Long day.

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So far so good on the furnace. The heating guy who came out yesterday replaced the whole pilot assembly and it has not gone out yet. It's only been one day but I am hopeful. It was the first day in a very long time that I walked in the door from work and the house was warm. So again, I am hopeful.

What I'm not hopeful about is keeping up with all these blog posts! All of you wonderful people that I love to read who are participating in NaBloPoMo, you're killing me! It's really nice when people post a lot, but every other day is fine. Every single day is simply too much for me to read without sacrificing my sleep or my sanity. So I really hope you will forgive me if I do more of that skimming I was talking about not too long ago. And I probably won't comment as much either because after I read one post, I know I have fifty two more to go!

I feel bad about that, and not for the reasons you may think. It's more selfish really. I'm disappointed because I am sure there are posts being written that normally I would really enjoy and I know I am going to miss some good stuff. Posts that if they came out at a normal speed as opposed to rapid fire, I would love to sit back and fully enjoy. The way it is now I feel a little bit like I'm on the other side of one of those machines that whip tennis balls at a player, or maybe like Lucy stuffing her mouth and her blouse with chocolates because too many have come down the conveyor belt.

A few have dropped out already and I am quite pleased. Sorry to the rest of you who are doing quite well with posting every day. It's an achievement to be sure, I know I would have a great deal of trouble with it. But from this side - I'm hoping for a few more drop outs.

On a totally random note here, I almost peed myself at work today because of my natural gracefulness. Walking back to my desk after going to the fax machine, I stumbled over my own wide, Flintstone feet, and had to put my hand out to stop myself from totally falling down and ending up with my face resting on the wheels of my chair. The heel of my hand smacked right down on top of the banana sitting on my desk - literally squirting banana out the end and onto my wrist. I truly almost wet my pants I was laughing so hard. And why can I eat a banana and not find anything at all wrong with it, but get totally grossed out by that same banana smooshed onto my arm? It was like a cartoon and it was worth tossing out the banana just to have that giggle.

Hope you find something to giggle about today!
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My apologies

For those who may have tried to access my blog yesterday and today, I am sorry. I'm sorry I am so obsessive, impatient, and foolhardy! I have been working on a new header, I wanted it to be something completely different. When it was finished, on my living room floor no less, I took 4 pictures of it and spliced them together with Paint, and uploaded it to photo bucket. Suffice it to say that in trying to remove the other header, I screwed things up.

Thank you thank you thank you to Stavanger from Blogcrowds who saved my blogging butt before when I had trouble getting a 3-column template, when I needed more room in my sidebars and lost a whole side in Internet Explorer, or was it Firefox? He has saved me or given me advice more than a few times now, and I will forever be grateful! This time - I could not even access my blog much less put a new header on it.

I hope you like the new header, the cats around here certainly do!


Jakie and her chubby self enjoying something new on the carpet to lay on. Luckily I had removed the loose beads by this time.


Abby helped me remove the loose beads I had laying on the header. Nice Abby. She's always so helpful like that.
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Oh, and in keeping with my tell-all TMI personality, I had my second "special views" mammogram yesterday and waited while the radiologist read the x-ray. The lovely tech who fondled me so gently this time as well as last, came out and told me the doctor said he would like me to come back for an ultrasound. I think tears must have sprung from nowhere, or I lost all color or some other sign of shock because this nice lady was suddenly concerned, almost alarmed, asking if I was okay. "Yes, I'm fine. I have a headache and I have to go to the bank and then get my emissions checked..." What???? I guess I was shocked. But she said "The radiologist knows abnormal when he sees it, and this isn't it. Still - he needs a better view because it is something that wasn't there before." So, now another test. And I wait.

I think.

I was talking to my daughter today about blogging. She is an English major and is a senior in college right now. She is a wonderful writer, and can consider herself a "writer" in the true sense of the word, unlike me. She is smart and witty and can be very opinionated. She always has something to say, certainly always has something going on in her head.

I mentioned to her that she should blog, if for no other reason than to use her skills somewhere other than school, or because it can be an incredible networking tool. She didn't seem too thrilled with the idea of creating her own blog but did say maybe she could do a guest post on mine. What a wonderful idea! But she wants me to give her a topic. That's where I draw a blank.

Dani is very mature and always has been. She is young and playful but she is very thoughtful and thinks things through with a logic which can be intimidating sometimes. She is incredibly sensitive and I would say more empathetic than your average 21 year old. I taught her not to grow up too fast, to enjoy her childhood and not hurry to adulthood like I did. For me everything was about when, when I move out of the house, when I get married, when I have kids. While Dani is planning for her future in the way of a career and forming the values she will live her life by, she enjoys now. She took one of my lessons to heart.

