BJeweledBySusan

We Remember

2008-09-11T10:16:00.003-04:00

It's been 7 years. It's hard to imagine that it's been that long. So much has happened since then. So much happened that day.

We were building a church near Albany, NY. We were living on a mountain about 30 miles NW of the capital area, in a flight path for an airport and a military base. I was doing a little housework, and when the first attacks came and news coverage began, I didnt have the television on. A few minutes after 9, my husband called me from the building site and asked me to turn on the television to see what was happening -- the crew had been told that something was going on. I turned on the TV and in a matter of minutes, I also threw in a VCR tape and started recording -- it was more than I could take in. At about 10, my husband called again, wanting to know what was going on. I was only on the phone with him for a few minutes, when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. I can remember repeating to him over and over "it's going down .... it's going down..... it's going down". He kept asking what was happening, but I had no words.

Some moments from that day are so clear, others are such a blur, too much to take in even now. Within a couple hours, we knew that it had been a terrorist attack. That realization brought fears and concerns for our son -- he wasn't in any of the places hit, but it was apparent that air transportation was going to be suspended indefinitely. He was 17 at the time, and had flown out of Albany to Chicago on 9-9 to help at a retreat for some special needs men in WI. He wasn't supposed to return until the 17th, but we didn't know how he would get home. Our youngest daughter, 14, was in MI visiting her sister. It was terrible to have all my kids away from me that day -- I so needed them close, to know they were safe.

I remember driving to the building site mid-afternoon. The trip involved taking a 5-lane road, normally very heavy with traffic, especially at that time of day -- I was the only vehicle on the road for miles. It was one of the most eerie feelings. By 3 that afternoon, our local firemen were already on their way to Ground Zero.

By that time, we also knew that planes from Boston had been involved -- a couple months earlier, in July, we had shared our ministry at a church just north of Boston -- we'd met 3 airline pilots at that church -- we wondered about them. We later learned they were all safe -- although one was supposed to have been on a flight -- his schedule had changed late Monday night and he was on another flight.

I know that all of America was impacted, but I've always felt that our area was hit a little harder. EVERYONE there knew someone. If it wasn't my son or my niece, it was the son or niece of my next-door neighbor or the people across the street. There was an older couple who lived next door to the church we were building -- they had a son-in-law and niece at the WTC and a brother at the Pentagon -- all ended up safe, but it took so many hours to find out. The waiting was so terrible. The SIL was late getting to work that morning -- he'd been running about 10 minutes late after staying up to watch Monday Night Football -- 10 minutes that spared his life.

My parents were in Nebraska at the time. They had moved a trailer for another builder family, heading for a project in the west. As all air travel had ceased, any plane in the air was especially noticeable. As a matter of national security, President Bush, who had been in FL that morning, was on Air Force One and was not returned directly to DC -- they saw AF1 taking off from a military base.

The days that followed are a blur. For some, they brought relief, for others the pain of loss. The skies over us were eerily silent for several days -- only an occasional military plane -- and the air was hazy, heavy with the smoke from the World Trade Center. Air travel resumed on the 15th or 16th -- our son was one of the first to fly. There were only 11 on his flight. Later that week, on Friday evening, it was the first night that folks were getting out -- life was beginning to resume. Baseball resumed in NYC with patriotic pre-game extravaganzas. We went out to eat that night at a Smoky Bones -- a restaurant with TVs all over carrying sports programming. That night, the place was full, although a little quieter than usual. Those pre-game shows were playing on all the TVs. There were bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace" and someone sang "God Bless America" but when the National Anthem was sung, all TVs and all sound boxes were tuned to it and the restaurant was stone quiet except for the Anthem. The servers all stopped moving. Everyone just sat and listened. Some prayed. Some cried. Some quietly sang. When it was done, all clapped and cheered. I can't tell you how moving that moment was -- all those total strangers, so incredibly unified by grief and pride.

In our current political season, I think that we, as a nation, have forgotten 9-11. We've lost that unity and each has returned to his own agenda. In many ways, we are more sharply divided now than we have been in decades. We need to remember that we could be only moments away from another terrorist attack. It is good today to be reminded of that national unity and the heros who died that day. We need to tell our families and friends how much we love them -- because we don't have any guarantees of tomorrow. We need to be sure that we, as individuals, are prepared to meet God.

I know that it was much more personal for so many others, but we will never forget.

Project Update

2008-08-19T17:38:00.007-04:00

I've been super busy these past couple weeks -- and lots has been happening on the building project so today I'll update about that. Two weeks ago, we got the rest of the exterior walls up and started sheeting them. Last week, we finished sheeting and got some of the interier walls up. Everything has been going well.

Today, the trusses were delievered -- we plan to set them Thursday, weather permitting. The weather has been pretty cooperative (for a change) and the forecasts are looking promising for most of the next couple weeks. We took a little video of the last delivery -- always a little exciting to see them drop!!

