Changes On The Horizon

Food for thought:

Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Our destiny changes with our thought; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thought corresponds with our desire. ~ Orison Swett Marden

We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance. ~ Harrison Ford

One changes from day to day, and... after a few years have passed one has completely altered. ~ George Sand

Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change. ~ Thomas Hardy

Stay tuned, beadlings!






 

Giveaway Alert!

I want to win the @vintajco & @beadaholique Crystal Copper Giveaway! #ilovevintaj

Oh yes, absolutely!

It Started With A Cup Of Coffee

 

I woke up in a very pensive mood this morning and seeing how it is the day after one of the most ritualistic on the calendar things just fell into place. We all have rituals, be they small or be they grandiose. I just started wondering about mine, yours and ours.

It started with a cup of coffee. Is it the coffee I enjoy so much or is it the ritual of the coffee? I don't really like the taste of coffee unless I mask it with lots of amaretto creamer but I really like the warmth as it goes down, even in summer. So what is it about my coffee in the morning? There is a lot of ritual involved with coffee: measure the water, measure the grounds, and don't forget about the little sniff when you open the can. Even the pushing of the button on the brewer is ritual. Then there is the pouring of just the right amount of creamy goodness into the special mug and, finally, watching the liquid change color as coffee and creamer meld. Hold the mug just so; take the first sip, and . . . . . ahhh! The ritual is complete. By the way, the mug in the photo is not the special mug. When that photo was taken the girls had not yet gifted me with the special mug.

We all have something each and every day that we do without fail and in steps that have become more than just habit. We may not be aware of it, but whatever it is has become a ritual. Our day is incomplete without it. In fact, our day may just fall apart without it and, as you know, I am a curious woman. What is your major ritual of the day?

Stuff to Share

I'm wrapping another term so my days are filled with final papers. I haven't been feeling very creative for a while, but that doesn't mean I don't wholly appreciate the creativity of others so I found some things to share with you.

Lorelei Eurto has co-written a new book! You can pre-order at a discounted price. Check out her work - it's fascinating. I've been a fan of hers for a few years now.

My beady friend Carol Dean at Sand Fibers is having a give-away. Please read the directions to make sure you are entered correctly. Good luck! Hurry - registration ends tomorrow night!

Art Bead Scene wants earrings. You have until Thursday, so get a move on!

On another note, I joined Pintrest but I'm not sure what to do with it. Any suggestions? How do I make boards? What do I post? What is "re-pinning"? (sounds like you broke up with a frat boy and then go back together) I've honestly liked one thing and that is as far as I've gotten with it.

In parting, you know I'm studying nutrition. That is the reason I started posting foodie blog links. Here's one that should appeal to all of you J.R.R. Tolkein fans (Lord of the Rings for the rest of you). Check out the Middle-Earth Recipes.

Maybe Tomorrow

The sun will come out . . . . Actually sunshine is something we have an abundance of here.

I dislike posting that I have nothing to post but I really have nothing to post. Friday we took a lovely drive to LLano, where we also picked up home grown watermelon and Israeli melon. We'll be having the latter tonight and I can't wait. We came back via Hwy 71 and saw some of the damage from the Spicewood wildfire. The scope of that one was so great that I cannot even imagine the shock that seeing Bastrop would cause. My heart goes out to anyone who had to experience any of the fires we've had in the past month. The weekend was the weekend and yesterday was spent running errands. Note to self: no more grocery shopping on Monday morning lest ye be run over by employees restocking shelves. Sheesh. Yesterday was a wash and today is a heavy homework today. (Look, I'm posting before 8:00 a.m.!) I do have some new foodie blog links to share. So maybe I'll post tomorrow.

Love/Hate Relationships

Yesterday was filled with mundane stuff, notably a visit to my dentist. I love the man and yet hate him at the same time. Maybe it's the idea of what he does that I hate. Later a trip to the chiropractor to undo the tenseness brought on by the visit to the dentist. My chiropractor and I have a lot of things in common so it's always an interesting visit, plus he does a special treatment for fibromyalgia that actually leaves me feeling energized. It's purely a love relationship. This was followed by a trip to the grocery store to pick up lunch. I hate the grocery store, but lunch with T-man was great. And yes, that is my BIG love relationship. The evening ended with seminars (yes, I was there on the right night!). They were very interesting seminars this week, but sitting with the laptop in my lap, earbuds in my ears, typing quick sentences for two hours can just be horrendous. See? Love/hate relationships.


I can easily apply this to beadwork. For instance, I love the look and feel of right angle weave, but it is so very tedious. Love it, hate it. Knitting? I love the tranquility of it, but it's just too hot to knit. Okay, I realize that one is a stretch. So what about you? What's your artistic/creative love/hate relationship?

Tuesday

Did you know there aren't really any Tuesday sayings? You know what I mean. Wednesday is "hump day". We say TGIF and Sure Happy It's Thursday (I'll let you make the acronym there). We get the "Monday morning blues" but there is nothing for poor Tuesday. So I'll give you an artistic quote instead, one which can easily be applied to beading:

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creative." ~~ Charles Mingus

Case in point: Sea Urchin:

It ain't no big thing. It's deceptive in both its simplicity and its complexity. I do wish it still fit. I hate the thought of remaking it. It was one of the very first pieces I made back when I first started selling beads in 1997. Ariel was still napping most of the day and I would stitch while she slept.

What is your favorite simply complex piece? I have several pictures in my head of pieces created by beady friends, but I would like to know your favorite today. Anyone??