July 21,
The birthday party on Saturday was great, small and relaxed. The kids had a blast on the water slide my son-in-law set up in the backyard and it was fun to watch the boys having such a great time.
Hard to believe the baby is three! (or free, as he says)
Zeph's big lobster competition is tomorrow. I got a couple vases for his table and a few other things he may or may not end up using.
It's always better to go with a few extra things since no matter how well you may have planned something, when you actually get there those
little extras may be what makes it work.
As for beads, I have a few new sets on Etsy and a new set of little layer cakes on Ebay, and have a few more sets ready to list later today. I made my first Halloween set of the year, a set in turquoise and coffee brown with matching pot and cups, and a lovely stone set in earthy neutrals with a focal that's perfect for a pendant.
I just had to share this.....it illustrates all to well just how hopeless we are at making plans. Last weekend when my daughter was in Rockland she mentioned that if I came on Friday before the baby's birthday party it would be great since My Mom had seen a group who she really loved and they were playing in Portland on Friday night. She wanted to take Mum to see them and needed a babysitter. I thought about Mum and Dany going to see the concert and decided that I'd rather go with them for a multi generational girls night out than to babysit and looked forward to it all week.
When I got there on Friday I found that the plans had run into a slight problem....turns out the concert in Portland was in Portland Oregon rather than Portland Maine! LOL! Just a little far to go to hear a group play, no matter how much Mum likes them. We laughed so hard!
July 17
It's been busy here, wonderful weather, the best of summer!
We had the Blues Festival in town over the weekend and had a house full. It was fun and nice to see the
town hopping and full of people!
I babysat but could hear the music right from the living room after the kids were all in bed.
Last night My hubby and I walked over to Amalfi's, a local restaurant that recently moved to a new location right on the
harbor and just a few minutes walk from the house. It was really good and I walked by the beach and got my feet in the water on the way home.
Can't ask for better than that!
I have some new beads ready for specials, finally. I'll be posting them this afternoon and evening, though I may take a couple
hours off and walk the breakwater again, so there may be a lapse as I put things up.
July 7
I've been trying out a few new ideas on the web site, still doing it myself by trial and error,
but having fun and learning lots. The colors may look a little different on other monitors and
some of the HTML code may work differently (or not at all) on different browsers. I'd love to
hear how it works for you and what you think of the look. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thursday June 12,
I have a new auction up on eBay and a few beads all photographed and ready to put up as Specials
(on Etsy as posting the specials there seems to be working well for everyone...including myself)
First I'm off to Lowes for some potting soil and plants for a couple huge planters I got and
some shelves to put into the garage so I can sort and organize a little.
It's a sunny day here, very windy and low humidity, not too warm! My favorite kind of day!!
Have a wonderful afternoon and I'll be back to post the specials later on.
Friday June 6,
I've been in Turner this week spending nights with my daughter and grandsons and working during the day on beads
(or part of the day anyway)
They sure keep me on my toes!
I have a bunch of sets ready for Specials today,
and am about halfway finished posting them on Etsy. Tomorrow it's baseball tryouts in the morning and then
the Kung Fu Panda movie and off to head back to Rockland so we'll be there for Sunday so we can hit the beach.
It's supposed to be hot (well, nealry 80 which is hot for Maine!)
I'll update more when I have a little more time on Monday.
Tuesday May 20,
My Mom just sent a link to a really wonderful short movie,
inspirational and mediative....a great way to start your day (or anytime)
Makes you stop and think about what's really important in life!
The Dash
We went to the strand last night to see an English movie, The Bank Job,
really good movie, but the best is the Strand itself.
It's an old theater
renovated to preserve the feeling and look, and just walking through the
doors takes me back to my childhood and the thrill of going to the movies.
The heavy velvet curtains open and the big screen lights up...magic!
They still have the old fashioned ticket boot outside the entrance and
the balcony is where you get the best view.
The lady that runs it is
immersed in the forties...dresses and wears her hair like they did back
then and rides an old fashioned bike with the basket in front. It all
combines to make such a total effect that you'd swear you'd
taken a step back in time!
I'm putting up some new specials today, trying out putting them on
Etsy instead of my usual Specials page, though they'll still be the same price
they'd be on my usual page. I wanted to try it out because the sold signs get put
up automatically on Etsy, where on my website it's something I have to do manually
and don't always get them up fast enough to avoid confusion.
I'm all about what works best and is most comfortable for my customers,
so I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions about what you prefer.
I know change always takes a little adjustment and I tend to be a creature of
habit, but changing things up can be a good thing now and then, especially if it
makes things run more efficiently. I'm all about whatever gives me more time
for the torch and less time on the computer!
Friday April 4
Zeph made a dinner for us on Thursday night that was incredible! He used recipes and techniques from the class he took at CIA
in Nappa and some goodies he brought back from his trip. Awesome red wine, the best goat cheese I've ever tasted and some
little sesame crackers. He made asparagus with some Parma (or was it pancetta) ham from
Dean & Deluca They have a website you can order from...haven't checked the prices
yet but it looks like fun browsing.
The asparagus was topped with a sprinkle of truffle infused sea salt. Using a special flavored “finishing salt” right before
serving really does add a little extra burst of flavor.
He made a spicy shrimp appetizer and pork baked in a salt crust with a cilantro/parsley garlic flavored sauce (I helped with
that) and couscous made the old fashioned way. I remember making it like that the first time I ever made it, using a recipe
from my old New York Times International cookbook. Still one of my favorite cookbooks ever. It called for it to be soaked
and steamed rather then boiled. It's more work but the difference is really worth it (for a special meal...most of the time
I make couscous because it's so fast and easy)
It's great to have a chef in the family!
April 1,
Can you believe it snowed yesterday and I just heard there will be more snow in the forcast! This has been one long winter!
I'll have some new specials tomorrow. I felt terrible yesterday and today, a little better today, thank goodness. Sore throat, stuffy and sniffly, coughing.
Not very conducive to torching. The flame makes the air really dry when you're close to it, and it can be pretty awful when you have a scratchy throat.
My DH got some cold/flu stuff from the pharmacy and it's helped a lot today and I think I'll be fine by tomorrow. I have six nice big colorful sets all
ready to take pictures of tomorrow for new specials, and should have a couple more sets ready to take out of the kiln tomorrow and add to the Specials.
March 30,
Happy Sunday!
It looks like the class with Leah Fairbanks in April might be canceled if there aren't
a couple more people to sign up for it. If anyone is interested in the class it's at
Playing with Fire Studio in Rockland Maine on April 26th and 27th
Zeph got back this morning from his trip to the Cooking Institute of America in California. He had a wonderful time and learned a ton!
What a great experience it was for him! He spent the week learning about Mediterranina dishes and evenings with his classmates exploring the
food and wines of the Nappa Valley region of California! Makes my mouth water just thinking about it! LOL!
I spent the week in Turner with the grandkids, lending a hand to my daughter while her hubby was also in California on a business trip. I got
to see the oldest and my brother's two little guys in their spring music program at school. They did a wonderful job on stage!
The baby got up n Saturday and announced, "Nana, you can't weave!" Makes me feel so guilty and also so blessed at the same time that he is so attached.