My Teeter Totter Day

2008-08-06T15:30:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was one of those days -- up, then down.

First thing in the morning, I was greeted by the nicest news -- I'm the featured "Crafter of the Month" on someone's blog: http://kimbuktu.net/artisanspotlightaugust.html
I met this gal on Etsy and found that we had built a church near her. As we've chatted, we talked about places we knew in the area and realized we had some nice things in common. I felt so privileged to have her choose me to be her featured crafter! So I was up.

Then I went and picked up mail. Down. I have applied to my first juried craft shows -- and got my first rejection letter. It was a disappointment, but it was also a frustration. Undoubtedly, they were trying to be kind about a rejection, but in doing so, they were completely vague, and I don't really know why I wasn't selected. There are some things I can change, some I can't. For instance, I haven't been using table skirts in my displays and I've noticed that many shows want that. I've started making some, but they weren't in my display photo -- if THAT was the problem, it's something I'm changing. If they have a quota on jewelry vendors and their quota was full, that's something I can't change this time, but I would know that I need to make an effort to get my applications in earlier. And I would know that it wasn't that my work was sub-standard. If my jewelry isn't at the level they're looking for, it would be good to know -- and I will try to find other venues. And because I've never applied to juried shows before, maybe I just need to do something about better photos. So the rejection letter itself was somewhat discouraging, but the frustration of not knowing why is worse. I wish I knew.

Then, as I continued to sort through the mail, I was "up" again -- I had ordered some new beads which had arrived. I buy most of my beads from Ebay, and usually buy from the same sellers. This time, I tried someone new -- it's always a little scary. But I was totally thrilled with the beads!! They were exactly what I was looking for and seem to be of a very nice quality. My order for pearls also arrived -- I got 2 colors that I've been using in earrings, but got them in a new size with an eye toward developing a couple new necklace designs. So my creative juices are really rolling! And I can hardly wait to "play" with these new beads!

Now, for me, these "teeter totter" moments do not mean big mood swings or erratic behavior -- just the gentle ups and downs in the rolling meadows of life. The ups bring me joy, the downs challenge me to "fix it" which is my bent when something isn't quite right. So today, I sat down and applied to 2 more craft shows -- 1 juried, 1 not. And I'm still waiting to hear from an application I sent just over a week ago. We'll see what happens.

Our Building Week July 28-Aug 1

2008-08-02T15:21:00.011-04:00

It was a fabulous week and we got SO much done on the church we're building!! We had a group of volunteers from Kansas City, KS and a group from Belmont, MI as well as a young man from WI -- so LOTS of extra hands! The week began by pouring concrete in the educational wing. Some of the men helped with that while others worked at preparing other parts of the floor for concrete. We had purposely left a small section of footings and foundations undone -- the rains have kept us so muddy that the concrete trucks would never be able to get to all the areas of the building. That small section allowed the trucks to get footings and foundations poured from inside the building. Now that everything is backfilled, and we've had a little dry spell, the trucks were able to access the building from the exterior and we could finish that last section of foundation. Some of the folks helped assemble the foam forms. Lots of little odd jobs were done, too, which was great. As the week progressed, the entire floor was poured and walls were assembled.

One Wednesday the first wall went up!! It's always an exciting moment -- up to now all the work has been in the ground and, while incredibly important, isn't visible. That first wall is the obvious sign of progress! We got a second section of wall up on Wednesday too.

B y Friday, most of the walls were up and we look like a building site (not a trailer park!).

We are so thankful for the great help! They were all a blessing and encouragement to us in so many ways! We are also grateful to the Lord for His care -- there were a couple small injuries and a little sunburn and quite a few achy muscles -- but no one was seriously hurt!

The site is quiet today. The volunteers have all left for home. Our guys have worked 11 days in a row with only Sunday off so today they are all getting some much-needed rest and spending time with their families.

It's been a GREAT week!!!

My Creative Process

2008-07-30T00:27:00.013-04:00

I think everyone has their own way to work through the creative process. Some people seem to come up with an idea and everything is instant -- it all comes together. I've had that happen a couple times but it's not my normal pattern. Some people plan it all out, adding a little here and a little there until it suits them. That's happened to me too, but it's not normally how creativity works for me.

My creative process? ....hmmmmm.... where do I begin? I think it starts with inspiration. Usually I'll see something ... it could be a bridge, a flower, a dew drop ... and it will prompt a thought that will become the basis of a new design. Sometimes I sit right down and get my beads out, but normally, I mull it around for a few days or even a few weeks. I try to envision what details I want to bring out in the piece and mentally play around with size, balance and shape. If the inspiration had specific color, that's the starting point for my imagination but I never limit myself. When I finally sit down and start working on the piece, it usually goes together fairly quickly. Once in a while, things don't come out like I expect, so the trial and error part of the process begins. I move things around, shorten them, lengthen them until I achieve the look I want. When I have an arrangement that I'm satisfied with, I put together a prototype. I try it on. If I'm still satisfied, I set the piece on a table and just leave it there.... for days. I look at it in every light and sometimes put it on different fabrics. I sort of "let it soak".

