Its the last day of July, 2009.... Where has the year gone?

Time is fleeting..... boy, that is an understatement!

School ended the end of June. My brother, Mark married Claudia on July 2. It was a gorgeous wedding. Just our immediate families. Mother's husband, Mervyn died July 13. We knew he was sick, but it still was a shock. Had Uxbridge Ribfest in July. That was a hoot and the weather was cool, but not too rainy. Attendance was down though.... I think it was the weather. The venue is awesome and the Lion's Club were advertising.


Bilko, our oldest Boston Terrier, is declining. He is totally blind and deaf. When he barks we go see what he is up too. I think he sleeps 22+ hours a day. At least he is still eating and drinking and still likes going outside to do his business! July 20, I noticed he had a bloody eye. I freaked. He had ruptured his eyeball. Dr. Debbie, our vet, was very matter of fact.... even if we could justify the expense of surgery, Bilko probably couldn't handle it. Bil doesn't seem to be in much pain and I just clean the area and Leonard and I both comfort him.


Leonard split and stacked all the wood we have in less than a week. He's my hero!

We have had dismal weather for the last 10 days.... I need sunshine, not clouds. I feel for the farmers around here, the corn is behind and hay doesn't look too good either. Too wet and cool. Sure hope the potatoes aren't rotting! At least it is mainly sunny today. This is Ontario's Civic Holiday weekend. Hopefully we will see some of Leonard's family this weekend.

In two weeks is Art in the Park in Uxbridge. That is always a well run show. I just have to keep working on my rings so that I have a great selection!

That's it for today, the last day of July......

Easter Trip to Columbus, OH April 9-13, 2009

This was the first tree I saw flowering this year! I was absolutely enthralled! Winter has been so long! Down in the Columbus area there were daffodils and flowering trees. I felt like I had gone to heaven!

Then there were the family hi jinks. Mark, Claudia and Sam came up from Indiana and we had a good time. I can't get over how Sam is now a man instead of that boy I saw a year+ ago!

The kids found Easter eggs and we ate well as usual. It was a great time.

Then.... The Next Morning.....

I thought we had enough snow yesterday, then it continued on until the evening. This is what we woke up to this morning: Shoot me, PLEASE! I'm so sick of winter.

This is what the wet snow did to the cedars by the deck: The weather has been so hard on these trees over the years, but they give us privacy on the deck and the birds love them. The robin's have been hanging around in them trying to figure out if they should build a nest or not.

I don't know why they can't figure out a place to nest since they have "location, location, location"! What about the "custom" birdbath we have in the yard: The hose in the bottom left corner is connected to the basement sump pump and the drainage melts the snow. When it pumps the robins stand in the water and take baths. Leonard and I crack up just watching them. Such priceless entertainment.

NOT FAIR! Mother Nature!

Oh Happy Day! The Sun is Shining!

Yesterday it rained and blew for 24 hours straight. I have no idea how much rain we had but it was a lot! Today is gorgeous.

I worked on some projects this morning and took the boys for a small walk in their new "carriage".

Since they are both blind it is hard walking them in strange places and taking them in public. I figure this will solve the problem now. If they don't behave together, Bilko can ride in the carry tray underneath!

I was quite surprised at how well they sat together. I guess they were both glad to be outside and "strolling".

Mordant for Etching

Remember the Mordant for Etching I bought a few weeks ago? No, I haven't tried it yet, but a representative from Grobet, replied to my inquiries since Grobet bought out Dixon. Well here is a bit of what she replied:

This is not an item that we carry any longer. May I ask were you bought it from. The last catalog it shows up in was in 1983. All it said in the catalog was that the solution you have is for etching copper. We have no information on this item.

When I got this reply, I just started laughing.... I'll still try it, but isn't it amazing how long things get pushed back on shelves and storerooms. I guess the moral of the story is: Buyer Beware!

An Example of Laughing with Friends

On Friday, January 2, 2009, I went out with some girlfriends.  I haven't done this in a very long time and.... I had a good time!  I look forward to doing it more often too! 

January is Love Yourself Month!

I was reading Ga'hoole Tree`s blog http://snipurl.com/9kdda  [gahooletreedesigns_blogspot_com]  and saw that January is Love Yourself Month.  I think this is a good idea, but I think EACH month should be Love Yourself Month. 

Why do we beat ourselves up for things out of our control?  I think that all we can do, is do our best and accept and learn from the outcome.  Oh, and Laugh out Loud.  At ourselves, objects, animals.  That`s my goal for this year.  Live, Love and Laugh!

Its Friday, Again!

