3 days with my Dad!

My Dad says, "I'm an old 82 year old" I said, "not yet - you have 2 months until you are 82"! I stayed with him for a few days and during that time he wanted me to take him over to Janet's house to see the project Wayne has been working on. So Kriselle says, "drive down the right side of the garage and through the gate to the backyard, that way Grandpa won't have to walk so far to see." I'm thinking that sounds good - so down the side yard I go, over the grass and through the gate around a bend and up to the new cement slab for the shop. At that exact moment I remembered I hate to drive backwards, I just can't seem to do it. And we are in a bit of a tight squeeze and we are in my new Honda. I don't want it stratched or bumped because I couldn't back up. Just as the panic in rising in my throat, Dad says, "well turn around then". It took me a good 7 backups and then go forwards until I got the car turned around. It would have been easier to just have backed out of the yard! We gently nudged every pile of dirt and debris and car parts as I tried to turn around. Honda's do turn around in a pretty smally area! As we go into the house (I with my heart still pounding and Dad still laughing) Kriselle says, "Do you want to go see the project in the back yard?" Yeah funny!

The pictures below are of my Dad's home in Richfield and what his view looks like from his front yard in two directions. The red hills of Richfield!

Thanks to Kelly and Coleton for their pictures also. Wednesday was the end to all our vacations - back to the big city and I with a load of new papers to make beads with! I figure I have about 2000 beads that needs to be dipped in polyacrylic tomorrow.

27th of July - summer is on the way out

I always have figured that summer was really only from the 4th of July until the 24th of July. Prior to that we are just warming up to summer and after the 24th it is downhill until the start of school and summer is over. So we're on the downhill!

Martha, who commissioned me to make a love note necklace for her niece (who is getting married) sent me a picture she took of the necklace. I didn't have time to get one myself. So that is what the picture above is. You can't really read it too well but every bead says: Christina loves Eric. They are all in different pastel colors. It is really fun! Martha says her niece screamed when she saw it! Cool!

I'm off to see my father tomorrow so maybe I will report from the small central Utah town that he lives in! I'm also on a "unique paper" quest. Got to make more beads and necklaces, my inventory is getting very low and I have three large events coming up.

Way hot temperature-wise at the People's Market today but I SHOOK THE HAND OF THE MAYOR OF SALT LAKE! no, it really is true. Mayor Ralph Becker shook my hand and said, "Remind of your name!" I know you are stunned but it is not so amazing since I had him as a teacher for at class at the University of Utah while working on my Master degree in Education. Yes, I reminded him I DID pass the class! He is an Environmental lawyer! We need more science minded people in politics! Anyway, I won't wash my hand for a few days!

I was thrilled to talk to the German lady who has bags of cloth material at home. She ask if she could pick out some of her favorite cloth and have me make a necklace for her out of it! Humm... let me think - HECK YES! I love doing that! We have a date next Sunday!

I've been tagged - 6 quirky things I do?

SEE TIGERS PLAYING 'TAG, YOU'RE IT' -->

Lisa! You know more about me than everyone in the world except maybe for Terry and my friend Jo-Lynne (who is in Utah right now visiting from her home in New Zealand). And funny thing is, when she introduced me to her new hubby she says, "Hun, she's a counter too". (not a counter as in countertop but as in 1-2-3-etc)

So...

1. I count everything and it drives me nuts. My husband said one day "you are not a counter otherwise you'd know how many steps there are going downstairs" Before he got the whole world 'stairs' out of his mouth I said, "13". He stared blankly at me, I'm not kidding.

I told Jo-Lynne's hubby I had 189 more days of work before retirement and he laughed.

(by the way, Lisa, do you know how addicting those little charts are that tell exactly how old your girls are? I've been know to watch it to see if it changes right at 12:00 midnight or not)

2. I make up elaborate things to do to stop myself from counting. Like I will repeat one number several times to on purpose to mess up my counting so I have to say, "oh well, you've messed up now so you better just stop!"

3. I've just realized this year that I have a very extensive phone phobia. I can't get myself to call people if I think about making the call much at all. I get cold sweats, stomach ache, and very agitated trying to decide if I should or should not call someone. I have to just go do it and not think about it - but that is not as easy as it sounds.

4. I have to do things immediately or I'm afraid I will forget to do it. I sent in my sales tax form after the first day at the People's Market only to find out that it was the only form they were going to give me and I was to send it in AFTER I finish all my days there! Oops. I also am perpetually early to appointments - embarrisingly early sometimes.

5. I don't like to walk on my carpet if I just put lotion on my feet. I have to take shoes to the bathroom so as I finish one foot I can slip on my shoe.

6. I have to eat the most curly end of a tortilla chip first. And the worst of all, bad enough that I have to do a #7:

7. I can not continue working on a necklace made of beads, if I drop one - I have to get down on my knees, usually with a flashlight, and search the floor until I find the little bugger. If I can't find it, I can eventually stop and get back to work but I remember! and even days later when I stumble upon it, I check it off that little list I have made in my mind, "OK, that one is accounted for!" I say to myself. I can't remember a phone number any more but I know all the beads I have dropped!

Ok, Lisa and all else reading this. Now you have to consciously start see all the other weird quirks you have and report 6 NEW ONES next month!

