Stormy Weather.......

It's a stormy day today. Yesterday felt like a Friday so today has a strange feel to it. I took the kids down to my Mom's to swim & help with some weeding. They did a good job for the hour that they were working and then the swim was pretty quick. It's still a little chilly in the pool yet. I don't do the cold swim thing anymore these days...brrrrrrr! Water temperature certainly didn't seem to be as a big a deal when I was younger.

We started a game of Sponge Bob Monopoly today. It's an on going game, usually lasts 2 to 3 days, since we play in spurts.

Have I mentioned that my daughter made shift supervisor at work? I'm so proud of her!! She still has a lot of school stuff to do but she seems to be up for the work, now. We'll see how she does.

I have some more beads waiting to be cleaned and also have been playing around with slumping glass into cabachons. I'm pretty pleased with the results but don't have any ready to post yet.

The weather people are saying the the 4th of July is supposed to be nice.......that's unusual for around here. It usually rains which can be good and bad when people are lighting explosives. We live in an area where they are still legal but at the rate the laws are changing & the housing developments are going up I don't expect it to last. Jim hates spending money on fireworks. He says you might as well just light the money on fire, but I always pick up a small assortment of "safe & sane" ones for the kids to have fun with.

I have some stuff I need to finish up.

Enjoy your Friday!!

Adjusting......

Two pretties from my garden.

Having the kids out of school is a little bit of an adjustment. The weather has been a little nuts too. We had quite the thunder, lightning & rain storm last night. This morning was a little cloudy but it seems to be back to sun now.

My daughter was back to work today. She made it to the semi-finals but got knocked out in the end. She was glad to be home & we didn't end up getting back from the airport until about 1:45AM. Boy did that throw my schedule off. She is now saying that she will be going to college in the Fall but I'm going to wait & see on that. I'm hoping she does. She needs to have her own car by the end of Summer too. She's gotten a little too comfy driving my van around.

I listed a few more things on both Ebays. Nothing on JustBeads & no new additions to Etsy yet.

Have you ever been to Trader Joes? It's a really cool grocery store. They carry a variety of things & I can always find something I "need" from there.....http://www.traderjoes.com/. I highly recommend there wine (Merlot & Shiraz), Champagne Pear Vinaigrette, Halva (Sesame candy) & any number of their dried fruit. The store in general is just fun to look around & see all the unique items. Go, if you have one near you!

Enjoy your evening!!

Blogger seems to be having issues with publishing, so I'll keep trying!

She's On Her Way....

A couple of things from my artistic past.....just because.

We will be picking her (Brandy) up from the airport in about 2 hours. She made it to the semi-finals but was knocked out at that point. I'm curious to see how her trip was. I hardly heard a word from her the whole time she was gone. I'll update you tomorrow on what she thought of Wichata.

I have few a glass items waiting to be cleaned. Some crochet chokers very near completion & am working on some rings (digging through my wire to find different gauges).......keep an eye out....I'm not backing off, now that I'm getting things going.......

Enjoy your Saturday evening!

See ya tomorrow!

Waiting.....

I'm waiting to hear how my daughter is doing........no word yet.

Tomorrow I'll be heading down to my Mom's for a day out. I think she gets a little crazy not being able to drive anywhere right now. I don't remember if I mentioned it or not but she has been having very slight seizures since her brain surgery and she isn't allowed to drive until she's been at least 6 months without one. I know I would be going nuts if I were stuck home.

The pictures at the top are a few of my latest "Art" auctions. I have been having a lot of fun these days but I'm also very busy with trying to make new things. I should be adding a few more things to my Etsy in the next couple days.

The boys will be out in 2 more days. I'm hoping.......maybe......that I will get a little more time while they are out playing, to lampwork....we'll see. So far the weather is looking pretty good. We have a couple of Summer events planned. I know that by the end of it I will be happy to have them back in school. In the meantime, I think, I'm going to have Jimmy start waking me before he goes so I can get a little more time at the torch before the boys stir.

The last picture is my youngest son (Connor) & his best friend (Lilly). Aren't they just the cutest?!!!! They are adorable together but they do have their tiffs now & then.

