Tonight I was going to write about Phil's doctor visit and how I think that this is the beginning of many more doctor visits but I decided, who wants to know that? Aren't we all in God's hands and no amount of talking about all my worries ( Phil does not seem to be worried - just very tired ) will change anything. I am going to try and live by that old Shaker saying, " Let go, Let God ". I think I will see how that works!

Anyhow these pictures are of my front porch and the terrific job this hosta is doing of blooming. Isn't it pretty? Not to mention big! Since it was in a flower pot; it was even protected from our gazillions of slugs! Off to dreamland and my new mantra, " let go, let God ". swak, Lois

Part 1 A Rainy FINALLY Sunday!

So far on this wet Sunday; I have made many stretch bracelets for my shop. Customers love them, the price is a true bargain and my imagination roams free while I use up odds and ends of glass beads. Here is just one bracelet for now. Maybe another note later, Lois

I Give Up!

I tried, believe me, I tried to get the duplicate photo off this blog entry but I just can not do it! I either delete the wrong picture or add more or maybe the dang thing is just possessed! And I need a new camera; this one that I found a year ago in the street is just sooooo.... needs replacing! Oh well, next time. Lois

Like Greased Lightening!

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This kitten moves so fast - it is like trying to catch lightening with your hands and just as dangerous! HA HA, Lois

Yesterday

I was going to post last night but after my first L-O-N-G day at work since Phil had his kidney stone last week; I was just too tired! But .... I wanted to write down some marvelous things about yesterday.

First a customer that has been shopping with me for all 16 years I have had the shop and is now an old bent man stopped in to have me make up a pair of lapis earrings for him and when I told him the charge was $ 1.65, he gave me a ten and said keep the chnage. When I protested he said I've got it now you get it!

Then my friend Marlene stopped in for a visit and ending up bying me lunch after a great conversation. What a treat! A little bit later a customer stopped in with her husband, they have actually been customers for many years and we had time to talk. It turns out that her brother, who recently passed away much too young, was someone I always regarded as a hero for my family and me. Years ago, maybe 1989, during a horrendous storm in Port Townsend, when I lived with my ex husband at Beckett Point; our cousin's bulkhead at the cabin next door washed out during the storm surge. If we could not get heavy equipment in there to put in some rip rap; we would have lost our home. All the local contractors said no, including Jerry. When things became even more bleak, I called him back to ask why and that's when he admitted he needed a babysitter, his wife went shopping. So I said, I'll be right over. Wait, he said, I don't know you! Yes, I said, you do because you have known my inlaws forever and went to school with my then husband. He said ok and we switched places and he did the work and saved our home! My hero! When I told his sister this story yesterday, she cried a bit and said he was her hero,too! That absolutely made my heart swell! We grasped hands and were instantly bonded in our love and admiration for Jerry!

Finally, Jim from Ichikawa, called. ( It's the best japanese restaurant ever !) and asked if I would be around for a couple of hours. I said sure so about 3 hours later he comes to the shop with a bag of bottle caps he'd saved for me and sushi with grilled prawns! I gave them to poor, stuck at home Phil and he lapsed into a coma from how delicious they were!

All in all, this is a long post especially without pictures but it was such a sweet. loving, wonderful day. Ahhh, makes a girl glad to be alive! with love, Lois

Oh That Jacob!

I couldn't resist swiping this photo of Jacob kayaking with Andrea from her blog and posting it here. Jacob looks so sweet, smug, happy and excited to be kayaking. I know he was worried about his dad so this was a great relief to have Andrea take him for the day. Thanks girlfriend!! Lois

Recuperating!

This is a photo of Phil recuperating and resting in my studio. I could have him near me and still work. He almost looks comfortable!

Our lawn was definitely getting over grown. In our area, the grass stops growing as soon as we get warm dry days and these yellow flowers come up everywhere. Our yard was a beautiful, waving sea of yellow! The leaves on this flower-weed stay green and the yellow flower face closes up tightly as soon as dusk comes. I know it isn't a lawn in the traditional sense but I just love it! Good night now! Lois

Phil's Home!

