I am, most likely, the very worst person to give advice on how one should deal with life.  My self preservation techniques involve crawling inside myself and not coming out.  Evidence of my mental and emotional hermiting (not a real word) are illustrated by my complete withdrawal from the relationships that mean the very most to me. 

I’m elated for a change in seasons.

I’m dreading the summertime — not the actual season — but the change that comes with the absence of RW.  Lately, the very thought of Robert starting his fire season in May has made me skitter out of the light and into the dark corners of my being.  One of the reasons I married RW is because he has the ability to draw me out, to soften me when I’ve turned sharp.  He has the strength, grace and gentleness to draw me out, draw me out and then temper me.

He has to fight fire this summer.

That’s a fact.  That’s his job.

But between he and I, there’s no need for self preservation.  No need at all.

So I’ve clambered up and out of myself and back into the light.  I’m clinging to every single second I have with him between now and May and I’ll be thankful for the 10-or-so days I’ll have him home this fire season to share the fruit our gardens produce, to picnic in the hills, to fly fish on the South Fork…

The trip I took to Chicago served these purposes:

*to see and comfort my dearest of friends

*to take myself away from my work and my regular life

*to sleep in

*to treat myself to strolling and coffees and sketching and singing

*to not work

*to allow myself to come up and out my hiding space

I never told you about the resolution I made in January for 2009:

Loving my work is not a difficult thing.  To create, free of stress, is difficult.  It requires being in my own space always.  It requires separation and isolation from the influence of the work of other jewelry artists (I need this, you may not).  I need to exist in a Noisy Plume bubble which isn’t to say that I don’t take time to enjoy social interaction with others as well as interacting with the world outside my yard.  Additionally, I need to feel very free to explore any idea that pops into my mind involving stones and metal.  I love my work today, as always; for the first time in weeks, I’m feeling stress.  Drat.  

With all our company gone from Plume Gables now, their presence a simple happy memory, and with Robert pulling me out of my hiding place and into the light,  I’m taking the time to draw a hot bath tonight with a book and a glass of wine at hand.  I plan to fall back into my work tomorrow morning free of the tension that stress brings.  

This has nothing to do with you.  

This has everything to do with how I live my life and how I react to everything that comes my way.  

I’m going to smarten up and fly right.

What do you do when you feel stress building knots in the back of your neck, when the tension pools behind your eyes and you simply do not know what to do with yourself at any given moment during the day? 

Hmmmm?

In other news: 

[Montana agate, orange agate beads, sterling silver]

[Peruvian pink opal, one lone tulip & sterling silver]

[yellow opal & sterling silver with domed detail]

[tiffany stone from Utah & sterling silver]

[Clipper Necklace:::rutilated quartz & sterling silver on a really clever chain]

These will be in the shop today!

[A rhodonite & sterling silver slice of prairie heaven.  This ring design features a 9 piece wheat motif.  In case you’re behind on the times, wheat is the new pink.  For those of you who are behind in the times and still like pink, this ring has pink too.  Actually, who am I kidding?  Pink is the best.]

AND FOR THE RECORD:  Rhodonite is the stone of all stones, for me, this year.

[A sassy knuckle ring composed of sterling silver & imperial jasper…this ring is haunted.]

[Super snazzy ocean jasper in spruce green with creamy orange orbs set in a leafy bright sterling setting.  OUCH.  It’s so pretty it accosts my gaze.]

I should have the Etsy shop open for business tomorrow ensuite the departure

of the parental unit AND after I return from classes in the morning!

I’ll see you then!

Well here it is, Tuesday, and I’m finally ready to update the shop!  It’s been a struggle making things this week with a serious shortage of sterling silver here at Plume Gables.  I’ve got my fingers crossed that my material shipment will arrive today (I’m getting a finger cramp, they’ve been crossed for a few days now) and I’ll be able to tie up the last of the loose ends before I leave for Chicago tomorrow (YAY).  Yesterday consisted of finishing up projects that I’ve had on my studio bench for months, the results are pretty and will be high-heeling their way to the Etsy shop in just a few minutes!

