week19

Spring is definitely here… but the winds and subsequent chill this past week have reminded me that it’s still all a process… and that nature definitely does what she wants. My little garden balcony is doing well… and we even had a salad this week that included some HUGE leaves from our little raised bed.

I still have a couple jewelry projects to catch up on…. and am planning out the Trunk Show for this month. I might end up doing things a little differently this month, because our Anniversary lands by the weekend I usually have my Trunk Shows on, and we will be celebrating.

Not much else going on… lots of cooking, relaxing… reading, and watching some cool things on tv. I find I am really enjoying the balcony space… and have been concentrating on destressing. And overall, I think that is a good thing.

Below, are random photos from this past week… and the collage at the bottom showcases my daily photos/ 365 project.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

week18

It’s been a more relaxing week, this week. I think my sleep my be somewhat, getting back to a more ‘normal’ routine. And I am grateful.

This week, I think I was concentrating more on the ‘creature comforts’ … cooking, keeping up with the daily chores, and this weekend I did lots of work on our little balcony. I swept and cleaned most everything…. freshened up all the plants, and planted some new ones as well. I also completely re-did the hanging window/rail type flower box. If you are friends of mine on Facebook, you can see a video of it that I made when it was all done.

I also focused *pun intended* on going thru my camera equipment, as my camera was not working very well, and I was concerned that I might need to get a new camera… soon. I ended up cleaning everything and checking it thoroughly… and in the process, also decided to sell a couple lenses that I never use ( I’ve decided to sell a big zoom, and a portrait lens that I never use). As it turns out…. my camera is fine. For those who are curious, I have a SONY a6000 with a standard lens that I use every single day. Then, I have a short macro lens for close-ups, and a fisheye lens just for fun. I’ve had the SONY and this equipment since 2015. While I would certainly enjoy getting a new camera, it’s not necessary at this time. As I take photos every single day - and hope to travel a little once the situation with CoVid settles a little more… it was a huge consideration though. Anyway, here are my photos for this week’s 365 project.

And… I have been trying to finish up some jewelry projects for friends. In the photo below: Top Row: A bird’s nest necklace and coordinating earrings for a friend… made with monthly birthstone beads as the beads representing the eggs. I also made a friend some Amethyst and Moonstone earrings for her birthday (far right). The first pair of earrings in that row are some Amazonite carved flower, Apatite stone and pearl earrings that I will be listing in the Etsy shop soon. Bottom Row: Antique purple glass & sterling silver earrings (and a matching necklace not pictured) … for a friend who gave me a stash of antique beads salvaged from old jewelry. A necklace made with antique German gold chain and guitar strings — these for a friend to gift to one of her friends… in honor the woman’s husband who had passed (the pendant is made from strings from his guitar). And lastly, some simple faceted Moonstone stack, sterling silver earrings for a friend who needs some cheering. I still have a couple more projects for friends to complete…. but I am making headway. … and that is always good.

week17

It has been a very busy week…. mostly … getting ready for the TRUNK SHOW for April on Sunday. I ended up having 3 amazing necklace and earring sets, one bracelet and earring set, and a whole lot of earrings. For this month, I had decided to feature TENSHA beads, thinking the floral patterns really spoke to SPRING, and Mother’s Day coming up. An additional struggle was to get the pricing in a way that compensated for the supplies, while still trying to keep within my own parameters of keeping the price at a minimum, and still make a slight profit. It’s harder than you would think.

So the week pretty much revolved around getting things finished and photographed…. along with daily chores.. and taking photos every day. On Friday, Jim was able to get his 2nd vaccination shot, and spent the weekend resting and recuperating. He was very tired, sore, and had a fever that broke the first night… but overall, did remarkably well.

I’ve been cooking more these past few months, but this weekend, decided to order food delivered. We had PeriPeri Chicken one night, and Noodles and Company the other… and it was delish.