It is amazing to me that the hospitals can perform major surgery and then manage to send you home 7 hours later! We didn't think that Phil would be able to come home as we couldn't get his temperature down. Finally, he was so crabby that the hospital hung another bag of antibiodics on his IV and when it was done sent him home. He actually ate a popsicle and has been sleeping ever since. He has a tube in his body about 3 feet long exiting in a medium size snap on his side. Ick! It is in for 10 days and he is out of commission for all of those days. The doctor, Dimitri, a russian immigrant that only goes by his first name, said he could sit and tube beads only! He said when this is all done and the tube is removed; we can go to a vascular surgeon for the AAA.

Some people do not like our PT hospital but I like the smallness of it, the fact that I know many people there and that I can count several nurses, the anesthesioligist, the cleaning women, the cafeteria ladies and some of the ER staff among my firends and customers. It was so quiet to this non patient, non medic person today. And the views! Looking over the water filled with sailboats and the ferry today was spectacular. A priceless view and surely the best in town.

I am so glad he is home and feeling better. Maybe even I will get some sleep tonight! Grace abounds, Lois

( the stone was huge, we have pictures of it inside him being nearly half the size of my thumb and surprisingly tulip shaped. Beauty in a very weird place. )

Boy! I thought I was stressed then...

It must be in the moons or heavens for me but now Phil is in the hospital with a BIG kidney stone. The good part of this story or the lucky part; is that he had a CT scan that picked up that he has an AAA, an abdominal aortic anueryism. ( spelling? ) It can be fatal but we do not know much about his except that he needs to see a vascular surgeon. evidently it is common in men of a certain age. I do not find that thought comforting. I am on my way back to the hospital to keep him company or rather watch him sleep. Yep, it stresses me. Yep, it worries me. Guardian angels abound though because we would have missed the AAA without that CT scan! Please send my Phil a good thought! ==Lois

Beads in an Art Way

I met this interesting and professional photographer at my shop today and we had an interesting and brief conversation about
beads as an art form in pictures. Taking pictures of beads up close abstracts them and makes them have an element of fine art composition about them. So in the spirit of fine art; I am posting a few pictures of beads as art! Enjoy! Lois

Before I head to work ....

Here are photos of the latest edition to our family, Milagro, a 4 month old little boy kitten. Jacob earned enough money at the bead show in Tacoma to pay for him. He has a long nose, lots of personality even if a bit gassy and we just love snuggling with him!

He will make a great companion to Shelby and Sally-Ally in the newly built cat house! Now, I must dash off to work! have a wonderful day! Lois

Chuck and Helene

Chuck and Helene visited from Hawaii! their visit was only one day and much too short but it was great to see them and they even said we could come back to Hawaii in January for the Whole Bead show! What do you think Lita?

We had a fabulous lunch here in PT at the Silverwater Cafe and a stroll around town in absolutely beautiful weather. Next time they will stay longer and we can go the rainforest, Hurricane Ridge, Ediz Hook and more!

What a fun day! xxoo, Lois

Is it me or the ancient beloved MAC but somewhere I lost the photos I meant to publish in the other blog posting. Sigh ... one of these days I may get good at this stuff. What a scary thought!! xxooo, Lois

Home Again Safe, Crazy Tired with 1003 things to do

After a relatively quick drive home from Tacoma, we are in the process of tackling all the things that are waiting for us to do. We needto mowthelawnpaintthecathouseunpackthevanpricenewinventorystowtheoldstuffchecktheshopdomailorders...... you get the picture and that list is endless. I never really complain though as I like to be kept busy and thinking.

I met this very interesting and talented woman at Anil Kumar's booth at the PSBF and this necklace she was wearing just knocked me back! It is all 3 dimensional free form peyote stitch and what an art form! It was a masterpiece!

More pictures later but for now just think if you did a piece like this.... Have a great day! Lois

From Tacoma, Washington

Here I am in Tacoma blogging from a strange hotel computer and hearing kids going slightly loud-crazy in the game room next door. I am also writing this or rather typing this on a Dell computer and not my ancient beloved Mac.

I am doing the Puget Sound Bead Festival here and since the show is pretty quiet ( sob! ) I am able to visit with friends and other vendors that I only get to see a few times a year. There is always a silver cloud to every storm.

I am still upset over Michael's last conversation with me but I am making myself a promise that I will try and take a look at his life and see if I can offer him any sage motherly advice on how things could be better. I know that financial troubles can just eat at your soul and muck up your life.