Among the pretties is this fantastic knuckle ring composed of petrified wood (in beautiful springy hues) and sterling silver.  It bridges three fingers and is sassy as can be!

I’ve also got some charming little necklaces for you as well as another ring that I think you’ll be smitten as kittens with.

It dumped snow here yesterday.  We woke up to a quiet blanket of the white stuff and so it’s back to wool socks and layered bundling.  DRAT.  I was ready for flirty skirts and flippy-doos.  Oh spring, I know you’re just playing hard-t0-get, but I’m not going to give up on you anytime soon!  I’ve got perseverance and faith that you’ll come around to stay!

and I’ll see you all when I come home!

Tail feathers and windy wings,

(INCLUDING RINGS FOR PEOPLE WITH SHORT METACARPALS) 

(OOH YEAH.  I BET YOU GIRLS DIDN’T THINK I’D BRING IT THIS FAST ).

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I’ve been wearing bright blue, pink and magenta for the past 3 days straight.

It’s because it is spring that I choose to dress like a flower.

I am heliotrophic after all.  

I turn my face towards the sun.

I walked home from classes this morning and felt bathed in peace.  The sun was bright and strong.  I hardly needed my jacket at all.  I crossed the overpass that spans 24 sets of train tracks, in the distance the mountains were cloaked in a fine haze and the pigeons on their roosts cooed at me as I sauntered past.  My creek was flowing fast.  The mountains shone bright in the strong spring light.

The days grow longer.

My soul grows brighter.

I want to push myself up out of the sleepy earth, dressed in frilly yellow petticoats and blink happily in the bliss of this new season.

Oh me oh my,

I’ve got spring fever and wings on my heels.

I always said that when IT occurred, I’d faint from the surprise and delight of it!  

Well, here’s what happened:

A total stranger walked up to me last night while I was out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with friends at a local-beer-serving-establishment.  Here is the conversation that ensued:

She:  Do you make jewelry?

Me:  Um.  Yes (surprised that a total stranger is asking me such a question).  Did I meet you at the show I did at First Friday?

She:  No.

Me:  Oh.  I’m sorry.  How do you know of me?

She:  Oh my boyfriend randomly purchased me a ring by you last year and I found your blog and I recognized you.  I love the ring!

Me:  (in my head I’m screaming because FINALLY I have bumped into a total stranger, rather randomly, who owns a piece of my jewelry).  Yay!

This probably does not seem like a big deal to you but for me it’s a HUGE deal!  I’ve been hoping and wishing and dreaming of and for the day when I’d see a piece of my jewelry on a perfect stranger while out and about in the world and it finally happened and let me tell you, it was very satisfying.

RW is whipping up a scrumptious stir fry so I’m off to twizzle some noodles.  

Tweet-a-leet,

I’m glad to say it’s been quite the day!

The clock is striking 5 o’clock here at Plume Gables and I’m finishing work for the day and about to go for a ramble with RW and the poochies–smoochies.  Before I attend to my evening activities, I’d like to give you a look at the items I finished today:

A five piece, hand pierced pendant featuring sterling silver, 14 karat gold and ocean jasper.  I don’t know what to say about this necklace except that I had the stone in my pocket this morning while at coffee and so I started sketching designs and I came up with a tree design that sprouts from the stone.  VERY unusual and one hundred percent MINE.  My favorite aspect of this piece is the fact that the ocean jasper orbs seem to look somewhat like tree rings on the cross section of a stump.  So, I like to think that this is a mighty live oak rising up from the detritus of the forests of old.

Oui oui?

For quite a stint now, I have been obsessed with finding ways, delicate ways, detailed ways to set my work apart from the plethora of other stuff on Etsy.  Embellishing ring bands is a healthy and practical obsession and my bands have been so pretty lately that I can’t help but show you the back and front of things!  I know that there’s hardly such a thing as a healthy addiction or obsession (in most cases) but I surely would love to hear about your healthy addiction.

Right now.