Enjoy your evening. Tomorrow is the first day of Summer!!

La, La, La.........

More pics to catch your interest (hopefully).

Just working my way along. Making more things glass, crochet, wire & clay. Check out my Ebay auctions when you have a minute. Nothing on JustBeads at the moment & always an item or 2 on Etsy.

My daughter made it to semi-finals in the national tournament....YEAH!!! I hope she makes it to the finals.

Enjoy your evening!

Happy Father's Day!!

and congratulations to my son for his 6th Grade Graduation!!! I hope all you Dad's are enjoying your day today. We are heading down to mine for a little celebration. Hopefully the sun will be out by then.

I have a few projects in the works (I know you've heard that before). I'll post a couple pictures today :0

I need to make this quick because we have to get going & having kids to get ready always takes a little bit of time.

Enjoy the day & the picture of my son playing the sax!

Carnival

Another sign that the year is almost over is the school carnival. Today we head out with the boys for this end of the year ritual. They absolutely love it! I pre-buy wrist bands and a lunch ticket and the kids run from game to game, earning tickets for free goodies. The only bad thing is that it's pouring down rain. Most of the games are undercover but still it would have been nice to have a sunny Spring day.

After the carnival, Duncan has another soccer game and then that will pretty much be the highlights of the weekend.

There should be a new link for My Etsy shop. Check it out if you have a chance.

I'm still crocheting like a mad woman. I have accumulated a "few" flowers. Well see what they turn into. The look very pretty in the plastic bag they are being stored in.

I'm hoping to get a little lampwork in tomorrow.....we'll see!

Time to get ready to go.

Enjoy your Saturday!!

Another Win

I'm a little late on posting but they won their game again last weekend. Another great game 14-7 was the final. We are definetely going to sign him up for fall soccer. He loves it!!

On the down side we have a "problem child" in the neighborhood. He shot both of my boys with an air pistol. The "step mother/girlfriend said they took care of it and that the boy got in trouble, however if it happens again it will have to be a police matter. Consider also that this boy was bullying one of the other younger boys in the neighborhood just a week before & we're talking trouble. I did walk out when they got off the bus today and he went right past me without saying a work even though I said hi to him. Granted I have no idea what this kids life is like but it's beginning to look like they are just moving from place to place because this boy has issues...........I realize that I'm not the perfect mother but I'm going to wait it out and see what the transpires over the next few weeks......

On the art front I have glass waiting and ready to go but have yet to melt any. For the moment I'm crocheting & doing a little drawing. The drawing can take me in tons of directions but right now I'm having a hard time staying focused........do you think ADD medication might help??? I prefer to stay away from that stuff myself but I am taking magnesium supplements to see if they help (I read about it in a magazine). I have no doubts that I'm a candidate for Adult ADD but I'm working on more natural ways to treat it.

This weekend we have the kids school carnival coming up and next week will be a whirlwind as we start finishing up the school year. Hopefully, ll be posting again before the year ends. My oldest son will be graduating from grade school but unfortunately my daughter will be picking up the last of her credits in online courses over the summer...........she is extremely bright but just didn't get the work done in the end, although she will be attending the DebateNationals Competetion in just over a week. I'm very proud of her overall but she still has a looooonnnngggg way to go on some things.

Enough for the moment.....enjoy you evening!

He Won!!

He was his game yesterday. What a thrill!!! The only sports I LOVE watching are my kids. I love to play too but I've never been hip on watching regular sports. The final score was 8-6. It was a great game even though he got "SMACKED" in the face with the ball just as the half timer went off. We did Coldstone afterward (picked up pizza too) and rented some movies (and video games). He was really happy about the whole thing but decided that his weekend would be perfect if they came back early from camping........Jim called early this afternoon and asked if I could bring him 1/2 way out, unfortunetly I'm without a car because Brandy had to work this morning. Duncan wasn't happy about the fact that they wouldn't be back until tomorrow, at all (even though it's pouring down rain). Jim and the other kids are having a great time up in the forest & I re-assured Duncan that there would be plenty of other opportunities this Summer. He only has 6 more Saturdays to go & I'm pretty sure that's cemented him playing on a team this Fall. I'M SO PROUD OF HIM!!!

