For sale on Etsy

small double sided Italian script etching...

Medium double sided Italian script etching...

Large double sided Italian script etching... Leaves courtesy of the tree in our parking lot.

It's almost 1:35 p.m and I have yet to head for my husband's workshop. It's too cold to strip a piano. The weather said it was to be 58 today but it's still pretty chilly. At least I am using time wisely- doing some laundry, finally getting these pendants listed on Etsy and packaging some books I sold on Ebay.

Mostly today I am thinking about Veteran's Day. Selfishly I am glad I don't have jury duty today as I otherwise may have been sitting in circuit court today.

On a grander and more important scale, I am remembering all the Vets out there, living and dead, who have done so much to protect our country. My grandfather on my mother's side was a WWII vet, stationed in the extreme remote wilderness of Attu, Alaska for several years. Some of the worst bloodshed of WWII was fought on Attu. My mom was a tiny baby when he left, a three year old when he returned. I can't imagine not seeing my family for such a long time. I can't imagine his loneliness, or my grandmother struggling to support a household that included my mother, my great grandparents, and my great aunt, who was a high school student at the time, all on a bank teller's salary. This is how people looked out for one another back then. But she never complained, either at the time or years later, an admirable quality I wish I possessed.

While the war raged on, my grandparents kept up a correspondence, writing each other every day the personal and plain events of their lives, documenting my mom's development from an infant into a toddler and all the events that my grandfather was missing back home in Ohio. The letters are voluminous and detailed and they were saved by my grandmother for more than forty years after my grandfather's untimely departure from this life at the age of 51. After my grandmother's death in 2000, my mom discovered these letters kept in a large wooden box, preserved in order, along with tiny Eskimo dolls, postcards and the long awaited cable from my grandfather, telling his wife that he was finally coming home...

Happy Veteran's Day, everyone. Thank you for your service.

Let the Eagle fly...

Boy oh boy, please don't tell me I'm the only one who is already tired of reading blog entries dedicated to praying for President-elect Obama. Nothing wrong with prayer, nothing at all. But the way it is used is really too much. Such as one I saw today-- prayers that Obama will come to know Christ, which I really don't understand. Has Obama denounced or renounced Christianity? Not to my knowledge. That aside, no one can presume to know what someone else may know of Christ in their personal life and to project it as such upon them is self righteous and self serving.

Then, I saw a blog discussing prayers that Obama may somehow "surprise" us with his ability to successfully lead this country. Honestly, somehow, I think Obama has it covered.

Sincere prayers are one wonderful thing, otherwise it's clear to me the "prayers" alot of these people really would like to have answered would be for Obama to have lost the election. In each case, these good people make sure we the readers know they did not vote for President-elect Obama. That's all fine. Everyone has their opinion.  

In the prayers of some of these bloggers, I read alot of fear.  In between the lines it oozes and splatters all over the place.  Because my goodness, we may very soon have life saving stem cell research in the works, finally. Heavenly days, we will very likely have in the next four years supreme court justices appointed that support pro-choice. We may have to end the war in Iraq. We may see an increase in gun control laws. We may see steps taken to ease our reliance on foreign oil and steps taken to protect our planet from environmental disaster. At long last. These are my opinions.

So continue to pray for Obama, by all means. Thanks be to God. Right now I pray I can continue to pay our bills in this lousy economy. I pray I can find a job that pays more than seven bucks an hour. I pray for good health for myself and my husband and that we, along with 50 some million other uninsured American citizens, can have affordable health insurance. I pray I can finish college without having to sell everything I own to pay for it. I pray I can continue to help out the homeless guy that lives on a plastic chair near my building with two shopping carts. My husband and I feed him several days a week and give him money when we can, a veteran of the Vietnam war, like John McCain. This homeless vet's words? "I never thought I would be the one to end up on the street... I never thought it would be me."

So there are many things to pray for, aren't there, out there, other than for Obama's projected deficiencies and inabilities based on the loss of a candidate. It's everso disheartening.

This is just me.  Now I can get back to making things.

Italian etched pendants

Since I was working on filling some Etsy orders for etched pendants anyway, I got a hankering to try out a huge new rubber stamp, all in Italian. Even though I am going to Italy in less than two months *gulp*, I do not know what the etchings say. This time, instead of leaving the back blank, I took a gamble on burning through the thin copper and etched the reverse side with additional Italian text. They turned out spendidly, although an etched brass barrel didn't fare so well, burned to a thin rusty looking hunk of junk. Lorelei, I'm going to get you!! No, it was my own dumb fault. Trying to do too many things at once and putting different pieces into the etchant at different times and then getting mixed up what was done and what not and you can predict the results.. oh yes. So I spent this evening working on another barrel, which turned out well, and it's on it's way to California.


