Twenty-Five Things About Me

Working on this Ultimate Blog Challenge, I've run across a number of "what to blog about" lists and suggestions.  Most are great, and have prompted even more ideas as I apply the suggestions to my own life and interests.  This "list" was one of the suggestions, and as I was looking back over it I realized each of these 25 things could be yet another blog post!  So provided I can get into and maintain the habit of blogging every day--or at least every other day--I have enough material for MONTHS!  Woo hoo!

1. I’m adopted.
2. I hate being cold. And anything below 65 degrees is COLD!
3. This is my 25th year in business. I established Contemporary Concepts on April 14, 1984.
4. I love good landscape photography.
5. I got my first grey hair at 23. My hair color has been out of a bottle ever since!
6. I’ve always had a powerful attraction to the number 8.
7. I’m very right-brained, and I think in three dimensions (hence my innate ability to create beautiful pieces of jewelry…? But don‘t ask me to draw anything more complicated than a stick figure.)
8. It makes me crazy to see advertisements or billboards (or anything else, really) with words misspelled. Get a dictionary, people…and PROOFREAD!
9. My favorite author is Orson Scott Card. He sucks me into a book so deep that I absolutely CANNOT put it down until I’m finished reading it. I’ll also read anything by Roger Zelazny or Michael Crichton.
10. My favorite colors are green, purple, and yellow, in that order. Any combination thereof is also highly appealing.
11. When I was younger, I wished I had been born a brunette with brown eyes. And that I was taller and thinner. In the last several years, though, I have come to terms with all my “imperfections”…yes, ALL of them!
12. Sometimes I wish I had finished my college degree.
13. I’ve never had a broken bone.
14. I really hate being wet. I’m not a big fan of swimming, and when I shower I always dry off immediately.
15. My son Ricky was conceived through in vitro fertilization, and I gave birth at the ripe old age of 40! No morning sickness, I only gained 16 pounds, and my labor was about 5-½ hours from start to finish. An awesome experience!
16. The downside of being pregnant at 40 was that everything that was going to sag, droop, spread, or otherwise go to hell in a hand basket as I got older, did so…quickly and irreversibly! Consequently I now wear bifocal contact lenses and my feet are a full size bigger than they used to be. (I’ll let you take a wild guess at what sagged and drooped!)
17. Ricky was over a year old before I realized that diaper packages come with a perforated side that you can easily rip open. Now there was a “duh!” moment!
18. It blows my mind that I’m going to turn 54 this year! Inside my head I still feel about 28. Only maybe a little wiser!
19. I am mesmerized by moving water: ocean waves, small creeks, even my washing machine and jewelry tumbler. But I especially love waterfalls. (Have you ever seen pictures or video of the Iguazu Falls in South America? Breathtaking!)
20. I love penguins and giraffes.
21. I have a tattoo of a seahorse on my right ankle.
22. My favorite flowers are yellow roses.
23. I love the smell of pine needles (like Christmastime!) and orange blossoms.
24. When I was younger I enjoyed traveling. At one point or another in my life I’ve visited 36 of the 50 United States. Nowadays I’m the consummate homebody--there’s no place I’d rather be than home.
25. My husband is nearly 10 years younger than I am. Grab ‘em young and train ‘em right, I always say!

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Orange Hair

I wanted to try a new formula of hair color.  Maybe you've seen it, the "mousse" formula by L'Oreal?  Supposed to be quicker, easier, less messy.  Okay, cool.  I've been coloring my hair for about 30 years, and quicker and easier sounds good!  I purchased the color that appeared to be the closest to my "normal" shade (which is Nice 'N Easy #108, Reddish Blond).  This L'Oreal color was designated Dark Copper Blond.  Judging by the name, and the color on the box, I expected it to be darker than my usual shade.  What I got was orange-er.  I'm not kidding--it looks like carrot juice.  I've put up pictures, you can judge for yourself.  What I got was NOT the color on the box!  And the mousse formula was only marginally faster and not really easier.  So when this fades out I'll be going back to my #108!

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Relationships

I remember when I first met my husband and we were talking, getting to know each other, and one of the subjects was old boyfriends/girlfriends. I commented then that all the people we had known in the past had made us the people we became so that we would end up together, appreciating each other.  I have always believed that philosophy.  I still do.