Sometimes, I'll have a creative "dry spell". Usually, I don't worry about it -- a little break can be a good thing. I recently went through a period of creative inactivity. When it was over, I developed 4 new necklace designs in 2 days. They are still "soaking" -- so I'll introduce them in the weeks to come. I'm also mulling around 2 or 3 more necklace designs -- but have to wait for more supplies to get started on prototypes.

Over the next few months, I'll be sharing more about specific pieces in my collection -- what inspired them, how they came to be named and other little tidbits. I'll also share bits and pieces about how I started making jewelry, how I came to be in business and what I'm learning about turning a hobby into a career. It's been a fun journey!

Catching Up

2008-07-26T20:05:00.016-04:00

It's been some time since I've been here -- we've been bopping around, spending weeks and weeks in internet neverland. So for today, I'll try to bring everyone up to speed.

We spent over 2 months living in someone's yard -- this sounds odd, but our trailer was parked on the lawn of a church family. It was really quite pleasant -- the place was in the country and we were in the shade, with an open field across the road so we always had a light breeze. The people were VERY nice ... and very respectful of our privacy, yet invited us for meals and visiting ... and when the weather was threatening, we were made very welcome in their house. The view out our front window was their little home orchard, which was in a constant state of bloom for 3 or 4 of our weeks there.
On the project, we finally got our permits in late May and began working to get utilities onto the building site. In June, 3 other families arrived with their trailers and joined us to work on the church. Our efforts have been somewhat hampered by the weather -- it rains and rains and rains here. We thought we were in Wisconsin, not an equatorial rainforest! In June, those terrible storms that flooded through Iowa, and then into Wisconsin, came dangerously close to us. On more than one occasion, we've had reports of tornadoes and funnel clouds sighted in nearby areas -- one night, 5 reports within 6 miles of us. For we, who live in tornado magnets, that's exciting enough! Several severe storms have taken the same path across the midwest -- we've come to call it "the chute" -- and we live in the chute, having as much as 14 inches of rain in just a few hours. It's been quiet now ... for about 5 days. And, we've gotten a lot of work done!

Two weeks ago, we had a volunteer group from Shelby MI come to help us for the week -- they got SO much done! This week, we've had a group of teens from Kansas City MO here to help and they've done a lot too! The foundations and stem walls have been poured and backfilled, the plumbing is done that goes under the floor, and if all goes well on Monday, we'll be pouring part of the floor. Materials are here to go up with walls later in the week. We are expecting another group from Kansas this coming week, as well as a group from Michigan -- many hands make light work!!

Keith had a rough start to July -- in late June, something bit him just above the eye (we think it was a spider). For the first few days, it was similar to a mosquito bite, but then it was as though it exploded! It got quite inflamed and swelling began to spread around his eye (it was awful). We ended up heading to the doctor and it had already developed into cellulitis. The first antibiotics he tried didn't work, so it was even worse the next day. Back to the doctor, got a new Rx. While there, we also found that his sodium was low. With new meds and plenty of Gatorade in hand, we went home where he spent the day resting. His sodium came back up, the antibiotic worked and it all ended well, but he was pretty tired for several weeks.

I've been working on jewelry ... but we'll save that for another day!!

I'm almost home

2008-05-06T22:22:00.002-04:00

Florida is behind us ... Wisconsin is ahead. As we travel, my anticipation mounts. Keith spent 2 weeks with the church folks and has an idea what we're heading to .... but it's all still in my imagination.

As we travel north, we go a few extra miles but are able to avoid Chicago and all the nasty traffic (and road construction). We enter Wisconsin late at night and my only impression is wide open skies and millions of twinkling stars. We spend the night at a typical exit motel and when we arise, the sun is shining and the day is cool and crisp. We trek our way through the countryside, approaching Milwaukee. I've been there before, but it's been a while. I'm struck that the skyline is "short" -- compared to the skylines of Chicago or Dallas, the buildings are not as tall. But there are perks -- it's somehow seems more intimate, and you notice all the beautiful church spires, which are normally dwarfed by the towers around them. Modern buildings stand next to old world architecture. We pass the courthouse -- a stately, imposing building of stone and columns. An abandoned factory has been reclaimed as an upscale mall filled with shops and eateries. As we continue north, condos and housing developments give way to fields and patches of woods. The gently rolling prairie is a patchwork of greens and browns -- the greens, lush fields of alfalfa or winter wheat and the browns, fragrant earth, worked and ready for seed. The trees are still barren from months of winter, but some are enveloped in a misty swirl of palest moss green as new leaves begin to work their way toward the sun. Other trees are tipped with plump leaf buds, full and ready to burst with spring. The hillsides are dotted with black and white cows, feasting on new grass.

