Silver Lao -Tzu Pendant on Etsy

I made this pendant for Heather Powers a while ago. Whilst going through my things in preparation for the big move (April 24!), I found just enough 14 gauge sterling silver sheet to make another. It will be offered on etsy very shortly. I don't anymore make pendants with this hefty gauge. As any metalworker may know, silver is almost double the cost of a scant two years ago or so. In fact, silver closed at $13.70 today, about three bucks more than my last silver sheet order several months ago. But anyway, I was happy to make this one up, as it is one of my favorite zen quotes, and makes a very lovely organic pendant with added texture and antique patina, and I'm happy to offer it for sale on my etsy shop http://jenniferstumpf.etsy.com.

Otherwise I am laid up sick today. Just what I needed! A three hour nap after work last night, ah, I shrugged it off. I'm tired, my body needed more rest than usual. This morning, a slight sore throat. Still not too concerned. This evening, more of that, plus aches, dizzy, fever. Dang. This stinks. I really need to go to work tomorrow, too, but I don't want to pass anything on to the uniforms I work with and their families. Happy Easter! Bah!!

My hope is I can still work on some pending jewelry commissions and pack more things up. I'll be so very glad when this move is over. There is so much anticipation over it that this tiny apartment is feeling toxic. I want out now! Even the animals seem to feel it. Other than our fat kitty, we all want to stay out of here as much as possible. Poor Mango, he will be totally discombobulated when we move. He was a Manx rescue when we got him. We drove to North Carolina to pick him up.

Shortly after we got him home, he became critically ill and almost died. He spent more than a week at the vet hospital, touch and go, with a high fever. Finally, loaded up on steroids and meds, he came home and other than gaining 12 pounds from prolonged steroids, he was fine. Our big orange 23 pound ornery boy. This is the home he has known and very slowly gotten comfortable with since October 2007. It took months for him to come out from under the bed and longer to get comfortable with our dog Lucy. I wondered if he would EVER come around. Heaven only knows what he went through before we scooped him up.

I worked with him, loved on him, and slowly, slowly, he got it. We loved him. He was safe. Now he plows over us on the bed to get to his spot at night, bangs the lamp next to my bed if he wants fed at 3 a.m. and sleeps under the covers tucked under my arm with his head on the pillow. I kid you not. In short, he has adapted. Here is our boy, amongst the rubble...

Happy Easter!