Bittersweet

So, it's early on Saturday morning and we're getting ready to go to the ball fields. For the last time. It's Connor's last game of the season. It's his last T-ball game. Ever. He won't be playing Rookie ball in the fall because he wants to take a break, maybe try soccer. Although he's a great baseball player, a natural talent who, at six years old, can hit a ball over the outfield fence, he might not play again. Alas, the whims of children must be followed.

It's sad, though. We went through this last season with my daughter. A long time softball player, she decided that after three years she'd had enough.

It's funny how, as an adult, you become so invested in your kids activities. I'm not a sports fan myself and my kids play sports not in the hopes of a college scholarship, fame and fortune or even some sort of childhood status.

They play because:

a. I think that the more physical activity the better and

b. Because I want for my kids to develop the ability to function in different sorts of social situations. To learn how to integrate themselves into an environment, find their way and succeed, make friends, thrive. That's something that I was never given as a child and I found out later how important it is.

But, it's become a social situation for me, too. It's one of the few places that I see adults on a regular basis and am able to interact on a deeper level than, "No thanks, I've brought my own grocery bags. Please use them."

So, now I will lose my little group of baseball friends. I will no longer spend Wednesdays and Saturdays at the fields, an activity that I have been doing for almost four years. I'm happy that my little guy has the confidence and curiosity to move on, try new things, adventure but I'm sure going to miss it.

Soccer Mom? Hhhmmm........

Well, in a startling and abrupt change of subject, here are some new lampwork beads that will be coming up next week:

~Baja~

This is a reduced Kronos II bead with a lot more blue than you can see in the pictures. It has a gorgeous metallic finish on it.


~Softly~

Connor calls this on 'Mr. Squid'. Whatever. It has absolutely gorgeous color.

~Prom Night~

A very pretty bead with different color on each side.

~Roswell~

This was going to be a pressed focal but I liked the way it looked in it's original shape so much that I just left it. You can't see it in the pics but it has silver foil deep inside that gives it a bubbly little shimmer.

Have a great day, everyone.

Hard times....

What a scary place the world suddenly is.
Cyclones, earthquakes, killer tornadoes and forest fires that refuse to die. It's hard to sit back and watch. Especially the situation in Myanmar. All that worldwide aid just waiting there, being diverted or outright stolen while the citizens suffer. The horrible experience of losing entire families - so many children and so many children left without parents. And what do they have to go back to? I mean, those people don't have insurance. When they lose everything, they lose everything. It's heartbreaking.

We've been lucky. Although the fires are quite close to my sister-in-law's home, she and her family are safe and so is their home - for now. And, although my parent's were on the road and stopped with their giant RV right in the center of the tornado path, they were not hit. They were up all of one night with tornado warnings and sirens all around them, but they did not have a direct hit. Just a few miles away, though.

And then, there's the economy.
Yeah, a scary place, indeed.

Well, on a brighter note, I did go canoeing on Mother's Day and it was beautiful. It was also absolutely grueling. Miles and miles on a river that the droughts have brought so low and the hurricanes have made almost impassable. Still, it was fun. Sort of.

Don't get me wrong. I love canoeing. This was just a particularly difficult trip. Here is a picture of the river we were on. The Little Big Econlockhatchee River (how's that for a mouthful?). That water isn't dirty. It's sort of a yellowy color from the Cypress trees and it's shallow, but it's absolutely crystal clear. That's actually the white sugar sand bottom that you see. When you're on the water, looking down at all of the fish, it's really beautiful. The launch for this river is just about a mile down the road from my house.



So, back to the economy. It's hard for everyone, which is why I've been listing my beads at a very low starting price, $.99 for focals and $14 and $19 for sets. I've heard a couple of beadmakers complaining endlessly about how 'low' their beads are going for. These are people who are used to getting over $100 dollars for a single focal. A single bead!!!

Understand, I think hard work and talent should be rewarded and recognized, and making beads is hard work, in a lot of ways. But it's not digging ditches, that's for sure. With the global financial situation the way it is, I think we should all be happy to even be able to sell a bead at all. I know I'm grateful. After all, artisan beads are definitely a luxury item and so are the creations made with them. We all just have to hang in.

OK, done venting (for now). Here are a couple of pics of listings that are currently on eBay.

These are my favorites in this shell series I'm currently working on. I just love the soft, beautiful color of them.

~Whisper~


Everybody, have a good day and try to remember how good we have it.

I'm fried.....

I hope that you all have fabulous, exciting Mother's Day plans. I have no idea what I'll be doing, but I can guarantee it will not be breakfast in bed, brunch or a spa day. Probably I'll be canoeing, playing golf or racing go-carts.
Hhhhmmm. Who's day is it?
This will be a super-short post tonight. Aside from the fact that I've been totally working my ass off this week, I spent the entire day outside in the sun, in the humid, hot, horrible Florida weather. I am fried - literally and figuratively.
I am, however, going to show you a preview of the beads that are coming up on eBay in the next two days.
~Whisper~ This is my favorite of this series of beads. Gorgeous color and wonderful, fluid movement.


~Whisper Set ~ Just as beautiful as the focal.


Happy Mom Day and may you all be thinking of me as you eat your strawberry French toast and have your toenails painted.
Enjoy!

What to do, what to do....

Well, I've got a couple of large custom orders to fill this week, so I'm sort of at odds and loose ends. I'm having a little bit of a creative surge with some interesting new shape and color ideas, I just don't have time to do anything about it. (Not to mention a lack of kiln space.) It's a little frustrating, considering my mood lately.

The orders are a good thing, though. No complaints from me. (for once, you're probably thinking)

I do have a focal on eBay, though, and will probably be adding another one in the next day or so.

I've added a couple of things to the Etsy shop, too, if you care to check those out.

I absolutely need to show you a picture of a gorgeous piece of art that I got in the mail last week.

It's a crap picture but that's not her fault. Isn't she beautiful? She's from an artist named Joan Miller. Here's a link to her Etsy shop: http://www.joanmillerporcelain.etsy.com/.

Her designs are gorgeous - just really colorful, whimsical and amazing. You should definitely check her out, if you haven't already. She's working on some custom beads for me and when I get them and get my bracelet made, I'll post it here for you all to see. I'm very excited about it, since I never treat myself to jewelry. Yay, me! Er, I mean, yay, Joan!

Footnote to self re: playdates - Five year old boys and their rowdy little buddies are not so much fun to try and keep an eye on. I so do not envy kindergarten teachers. At all.

Aloha!

I'm feeling much better, thanks. And a thanks to those who emailed me, cheering me up and cheering me on. You're the best!
I don't have much time today because I am grossly behind in my work, in case anyone has noticed. I haven't really posted much in the last couple of weeks. I've been working and out of town for two weekends in a row and then this past weekend, well, here's a picture of what I've been working on:

Check out my little softballer's form!

Yes, the best 10-year Birthday Luau ever!

It went off without a hitch, a good time was had by all and my daughter and her friends carried on like a bunch of 20 year old frat boys, late into the night.

Good times!