She is simply a good kid. Level headed and sweet and caring. So much ahead of the game than I was at her age, and I feel for the parents who have kids who give them trouble with driving, drinking, boyfriends/girlfriends and what-have-you. My children are not perfect but I can honestly say they have not given me trouble beyond not doing household chores when asked or being lackadaisical about grades from time to time. I'm happy to say the grades are very good now, grammar and sentence structure and all of the things I find so difficult with the English language come easily to both of my kids. Go figure.

I could suggest she write about ridiculous things Mom has said or done, which I am sure she has several examples of. Hmmmm. She's a vegetarian, a feminist and a lover of Harry Potter and Brussels sprouts. Not necessarily together. She likes roller blading and riding her bike, playing four square and camping. She has many, many interests and is always open to new ideas. In some ways she is so very like me, in a much improved kind of way, but in more ways - she is not.

She is Dani. She is my daughter. I know she must have ideas. She should write here at least once, don't you think?

I think.

I KNOW my blog is busy!

Really really short post here. Trying to catch up on my blog reading tonight (I added another one to my list!!!!) I realized that my blog, by far, is the busiest out of all that I read. I knew it was. But - I came back to it and looked and looked and tried to decide what I could do to make it less busy. I had purposely searched out a way to add a third column so I could have more stuff. I added the beauty flower on the right because I love flowers. I made a concession in moving my slide shows to the bottom, but I just love color and moving pictures and oh - I'm just hopeless.

I came to the conclusion that if I change my blog to try to make it like everybody else's blog then it won't be my blog anymore. This is how my brain thinks - in color and moving pictures! This is me! So - WELCOME to my brain! Scary thought I know.

But aren't the colors pretty? :)

It IS July!

I guess I missed it! I have been off work for a few days - and I can't keep track of the dates when I'm at home. But I know it's the 3rd because tomorrow is the 4th and by all accounts - it's a holiday! Stuff blows up in the sky and everybody oooooh's and ahhhhhhh's over it. Okay, I do too. Who isn't a little kid when watching fireworks?!??

I should mention that "day dreamer" over there at Candid Yammering nominated me for Rockin' Girl Blogger! Thanks so much! I STILL have to find out what that is - but it sounds good - I can't imagine it's secretly the geekiest bloggers ever award - so I am happy for the nomination!

One thing that has come out of blogging - is being able to take that peek into other people's lives, make new friends and have some laughs together. I think most people think they are a bit weird, their family is the wackiest or most dysfunctional. But everybody has something. So we write and let other people in and they respond - "oh I know what you mean" or "been there done that" - and it makes you feel a bit more normal. On the other hand - it might make you feel like everybody is just freakin' crazy!!!!! :) But whatever it does for you - it doesn't do anything bad. It's a good thing.

I was going to introduce one of the cats tonight, but I really think I need to throw a load of laundry in and then head to the bead room. Spent yesterday afternoon and then today too - out at the picnic table in the backyard taking pictures of jewelry. Did you know there are things that fly and crawl around out there? And things that bite sometimes? Ee-e-e-w-w!

When I came in today I went through all my pictures and updated some of my older listings with better pictures, but the job of sorting, sizing, cropping etc - all of those pics got a bit overwhelming so I have pushed it aside for the moment. I tell you what though - the digital camera and memory card are things of beauty! Add to that a laptop, a wireless connection and an awesome printer too - and you have all I need to list all the jewelry in the world in my shop! Now I just have to make it!

The pictures here are all from older listings - pics I took today in the backyard, and then updated in my shop. There is just something about that natural light to bring out the beautiful colors in stone! None of these have had the color altered at all - and if you click on them you will see how beautiful the colors really are. And if you notice - they are all necklaces and they are all being modeled by Roberta. She is here, lower left. What a wonderful investment she has been! She doesn't usually wear glasses but I was just showing that if you're beautiful - you're beautiful with glasses or without! Okay, I was really just trying to show that Roberta is one of us - not glamorous at all when she's not working!

OH! How could I forget an update on the diet! Dani and I have been following the Nutrisystem diet, eating out of the massive boxes of food sitting right in the living room, and I can't speak for her but - what the hell? You've seen the commercials - "I'm a size TWO!" she says in that most annoying really thin person voice. "All I did was eat the food!" I can almost feel her finger poking deeply into her cheek. Well I've been eating the food! I've been eating the salads and the fruit and the freeze dried concoctions I am paying about 10 dollars a day for - and I don't think I've lost a pound! Of course I was prementrual last week so that was hard to judge, and still menstrual this week, but still!!

This has not been incredibly fun.

