Happy New Year!

I need to start using my blog and updating more regularly. I love reading other people's blogs so I should start doing mine as well.

What's on my knitting needles - finishing Mr. Foster monkey for my grandaughter Quinn. I want to get back to finishing my gloves and making some more felted covers but need to finish Quinn's Christmas gift first. . . oh yeah Christmas is past but she is getting this late. She'll never know the difference.

Glass beads - need to be made! Starting this weekend I am working on getting beads done for Tucson. Need to make a list tonight and tomorrow I will start. I get tonight off for my hot date with my dog!

Happy New Year to anybody who reads this. I have been playing with my iphone but for some reason the itune store is not available so I can't download anything - darn! I am at work, should be working anyway. We're off at 1 today -yeah!

Very Little Progress!

I am still sick! Two weeks now. I made it through work this week but left early every day but Thursday. Friday was the worst. I am just very congested and feel weak. I am working through a mucous fog. I have also decided to challenge myself at work and get rid of paper files. It's a digital world and I've embraced it in every way except my job files. So I got a 160 gig external hard drive and all my working files are on it. I realize that my project list must now become my bible because I no longer have files sitting on my desk to remind me that something needs to be done. I think it is going to be good - let's wait and see.

While being sick I have not been able to do much so I sit in front of the TV in bed at night in my mucous fog and work on a baby blanket I am knitting for my daughter's sister-in-law. I saw a woman on the train making this blanket and really liked the pattern alot. She copied it off for me. Since Selena does not want to know whether she is having a girl or a boy I picked pale yellow. One is solid and one has speckles. It's knitted on large needles so it goes fast and it is very soft and snuggly. Maybe I should make a big one for me! Right now i need soft and snuggly.

Beads are going slow because I don't have the energy. Yesterday I painted some more images and fired them last night. Very disappointing but I am learning alot. I am taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back but that means I am making a little progress. I don't want to post a picture yet until I have a winner. I am not going to give up on this. I am just not use to it taking so long to get something that I like. I just keep telling myself it will be worth it.

Enough of my babbling for now if there is even anybody out there reading this. I kind of like keeping this activity journal - wish it was more creative and would like to improve my writing style to be more like a story. But I also feel that I need pictures with every post so that is why there are such lag time in between. I am keeping a painted bead journal though to note my progress and what I am learning. Can't wait until I finally have it down. I'll keep you posted!

Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah Choooooooo

I'm sick! I've been fighting a cold for 2 weeks and finally on Tuesday I got up with a very sore throat. Went to work and my throat was so sore that by afternoon I put my phone on forward so I didn't have to talk. I'm a grumpy mess when I'm sick. I stayed home on Wednesday and I'm still home today! I start to feel a little better and I think - I feel better I can go in - then I start to feel sick again. So psyched out. There's alot I could do around the house, heavens just picking up after myself would be a good thing. But i"m like the picture I'm posting. Just shutup and read my book, go through a box or two of kleenex.

I'm actually grateful I caught this cold because I found out what is wrong with my dog. It's called reverse sneezing. I was looking for a good sneezing picture and came across "my dog sneezes alot". Wow so does my dog! Ane he does this funny hacking thing that can go on for a while. Well that is reverse sneezing. I freaked out the first few times but now I know just to calm him down and rub his chest. i'm trying some new natural drops to see if that helps them go away. According to the article it is not life threatening but every time he does it I think "how do you give mouth to mouth to a dog????"Of course I asked the vet about it and he didn't know what it was. I didn't think the vet was very good now I know for sure he's not. That will be my test for a decent vet.

I haven't been able to make a bead with my sun painting yet. I'm so anxious but I don't want to screw it up! So I'll wait until I can feel comfortable at the torch. If I can't go to work I can't make beads - or is that my Catholic guilt talking? I've got more ideas running through my head. I thought maybe I'd do some line work getting ready to paint. But if I can't go to work I can't work on beads! Guilt - guilt- guilt.

I keep thinking I am a whoss (spelling?) for staying home but my mind is befuddled truly, I won't get brownie points for being in while sick, anything I do I probably will have to redo, I don't have a pressing deadline that I know of, of course my emails are over their limit so I can't send emails (don't get me started on that one, so annoying!), and lastly I think I could give this to 4 or 5 people just by looking at them. So guilt or no guilt I'll opt to stay home. Maybe I'll go in over the weekend. Guilt - guilt - guilt.