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Not a Baby Any More

When you are a mother, you are periodically hit in the face with the reality that your child is growing up.  (Yeah, yeah, fathers too, but it's not the same.)  I got one such smack in the face this morning.  My son chose not to participate in the Spirit Day at his school today.  About 5 or 6 times a year, Ricky's school has a themed dress-up day to show their school spirit.  It's not mandatory that they dress up, but he always has.  In fact, he just did "Clash Day" a few weeks ago (where they wear all kinds of outlandish clothes that don't match).  Today, however, was "Pajama Day" and he said it felt "weird" to have his pajamas on while getting ready for school.  I made a big deal out of "my baby...growing up...." and he rolled his eyes and started to make excuses, but it told him it was okay, it's just a mom thing.  And I do understand.  It's apparently not cool to wear pajamas to school after a certain age.  (Until you get to an older "certain age", and then it's fun again--all the teachers and staff at the school always dress up!)

Okay, now if he sees this he's probably going to get mad at me, but I can't resist.  THIS is my baby.  THIS is how I choose to think of him, at least from time to time!

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No Smoking

One year ago today I quit smoking.  Not a drag, not a puff since October 13, 2010.  Just had to mark the occasion.  Yay, me!

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Yes, Women Understand!

TOP TEN THINGS ONLY WOMEN UNDERSTAND


10. Cats' facial expressions.

9. The need for the same style of shoes in different colors.

8. Why bean sprouts aren't just weeds.

7. Fat clothes.

6. Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time.

5. The difference between beige, ecru, cream, off-white, and eggshell.

4. Cutting your hair to make it grow.

3. Eyelash curlers.

2. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made.

AND, the Number One thing only women understand:

1. OTHER WOMEN

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Pictures of Me

Next on the list of the "30 Day Challenge" is a recent photo of me and a photo from 10 years ago.  So...

Here's recent, taken in August with my son on his first day of school.

And here's about 10 years ago.  Also with my son.

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In Memoriam

I belong to a Facebook group that is alumni of my high school who graduated between 1976 and 1986.  There's one long thread going on where some of them are collecting names and circumstances of those alumni who have died.  A lot of the names I don't recognize, but many of them I do.  And I had to contribute to the list as well...my brother Greg, who killed himself just this past April.  I think he would have been pleased, as am I, at the number of old friends who have offered their condolences and even shared a quick story or memory of their friendship with him.

Father James McGowan is the originator of the main list, and he offered a prayer of sorts not long ago.  It feels fitting to me to post it here, not only for my high school friends who have passed, but for those we lost ten years ago on 9/11, and for my brother, who I am gradually becoming less mad at and who I miss.

" Long ago we stood together. A generation in one place. At one time. We were young and restless.We thought we were fifty feet tall and bullet proof. We thought we would live forever. No one told us that that death might find us or that we would part company so soon. Loss is never easy. We need to be mindful that it is not about how all these people died or that they left the party early. It is the fact that they lived and we were privileged to have them touch our lives and; maybe we were privileged enough to touch theirs. Amen!"

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My New Motto

I was reading Reader's Digest yesterday and one of the little articles was about what adults have learned from children. This one stuck in my mind, and it's SO true that it is now my new motto: Life is too short to eat food you don't like.

Think about it!
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15 Facts About Me

I recently ran across a 30-day blog challenge, and since I am seriously not-so-great about blogging, I thought participating would be good to get me posting more frequently. I won't guarantee I'll finish the list in 30 days...in fact I'll probably s-t-r-e-t-c-h it out a bit with some new jewelry pictures and other musings. Day 1 is Fifteen Facts About Me:

1. My hair is not naturally blond.

2. My eyes are naturally blue (although my colored contact lenses make them look bluer).

3. I'm adopted.

4. I drink coffee all day. Iced coffee, actually.

5. I sleep on the right side of the bed.

6. I love, love, love good landscape photography--I could look at beautiful scenic pictures all day!

7. I played the trombone in band from 6th grade through college. It was my dad's horn that he played in school, too, and now my 11-year-old son is playing it! Three generations of trombonists, one horn. How cool is that?

8. My pet peeve is misspellings. Especially on signs in front of businesses. (I will NEVER patronize your establishment if you can't spell your message correctly!)

9. My favorite color is green.

10. I'm a sucker for a Krispy Kreme plain glazed doughnut.

11. I'm not much of a drinker. I've had the same bottle of Southern Comfort (good with Diet Dr. Pepper) in my freezer since 1992.