And it was my birthday week…. and Earth Day. So there were tons of well wishes via Facebook, and much love expressed from friends and family. Generally speaking, I really dislike my birthday… as I tend to go thru this whole ‘what have I accomplished’ scenario…. but tried really hard to not do that this year. Also, not as easy as one would think. But hey… Jim got me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers; which always helps. It’s been simply stunning outside… everything is blooming like crazy. It’s almost been an explosion of color, scent and sound out there. Truly wondrous.

In the photo collages below, you can see some of the jewelry I made, and the photos I took this week as part of my daily 365 project.

week16

It’s been a full week… lots of cooking has been done (among the selections made, an incredible lemon & herb chicken stew, and today I made this roasted chicken & farfalle pasta dish (below) with a sauce made of cream cheese, cream, butter, cumin, curry, coriander, turmeric, and salt and pepper.

I’ve been able to keep up with my daily chores… cleaning, laundry, etc. But not much else has been happening that I would consider being ‘productive’. But I’ve also watched the plants on the balcony growing like crazy, read some good words, watched some good things on TV, and gotten … more than my usual… amount of rest. This weekend was horrible, in that I had a ton of pain. And while it took me to some really dark thoughts and feelings… today things are a bit better.

I am very concerned about the Derek Chauvin trial results…. and (in general)… how awful things are here in the US. … and the world at large… but worse (or so it seems) here. We (collective we), need to grow, progress, change, reform, or burn down… the rampant inequality, violence, hatred, ignorance of, persecution, and out and out killing of so many… particularly POC, women, those in the LGBTQ community, the poor, those with addictions…. to name a few. There is so.very. much that needs to change if this world is going to survive. Or maybe it does need to burn to the ground. Who knows. I sure don’t. There are days I have hope for the human race, and those I do not. Hopefully wise heads will prevail…. and surely…. with help from those we call blessed… wise ones… creator… and more.

week15

… and like a miracle, I got notice that I could schedule my vaccination for Covid-19, and as of Sunday, I have received it. I was able to get the J&J shot, which means that I am ‘one and done.’ So far, the only post-shot problem I’ve had, is a profound headache… which honestly, could be because of a storm front moving in.

It’s been a good week…. although I can’t exactly tell you what I’ve done beyond the ‘normal’ daily chores, making of meals, and taking photos. Which is fine. I am ‘behind’ on a couple projects, but haven’t made any progress on them as of yet. But… I did finish a couple books, and add them to my ‘books I’ve read’ list for this year.

The photos for today’s post include the photo for today (top photo), photos from my vaccination appointment (below), and photos from my daily photo project of taking a photo every day (bottom photo collage).

week14

I wish I could tell you what all happened this week….. but damned if I know.

The apartment has been supremely restful this week…. and I think, in hindsight, that I should have gotten a TON of things done… but alas. All I can say is that I watched TV, I read books…. I sat on my tiny balcony and watched things grow. I ate good food, that I enjoyed making.

Our son has been away this week, on a sort of vacation…. and it’s been odd having an ‘empty nest’ … but also…. wonderful. Obviously, I love our kids…. but I also have greatly basked in the comfort of it just being Jim and I here.

And… as of Friday, Jim received his first Covid shot. I have despaired, as it seems that almost everyone I know online has gotten their first shot, and most have even gotten both of them…. and here I am on the waiting list from hell. I can only surmise that the Alexandria area hasn’t gotten enough vaccines to meet the demand, and that things are bogged down. I am impatient. But I will survive. At this point, a few more weeks, won’t kill me. I have been home (essentially) since March 1st last year…. having gone out only to the dentist, the grocery, the post office…. and a couple times to Barnes and Noble. I do not ‘live in fear’… but I’m not going to tempt the gods either… especially with my lack of immune system.

Time moves on… and things are sprouting forth like crazy. It seems as if trees, bushes, and all plant life have suddenly burst open and exploded with life. Photos in the collage below are from my ongoing photo a day project…. from this past week.