Dak has his Saxaphone & Duncan has his Soccer. I just love it!!!! I have yet to play with glass but have been working on some crochet patterns.......more to come on that.

Hope you're enjoying your long weekend!!
Take care!!

I've Done It Now

Well we got one van fixed only to have the transmission go out on it 2 days later......ahhhhh.......at the moment we are borrowing a big gas guzzling Bronco from my Mom & Dad but we need to trouble shoot the other van & just haven't gotten around to it. Jim is taking 3 of the kids on a mini camping excursion this weekend & I'm staying with one for his soccer game and pizza, have I mentioned how much I "love" to camp?. If not......well I do one camping trip a year and that's for Jimmy's family reunion....otherwise I love my bed, bath & shower much too much to leave it.

I've been crocheting these days because that's about all I have time for at the moment, but I'm hoping to be able to play with some new glass this weekend. My latest look is headbands.......just a note.......if you like to have a new look every month.....shave your head. As your hair grows out you will find that you are always looking for something new, that you like. Headbands are my latest thing......photos tomorrow (or the next day) I may even try to sell a couple on Etsy, we'll see.

Things have been a little hectic with the end of the school year approaching. For the first time since I've lived in the neighborhood (17 years) we have a bunch of kids living on the same block (we don't have blocks out in this rural area but that's the best description). It should be a busy Summer for the kids no matter what.

I hope you're all enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend.

Take care!!

Pissing Off The Auto Gods.....

When it rains it pours.......we own two mini vans, they are both older vehicles but so far we have had pretty good luck with them. They are my "girls". My daughter drives one and I drive the other. On Wednesday my daughter called on her way home from school & said that the her van was having problems. It had died & then was sputtering all the way home. When she got here I started it up & something was definetly up. I would run but it was having some issue (we think electrical). Needless to say I tell her to go ahead and take my van to work......10 minutes later she calls, she's hysterical because it stalled out on one of the busier highways around here and she can't get it started. We rush down there and get it pushed off of the road & then Jim runs her to work while I continue to try and get it started. This one is not getting any gas but it has at least 1/4 tank. We try & try but still no luck so we decide to get it towed home (I love emergency roadside service). It looks like the fuel pump has given up the ghost......oooh well......poor Jim is going to spend his weekend working on the vans. Thankfully my parents have loaned us their spare to get us through until we can get at least one running. You know, these two vans must have somekind of connection (have I mentioned that I'm a little nuts?). Less than a month ago they both needed brakes at exactly the same time.

I'm glad the weekend is here. It doesn't look like I'll be teaching a class tomorrow. I called a little bit ago & no one has signed up yet. Believe it or not, I was actually a little relieved. I have already booked another class for next month.....we'll see what happens. In the mean time I have plenty of other stuff to keep me busy. I went and had a couple of propane tanks filled (Jim gets one for the shop), but I definetly need to get a spare. I didn't have time to fire it up today & it's not likely I'll get time this weekend but next week I'm going to be raring to go. I seem to be feeling that hot glass withdrawal. Crochet & clay have been the latest "things".

If you like neckties keep an eye on my Dolphina33 ebay. There will be a few up & they are an excellent deal!!

Have a great weekend!!

Busy, Busy.....

The end of the school year is fast approaching & every time I turn around there is something new to add to the calendar. Makes it hard to stay on top of the art thing these days. I did, finally take a couple of pictures to show you what I've been up to. My torch had been seriously neglected for the last few weeks & when I finally did get around to firing it up I found that I was completely out of propane (darn!). I have yet to get around to going out to fill the tank but hopefully by this weekend I'll get it done. Propane tanks are something that I'm not fond of carrying around in the car (especially now that the weather is warming up) so I put it off until that's the only thing I have to get done.

First up on the pictures......I've been playing around with sculpting and one of the things I find most challenging are faces. This is one of my first ones, so please be kind. I'm really working on practice them.

The flower was just for the heck of it.

Next I've been crocheting chokers & jewelry.......we'll see where that leads to in the future. It was just one of the creative compulshions I've been having lately.