It was really nice spending the night there every night and being there when the boys tumbled out of bed in the morning and came in
to snuggle and read books and talk about their day before they started getting ready for school. They're growing up so fast!
My Mom's loft and staircase are under construction! Two of the beams for the loft were up when I left and I can't wait to see the
progress next time I go back! The room was begun in 1984 and it's finally nearing completion!! WHoohooo! Mum will finally have a good staircase
to use and will be able to get rid of her teeny spiral staircase that is so difficult to carry things up and down on, and ther'll be a coat closet
at the foot of the stairs which will be great. We turned her old coat closet into a washer and dryer space when the bathroom/kitchen renovation
was done a couple years ago, so it'll be nice to have one again.
March 21,
I woke up to the sound of dueling foghorns from the two lighthouses nearby.
It's an odd sound, almost musical, rather comforting and strangely familiar.
The harbor was covered in thick fog with a single bright light burning through
the mist and rain from a lone ship anchored near the breakwater. It was early
but I stayed up, making coffee and spending a little quiet time, just enjoying
the sounds and the heavy smell of salt in the air, trapped close by the layer
of fog on the water. I think I love the "bad" weather here almost as much as
the sunny summer days.
I've been playing with a long overdue change in the website. I still have a lot
to do before it's finished but I'd love to know what you think about the new look
and if it's working on your browser. Some browsers will "see" the HTML code in different
ways, and some are more forgiving of mistakes in code than others. Since I'm entering almost
all of this by hand , mistakes are inevitable! I'm a little dyslexic and have a hard time
typing without reversing letters and numbers. If you notice a mistake I'd really appreciate
it if you'd email to let me know so I can try to fix it.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Wednesday, Feb 13,
We're having a snow and ice storm today, wild and wicked weather! I'm really dissapointed since I was planning to go to spend a few days in Turner and hoped to be there to spend the night with the kids and go to Yoga class with my Mom (and a few good days at the gym with my daughter) I've been slacking off because of all the nasty weather and trying to catch up on the torch, but I have to get back on my daily exercise routine, since I can feel the old aches and pains creeping back ever so quickly when I skip a few days.
On the bead front, I'm so excited! I had a wonderful day at the torch yesterday! Everything I made came out so much better than I hoped! I made two little sculpted poodles, one tiny and one a little bigger, and the best of all, an elegant cat on the new big base bead...on a lovely Lausha red background. She came out so well! I'm stoked@! I hated to turn the torch off last night and torched till almost 2 AM, till my shoulders couldn't take it any more. When I do the more complicated beads I tense up and my shoulders are where the tension settles. Wish it were my abs! LOL!
I'm making some progress on a few requests for beads and also on the next batch of beads for Specials. The next batch of Specials should be really special! Now that's a little redundant isn't it? I'm not sure yet when I'll be posting them, since as soon as the roads are clear I'll be spending a few days concentrating on the family and grandkids, probably it'll be next Monday or Tuesday before I post them and I'll try to give a warning about it a day or so in advance.
I'm crossing my fingers that we don't lose power since snowy days seem to be the best for great torching for me and I plan to spend today getting lots of beads finished.Wish me luck!
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Monday, Feb 11,
We've had snow every day for so long I'm almost getting used to it! NOT!
Better than tornadoes though so I really can't complain too much!
The new kiln is working great. It took a little time to figure out the different digital controller, but now I have it programed and I like it better than the old one. It has a feature that allows you to add extra time to any of the different parts of the schedule without going back to the beginning of the program and entering the whole schedule from scratch when I want to work an extra half hour or hour. I did last night, got a lot done during the Grammy awards, glancing up to see a particularly interesting outfit or preforamnce. It's so funny to see some of the people that were young stars and now are still super talented but ...my age or even older! For some reason they seem to stay in my mind the same age they were in their heyday and I'm always surprised to see that they've ages, however gracefully.
I ordered a large sized straight sided tab press and have been playing with it this weekend. It's so strange to work on such a big (for me anyway) "canvas". I did two whit poodle beads on the bigger tabs base and I was really pleased with how they came out. The tabs are about 25 mm...just about exactly one inch! Huge for me!
 click to see the BIG image
A customer requested larger tabs with poodles and I'm so glad she did! Sometimes it takes a suggestion to help me break out of my creative "box"!
I'll have some new specials ready tomorrow! More black and white and black and pink beads, some bunnies (of course) and some new poodle beads...maybe a couple new designs...this time with cats. Hope you find something you like!
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Wednesday Feb 6,
Most of the Specials I put up yesterday sold. Thanks so much to everyone who looked and/or bought something. It really helped take some of the sting out of buying the new kiln..at least the first payment.
I'm so pleased that people seem to enjoy seeing the "Bead Box" batches. It's nice to look at my bead stash and see no reminders of projects I intended to finish...someday!
Now I can start fresh and maybe work on the beads that people have requested. I'm really pretty good at making the beads that people have asked for but absolutely terrible at remembering who wanted which beads.
.
I got all the sold Specials out into the mail this morning...quite an accomplishment for me! When I have the option to work on the torch I usually get busy with that and then don't get all the beads wrapped and packaged and out to the post office for a day or two (or three if the weather is really terrible, or I have a "bonus bead or tow that I want to make to add to the package before it goes into the mail.)
I have great plans to put up some wall racks and the curtain rods that have been sitting in the corner of the guest room for weeks while I'm waiting for the kiln to come in. I should be really ambitious and finish painting the guest room and the hall and living room, but I think I'll work on making some complex stringers for flowers and stamens, and some angel hair stringers...and...actually I have a whole list of things I could do at the torch even with no kiln! Off to play in the flame and melt some glass! Have a wonderful day!
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Tuesday Feb 5,
We're getting more snow and ice up in the great white North, all day today and more expected tomorrow. My kiln stopped working this week! No warning, just turned it on and there's absolutely nothing! I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what's wrong and how to get it fixed, and I'm sure it'll be back up and running, eventually, but in the meantime I can't be without a kiln, so I placed an emergency order for a new Chili Pepper kiln. It should be here by Friday, but in the meantime I'm cleaning out the rest of the beads I have here in Rockland. Funny, in a way because as I was packing to leave Turner last week I opened up my bead stash drawers and put most of the beads into my bag to bring to Rockalnd with me. Coincidence? They came in handy since I need to raise a little fast $$ and they've been sitting in the bead drawers for ages, some of my favorites, like the dichro nuggets...love love those beads! The Seed pods were an experiment that I've been meaning to expand on but haven't had the time to get to, and the silver foil beads are tiny treats, special beads that I've been wanting to muse as a base for a rainbow tint set with pale tints of colors with silver foil. There are lots of odds and ends and some very nice focals. Also some bunny sets that I made this weekend that are variations on the recent bunny specials I've had recently.
They'll help a little to add to my new kiln fund! Yikes! Just what I needed to break my budget! I've been restocking my glass supplies lately and getting curtains for the house so the unexpected expense has put me into sticker shock. It's a good investment though and in the long run It'll be good to have a back-up kiln, just bad timing.
