back amongst the blogging

There is a silver lining here. Our computer, after spending a week in the Apple store hospital, came home two days ago with a new external hard drive, new operating system and all but three pictures saved from the old hard drive. I am so relieved.

I've been spending my interim days without a computer working on beads, among other things. The prayer beads were created for a very special lady who lost her lovely daughter last year. The Lao Tzu zen pendant is a trade. The clouds are the leftovers from a mid afternoon storm from last week, the view from the top of our building looking west over the city of Richmond from the museum district.

Since I don't want to spoil anymore surprises, the etchings sent off today will have to wait for another post. My days are full as can be. My husband and I are working on restoring a grand piano. My job this week is stripping, sanding and staining the open grain finish on the piano. Because of fumes, it must be done with open doors, so it is HOT in there working. I go home at the end of the day in a puddle. I even think my jeans are a little less snug. Another silver lining, eh? When I get home, there are animals to tend to, dinner to fix, things to clean up, and finally jewelry to be made. We are sharing a booth in Pittsburgh July 19-20 so at the last minute practically I am revamping alot of old pieces and creating a bunch of new polymer pendants, simple ones strung on a leather or rubber cord.

We hope to do especially well at this show because we are going to Italy! in January for an early winter getaway in fabulous Rome, Florence, Venice, Cortona, and yes, even Maranello, Italy, where the Ferrari museum awaits my car-crazed husband. Oh, the bead stores I see listed in Venice... i'll walk through water lapping at my ankles to find them. Anyone with any good tips for travel there, please let me know! Neither of us has ever been to Italy. My head is already aswirl with the Sistine Chapel dancing in my head, museums, pasta, cobbled streets, the Coliseum. The material girl in me is thinking beads! leather! paper! oh the joys of Italy. I can't wait.