Friends

Isn’t it nice to have them?  They all fulfill a different niche in our lives and a few just really make us whole.  I don’t know what brought this to mind but I’m just really treasuring the people in my life right now.

  I guess a lot of it is because of the death of my friend Marilyn.  I miss her so much.  We were like sisters in so many ways and those last few months we just got closer than ever.  Going through her craft things is something I’m loving and not liking all at the same time.  I hate the reason that I have to go through the things.  I love finding things and remembering where we were when she bought it.  I love finding things that she bought before we ever knew each other but that are things I’ve heard the stories about.  I know Judithe feels the same way too. 

In some ways it doesn’t seem like she’s even gone.  I don’t think it’s because I’m denying it to myself so I’m not sure why I feel the way I do.  Maybe it’s because I feel like she’s part of me and will always be with me.  I’ve never felt that way before about any friend or family member who died.  Her spirit seems to have spread over all those of us who loved her.

 Marilyn, my friend, I will miss you until we are friends again in another life.  We’ve been friends so many times before and we will be friends many times again.  Maybe that’s why I feel the way I do?  Because I know it isn’t the end…

Sorting…

My friend Judithe and I went to Marilyn’s yesterday and started to go through all her craft things.  We did all the jewelry making things yesterday.  It seemed very weird at first, to be going through all of her stuff without her there.  Even weirder was dividing it up between us.  I loved finding things and remembering when she bought them.  I found quite a few things that she bought at Bead and Button over the years.  I found all the things that we got when we did our PMC Certification a few years ago too.  It was so nice having those memories.  I know that some of the things, I’ll use but some of them will just be for memories.

I took some of her doll making things as well.  I’ve never made an art doll but I’d like to make one in honor of our friendship.  Some of the things that she had for it just screams Marilyn to me.  I have an idea already of what I want to do and now I just have to figure out HOW to do it.  I know she’ll be there to guide my hand when I start.  I want it to be as beautiful, funky and creative as she was.

Torchin’

One of my favorite things to do is work with hot glass to make beads.  I don’t have a torch set up at home…won’t even go there…so I don’t get to torch as often as I would like to.  Tomorrow is torchin’ time! 

A great friend of mine, Mari Johnson of Blue Fire Beads in New Lenox, IL has a hot glass studio set up and is wonderful enough to have Open Torch on the first Friday of the month.  I usually go early so I can have lunch and a nice long afternoon of torching with Mari.  We talk about everything in the world while we torch.  There is just something so amazingly relaxing, invigorating, wonderful about melting glass in a 1600 degree fire.  I never thought I was a pyro but I think I am.

We have a great group that comes too.  Patty, Jo, Jennifer, Kathy, and I are always there.  Jennifer is pretty much coming all the time now and she’s a great addition to the gang!  Jason and Heather show up when they can but they have to come even farther than I do so they don’t always make it.  Jeff and Lorraine are sporadic as well.  I miss seeing them when they aren’t there for a while.  Sweet Lana hasn’t been for a while and we look forward to her coming back so we can give her all the hugs that she needs.  Diane and Ellen almost never come but we love it when they do.  I’m sure I’m forgetting someone and I apologize!  We torch and then we go eat.

Mari’s birthday was on the 30th so I think we’re going to have a little party for her.  Any excuse for cake, you know. 

I’ll show you pics of the beads that I make.  I am going to try to do little sets for earrings.  I’m not always good at doing more than one of something so wish me luck.

Happy New Year!

We had a quiet night last night.  I do NOT like going out on New Year’s Eve in general and this year just didn’t seem like a celebration.  We cooked, drank a little champagne and watched FoodTV.  Life in the fast lane…that’s us.  LOL  I made a Belgium Beef Stew which seemed so perfect as it was cold and snowy outside.  Nothing like a warm hearty dinner, right? 

Chicago is gorgeous today.  I tried to take a few pictures but it’s so bright and white out there and I’m so bad with a camera that they just didn’t turn out very well.  I love looking at our yard and seeing all the little foot prints our there.  I’ve seen rabbit, squirrel, possum, cat and bird so far today.  That’s pretty much all of them unless the raccoons show up.  They seem to keep a low profile during much of the winter though.  Smart critters.

I think there is one critter who had a little too much ‘nip of the cat’ though.  What do you think?

Here’s wishing you all a healthy and happy 2008!

Sadness

My best friend lost her fight with colon cancer yesterday.  She was admitted to the hospital on Friday and brought home on Monday by her family.  She wanted to die at home.  Her husband, girls, sister, aunties, uncle, FIL,  her Buddhist guide and I were at her bedside with her when she crossed.  It was a peaceful and beautiful transition for a beautiful woman.  As much as I am going to miss her, I know that it was her Path to walk.

