Sorting day

So, yesterday, I made great progress tidying my work room.  It started out as a plan to put a bunch of new materials away, and then devolved into fixing my lampwork bead boxes, sorting them by color, separating out the focals, you know, OCD organization. I venture this thought, however.  The items I want the most will still hide from me when I need them.  "It is inevitable," says the Greek chorus in my head.

In the evenings, while watching TV, I have been crocheting a purse for Autumn, and procrastinating on other things.  I do feel a huge creative burst coming on, and all the laziness will be eclipsed by a flurry of projects in several media modes.  Out of the depressive, into the mania, I always say!  Maniacs rule!

Yesterday!

I would never have thought that I could whine about 105 degrees being too cool, but after coming out of the pool yesterday, I was so cold!  The pool has been cool for the last few days because it has only been in the low 100's, during the day, and the low 80's at night.  When I came up out of there into the slight breeze you would have thought I was back in Colorado in January!  Then I came into the air conditioning, and I almost cried.  What a big wimp I am!  I realized that I am now incapable of surviving the cold.  It was bad enough when I was there, but after 11 years in New Orleans, and two here in Phoenix, I give up!

Today I am going to work on straightening out the store room again, and sketch out some ideas for Michelle Mach's Mostly Metal Challenge and a couple of metal clay things that are rolling around in my head. I will post sketches of the metal clay ideas, but Michelle's challenge is going to be secret until it is closer to the due date.  Gotta have some mystery about me, after all!

A Day for Thrones!

I had pre-ordered the new A Game of Thrones sequel, and it came out today.  I fussed with my Kindle so much, in my excited state, I actually have it twice.  LOL!  So today's news banished yesterday's blues!  I also sorted out all the stuff in my storeroom, with Mark's help in shifting boxes around, and assembling plastic storage boxes for small parts.  Tomorrow, the stuff goes in the boxes. Then I can actually begin some new projects without feeling so scattered.  I will try to post pix when I get it into some semblance of order.  Then I have a storage space, a warehouse with the big boxes, a drawing space, a sewing space and a small workbench.  Mark and I will share the power tools and kilns.  They are in his room.  It sounds like a lot of space, but it is a good-sized house, I am a big lady, I have lots of stuff because I have lots of interests, and our kids don't live with us.  So what the heck, no sense in wasting all that space!  Well, I have rambled enough today.  I hope to actually start a metal clay project next week!  It's good to have a goal...

A Monday

Today was Monday all day.  Mark didn't feel well.  I couldn't get organized to do much except read my latest Kindle book selection, The White Queen, by Philippa Gregory, which is hard to put down, and is aiding me in my procrastination and general ennui.  I made a cursory round on a basket I am crocheting, doing some textile work to decorate our new living room when the painting is done.  I played internet games, and was just not too inspired about anything today.  The best part about it is that tomorrow will be Tuesday, and maybe the Monday blues will go away.  Janie will come to clean.  The painting prep will continue.  Maybe I will get the storage room organized, but it is so hard to breathe, I never seem to start.  Maybe tomorrow.  The eternal promise of tomorrow that moves us all forward to our uncertain, but hopeful futures.

Reconnoitering Day

I have been looking for my old blog from when I lived in New Orleans, before Katrina, before all the changes that led me to beautiful, hot, sunny, dry, dusty Phoenix.  My skin is aging by the second, drying to a near-reptilian covering for my insides, but other than that, I love my new home.  Those Southern ladies have a beauty secret, all that humidity keeps them looking years younger than their chronological ages.  

I miss folks from my past homes, but they are all in my heart.  My kids are in Wyoming and Colorado, where I misspent my youth, and it is very weird, but except for my crazy Aunt Barbara, I have been the oldest member of my family for almost 20 years.  Wow!

But I digress, the good thing about having found my old blog is that I found two pix of my work.  The first is a necklace made of fibers, glass beads, a plastic button from the 50's and a cool triangle-shaped two-holed fused glass pendant made by Mark (hubby) and I.

The second is a necklace I made for a dear friend to wear onstage at the New Orleans Jazz and heritage Festival in 2000.  I was so happy to retrieve these pics, thinking they had been lost to Katrina, too.  I still have the red necklace, but the other lives with its owner, as it should.  But I wanted the pic because I loved the piece.  Well, what once was lost, now is found.  Here are the much-ballyhooed photos.

New stuff

I have been somewhat remiss in posting and even talking about my new creations.  First of all, I made a doll from a Jan Horrox pattern, and a couple of purses from the Romantic purses book.  I am still learning these processes, so I am not yet comfortable on my own and designing.  I am thinking about a purse, however.  So that may be soon.  I am also crocheting a set of 5 lace bowls to go in "the white room" in our house when Mark finishes the paint job, and we get the lace curtains up.  So stay tuned for that!  Anyway, here are the pix of the purses, the dolly and the new roof and rocks in our front yard.  Lots of things going on at Casa Hicks right now!

A new day!

Today was so lovely.  Mark and I spent some quality time in the pool, where, for whatever reason, it is the only place I can breathe like a normal human and both of us are pain free.  To us, this is like a tiny miracle.  Mark also went to Home Depot and, after only 8 samples, complete with a patchwork wall, we finally found some paint colors for the living room and dining room.

Tomorrow we are going to celebrate the 4th by watching 1776, which is just so smart and funny.  Then we will hopefully be having another swim, and BBQ burgers with potato salad and baked beans!  We are almost a cliche!

Well, Happy Birthday, America!