate from a Silver Smithing Academy. She was talking about the instructors and how they seemed a bit distracted and bored. It dawned on me that these instructors were "old school" they have not questioned their techniques in all of the time since they started teaching. They have just taken what they were taught and have never looked at it again. I was amazed and disappointed by the thought that with these instructors the same old same old was just fine. In the last few years I absolutely changed several of my working techniques and when I shared these techniques with this student they were amazed by the difference that it made in the quality of the work that they produced.

I guess that my mantas are "never be satisfied".."always try something new".."look for a better way"…

I have been slamming getting ready for my show this weekend. If you are in the Phoenix area come on by and see me at booth 1414 at the Arizona's Ultimate Women's Expo. I have loads of new jewelry and am pleased with all of the new pieces. I have finished cuff bracelets, necklaces, earrings some new pendants and all I have to say about that is WHEW!

I had a huge setback yesterday though, I could no longer take the catastrophic nature of my house so I got up early yesterday to do a quick clean & straighten up and I gashed the back of my foot near my Achilles tendon. I actually considered going to urgent care but gave it a bit of time and I am glad that I did. It is healing nicely but I lost hours of work time at my bench because I needed to keep it elevated for a bit of time..

I got totally sucked into all 6, yes count them 6, episodes of Star Wars yesterday. The marathon lasted all day. I love working to movies that I know so I can come and go from them at will. It's not like I have not seen each of these movies a dozen times or more. I love it when movies ice these stand the test of time and I have to admit that I like the changes that George Lucas made when he released them as the complete set.

Saturday October 10th

2009-10-10T11:33:00.002-07:00

HAVE A GREAT SATURDAY!

This first one made me laugh out loud for about 5 minutes...I had to watch it 3 or 4 times. ENJOY

This next Video just impressed me to no end. All this and in heels too!

Thursday October 12th Continued

2009-10-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

This is just for fun this evening.
Thought that this was just way to COOL.

Thursday October 8th

2009-10-08T19:25:00.004-07:00

I have become very aware of the demise of communication!

At the beginning of the personal relationship I am in now we would write long and amazing emails about everything. Then the process of getting to know each other was replaced with long sessions of instant messaging and now even a good portion of that has been replaced with Skype. As we got closer and got to know each other better we required a more immediate manner of interaction.

I love to write and I will always have a Victorian love for the written word. I love to read poetry, verse and philosophy. I miss writing those long letters and I struggle to find the time to write them again.

In writing this post, I recalled a wonderful PBS series by Ken Burns "The Civil War" that was very beautifully narrated by some amazing actors. The thing I loved about this documentary was that the entirety of the piece was delivered to the viewer with the reading of letters. These letters were poetry and eloquent, the images that were evoked from these words strike you to your very core and you could feel what the writers felt and in your mind see what they saw.

I do not know of a single person that writes letters like that anymore. We have entered an age where we communicate with emails. Now I will say that I do tend to write more in emails that I ever wrote letters but only very few of these are even remotely close to those beautifully written expressions of life.

It has been said that the rise of the type writer killed the art of letter writing. Then it was the fault of the word processor, the computer, email and so on and so on. We, as a society, have taken to wanting and demanding things faster and faster.

Remember Dial-up and how fast we all thought that was? Now nothing else will do but High Speed DSL. If the desired page does not load in 5 seconds we get all frustrated and start hitting the refresh button as if it is actually going to help the situation.

HINT: Just remember, pushing the elevator button does not make the car show up faster, nor does pushing the cross walk button make the light change faster either.(well..mostly)

I stated a few months ago that I liked FaceBook because I was able to see what is happening in my friends lives more regularly. Then I realized that I am now viewing my friends lives in two or three sentence snippets. These are quick interactions followed with short bursts of communications. This is now being replaced with even something faster, quicker and even shorter. People are now Twittering their lives into cyberspace and the interaction time is cut even shorter.

If you think about it…our television viewing has taken the same downward spiral.

