Fairydust on Thursday

Here are the first two pieces of metal clay that I have done so far. They still need a little work. The bottom picture is the metal clay unfired, but dried. The middle one is after firing, and not tumbled. The upper one is polished by tumbling. I am going to oxidize them and then hand polish. But here they are!!!

THIS IS MY FAIRY NAME!!!!

Your fairy is called "Bracken Willowtree" She is a caster of weird dreams. She lives where bracken and curling ferns grow. She is only seen when the first leaves fall from the trees. She dresses in leafy bracken-green. She has delicate green coloured wings like a cicada http://www.emmadavies.net/fairy/Get your free fairy name here How strange is that? That is exactly where I live and when the leaves out, no one can see into here my home. Oh, and I have 3 dried (I found them that way) cicadas keeping me company at the computer. Two different kinds. I love cicadas, played with them when I was a child, still play with them. I love my woods and walk in them everyday. Today the creek is looking like a class 5 rapids. Could probably kayak down it - not going to try.

Long Time Coming

Okay, it's been a while since I have blogged. So far my shop has lots of views, but needs more sales!  It's the holidays, why aren't folks buying? It's the economy, stupid!  Sigh... It is snowing here this morning and of course, the juncos have arrived at the feeder!  I think they can tell when it is going to snow and they fill up.  I got a really good photo of pine siskins. I've been photographing like mad!  This fall has been beautiful and I've gotten lots of good shots.
ta ta for now!

Oh It Is Monday

Good morning!  It's almost noon.  Not too much to post.  We will be having guests the first weekend in October.  This couple is from "Gathering of the Clans" our flyfishing online group.  They bought this weekend with us at our last gathering in May at the live auction. (all proceeds go to Casting For Recovery).  So we have planned out what to serve for meals - these are supposed to be gourmet and Stev does the cooking (thank god).  So now it is time for a major cleanup of the house.

The trailer is gradually becoming non-existent as we have hired someone to take it all away!  Yay!  Soon there will be only the metal chassis.  If I had an acetylene torch, we could cut it up and take to be sold.  Oh well.

Just working on a new necklace featuring beautiful flower pendant by Beadforever.  Necklace is freshwater pearls and amethysts.  Need to go out and get another clasp as I can't find the one I bought earlier. Sigh....   Waiting to get pickle and liver of sulfur to start working on silver, also need borax for flux.  It never ends. There is always something I need.

Made a new pair of earrings. I call these Celebration, cause they are very happy earrings and would look great out celebrating!

My MIL is coming in on October 15 and will be staying til the 28th.  She is so much fun to be with and go look at antiques with.  She is a wonderful woman and an RN like me!

Still have two hummingbirds hanging around - these are juveniles - so the feeders are still up.  Also might get some migrators at the them.  Butteflies are still flying around.

Picked out the next stained glass panel to do - it's hummingbirds, of course!  It has 95 pieces!  That'll take me a while to cut out and do!  If it come out good, might put it up for sale in the shop.  And I need to do some pendants with stained glass and butterfly (no butterflies were harmed) wings.  Should look neat.  Also ,as soon as the copper sheet gets here I can start practicing sawing and learn before I try on silver sheets. Getting discs too to saw and make pendants. 

Childhood memory:  My cousins and I were at a bris for my newest cuz.  We were at Nantasket Beach. So we went down to the beach and dove into the water with all our clothes on (except shoes), we walked back to the house, dripping wet.  Our parents were dripping mad!  What a scene! and right before the bris!  Needless to say, we were forbidden to go to the beach without them.  But it sure was a lot of fun!

later.....

Saturday!

