A cabin in the north woods

We just learned that we have a cabin reserved again this year for a week starting the 3rd of July. We stayed in the same cabin last year; Otter Cabin on First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, New Hampshire. The cabin is just feet from the lake, with a view that is beautiful and serene and interesting. We love going to the cabin. The downside is that I am allergic to the antihistimine in bug bites, so I have to be careful to wear bug repellent, and sometimes I am forced to go inside with the bugs start biting. It is usually nothing other than mosquitos and the occasional black fly, but I am bothered more than I want to be. However, the solitude and complete rest are good for us, and I am willing to put up with a few bites to experience such bliss in the woods.

Cabin, here we come!

The view of the sky from where I'm sitting -- BLUE!

Spending time outside

We New Englanders have been holed up waiting for the weather to change. Not only today, but all next week is supposed to be sunny. We will take the 50 degree weather because it isn't snowing, raining or sending icy pellets at us.

Now we have to remember what it is that you do outside!

I loved making this woven bracelet

Beading fun

On Friday night I took a class to learn how to make this Ojo de Dios bracelet in Salem, NH. It was a wonderful class and only two of us there. The teacher was fantastic and fun to meet and I really had a great time. I couldn't wait until Saturday morning to get started on another piece of it, and get used to the pattern. Several beading hours later, on Sunday morning, I finished it. The beads I choose are nice, but I can improve on them. It is a really fun bracelet to make!

Have a great day doing what you love to do.

Twittering about beads

I'm busy Twittering about my jewelry; it's fun to be a twitterbeader, and I have lots of new friends and a place to display, talk about, and sell. Just say yes to Twittering!

New stuff

I'm having a burst of creativity. Maybe the dark days of winter have inspired me to sit under my three Ott lights and work on jewelry. In the last four days I have made both of these bracelets: my first Chain Maille bracelet, and a crocheted bracelet using Hill Tribe Silver rose clasp.

I really like both techniques!

Time to choose the classes

My friend and I are going to Milwaukee in June to the Bead and Button Show, the largest consumer bead show on the planet. This will be the fourth year for me, and I'm really excited. She and I will choose different classes and then teach each other later what we have learned. I'm planning to take this class in Ginko peyote stitch from Diane Fitzgerald. Is this beautiful or what?

Selling mom's house

Today we sold my mothers home. This was "home" to me, and the house where I was born. My mom and dad bought the house in l944 and lived happily there through World War II, and the birth of two more children, me and my little brother, Bernie Frank. My older brother, Gerald, was 4 when mom and dad bought that house. It has always been home to us.

My mother always loved the house and she took very good care of it. Even in her 90's she had people coming over to fix things, paint things, mow the lawn, landscape the back yard and repair storm and hail damage. She had a lovely home and she got out of two stints in the nursing home and was able to go back to home. Living in that house kept my mother happy until her very last day. It is a blessing to be able to live to 99 in your own beloved and beautiful home.

Today the lawyer attended the close for my brother and I, and the house now belongs to someone else. I am sad, and yet I am happy. I can't take care of a vacant house that is thousands of miles away, in a climate that is stormy and changeable. I feared every ice storm and tornado that came our way. It wasn't a home without mom there.

God bless my mom, and her lovely home, and may someone enjoy it as much as she did for the last 65 years!

Things are going well with my after hours jewelry business. The other day I said that there are four words to describe my jewelry endeavors: My Cup Runneth Over. It is truly wonderful to be able to make jewelry that other people love to wear as much as I love making it. I never dreamed that I would have so many customers.

Days turn to weeks, turn to months, and time starts to rush by. It is incredible to me that Christmas is almost here. This year our plan is to keep it simple. We are going to put up our beautiful tree and buy a few gifts for close family, and the rest of the holiday I plan to spend time enjoying each day and not obsessing about what I didn't get done.

Have a great day.