We pass through intersections with the modern version of country stores and a couple gas pumps. Across the roads are dealerships selling trucks or farm implements. In the middle of this rural bliss, we come upon a factory. A factory? What could they be making here? Then we see the signs -- we are, afterall, in Wisconsin -- the factory makes cheese!! I smile and we continue on.

The streams and ponds offer a refuge for ducks and other water fowl. There are big old white farm houses, slightly worn from decades of nurturing families. They are flanked by old red barns, standing strong on foundations of stone. We arrive at the building site -- I'm excited at the prospect of the church to be built. And for this summer, there is plenty of open land where I can grow a garden.

We have enjoyed our time in Florida and it was a good winter to have been in the south and I have to admit that I enjoy some of the benefits of living in an urban area. But the land is my element, and although I have never lived here before, I am almost home.

I Smell Orange

2008-04-22T22:28:00.003-04:00

I started my day as normally as any other -- a little toast and a fresh orange for breakfast. My kitchen smelled fresh and citrus-y for a couple hours afterward. Then I ran errands -- no big deal, but I travels took me past the Tropicana plant. We seem to be in between seasons so there wasn't much activity but there is still a hint of orange in the air. This afternoon, I did a little cleaning -- again, no big deal -- but it just happened that I used a furniture polish with orange oil. Again that scent of orange! I find it to be a pleasant fragrance -- good thing!!

I've continued to be busy with jewelry. Last week, I cleaned all of it and prepared for a show on Friday evening. I re-tagged all the earrings -- the price of silver has gone up more than I can continue to absorb and it seemed a good time to get consistent with all the labels (same fonts, same layouts, etc). I made a dozen necklaces and about 40 pairs of earrings. My racks were full for the craft show. It was the best sales event I've had since we moved here nearly 6 months ago. When I got home, it was late -- nearly 11 pm -- but I wanted to do a quick check of email. I discovered that I had a sale on Etsy too! It was an encouraging night for business -- a night I very much needed. It's been a slow winter -- I hope the spring continues to bring better business days.

One Year Ago, part 2

2008-04-12T22:15:00.004-04:00

Today is a major anniversary for me! It marks 1 year since my second surgery (read my post of Feb 25) and I'm getting better all the time. The second surgery was considerably tougher on me and recovery has been slow, but I have been enjoying noticeable improvements, even these past few weeks. I sang special music in church last Sunday morning -- my voice was the strongest it has been for a year! It's getting to be uncommon to forget or lose things and my concentration is getting better. It's been wonderful to feel "good"!

My jewelry business is starting to pick up a little too! My Etsy shop is getting a little more visibility -- I've gotten 12 "hearts" (which are given by people who like and want to remember my shop) since the beginning of the month. I sold 4 pairs of earrings last week on Etsy and I'm signed up to participate in a cool craft show next Friday night. The show is part of a "neighborhood block party" called WestFest in a very nice development in our area. There is also going to be a concert (Gary Puckett) and it sounds like a fun event! I'm excited at the prospect!! Today, I've been cleaning my jewelry and re-organizing, getting ready.

When WestFest is done, I will be focusing on getting ready to move -- we'll be heading to our next project in WI in early May. I look forward to going north -- we'll be a lot closer to family and friends. But I have to admit, the prospect of winter in WI in a trailer isn't rocking my world! But that's ok. With last winter in upstate NY and next winter in WI, I've been viewing this winter in FL as the center of the Oreo ... the treat in the middle! :)

So life is good .... BUSY, but good! And we are blessed!

Life Keeps Moving

2008-03-28T22:51:00.003-04:00

Well, tomorrow is the last Saturday we have planned at the Flea Market. It's a little bittersweet ... it's tiring getting up so early on a Sarturday morning so it will be nice to be done, but we've also gotten to know some very nice people ... and saying goodbye is always hard. These will be the first of many good-byes.

The new jewelry displays are coming along -- we'll be using them tomorrow, although they still need some finishing coats of paint and laquer. I'm hoping to post pix next week ... I'd like to wait until they're totally finished. The last major thing I need for my displays are table skirts. I'll probably make them so I'm looking for the right fabric in the right color at the right price. I'd like a medium-light green -- something that will look good with any color flowers. I decorate my tables with small bridal bouquets and like to change them for different seasons. I've been using red all winter -- tomorrow I have pink bouquets. Since my jewelry is perfect for weddings, I want to hint at bridal in my displays.

For the past several weeks, when I sell a piece of jewelry, I've been enclosing a little flyer that tells customers how to place a special order and advertises my Etsy shop. The back has been blank. Last weekend, it occurred to me that I could use the space on the back to promote other Etsy shops -- it will help other sellers and make my customers aware of shopping at Etsy. I contacted a number of sellers and have put together a very nice list of shops. The response was so big, I ended up with 4 groups - it works out great because the sellers in each group are unique -- no one else in that group sells the same kind of art. I'm able to advertise nearly 40 artists!