Hope you all enjoy the remainder of your weekend… and Happy Easter!

week13

so it’s been a week since I wrote last… and 13 weeks into the year.

Since last week… the weather has been nuts. Rainy….. then a few solid days of GORGEOUS weather… everything is bursting forth and blooming!!!… and then… more rain… wind…. chill…. which made me glad I didn’t put all the ‘inside’ plants on the balcony… and then today… warmer and blue skies. So … we’ll see. All said though… spring is seriously here, and even though we’ve had a couple days that really said, “hello, it’s still MARCH’…. everything is blooming and sprouting. There is a magnolia tree just outside our building that literally didn’t even have buds 5 days ago… and it’s already got buds and blooms coming. It’s amazing how quickly things grow.

What else? Last weekend was the trunk show. I worked on a couple little things since then, but mostly I got things a little more organized, mailed everything that sold out.. and am working on getting the remaining items listed in the Etsy shop. I also mailed a few things to friends as gifts… something I’ve been trying to do after each month’s show.

I ordered ‘the best’ burgers I’ve had in a long while, last Monday. Through the course of the week… I made spaghetti, a huge pot of chili with cast iron skillet made cornbread., and some incredible spicy pork burritos…. yum.

I repotted a couple plants. It’s been 2 weeks since I planted fresh seed in the herb raised bed/ box on the balcony…. and almost everything is sprouting (all but the basil). I also have fern fronds!!!! coming in a potted fern from last year that I wasn’t convinced would come back… and the hens and chicks from our old house in PA from a couple years ago… are growing like crazy.

Jim and I went to the grocery store… and we went on a ‘date’ to Barnes & Noble. That… was awesome. Our son, who has been living with us for a couple years, is on a sort of vacation…. and while we (obviously) love him… it’s been nice to have the apartment all to ourselves. On a certain level, I feel like I should be dancing around in my underwear and playing music way to loud. LOL. And on that note… see you next week.

(below are photos from this week’s daily snapshots)

week12

This has been a busy week… trying to get everything done and ready for the trunk show that I had this weekend. But I got everything done in time. I am proud of the items I made for this show. I made 10 pair of Easter/ Spring themed earrings… with bunny charms & beads, as well as some vintage flower pressed glass beads. Then I made 13 Bird’s Nest pendants with silver plated bird charms dangling from them, and placed them on soft, flexible, Italian leather cording. The design for these pendants is a common one, but I had never tried any wire wrapping like this before…. so that was exciting and a bit challenging. Then, I made 13 pair of earrings with the same crackle glass beads I had used as the ‘eggs’ in the nest pendants. Overall, sales weren’t as good as last month, but the process of the whole thing is getting easier as I figure out new/ better ways to do things. I also made a couple pair of earrings for friends, and got them mailed out.

Sleep has still been problematic…. and my back has been absolutely horrible this week…. but I am still pushing through, and keeping up with the daily stuff and weekly chores. And… I’ve been trying to cook some different dishes… including bangers and mash for St. Patrick’s Day, along with roasted Brussel sprouts topped with toasted almonds.

Other than that, about the only thing ‘noteworthy’ is that I’ve ordered a whole bunch of really special beads for some future shows…. and they are starting to come in the mail. Some gorgeous TENSHO beads from Japan, and lots and lots of stunning sea glass and frosted recycled glass beads.

Below are pictures from my 365: photo a day challenge, and some photos from the trunk show.

week11

Spring is definitely trying to make it’s annual debut… and is making her best dress for the party.

Yesterday, Jim and I were able to go ‘out an about.’ This included a short trip to the post office. The nearest one to us is in a super cute, sort of residential area... but has a couple restaurants and shops within walking distance. One of which, happens to be a great little taco place with (limited.. and socially distanced) outdoor seating. It was awesome! We also went to a favorite local grocery store before coming home and got some fantastic fruit and fresh bread.

