New Work, New Pictures

Summer is here and my new work seems to reflect the lighter, softer mood of the season:

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(Click the pictures below to see Etsy listings)

texture and color evoke memories of the beach...

A beautiful lampwork bead by RB Glass (also at Etsy) is the focus of this ocean jasper and labradorite necklace.

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a chunky, fun necklace...

What an amazing find! Gasperite faceted barrel beads and desert jasper faceted ovals were on sale at my favorite bead shop. Mix with deep red and brown jasper rounds, coffee brown jasper rondelles, add a fancy sterling silver box clasp...

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One of the great things about Etsy, is there are people selling craft supplies too. These antiqued brass filigree bead caps and ear wires were perfect for making some old fashioned, inexpensive earrings to sell.

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sweet summer romance...

Creamy pale green amazonite round beads and vintage styled brass bead caps and Lucite flower beads come together in a budget-friendly pair of earrings.

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how to look like a 1950's movie star...

One of my extra long shibori dyed chiffon silk scarves gets a romantic, yet chic, makeover on a summer hat.

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modern, yet classic...

Another wonderful find at my local bead store: purplish brown muscovite ovals were also on sale. Strung with freshwater pearls, gold-filled beads, and faceted red jasper rounds, this necklace makes a dramatic statement.

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I'm so grateful to Marble Man for helping me get some studio time in the last couple of weeks. I've had a blast.

A Really Slow Learning Curve...

...and an obsessive attention to detail means I spend most of each day thinking of ways to improve my Etsy.com listings.

At first, I shot pieces on plaster mannequins. The display forms stay where you put them, don't chew gum, talk, or play with their hair while I'm pointing the camera at them. After experimenting, I found the best time of day for optimum daylight, the best room to use, etc. And I took an insane number of pictures.

Now to publish. I was happy with the individual pictures. But, as a whole, apparently people felt they're boring: row after row of white mannequins. The only thing that changes is the piece they are wearing. Potential customers would veer away from my shop without interesting images.

*Sigh* They're right. After several days perusing other sites, I knew the direction I would take. I ransacked the house, collecting all the funky demitasses, plates, wine glasses, and other chtatchkas that would be useful and started again. MUUUUuuuuch better!

before...

...and after shots of yellow turquoise earrings

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Last weekend, Dear Ya-ya Debbie, came over to model my yummy silk scarves (Stock whose pictures badly needed spicing up). She did an amazing job. What a creative mind!

before and after shots of a scarflet

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a beautiful scarf becomes a chic belt

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a chiffon scarf becomes a floaty little overskirt

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Debbie modeled for a couple of hours on Saturday. There were MANY pieces still to photograph after she left, so I thought of other ways to hook people into viewing. I raided my shoe collection for some sexy little numbers. Artful draping, crazy gorgeous shoes, result: a high "wow" factor.

My favorite pair of beaded and ruffled taffeta shoes
are a fab display base

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quilted violet suede and patent leather:
a great contrast to blue silk

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Debbie hard at work



FINALLY! Time to goof off a little

Surprise!

Suzette in photo booth having her portrait taken

Last night, as we walked Pooch for his evening Business Trip, Marble Man noticed a box on the porch. The UPS driver often doesn't ring the doorbell when he delivers a package, so I was surprised to find there was something up there. The label told me it was from my friend, Constance, from Rochambeau: an amazing creator of beautiful handbags. I opened up the box, and lost my breath when I found inside one of her gorgeous floralina doll purses! She has a hidden zipper in the back of her skirt, and a little beveled mirror inside. Looks like I need to talk Marble Man into taking me out on the town so I can get all girlied up and take Suzette out to show her off!

Thank you, dear friend. I'm on my way to being a Rochambeau collector!

Lelani at rest

Another Year Older

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a wonderful surprise when the doorbell rang early in the morning: there on the doorstep was a florist, a lovely man holding a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. I almost never get flowers! I thanked him and went to the kitchen, searching for the card on the way. I'd assumed they were from Marble Man, but lo and behold, this was not so. "Happy birthday from W & J", Marble Man's brother and sister-in-law. How lovely! Peonies, lilies, foxgloves, and roses - all my top faves. They smell heavenly and I'm sure I'll get many days of enjoyment from them being near. Thank you so much!

Since we don't go out to eat anymore, we celebrated this past weekend so Marble Man could make a scrumptious dinner for me on Saturday (Wiener schnitzel, roasted veggies and sweet potatoes, with an apple cranberry-galette for dessert). Wowie, zowie, it was amazing. I'm so lucky I married someone who likes to cook (and eat!).

All this care and attention has me thinking about how lucky I am in general. I have a nice home, a job I love, and a man who cares enough to make every day special. I've had to make many choices in my life, some really smart, some questionable, even downright poor. But my lucky choice of husband set the tone for the rest of my life. I am ever grateful for the way the stars aligned on that particularly magical night we met. Thank you, Marble Man, for making every day a celebration.

Photographing Frenzy

A week after starting my new Etsy.com store, I'm still photographing all the merchandise I've stockpiled over the years. I have 40 new listings at the store with about 21 more queued up to add next week. Over the past 2 years I haven't focused on the selling aspect of making art, just the creative process. I'm frankly a little shocked by how much I've made. With Mother's Day around the corner, hopefully someone will browse the shop and feel their Mom can't live without a necklace or scarf.

I've transformed the living room into a temporary photo booth. The furniture in front of the picture window is shoved back and I hauled out some grids from my craft show booth structure for a three-sided booth. Add a bolt of black silk, another of white, and "voila!" Instant photo shoot. Depending on the item being shot, I flip the black fabric back to expose the white, or vice a versa. It's not perfect, but it's the only spot in the house that gets a decent amount of light. Seems to be working out OK.

Photo booth set up to shoot a scarflet

Since the exposures aren't ideal, I spend a bit of time with iphoto and Gimp manipulating the shots. I'm getting pretty good at it. Marble Man and I are competing for computer time now. Hey...this is FUN!