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Jan 8
I just posted a new auction made with some absolutely gorgeous red glass! I'm thrilled with the way the color came out. Transparent red is one of those tricky colors to work with and it sometimes comes out sort of orangy or so deep that it's almost a wine or burgundy red, but this time I must have been holding my mouth right or wearing some socks the glass fairies liked....or something! I made a little ice cube snow-person and more ice cubes to go with the hearts and I think it's a wonderfully whimsical, funny little set, but with a touch of elegance because of the simple clean lines of the hearts and cubes and the color....the color....I can't gush enough about it!
We had some sad news, my sis-in-laws mother passed away this weekend, rather suddenly, though she had alsheimer's and it's been a long hard road for her family as the disease gradually took more and more of the person they knew and loved. It would be so amazing if a cure or treatment was found for it. It's such a tragic disease and it seems like we hear about more and more people affected by it these days.
We'll be heading out for the funeral and to offer what support and comfort we can, though at times like this ther's not much we can actually do....except give a hug and just be there. If only there were some magic words that would help the family get through this time of grief. I suppose we all have to work through losing a loved one in our own way and grieving is part of life, though it would be nice to be able to do something to make the hardest part of the process a little easier to get through.
Having a strong faith is always a help and they have that, as well as the knowledge that they did everything they possibly could to make sure her quality of life was as good as it could have been and that she always knew that she was loved.
Love, that's what really matters isn't it?
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Jan 5th,
I can't believe we're already 5 days into a new year! We've been slammed with snow and more snow, some ice and more snow! It was zero degrees on Thursday morning....brrrrrrrr! Those heating bills are going to be brutal this year and the cost of getting the snow plowed is mounting quickly. I'm sure I won't be the only here looking forward to spring!!
The kids are love the great sledding and snow fort making all the snow brings though and the changes to the landscape are just gorgeous. The trees held onto their coats of snow for days and were just beautiful. Mum's barrels out at the end of the driveway are buried under a mound of snow and just a few wisps of ornamental grass were visible sticking out through the snow. The boys decided they look like two trolls with crazy hair guarding the driveway.
We had a camp-out on the living room floor on New Year's Eve with the grandkids. They all stayed up till well after midnight! We had party hats and crowns and noise makers, neon glow in the dark necklaces and sparkling cider to toast the New Year in when the ball dropped....also special Sundaes for a treat. We made so much noise! It was a hoot to watch the boys and even funnier were my Mom and Aunt Phil and Dad in their party hats, joining in to humor the boys. Nothing like a little at home party that spans four generations!
I'm back in Rockland, minus my magnifying visor that I always wear to make beads. I have a back-up set of old glasses with a clip on filter and clip on magnifying lenses, but the strength isn't the same as my usual (and they're not very comfortable because of the weight) I noticed that all the beads I made yesterday were bigger then my usual by just a smidgen. Could be a good thing in the long run.
I went to a yoga class with Mum just before I left for Rockland and am still feeling it. I have to sign up for yoga classes here. I love it and while it doesn't really feel like I'm working hard...in a way....not the breathing hard sort of work anyway, I sure feel like I worked hard the next day!
I just put up a new batch of Specials. Some more bunnies and some spring and Valentine styles.
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Dec 28th,
We had a wonderful Christmas here in Maine! It was a white Christmas but with no storms to cause problems traveling, thank goodness!
We cooked way to many goodies and have resolved to cut way back next year(don't we always say that?) The kids had a blast and got lots of great toys and games from Santa and had so much fun playing with their cousins. I'm heading over to babysit and get a WII demonstration as soon as I put the new Specials up. I've seen them play the sports games on it but haven't seen the "Boogie" dancing and singing game yet.
We had a giant Prime Rib roast on Christmas day and Zeph was here to do the roast and the gravy and Mum and Dany and I did the mashed potatoes and veggies. Mum made her great romaine and Asian dressing salad. What a meal! We had a ton of people and there were still some leftovers! Not too many but enough to know everyone had all they wanted. Everything was sooo delicious!
The best was that everyone was here together!
I got some of the lined winter crocs and have hardly taken them off my feet. Love them!!! Also a new exercise outfit to wear to the gym and a beautiful chef's knife.
I got Mum a TIVO and Zeph set it up for her before he left to go back to work and Dany showed her how to use it. She absolutely loves it! She was always trying to record shows and running out of tape or setting it wrong, or we'd lose power for a sec and it wouldn't work. Now she has all her favorites set up so she'll never miss a show.
I love finding something she can really enjoy!
As for beads, I'm into making Valentine's and spring beads, though I'm not finished with winter themes and Snowmen quite yet.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
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Dec 22,
I'm back in Turner, ready to cook up a storm for all the various Hldiay gatherings we have scheduled. Appetizers are my thing, and I have some great recipes this year! The one I really can't wait to try is the Baked Brie with Hazelnuts and Frangelico, from Michael Salmons Hartstone Inn cookbook.
Zeph said it's aboslutly to die for!
We always have baked brie for the holidays, but usually just in a plain crust with cranberries and grapes and french bread.
Everything I've tried from Michael's cookbooks so far has been divine so this should be a real treat!
I went grocery shopping on the way to Turner last night, hit the afternoon traffic all the way from Rockland to Auburn and the grocery store was a madhouse! To add to the stress I left my carefully planned menu and shopping list right in the printer in Rockland so I was trying to mentally go down the list and remember the ingredients as I went through the aisles.
Anyone who knows me at all knows that memory is definitely not one of my strong points! I started out very focused and organized and by the end just tossed anything that looked good into the cart. Now it's time to look at the list I saved on my laptop and see how many key ingredients I forgot to get!
The madness is a necessary part of the holidays...wouldn't quite feel like Christmas without at least one crazy shopping trip and a few last minute things to get.
I love it all though and the kids are all so excited. (me too)
Thanks so much to everyone who bought (or tired to buy) specials this year.
I can't begin to relay how much it means to me to have such wonderful customers checking on the beads I make through the year, whether they buy them or just admire them. I love hearing the comments about them that I get in emails and the fact that my little creations are scattered, literally, all over the world!
It still amazes me that I can sit at the torch in my little workshop and people from across the country can see them without even having to leave the house! I love the Internet!
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Dec 15,
I just got a new batch of Specials posted. The last blast of Christmas beads plus a few Valentine/or floral beads, a bunny set.and angel and a couple of cats. I'm still trying to get a good color representation in the photos and have been having a heck of a time with the laptop showing pictures quite differently than they appear on most regular monitors.
The big storm that was predicted should be here any time now and I'm planning to spend the time we're snowed in right at the torch.
With the cold snap we've been having plus the wind we get being so close to the water and the high fuel prices, I've decided that I should take the plunge and get some insulated drapes for all the windows. I'm searching the Internet for something nice and hopefully machine washable that'll block the drafts and conserve some of the heat...and look good. Then there's the decision of what color to choose. I put in light sand colored tile on the floor and the couch and chairs are a taupe, coffee au Lait color. and carpet is a bit deeper coffee with lots of cream background with a bit of porcelain blue and hints of a sage green and sand. I was thikign of painting the walls a pale sea glass blue green and accenting with some chocolate and bamboo.