We still don't have permits to build the church here. The red tape is incredible but we're working our way through it. We are very close to having the site plan approved and we're in the process of getting the prints ready to submit. Port St Lucie has a "pre-permit" approval process that allows us to submit the plans and have them approved to prepare for permits. We will be leaving at the end of April -- the next project is preparing for us. It is our hope to come back after the WI project and build here. Our plans over the next few weeks are still a little fuzzy ... so more later!

Our Easter Treats

2008-03-24T21:08:00.002-04:00

Our Easter was a wonderful day! We started by celebrating the resurrection of Christ at a great morning worship service! Then we drove, with friends from church, over to Sebring, where we met more friends and had a very nice lunch together. It was a little hard not being home with family ... maybe next year. We got to visit with some of the volunteers who have worked on our crews in the past and are currently living in Maranatha Village -- great to see all of them! Then the church in the village had a wonderful cantata/drama sharing the story of Christ and HIs love. We also saw more friends, which was a treat.

A Special Treat. We got to talk with Alice -- she's maybe in her late 70's and her husband died suddenly 2 years ago -- she's a special kind of friend. She was looking particularly happy ... and had a very nice gentleman beside her .... then she showed us her ring! Three weeks ago, she told me about him .. so I wasn't totally surprised. They are getting married in May! It's been a whirlwind romance and they both look so happy!! We are so happy for her!!

On our trip to Sebring, we drive beside a canal -- we saw a little something (or rather, a big something)!

No bunnies for Easter, but actually, we saw 4 alligators yesterday -- the most we've ever seen on one of our trips!! Three of them were pretty good sized!

We are still working on the new jewelry displays -- we think we have things mostly figured out and the prototype is nearly done. Everything is coming together and looking good! And we're excited at the prospect!

These Days, These Daze

2008-03-18T19:03:00.004-04:00

Saturday was the best day we've had at the flea market -- only by a few dollars but it was nice to be increasing! We also tried out our new earring racks and they worked beautifully -- and were the envy of the couple next door who thought they were very creative and professional.

I sold my first necklace! It was one of the new designs I worked on last week. So nice to have a hit! The necklace is very simple, and it doesn't take long to make so I'm going to be able to make it COD ("custom on demand") at shows and markets. It's also my least expensive necklace design so I'm expecting it to be a great seller -- if Saturday is any indication, I'm off to a great start! The customer also bought earrings so it made a nice sale.

I'm still trying to figure out how to market my Etsy site. Yesterday I sent off 40 business cards to a gal in SC who is putting together little goodie and sample bags to give away at some craft shows she will be attending. Today, I committed to sending a couple pairs of earrings to a lady in Texas who is selling her work at an anime convention and plans to raffle a gift basket every day. She isn't planning to sell the tickets -- she'll give them away -- but the tickets will feature all the participants of the baskets. She expects to give away hundreds of the tickets. She will also feature the sellers on her blogs. Her work is very interesting and she is an established Etsy seller so I'm hoping that this will be an effective connection.

This week, we are working on a new idea for displaying necklaces at shows -- if everything works like we think, it should make everything easy for us as well as being quite professional looking. I've tried a couple different ideas for necklace display but haven't been satisfied with the look. I've also tried putting sets together in a box, but I haven't really liked the way they looked and I have so many neat earring designs, I think it's better for the customer to choose their own pair. But, having tried other options, I think we're going to get it right this time. I've been unhappy with displays -- a couple of my necklace designs really need an open oval, rather than hanging them, or putting them in a box -- because the style looks a bit odd and unnatural unless it's on a neck. On a neck, they look wonderful! And we don't really have the space for bunches of busts -- so we think we've come up with the perfect idea. If it works, I'll post pix later.

I also have another idea or two for necklaces -- I'll keep playing with those thoughts and see what happens.

Shuttle Launch

2008-03-11T13:18:00.001-04:00

We had an awesome night last night! We were able to go see the night time launch of the space shuttle (sts-123) -- it was so incredible! The launch took place about 2:30 this morning and we were only about 5 miles away. The only disappointment was a low ceiling of clouds -- we lost sight of the shuttle fairly quickly -- but it was still so amazing! It started with a huge ball of fire, then the shuttle lifted gently into the air. The shuttle was already out of view when we finally heard the low rumble.

We didn't get back home until about 6 -- and I've had a couple hours sleep. I think my pillow will be calling my name a little early tonight!!

Creative Energy!