While my sleep schedule (can I even call it that??)… is still horribly dysfunctional, in general, I feel a bit more rested. I think it is because it is gradually getting a bit warmer out, and I’ve been making sure to keep the windows and sliding doors open as much as I am able.

This week, I cleaned up the balcony area. Swept the floor… cleaned up some pots and added fresh soil. Put coconut fiber liner in the window box along with fresh soil and some (older) seeds which may or may not sprout. I also zhuzhed up the raised planter box and added some herb seeds, and gave everything a good, long, drink. When the weather is consistently warmer, I will move all the plants that are currently inside, to some shelves I have on the balcony outside. The gardenia is looking amazing. It’s also wondrous that some of the plants are already showing signs of greenery…. chives, marjoram, mint, lettuce… all have leaves bursting forth.

Last weekend, I had picked up a small pot of succulents at Trader Joe’s … and it was overly full. So this week I re-planted them … the largest in it’s original pot by itself, and the other 3 plants in a new, shallow ceramic planter. They look fantastic. I had also picked up some tulips… and to my surprise, they have done really well… and still look wonderful. Photos of these are included in my collage of this week’s photos for the day/ 365 project. (see below). I’ve also been working on making items for the March TRUNK SHOW, which I hope to have this coming weekend. And, of course, managed to keep up with the daily laundry, dishes, cooking, etc…. I’ve also been working at clearing out clothing I can no longer wear (yes, I’ve gained weight), papers that are no longer needed, files on the computer that I no longer want/ need… you get the idea. It’s always an on-going process for me to be clearing out… and a refinement of what we are potentially bringing in. Necessary things in a smaller living space…. but probably a good idea no matter where you live.

And… not the least of ‘newsworthy’ things to chat about…. when we were out yesterday, I noticed that some of the redbud trees are blooming!!! (see the last photo)…. and all is good.

week10

This has been a rough week. Odd, anxious, sleepless. So much so… that I am actually writing this several days late, and will backtrack it so it shows up on the appropriate date.

This week was weird. It was a series of those timeless days where you feel like you are walking through deep water, just to get anything done. And I did get things done. Surprisingly, looking back, I actually got several things accomplished… daily chores, daily postings, daily photos… and I made a couple nice little pieces of jewelry… and thought about items for the March Trunk Show coming up. But mostly, I watched old design shows on TV, watched jewelry making videos on YouTube, and watched the weather as it played out just outside my living room sliding doors. It’s had to believe a full year has passed since I went into self isolation due to covid-19. A year ago March 1st. And I’ve mostly, 95% of the time, been right here in our apartment. I’ve gone to the dentist, gone to the grocery store and post office on occasion… but really, I’ve been here. I am not a hermit by nature, at least not in the past… but there is peace, often, to be found in the solitude… and I don’t mind it.

I do look forward to being able to have coffee and food in cafe’s and restaurants, seeing live music… traveling. But.. like so many things, you don’t realize what you can survive, until .,, you do.

Below are photos I took this week… and some jewelry items I made this week.

week9

today's photo was taken in that dusky twilight between nighttime and daytime... where I seem to be living.

—it’s been an odd week… what with my sleep being so strange (again). Seems like this is an ongoing battle I may never be free from. But. I did get the items still available from February’s Trunk Show listed into my Etsy shop. I did my ‘usual’ weekly/daily chores of cleaning, watering plants, taking care of the everyday stuff…. I’ve also managed to read a couple books on my new e-reader! Which is awesome… and I am very grateful to be able to read more easily again. The weather this week has been chilly…. intermittently icy…. and now we are entering a more windy phase….true to March. I haven’t been ‘out and about’ at all… save for running out to get some fresh air on my little balcony, or stealing a photo of something for my daily photo project. I had hoped to get anywhere….. somewhere … this weekend, but it was raining most of the weekend, and I opted to stay at home. And my laptop is truly dying. This week, one by one, the keys on the keyboard gave up the ghost…. to the point where I had to give in and Jim was kind and ordered me a new laptop. It won’t be here til March 31st (eeps)… so in the meantime, I’ve gotten a wireless keyboard to ‘hook up’ to my old laptop, and am using this as a fix until the new laptop arrives. And, I am concentrating on removing files from my laptop onto a passport, along with tons of photos. It’s actually probably a good thing.