Chocolate drapes with the blue walls and bamboo roman shades under them would be nice...but with so many windows I'm worried that chocolate would make the room seem to dark. Sand or taupe might be bland and blue might be just too much blue...or it might draw the eye to the sky and water....then I could paint the walls a....???? I need a designer! I'll admit that while I love color, I'm a little timid when it comes to committing to color in decorating. I've spent most of my life moving so often and having to make do with having things fit into different houses and apartments that I've grown accustomed to neutrals.
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Dec 13,
We had a wonderful dinner at Amalfie's, a local restaurant that specializes in Mediterranean food. Everything was wonderful! We shared some different appetizers so we could taste a variety of things, and I had a salad that was to die for! They're moving to a new location, right on the boardwalk that's right around the corner from us! I'm so pleased, though being so close might not be too good for my budget! They're planning on having some tables outside in the summer season and it'll be so hard to walk by without stopping for a cappuccino when I'm walking to town. As it is I have a hard time going by Rockcity coffee or the "Second Read" where they make great coffees and their Chai Bomber (Chai tea with a shot of espresso) is simply heavenly!
Just thinking about it makes me want to make more Java beads! LOL!
I woke up before dawn again this morning and decided to get up and do all the shipping from the Specials that sold yesterday. They're all out in the mail, once again I'm totally caught up with shipping, and had the kiln on before 9 AM. Should be another great day for beadmaking!
If anyone has any beads they'd like to see, let me know!
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Dec 12,
We've had more than our share of cold icy weather so far! Today started off with shoveling the steps and spreading salt, moving the car so the driveway could get plowed, but by noon it was so sunny and gorgeous I couldn't believe it! A little respite before the next snow comes! We're actually lucky compared to the folks in other parts of the country who are without power and not nearly as ready for the weather as we are up in the north!
As to beads...I have another blue rose angle ready and a little angel in red holding a heart and wearing little socks and black Mary Jane shoes. There's a new batch of specials ready to post in just a few minutes too. A mix of winter and bunnies this time. I can't decide which season I'm creating for!
I'm just so pleased that now that I'm a little more settled the sculpture muse seems to be back. Or maybe it's the quiet meditation in the sauna at the gym that's brought my focus back so that I can do the more complex sculptures again. The conditions all have to be just right for me to have the concentration the complicated and detailed sculptures require and when life is hectic and I'm not focused I fall back on my "comfort" beads.
My holiday shopping is nearly finished, is yours? Christmas will be special this year, with all the grandkids young enough that the holidays are still filled with magic for them! What a wonderful blessing the little ones are to us oldsters! They bring so much joy.
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Dec 7,
I hope that everyone's having as nice a pre holiday time as I have been!
It's cold here and we had our first snowstorm since being in the house in Rockland. It's really strange hearing the fog horn from the lighthouse during a snowstorm. In Canterbury it was always so quiet when it was snowing that you could hardly hear a thing. It's a different experience, not quiet at all with the wind howling and the waves in the harbor being whipped up by the storm.
It all still makes for excellent time for torching though and I have a nice selection of new specials to put up, probably about the last of the Christmas beads for this year, and a few valentine sets! I'll still be doing more winter themed beads for a while and then it'll be time to concentrate on spring pastels, bunnies and chicks, peeps and beachy beads.
With the Rockland "lobstah" festival and my grandson's fascination with pirates, I've been tossing ideas around for some new sea life and pirate styles.
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Nov 29,
I finally got a new auction up on eBay! A set of pretty pink snowflakes and a little pink snowlady. I'm working on more for the next batch of specials, which hopefully will be posted tomorrow evening, if my day goes as I plan.
I've been going to the gym at the Samoset, a nice resort/hotel nearby. I tried the other one in town and it was a little too macho for me. This one has the added benefit of the hotel pool, hot tub and sauna, and the nicest showers with a ton of jets....simply luxurious! I tried the sauna today after working out and felt like very relaxed and contented rag doll when I finished! I love having an indoor pool that I can take the kids to when they are in town too.
We saw a big trawler out in the harbor today and it's still out just past the breakwater with it's big lights shining. It's the first time we've noticed a big commercial fishing boat so close. I'm a little surprised that they're allowed and that there's enough fish in the area so close to land to make it worthwhile. I wonder how that affects the small local fishing boats who must have a struggle to make a profit in the winter, not to mention how cold it must be to be out on the water at this time of year. I'm glad I have a nice cozy place to work and don't have to brave the weather...I can just watch it all from the house!
Now back to the torch so I'll have enough beads for the Specials tomorrow!
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Nov 27,
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was really good, lots of good food and people we love. After it was all cleaned up I helped my Mom haul out the Christmas decorations and got them all put up....just the indoors decorations. Dad is the outside decorations installer with Mum "supervising" the job.
The book that I contributed some bead instructions to,
Creating Lampwork Beads for Jewelry came out this weekend!!! I just got my copy in the mail and they are available at Amazon! It's pretty thrilling to see my beads in a real book! I took all the step by step pictures for my instructions myself (tricky when I was also torching the beads!) and they really came out pretty well. I wanted to be sure to show all the right angles to clearly illustrate the steps in making the beads and I think they are all quite easy to follow (I hope)
Karen Leonardo, who put the book together and supplied some of her own instructions for some of the beads, did an amazing job on the book! There's a possibility of another book in the future so I hope this one sells like hotcakes!
Here's a link to the book at Amazon.Creating Lampwork Beads for Jewelry
Eli looked at the book quite carefully and asked whose workshop was in the pictures showing a lampwork studio. He was amazed and after a long, loooong study of the pictures he said "Nana, why doesn't your workshop look like this one?"
My space is rather makeshift and so much smaller than my old workshop/studio was in the old place in New Hampshire. It's packed to the ceiling with a rather eclectic selection of glass, containers, tools, equipment and shipping supplies. Not a pretty sight and absolutely nothing like the super organized efficient worksapce shown in the book. I told him that I'd love to have my workshop look like that one, but I'm not very good at keeping it organized. He considered that and said "Nana...maybe if you practiced every day you'd learn how to keep it neat and nice like the one in the book."
He was so serious!
I had to struggle not to laugh. He's also right...but I'm afraid it would take more than daily practice to get a neat as a pin workshop from the space I have! One day I'll get the workshop in Rockland set up the way I'd like. For now it's very neat there, since I set up a temporary work space on one side of the living room and have to scoop everything away into a cabinet when the kids come (for safety's sake}
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Nov 21,
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I've been super busy and having a few computer issues so I haven't updated or put up anything new for longer then I expected. I have 6 specials ready to put up and two new sets for auctions! Now to get them all uploaded! I'm leaving shortly for Turner for Thanksgiving so I'll have to work around the traveling and the cooking schedules, but the Specials should be up soon if the computer cooperates!
