It's TURKEY DAY!

With wishes for peace and offering you blessings and feeling much gratitude; I say Happy Thanksgiving! Love, Lois

Bellevue Bead Festival

I probably will not get a chance to add to my blog tomorrow as I must dash around and pack clothes, knitting, sketchbook, journal and novel all for the 2 days I will be in Bellevue. I swear that it takes me more time to pack what I want to do in my free time than it takes to pack my clothing! This is the first year for this festival and with all the gloom and doom surrounding our economy; I am not sure what to expect. I do know that we must love and care for one another, convey that to all around us and treat each customer as my friend and co conspirator. I approach everything I do in my life with passion and love and I want even a customer who spends 50¢ to know that. I will have fun and be surrounded by beads, gorgeous beads, friends and my little family. See you on Monday! xo, Lois

This Morning

The sight of Swarovski crystals all nestled into their trays is a beautiful thing to see! Yum!
Jacob woke me up early today by dashing into my room and saying," Get up Mom, you have got to see the sky! It's beautiful! "
So I threw on my robe and went out onto the porch and the sky WAS beautiful! It was an amzing array of pinks, reds, azures, turquoises and blues. Jacob said it was the prettiest sky he had ever seen in his entire life! I loved the sky but mostly I loved that Jacob was excited about nature and the sky and beauty to tell me! I think he is a pretty amazing boy!

I went outside tonight, just a few moments ago, and looked to the stars in the sky for answers to questions I did not even know that I had posed. The air is turning cold, crisp and I know it is probably a longing on my part, but I swear that I smell snow on the wind. I love snow and the feeling of being snuggled at home although that is sometimes far from the reality.

I had a great birthday day and received a camera from Phil so that I could begin to photograph jewelry and create my etsy site! I am excited at the prospect. I also did a major splurge ( it was time for me to do my part and stimulate the economy ) and ordered some paints that Kathy D recommended. I can hardly wait to try them out. I feel paintings already swimming in my head and I am promising new pictures to my blog with the NEW camera.

In honor of the gorgeous sequins hanging in the sky tonight; I lead with this photo of one of my sterling stars. I have always looked to the heavens for answers and guidance!

Say it's my birthday! I wanted to stay awake tonight so that I could post in the first few moments of the beginning of my 52nd year! I am most grateful to have had 52 years and am looking forward to another 52, good Lord willing. I am pleased with my graying hair, my slightly deeper smile lines and I like to think that I am moving forward in this part of my life with a good dose of me and still learning new things. I love being alive and am totally, wonderfully in love with life! Cheers!

Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State in the Obama administration?! I could not be more excited and I know the country will be in good hands. She is one smart and wise woman! Somedays the news feels good and I do not have to be depressed about watching it on TV. I am a big newspaper fan and that is probably because I can CHOOSE what news enters my life and thoughts. Now it is my most sincere wish and prayer that the war ends! Peace.

Oh my good golly!!! I DID IT!!! I saved a picture from my email and then pasted it here with Andrea's help. I am so bursting with computer skills and pride at this moment that my office can not contain me! Of course, this feeling will only last as long as the next time I cannot figure out how to do something and once again I want to toss the computer across the room!

In the meantime, here is my ad for the Bead & Button issue that will come out in time for the Tuscon shows. I really like the yellow color and the drawings I did that they scanned into my ad. Very smugly I say Good night and thanks Andrea! xo, Lois

/Users/philragsdale/Desktop/wynwood.pdf

Another fabulous picture from the Portland Bead Society show. This is Lisa of Zizzyzaza Beads and Theresa of Treasures by T. When the three of us are together, our humor is wicked and knows no bounds. Geez, we have a great time! More from the next show soon! Lois

A Quote

This is a very apt and true quote that I found on another blog. I really like it so I thought that I would share it with you. Today finds it very wet and still balmy here in beautiful PT. I find myself having to do some paperwork ( sigh ) and getting must do's out of the way before I can hit the studio. I am personally feeling much happier and brighter since I vanished negative speaking and negative thoughts from my life and mind. Or rather, I should say am trying to bannish. It is way more difficult than I thought plus, I am trying not to become a simple minded Pollyanna. We shall see if this journey is a good one. Perhaps I shall write more later today! I am feeling energetic! Go Lois, go Lois, go Lois.....

The annual shop sale is over and the interior of my store is nearly put back together. It was great fun and so nice to see everyone in spite of the blowing rains and howling wind. We can't complain too much about the weather though; it has been pretty balmy with temps in the mid 50's all the way up to 60 one day! Gasp - and it is November!

Tomorrow is a work all day or rather a play day for me at the shop. I want to do some sprucing up before the big Turkey Day. It's hard to believe that it is nearly mid November with Thanksgiving rapidly approaching and Christmas not too far behind.

Finished a really nice story early this morning around 4 am. A work of fiction titled THE SINGLE WIFE. Very good read and so well put together, it was hard to believe it was the author's first novel.

Off to dreamland for me this evening. Lois

Finally!

This wraps up today's blog entries as I must dash about like a mad woman and get ready for our annual bead shop sale. I hope everyone's spirits are lifted after the election and that they will shop with joy and abandon. Much love, Lois This is the delightful Ms. Cox who was my neighbor in Portland. I wish we had more time to get to know each other because she was terrific even if we did covet her table! We really liked her beads and I hope we are next to each other sometime soon.
Peter and kelly from San Francisco Arts & Crafts have been in the business just a shade longer than me and we have a great time yacking at the shows. It is amazing to me how well you can get to know people when your conversations are limited to a few moments between customers.
Carol from Montana Reflections has the best nose for finding really cool beads considering she is pretty much in the middle of nowhere!
Donna Ballard and her husband, Leonard from Not Just Beads at the same show. Donna does amazing lampworked beads and I am pleased to carry them in my shop. I can't say too much right now though as it could spoil Christmas gifts for friends!
THis is my friend Ed from Empyrean Beads at the Portland show. I just love spending time with him and talking about beads and business. He has a great sense of humor!
I do not know if it is just me or this damn dinosaur of a laptop but it has taken me nearly an hour to sign into this account! Why oh why, does a comapny that provides a service like this blog, not make it easy to contact them for help? I would even pay if I could get the necessary advice. Oh well, on that bitter and sour note I begin this blog a new with todya's post!

A NEW DAY FOR AMERICA!

I am hopeful and smiling and dreaming and praying for a better day, a better life for America and all her citizens. I feel good that Obama won the presidency this day and after listening to his inspiring speech tonight, I can't help but feel that I am listening to my generation's John F. Kennedy. I will move into tomorrow with a lighter heart, a happier soul and hope for my family, the country, the world and our precious environment. God bless us all! Tomorrow IS a new day!