Here are some photos from this week from my daily project….

and below… are all the photos from February.

week8

It’s been a week since I last wrote, and I am running a day (or two) late…

I had the trunk show last weekend… and it went well. I ended up selling about half of what I had listed. It started off a little rough…. I had trouble taking photos, and editing…. seemed like everything was conspiring to trip me up. Stuff happens… and it was a bit chaotic… but I got it done. I also made a bunch of new items, after some of the pieces I had shared a little early as ‘teaser’ photos… sold immediately. So Cool!

I did my usual ‘chores’ for the week… but I was mainly concentrating on stuff for the trunk show. … and I also took my photos for the day. I’ve been enjoying my new e-reader, and actually finished reading a couple books already! Which is amazing…. as I haven’t been able to read anything for any length of time in quite awhile.

Sunday, Jim and I went to Barnes and Noble for a cuppa and some ‘quality book time’. It was the first we’ve been out an about in over a month. And yesterday, I made a huge pot of soup. I made cream of root vegetables soup. Actually, I don't know if there is such a beast... but I remember (fondly) cream of potato soup from when I was a kid... so I made it after that. I did look in my mom's old Betty Crocker book... and it seems like 'back then' (she bought this copy in 1949, I think)....there were entries for creamed soups; but they were all individual. Like, Cream of Potato. Cream of Celery. Cream of mushroom.... but not cream of... ALL the root veggies together. So, I winged it. It turned out pretty good, but then I love a bowl of soup.

So. This week was a mish-mash of ice and snow… melting and slushing. It was also a week where I didn’t get much sleep…. and that continued today. I don’t remember the last time I had a good dream, or slept more than a 4 or 5 hours in a stretch. So today, I opted to stay in bed and read for a bit… and napped. Not sure if it was the right choice, but it was a choice :)

week7

It’s been an odd week for me. I’ve gotten some stuff done…. I caught up on all the mending that needed done, and ordered myself a ‘fancy’ sewing basket to keep my supplies in. Since moving to PA, and then to here, I’ve tried to get rid of lots of stuff. Right now, I still have 6 large tubs of fabric, but just one little tub of threads, needles and such… and a sewing machine I am ‘fearful’ of using. That’s a long story. But suffice it to say that I am infinitely more comfortable hand sewing, than sewing on a machine. Anyway, I had only a few things for sewing, and so I figured they might fit nicely into a sewing basket, and so I ordered one.

I made a huge pot of minestrone soup… I love making soups, but had never before made a minestrone. Veggie based, certainly, but not minestrone. So, after getting an idea of frequently used ingredients out of some old cookbooks… I sallied forth. I used stewed tomatoes, fresh carrots/ spinach, yellow squash/ zucchini squash/ mushrooms/ onions/ celery/ sweet peppers, some veggie broth, olive oil, orecchiette pasta, cannellini beans, and lots of spices. It was awesome! and went fairly quickly. I also made a batch of burritos that seemingly disappeared overnight. And I made a ham dinner, with roasted Brussel sprouts and mac N’ cheese on the side. I have found that if I make 3 or so larger dished meals…. it seems to last us for the week.

I also did my (usual) cleaning and daily chores (no exciting)… but am glad I was able to do them, as my arthritis and back have been really bad this week. I am assuming it’s because of all the icy/ rainy/ colder weather. And as such, I’ve leaned towards ‘snuggling in’ more and watching tv. Because I have been having trouble reading… another long story…. Jim was super awesome, and got me an e-reader for a gift. I still don’t know what I am doing with it… but last night I was able to (finally) actually !! read!!! a short story on the e-reader. I had to adjust the brightness, and enlarge the print…. but I was able to do it, and read in bed comfortably. Something I have been longing to do for quite awhile.