I also know that we have been friends before and will be friends again many more times.  Go with the gods, my friend.

And a partridge in a pear tree…

http://www.youtube.com/v/2Fe11OlMiz8&rel=1

This is a great video!  Enjoy!!!  And happy holidays to you all!

Time Management

I belong to another forum of lampworkers.  The question of the day is how do you manage your time when you are self employeed as an artist.  I sure wish I knew.  I try to set up a schedule to follow but I never seem to manage to do it.  I really need to get a planner and just start blocking out periods of time for different things and then actually doing it.  I feel like I jump from one thing to another.  I spend WAY too much time on the internet. 

Then there are those days where everything just goes right.  Every piece of jewelry I make looks even better than I imagined.  The chainmaille sparkles.  The lampwork has totally perfect ends and just fit in the press.  I love those days.  Of course, the opposite is the days where it all looks like dog sh*t no matter what I do to it.  I can string, restring and string again and it just doesn’t come together.  I potatochip all my rings.  My ends are bad or, even worse, I drip the damn bead onto the table.  Or I drag out all the PMC stuff–and there is LOTS of stuff–and totally go blank on what I was thinking about making.

Keep a notebook at hand to write down your ideas.  I don’t draw very well but I can do well enough to at least have something to reference later.  That’s probably the biggest tip I can give.  Except, of course, to just sit down and do it.

Frustration

I am so through with this.  I’m tired of hurting.  I’m tired of having trouble walking.  I’m tired of being tired.  I am so through.  I’m glad I see the doctor on Thursday–assuming I can get out in the snow.  I have a lot of questions.

I want to go and make beads on Friday.  There’s no way I can drive 110 miles total and sit for 6-8 hours in front of a torch.  Gah.  I want my life back.

I called Lesa today and had a total meltdown.  She’s not used to hearing me hysterical, I don’t think.  LOL  She’s coming in tomorrow and I’m looking forward to seeing her.  It’s her birthday tomorrow and I don’t have anything for her.  Wonder if I can get a chainmaille bracelet made for her tonight.  Off to see what rings I need….

Better…

Finally I’m feeling better I think.  I had lots of good company this week and that helped.  My friend Mari came in on Tuesday and spent the afternoon with me.  We never stop talking.  LOL  Lesa came on Wednesday.  We pretty much don’t stop talking either.  Then Jennifer came in yesterday and spent the afternoon.  She’s a new friend from Open Torch that I haven’t known for long but just feel really comfortable with.  I’m really glad that I met her.  Next week Terrie is going to help me get to my doctor’s appointment.  Hopefully after that I can be a little more independent again.

The cats are getting quiet annoyed with me by this point.  I haven’t been downstairs in almost 2 weeks and I think they are starting to feel like I do.  ENOUGH!  Not sure if I’ll try to go down tonight for dinner or not.  I don’t know why I can’t but I’ve been so good I’d hate to screw it up at this point.

I’m just bored today.  I can’t get into reading and even my chainmaille is not holding my attention today.  What I’d really like to do is have a Martini and some njice little munchy things.  Hmmm….wonder if I can get Don to do a Gibson for me tonight.  Probably not as he’s doing risotto and I don’t think it would go very well.

Powerful video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ervaMPt4Ha0  I’m sure there’s a better way to put this on here but I don’t know what it is.  This video is done by a 16 year old girl and is amazingly powerful. 

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Even considering, I did.  Don made the entire dinner and it was delicious!  He made turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, rolls, gravy and a cherry pie with cinnamon dulce de leche ice cream.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.  A good friend came over for dinner too.  I wanted them to eat downstairs and just bring me a plate up here.  When they both said no, I decided I’d try the stairs because I didn’t want them to have to schlep it all up.  We they really said NO to that!  LOL  Don brought up a small table and 2 chairs for them.  I ate in my slightly more comfortable right now chair on a tray.  

Don was carring stuff downstairs with Fran’s help and they both were laughing.  The cats had removed the turkey that he had carved and had on a plate.  They also helped themselves to a 1/2 stick of butter and salt.  Unfortunately the salt was what he cooks with and is just in a small bowl.  I heard the vaccuum down there a bit ago so I guess that was cleaning up the salt.  Shortly after that, BT came up and crashed on the couch.  He just had that ‘I ate too much turkey’ look somehow.  I’m sure he had something to do with it.

Poor Don’s still down there cleaning up.  I know I can’t go down and wouldn’t be any good to help if I could but I still feel really bad for him to have to do all the work.  I’m going to try to not ask him for much of any more help tonight.  I feel like I’m running him ragged and he doesn’t need that right now.

He’s such a good guy.  He helps me out and never says a word.  I can’t believe how patient he is.  I’m not sure I could be so patient and I’m a nurse.  He’s definitely a keeper.

Anyway, hope you all had great days.