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Nov 12,
The class yesterday at Playing With Fire Glass Studio was wonderful! As always Ed and Virginia Slawson who are the masterminds and owners of the fabulously designed and equipped studio were gracious and attentive hosts. Nancy Tobey, who taught the class, shared so much information about boro glass and the mysterious ways it's colors work together. I came home exhausted, my brain was going 90 miles an hour but the rest of me was in shut down mode. I fell asleep on the couch almost as soon as I got home and am still a little out of it today. I had a ton of shipping to do from the recent auctions and specials so I got that all caught up and I think everything is out in the mail that's supposed to be. I'll head to Turner and a few days with the kids tomorrow morning. My son-in-law sent me some pictures of them and it made me long for some Nana time with them. I'm probably not going to get any work done to speak of till I get back to Rockland on Thursday afternoon or evening and won't be checking me email much for the next couple days. I will be working on some more beads so there may be enough for a few specials this coming weekend. I'll try to give an approximate time to look for them if I think I'll be putting some new Specials up. The kids are coming to spend the night on Saturday so it might be Monday or Tuesday before I have enough beads and time to clean and organize them for Specials.
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Nov 9,
We survived the storm with no water damage! One tiny leak at the top of one of the new windows but that was it! I'm soooo pleased! Before the new windows and the brick work and waterproofing that we had done this fall there would have been almost as much water inside Zeph's apartment as outside! Thank goodness we seem to have the problem licked! Now to make more beads to pay all the bills from getting it fixed! LOL!
I'm behind in my email (if you've been waiting to hear back from me about something) and have been inundated with spam email, those Mailer Demon things...and every time I think I have it blocked it pops back up again and crashes my email from the shear volume of emails it's generating. I can't imagine why people would do such a thing!
I checked out the gym at the Samoset yesterday and it's really quite nice....lots of cardio machines and weight machines, room for stretching and free weights and then there are the luxuries...positively spa like showers and changing rooms, fresh towels provided, and a sauna, separate for the ladies and gents....a swimming pool and a hot tub. Heavenly! Now to fill out the application and get the $$ for the membership in so I can start going.
There's a glass exhibit at the Farnsworth with a special seminar on Saterday and then on Sunday it's my boro colors class with Nancy Tobey!! I'm excited and a little nervous. I have a weird approach to my glass work and it's turned into a very meditative solitary process for me over the years. I don't do well with distractions and other people around me when I'm working (since I'm mostly in another world when I'm torching....hard to describe...I said it was weird! LOL!) Anyway, the thought of torching in a different place with other people around is a little nerve wracking for me, so I'm looking forward to learning more about how to develop all the beautiful depth of color that boro glass can have, but also have the jitters about it.
I have beads for a few Specials ready and should be able to get the pictures up tomorrow before I leave for the glass exhibit, which will probably be about noon.
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Nov 3,
We're getting the wind and rain today from the remnants of Hurricane Noel as it blows up the coast. It's a wild day out there and watching the waves being whipped up in the harbor is really interesting. The water is a completely different color than I've ever seen it, a deep dark grayish green covered with white froth as the waves race toward shore. It's such a contrast to the days this summer when the harbor was filled with white sails! Today there's noting out there moving but the waves! The warnings for people to stay off the water were taken seriously this time and hopefully there won't be any fishing boats lost in the storm.
It's the first big storm we've been here in the house to witness and it's really neat...like being in a birds nest, safe and warm and cozy as the wind screams around the house and rattles the windows. I love the sound of the wind (good thing since there's no escaping it!)
As for beads, I just took pictures of eight specials, all priced the same this time so I can get them posted quickly. I may not be able to put up sold signs if we lose power during the storm, but the Pay Pal "buy it" buttons will work till a special is sold.
Have a wonderful weekend!
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Oct 31,
Happy Halloween!
We have wonderful weather this year for Trick or Treating and the kids are all sooo excited! I'm wearing my Halloween socks (I'm a sucker for holiday socks!) and plan to head over to go Trick or Treating with the kids later this evening.
I love this time of year!! Everything smells so great, crunchy leaves and apples, warm cider and spiced tea....mmmmm. It's just chilly enough to be brisk and make your glasses fog up a little when you go indoors where it's warm....makes home feel so cozy and inviting!
I bought some great pumpkins at JoAnn Fabrics today where they were on sale for 70% off! I figured they'd be great to keep to fill in for autumn decorations for years to come. The baby wanted to hold one and smelled it and announced that we were buying stinky pumpkins as he plopped his onto the check-out counter. He's right, they look real but smell pretty funky inside
I have some pink cupcake beads all ready for a special or two, with some pink mittens and accent beads, and some little snowman tabs, and may get another harvest gourd set finished for the new Specials. There's also some of the Java (coffee) theme beads that'll be in the next batch of Specials too if I don't make more and put them into an auction first. Still doing a few more Poodle beads too and I'll try to get a Santa set finished.
I just put up a holiday set on eBay with traditional snowmen with Top Hats and red and green beads.
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Oct 28,
I'm back in Turner till after Halloween. We went to see a Disney show yesterday with the kids and then walked to the Ice cream shop. I always forget how much I like shopping in Portland and every time I'm there I wonder why I don't go more often! We used to go every winter to shop in the old Port area to find unusual little things for the kids for Christmas. I think the baby enjoyed his Ice Cream cone at least as much as the show! They're easy to please at that age.
I ordered our cones while his Mom and big brothers were in the restroom and I forgot that he usually gets his ice cream in a bowl. He grinned all over when he got his cone, pleased as punch, and then I remembered why he usually doesn't get them! LOL! We were both covered! We watched as they added cookies and candy to the ice cream on a marble slab and chopped and mixed it all up. Quite impressive for the kids to see (and the anticipation while they watched was so cute!)
I have to spend some time torching while I'm here, but I'm reveling in kid time too. I miss them sooo much when I'm in Rockland!(and the big people too) Though I do love it there too even more than I thought I would.
I've been busy making cupcakes and have done a few give away sets, one to an old customer who's doing a fund raiser for breast cancer, and one for the Art Bead Scene challenge prize for next month, beads with a Coffee Haus theme. I made beads in the colors I use for the "Java Blues" sets, but added a coffee theme with steaming cups or coffee related words...and added a few tiny sculpted coffee mugs and a strand of little coffee bean shaped beads in shades to mimic different roasts. I'm such a coffee lover that I was really enthused to make a coffee theme set!
The Art Bead Scene website is a really super one to browse if you love art beads and jewelry, and they have a monthly give away too!
The Art Bead Scene
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Oct 19,
We had a foggy rainy day here yesterday. It was actually very mysterious and beautiful and the air was heavy with the smell of salt and sea. I still marvel at the way the light and water change from day to day and love the "bad" days almost as much as the sunny bright days.
We went to the Strand last night and saw a British comedy, Death at a Funeral, really funny if you enjoy humor with a bit of a macabre twist (I do) The audience was roaring through most of it.
I had a "devil may care" day on Thursday, slept way later than I intended and walked downtown to the Farmers market and then I decided to head down Main St and see if I could get my hair done. It was long past the time I should have had something done but I've been so busy I kept putting it off. I think I found my favorite hairdresser ever! When John Paul asked me what I'd like, I told him I wanted something that would make me look 20 years younger and forty pounds lighter, and he was free to do whatever he thought would suit me. I was ready for a change! He got a kick out of being given total creative freedom and covered the mirror so I'd have a complete surprise. I was shocked and thrilled at the same time when I saw what he'd done! I love-love-love the cut, and the color is something I'd never have chosen for myself but I really like it. DH has commented more on this than anything I've had done for about 20 years, a big surprise since he usually says something along the line of "It's your hair, as long as you like it that's all that matters" It's funny to have him throw out compliments!
