Ducks like rain!

But I don't. Its been raining for the past few days (although it seems more like a month). The first rainy day is fun, an excuse to lay on the sofa and read or watch a tv movie. But now we're in the 4th or 5th day of nasty weather and I'm just feeling lazy and out of sorts. Is the sun still up there? I'd never know. It seems like the rain is supposed to continue for at least the next few days. Tomorrow I'll have to force myself to go out to my studio. I wouldn't be suprised to find out I've made lots of gray beads recently. Here's to a sunny day in the not too distant future! Keep beading!

Crazy April weather

As we go on a roller coaster ride from 40 degrees to 90 degrees we're continuing to make lots of beads. We have a 4 week break in our show schedule - our next show isn't until May 30th. Look for lots of new beads! Right now having a break feels wonderful, but I know that we'll be suffering from bead withdrawel soon. Our June schedule looks like we'll be all over the place - from Albany to Vienna Va. Lots of travel coming up. Hope to see you soon. Be healthy and keep beading and an early "Happy Mother's Day" to all the beading moms out there.

jewelry pics

Two of our wonderful customers (they're also sisters) created these two necklaces using our beads. I love to see what you do with our beads. Please send photos and I'll try to publish them on our blog.
Also, I'm celebrating - no more cast! The doctor cut it off on Thursday and now I'm just wearing an ankle brace. It's a little sore, but definitely getting better.

BEAD SHOW!!!!!!

I made it to the bead show in Cromwell. It took a coordinated effort between Denise and my daughter but they each drove me part way. It feels so good to be surrounded by beads! My cast is due to come off on April 2nd and then I'll need to wear an ankle brace of some sort. It has to be better than this cast.
The show is wonderful - eye candy for the body and soul. Hope to see all of you soon.

Surprise cast!

The story continues. I had an appt. with my orthopedic surgeon on Tuesday. I went to her office with my right shoe and sock in hand, convinced that she was going to tell me to put them on and walk out of her office. Was I in for a surprise! the next thing I remember was the ortho tech asking me what color cast I wanted. That was the last thing I expected to hear! Anyway, the pictures show my purple cast both with and without the designer shoe. I'm home for the weekend while Denise and Mom are at the bead show in Dickson City. Stop by and say hi to them.

P.S. My ankle is not broken, only seriously sprained. The cast is due to come off on April 2nd. I have all the time in the day to play with beads, but don't really feel like doing anything. Isn't that the way it always goes! Hope to see some old and new friends in Cromwell, CT next weekend.

Stupid is as stupid does

I'm not sure what that idiom really means, but it seems to fit my current situation. I was at the gym on Friday morning (how noble of me) when, during an exercise, my foot slipped and I ended up with a sprained (I think) ankle. So now I'm living on Percoset and trying to walk with crutches. Making beads is not in my near future! I went to the emergency room on Friday and was in the waiting room surrounded by 3 kids who had various injuries sustained at recess and gym class. And then there's me. I have a splint on my leg and have to keep my foot up with ice on it. Oh well, I'll veg out with Lifetime movies (which all belnd together when you've been watching them for 3 days straight. Hope to be at a bead show soon (minus the crutches)

Home with beads!

Mardi Gras was fun, but tiring. We spent hours walking, people watching and catching beads.

It's exciting to spend 5 days with people whose main goal is collecting as many beads as possible. (kind of like a bead show but at Mardi gras you never quite know which beads you'll get next) And let's not forget, the beads are all plastic and most strands are purchased by the gross. And the trading that goes on, between old friends and new acquaintances because the goal is not only to collect beads, but to have as many different kinds as possible. Hope to see many of you this weekend in Syracuse. Stay warm!!!!!

Mardi Gras!

I'm getting ready to spend 5 days in the great city of New Orleans celebrating Mardi Gras. We have a group of 18 people going. The friend who organized this trip also planned 4 meals for us to enjoy while we're there - a private dinner at the St. Louis Hotel, breakfast at Brennan's, brunch at the Court of the Two Sisters (is there irony here), and dinner at Bayonna. In between meals, I'll be catching (hopefully!) beads. It's all about the beads!!!!!!
Denise will be doing the show in Fishkill with mom and I'll see you in Syracuse.

Beads, beads and more beads

Denise and I are busy making lots of new beads for our upcoming shows in Newark and Clarksville. It seems like life is spinning very fast right now (in many good ways) but bead making time has seriously been missing. When I was teaching full time I dreamed about the many hours I could devote to bead making after I retired. Where did those hours go? I can't figure it out. Hope to see many of you over the next 2 weekends! Keep beading!

Baltimore Bead Society

We're sitting in the Holiday Inn the night before the Baltimore Bead Society show begins. We're all set up for the show and can't wait for it to begin tomorrow (Denise already spotted some things she wants to buy in the morning). Mom's with us - she's also ready to go shopping. At shows we lose Mom for hours at a time as she wanders around making sure she sees everything. The highlight of the weekend will be ordering out for dinner Saturday (you don't want to know all the junk we ate for dinner Friday night). Hope to see many of our friends and fellow beaders over the weekend. Stay warm - if possible and keep beading.

Good bye puppies

Johnson and Frank are going home today and I'll be getting my life back. This past week has been an awakening for me. I have been taking my freedom to do what I want for granted. After wrapping my life around two puppies for the last eight days, I am looking forward to being free again. On the other hand, I'm very proud of the puppies and all I've taught them in the last week. Not only are they "potty trained" but they both come when I call them by name and respond to the command "sit" (at least for a little while). It's been fun and stressful at the same time, but now I seriously need to get back to bead making. The Baltimore Bead Society show begins in nine days and I have lots of new beads in my head - I just need to translate them into glass. I'm looking forward to our first show of the new year. See you soon!

Johnson and Frank

Johnson and Frank are my daughter's new puppies. Miniature dachshunds. They're staying with me for a week so I can try to paper train them. They're about 4 pounds apiece and will grow to about 8 pounds apiece. I'm not a fan of little dogs, but these guys are impressing me with their intelligence. Of course, they're a 24-7 job so I have not been near my studio since last Wed. They'll be leaving Thurs. night so hopefully I'll have a lot of time to make beads this weekend. I totally forgot how much effort you have to put into training a puppy and two is much more than double the effort. I'll try to get a better picture of them, but they don't stand still too often.