Yay! It's Saturday! Though why that should matter to me is a mystery, except for it being shabbat. It's going to be warm and sunny - swimming!
Tried to cover a leaf yesterday with the pmc paste(fine silver) and went to put another layer on today and it broke. So took the pmc off and put it back in the little jar to recycle. Have to get another leaf today and try it again. I think it takes quite a few layers of the paste to create the leaf. Oh well, it's a learning process.
Might go to Chattanooga to see a friend of ours (David Gans) play music. It's the closest he will be this year to us. David lives in California.
Not much going on here. Need to finish up a new turquoise and coral necklace today. Then list it in my shop. I sold a necklace last week!!! Wheeee! Doing the happy dance!
Tried some real Absinthe last night and it was so much better than the stuff here. But it is $200/bottle. A little out of my range!
It's getting hot back here in the office/workshop, so...
later............

Monday Monday

As I sit here and listen to the advance of Hurricane Fay, I am so glad that we made the decision to move to NE TN! It is supposed to make landfall directly in the area we used to live. Now I don't have to worry about our house, trees, etc., don't have to bring everything into the house, don't have to worry about so many things! Thank you, thank you my dear husband for convincing me to move!

Just finished redoing a necklace from which I had left a bead out (lol). Photographed it and relisted it on my etsy. shop. It is a gorgeous piece of turquoise and coral.

Still dealing with doctors. Sigh.....I hate this. Why isn't my blood sugar leveling? Why was it 191 this morning? Why? Why? Why? I exercise on my exercise bike, I eat properly (at least I think I do). Not fair! Keeping a record on a spread sheet that Stev made for me for the doctor. Maybe an increase in Lantus is needed. And what about my blood pressure? Like to get that under control. I do what I am supposed to, but still all these things seem to be harder and harder to bring down. Oh well, at least I now have a good doctor and nurse-practitioner. Nothing like the last doc who screwed everything up! She shouldn't be practicing medicine anymore. But try and do something about it. Hah!

Pears are ripe and delicious, but soon will have to pick them all up when they fall. Tomatoes are still coming in. An occasional cucumber. That's the garden this year. Hopefully next year will be better and I'll have more stuff.

Beautiful here today! Took this pic a few days ago in the early morning from the back deck. Isn't it neat? Tomorrow, friends are coming over to go swimming. It should be a good time as I haven't seen them for a while.

Later....

Do Old Hippies End Up Here?

That is a question that I am attempting to answer today. Why? Because in my travels today I met someone who I should have known back in Takoma Park in the 70's. We had the same friends! and attended the same parties and probably bought stuff from the same dealers. We even lived very close to each other. And this meeting took place in Lowe's in NE Tennessee.
Hubby and I had moved here in 10/06 from Florida and they moved here this month from CT. What a small world after all. (I hate that song).

Travelled today to yard sales looking for a stand for the printer. I met the most amazing folks. One wonderful elderly lady comes from a family that had owned 1100 acres several generations ago! And I even knew the area they owned, close to our house! She had the most engaging stories to tell and asked me to return on another day and sit and talk.

Another couple's family (uncles, cousins, etc.)own lots and lots of acreage from Horse Creek to the Nolichuckey Bridge on 107. Lots of fun talking to these folks indeed. We laughed to find out how alike we were and how alike men are as husbands. Discussed hunting, fishing and farming. Discussed quilting and antiques.

Never did find my stand, but man, oh man, what a day!

another day

Okay, so it is again another day. I got stung by something yesterday on my foot, foot swelled up, itchy in crotch, armpits, neck, arms and started to get hives. Took antihistamine and most of the itching went away. Sigh...why do these bugs find me so attractive here? I have never been stung so much before.
Today, foot is still swollen and itchy. Antihistamine makes me loopy. I don't like taking them. Trying to decide if I really need a laptop or just want one. I am also looking into metalsmithing and wire work. Do I have enough years in me to do this? Only time will tell!

Politics! McCain is getting ridiculous, Obama is wanting to be messiah. Why oh why, do we even have political conventions when the candidates are already decided and facing off against each other. I don't remember when they have started so early. I am bored of it! We need something exciting in the race.