Reverse side of each, in order as above, shown below... Tomorrow, into the beleagured Etsy shop they go.



Two weeks ago, I went to visit my parents. This past weekend, they and my little pal Maggie came to visit us for a few days. We dashed here, there and everywhere, sightseeing, looking at leaves, eating ice cream and enjoying each other's company. Here I am in front of an ice cream shop with my sweet little girl. Don't laugh, but Maggie knows me as her "Sissy" and goes crazy whenever anyone mentions that word. We have a special bond, that little dog and I, and she is even crazier about my husband, who is known to her as "Uncle Michael." Do we love dogs or what? =)


Of course, even though he is ornerier than the devil and in trouble much of the time as a result, I loves me some fat orange kitty as well... I'm not sure Mango appreciated this hug and kiss, but he should be used to it by now.

YES, WE CAN

AND WE DID...   CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA

Zipper Pull

Recently I received a request for something unusual for me-- a sweater zipper pull. The woman who is the recipient does not wear necklaces but loved this pendant, so we improvised and this is what we came up with. It is one of my favorite quotes and one everyone can identify with... The beads are aquamarine and smokey quartz, the pebble comes from Riverstone Bead Company, care of Lake Michigan. The chain I recycled from a necklace I bought a few years ago and dismantled and was perfect regenerated into this piece.

A close up...

I downloaded some photos from my trip to visit my parents on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Here is my parent's dog Maggie (on the left) and my dear Lucy snuggling together. They are particularly fond of each other and are good companions.

My parents had a surprise in their little garden this year-- a tiny pumpkin! They planted some seeds last year and nothing yielded but this year, this darling little thing. Isn't it cute? I think they should carve it with a tiny knife and put it in their front window.

Here are my dear folks on the beach at Assateague Island, soaking up the last of the relatively warm weather. This is the day we spotted several peregrine falcons on the same beach, resting on their migratory journey from Greenland to South America.

More recently, this past Sunday my husband and I decided we needed an emotional lift (I probably needed it more than he did) so we drove up to Ashland, VA, a small and charming community north of Richmond off of Rt. 95. On the main street of the town, in front of the library, there is a wonderful kugle ball. I spent more time than was probably normal spinning the ball in the water and then stopping it with some effort and reversing the earth's rotation. Just like Superman...
No, we didn't go back in time.

Lucy went with us, of course, and we all enjoyed ice cream cones from the old fashioned soda fountain next to the library, and then headed into the country to view lovely red and orange trees, horse farms and a pretty stream along the way.


Every day, we've decided we need to do something, however small, to keep our spirits up and refreshed, in the face of this hardship. Spending time together carries me through. And hey, look at that blue, blue sky....

History in the Making

My husband and I went to the Obama Rally in Richmond today. We waited in line for almost two and a half hours, around two city blocks, and then once inside, waited another hour to see and hear the man himself. Later I saw on the news that 7000 (!) additional people didn't make it inside since the coliseum was filled to capacity (12,000) and then some. I'm thankful we made it in because baby, it was C O L D outside! Michael snapped these photos. It was difficult to get good pictures because of the crowds and we weren't exactly up front either. But it was really wonderful to see history in the making and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Otherwise, I had a great trip to visit my parents. Two days we spent driving the beach, where we saw two juvenile and one adult peregrine falcons resting on their migratory journey, plus one hawk on the beach. I've never seen such birds on the sand before so it was thrilling to say the least.

Since returning home, I haven't made any jewelry, although I have one order to fill that came in just tonight. Mostly I have been taking care of the important business of keeping a roof over our heads, helping my husband with our piano business, trying to generate more business and filling out applications for jobs for myself. It's really tough right now for us and we're fighting it, these hard times. Sometimes it's difficult not to get upset but we're keeping straight and level.

More than ever before, I am reminded how much there is to be grateful for. So many simple things, like food in the freezer and pantry, flats of dog and cat food piled in the bin, fuel up to the top in both cars, library books that are new and free, plus DVD's from same place, walks around the neighborhood, cheap and good coffee at WaWa =). We both have good health and those we love are healthy. And our dear little animals keep us laughing and loving every day.

We have for a long time been learning to do with less. We don't care about the newest electronics, or what is the hottest video game out there, or digital television, or what is new and better than anything we may have. We never go shopping. Even when I go to Costco, I get the essentials and get out. I can't believe all the stuff out there to buy, buy, buy. Who really needs all this junk?? There are more important issues. And I know we are strong and resilient and willing to work hard to make it through this economic catastrophe. Staying strong, staying together. These are the important things. In the end, it's good, and it's enough.

Win this Quilt

Hurry Up, Ending today!