Beauty For Ashes

Being a human being is an interesting thing isn’t it?  I have been pondering on communication quite a lot over the last several months.  Some of my thoughts have been centered around how frusterating it is to be misunderstood and how difficult it is to find the words to straighten the misunderstanding out.  I’ve also been thinking aobut how interesting it is that as people we want to be unique and loved for our uniqueness.  We want to be loved for who we are in our hearts yet, we put on a little show and then get hurt because no one really knows us.  We don’t show our true face to the world for numbers of reasons, the main one I think, being rejection. 

Why do I bring this up?  Well,  T and I are having an issue with one of our children that we could use some help with.  The help we could use really needs to come from people we don’t know but who interact with our child.  Strangers, if you will.  The hitch, no one will speak the truth because they don’t want to look bad, hurt our feelings, you fill in the blank.  I get that, I do that.  The remedy, open your mouth and speak.  I know, easier said than done.

I just think it’s interesting.  As a people, we could just open our mouths and speak I wonder what connections could be made that we never would have dreamed. 

All of this coming, ironically, from the very quiet, speak avoiding person that I am…

What have I been up to lately you ask? Well, a little of this and a little of that. The pendant above is one I just completed yesterday. I am thrilled with it. It is made from a domed silver disc paired with a domed copper disc that has been enameled with peacock blue enamel. The little “stamen” in the middle is made from a fine silver ball. I think it is terrific and quite striking really. It is the first of many I’m sure. I have a series using these domed discs floating around in my mind and I’m anxious to get going on it. 

Oh, and don’t let me forget this little treat:
I completed this on Monday and have been wearing it none stop since.  It is a bracelet made of sterling silver and gold filled wire.  It has such a nice weight and makes me feel very feminine and energetic.

I am loving my metal shop classes.  This last weekend I completed an intense enameling class.  It was so very fun and I developed another skill using color on metal.  You all know how I love color.  I am loving the enamels and all the different techniques you can use to create a lovely piece of art work/jewelry. 

Currently I am working on completing a sculpture that I will certainly show you in addition to a lost wax cast ring, a pair of earrings to go with the domed disc pendant as well as a bracelet to complete the set.  I can’t wait to show you how it all turns out. 

This is so fun!!!

We all had cabin fever last night and even though it was snowing and cold, we decided to head out of the house.  Our usual destination when cabin fever strikes in the winter is Barnes and Noble.  It’s close, it has coffee, it has lots and lots of books…perfect!  We always hang out in the children’s section as we peruse through the billions of books.  C and M have favorites they like to read through so sitting at the little round table in the children’s section really is the best way for them to have access to everything they are interested in reading.  T and I pull up an adult chair and peruse through the stacks of magazines and books that we grabbed on our way to the childrens section. 

Last night was nice.  The kids enjoyed their time and I enjoyed bugging C.  We shared a bench and I just couldn’t keep my hands off him.  Even at 7, he is so darned cute!  As he read, I periodically reached over and poked a rib or tickled a chin.  He finally looked at me with a twinkle and a frown and said, “Mom, you are really bugging me, stop it”.  Which meant do it some more, please!  Or at least that is what I heard.  I tried to refrain but just couldn’t keep my hands off his cuteness.  With exasperation, he put his book down, turned to face me and gave me a big fat kiss right on the cheek and said, “please stop, I’m trying to read”.  I stopped but it was hard cause I really wanted another big, fat, sloppy kiss right on my cheek!