I’m using Windows Live Writer to prepare this post. 

Home Sweet Home

Since I have nothing stellar to write about at this time, I’m showing an aerial view of where I live…. It is so beautiful in the summer time.  Across the road is the gravel pit and to the east is the swamp.  I sure do like living hear.

Happy New Year!!!!!! It's 2009!

2008 was a blur. It sure has ended on an upward beat. Here's to the future...may it be filled with patience, success, laughter, less stress, good health, family and good friends. I'm ready.

What a Great Day!

Today my friend, Cathy T. and I went downtown Toronto. We had a blast.

The drive down was slushy and it was extremely cold, but the sun was shining and company great. Parking was a breeze since it just wasn't very busy where we were looking/shopping!

I had only one goal. Find ferric chloride to etch copper. Canada and chemicals.... in the States I'd probably be able to find ferric chloride in the corner store, but even The Source I checked didn't have any. Anyway, we stopped at T.G.W. on Victoria St. to check and they said they didn't handle it. Of course I can't go into a jewelry supply without poking around and I found this on a shelf: Mordant for Etching.

I don't have a clue what it is, how old it is or how toxic it is. It says it contains muriatic acid and to chase it down with milk of magnesia should I feel the urge to taste it! I know the company that manufactured it is owned by Grobet, so I sent an email to them asking for information. Time will tell... I also got a sheet of 24 g copper. I would have preferred 22 g, but I take what I can get!

We left the wholesale district and headed over to Queen St. W. and I couldn't believe that Arton was closed. Arton is the candy store of inexpensive findings/beads (cheap and cheerful). We passed up The Beadery since it is just too overpriced and went into Bling Bling. They were having an end of year sale and I picked up some plastic shaped beads that appealed to me for my Little Princess line. Cathy said there was a newer bead store down the the street and we found it.

It is called Bead It and it is a clean/bright shop with the usual fare. I wasn't planning on buying beads... I was on a thwarted quest for ferric chloride... but I had to bring these home. I wanted a strand of every color, but stopped at a strand of hearts and the lemon candies. The hearts are foiled with frit floating on them under a smooth glass cap. I got the burgandy based ones. The lemon squares make me think of Dick and Jane readers, summer days and candy.... How could I leave anything behind that evoked those feelings? LOL Anyway, they are supposedly Italian. In this day and age, I wonder, but the line does have murrini encased in them and they don't "look" Chinese.

Anyway, what a great day to end the year.... shopping for jewelry supplies. Life is good.

Happy Birthday to MEEEE!

Today is my day and I am blowing my own horn! I'm happy and fortunate to be in good health, married to a good man, and have good friends....

I was very lazy and fell back to sleep this morning and woke to the phone ringing.... It kept ringing so I got up to answer and I heard "Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday!!!!" I was pretty foggy and didn't recognize the voice and asked who it was....? "Faye!" More nanosecond head scratching when she said she always wishes everyone happy birthday and since I wasn't at work, she had to call me at home! AWWWWW!!! Lightbulb goes on! It is Faye, one of the super dispatchers from work. Talk about warming the cockles of my little black heart!!!.... What a great way to start out the day...

The rest of the day was spent working on drying out the basement and talking to friends and family. It was a great day.

This picture is of Len and me tonight after coming home from eating fish and chips. Sure did taste good!

I truly am blessed!

Happy 53rd Birthday to me!

My Boys

These are "my boys". Bilko (on the right) was our first. We "inherited" Chance this past May. Someone had dumped him alongside the road and animal control picked him up. I was called since animal control wondered if he was Bilko. Long story short, we got him a week later. I don't think he had a life outside of a crate and the vet thinks he was used for breeding. He was not house trained, marked his territory, hated the crate and fell down the stairs. After two days he could navigate the stairs. Within a month, he was house trained. We had him neutered and the marking stopped. He still hates the crate. We bought him a fancy bed and he'd only sleep in it if I put him in it and went to bed. He had to sleep with us. His idea of sleeping with us is with his head on the pillows between us and Bilko at his feet. We named him Chance, as in "last chance". Animal control would have put him down if we would not have come forward since his manners weren't that wonderful.

Chance learned his name fast. I learned fast not to try to hand feed him. Evidentally food was of utmost importance to him since he would wolf his down and go look for Bilko's. That caused a massive problem.... He started bleeding from the front of his lower gum one day. He bleed for two + days. We thought he was a goner. The vet didn't think he was going to make it either. We still don't know what caused this, but we think he got into some type of poison since he would try to eat anything. He was on steriods for a month and got better. We weaned him off the steriods and the house accidents stopped. We were glad he was alive.