The 2nd day of my store being open, I got a love note from Etsy.com congratulating me on my sale. (What? I got a sale already?!? Let's go to Disney World!) Hugely excited, I contacted the buyer, thanked her and explained when I'd ship her purchase. Then she emailed me back to say she'd clicked on "BUY" by mistake; she thought the item was beautiful, but she didn't want it. Bummer, man! After that I decided I won't get that excited again. What a let-down. In the meantime, I click "refresh" and enjoy seeing the number of hits climbing upward. At least people are looking.

Trying Something New

I'm now a member of the Etsy.com community, a website devoted to handmade art and art supplies. I thought this would be a great way to market my jewelry and scarves to people who are looking for such items. My address is http://www.ktracton.etsy.com. Stop on by and see what's what. I've only got a few things listed to date, mostly because each listing takes so darned long to enter. A friend told me before I started getting set up that if I list a new item each day, my work will come up at the top of a search page. That sounds good, so I'll pace myself.

I've spent the better part of today tweaking the site, adding a picture here, changing wording there. I can see this being a huge procrastination device if I'm not careful!

New piece soon to be seen on Etsy.com

Love Is In The Air...

Unrequited plant love, that is. Pollen. Great swirling yellow-green clouds of pine pollen that gets into, and onto, everything. The bane of my (and MarbleMan's) existence at this time every year. I know the pollen you can see is not what causes allergic reaction, but the stuff you can't see that causes my baby blues to itch and swell, and my schnoz to drip like a faulty faucet. I never had allergy issues until we moved South. I vividly remember the first Spring we spent here - I thought I had the flu it was so bad. So while I revel in the burgeoning beauty of early flowers, I pop a Claritin and prepare for the ensuing discomfort. Luckily I only resemble a troll for a week or two.

Pine pollen settles on a puddle surface

The pollen issue has put my outdoor walking plans on hold for the next two weeks. This is a great time to head back to the gym for a walk on the treadmill to nowhere.

The good news is my garden is showing early signs of life after several months of extreme drought conditions. We weren't allowed to water outside at all during this time, and I despaired to see so many plants wither. Thankfully, many seem to be rebounding. Makes me want to go out and frolic!

The Incredible Lightness of Being (Bread)

I'm pleased to report The Great Sourdough Debacle is at an end. I went back to the directions that came with the starter, and found I'd been skipping an important step during the feeding process. I'd been giving the starter it's weekly rations of flour and water, then popping it right back into the fridge. I forgot the step of leaving it out for a couple of hours to get good and bubbly. After it has a good burp, then I'm supposed to park it back in the fridge. I fed it several times this week to build it back up again, and... Voila! A couple of gorgeous, light, well-risen loaves. They're baking as I type (Hurry up, hurry up, HURRY UP!). This weekend: sourdough pancakes. How many do you want?

As I made the bread today, I took the time to really enjoy the zen of the process. I made the sponge last night so it could do it's thing. When I woke up, I peeked under the towel and felt thrilled by how much it had grown, and the smell! God, the smell. Pure heaven. Now for the fun part: As I mix in the final ingredients, I watch my new KitchenAid mixer do all that muscle work I used to resent. Technology working for me. Yay! Then, I turn the dough out onto the floured counter and get down to kneading. I love the feel of the dough, silky and elastic, as I turn and press. I know it's alive under my hands - I can see bubbles coming to the surface with each turn. After it's risen and been divided, I pop it into the oven and the exquisite torture of smelling freshly baking bread sets in.

I don't take the time to enjoy getting from Point A to Point B very often. So many things in life are on autopilot these days. I need to remember to find roses on each of life's paths and take the time to smell them. Especially if they smell like bread.

Bread, or Doorstop?

For Christmas, MarbleMan gave me a bit of sourdough starter from a 250 year-old batch he'd found through a catalog. Mmmmmmmm. The first several batches of bread were fantastic! Great crumb, easy recipe (found on-line), and it made wonderful French toast when a few days old. But lately, something's gone awry. I can't figure it out. The starter bubbles nicely when fed, the sponge is very light and bubbly, but after kneading, these last two batches of loaves refused to rise, and they came out so dense they were actually hard to slice. Now today, I'm baking another batch and I think they'll make fabulous doorstops. This week I'll try feeding it a few times to strengthen the starter. Then I think it's time to go back to basics to see what happens when I make a plain recipe - no whole wheat, no raisins, olives, or any other additives.

The good news is that since I'm on a perpetual diet, no sourdough in the house will help me out a lot. Bread is my nemesis - I can never have just one slice. And it calls my name at 3 in the morning, whispering "Yoooo-hoooooo. I taste really good toasted and spread with butter and honey". Or maybe that's MarbleMan calling... :)

Muffin Tops

Spring has officially Sprung here in the South. The days are getting longer and warmer, the apple and plum trees are in full flower while the dogwoods are budding and just beginning to blossom. This time of year marks the point at which I try on my summer clothes from the previous year and realize, with shock, that my muffin top is back. NNNNOOoooo! My favorite crop pants will need a button extender, and the world will just have to see flab rolls under my shirts while I whip my butt into gear and get back to my daily walks.

Today Marble Man is home sick with a cold and Pooch is snuggling with him for change. I peeled on my Nike walking clothes and girlie Adidas sneakers with the cute hot-pink details, grabbed my pedometer and ipod, and hit the road for a nice moderate 30 minute walk. A couple of easy, slow songs ran while I did my ten minute warm-up, and then I got down to business. I'm so out of shape, I felt like Tin Man moaning for his oil can. My hips and knees were creaking until well past my halfway point. But, I cruised along on my way home and then reached "The Hill": this steep short hill to my street which totally kicked my butt. I felt as though my heart popped right out of my chest. I looked back when I reached the top to see if it was laying by the side of the road. Thankfully it wasn't so I assume it's right where it's supposed to be.

Now we're in Daylight Saving Time, and I'm fully committed to walking every day after dinner (unless it's raining). If I can keep it up, I should be able to shed the final 25 pounds to reach the goal my doctor set for me last year. I'll also give up eating muffins for breakfast - no more eating a part to strengthen a part!

This is the Life

I am in the midst of a perfect moment in a perfect day.