Easter - a little late

Last Sunday was Easter and I have finally gotten around to uploading the pictures. Thought I'd share a few. Here's Zoe watering the flowers at my mother's house. It was a picture perfect day, maybe even a little too warm - can that be?

And on the right is cutie-pie Quinn. Such an adorable baby. Her daddy just plopped her on the floor in the living room and she just enjoyed watching everybody.

Zoe is almost 3 and she went on an Easter Egg hunt. She loved it! With a little help from Grammy she found all of her eggs.

I spent the day with the family, no bead making. Totally a glorious day. Today I am off to see Quinn and Zoe. Zoe and I are going to decorate a cake. Her birthday is coming up and the celebrating has started! I asked her when her birthday was and she said, "April third". I asked her how old she would be and after thinking about it for a minute she said, "Third."

On the bead side I'm working on some painted beads. It's very addicting and very fun. I've made a couple - still testing. I'm trying to get some ready to make finished beads tomorrow. I think the flat piece might be too big so we'll see what happens. Stay tuned for more!

Happy Leap Day!

Todayonly happens every 4 years so we should take advantage of this opportunity for 1 more day. Hope everyone Leaps into the day with enthusiasm. Actually I am feeling kind of tired, can't wait for the weekend, so glad it is Friday. Then I read a blog about it being Leap day, take advantage of it. Oh yeah, it gave me a whole new perspective on the day. Tradition is that it is the day the woman can ask the man to marry her, date her, love her - whatever. But why not think of it as a gift - another day other than the 365 we always get to live, love, learn and just BE. I hope that sparks some ethusiasm into the day for others as it did for me.

Now I need to do something special to mark this special day. Don't know what that is yet. I'll let you know what came up in a future blog. Maybe a new bead idea??? My beadmaking has slowed down since I've gotten back from Tucson. My parents have not been in the best of health and I've had to step in and pay more attention. My daughter and I have gone over there a few times to make sure they have lunch, easy food to prepare in the refrigerator and check on them. This is another reason why I feel extra keen about living another extra day. My parents are in their mid-80's and I feel so lucky to still have them in my life. They've seen their granddaughter happily married, they have great grandchildren now who love them to pieces. How great is that? Ok I'm getting a little sappy here - yes I need a new bead - a new LEAP on life!

Have a great day everyone!

MORE ON BLOGGING

I have not blogged in quite awhile and I really want to post more blogs more often. Alot has happened since New Year. My daughter had a birthday - normally I'm out of town on her birthday but this year I was home and got to join the celebration. We all met at a Benihana for dinner. My 2 small grandchildren were there as well. What a wonderful time. Zoe loved watching the chef with the knives flying. She was fascinated and he played to the children which was great. It was fun to watch her tackle chopsticks as well. She actually got rice into her mouth. Technique needs a little work but I can't do much better!

I feel like I just got back from Tucson but that was 2 weeks ago! I got home and was sick with the flu. I stayed home from work for 4 days flat in bed with fever, chills, body aches etc. Went back to work last week but had a tough time getting through the week. I'm glad it is over. Feel much better now. I spent a very lazy day yesterday and the best part was that I could spend a day that way. We always have so many things to do, errands to handle, house to clean, beads to make, photos to take. Oh yes and taxes to do. But I knew I needed rest so I did. What a treat. Don't know what is in store for me today but I do know I will take it easy and not push to hard. That flu is a tough one and I don't want it back.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral show was slow this year. I did ok in the end but I've done better. I had lots of beads this year and felt prepared but now I wonder if I had too much out. I need to try to find a happy medium. The shoppers were not as many as I've seen in the past and even the hotels were feeling it. Our show was over on Sunday and we went shopping on Monday. The holidome was definitely not as crazy busy as I have seen it in the past and the sad part. The deals were not there! Why go and do your yearly shopping if you could get the same deals at a Gem and Mineral show??? Anyway I did have a good time. I learned how to needle felt which is something I want to do a little bit of and met a sock knitter with a new way of knitting socks which I must try.

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!