My damn hobby

I say that because I enjoy it, usually, but it does cause me to cuss...a lot. Some of it is all the tiny pieces I'm working with. I drop them, frequently. The other, more annoying part, is that what I envision in my head doesn't work out when I put it around my neck. I have made 3 necklaces in the last two weeks and I revamped all 3 this morning, um, afternoon...as I have been at it for several hours. Honestly, I guess most of that time was spent designing what is still a non-necklace. It just won't "come together". It is now pieces sitting in a ziplock bag. A future project. There comes a time when I know I need to stop. That moment just short of stuff flying all over the room accompanied by a string of four letter words.

Anyway, I guess one of the advantages to having a box full of beads and tools, is what you put together, you can take apart. It may be subtle, as is the case with these. Other times, the separation is permanent and everyone goes their own way. So after wearing a time or two, this happens...

 Above. Old on the left new on the right. The clear beads on the left ended up near the collar bone, which was all wrong. Be sure you say that in a fashion snob voice, just to get the full effect.

Below. I was certain the weight of the beads would keep the piece in place where the chain slid through. Boy was I wrong. It needed a permanent placement. I also mention that I had ONE champagne bead left, so I added it about the heart. I promptly found another lone survivor. Eventually,
I will have to make something just from all the odd beads.

Below. This is one of my favorites, simply because I love the colors and the charms. But it just would not lay right with the ring through the sun charm. So revamp (fashionista voice) it even got a new dangle. Are they done? For now.

With a heavy heart...

my Uncle Sammy was buried today. The last of my father's siblings. There is nothing left of that side of my family except cousins, that I see at funerals, like today. There aren't even weddings or holidays anymore. My family has become the one I made, blood and otherwise. My uncle was a lot of things, including a jerk per my father. I never saw that part of him. I have many fond memories of summer at his house in Waddy with my cousin, Cissy, and my grandmother. I was most proud of him being a State Trooper. They honored him today with a color guard. The three officers looked like babies, and I was sad to think that none of them actually knew him. They were just going through the motions. It brought back so many memories of my grandfather's funeral. My uncle was an active trooper back then, I was 8. I remember the motorcycles, lights flashing, that proceeded the funeral procession, they seemed to go on forever. An onlooker would have surely thought that is was the funeral for a state dignitary. Of course, to us, it was.

It's scary to think that we, my cousins and I, are now the oldest living generation of the family.

RIP Uncle Sammy. They say you are never truly gone as long as someone remembers you. You are safe as long as I live.

Another Hallmark holiday...Mother's Day

Not that someone didn't have good intentions, I guess. Maybe I'm just getting old, or wiser to the world. Hallmark has made me cynical of all the holidays, except maybe Halloween. I see beyond the bright faces encouraging you not to forget Mom. Buy a card, buy flowers, buy jewelry...buy, buy, buy. If one day a year is when you celebrate your Mom, and you have a good relationship, you're doing it wrong. I love that my sons have/will do nice things for me in honor of Mother's Day. But it isn't the only time...and if they didn't, I would know that they still love me. If you are all bright eyed over Mother's Day, you may want to stop reading here as I may rain of your parade.

Unfortunately, Mother's Day isn't all smiling faces, flowers, cards and cookouts for everybody. Those are the people my heart aches for with all the Hallmark reminders of what a perfect life is supposed to look like. The pain all the worse when the entire world seems to be telling you to be happy. Many have lost their Moms and Mother's Day just rubs salt in the wound. Others want to have a reason to celebrate Mother's Day, but have been unable to have the child they want so much. Thanks Hallmark for the reminder. Still, there are the women that have lost children. I imagine Mother's Day in heartrending for them as well. Or, what if, you have children and that relationship has been torn apart for some reason?

Do you make a card for that Hallmark?