The day started out with a visit from my Ya-ya's - the closest friends I have ever had. We drank coffee, schmoozed, and got caught up with all our news. We haven't been together in over a month so there was much to share over muffins and coffeecake.

When they left, I was over-caffeinated and took the dog for a mini walk. I was struck by the beauty of the day: The air was warm, very windy and full of birdsong. The daffodils, forsythia, and camellias are blooming, basking in the sunshine. Bluebirds and cardinals were at the birdbath. I felt like I'd just walked into a Disney movie. (For a moment I was afraid to look down in case I had unbeknownst acquired a princess gown and might suddenly burst into a trilling song.) I needed to take a moment to breathe and admire what was going on around me.

Now, hours later, here I sit in the den with the window open, listening to the wind and watching the pines swaying above. The dog gave up begging me to pick him up and went to sleep on the rug at my feet. He alternates between periods of snuffling and snoring, and currently chases dream rabbits with his entire body running, twitching and dream-barking. To tell you the truth I envy his ability to sleep with such abandon. Maybe I'll sign off now and join him in an afternoon nap.

Hey! Check Out Those Beady little eyes!

OK, now that I have had some time to reflect over the past four months, I realize I've done way more work than I thought! In late October, I was in my studio doing bead stringing, and did some yummy stuff. Here's the photographic proof (Keep in mind this is amateur photography here.):

(I've been incorporating some of my beautiful buttons in my necklaces. - check out the amazing gold and red one above.)

Then, at Christmas time, I couldn't get to the studio with any predictable regularity. This is when I started experimenting with bead-woven spiral ropes. I love this technique! I've amassed so many spirals that they need their own storage box. I'd say it's time to start looking for a way to sell some pieces. I mean, how'm I going to pay for more beads when I use up my (considerable) stash? Here are some pictures of those:

I should point out that the display stand I used is smaller than the average person. The necklaces are all between 16 and 18 inches long. So, they fall just below the hollow of the throat - not as far down the chest as they look here.

So far, I'm doing OK with teeny tiny seed beads, but I'm a little worried that my eyes are going to squint up and then I really will have "beady little eyes"! Not a look I'm going for. Yet.

Beaded, Roped, and Tied

After a year of puppysitting our sick dog, I finally snapped and declared I'm taking back my life to a small degree. The only way the pooch is happy is when I am on the sofa, watching tv, and he is in my lap (or at least, off to my side). This makes it tough to get any work done.

I recently taught myself how to do a spiral rope bead weaving technique which is very do-able while sitting on the sofa with a dog in my lap. Yay! (I was starting to feel my brain slowly leaking out my eyeballs from watching so much television.) I use a tray in which I have all my little sushi dipping dishes full of beads. This sits on the sofa next to me within easy reach.

Now I'm heavily stocked with spiral ropes in beautiful colors. I need to get into the studio to put the finishing touches on, like clasps and pendants. After all these years of working as an artist I still have these narcissistic moments when I finish something. I drape it on a display and leave it out so I can look at it and admire while I finish up the next one. I can't help it - I work hard at what I do and take great pride in doing fine and delicate pieces.

Yay for Girl Power!

I have just finished watching The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio. I came away with two thoughts: 1) Julianne Moore is one heck of an actress, and 2) thank the Lord for the times we live in now!! It's based on a true story of an overworked and under-appreciated housewife with ten kids and a hapless alcoholic husband during the late 50's and early 60's. She never learned to drive, and had to beg her husband for money to pay the milkman each week. At one point she gets a call from the bank telling her the second mortgage on their house ($4000) is due in 30 days, to which she responds "what second mortgage?" She kept the family going by entering contests and winning prizes, cash and/or goods, which she would sell to pay the bills. I think all women today need to get on their knees and send a prayer of thanks to Gloria Steinem and all the others who started the feminist movement.

I am so grateful to be living in this enlightened time when women are independent with jobs, families, political careers, and the freedom to choose whatever they want in life.

Bead Extravaganza

Things have been really quiet around here the past couple of months. We've been nursing a sick dog, and kept homebound since the Boston wedding back in October. When I learned the Intergalactic Bead Show was coming to Durham in January, I started having hot flashes of beady desire. I arranged with Marbleman to dog sit so I could spend a day at the show. I'd never been to an expo like this before and man, I really wanted to go. I talked a friend into going with me and "Awaa-ay we went!"

I plopped down my entry fee and walked through the door. Oh..My..God! There were a lot of beads in there! I stopped at the first vendor and my brain short-circuited. An hour later, my little tray was full, and I realized I needed to pace myself, or I'd blow my whole budget at this one table. But with the hot little jewelry lights, all those little shiny sparkly things had me hypnotized. I actually went through and put some things back (What?!?).

I made my way around the room in a very organized way after that, keeping an eye to the unusual, or fabulously priced strands and came home with a tote bag so heavy I had a sore shoulder for four days. I was told this was a fairly small show, as shows go. I think that's a good thing. I managed to get what I needed in a single exhausting day and had the time of my life in the process. I've heard the Tuscon, AZ show is the place to go - that it's a week-long event. Holy Cow. I don't think I'd have the stamina for something like that.

Now I really have to get into the studio to work! Mostly I just want to spread all those lovelies out on the floor and roll around in them, but I think it would hurt.

A Comedy of Travel Errors

Friday was travel day. Do you know that Orbitz calls you 3 hours before your flight's due to take off?!?!? Great service... except if you're on the 6:30 AM flight. Not only does the caller stutter but it's a computer so there's no one to hear you yelling! Marbleman got that call and never did get back to sleep. I was up at 4 AM - that should give us plenty of time to park and shuttle to our terminal an hour early. It was 5:30 in the morning when only insomniacs are up, and the lines aren't more than a few minutes long, so let's all take our time, right? Wrong! We got lost finding the parking lot in the dark and finally got to the terminal 30 minutes before the flight.

Why are we in this mess? Marbleman and I flew to Boston this weekend for his brother's wedding. We've heard about the woes that fliers encounter & so followed travel advisors who said we should buy tickets for the first flight of the day to avoid delays. Soooo.... four weeks ago we fired up the trusty iMac and noodled around Orbitz to snag tickets for the 6:30 AM flight.