I also made some jewelry for my upcoming TRUNK SHOW for February… but sold a bunch of the earrings when I share a ‘sneak peek” photo of them online. So far, I have a bunch of gemstone and leather (simple) cord necklaces, and I had 6 pair of owl themed earrings… but most of them already sold. … I’ve got to make something else for the show!

and of course… I’ve continued doing my daily photos (see the collage of photos from this week below).

week6

This week seems to be a series of little accomplishments, and little snatches of sleep. It’s hard to get things done when you are exhausted… but sometimes, it is what it is. And so… I’ve worked on ‘smaller’ projects. I typed up all the known addresses of friends and family, and updated my address book. It is the same book I’ve had for over 30yrs, and there were more scribbled out entries than valid ones. It’s a bit of a hodge-podge in there now, with taped addressed over old entries… but it works… and it’s cool in it’s own way.

I did some ‘deep cleaning’ of the vent entries of our heating/ cooling, the stove top, and I’ve tried to clean up my studio area better. I had intended to do some mending….but I didn’t get to it. I did get to some good cooking though. I made a huge beef pot roast with potatoes and all kinds of veggies. I made a lemon/ herb salmon with rice and fresh asparagus. And I made a whole stack of chicken/bean/ cheese and potato burritos.

And of course, I took photos for my ‘snapshot of the day’… a daily 365 project I’ve been doing since 2010. I also took new photos of the envelope and card sets in my Etsy shop. Something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. It is a very time consuming thing, setting up the shots, taking the photos, editing the photos, and then making (or in this case) updating the listings. … but I think it’s worth it. (the jewelry in this photo collage are items I made for a friend for her birthday… and am able to share now that she received them).

Last weekend, we had snow… then it progressed to freezing rain. Over the course of the week, the ice and snow slowly melted. Today it is clear of snow, but it’s been raining since early this am, and snow is predicted. We’ll see. Through it all though… I am happy to see that my huge gardenia plant on my balcony, seems to be doing ok. We even still have some mint growing in a pot (course, mint is pretty hard to kill).

Hope your week is going well….. see you next week!

week5

Well, it’s the last day of January… hard to believe.

And we have snow! I woke up to snow all over this morning.. and it is gorgeous. I don’t recall having any real snow last winter here… but I will have to look through my photos and see.

It’s been an odd week. Not sure where it’s all gone. I’ve still had a bad headache for most all of this week… and after waking up to snow !!! this am, it probably has to do with the weather changes. This week, I have been concentrating on getting things ready for a trunk show that I had planned on having last weekend… but had this weekend instead. So far, it’s going well, and about half of it has been claimed. I ended up making 3 artisan glass necklaces with some gorgeous glass pendants and leather cording, 5 Chakra themed bracelets, 5 Chakra themed necklaces, and 5 bracelets on a Solar System theme… oh… and 20 pair of earrings. (see photo below).

what else? I made a HUGE dutch oven full of veggie lasagna. I haven’t made a lasagna in years… and it was good. BIG….but good. Other than that, it was just the usual… dishes, laundry… whacky sleep schedule…missing having a pup. It’s been 3 months since Bugsy passed, and a year since ZeeZe passed. I am lost without a pup in the house. But until our current living situation changes, I feel like it wouldn’t be appropriate… it’s heartbreaking. But we all carry on .. don’t we.

Here is a collage of the photos I took this week as part of my daily photo project.

…below is a collection of all the ‘snapshot for the day’ photos that I’ve taken for January.

week4

It’s been a momentous week.. what with the inauguration and all the fall-out from the past several years. I have the feeling there will be a ton of information coming to the surface over the next few weeks… may we all be ready to receive the truths we all need to hear. Along with all the relief of this change in our national administration, I think I have slept better…. but I also managed to get a migraine on Wednesday, that still hasn’t abated.