It might be different if before you started the diet you already knew what foods you would like and which foods you wouldn't. Everything you order would be something you know you will like. Not knowing ahead of time makes it a real crap shoot. Really, just because it says tuna cassarole - who says it will really taste like tuna cassarole? Plus - you get a week of food for free - but THEY pick the food for that week. I figured though, they would know that if I didn't order any split pea soup - it would be because I don't like split pea soup! Or black beans and rice! Yuk! Okay, so I'm a picky eater. But - still!!!

There is one food that is exceptionally good - and that is the lowfat granola. I mixed it into my lowfat yogurt this morning and didn't even feel like I was dieting! Num! The chocolate chip pudding is okay, the chips save it. The reconstituted all beef patty I had for dinner this evening was quite interesting - a science experiment in rehydration you might say! The texture was a little weird but it tasted okay. Most of the food is just that, okay, and a lot is Chef Boy-Ar-De-like too. All in all it has been difficult to eat this food day after day - I feel I have been on it a lot longer than I actually have. My daughter and I both agree that lunch is our least favorite meal of the day. The whole thing would be easier to tolerate if I felt I was getting some return for my effort. Hmm. Well - maybe tomorrow I will weigh myself and get a good surprise.

But then again - maybe not.

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Maybe I should have just introduced one of the cats. God knows that will be a show stopper! :) One thing I haven't done for a while is close with a pretty picture. I am going to do that tonight. It's raining outside, there is a cool breeze and I can hear distant thunder. It's gonna be good sleeping tonight!!!

Almost there!

I think I finally got this template as wide as I want it. Now I have an edge line going down the middle of the right side - it's the coloring at the edge of the template. If anybody knows how to adjust it and it's remedial - please let me know. If it's beyond remedial - I'll live with it!!

Took a couple pictures of Dani modeling her necklace today. She is so adorable! She doesn't remember but when she was little I used to tell her she was special and very very lucky. I told her she was really smart, smarter than most, she was lucky because as a bonus - she was pretty too - but most importantly - she had a great big heart and was a good person too! I tried to de-emphasize the pretty part - in the context of it being an important part of her makeup. I wanted her to know she WAS pretty - but that certainly wasn't the most important thing about her. I think she understands that better than a lot of people do. But then again, it's still true - she IS smarter than most! Straight A's her junior year of college. OMG I can't believe she's that old. On the other hand - Andy is 23 now, boy does that make me feel old!! He really shares very few details - but I will have to ask him what kind of grades HE just got! He's a good kid (kid?) though, I don't worry about his grades.

So I managed to make a necklace, 2 bracelets, and I think 3 pairs of earrings last night. I love this bracelet, I actually dreamed about those 3 green stones across the front. No lie. I know that's a bit weird but it's true. The stones on either side of the green jade - are lavender, I know the picture doesn't refect that really well. I just love the green with lavender and then with the yellow. Great stuff. Another one of those chunky stone bracelets I like. Don't know if anyone else likes them - no one has bought one yet!! :) I'm trying to be patient. See my fingers drumming on the table ... ! I'm waiting ... come and get it!!

Haven't visited the Etsy forums much the last couple of days - I've been obsessing about this blog and trying to make it cool. But I obsess too much and it takes me forever! I saw a comment by jessprkle from Unique Expressions - her Etsy shop - and I went to her blog and saw this WIST thing I liked. Rotating pics from other Etsy sellers - I could do my own stuff I suppose, but anyway - I wanted it. So I clicked on it from her site and went off into an exploration of WIST and how to make it work. I still don't understand it entirely, like how to make ALL the choices I picked show up in that sidebar, but other than that I'm happy with what I did. Just don't ask me to explain it because I don't think I can! I get in trouble when I start to explore because I find things I need to figure out.

Haven't figured out Html a whole bunch, but did figure out I could alter numbers and look at what I did - and change it back if I needed to. Messed with that a lot too. Don't understand it much, but messed with it enough to get most of what I want.

Now though, I need to get a bit of jewelry made while I still have some evening left. Gonna pick out a purty picture to close with, and then head to the bead room. Woo hoo!!

Don't remember where this picture is from but I was struck by the contrast between the blue and the yellow. Pretty. Pretty and tranquil.

Done For Today

Well I have done all I can for today. My memory being what it is anymore - I am not sure I put everything back or not - but I will figure it out eventually. I am just glad I was able to get that 3rd column, I am pretty proud of myself for doing even that. Knowing nothing about Html I am lucky I managed.

Very tired now, and I really need to make some jewelry this weekend. I think I only have 2 bracelets and a pair of earrings to post right now and I'd really like to get going and build up some inventory. Need to start posting things on a regular basis, not every couple of weeks!!!

Here is a lovely pic - I believe it's Macchu Picchu - looks like a wonderful place to sit, looking out over the world it looks like, and contemplate. Away from everything. Peacefulness, then bed!!