Boarding passes in hand (Waddaya mean I need to request a seat? We requested seats a month ago!), we're off to the security check point. Oh... my...GOD: The line was at least 30 minutes long. Now what? An airport official told us about another line at the other end of the terminal, just a two minute walk. We jogged to the end of the terminal, and nuts! That line was even longer than the first one. Finally, we followed the other sheep through the line with a minimum of trouble, even had the time to engage the TSA people in some easy banter (don't want to look too nervous right?).

OK, sneakers on, laces retied, luggage in tow, we RAN to the gate and got there 5 minutes before take-off time. The airline person appeared to expect us and had my seat assignment in a couple of key clicks. Whew. We staggered onto the plane, flopped in our seats, only to hear the flight attendant say they were holding the flight for some people still stuck in the security line. We didn't need to run after all! The rest of the the trip was easy, even though it took 25 minutes to shuttle our way to the car rental place. Add another 20 minutes waiting in line, and 20 minutes to actually rent the car, and the fun begins. We did make mental notes to get to Logan 2 hours early for the return trip - surely their security is much tighter.

(We had a marvelous time in Boston, I'll post about that later.) Back to that return trip. OK, the flight out of Logan is at noon. We were in Natick, about 30 minutes outside Boston, so if we left there at 9 AM, returned the rental car, and took the 25 minute shuttle ride to the terminal, we should be there 2 hours early. Plenty of time for that long security line.

So, we got to Hertz in perfect time, and hopped onto the shuttle. Two minutes later (!) we were at at the terminal. Apparently we got the shuttle at the beginning of it's loop around Logan when we arrived. That's OK, we're in good shape. Let's hit the security line. Wait, what line? There was no one ahead of us. *sigh* Now we have to sit at the gate for the rest of the 2 hours until take-off. The flight took off without incident, maybe 25 minutes delayed. Again, easy peasy flight. This is good, since I hate to fly.

We took the shuttle back to the long-term parking lot, got in the car, turned the key in the ignition, and *click*. Nothing. Dead battery. Shoot. A really nice shuttle driver gave us a jump, and off we went. "Hey! Who turned on the passenger overhead light in the daytime?" Oh. OK, rephrase, "Who's the dumbass who left the overhead passenger light on over the weekend and drained the battery?" Oops, that would be me. Sorry!

Lessons learned: If you hear you should take the earliest flight to avoid delays? Assume other travelers had the same advice. Also, assume that things will go wrong. If they do, don't sweat it, they'll also turn out alright.

Eat more, weigh less?

An inspirational tale of the Amazing Shrinking Woman (again)

Last Thanksgiving I had terrible back pain - I mean, the flat in bed, gorked on muscle relaxers and pain pills kind of pain - the second episode in two years. My doctor looked me straight in the eye and delivered the bad news: to avoid a lifetime of back pain, I had to take off at least 50 pounds. *sigh* I've known that for years. I guess I wanted some professional in a position of authority to say it aloud. Be careful what you wish for, right?

5 years ago I tried the South Beach Diet and had some success. I bought the book, joined an online support group, and ate so many veggies, fruits, and whole grains that I knew every bathroom in town. Intimately. At 5'3" I was a pretty hefty gal weighing in at 180 pounds . After a year, I was down to 145. I felt (and looked) mighty fine. And it was easy. I still wanted 15 more pounds off, but somehow lost my way and wandered off The Beach. A little cheat here, a little over there, and the weight crept back. Finally, in pain from recent hand injuries (and feeling sorry for myself) I nibbled and noshed my way back up to 178 by last Christmas. Damn! Why, oh why, did I do it? I knew how hard it was to lose the first time. Now I have to do it all over again. (You can see my "before picture" in the previous California post in all my double-chinned glory.) But then things started looking up.

I have this new motivation - I mean, who wants to face their doctor to explain why she hasn't followed prescribed advice? Another New Year's Resolution: I went back on South Beach, back to the online support group, and followed the diet like a person possessed. I had a little success in the beginning, but I'm five years older now, and things aren't as easy as the first time around. I lost weight, but it was so slow, about .2 pounds a week. (FRUSTRATING!!! I want it off now!) I watched my calorie intake like a hawk - keeping it to about 1200 per day. I felt full and the weight came off. I was also exercising like crazy, taking a 60-90 minute walk six days a week. This diet, this mission, was my life, not my way of life.

By April, I lost 12 pounds. Then, my weight stabilized. I managed to chip off a couple of pounds only to see them reappear a week or two later. Over and over, I lost, then found, the same damned two pounds! This went on for about 3 months. I mean, I tripped over myself to do everything "right" and I was getting zero results. Mid-July, I called my doctor's office to get a checkup - what if my thyroid was misbehaving? They fit me in to see him the following week. But, I wanted answers now. I asked a friend, a personal trainer and nutritional counselor, what she thought. When I told her all I was doing, she said "I don't think you're getting enough calories." Waddaya mean?!?

Apparently, with all the exercise, I needed to eat a lot more calories every day - my bod was in "starvation"mode". This was so counterintuitive! The trouble was that I wasn't all that hungry. So, after my dear friend dropped this bomb on me, I whined to her "you mean, I need to choke down another 500 calories?" After threatening to smack me (most folks would love to eat an extra meal every day, right?), she said if I followed her advice for two weeks, I would get that hungry. I did talk to my doctor later. After hearing my routine, and my friend's advice, he agreed with her. He told me to eat 5 times a day and to have at least 1600 calories every day. He also ran blood work to check my thyroid, just in case (these were normal, thankfully). Finally, he told me: "make this part of your life, not the whole focus - just relax".