With all the non-bead stuff that's been taking up my time, I'm behind on my bead production and won't have any beads for new specials till this week, probably Tuesday (I said that last week didn't I?) This week I'll definitely be spending a lot of time at the torch so there should be some new Specials and an auction or two, hopefully well worth the wait.
Zeph brought home a little treat when he came home from work on Thursday, some tiny lamb chops wrapped in a band of Phyllo ....just a nice little nibble. All I can say is ....heavenly! If you're in the Mid Coast Maine area and looking for a wonderful place for a special dinner, or a place to stay, check out the Hartstone Inn in Camden.
I'm tempted to book a room for the night sometime just so I can go to breakfast. The menus are posted on the website and, if you like to cook, there are two excellent cookbooks written by Chef Michael, beautifully illustrated with pictures of the food and the inn and surrounding area, as well as some of his custom spice mixes and Hartstone Inn granola available on their website. They'd make a wonderful gift for any "foodie" on your Christmas list!
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Oct 14,
I made it in time for the first soccer game yesterday and was up to see the sun rise over the water before I piled into the car for the drive. What a beautiful day it was! The trees are at their peak for autumn color right now, later than usual because of the warm fall weather we had, but the chill is back today!
The kids were great in their games, so much fun to watch, and then we went to the Pumpkin farm with my Mom and Aunt. They had a barn there, open to viewing and it was like stepping back in time when I went through the door! The smells of the animals, all the hay in the hay lofts and on the floor, the old wood.....just like my grandparents farm! It was great to have the grandkids there to see in person what we've told them about when we talk about some of the things we did when we were young.
They played on everything there, the corn maze and the wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch were highlights. Now they have their pumpkins ready to carve.
I discovered just how far off the colors on my laptop monitor are when I looked at my recent auctions on the old computer in my workshop in Turner. I don't know what to do short of buying a new computer and monitor ....or maybe just a monitor to hook up to the laptop in Rocklnad. Everything looks so dark on the laptop that I lighten up the pictures I take so they look like the beads ...then when I see the pictures on another computer, they're so light that you can hardly see any of the detail of the beads! ARRGGGHHH! Frustrating! It's like starting from scratch, or like seeing the world through dark sunglasses!
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Oct 11,
The last batch of specials sold pretty quickly...except for one lonely set of pretty blue and white roses that are still waiting for someone to see them and fall in love with them. Maybe I'm the only one who loves the soft winter blues.
I'm heading to Turner this weekend for a few days with the grandkids. They have their last soccer games of the season on Saturday and then it's Pumpkin land at Chipman farms! It's a zoo but there's nothing like being out in the crisp air at this time of the year, and I've never seen so many pumpkins as I saw there last year! I'm so relieved that the Glass meeting isn't this Saturday. I thought it was and had to choose between the glass meeting with other beadmakers or time with the grandkids..needless to say, the kids won! Then I checked the email and the date of the meeting and it's not till the weekend after.Must be good Karma! I get the best of both worlds. Even better, Our friend Pat is coming to Mum's house on Sunday to do massages! She's wonderful and also does Reki...so you get a double whammy! I missed the last time she was there so I'm really looking forward to it.
Zeph's doing well at his new chef's job. He's so happy and really enjoys it and it sounds like he's getting more comfortable there, learnign the way the kitchen works, where everything goes and what to do.
From the time he was little he's been interested in food and we tried our best to steer him to culinary school, but kids have to follow their own path. He's so funny, we watch all the food shows on TV, and cookbooks and food magazines are his reading materials of choice. I thought that once he was working full time in the food industry again that he'd be tired of food and cooking and the last thing he'd want to do on time off is anything to do with food. I'm the same way with glass and jewelry though...when you're following your passion it's never boring and there's always something interesting to learn.
I'm crossing my fingers that we have nice weather this weekend, at least on Saturday for the kids games and the Pumpkin farm trip. It was so gorgeous here today, sparkling water and the deepest blue sky! It seems like there's fewer sailboats out in the every day now, but we saw the most beautiful schooner today with sails puffed out in the stiff breeze. Stately and elegant!
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Sept 20,
I got back to Rockland last night and found an email from an old customer of mine who's selling off some of her bead collection to pay for her cat's surgery. I know all to well how quickly the vet bills can run up when we're trying to keep
a beloved pet healthy or at least reasonably comfortable as they get older. I thought I'd put in a couple of links to some of her auctions that have quite a few of my beads in them. She the styles we enjoy making the most also has some for sale with beads she purchased from
Maria from Garden Path and Krissy if I'm not mistaken. All three of us like to make whimsical little sculpted beads and accents. Anyway,
I thought that since the prices are far far less than the beads originally sold for , someone may want to take a peek and maybe get a bargain on some really nice beads and help a nice lady take care of her cat at the same time.
Snow people and Christmas Auction
Gingerbread people and Christmas Candy Auction
I had a great time in Turner, busy as all get out. Went to the gym every morning which is so nice....being in the old routine and seeing the baby first thing in the morning (and my daughter of course) was wonderful.
I took Mum for her bone marrow biopsy and they let me stay right in the room with her while they did the procedure. I was so glad that they did, not that I could be of any real help but it was nice to be there and I hope it made it a little less stressful for Mum. It went well...more or less. She's such a strong woman and I admire her more than I can say.
The main thing is that it's over and they got the samples they needed for testing.
Then I went to my daughters and took the boys outside to play (they have realtives from out west flying in and a big family dinner on Saturday, so they're busy getting ready for that. I got the kids a quick dinner and took all three of them to Eli''s soccer practice. They were good and had a blast, but I really could have used an extra set of eyes in the back of my head!
I got them home, snacked and bathed and into bed. Whew! I don't know how Dany does it every day!
Friday morning we stopped in to buy a portable DVD player for a good friend who had a stroke this week. He's younger than I am and it was quite a shock! Poor guy had cancer and during the treatment phase, Zeph (my son) worked at his jewelry store to help out . He had just gotten the "cancer free" diagnosis this summer and then this happened! Goes to show that we just never know from day to day what will happen!
Makes every day a little more precious!
The good news is that he survived the stroke ! Unfortunatly he is left with partial paralysis and . aphasia (probably spelled wrong....it's basically speech gets all turned around and comes out garbled, even though the person is aware and knows exactly what they want to say) They're already starting physical therapy and I'm sure that with hard work and therapy he'll improve tremendously! We all wanted to do something...and figured that, better than flowers... a little DVD player would be nice. If he has some movies and sci-fi episodes to watch on the DVD player between treatments, therapy and visitors, it might keep him from getting to bored. Being in the hospital can be
so depressing , not to mention having your life turned upside down and not being able to command your own body to do the things you expect it to do.
Any suggestions of positive things we can do to help (I know there's a lot of people who have gone through something similar, either themselves or with someone close to them) will be greatly appreciated!
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Sept 14,
I'm back in Rockland today and the weather is gorgeous! The water is the most amazingly brilliant blue today and there's a stiff cool breeze.