We no longer are enticed with smart writers and good casts of actors making us think or laugh. We are inundated with "reality" TV. My question is… what is REAL about any of it? There is nothing REAL about the Housewives of Atlanta nor it Dog the Bounty Hunter what I would consider thought provoking viewing. I miss good dramas and funny comedies. Where is the 21st century version of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and where is our new Hill Street Blues? (I do have to say that I to love TNT's Saving Grace… that is my personal junkie show that I will bend over backwards to see.)

There were so many brilliant shows that captured our imaginations and kept us riveted weekly and actually caused insightful conversations and dialogs. Now we are asked to watch as former congressman try to dance their way back into the public's good graces and "wanna be" important people ranting and being cruel to one another. We no longer have to hire writers and actors that actually are masters of their crafts we are forced to the lowest common denominator. I take GREAT pride in stating that I have never watched one hour of Reality TV.

We have lost and are continuing to lose these things that we will not be able to retrieve. Our culture, our humanity and our history will soon be placed on the endangered species list. Are we strong enough as a culture to demand better of ourselves and of those that are asking us to lower our standards? Refuse to be placed alongside the lowest common denominator, refuse to stand by and be dumbed down...

Thursday October 1st

2009-10-01T22:55:00.002-07:00

If you ever want to experience a day of frustration just call the Adobe Customer Support Line. It took me 3 weeks and 3 hours just today alone of talking to a dozen different people who sent me off on wild goose chases with an average time on hold of 30 minutes each time, all to no avail. It took the Cool Dude at the Apple Genius Bar 15 minutes to solve my Dreamweaver issue. All thanks to Macintosh & Apple for their belief that good customer service is a corner stone for happy customers. Well done Adobe.

So after being unable to update my web for almost 5 weeks I am getting ready to institute some real updates. I know that it is about time. Thank you all for being patient.

My hard drive crash of a month ago has revealed many new issues. I have lost more data than I had originally thought. It is data that I need to access on a regular basis and I am discovering new issues daily. I now have to recreate all of this data. Many of my iMovie files were corrupted and a great deal of the finished DVD is a jumbled mess of snow. I had a great deal of it backed up but now I am faced with continuity issues. I sort of sat there and just stared at it a few days ago and was rather dumbstruck with the enormity of it all.

These are the times that I just gather my Taoist center and tell myself that there are just things that are out of your control and realizing and accepting that is just one more step on the path to understanding.

I just keep telling myself that the more I try to control the less there is that is controllable. Just step back and view it all and let understanding come to you. I know that I have a great deal on my plate now and the helping just got infinitely heftier. It will all get done and it will be done well.

I welcome October. The cool evenings that settle in and I love that soon I will be able to watch the MLB playoffs and have it culminate in the Word Series. I wait eleven months for October to come again and no matter what teams end up vying for a spot in the Fall Classic this is the buildup that I have been waiting for all year.

In the American League…it looks as if the Tigers will join the Yankees, Angles & Red Sox all desiring the American Pennant. The Phillies and the Cardinals are setting up to take on the Dodgers and Rockies for the National League Pennant.

I find it amazing that I follow the transition of the seasons with my favorite sporting events. The New Year brings me tennis' Australian Open, then I await Spring Training and the first pitch of opening day. It is only then that summer has begun for me. After that first pitch the rest of my summer revolves around The Tour de France, The French Open, Wimbledon &The US Open, all of these events are entwined with my undying love for Baseball.

Fall is bitter sweet for me. While I love the play-offs, at the end, is almost 5 months of waiting for the first pitch of spring training and in that 5 months all I have to look forward too is The Australian Open.

I am a geek. I embrace it…

Wednesday September 30th

2009-09-30T16:20:00.004-07:00

Well, I am caving in. After opening and reading the 20th or 30th email asking me to allow comments on my blog I have adjusted those settings. Scroll down to the bottom of an entry and comment away. All comments are welcome...Well only nice, kind and caring comments that are in absolute agreement with everything that I say and feel. Joking...

I have been recuperating for the last 36 hours from my marathon drive back from Portland. Taking care of a great deal of business and to that nasty task of organizing. As good as I am at organizing I can procrastinate like no bodies business when I really have no desire to actually organize anything at all. Right now all I desire is to rest for the next few weeks and have all of the work that I need to get done at my bench just magically appear. (It real is a shame that I had to lay off my bench Gnomes.) I do realize that the chances of finished work magically appearing in my tumbler are ZERO, it would still be nice… no?