I followed the new plan, added strength training to my cardio, and stopped taking it all so seriously. You know what? Good advice! I've lost 24 pounds and feel fantastic. I still have 23 pounds to go to my goal, but now I can see it's gonna happen. With this recent loss, I've been sporting the "jail house" look. My jeans are falling off my hips - I really need to get new pants ... or a belt! I've given myself a queen-sized wedgie hoisting them up all day. Now that's attractive! (not)

I've weeded out my "fat clothes" with a brutal eye (sent most of them to the thrift shop). I'm under doctor's orders, so I'm not going to get fat again, right? Every 10 pounds I shed, I "go shopping" in my skinny clothes box. I try things on; if they fit, they get hung in the closet. If not, they go back in the box to be tried again at the next 10 pound mark. When they do fit, I'm super critical, thinking: "OK, it fits, but how does it make me look?" If the answer is anything but "sizzlin', smokin' hot", it's gone. The end result: I have a wardrobe that is versatile, age-appropriate, and makes me look and feel mah-velous.

I can see this will be a lifelong effort to maintain. Worth it for sure!

A 3 Hour Tour...

The Desert Tour: A One Act Event

Scene I: The Hummer

Imagine a dusty Hummer, originally bright shiny yellow. Now knock the doors off and replace the roof by a canvas sheet just over the roll bars. Add rock-sized dents and take it out into the hot, hot desert driven by a chatty local named Jeff who can name each hill's tetonic plate and says "we come in peace, it's all good" to appease strangers holding loaded center-fire rifles.

The Hummer holds 10 scared tourists easily, but we were only 5 and had plenty of room to be extra scared. Seatbelts were required as doors were not. Later, MM's brother revealed his seatbelt was Missing In Action. He was sitting safely next to MM, buckled in, and then made the dubious tradeoff of a better topside view for no seatbelt. At one point he was hanging onto the canvas top and started feeling grommets popping off, one by one! He was laughing as he told us, so I'm not sure it's as dire as it sounds :)

The tour started with driving out of Palm Desert on Thousand Palms Canyon Road, a long straight flat road that took us through creosote bush, sagebrush, and dried grasses. And a lot of sand. As we drove, Jeff pointed out the mountain straight ahead. The gray mountains in the back are some of the oldest on the planet, while the sand-colored range in front are some of the youngest. Between them is the San Andreas Fault. We stopped for a while at the 29,000 acre Coachella Canyon Preserve with an oasis right on the San Andreas Fault. Apparently the action of the 5 mile deep Pacific Plate grinding away at the 50 mile deep American Plate makes the rock at the edges porous. Since the desert is sitting on the 10th largest aquafer on the planet, the porous rock draws the water to the surface.

An Oasis in our Path

The oasis was choked with enormous indigenous palm trees, shaggy with dried fronds. Some were straight and tall, others leaning, still others felled completely and rotting in the shallow water. Swimming in the water were small guppy-like fish with teeth. Jeff took all our cameras and had us stand on a bridge which spans the fault and then took our group shot picture. As you can see, the environment was pretty SPOOKY with all those huge trees! After the ritual picture-taking, we clamored back up into the hummer, via a stool, to drive down Dillon Road to the Berdoo Canyon turnoff. What a great ride! Dillon Road cuts across all the runoff gullies from rainwater erosion and it was like riding a roller coaster up and down. Wheeeeeeeee!

Scene II: Berdoo Canyon

Ten miles down the road we hooked a left onto the Berdoo Canyon turnoff (can't really call it a road, or even a track). We were now driving on a dry riverbed, rocks, boulders, and scree. The hummer bumped along past some locals who were getting ready to do some target shooting, climbed a 12" hump where the scree road met a dilapidated paved single track, on into the canyon. Such beauty! We still had some daylight and the landscape was washed to a pale sand color all around with sagebrush, creasote bush, cat claw acacia, lavender, teddy bear joya cactus, mesquite, and a whole bunch more I can't remember. Huge boulders were everywhere. Along the drive Jeff mentioned the ways local Indians used some of these plants in their daily lives:

• mesquite: used for food; the sap crumbled for a perfume
• native palm trees: used the dried fronds for thatching their homes; ate the fruit berries
• teddy bear joya cactus: ground the roots into a paste and used it as an antibiotic ointment
• creosote bush: used the creosote to line their baskets. When it was cured, they could actually carry boiling water in them.
• cat claw acacia: they used it as a black hair dye - an Indian version of "Miss Clairol".
• There were others, but I didn't have enough available neurons left to remember them!

Scene III: Wildlife Sighting

OK, enough mental wandering. Back to the tour... So there we were, admiring the high ridges, taking in the flora, etc. Jeff casually mentioned he had seen a male big horned sheep that morning. A nice robust, healthy male. He was concerned about the animal because he hadn't seen it's harem, and usually at the lower levels, the animals tend to be scrawny. Jeff thought it might be stalked or hunted by a bobcat (bobcat?!? Now he tells us we need to watch for carnivorous toothy things!)

Suddenly, he shouted "THERE HE IS!" He turned the hummer around and drove really fast back the way we came, scanning the ridge for the beast. (Of course, I thought he should have been watching the track for those pesky rocks and other things to avoid.) He stopped the truck and got out to walk behind the last ridge the sheep was spotted, poking a walking stick into bushes and piles of gravel (for hidden rattlers)We stood and watched. Then, HOT DAMN! There they were! Two female Big Horn sheep, scampering up the mountain and finally over the ridge. No sign of the male, but we were pretty excited to see the others. Jeff said it had been 100 tours since he had the last sighting of any sheep. What a treat.

Scene IV: Desert Sunset

Back to the hummer to drive past a decommissioned presidential bunker big enough to house 92 people, food for two weeks, tanks, hummers, and army equipment. It was installed at the beginning of the Cold War, and filled in with concrete, buildings torn down, etc in 1988 when the Berlin Wall fell.

We drove to the top over broken pavement and scree to take some beautiful pictures of the sunset over the Little San Bernadino Mountains. In the fading light, the desert took on a beautiful soft quality full of color. What a difference from the daylight landscape! The mountains in the distance were rosy pink from the sunset with gray and blue ranges behind. Around us, the walls of the canyon showed pink areas of rock with gray and black features, shadows washed purple over the riverbed. Time to head back home. Suddenly the light was gone and everything around us was BLACK! I mean, we could see a whole lot of nuthin' - no way to see without the hummer's headlights, top spots, and sometimes even the interior light. Jeff seemed to know where he was going, but to me, the rocks we had driven over on our way into the canyon loomed large in our headlights.