I had a great time in Turner, soaked in as much of the kids and family as I could and brought back a few of the tools I missed and some more glass and cabinets...A little at a time! LOL! Just the way I like to move, very gradually!
The kids were so cute, full of stories about school,with pictures and their schoolwork to show off. When I was babysitting on Tuesday night we ordered their Halloween costumes. I used to make them. I was quite an accomplished seamstress back "in the day", but since I started melting glass I haven't felt the draw of the sewing machine, so my sewing has gotten almost as rusty as my coking skills!
Now that the boys are older they really prefer to choose their own costumes from a costume catalog. This year they're going to be Star Wars guys. Darth Vader and a Jabbafet or something like that, with light sabers and blasters. No cute little skunk or bee costumes for them anymore! LOL!
I did make some poodle beads, something that I've had a lot of requests for. I still plan to do a few more to sell on the Specials page so if you've been waiting for a pair of poodle beads don't give up quite yet! They'll be coming as soon as I can get them finished!
Tomorrow the windows downstairs will be replaced, and we just got the estimate in from the brick guys for the work that needs to be done to the brick. Yipes!! Wish I'd had that estimate to negotiate with when we bought the house! The inspector we had raved about the great condition of the brick, so we didn't worry about it till Zeph had leaks all over the place last fall and spring.
We're going to a concert tonight, Celtic music with a French Canadian twist. Should be a lot of fun.
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Sept 8,
I'm going to try to get enough beads made for a least a few specials tomorrow morning. None today since I've been making a few "Freebie" sets and a couple long overdue requests. I'm still getting used to the programs on the laptop computer that I use in Rockland. They work great, just a little different to use than my old standby's. It's good to learn something a little different though...exercising the old brain is a good thing...time consuming as I bumble about, but good.
I'll head back to Turner as soon as I get the specials posted and will stay a couple days (or three) Been missing my grandsons too much and need a cuddle fix and a return to my old routine, if only for a few days will be a nice change.
I also have some things that I need to bring from the workshop to Rockland. I did a pretty good job planning what I'd need to work here but there have been a few glaring oversights.I came with no wire at all and none of the little stands that I usually put my little sculptures on, not nearly enough of the colored tissue paper that I use to package beads and ....well....a few more odds and ends. I think I miss the Fordom the most (besides the people! LOL!)but can't afford to get another one so I can have one in each place. My oxy machine was also giving me trouble yesterday. I cleaned the filters and played around with it and finally got it working well enough to do some basic beads but not well enough regulated to do anything complicated. The flame was fluctuating like it was breathing...a first for me. Maybe the high humidity was making it worse. Hopefully it's not wearing out, or in need of repair
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Sept 5,
I joined the gym here in Rockland today! Felt great to get back into my routine.
I was watching the Food Channel last night and they had a Bobbie Flay "throw Down" show and the challange was set right here in Rockland! It was for pies and they showed some footage from the annual Pie-rate pie festival, held right here on the summer solstace in June!
I was so surprised, since I've never heard of it! Zeph's already talking about entering a pie for next years contest!
For me it just makes me want to make some glass pie beads! LOL!
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Sept 1,
I got a temporary work area set up in Rockland and made my first couple batch's of beads here.
It's different from the usual set up, different chair, different height table, different lighting and not all the "stuff" I usually have to work with, though I suppose there's actually a lot more than the basic necessities here already.
The beads came out great...took a lot longer to clean them with the battery operated dremel instead of the nifty Fordom tool that I have in the workshop in Turner.
Zeph helped me set up the laptop so I can finally get on line and look at email and list some auctions and do email while I'm here. It's different too. I'm in adjustment shock! To help me get through it I had the help of three little pirates who arrived this morning and took us to the Pirate Festival.
They had quite the costumes and have been practicing pirate talk with lots of throaty ARRGH!s being bandied about. Sounds a little like we've been taken over by a band of bears or dinosaurs.
I'll get to email soon, but probably not till after the kids leave tomorrow night.
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Aug 27,
I'm still alive and kicking....it's been so long since I last updated and added a new auction that I've had a few emails asking if I was okay.
It's been busy but fun!
School starts tomorrow in this neck of the woods and the boys are so excited!
I'm going to ride along to see them off on their first day and then head to the gym. I'll be heading back to Rockland on Wednesday. Time to start settling into the house there, finally! There's a silent movie playing at the Strand that's going to be accompanied by live musicians. Should be really interesting. I'm looking forward to it.
I had a new washer and dryer delivered on Saturday. Despite my efforts to measure they were about a half inch to wide to fit into the laundry closet! I was here in Turner so Zeph and Richard were there to deal with the dilemma. Zeph took the doors off the laundry closet and then had to take the molding off and part of the door frame, but the washer and dryer are installed and working great (so I've heard)
I'll have to figure out what to do with th door frame when I get there. The microwave/ stove fan was also installed. The cabinet had to be moved and the vent didn't line up with the old vent so that's a problem.I was under the impression that since I paid dearly for installation that it was the responsibility of the installer to handle these kinds of things but evidently not. At least they all work fine!
I found a beach that has the most wonderfully flat rocks, perfect for tiling the back splash! I decided that I'd hold off on doing that till I can spend some time with the grandkids collecting special rocks to use. Eli said this morning that it might make me sad to look at the rocks and think of them when I'm missing them.What a sweetie to be concerned! I told him that every time I looked at the rocks that they helped me collect I'd think of them and it would make me smile...and knowing that I can just hop in the car and drive will keep me from being sad.It's an hour and a half drive....but that's nothing when I know that they're at the end of the drive!
Noah came to Rockland with me for a few days and had a wonderful time. It's so different to have just one as opposed to the chaos of having three (or sometimes five) little boys.
That one on one time being the only child with the undivided attention of grandparents is so important, and fun for all of us!
Aug 27,
I'm still alive and kicking....it's been so long since I last updated and added a new auction that I've had a few emails asking if I was okay.
It's been busy but fun!
School starts tomorrow in this neck of the woods and the boys are so excited!
I'm going to ride along to see them off on their first day and then head to the gym. I'll be heading back to Rockland on Wednesday. Time to start settling into the house there, finally! There's a silent movie playing at the Strand that's going to be accompanied by live musicians. Should be really interesting. I'm looking forward to it.
I had a new washer and dryer delivered on Saturday. Despite my efforts to measure they were about a half inch to wide to fit into the laundry closet! I was here in Turner so Zeph and Richard were there to deal with the dilemma. Zeph took the doors off the laundry closet and then had to take the molding off and part of the door frame, but the washer and dryer are installed and working great (so I've heard)
I'll have to figure out what to do with th door frame when I get there. The microwave/ stove fan was also installed. The cabinet had to be moved and the vent didn't line up with the old vent so that's a problem.I was under the impression that since I paid dearly for installation that it was the responsibility of the installer to handle these kinds of things but evidently not. At least they all work fine!