2008-03-10T09:09:00.001-04:00

I've been BUSY! I was able to get in to a craft show on Saturday, but we were also still committed to being at the flea market -- so we did both. My wonderful husband did the flea market and I headed for the craft show (a friend also went with me until my husband could get there). The weather was windy and chilly, so neither was a good as we had hoped but it still wasn't bad ... and I made some GREAT contacts! One lady was interested in my stuff for a wedding. Another lady told me about a monthly event in an upscale part of town ... then said my stuff was PERFECT for that show (that was flattering!) ... then called me later with phone number so I can try to get in. I gave out a bunch of business cards, too. So, while it wasn't the fabulous sales day I would have liked, I think it was profitable.

While I'm at a show/market, I offer to make jewelry "on demand" -- customers can get any style earrings in whatever color they choose and it only takes me about 15 minutes (which is why I don't do a show alone -- I usually end up making while someone else keeps on eye on business). I usually don't do necklaces on demand because they take too long to make ... but Saturday, one lady asked me to make something for her, and she created her own design. I wouldn't have put it together quite the way she did, but it has prompted a flood of ideas for a couple new styles! So.... this week I'm hoping to perfect the ideas and make some more necklaces! It was also a simpler design than what I usually make so I could probably make it on demand at a show ... and it will be the least expensive necklace in my repertoire so it should make a good seller. I couldn't sleep last night ... too many creative juices rolling!!

And back to last week, because we were going to split up, I made about 150 new pairs of earrings. I guess it kept me out of trouble! Sort of?

Tonight, we are planning to go see the launch of the shuttle -- it's a night launch at 2:30 tomorrow morning. Night launches are FABULOUS!!!!! So I'm pretty excited! But I really need a nap this afternoon, so I better get crackin' on the new necklaces so I can sleep.

listing, listing, listing!!!

2008-02-26T20:57:00.001-05:00

The past few weeks have been very busy ... I think I've taken about 1700 photos. Then I've gone through them to sort by clarity, angle, and general appearance. Then I've cropped them to the appropriate size for listing on Etsy. Each listing has at least 2 photos -- one with the earrings hanging, one laying down. Some listings also have photos of the items in alternate colors so people can see what the items look like in other colors. Finally, on Sunday afternoon, I started listing ... I've listed nearly 80 items!! No new sales yet, but I have 6 new hearts ... so that's positive.
I've also worked on some of the new designs floating around in my head. I've finished work on "Sway" (the navy pearl) and "Yasmin" (the emerald crystal) ... they are similar but a bit different and in different lines. I've also figured out the detail for a new stone earring design ... haven't named it yet. Today, my project has been to work on a necklace idea ... it's not quite where I want it to be yet ... need to keep mulling it around.

1 Year Ago

2008-02-25T11:12:00.000-05:00

It was a busy weekend, so I didn't have an opportunity to post ... but it marked the anniversary of an event that is still impacting my world. Last year in February, we spent several weeks at Maranatha Village in Sebring, on kind of a working vacation -- Keith was showing the men of the village how to use the concrete forms he sells. On Friday, Feb 23, I woke up with some discomfort in my side. It was sharp off and on but it didn't really stop me. Keith was pouring concrete that day and I went to take pictures. At lunch, we went to Avon Park to a wonderful little restaurant to have lunch with friends. When we returned to the village, Keith went back to work and I went to the little apartment where we were staying. By the time Keith got home from work, the pains were quite sharp ... at moments, I was nearly doubled over. We made the decision to go to the ER. It took 9 hours to figure out what was wrong ... my appendix needed to be removed. I didn't have the rest of the typical symptoms .... no nausea, no fever ... so it had required a lot of testing to find the problem. At 4 am, I was checked in and at 7am, I had surgery. It all went really well but when the doctor came out to report to Keith, he indicated that I seriously needed to see my OB-GYN. My recovery was fabulous ... I gained strength very quickly and felt pretty good pretty fast. We stayed in FL for 10 days of recovery time, then headed north to MI (home).

I saw my doctor, who ordered all the tests I needed and referred me to another doctor (he doesn't do GYN anymore). On April 12, I had surgery again, removing a fibroid the size of a small cantaloupe. This surgery was more difficult and it took me a lot longer to recover. I've had some ongoing difficulties, mostly what we laughingly call "mental clarity issues" -- memory loss, disorientation when I drive and I occasionally misplace things. It's been getting better, and most days, I'm almost back to 100%. I still tire easily but that's getting better too.

We have no health insurance. Between the 2 surgeries and related expenses, we racked up about $65,000 in medical bills. But God has been incredible in His provision! Some bills were reduced. For others, we received gifts from friends and supporters. We have paid off everything except 1 doctor and 1 hospital. The total of those 2 comes in around $22,000 but that's a huge amount of bills that have been taken care of! And having only the 2 payments is fairly manageable for us ... so we are praising God for His wonderful grace!