Epilogue: Singing for our Supper?

We got home safe and sound at 8 PM, and we were a mess: hair windblown, filthy from dust, and super SWEATY. Ugh! We were also super hungry. So, we went to the only restaurant we thought would take us in that condition. It was an Italian restaurant with a big sign out front proclaiming "KARAOKE!" Now normally, I'd see that and run the other way, but I was with 4 other people who were also hungry. So I thought, "what the hey" and in we went. We had a nice dinner fortified with really big mugs of beer. Then the karaoke started. It wasn't as bad as I thought. For the most part people were really pretty good. A couple of guys sang some country songs and people were dancing the two-step and Cowboy Cha Cha around the room. Then Paula and Jane started singing and they were great. What fun - I think this was the best day of the vacation.

That's it for this trip. I finally got to see a desert - something I have looked forward to all my life. And I loved it.

Shibori Girl

Family tripping

It's been quite a while since my last post, so there is a lot of catching up to do! I can't believe I haven't written anything since Marbleman's (really dry) follow-up to the vacuum. [Marble Man says it was done on request.]

Marble Man and I are here in Sunny Southern California for a mid-September family wedding. (We'll post the photos in a later entry.) Our family needs no urging to gather for a party, so the exodus from Philadelphia, Boston, and North Carolina commenced. We flew into Palm Desert. Man is it HOT! *mops her sweaty brow* My sister-in-law, Paula, and I went to a flea market to seek out her favorite bead vendor. We both made the woman's day by handing over a heavy sack of cash for some very nice shiny and sparkly things. When we get home, we'll make some gawgeous jewelry.

After the flea market, we headed to LA where the wedding would be held. On the way, we drove past what must be thousands of windmills. Seeing them all lined up, churning away, it looked very otherworldy. Two hours later we were in LA. Ahh, much cooler, but what's with all that smog? I know there are mountains on the horizon, but where? We had a lovely lunch at the LA County Museum of Art and afterwards toured the art glass exhibit there with Paula. Wow. I was so surprised at what attracted me. I thought I'd go for the delicate twiddly pieces, but no. I went straight for the BIG (I mean MASSIVE) sculptures. They really spoke to me. Now, I just need to find a nice big house to hold them all :) AND ditch Marble Man for a millionaire to buy them for me! (Just kidding, MM) [Marble Man says "get a job!"]

We drove down Wilshire Blvd to Santa Monica and saw lots of sights along the way (Rodeo Drive is pretty posh!) Wow, it's even cooler here - about 70 degrees. Now, where is that jacket? We spent two fun-filled nights in Santa Monica at a high class joint, Le Merigot, right on the ocean, 2 blocks from the pier. I have never in my life been so pampered. We had the softest sheets and duvet. Oh, I didn't want to get up! (Just five more minutes, puh-leeze? This cloud is so fluffy.) The bathroom was fit for a king and queen. Beautiful rust colored marble, a lighted magnifying make-up mirror, a little mirrored shelf next to the tub with a votive candle on it, and on the edge of the tub, on top of the bath mat: a goldfish squeaky toy for the bath!!! How much fun is that? It was exquisite. The first night, a few of us walked down to the Santa Monica Pier to people-watch and ride the ferris wheel. LOTS of fun. There is nothing like getting stopped at the top and looking down to see nothing but ocean rollers coming in. (Marble Man screams like a girl: OHMIGOD We're all going to DIE! HELP!)

The next day was sunny and beautiful, and it was time for the wedding. All decked out, (and looking quite fab, I must say), we headed up to Northridge to the wedding site. What a nice wedding! Marble Man's cousin married a very sweet, beautiful young woman with a gracious family. The ceremony was outside the clubhouse of a country club, right next to the sand trap. While the rabbi kept us all very entertained, people were zinging past in golf carts, and I was thinking, what do we all do if some guy shouts "FORE"? Do we all hit the deck and hope the ball hits the person next to you? Body armor does not go with my outfit. Luckily we didn't have to find out. (Shibori Girl & Marble Man pictured at right)

The reception was raucous and highly entertaining. We sat with the rest of MM's family AND the very same entertaining rabbi and his wife. The guy was a laugh riot. He kept us in stitches right up until the cake cutting, and then he and his wife cut out. After a luscious meal, we danced our little tuschies off and partied right up to when the DJ packed up. We left knowing that we had gained a new and loving branch of the family who made us feel welcome.

After the wedding, we drove back to Santa Monica and walked the 3rd Street Promenade, watched street jugglers and break dancers and gawked at storefronts. We had the BEST hamburgers for dinner (loaded with fresh avocado, onions, and tomatoes). I bit into mine and felt like I had just had a religious experience. My taste buds were singing.

Another blissful night in that gorgeous hotel, and it's time to pack up and head down to Laguna to visit more family. Many reminiscences later, we went to Laguna Beach and strolled the boardwalk. Marble Man's parents decided to sit there and people-watch some more while the rest of us wandered some shops. What a nice town - not many chain stores, lots of personality. We ate a delicious dinner and piled back into the car to drive back to Palm Desert for the rest of our vacation.

Today the temperature is supposed to be 108 degrees. That's just inhuman. (Don't tell me "but it's a dry heat"; hot is just plain hot!) Marble Man and Paula are out playing tennis as I write this. Better them than me. Oh, they just staggered in the door, slightly red in the face. They CLAIM it wasn't too bad, but I don't believe it... Oops, Marble Man just exploded.

The rest of this day is devoted to recovering from the pace of the trip so far *pant, pant* We spent a good part of the day at the swimming pool. Nice breeze, palm trees, mountains in the background, and lovely cool water in the pool. I took off my flip flops by my chair and duck-walked over to the side of the pool. Those paving stones around the pool were SUPER HOT!! I think I might have seared my feet to the medium-rare stage. One experience was all the learning curve I needed. After that, I wore my shoes to the side of the pool stairs and left them there for the return trip to my chair. Later in the afternoon, I felt both eyes burning ("like, they were on fire, man!") and my lids were swelling shut. Oh good, that was the look I was going for (not). Turns out I'm allergic to the sunscreen we chose. I've almost recovered now that I sat with an ice pack on my eyes for an hour. Tomorrow, I wear a BIG hat to cover up - no more sunscreen.