Just a short paragraph on this next bit of business and I will be done for the day I promise:

***I am tired beyond tired of all of the grandstanding that is happening in our nations capitol. DUDES….JUST GET IT DONE AND STOP THIS ADOLESCENT BICKERING…Each and every one of you look like a bunch of idiotic fools. Just get your job done and do the right thing OKAY? 'nuf said….Just do your jobs please!***

I am spending the next few days in absolute isolation getting jewelry made for Arizona's Ultimate Women's Expo. The dates for the event are October 17th and 18th in Phoenix at the Convention Center. A few weeks ago the Expo actually got my private cell number (how is a mystery to me) and asked me to participate in the event. After some hemming and hawing I have decided to make a leap and give it a try.

This is an entirely NEW type of event for me and I must admit that I am really rather nervous about it. I really do not believe that I am the typical kind of vendor that they have. To say that I am casual to the extreme is an understatement and I just do not want to feel out of place. The bead show circuit and teaching has been my world for the last 9 years and to cross over into a new circle is always a bit nerve wracking. I will be pacing a great deal and wondering if I have made an egregious error in judgement until after this event ends. Wish me luck and cross your fingers that I have not made a huge mistake here. I am not a big fan of making a fool out of myself.

My semi cool news is that I got an email from an Associate Editor of ThisisDiversity.com. Again, I have no idea of how or when, but they started reading this BLOG and have asked me to become a contributor. I have looked over the site and I have to say that I was rather pleased to be asked. I guess that I now have to be really careful about grammar and syntax and spelling and punctuation and all of that other silly stuff that writers are supposed to be aware of.

I was going to joke around here and spell everything in that last sentence incorrectly but I have no desire of giving my self appointed editor-in-chief an aneurysm with bad spelling and bad grammar. So I will behave for the time being.

Hey the last bit of good news is that I got all of my classes accepted at Bead & Button's 2010 show and I spent some time talking scheduling with one of the organizers. These people have such a huge task on their hands it is unbelievable how they manage to keep it all organized. I am taking a break from my normal class structure this year. I normally teach all three hour classes and I leave Milwaukee a ZOMBIE. So I have decided to take a few of the three hour classes away and teach full day classes on Thursday, Friday & Saturday. I feel that all of the students will get a better experience from me and I will ultimately enjoy a bit of a slower schedule. Keep an eye out for the release of the 2010 classes I am sure that there will be some amazing ones.

Tuesday September 29th

2009-09-29T21:40:00.005-07:00

Sundays class was fun and totally enjoyable. There are these 2 huge & amazing Tibetan bells that chime randomly. I have worked at this convention center for over 10 years and I have never heard these bells sound once. I actually was blessed to hear them chime 3 times that day.

I boxed up my tools, jewelry and loaded up the car and started driving by 4pm. I had every intention of stopping at a hotel and resting for at east 6 hours. But I got so sleepy after 6 hours of driving around 10pm, that I pulled over at a rest stop for a break and woke up 90 minutes later. I started driving again & I still had plans to get a room but once again I pulled over around 2am and slept for another two and a half hours, I repeated this one more time and really started driving again at 6am. I pulled into my driveway 23 hours after my departure from Portland.

I unloaded the car and unpacked every box and crashed on the couch with a beer for the better part of the evening. I got caught up with emails and planned out my next 48 hours and was in bed as soon as possible.

I slept HARD and woke with the sun and 2 grey fuzzy monsters that were very happy to have me back home.

Well, I guess it actually does happen in 3's…right? Today was a strange day and an unsettling one at that. There was a tsunami in Samoa, the Senate denies the public option & much to my personal pain the former governor of Alaska has named her book.

I said my thanks for the warning system that was sounded that perhaps saved thousands of lives, in these small islands. At this time there is little out in the news that I can find about the damage but the number of casualties seems to be in the dozens. This is so very different from the nearly quarter million that perished on the morning of December 26th 2004. My thoughts and prayers are with those people and their recovery.