12. I love the smell of fresh cut grass, orange blossoms, and pine.

13. I have a seahorse tattoo on my right ankle.

14. I smoked for 31 years--quit last October. (Yay, me!)

15. I adore my husband and son.

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More About the Car

Wow, I can't believe it's been more than a month since I blogged! AND that it's been more than a month since I took my car in to the shop...I'm STILL driving the loaner! The problem with the door was fixed a couple weeks ago, but then husband decided I needed an oil change before it left the shop. Okay, fine, so we did that. Then brother-in-law the mechanic decided I needed new tires and an alignment before it left the shop. Okay, that's fine, too, but I thought maybe before we did that we should probably fix the broken strut bar on the front passenger side that's likely CAUSING the car to need new tires and an alignment. That's a part that can only come from the dealership, and of course they don't actually keep them in stock, we we're apparently waiting for that to come in. THEN the actual work will need to be done. THEN I'll need new tires and an alignment. Who knows how much longer I'll be driving the loaner?

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Child Labor

Ricky joined me at work yesterday. My shelves all got dusted and my glass cases cleaned. That's why we have offspring, right? ;)

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Another School Year

Okay, am I a horrible mother, or what? I actually forgot to take "first day of school" pictures this year! Honestly, it didn't even occur to me until the end of the week! Then it was almost another whole week before I remembered to bring my camera home from work. Fortunately, it was far less distressing to my son, who gamely posed for "beginning of the school year" pictures last Thursday.

I guess the good thing about being a couple of weeks into the school year before I post his picture is that I can also report on his progress so far. Ricky's in 5th grade this year, and will be playing trombone in band again. (He just loves the band teacher.) So far every paper he's brought home has been an A, and he tested at 9th grade, 8th month level for the Accelerated Reader program. That's the highest in his class, which he thinks is pretty cool, but it also means he's required to earn the most points for reading individual books each grading period, which he's not nearly as thrilled about. I've never had to worry his academics--he makes his mother very proud--it's his "focus" we've needed to work on. And I'm happy to say he appears to be making progress there. A little over two weeks into the school year and he's only forgotten his homework folder once! Haha!

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Participating in Customers' Lives

I had a couple come in this past weekend with their two children. The woman was so excited to have found my store; they had been looking around Cocoa Village for a couple of hours before one of my fellow merchants directed them to my corner. It seems that this couple had been in my store 10 years ago, looking for a stone to help them with their fertility issues. They had been unsuccessful even with in vitro fertilization efforts, and were willing to try something a little more offbeat.

At the time I had just gone through some fertility issues of my own, and my baby son was about 7 months old. I had been wearing a small ruby crystal point prior to, during, and after my in vitro procedure. I had a couple more unset ruby points and had the lady choose one that felt "good" to her and I set it so she could wear it on a chain.

From what she told me, this happened on August 5, 2000. On August 5, 2001, her daughter Julia was born! A year to the day--she was particularly delighted by that detail! (Apparently after the pressure was off, they were able to conceive their son without further issues.) They were back in the Cocoa Village area for a few days and felt they just had to come and find me and let me know that in my small way, I had helped them start their family! Too cool! The mother told me she had even thought about sending me a birth announcement and pictures, but they couldn't find the business card I had given them. She also said that she wouldn't allow the hospital to remove that ruby pendant, even while she was giving birth, and that she has it now safely put away for when her daughter is older.

Do certain stones actually work to "fix" certain problems? Speaking only for myself, I can say that you can't be around stones and work with them for as long as I have and NOT feel their energies. Who decided what stone works best for what circumstance?...I don't know. There are a number of books on the subject, and all the ones I've seen seem to agree for the most part. Is it psychosomatic? I don't know that either, but if the end result is the result you're looking for, then what does it matter?

The bottom line for me in this situation is that this lovely couple had their kids and they were so happy. I was happy for them, and delighted that I had had the opportunity to participate--even in a tiny way--in an event that was so important to them!

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I've Got Everything I Need, Thank You

This morning on my way in to my shop, I passed by a homeless guy sitting on a bench in front of the public restrooms. He was covered with a small, thin blanket and had a plastic grocery bag with some stuff in it on the ground in front of him. And I thought "there but for the grace of God..." Yes, my financial situation, like many others these days, isn't what it used to be. But I'm walking past this guy with my laptop over my shoulder, my brown-bag lunch in my tote, and $14.00 in my pocket. I'll bet that homeless guy would trade places with me in a heartbeat.