I wonder how amny germy, cruddy fingers have typed on this computer and what strange diseases you can get from grimed up keyboard surfaces? Hmmm... the mind does wander and wonder. Tomorrow I will be home and be able to post a picture or two. Until then, LOis

Oh No!

I can not believe it but my oldest son, Michael called me tonight from West Virgina to say that he thinks he needs to join the military to be able to have ends meet! I am beyond heartsick! What could he be thinking! The military now ... a nice healthy boy-man like him is a perfect candidate to send off to war! A war for what?! Oil! That war has not been worth one life we have spent there! What mother would rejoice at the thought of her child heading to war? Or be thinking of joining the military in a time of war?

Who said life would be easy? He and his girlfriend, three children between them are having a tough time. I honestly do not know anyone in my circle of friends and acquaintances that is not having a difficult time making ends meet and surviving this tough economy. ( Oh wait, I do have one friend who is not struggling but good for he/she. ) What do I say to him? How do I say it? I did not cry over his crib when he was born so sick to see him go off to a needless, lied to about war. God bless the soldiers there now and bring them home soon. Shame on Bush for getting us there and shame on all of us for allowing things to progress this far! I do not want to have this happen! What do I say to him? Yes, I know it is his life but I gave him that life and I can not bear to see him loose or waste it! What do I say and how do I feel from here?

In great angst tonight, Lois

People That I Adore

This is a photo of two people that began as my landlords and became friends. Coila owns the McCurdy building in town and I have an " office/artwork storage " space in her building. I have had this little funky space for probably 20 years?! Keith used to own the James & Hastings Building in town where my shops are located but he had this crazy idea to retire!! First to Costa Rica and then to Panama then to the island of Tobago where he lives in a marvelous home overlooking the water. He would like me to visit but he has big, I mean BIG spiders down there. I do NOT like spiders especially spiders in the same zip code as me! As much as I would like to visit Panama there are plenty of spiders here in my own backyard with out flying halfway down the globe. Just no Keith in the backyard. He has been an invaluable source of business advice for me over the many years I have known him.

We all had a great dinner at my place on Sunday night and Phil made a fabulous pot roast. Good old fashioned cooking! Keith brought ice cream for Jacob who is a bottomless freezer space designed to hold ice cream and Cila came with a special bottle of red wine.

What a great evening! Til next time, Lois

I love working with resins but I have got to say that I have come up with a lot of spectacular failures. The resin was too soft, didn't cure, turned yellow in the oven, whatever and I have beautiful pieces that can never be worn. Oh well, what doesn't discourage me - makes me create again and try over & over.This is a piece that DID work! Yippee! Until tomorrow - xxoo, Lois

Things that Are Pretty

I didn't do too much today; made a few earrings, had dinner with friends, talked a bit on the phone and of course, read the Sunday papers. Having a quiet day made me appreciate all the things about me that are pretty. The lavender in my yard, the soft gray of our cat Sally, the swallows flying outside the new bird house. Here is a found photo of pretty lavender. Lavender helps you sleep so good night all!

The weather outside my window this morning is the kind of day I just love - warm, gray, breezy with the threat of a shower! Wonderful! I think the sun is making an appearance later so that will make all the sun worshippers very happy. I am leaving you with this very brief post and a picture of the victorian building my shop is located in. It is the James and Hastings building built in 1889. We are the entire first floor. I love this building!
Have a terrific day!!!!! Lois

HAPPY JULY 4Th!!!

Here it is already the 4th of July. I love fireworks although I really only watch them from across Beaver Valley or on television. They can be beautiful and certainly I love the sparkles!

I may gripe and complain about our government but I still think the USA is a fine place to be and I remain amazed that the Declaration of Independence was written so long ago with such fortitude and forsight! Have a great time! G'night, Lois

Thunder!

We actually had thunder and lightening tonight for all of 5 minutes but it was pretty exciting! I love thunderstorms; being on the edge of being both scared and thrilled. We had great storms where I grew up back east; it is about the only thing I miss of the east coast. Oh and the fact the that Michael lives in West Virginia and scrapple! Yum! Anyhow, I am wandering off on a tangent here because I really did not have much to say this evening. That's pretty unbelievable!
I am posting a picture of a bracelet from my web site because I just really think the colors in it along with all the silver are rich and delightful! Off to dreamland with me now - Lois