And my beaded orca necklace. One of those projects that's taken me "forever" to complete.

Any way, that's all I've got for today.

A Question

If you had a job that paid better than you had ever been paid in your life but your boss was a psycho, and I don't mean just a little bit nuts. I mean full blown should probably be committed but is still able to run a business, pyscho. Would you stay?? The answer in our house is NO. I have always taught my children that no matter how much money you make, you had better like what you're doing because in the end if you hate your job, it won't be worth it. My honey just learned that, the hard way. He truely tried to stick it out for as long as he could but in the end he just couldn't justify working for someone who was totally off their rocker. His boss literaly made the job a Hell On Earth. Luckily he literally walked from that job to another. The money isn't as good but his sanity is still intacked & he's a lot happier.

I'm still working with my glass, polymer & fiber. I will be teaching a wire ring class next month at the local Ben Franklin. I'm a little nervous but I think it'll be a ton of fun. I have a lot of pictures that I need to take to show you what I've been up to.

The end of the school year is fast approaching & the kids can hardly wait. We have new kids in the neighborhood & that's a bonus because they all get along. Who knows, maybe after the kids get out of school I'll be able to get more done ;).

All done for now.....TGIF

Just When You Thought Winter Was Over...

Woke up to about an inch of snow on the ground this morning, thankfully it's melting as fast as it came. The kids are on Spring break this week so it didn't make a difference as far as school goes.

Last week my sister & I went over to our Mom's and worked on some one-stroke painting. It was a blast! Pictures later.....

I'm supposed to be teaching a class at the local craft store next month & I'm still working to meet the deadlines for the beading contests.

And we went bowling for a late present to my 12 year old son over the weekend. What fun!! Unlimited bowling for 2 hours. My legs & arm sure felt it the next day.

I have to work on taking lots of pictures of what's up these days but today is not the day for that. The tax deadline is fast approaching & today I'm going to work on getting it done.

Enjoy your Monday!!

Taking A Turn......

It's been a whirlwind these last couple of weeks & this week isn't going to be any different. My deadlines for the contests are looming & I'm working to get everything completed in time. No pictures until I find out whether I made the cut or not.

I also have an appt. this week to find out about possibly teaching a class. I can hardly wait!! This is conference week for the kids & that's always interesting & my sister & I are going to see about taking a class in painting on fabric.

I just want to check in & let you all know that I haven't forgotten about ya!

I have another book recommendation. THE FOUR AGREEMENTS.......I read this several years ago but I just finished it again & it's definetly worth the read.....if you want to take steps to change how your life is going. Change isn't always easy but in most cases it's for the best. Step out of your comfort zone & see what's out there.

I'm also trying to live a healthier lifestyle. I think out of all the things I'm doing that is the hardest. There is a cool website called Sparkpeople.com, it's all about living a healthier life & lifestyle. There is tons of information on this site for people who want to lose weight or just get healthy. It's very cool & FREE!!

I have a few things up for auction on all of my sites. Check it out if you have the time.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Stranded.....

No car today. My honey had to work & my daughter had a tounament. I could have gotten up at 5AM and taken her but I felt like sleeping instead. Plus if I take her I have to pick her up and that usually means anywhere from 11PM to 1-2AM depending on how long the tournament runs. We do have one other vehicle but it runs when it wants to so I just prefer not to take it out until it's fixed.

Have I ever mentioned that we have a dog. She was an outdoor dog until she broke the lead on her dog run and now she is a permanent member of the inside of the house. She made the transistion with no problems. I was actually rather surprised. She hasn't had a single accident. She does like to chew & did ruin a mattress cover & one of the kids blankets, but I've taught her to chew the rawhide bones instead of burying them in imaginary dirt around the house. In truth I've never been a dog person. Cats have been my favorite for years but I really like the extra securtiy of having her around the house & I'm the one she usually shadows during the day. We are going to repair the lead so that she can have a chance to run on nice days & when we're gone, but she has been so good I can't imagine keeping her out all of the time.

I'm still working on my entries for the bead contests. I did put the last bit of glass up and some weekenders clothes that I have had around for years. I used to wear them but my style has changed a bit & I'm really working on thinning out my closet.