Why, or I guess I should say, how… could the Senate deny this? It is JUST an option, not a requirement. Are these over stuffed, in the pocket of the insurance company, politicians really going to do ANYTHING that opens up affordable care for lower income people? Oh, I think not, there is just to much back door lobbying of all too powerful companies that do not want to have no desire to provide real health care. They just care about profits.

It really is my firm belief that health care should be Not-for-Profit. There should not be share holders in an insurance company. Any profits that are accumulated should be invested for continued better care. I am a total believer in the American phrase "to make money" I believe in and strive for the American Dream and I work my ass off to get ahead. But I have to say that being an independent artist and a self employed person is not an easy choice at times. These corporations make it almost impossible to succeed and most of us are dancing as fast as we can to make it from year to year.

And finally, this morning I was sadly greeted with a headline that declared the title of the Former Governor of Alaska's new book. The title is going to be "Going Rogue" Well, I actually laughed out loud. It will be released soon and I have no doubt that it will poison more minds. Once again, I feel that this obviously under educated, journalism degreed, person needs to actually open up a dictionary and read the definition of what "rogue" actually means…

rogue |rōg|

noun
1. A dishonest or unprincipled man.
• a person whose behavior one disapproves of.

2. An elephant or other large wild animal driven away or living apart from the herd and having savage or destructive tendencies.
• a person or thing that behaves in an aberrant, faulty, or unpredictable way
• an inferior or defective specimen among many satisfactory ones.

I do not think that I need to say anything else here. Do I?

Saturday September 26th

2009-09-26T09:44:00.002-07:00

Ah, Portland! & BeadFest...

I know that I promised pictures but I have not even had the 20 minutes to download them from my camera yet. They are forthcoming...

I left Tucson on Wednesday morning at 10am. Can you believe that I did not start driving at 4am like I normally do? I wanted to meet with my friends for our Wednesday morning get together. I had not seen them for a few weeks and I knew that I wanted to at least see them for 45 minutes before I started the 20 plus hour drive up to Portland. I got past Sacramento Wednesday night, found a hotel and slept for 6 hours and was on the road again Thursday morning by 6am.

I have to keep asking myself the same travel question over and over. Why is it, when I see a hotel and I decide that it is a good price & then I start driving the next morning, I find a hotel for 1/2 the price one exit away. It is those kind of small things that while they make me smile at the irony of the situation also make me very irritated as well. All I could say to myself was, "Damn..there went 30 bucks."

I had to cut this trip down to the wire, I needed to cut back on the car rental and the hotel stays. I timed my arrival in Portland down to the hour. Got in at 3pm, got over to the convention center at 4:15 to set up my classroom, and got that done 20 minutes before the Meet the Teachers gathering from 6pm to 8pm.. I crashed SO hard on Thursday night that getting up on Friday to teach was a little hard.

Classes yesterday, while small, were fun and everyone did a fantastic job. I went to an early dinner with my friend Charlene Abrahms and we spent almost 2 hours just talking and getting caught up and sharing stories. I came back to my hotel and sort of vegged out for the evening. I am tired and I needed to relax before I passed out for the night.

I have a class this afternoon and I am looking forward to that.

I am constantly surprised by how changes can sneak up on you. I am finding the shifts in my life over the past 10 months have been eye opening and revealing about my character. What is it that makes a life happy? What choices do we make both professionally as well as personally that fulfill us, make us whole and content in lives and in our own skins? Finding that balance…finding the time to remain creative and productive as well as being contented personally is my new path. I am like everyone else, I want it all and I am trying to find that balance in my world. I know what I want and I am focused on that goal.

There is much that I need to do, much that I need to finish and much that I need to learn how. I am, as always, eternally hopeful that I can discovery and accomplish these goals because I feel that the happiness that I have experienced these past months is all part of the path that I am on.

Monday September 21st.

2009-09-21T22:29:00.005-07:00

There is something to be said for the phrase "there's no place like home." I am home for two and a half days before I take off to teach at BeadFest Portland. It is not long enough and yet at the same time it is too long. I took what was in effect, my first true few days off almost 2 years. I had virtually no internet access, limited TV and I had the best and most relaxing time. It was wonderful not to worry about work or about the world for a few days and just enjoy the company of my girlfriend.