With the traveling that we do for our ministry, and now with the health, it's been difficult for me to find employment (that I can manage). So, I've put my talents to work, making jewelry. We've done a few craft shows and for the past few weeks, we've been selling at a flea market. And I have a shop on Etsy. The shop hasn't done well, but I'm still optimistic that things will improve there. More about that later.

Shop & Shuttle

2008-02-07T20:51:00.000-05:00

Wow!! It's been awhile since I checked in.... but I've been busy. For the past couple weeks, I've been working on polishing up my Etsy shop. I have a new banner and a temporary new avatar. I have an idea for a new avatar so will be working on making that happen. I've also been trying to take photos of my jewelry -- that's proven to be a challenge! I like taking the pix outside, but we only live a couple miles from the ocean -- so it's breezy (at the very least) all the time. I'm using fabric for backgrounds -- it's always blowing around. I'm shooting for having all my photos taken and ready to list on Feb 15. If all goes well, I'll be listing 50-75 new items. Still have to make a few -- I have prototypes but need to make the real deal. So I'm not lacking for something to do this coming week! I'm excited at the prospect! I've given some thought to how to list -- will list so that everything comes up organized when done.

We got to go watch the shuttle launch today -- with a couple guys from our crew and the church we're working on. It was a great day of fellowship as well as getting to do something awesome! We didn't have the greatest view of the launch but drove around afterward and figured out where we want to be next time -- got lost, laughed, laughed, found our way, laughed....

And we're always up for a road trip!!

Happy Pictures

2008-01-31T23:31:00.000-05:00

I've been having fun learning to use my new camera and taking photos for my Etsy shop. It's been fun to experiment with different backgrounds and angles and I've been pleased with many of the results. I'm getting better at cropping and making adjustments for the light. Even though I take the photos outside, I try to take them in the shade to avoid shadows so they usually need a little lightening. I made a new banner -- I like it a lot but I haven't had much input from others and I don't know how objective I can be. Taking all the photos has been difficult because of the weather -- one doesn't think of FL as anything but sunny. Not the case! It's also supposed to be the dry season but it rains several days a week, is very overcast at times and it gets pretty breezy. It can actually be difficult to find the right time and the right weather to take pictures. The camera is great -- a huge improvement over our old one!

Saturday will be another day at the flea market. It's been going so slowly, I'm not really looking forward to it. To add to the slow sales, this week it may be raining Sat morning. But we'll get up at the crack of dawn and go. I'm so glad Keith has been going with me -- it's nice to have the company and spend the time together.

Our chicken is gone -- someone caught her and took her home.

Being an old movie buff, I'm looking forward to February on TCM -- they always play movies that won or were nominated for Oscars. So they're the best.

2008-01-26T23:25:00.000-05:00

Wow! It's been quite a week!

I started with a cold. Bummer. Didn't go anywhere, didn't do anything, it was downright boring (boring almost NEVER happens to me!).

Then sad. We learned that our friend, Ray, finished his 1-year battle with brain cancer. He's gone home. He will be missed. Our comfort is that we will see him again someday when we get to heaven.

Then rejoicing! My friend, Anna, has been away visiting her daughter, awaiting the delivery of a new baby -- Nathan arrived! He's happy, healthy, doing well ... and Mama is feeling really good. We're praising God!

Then creative. I made a dress for my granddaughter this week -- and made a matching dress for her cabbage patch doll. What fun!

Then excited! We bought a truck! We got it on Ebay and my husband will go to get it next week. It was a little scary buying a vehicle without seeing it -- but we feel pretty comfortable.

Then reasonably satisfied. I took my jewelry to the flea market -- it was an absolutely gorgeous day! Sales were not all I would have hoped for but I still learn something every time I do something like this. One of the things I offer is custom earrings -- customers can choose their colors, their styles or create their own -- and I make it for them. That can be really fun!

Then happy! We found out that our daughter-in-law got a promotion at work -- she really loves her new job (it's just what she's been wanting to do) and the raise is nice too!

So I didn't meet all the goals I had for myself this week ... but it's all good! I also did a bunch of little things or parts of jobs -- hopefully next week we can get some of them wrapped up. I want to make a new banner for my Etsy shop -- have an idea, just need to make it happen. Also need to take photos of jewelry. The only time I had available this week, the wind was really blowing and outdoor pictures were not possible. So, tomorrow.

my flea market day

2008-01-19T19:06:00.000-05:00

It's been a long day. We're both quite tired. We spent the day trying to sell jewelry at the flea market and it was mediocre. However, we are still optimistic that next week will be better. On our way home this afternoon, we saw signs for a big craft show only a few miles from the flea market and today was the start of a big state fair not far away -- so people had some major options to choose. This was my first of 6 weeks. Apparently, I should have started last week -- other vendors praised it as the best week of this season (from fall to spring). The day wasn't a total loss -- I connected with a customer who has a friend getting married. She felt this friend would LOVE my jewelry and be very interested in buying for her wedding party. Several other people asked if I would be vending again and indicated that they would be back. So we still hope for some good weeks ahead.