I'm glad I had this experience. It reminds me to be grateful for what I have. A roof over my head, food on the table, a car to drive and a little money to put gas in it. Etcetera, etcetera. Lots of stuff. Not to mention an amazing husband and a bright and beautiful little boy. And I am grateful. There may be stuff out there that I don't have that I want, but I've sure got everything I need.

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I'm Back!

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. I got busy with other stuff over the last couple of months, and I kind of forgot I had a blog! How embarrassing! Maybe I'll stick a Post-It note to my computer to remind me to update more often.

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Happy 4th of July!

When I get home from work today, there will be 150 people in my back yard, eating mountains of food and waiting for the big fireworks display. My husband loves the 4th of July and has a party every year. He has spent the last 3 days cooking and setting up. There is 50 pounds of barbequed pulled pork, 30 pounds of smoked chicken quarters, 20 slabs of beef ribs, 500 boiled shrimp, and about 10 pounds of fresh-made coleslaw. Then there's the huge fireworks display that he's spent weeks putting together "just so". He's a crazy man, I tell you.

It is SO not "my thing". All those people, most of whom I don't even know. They're friends of his from high school, customers of his lawn service, hunting buddies, fellow airboaters, pool league teammates...my husband is a very social animal. (I do get to catch up with relatives that we don't see other than at this party, and I really look forward to Aunt Peggy's orzo pasta salad!) Rick knows it's not "my thing", and provides special accommodations to ease my discomfort. No one is allowed to park in my spot in the driveway. He puts a "Reserved for Wife" sign on the table and chairs with the best view. And best of all, he rents a Port-O-Let. You might think "eww", but seriously, do the math: 150 people, with an average bathroom requirement of maybe 3 or 4 times each in the 6 or 7 hours they're there (depending on how much they're drinking), that's roughly 500 times people would be traipsing through my house, flushing the toilet and (theoretically) washing their hands. And maybe rummaging through the medicine cabinets and critiquing the way I make my bed! No, thank you!

I asked Rick last night if he knew what my favorite part about the 4th of July was. He said, "The 5th of July?" Made me laugh. I said, "No, although that's probably a close second." My favorite thing about the 4th of July is how much HE enjoys it. He loves to cook for a lot of people. He loves to socialize. He loves to blow things up. So he loves the 4th of July. And I love him. So there.
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Discipline

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." --Jim Rohn

I happened to run across this quote this morning and it kind of made me think of my post here yesterday. I like to think I already have some measure of discipline when it comes to my business--I have, after all, been doing this for 25 years. But this idea really struck me. Something to strive for!

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My Extra Two Hours

My son goes to a Christian school about 12 miles from our house, so I drive him there every morning. I would be driving past my store to go back home again, so even though I drop Ricky off at 8:15 and I don't open my doors until about 10:30, I go in to work right after I leave him off. This is my "extra two hours", and it's usually pretty productive. I always try to get the majority of my computer work done before I open the doors to customers. Then I can be working at making jewelry after the doors are open. It's usually easier to put down my pliers when a customer comes in than it is to stop typing--or worse yet, uploading or downloading something. And with the state of the economy and the paltry number of bodies I have walking in my door, I want to be able to devote my full attention to any possible sale!

Local schools were on Spring Break last week, and I have to admit that it sure was nice to have that extra hour to sleep in, and the other extra hour to get ready for work at a leisurely pace. But I don't feel like I was as productive as usual. Because I didn't get here until 10:00 or 10:15, I didn't have my normal amount of uninterrupted computer time. And because I tried to squeeze computer time in between customers, I didn't get very much jewelry made last week. So although I hated rolling out of bed at the sound of the alarm at 6:15, I have to admit that I'm happy to be here at work early enough to get my whole "to do" list done today!
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April in Florida

April in Florida. Warm and balmy and not yet too humid. Last week and the week before that were just perfect. I'm not kidding--literally perfect! In fact, the last couple of days were starting to feel more like summertime, with the temperatures in the high 80's and the humidity starting to climb.

I don't know what happened last night, but I woke up this morning to 50-degree temperatures and winds kicking up to 25 miles per hour. What the...? I had already put away all the jeans and sweaters. It's April in Florida!!!

Now the weatherman is saying tomorrow is going to be even colder. Record low temperatures overnight. Warnings that we should plan on waking up to temperatures in the 40's! What on earth happened to April in Florida?!

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