Well at least Olmert is leaving and it's about time. He was giving away all of Israel's hard won gains. I do not feel that Israel should give back the Golan Heights. Even if now the countries can hit Israeli cities without using the heights - it is a psychological barrier. Will the Arab countries ever learn to live in peace? Probably not, as they are still tribal societies. Their record of human rights is zero - they don't have any. Women are still treated abominably with little rights of their own. Maybe if these places decide to become a 21st century civilization, progress in these areas can be made.

As usual, Exxon is making disgustingly high profits while the people struggle to pay gas to work or to buy falsely elevated prices for food. Falsely I say, all due to the rise in gas and oil prices. These are being driven up by speculators and the fat cats of the industry. I say, off with their heads! We need to get real, folks, and take them down. Nationalize these! No CEO's earning billions of our dollars, no golden parachutes (no gave them to me), no CEO's! The time for a revolution is now and it is late in coming. Not a violent one, but a takeover by the people for the betterment of the people. Read the Declaration of Rights.

later...

Ah, No Rain

Ah, at least this morning. Rained hard yesterday, but at least waited til after Stev and I got a chance to swim in our wonderful little pool. I could exercise my knee! Going to the orthopod today to have it checked, 2 weeks post op and I think I am doing fine! Ordered polypropylene pellets so I could polish up my tumbled stones. Wonder what they will look like? These are stones from our creek and land. They will be incorporated into jewelry and then be up for sale on etsy.com .

Loki(the dog) woke me up this morning and wouldn't let me get back to sleep. She wanted to play! at the ungodly hour of 7:30 am. Spent a lot of time on the etsy forum last night with great conversations. I really like all the the folks there.

Hey! I am going to be on an online column about "wild women" Wow! All I need to do is pick out a picture for her to use and my favorite product that I made. Oh no, they are all my favorite.
Can anyone pick for me? Go to : http://www.hemlockhollow.etsy.com and pick one for me! I really really like the "Reel Thing" Necklace.

Hubby is getting our bluetooth thingies ready to match our new phones we ordered. More new gadgets to play with again. He loves gadgets. And it is not like we have the money to spare, sigh.....

later....

Ah, the beautiful hummingbirds! Have 4 feeders up for them and they don't care if the feeders are old. Love to watch them fight for their territories. So far, 3 males and 2 females. This is a picture of a female. I actually took this through the window! Didn't think it would come out this well.

Wow, I,m Really Here!

http://hemlockhollow.etsy.com/
Yup, I've finally done it and started a blog. About me - I am a retired RN (on disability) who loves to make jewelry, do photography and listen to music. The link is to my jewelry shop on etsy.com Take a look and let me know what you think.

I live in the mountains of NE Tennessee and absolutely love it! Lucky enough to have moved from Florida to this slice of heaven and even have a trout stream on our property. I say we, because I am married to the most wonderful man. We do almost everything together, esp. flyfishing. He ties the flies and I use them(lose them).

Once I figure out how to post photos, you will see lots of them. Been photographing old barns and houses for years - some no longer exist.

I am also very political having once been a hippie radical (LOL). Nothing like missing the '60's. Wish we had been able to change some things back then in our society, but we did manage to affect some changes. Oh well. I vote.

Used to do lots of contra dancing in the DC area for many years. I miss that very much, but my aging joints won't let me do it anymore. In fact, just had left knee arthroscopy for torn cartileges. My, how I love physical therapy (not!). Maybe I'll be able to return to dancing, sure would take some of this weight off!

Speaking of politics, I really do wish that I had someone for vote for who I really really really could get enthused about this election. I will probably vote for Obama. Wanted John Edwards to continue his run or even decide to run as a dark horse after the Democratic convention. Sigh...... Ha, the convention is a joke and should be cancelled - it is just a party not a working convention. Especially after the primaries decide who will be the party's candidate. I remember when it was exciting to be at the convention, when it wasn't decided until the delegate votes were in and counted.

Personally, I think the Presidency should be decided by lottery. Really get the comman person in the White House - not the rich bastards. Yeah!

Oh well, later...