As I was sitting there, waiting for something to happen, I also came up with an idea for a new style of earrings -- so in the next few days, I'll be working on it. I have several different lines of jewelry styles, including one I call "Big Band Baubles" which use names of songs popular in the 30's, 40's and 50's. My daughter recently suggested the song "Sway" (shortly after she suggested it, it popped up on a commercial with Antonio Banderas...yummm) -- this new style would be perfect to go with that name! So I'm excited at the prospect! She's anxious to see what I do with the name, too. Note to self -- I should also plan some occasional time to just sit and think. I don't get time to do that very often, but if it's going to result in new styles, it's worth working into my schedule. Normally, the creative ideas bounce around my head as I'm trying to go to sleep or when I'm doing something "mindless", like doing dishes (which does not require a great deal of focus or concentration).

And the chicken? It's still floating around the area, although it's branching out and finding other yards to play in. What's a girl to do? I'm thinking ..... BBQ!

Renegade Chicken

2008-01-16T23:43:00.001-05:00

Sunday morning went well -- my music came out all right so the butterflies in my stomach are silent. When we got home from church, we discovered that we had a visitor -- a stray chicken! I think one of the neighbors has some chickens in their yard, so undoubtedly, this is an escapee. But it's been with us all week! I'm not quite sure why it's adopted us but it sticks pretty close, roosting here every night. It's tried to fly into our living room (hitting the window) and this afternoon, we had our door open and it tried to come in through the screen. Last night, for dinner, we had chicken on the grill (legs and thighs from Winn Dixie). In the night, I heard a funny sound outside, and when
I investigated, we had chicken on the grill (!).

This week, I've been busy gearing up for the flea market this Saturday. I've also been working on a massive project in excel to track costs, pricing, etc for my jewelry. Tomorrow I still need to get my display stuff dug out and ready to take to the market. I have about 500 pairs of earrings ready to go but still need to make about 30 or 40 more pairs -- if all goes well, I should be able to finish those soon. I have a few necklaces -- just need to tag them. Keeping my fingers crossed for a good sales day Sat!

Recap the week

2008-01-12T21:14:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night was our dinner -- everything went well and it came off great! I think everyone had a good time. After our guests left, I was feeling a little creative so sat down and played with my beads -- came up with a couple new earring configurations. In my creative process, I make something, then leave it laying around for a few days so I can look at it and think about it, then I decide if I REALLY like it. One design is a keeper, the other still needs work.

Wednesday, I had another creative day. I've had 2 necklaces started (the pretty front parts of the styles) for several months but have had the equivalent of writers block for how to finish them. Wed, I figured out a finish for one of the necklaces. Thursday, I figured out a finish for the 2nd. They are both still in my consideration days to see if they're keepers, but it's looking positive. I also have ideas for a couple more necklaces -- but had to order components so hopefully next week I can try them out.
Wednesday, I also signed up to sell at the Flea Market in Stuart, FL -- will start on the 19th and am signed up for 6 Saturdays. I'm excited at the prospect! And maybe a little overwhelmed.

We are working to get ready to build Grace Fellowship Baptist Church in Port St Lucie, FL. It's been a good week in the planning and some things are starting to come together. We've found some terrific local people to work with and they've been a huge help! We also found a fabulous deal on some close-out floor tile -- it's a little early to be buying but someone in the church has some storage space in their garage and finding this stuff at 75% off is too good to pass up!

Thursday was a blue day for me -- the anniversary of my brother's death. It's so hard to believe it's been 30 years. He was only 18 and died suddenly. It may seem odd, but I've missed Dave more in the past few years than I did back then. Maybe because of all the events in my life and family that he's not sharing with me. I look forward to heaven.

Today, my friend, Anna, flew to VA to be with her daughter who's about to have a baby. It's going to be too quiet around here! ;)
Tomorrow morning, it's my Sunday to play piano for church services -- and I'm singing special music. I always have butterflies before that but tonight, I'm thinking that they're B-17's!!

My first attempt

2008-01-07T23:30:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am. My first attempt at posting a blog. It's going to be short tonight -- I have a very busy day tomorrow. In fact, I have a very busy week.

Tomorrow, we are expecting guests for dinner -- I'm making Italian. I'm even making appetizers -- Prosciuto & Melon and Bruschetta & Crostini. We're grilling Italian marinated chicken and serving it over homemade Fettucine Alfredo. Put green beans and homemade breadsticks on the side and it sounds like dinner!

I make jewelry -- and this week my head is FULL of creative ideas. It's going to take a couple days of "research and development" just to sort out what is going to actually work and what won't. I also need to make some new pieces and get them photographed so I can list them at my shop at Etsy (www.bjeweledbysusan.etsy.com). Here's hoping it's a successful week!