Wednesday evening we took a 3 hour open-air hummer tour of the outlying desert. Way cool.

We were picked up at the hotel by our tourguide "Jeff" in a bright yellow hummer that looked like it had driven over a few rocks in it's day. No doors, just an open framework with a canvas top for shade. Thank GOD for seat belts! We learned so much on this tour that it will have to be a post all on it's own. Stay tuned...

Thursday we pack up and flapped our wings back home. I love traveling, but there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed after being away, if only I would GET sleepy. How is it possible that while in California I was on EST, and once I get home, I'm suddenly on PST? It's Midnight here and my bod tells me it's only 9AM and time to go party!

All in all, I love California. Lots of different ecosystems, lots of beauty, (some not so beautiful). I have many mental images to help spur some more creativity into new work.

Vacuum Hints & Add-ons

Now that we've had the Eureka Boss SmartVac 4870 ($140) for half a year, we've got more feedback. And down below, I explain some hard-to-find hints that Eureka left out of their manual! What a find.

Parts, parts, parts... That's how many I've bought. All in all, about a $70 extra investment in these more-or-less essential add-ons that do not come with the unit:

1. mini-blind attachment: although you could use the low-suction setting (secret explained below), you'd still have to align the blinds one way (eg, curved side towards window), vacuum, then align them the other way (curved side away from window) to clean that side. Instead, I got a 4-pronged attachment that slides between the blinds and cleans 3 blinds at once. It's not as easy to move that thing through the blinds as it would seem, but it does a better job than, say, the soft brush. This particular one is made of hard plastic and the fingers are covered in felt that stirs up the dust so the holes on the side of each finger can suck it in.
   
   
2. Extender hose: the 5' hose simply cannot extend to the heavens (have you noticed how dusty they are up there?) and not even to the top of our 7' bookshelves. Seems like a couple more feet of hose would have fit into the standard hose, but nooooo, we need to save the petro products... screw the dinosaurs! They're extinct, already... Give me my hose length! Did you know that you can buy as many feet of hose as you want? I got mine in the Vacuum Cleaner Hospital, Elliot Road, Chapel Hill, NC -- a good high-end store that sells mostly shiny Euro-vac's with names I have trouble pronoucing. So what you do is buy a bare hose, by the foot, and a tip for each end: one that can attach to the end of the Eureka hose and the other upon which the normal Euraka attachments can be mounted.
   
   Here's some pix with the complete hose, and with the hose screwed off. The seal is not perfect, and I think they need a much better way to attach the hose so it doesn't fall off the Eureka hose, but I still like it.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   A bleed hole is included in the new handle, and that's missing from the standard Eureka hose. Here's pix with the hole closed and open, and it's variably adjustable to any size between the two settings.
   
   
   
   
   
3. HEPA filter: those one-use filters are about $24. You can also get the washable filter for about $40-50, which pays for itself in only 1 changing. I've not quite figured out how to clean the filter, since it's probably best to vacuum it... I guess you need two: one to use when you're vacuuming the other. :) Or you could just wash them...
   
   
4. Fridge coil: Next I'd like to get one of those long thin heads that fit between refridgerator coils. Currently I use a yardstick wrapped in a cloth to pull the dust out, then vacuum it off the cloth. Could be easier but luckily I only do the fridge every couple of years -- whether it needs it or not! :)
   

HINTS

Why they left these out of the manual is only a guess, but I'd say it's a cost cutting measure. [See dinosaur rant]. Here's what I've figured out. Any other hints would be most welcome:

1. the big yellow rotator switch that sets floor or hose suction can be in any position. If you put it anywhere inbetween the 2 extreme settings, it acts as a bleed hole, taking some of the suck out of the hose. The picture shows it set to a middle position. This is useful for delicate cloth (drapes) that would be totally sucked into the hose at full suction. Nice.
   
   
   
   
2. You probably know that to tilt the main body, you press the little gray foot button. Press the button again to fold the unit almost flat. This lets it get under some furniture and most dinosaurs, should you run into any.
   
   
3. If your extender hose falls off, thread the standard hose through the handle so that the full weight of the standard hose is not straining the hose-hose joint (which would pull it apart).
   
   
4. There's a little loop of plastic on the back of the handle which you use to hold the electrical wire off the ground, so that you do not run over it as much. I usually coil the rest of the wire in my hand (that is, the part that's not still in the vacuum's cable holding circuit), and release/recoil it as I move away/towards the plug. What a pain.
   
   
5. Click the carpet/floor switch to the floor setting before turning on the unit. That spinner brush, if accidentally left on, can deface some bare floors in not time flat.
   

Happy vacuuming!
--MarbleMan

OK, I Lied...

I've taken a break from everything the past few weeks to get life in order. The weather Sprung great in late May (past tense of Spring) and I was bitten by the gardening bug. Two weeks later an old vegetable patch in the front yard was transformed into a nice 10x10' garden complete with birdbath and seating area. Now if only the Venison -- I mean deer -- would stay away!

Now that the outside was taken care of, the inside of the house needed serious attention as Marble Man's parents were coming to stay for a week. Can't have them seeing how we really live, now, can we? So we fired up that fancy new vacuum cleaner -- zoom zoom -- attacked mystery piles of who-knows-what in corners and on surfaces, and now it's so clean we don't recognize the place. Time to throw a party!

We had a lovely visit with the parents, saw movies, ate out a lot, had lots of visit time. The week sped by really fast. Now it was time to get back into the swing of a regular work schedule. (What's that?!?)