So to say that I had the most excellent 5 days in Toronto and taking in films at TIFF.. (The Toronto International Film Festival) is a bit of an understatement. Got to see 2 really excellent movies and 1 so so flick. The first was an Israeli entry "Phobidilia." about a young mans descent into agoraphobia and subsequent attempt to climb out of its grip after the loss of his girlfriend in a car accident. The second movie was a wonderful animated feature "My Dog Tulip." This was the story about an older man's absolute devotion and love for his adopted soul mate, a German Shepherd. The movie was based on the novel by J.R. Ackerley. The third movie was "Tanner Hall," & this movie was a formula coming of age movie set in an all girls prep school. There were some very funny moments and poignant scenes but all in all… formula to the end…

I will upload & post some pictures of our adventures tomorrow…

I got home on Sunday night, had a beer and crashed pretty hard. It was a rather rude awakening on Monday morning, having to jump right back into the grind. I had to get all of the fine details ready for my trip to Portland. I leave on Wednesday. I have the Meet the Teachers on Thursday night I teach Friday, Saturday & Sunday and will start my drive home on Sunday evening. This has to be a very budget conscience trip. The sign-ups for Portland are not so good for many of the instructors. Portland is experiencing an unemployment rate that is higher than the national average and it is taking its toll on sign-ups and attendance I am sure. I am going to head up there and hope for the best….

Mass Ascension

After I get back to Tucson on Monday, I feel that I am once again going to be drawn away for a few days to Albuquerque. I was separated for almost 5 weeks from someone that I am so deeply fond of that I find that I am unwilling to let that long a span of time pass again. We are going to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and I am making Terri get up well before dawn to see what they call the Mass Ascension and stay up later in the evening for the Balloon Glow. I am looking forward to another 5 day together before I am required to get back to my tasks in Tucson for several weeks.

Balloon Glow

I have discovered a very nice handyman "Pete" that has a wife & family to support, he came up to me several months ago and asked for work. I have never met someone that works harder or is sweeter. I have hired him a few times over these past few months to keep my yard groomed. This is a task that I despise SO very much that I am more than pleased to pay this man a very honest wage to take care of my grounds and to prune back my palm trees that have become a bird condominium. I waited till now to prune the trees to make sure that all of the little birds that were hatched have flown the nest. So far so good on that count… and it may cut down on the bird droppings on my walkway.

Thursday Sept. 17th

2009-09-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been so slammed this past week. It was a very event filled week indeed. I exhibited at the Best Bead Show's Fall Tucson event & shared a booth with the amazing Margaret Zinser. The weekend's highlight was a glorious event at Sonoran Glass for Beads of Courage on Saturday night.

Beads of Courage is a group that assists kids living and dealing with catastrophic illness' and through the therapy of beads and creating necklaces as each patient goes through each stage of treatment. Terri Caspary Schmidt & I donated a Flying Heart Bead (Terri made that) with a Fine Silver bail and chain. (made that part…) A group of local artists that I am involved with all got together and each of them gave me a handful of charms or glass beads that each had made & wire wrapped them & put them on a fine silver chain as well. Each piece brought in bids that will provide funds for this AMAZING Charity.
Donate please… it is a worthy cause.

Monday was crazy busy with packing for my trip to Toronto. I am actually taking 4 days away and I am not gonna work all that much. I am tired and need a break. Terri & I are going to take in a few films at the Toronto International Film Fest and do some serious shopping and antiquing. This is a much needed break and I am looking forward to these few days immensely.

I stopped for a number of minutes & took in Sept 11th this year and looked at all that has happened in our world since that day. Our country is almost completely unrecognizable to me, it just does not seem like it is even remotely the same place. Why are we angrier and meaner as a nation? Where has our civility gone? I remember the 60 to 90 days right after that awful day and people driving were courteous, kind, away and I had never heard so many pleases, thank you's, excuse me's, pardon me's or kind responses in return. Doors were opened for others, seats were relinquished for others and if the person behind you in line at the grocery store had one item in comparison to your cartfull you let them check out before of you.