Chance is my dog. I go to the kitchen, he's right behind me. I go downstairs, he's there. I sit here at the computer and he lays on the rug beside my chair. When he goes outdoors he doesn't wander to far from the back step. When I call, he comes.

Chance knows I drive the school bus. He doesn't try to go out with me anymore since he knows I'm coming home. Len says Chance starts barking when I pull up in front of the house and get ready to back in. He is waiting for me at the back door. He is a good dog.

Chance has adapted very well to his new life. He knows how to sit and takes treats without me loosing a finger. He doesn't rush Bilko's food and doesn't always eat all of his in the first minute. The biggest change has been in the car... he gets in and sleeps. Before he'd stand in a corner or try to get under my feet on the driver's side. That has stopped. I don't know what we did before Chance. I don't think Bilko does either. I'm glad he has come into our lives.

Uh-ohhhh

Since I'm of that age of taking nightly trips to the washroom.... I encountered one of my worst nightmares at 4:30 a.m.... flooded basement! For some reason the sump pump didn't come on. I must have jiggled something when I was looking into the hole and it came on... Unfortunately the basement floor isn't level.

I have spent this day mopping and slogging water. The carpet is still wet.... I can only hope that I can extract more water from it tomorrow. I have pains in my body that shouldn't feel like this! LOL

There is no one to blame but myself. I can't even blame it as an "act of God"! I knew it rained inches yesterday and melted feet of snow so I should have checked it before I went to bed, but....

Guess I'm going to get a head start on clearing/cleaning out the basement this week.

If there is an upside to this mess, it is this.... Leonard spent the night at his son's house and I was asked to stay also, but the dogs were home and I didn't want them to be by themselves, so I went home. If we would have come home at 3 p.m. today, OMG! I don't want to think of mess! Nope this post doesn't have anything to do with wire, but it is about living.

The Wheels On The Bus Go Round 'n Round.....

I have acquired my "B" license and am driving a school bus now. I really do enjoy driving and the kids are okay..... LOL One more tool in my tool belt!

"Wonder Woman" Cuffs

These cuffs are made by stitching beads on Stiffy Stuff then sewing them onto a brass cuff along with an ultrasuede backing. I consider it the best of both worlds... sewing and beading. The brown one is 2 inches wide and the brighter one is 1 inch wide.

Some Days Call for a Tiara

I made this piece a few years back... Everyonce in a while I dig it out and wear it. Some people look at me like I've lost my mind... Others just smile.... I think they wish they were less inhibited about what other's think. It makes me feel happy!

Beginning of the Rings

This is the beginning of my rings. I just love wrapping rings. I guess it stems from my childhood... I never had rings and always wanted them. When I was in high school, I must have thought they were too expensive and was too timid to ask: "How much does it cost?" So, I now make inexpensive wrapped rings that make the wearer happy.... at least they make me happy! Yes, I have made rings for all my fingers and toes and then some.... Want to have some adventure in your life? Buy a "fun", "OMG" or "what was I thinkin' " ring.... I can probably fit the bill.... THIS ring is for the conservative minded. I start with non tarnish silver Artistic Wire and 5 mm gold filled filigree beads, 5 mm champagne czech glass beads and jet Swarovski crystals. Then I wrap, twist and curl and VOILE: A ring is produced. Conservative, but fun and sparkly. Watch for more to come....!

Last Flowers of Autumn

September 2008 is almost over and I'm activating my blog again. I'm still building wire jewelery, but I also love silversmithing and am practicing that craft to become more skilled.

Craft Shows and Festivals

A couple weekends ago Leonard and I went to Art in the Park in Uxbridge, ON. For an outdoor show, it is one of the most scenic. The trees are gorgeous and the weather was phenomenal this year too. I enjoyed looking at the different vendors. I bought a fused glass pendant from Judi Waymark of The Glass Garden. I liked her colour combinations and shapes. She has control over the shape of the glass.

We attended Kawartha Arts Festival at the Fenelon Fairgrounds in Fenelon Falls, ON this past weekend. It was another gorgeous day. Most of the art was paintings. A few of the artisans stood out though... One was Victor Lee. He enamels on coins and then puts them in a silver finding. (Lee's Fine Enamel, http://www.eEnamel.com/) Another was Bearpaw Jewellery (http://www.bearpawjewellery.com/). Most of their work was pierced silver designs. Then there was a non jewelry craftsman, William Edwards. He carves pictures and makes photo albums. I liked his work and his attitude. I like happy people.

There are a whole bunch of fairs and studio tours coming up, too. Guess it's that time of year!