They are saying it's going to be stormy this weekend. Right now it's calm. Spring is definetely in the air. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead tonight. I really look forward to it staying lighter longer & it's gradually warming up. Yeah!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Good Morning!

I hope all is well with everyone. This has been a bumpy couple weeks for us and we are just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn't serious but definately had the potential to mess some things up. I can't talk about it online but it goes something like "life is what happens while your making plans".

All is good now & things have been busy. I went to a bead show with my Mom last weekend & if I had .......ooh......about $500 or so I could have done some serious bead shopping. Needless to say I was in heaven just looking & touching. We are planning to go to a larger one at the end of the month. There are two going on, one North & one South. We haven't decided which yet.

I'm in the process of getting ready to enter two major bead/jewelry contests. Both end around the beginning of April. I have one entry almost ready & a couple more in the works. Even to be a finalist in these is a big accomplishment so I'll just have to see how it goes.

My glass has taken the backburner at the moment. I have a few things I need to get up but mostly I'm trying to clear the house with the clothes & such that are taking up space & also get my taxes & paperwork done.

Remember me saying I wanted to teach a class?? Well, that may come true in the next couple of months. I'll keep you posted.

On the weather front the kids got another snow day last week, yesterday it was almost 70 and today we're back to the usual rain.......I think Mother Nature is laughing her head off right now.

Time for me to go get more done......hopefully pictures of something tomorrow.

Back To Normal.....

A sampling of my latest work...


It has been one heck of a busy couple of weeks. Things are evening out again.....yeah!





I don't have much up in the way of auctions right now but that should (hopefully) change by the end of the week. I was trying to get some things up on etsy but they having some server issues so today might not be the day for that. I have a bunch of lampwork items sitting in front of me waiting to go up for auction so today will probably be a listing day (later).





I headed to a rock & gem show with my Mom this weekend. I didn't buy anything but she found some "rocks" for her creativity. We also paid a visit to the local Ben Franklin. I was wearing some of my "hand crafted" jewelry & one of the sales people really liked what I had on which led to her asking if I would be interested in teaching a class......so......I talked to Jim & the kids. The boys aren't really happy about it. They really like the "normalcy" of having Mom around but I think it's time for me to start making them a little more independant of Mom. Jim is thrilled & I am too so I'll be calling the woman back around the end of this week so we can set up a meeting. I'm pretty excited & a little nervous too, but I really feel ready for this kind of a change.





I've finally reached the point of being able to go out in public without a hat or scarf on my head. However I'm really not fond of all the grey hair I've aquired over the years & will be taking care of that over the next day or so.

I'm outta here.....enjoy your week!

It Caught Me!

Yep, the creeping crud that got my kids caught up to me. I have been pretty miserable for the last couple of days but I think I'm on the upswing. I have stuff that needs to be photographed & projects in the works but it's hard to concentrate on anything at the moment.

I'll be back in a couple of days....

Stay Well!!

Happy Birthday Dak Man!!

My oldest boy is 12 today. One year shy of the terrible teens. He's definetly showing signs of moving in that direction. Yes, boys get hormonal too!! He's a good kid, just starting to strive for that testy independance.

His birthday has been the best part of this week other than that I will be glad to see this week come to an end. It was one of those, "when it rains, it pours". I swear.........I'm trying to figure out the message I'm supposed to get from this & I'm sure it revolves around the financial aspect of life.......however it would be much nicer if when it rained it would rain money instead of making it dissapear (or never show up). We are stuggling through & things like this never last long. In fact today really was a good day all around & I get to complete it by attending the second to last class with Mom. I'll keep you posted......

My daughter is heading out to Berkley with her debate team this weekend for a competition. I'm really hoping it goes well for her. I've got lots of family down in that area but I don't think she's going to have time to meet up with them (bummer!). They are a wonderful bunch! Maybe another time.

I've been making rings this week. Photos tomorrow (hopefully). I think they are really cool (Thank you Eni Oken!!). I'm gonna see what my Mom thinks of them tonight.

Gotta run! Lots to do before I head out......