It takes nothing to be kind, smile, say a nice word to a stranger. These things are easy, these things make you and the other person feel good but more importantly, these acts are contagious. Kindness begets kindness and a smile begets a smile. It is my humble opinion, but I feel that the general uncivil nature that we have witnessed of late, (especially during our Presidents address to Congress..) is a direct and fearful reaction to a man that epitomizes civility, grace and an understanding that these are necessary requirements for our nation to maintain our stature. We have lost this understanding during the last administration and we are struggling to understand why we no longer have the respect that we once engendered. We, as a nation, cannot expect the respect of the world if we do not offer these niceties to our own citizens or our own leaders.

I have tried to live my life over these past few years by making a conscious choice to be nice to those around me, to the strangers that I encounter and to be a courteous citizen of the world. I have found that a smile, just a simple smile, can disarm and a kind act can be greeted with amazement. I love to see these reactions and I just hope that in return the kindness that was shown can be sent out into the world and spread unchecked.

I am enjoying these few days off and I have, for the first time in years, have very limited access to the internet. It is an interesting phenomenon to wake and not be able to grab my laptop to check out the happenings of the world, check out the long list of blogs that I follow or to interact with my FaceBook world.

In closing… please remember that silly little thing call the Golden Rule... The Ethic of Reciprocity... Do unto others....can we all try to remember what it means to be nice to others, to be kind and to occasionally open a door for a stranger. You will feel better for it and who knows… it just may catch on…that would not suck at all.

Wednesday September 9th.

2009-09-10T00:10:00.006-07:00

Today is supposed to be a very lucky day, today is September 9th 2009…9-9-09. I was listening to the news this morning and laughed at the story because it was talking about the fact that there are thousands of couples descending upon Las Vegas NV to get married on this luckiest of days. The only day that was busier was the date 7-7-07. Well, that one to me is a no brain-er. I do remember that day. (well sort of.) I kind of remember that day happening.

Why is it that there are days that we know we should remember and we just can't seem to get the Rolodex of the brain to find the correct index card to recall these days. Then there are days that we would love to forget and no matter what, it plays over and over again in our minds and even comes to us in our dreams. I am tired of those sort of memories and it is one of the reasons that I have decided to keep this Blog and a private journal as well. I have discovered that there are just some very simply things that have happened to me lately that I truly desire to remember.

I went to London in December of 2001 and I kept a daily detailed journal of that trip and to this day I think that it was one of my better ideas. I can remember meals and taxi rides that were funny, special small moments that I knew that I would not want to forget. I have realized that in these past few months there are things that I have experienced that I will always desire to recall with clarity. I highly recommend the keeping of a journal to collect your thoughts and to have a collection of stories to have at hand, ready to share.

NASA has released some of the newest images that the Hubble Telescope has captured. These are amazing images and they never fail to capture my imagination or to make me catch my breath in awe and wonder. I am so pleased that NASA decided to send that last repair mission to the aging telescope to give it more years of exploration and discovery. Take a look at these images and see for yourself.

For me, the best thing that I got to view today is this YouTube movie of Al Franken actually drawing (correctly I might add) out all of the states of our country. I would love to sit all of our Senators and Congressman down in a room and see if they can actually write out all 50 states and their capitols. I think that I would not be surprised to see how many of them actually fail this test.

Tonight was the President's speech to congress about his health care initiative. I did not watch it live but caught it about an hour later. I am glad that he is taking the reins of this and I hope that he does not back down and he holds those accountable who spread the lies and misinformation that causes the public to be hesitant in accepting what it is that we must do as a nation.

Barbara Boxer had a very good point this evening on the Rachel Maddow Show. She stated quite clearly that if there are senators or congressman that do not want to vote for the pubic option, that do not want a government run system, she suggests that these individuals give up the amazing government run health care that they receive as one of the perks of their positions. I have to say that I actually agree with Barbara right now. If our representatives choose to vote against this option for us then why are they allowed to keep it for themselves?

And finally, I have one other point for the evening… a friend of mine posted this in her FaceBook wall and I also agree with this.. it is an absurd idea, but in it's absurdity there is a bit of logic behind it.

"All Members of Congress should be compelled to wear uniforms just like NASCAR drivers, so we could identify their corporate sponsors..." re-re-posted from a friend, cause damn it's true.

Just think about it...