Smelled like Rain this morning

What a spectacular morning today was! I love the smell of rain, maybe it is the smell of wet rocks that I like. When I was very young I would suck on small pebbles to try and get that taste off of the rocks... Ok, enough self disclosure!
There was a 30 % chance of rain at the People's Market last Sunday, but we lucked out - no rain. Or maybe we didn't because it was quite muggy. Hot and muggy is not a good combination. A great day however. I have to thank Martha for the opportunity to make a "love note" necklace for her niece for her wedding. Martha typed the phrase; "Christina loves Eric" in very small type, and in lots of pastel colors and then emailed it to me asking to make a rolled paper necklace out of the phrases. It was in a smiliar style to my nieces "love note" necklace (pictured in the previous blog) using tube shaped beads. I also added 6mm bicone Swarovski crystals (in pastel colors) to the necklace. I randomly placed three Swarovski crystals on each of the 5 strands of the necklace. It looked beautiful and so romantic! Sorry I didn't have time to get a picture. I barely finished late Saturday night so I could give it to Martha at the People's Market. Martha said she'd try and get a picture and send it back to me. Anyway - Have a great wedding day Christina and Eric! Also have a happy adventure through life together!
Wonderful food at the People's Market and not as hectic and crowded as the Farmer's Market at Pioneer Park on Saturdays! Really! I'm not kidding - you should come because you can also walk through the International Peace Garden after a tour of the market. Today's picture is from the Peace Garden!

And... International Peace Garden is having a big celebration on August 16th (Saturday) with Speakers, music and dancing, international food booths and boutique items! From 12:00 noon to 5:00pm. 1060 South 900 West in SLC. I think the garden is one of the little known best secret places of Salt Lake City!
I can't wait to see Jo-Lynne this week. She and her new hubby are flying in to Utah from their home in New Zealand for a visit. Jo-Lynne, my youngest sister, and I all went to Italy on vacation in 1994. She is like my best friend forever and I can't wait to catch up on all the news!

Selle's Love note Necklace Set

I had my Grand niece and nephew write something to their mom. Kelly wrote, "I love you Mom, Kelly 8". Coleton wrote his name and the number 5 for his age. I carefully cut those words out making each word into a paper bead. On one strand of the five strand necklace, I put the beads "Kelly" and "8". They are in dark blue in the inner strand. In a middle strand on gray and black paper are the beads "Coleton" and "5". Then on the lowest strand again in blues are four final beads: "I" "Love" "you" and "Mom".

The rest of the beads turned out to be very fun. They are cut from several different kinds of discarded security envelopes like from bank statements. The reason I used them was, 1. I needed to match the colors of the papers the kids chose to write on for their Mom. I didn't want to dictate any colors. 2. I've always wanted to try security envelopes and thought they'd look a lot like Chinese porcelain beads and they do! I varied the length so that the kid's note beads would look more natural amongst them.

I used: nearly 200 silver colored metal daisy spacers, about 200 Czech Seed Beads 6/0 'Witches Brew' Black & Iris Mix, 93 Swarovski 4mm crystals of the color, "Glacier Blue", 3 security envelopes, about 1 cup of poly acrylic finish and necessary beading wire, clasps, crimps, etc. to finish the set. But, as they say in the commercials, "PRICELESS".

July 14, 2008 Mammogram, Bone Density day - wahoo.

I'm not sure humble is the word to use after a mammogram. What is it about that procedure that is so *&)%+ uncomfortable? Is uncomfortable the correct word to use? Mortified is a bit closer... But then again I like the word disfigured also. But my experience is over for another year! YEAH!
July 13th People's Market - a lot more vendors! A lot more visitors! But no Native American dancers. But, like oh my heck (yes, born and raised in Utah) "Big John's Cajun Barbeque" was to die for! I usually don't partake of the food at the Market. Why? Humm.... I guess I don't want to be stuffing my face just as that millionaire fashion guru chooses that exact moment to step up to my booth and offer to buy my complete inventory! It could happen! I just hate wrestling with food and trying to talk to people - ugly stuff stuck in your teeth, goobers running down your face and shirt... but you HAVE to come and try Big John's food - I was like in hog heaven for a few moments!
I also finally broke down and bought a gorgeous mosaic flower pot from my friend Debbie. She'll be back later on this summer with her "Smashing Art".
I'm working on a "Love note necklace" for my OTHER NIECE with a HOLE in her HEART!!!!
I have Swiss cheese for relatives! My necklace partner and Embracelets owner will now be having her heart repaired like her older sister - so her two beautiful children wrote notes for her and I'm making it into a necklace. I'll post a picture as soon as it is done. I'm using security envelopes to make the necklace out of - there is hidden meaning in using that paper.

July 7, 2008 - New Cement and another day at the People's Market

The first two photos are of my new cement driveway and front walkway. We are SO fancy now! I actually have two cement front porch steps like fancy people on the East side of town! (our temporary front step only lasted 10-11 years. Thank goodness it was just temporary!)

The July 6 People's Market was the best yet! Tons of people visited (but less vendors came) and bought better than ever before. But the highlight of the day had to be the Aztec dancers. Those are the other picture, you thought I just wanted to show the orange port o'potties didn't you!

The costumes are fantastic but my favorite was a little boy (about 4 years old) who danced his little heart out and won the admiration of everyone watching. He was dancing next to what I would guess was his mother. His Dad (just guessing) was carefully making sure there were no sharp sticks in the grass around where his family was dancing. They danced one dance then some females of the group picked out some of the better dancers who got to go to a center circle and dance. This little guy was picked to go to the center and he was so thrilled and kept turning around to wave to his Mom. He danced with such concentration and exaggeration that he had two of us post-menopausal women crying! My video part of my camera didn't seem to work but with the two pictures you can at least see how decorative the dancers were and the little boy next to his kneeling Mother! Oh, my little booth again with the new "recycled" sign had to have a picture taken also.

News flashes:

I've been invited to participate in the "Rocky Mountain Art and Antiques Show" at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City on November 14, 15, 16th. The promoter who approached me said my work looks more like art to her than just jewelry so would I please consider doing a booth! Now that is a compliment! I think I'll do it!