So. (in other news). I've done vision boards for years and years, and generally make a new one every year. That said. When I was in PA.... somehow I only did one board over the course of 6yrs. And since moving here, haven't done one at all. (and it shows). So the other night.... knee-deep in a migraine... I started one. I will be adding to it as I find more things to collage onto it... but it's a start. (it is one of the daily snapshots in the photo at the bottom of this post)

I had intended to have a jewelry trunk show this weekend…. but with my migraine and weird sleeping issues…. it is not going to happen. And that is ok. I think it will (hopefully) give me some extra time to make a few more items to offer to folks. One of the things I was able to get done, was to work on some ‘older’ projects. Usually, I tend to make one of a kind pieces, occasionally, I will make something similar to another piece if someone is interested. But I have purchased supplies over the past several years to make some ‘multiples’ of items. I made 5 bracelets with matte finish beads on a Chakra theme. And then 5 bar necklaces with those same beads, and stainless steel findings. I also made 5 bracelets on a Solar System theme.. including all the planets, and Saturn’s ring (which is sterling silver)… and PLUTO! I couldn’t leave out Pluto. All the beads are gemstones in a matte finish. I’m also working on glass earrings on a theme for Valentine’s Day.

I also am now able to share photos of some jewelry pieces I did for a friend, to gift to people at Christmas. A 14kGP cross with CZ stones, and complimentary earrings. A bar necklace with carved branch coral, and 18kGP chain. And an Amethyst themed choker style necklace with sterling silver handmade beads and clasp. For another friend, I did the sterling silver earrings with yellow Sapphires! These are hand cut stone beads from India, and the color is so rich. And… another pair of earrings featuring grey, rainbow, and peach moonstone beads and sterling silver. This pair will probably go in my Etsy shop this week.

And of course, I’m still taking daily photos for my ongoing 365 photo project (ongoing since 2010. Here are some of the photos from this week’s ‘snapshot for the day’….

week3

… what a crazy week it’s been. So much awfulness in the news…. and some really awesome things as well.

My response to all this stress, honestly, has probably not been a good one… but what I ended up doing was to essentially step almost completely away from the news and anything online. My sleep is still disrupted, and seems to predominantly happening in the late morning/ afternoon/ early evening hours. At this point in my life, I am not convinced my sleep schedule will ever be ‘normal’…. but hopefully, I will get to the point where it’s a little more regular and restful. In the meantime…. I have watched lots of crime shows (lots of ID channel).... lots of decorating shows (lots of Flipping Across America on HGTV)… and I even found some old episodes of The Partridge Family. whoa.

Tonight, the hubby was awesome and took me for a ride in the car. The clouds were amazing. We ended up on a mini-date-night at Barnes and Nobles, getting something to eat in the café, and browsing lots of great books. The getting of the groceries will have to wait for another night.

This weekend, I finally felt a little better (my back has been really bad this week)… and I was able to complete some ‘old’ projects on my ‘to-do’ list of jewelry things to make. I finished 5 necklaces and 5 bracelets… all on a Chakra stone theme… with stainless steel chain and findings, and matte finish beads. This is a project that I thought of and got the supplies for about a year ago… and just never got around to. I am hoping to have a jewelry “Trunk Show” later on this week. .. and these pieces will be part of it.

And finally, here is my collage of photos from my ‘snapshot for the day’ shots from this past week.

week2

…well, we’ve survived the 2nd week of this year… and between all the tragedies with the ongoing Covid pandemic issues…. and now the violent insurrection by Trump supporters at the Capitol (and all the fall-out from that event with all the lies and deception posted by the Trump team and their supporters)…. it’s been a week.

Looking back, about a year ago, at this time, Jim and I were in Baltimore at the National Aquarium there…. hence the photo featured at the top of this post, that I edited today. It was so peaceful…. and seems almost a world of time… and place… away.