I found a beach that has the most wonderfully flat rocks, perfect for tiling the back splash! I decided that I'd hold off on doing that till I can spend some time with the grandkids collecting special rocks to use. Eli said this morning that it might make me sad to look at the rocks and think of them when I'm missing them.What a sweetie to be concerned! I told him that every time I looked at the rocks that they helped me collect I'd think of them and it would make me smile...and knowing that I can just hop in the car and drive will keep me from being sad.It's an hour and a half drive....but that's nothing when I know that they're at the end of the drive!
Noah came to Rockland with me for a few days and had a wonderful time. It's so different to have just one as opposed to the chaos of having three (or sometimes five) little boys.
That one on one time being the only child with the undivided attention of grandparents is so important, and fun for all of us!
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Aug 15,
I've been crazy busy and it's going to get busier! We have company coming, both from Nova Scotia and Florida Looking forward to taking a little time to stop and enjoy a few of the beautiful sights and places in Maine that I either haven't had a chance (or made the time) to see or things I see nearly every day but don't stop to enjoy and appreciate. Seeing things through the eyes of a vacationer is such a nice change of pace!
We have a few things planned , concert tickets to a show at the Strand and a blueberry pancake breakfast at the Union Blueberry festival but mostly everyone's very amenable to playing it by ear. I'll take some time to work since I can't afford to take to much time off right now, what with all the things I've had to get for the house in Rockland and all the time off I've taken to work on the house, but I'll take a little time to have fun.Hopefully I'll get to take each of the boys along for a few special "adventure days" so they can have some one-on -one time being the only kid getting attention (that's my favorite thing to do) and having a small one along to play with and help me notice the things that us big people so often overlook will add so much to the time I'm "adventuring".
So for the next two weeks I'll be hard pressed to get out prompt replies to emails. Hope everyone understands. September will be here before we know it and things will settle down and I'll get back to some kind of regular routine.
I have a mammogram tomorrow...what a way to kick off the company week! LOL! Wish me luck, I'm overdue (put it off way to long this time even though I know better) so I'm a little nervous about what it'll show.
A friend sent the story below to me and I was so moved by it I just had to share it...it's such a powerful message and so so very true! Wish I knew the author.
This is beautiful and a wonderful reminder for us
moms!
I'm invisible.....
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack
of response, the way one of the kids will walk into
the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to
the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on
the phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on
the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even
standing on my head in the corner, because no one can
see me at all. I'm invisible.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can
you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a
human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?"
I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the
Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Pick me up right
around 5:30, please."
I was certain that these were the hands that once held
books and the eyes that studied history and the mind
that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had
disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen
again. She's going. she's going. she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner,
celebrating the return of a friend from England.
Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and
she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.
I was sitting there, looking around at the others all
put together so well. It was hard not to compare and
feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my
out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find
that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a
banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell
peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic,
when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped
package, and said, "I brought you this."
It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I
wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I
read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration
for the greatness of what you are building when no one
sees."
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the
book. And I would discover what would become for me,
four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern
my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals
- we have no record of their names. These builders
gave their whole lives for a work they would never see
finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no
credit. The passion of their building was fueled by
their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who
came to visit the cathedral while it was being built,
and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside
of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are
you spending so much time carving that bird into a
beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will
ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into
place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to
me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you
make every day, even when no one around you does. No
act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on,
no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice
and smile over. You are building a great cathedral,
but you can't see right now what it will become."
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction.
But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is
the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness.
It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a
great builder. As one of the people who show up at a
job that they will never see finished, to work on
something that their name will never be on. The writer
of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals
could ever be built in our lifetime because there are
so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to
tell the friend he's bringing home from college for
Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and
bakes homemade pies, and then she hand- bastes a
turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for
the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a
monument to myself. I just want him to want to come
home. And then, if there is anything more to say to
his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We
cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day,
it is very possible that the world will marvel, not
only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has
been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible
women.
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Aug 9,
We're going to the Theater in Monmouth tonight! I'm so excited! We used to go back when we were dating and when the kids were small. We haven't been in ages though. My Dh worked for channel eight TV and had to go with a video camera and tape a little clip and review for the news so we got free tickets! It was the only way we could have afforded it back then and I totally enjoyed it. It's an old theater that was practically falling down when they first started using it again back in the early seventies...maybe they started a bit before that, but it was still in pretty rough shape back then, moldy wall paper falling off the walls and plaster details disintegrating.. The balcony used to be closed, I think for safety concerns, but it's open again. It's so nice to see a stately old building restored and being used and appreciated!
The play is Measure for Measure. Should be fun!
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Aug 7,
I spent most of the week last week in Rockland, unpacking and cleaning as I put things away. Still tons of work to do but the house is beginning to feel like home now! We went to the Lobster Festival on Sunday and Noah entered the "Cod Carry" race and the Lobster Crate Race that held in the harbor. It's a long line of wooden lobster crates strung together across the harbor and the goal is to race across them without landing in the water. They're tippy and sink easily, but if you're really light and really fast, and can hit about the center of each crate as you run across them you it can be done! I was so impressed that he wanted to try it. It took a lot of chutzpah to do it...especially since the jump down from the dock to that first carte in the water is pretty scary, especially when you consider it's all moving with the waves!
The boys all had fun and the adults as well. I'm so glad I didn't miss it.
Now I'm back and working at catching up on the bead making. I just posted some new specials and a new auction and I'm about cleaned out for beads! Well...there are a few special beads that I have squirreled away that I haven't been able to bring myself to part with yet....maybe they'll go up though. I ordered a new washer and dryer, got a desk to match the bedroom furniture for Richard's computer, and a n over the stove combination convection/microwave/vent. Akkk! No more shopping for me for quite some time!!
I was having nightmares (literally) about the washer and dryer, specifically the dryer, so I knew it was time to bite the bullet and order some that actually worked, especially with all the laundry I have with the move, big blankets and pillows and all that to wash. I was looking at having to go to the laundromat to wash anything bigger than a bath towel with the old set.
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July 28,
The movers are coming on Monday so I'll be in Rockland for most of next week. I'm busy getting a couple more auctions listed before I go and will have some beads put aside and ready for a few new specials to put up when I get back. Wish me luck! I'm not looking forward to all the cleaning and unpacking, but it'll be kind of nice to have a table and chairs in the new place, and I'll see just how the new couch and chairs will go with the wall unit and dining room cabinet once it's all in one room. I have a feeling that a few things will end up with a nice painted finish....maybe a nice "distressed" painted finish depending on how careful the movers are!
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July 20,
It's the baby's birthday party today so I'm going to head over there to see him blow out his candles and (that's what he's soooo excited about ...that and the party hats! Love this age! I can't believe he's two already!
Then I'm squeezing in a little work this afternoon, babysitting tonight and then maybe working a little more, depending on how late I get home. I should be able to catch up on all my shipping tomorrow and get everything out in the mail first thing on Monday morning. I'm so behind!
I just put up a pair of little Trick or Treaters on eBay, I'm so pleased with how they came out! I had to do the paper bag costume for Zeph when he was really small. He loves Halloween and used to wear costumes nearly all year long (till he was in school and the bigger kids let him know that it was "unusual". I missed going shopping with Darth Vader or out to lunch with Dracula when he stopped dressing up on a regular basis.
Have a wonderful weekend!!
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