Happy New Year!

To me New Years eve is a time of reflection to consider how my year went and how I can improve for the next year. This past year was pretty kind to me - my daughter gave me a new granddaughter, Quinn; Zoe is a kind and loving little girl; my bead business has improved although I could do much better.

Better you say - that is one of my resolves to continue to improve my bead business and keep open to new ideas. But a good one for me is to be a kinder, grateful, patient person. Patience is not a virtue I have. I have already used it this week when caught in bumper to bumper traffic even on the side streets - be patient, be patient I tell myself! When I'm on the freeway I am almost grateful for bumper to bumper traffic because I feel like a bad accident can't occur when you are only going 5 miles an hour!

I've improved alot this year so I feel proud of myself - I've developed a system for paying bills and being ready for tax season. That is a huge accomplishment. I've been on eBay consistently for more months than before and that has helped feed my creativity. I've gotten my blood sugar under control (slid this month but back on the wagon as of the 1st!).

Hope you all have a safe and happy New Years Eve. May 2008 be good to all of us!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Thought I'd start this post with a picture of my favorite bead. A cute little Christmas tree. I usually put these on ebay in November but this year I didn't get pictures taken so no beads got put up. Anyway it still says Merry Christmas.

I have 2 new reasons to be exited about Christmas this year! Little Zoe pictured here with my daughter is 2-1/2 and knows who Santa is now. We're not sure she understands the concept, but she will after Christmas! She helped me celebrate my birthday by decorating my birthday cake with me. I think she ate more chocolate frosting then she got on the cake! We really had fun.

Then there is my new grandaughter little Quinn. She is almost 4 months old
and such a cutie! She just loves to sit in my lap and look around.

So needless to say not many beads got
made but a lot of family time was had by all.

I have to work tomorrow at least half of a day then I intend to go home and make a few beads. We celebrate Christmas on Christmas Day so Christmas Eve I'm on my own. I have to be a my daughters at 7:30 Christmas morning if i want to see Zoe when she discovers Santa has been to her house. And, of course I want to see that!

I wish everyone a most happy Christmas. I hope it is filled with love and good cheer. Eat lots of cookies for me - I'm not suppose to eat sugar so although I love baking cookies and I think I'm pretty good at it I don't bake cookies anymore. I'll eat them if I make them and that's not good.

Speaking of sweets this year we got lots of fruit at the office - no candy, no baskets of muffins and cookies. Very different! I heard a co-worker mumble as they left the kitchen - How much fruit can a person eat! Yup I've had enough as well -- Good night everyone - merry, merry!

Christmas is Coming!

Wow Christmas is really coming! One more week 'til my birthday! I seem to be getting busier and busier. My financial situation is in the dumper though. I had to get a new furnace last week - I'm grateful I have a small house! And, to look on the bright side I am also grateful that I could pay for it without charging it. Now taxes are due - they've gone up by $400 for the year! That's alot at least to me! I need to get busy and make beads. Tucson will be here before I know it and I also need to get beads up on eBay. I've been working hard and trying to play at least a little. Last week I went to my professional organization's Christmas party at The Highlands. It was really nice. I got to visit with alot of old friends.

This Saturday I went to the ISGB So Cal party at Pacific Art Glass. Not as much fun as last year but ok. I arrived late and couldn't stay too long as I had to go to a printer to look at a proof. Sharon Peters did a demonstration. I couldn't see or hear so I decided it was time to leave. Funny how that happens.

Next weekend I'm going to my daughter's to celebrate my birthday with my beautiful granddaughters. I think we are going to try to make Christmas Cookies. At least Zoe, Cindy and I. Quinn will just have to watch since she is only 3 month old. I'll try to take some pictures.

Not a very exciting blog today. I should be making beads rather than sitting at the computer.

I'm Sorry Blog

I promised myself I would be consistent and I haven't been. I wanted to put a picture everytime I post and didn't have pictures so I didn't post. Well now I'm not going to worry about pictures. My Thanksgiving was not so good - I have a very disfunctional family stemming from my mother. She's 86 and her body is giving out but up until now her brain was ok. Now she is starting to get confused. One of my brothers lives at home which is now a good thing as he can watch out for them. My stepfather (referred to as my Dad) is 87. So Bill takes care of the place for them. He's not the best about taking care of them though. Anyway we had Thanksgiving at their house and I planned to cook. I told my mother she could make the stuffing and mashed potatoes (thinking that gave her something to do and wasn't too hard). She didn't buy celery and didn't chop onions for the stuffing. I put the turkey in the oven at 11 am. It was ready at 2 pm. I told her I would take the turkey out to rest and put the stuffing and green bean casserole in the oven at that time. So she proceeds to heat the stuffing on the stove and burn it. She would not sit down was in the kitchen the whole time. I told her I would bring the pies and if I didn't bake from scratch I would get them at Marie Callendars. I baked 2 from scratch. So when I got there and took out the pies she said - Oh I bought a pie. Now I couldn't have been more clear. The worse part though is that by the end of the evening she was exhausted - 6 pm. She never sat down to enjoy the company and her great grandchildren. She complained about my brother the whole time. It was awful! So Christmas is coming my goal is to just enjoy being with my family just once in my lifetime! It doesn't look promising! So I've told my daughter no food we'll go over at 2pm stay to exchange presents and leave. My husband has passed away I have my parents, my brothers, my daughter, 2 granddaughters, son-in-law. So now my Christmas will be kind of bleak because I won't have a Christmas dinner. My daughter will go to her mother-in-laws who treats me with disdain so I don't want to go there for dinner. I'd rather just be with my dog! Oh well at least I have a family and they are in fairly good health. Sorry for the rant but I needed to get it out! The fun will be in the early morning. I will drive to my daughter's (an hours drive from my house). Watch my granddaughter open gifts. She's 2-1/2 and is a barrel of fun now. I think she might understand this year. They have a baby who will be 4 months old so she's too new to know what is going on.

BEADS - I'm going to take pictures today if it's the last thing I do. I wanted to make beads too. I put the propane tank outside the window finally and feel better about it although I haven't connected it yet. Hope to do that today. Something is blocking me from the studio lately. I think once I start I'll be fine.
stay tuned for more.