Over (on average) 4.000 deaths per day are due to Covid-19. LINK And with the ineptitude and lack of planning with the current Trump administration, relief is slow at best. I’m not saying it will be smooth sailing with the new Biden administration coming… but it sure can’t get a whole lot worse than what we are dealing with now.

And we are all overwhelmed. Emotionally, spiritually, physically…. it’s been a very long haul. Not just with Covid, but with so many things. We need, as a race… as humans…. to do SO very much better. I hope we can do it.

On a personal note… we have extended family dealing with Covid. We have family that has suffered from loss of work, isolation, lack of resources, poverty and more. Jim and I are doing fine. Short of the fact that we have essentially not gone anywhere but stayed around our apartment, work office, doctor offices, grocery store and post office…. for us, things have been fairly stable and quiet. I have done way much more cooking (as opposed to ordering take-out). I have spent an inordinate amount of time learning and working on trying to understand (true) history, politics, sociology…. how things work, etc. What I haven’t done much of… is make art. I think I have been too upset…. mentally worn out…. to do anything creative. Basically, closer to survival mode… than I care to admit. One of the ‘side effects’ of enduring all this chaos, is that it has severely triggered anxiety issues, sleep issues, PTSD issues…. which in turn, obviously effects the physical as well. With time …. and with much hope; I am working on changing what I can so that I can (hopefully) get to a point where I have enough to spare to be creative. I think this is true for so many people…. and in particular, lots of creative folk that I know and communicate with online.

I do believe it will get better. I also believe that it will also be a TON of work. Both on a personal level… and as the human race overall. But, I think it starts with being real. Admitting the truth of what is going on, and what has transpired in the past. Being repentant if we have messed up. Being willing to change… and rectify our errors. There must also be justice. There must also be restitution. We have to call each other out. There must be accountability. I think we can only begin to grow, when we admit our faults and try to repair the damage. And then… learning to trust again. Learning to reach out to others again in ways that are devoid of ego. To do things for the better good for ALL of us. Using our time, our energy, and our words intentionally. Just my thoughts…. and what I personally am striving for, and hoping others will be encouraged to do the same.

*don’t fret. The ‘tone’ of this post is probably more forceful than others. I am sure at some point I will feel more like posting all about ‘unicorns and butterflies’…. but not today.

—photos below are from my ‘snapshot for the day’… and ongoing 365 project that I have done since 2010. These are all pics from this week.

week1

Welcome 2021~

It’s the first week of the new year… and I am grateful. Grateful that last year is over, grateful for the incoming new administration, thankful for a couple really good night’s worth of sleep.

We had a quiet holiday week… talking with family on the phone and on the computer.; watching movies, reading books… and drinking copious amounts of tea. And .. ok. Mochi. Mochi is good.

I’d like to say that this blog will be full of jewelry, books, plants, music, art… and photography this coming year… but who knows what will happen, and what direction things will go. But … I think it will most likely include all those things, because I can’t imagine life without art, books, photography…. good food.. and hopefully, a new pup in the house… for the coming year.

I will continue my 365 photo-a-day project; which I have done (who knew?!) since 2010. And I will (most likely) continue posting on my blog once a week; like I did last year. I’ve had the blog since 2008, and while I mostly did daily posts for a whole decade… I’ve cut back in recent years.

And I’ve got some major goals for the year; not the least of which is scanning a literal TON of photos (family photos on both sides, and my own extensive photo ‘library’) into digital files. I hope to clear them all out... along with several tubs of memorabilia. I also have quite a ‘collection’ of fabric that I hope to use into some simple fashions for me, linens for the bed, and some quilts. And finally, I hope to be able to travel a little….. hopefully with a pup, the hubby, and camera in tow.

But for now… it’s enough that we’ve conquered the hurdle that is 2020.

Cheers.

(photos below are from my ‘snapshot of the day/ 365 project for the past week)