After my last post, my Batgirl ego was pretty excited to be back in the batcave, doing what I love to do. Then for a few weeks after that, my hand was screaming at me to "cut it out, already"! As a result, I have decided to do just enough fabric dyeing to keep our local quilt store stocked (and my pockets full of sorely needed beer money) and some custom work for individual clients (that's money for beads). The rest of the time, I'll concentrate on the jewelry-making, since it doesn't seem to bother my delicate parts as much (the thumb pain's connected to the wrist pain, the wrist pain's...). Disappointing, but a logical move to make I think since, being in pain is such a pain! (I can always add the fabrics in slowly, to keep stock up for my scarf collections and maybe the silk shawls.)

Meanwhile, I've had such a long break with all the house improving going on, that I can't remember what the heck I was working on when I stopped! I cleaned up my studio space, put everything away, and now I'm like, "HEY, what the...! Where was I?" So, I look at this as a creative kick in the pants, (so to speak) and I can do whatever floats my boat at this time. I'll figure out what was in the works at some point - like when I come across a half-finished pair of earrings and say "Oh, yeah! Now, how do I make the other one to match this one?" [I've discounted photocopying as a valid way to reproduce earrings -- too flat]

I have received a lot of positive yummy feedback from family and friends about the jewelry pieces I have already finished, which is great news and tells me I am making some killer jewelry, as they would be the first ones to point out any weaknesses. Now that I have a bit of inventory completed, I need to find the right outlet. I have a few options. 1) I could try to get invited to participate in a home show for the Christmas season. 2) I could suck back a glass of wine for courage and start cold-calling galleries and boutiques. 3) I could have the jury slides made and apply to the regional craft shows. 4) write a really nice letter to Warren Buffet, asking if he'd like some other charities to make donations to (that's ME!).

I am leaning toward options 1 & 2 for now. I have a few friends and family who are artistic and have had success at home shows. So, I'll put out some feelers to see if I would be welcome with my new line of work. I think that jewelry has a wider appeal than the fabric arts do, so I might have some success with the store buyers too. I would make the cold calls to introduce myself, then send out a packet of information including pictures. If I do it right, I should be able to get some appointments to bring work in for review. Cross your fingers!

Now it's back to the bead mine...

She's BAAaack!

I have been dyeing for two days now, and it feels GREAT! Yesterday I boiled up one big pot of water outside, about enough to get six buckets going. I thought that would be a good way to start up: six buckets and I'd be done. 'Cause then I had to get all the fabric off the poles, squeeze it all out, wash and dry it, as well as hosing out the buckets and poles for the next session (pant, pant). So, six sounded like a good beginning amount - I didn't want to wear myself out. ('Though I was mighty tired anyway!) It felt sooooo goood to get back to work.

Yesterday's session was actually to prep for today. My girlfriend wanted to dye some fabrics of her own for a quilt, so I needed to make sure I had enough propane, that the burners were in proper working order, yada, yada, yada... Today, with Fran's help, we had about 25 colors going!!! I couldn't have done it without her, since she did a lot of hard stuff. She schlepped buckets across the yard, hosed stuff out, stirred; she was a dyeing machine. What a good day. Now my stuff is in the washer churning away and I'm looking forward to seeing them dried and ironed (that's the fun part).

Now that I have had a chance to take a breath, grab some lunch, and cool off, I realize just how tired I really am: I could use a nap! :) So, the rest of the day I'll plan what to do during the next session. I think it is reasonable to try to do the heavy dye work maybe 3 days a week for now, and see how my hand and elbow feel. I might just have to scale it back to once a week in the beginning so I don't relapse my tennis elbow. For now, it is marvelous to be back to doing what I love to do.

Your dye-covered fabric queen

Back on Track

After my last post, I went back to the orthopedist. She took one look at my elbow and told me I needed another cortisone injection and some physical therapy. I must be getting used to the shots because this last one barely hurt. But, she went clear down to bone (I had a great honking bruise for 3 weeks!). After some more physical therapy I am now-pain free for the first time in a year. My mood is so much better I hardly recognize myself. :)

I am a bit leery of getting back to work - afraid I'll do something dumb and hurt myself again. So, to get some hand strength back, and to feel productive, I have been making jewelry. This has been a passion for a few years, but on a personal level. Now I have been doing it with selling the pieces in the back of my mind. It feels good. It feels darned good. I ran a few pieces past a friend who works in a local craft gallery and her response was: "we have got to get these out there!" It's nice to have affirmation that I'm headed in the right direction. I seem to enjoy working with little teeny twiddly seed beads. As my sister-in-law, the artist, says, "it's nice to see little tiny pieces making a greater whole." This little choker is an example of this.

I have also kept up with my drawing and feel an improvement with each one. Here is one I finished this weekend, and I am very happy with it. I cannot believe I let this go for so long! I never realized how much I've missed it, I guess. So, I will keep on keepin' on and post my progress here.

I did get to do some fabric dyeing last month, (just to prove I still can) and managed pretty well, although my hand let me know I'd used it for a few days afterward.

Signing off for now...

Nuts!

Well, shoot! There I was a couple of weeks ago, feeling pretty good about life. Then, BAM! I tripped over the dog and hurt my elbow again. I've been babying it for a week now and it's still not right. So, I'll be visiting my favorite orthopaedist soon to see what's what.

It's a good thing the dog is so darned cute or he'd be toast by now, PETA concerns aside. I posted a picture so you can see for yourself. Also, so you'll know that I do actually have a dog. I had a few people read my last post and saw my comment about walking the dog and they wondered if that was just a euphemism for a bodily function, or if I really do have a pooch. Here's the proof, the whole proof and nothing but the proof. Don'tcha just want to grab his little cheeks and give him a scritch? I'll put a bell around his neck and look where I'm going so I won't be so clumsy the next time.

The upside of this latest wrinkle in my recovery plan is that *SHhhh! Don't tell anyone...* I actually like all this freedom from deadlines and being able to do whatever the heck I want to do for the moment. While I wait for my elbow to settle down, I can still draw whatever I like, meet my friends for lunch, etc. And since I had planned for the rest of this year to be recovery time, well, it's just a good thing I'm not in any rush. Also, now there is no excuse for not getting my taxes done on time! I think our accountant just might keel over from shock if I bring the stuff to her before March 30th. Maybe I should get one of those little oxygen tanks to carry with me just in case. :)

more drawings from last week: