Went shopping for silver ----wow!

Went to one of my suppliers of silver components for my jewelry and spent a little bit of money on some beautiful stuff. Me and my little princess had a lot of fun, we visited my sister in law - who's anniversary was today. Took her one of my soaps in Jasmine. I hope she enjoys it.

The most important part of today was the Monavie I started taking. I must admit, it tasted good. I'm glad because if it didn't I wouldn't drink it. I will keep updating on a weekly basis to see how it works. It passed the taste test with me so we'll see about the results I feel as time goes by.

I had a nice chat with a friend from Georgia. She lifts my spirits and reminds me that there are still good Christian people in the world. I'm blessed to have her as my friend. N - I thank the good Lord for you. You are a beautiful friend both inside and out.

Monavie - the good for you drink

Oh, well, I'm usually not so late posting on here but today I had many things to do. Many of which didn't get done because of all this crazy rain. My sewing machine needed to go get dropped off at Hancock Fabrics but the deluge of rain made me turn my car around and come back home. It was perfectly fine while I loaded it into my car. I pulled out of the driveway and I hadn't even gone more than 500 feet when the downpour started. I guess it will have to wait for another day.

I have a friend who is a distributor for this good for you juice called Monavie. We were talking a few days ago about my bad shoulder which I acquired as a result of an automobile accident almost 15 years ago. The Orthopedist said it was rotator cuff and treated me with cortisone injections (I loved those) and I did physical therapy. Well, my shoulder has been bothering me quite a bit now and she mentioned her juice. I figured, hey, I'm going to give it a shot.

Today I got the juice and I will start taking it as directed. I will report back on here how it goes. I think I'm supposed to take it for a few weeks before I actually start feeling the effects of it. In the past, I had tried Noni juice -- it tasted pretty nasty. It worked but I couldn't handle the taste. We'll see how this works. Natalia, if this works, I'm signing up. Bueno, queridos lectores, los dejo porque tengo muchas cosas por hacer aun. God bless!

Long Night

I didn't get to bed until 2 am. Still got my 8 though since little princess stayed up late as well. I spent all day uploading new items to my website www.ricosilver.com
Kept saying to myself this will be the last one but then I'd look at all the ones still left to do and I just kept going. My arm and my bad shoulder were in agony before I quit for the night (or morning). Now I know why webmasters charge so much for their work.

Still, there are many more pictures that need to be cropped, uploaded, described, etc. I'm thinking of getting a new camera, why? Because Ree has a nice one and I want it. When I mentioned this to my teenage offspring he stated that there was no reason to spend money on another one, that mine was perfectly good. He's my little (well, maybe not so little) financial advisor. The one that won't go out to eat with us because eating out is a total waste of money unless it's going to cost no more than $5....hmmm, I hope he doesn't stick me in one of those run-down, nasty nursing homes when I'm old and decrepit. Oh, I don't mind the nursing home, it's the run-down, nasty ones I don't like.

I've done several jewelry shows at some retirement/nursing homes and some of those places are really bad but I went to some very fancy ones. I mean they were so nice I wanted to move in right then and there. It was like being in a 5 star hotel. Amazing! I do need to get back to uploading more stuff so I better get.

Lord, help me do the pictures with joy in my heart and thanksgiving for having the inspiration to bring joy to others. I thank you for your guidance, wisdom and abundant blessings. Help me to be a good Christian mom to my kids and never allow me to take things for granted. In Jesus name I pray for our troops, that they come home soon and safely. Amen.

Do you ever wonder?

As we've been looking for a house for several months now, I've started looking at many properties online. I've seen some nice homes, some rather plain -- others not so plain. I understand the plain ones but for now I'm going to talk about the ones that are fancy beyond belief. Just for kicks, I started looking at some that were like in the 700K and up range. That's SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND smackeroos! About half a mile from us is this just absolutely gorgeous property. It's a mere $837,500.00 It's been on the market for over a year, and it is just breath-taking. Thing is, what do you do with something so big and fancy? Since I don't have that kind of money, I've always wondered what the people that live in these kind of homes do for a living. Do the wives stay home? Is it a single parent home? Why do people buy something so extravagant? Is it because they can? What do they do with all that room/space? Do they ever get lonely? Do these people worry about money? Do they worry about getting robbed? The most important thing, since they already have all the money -- or so it seems -- they could ever need, the most important questions is, do they know God?


I've always wondered that about the wealthy people. They have all the material things anybody could ever hope to have but do they really know God? Do they pray? I'm happy for them that they have all the things they need/want. I've always wondered if they are so much smarter than everyone else and that's how they got where they are today, financially. I am not talking about the ones that have inherited the money from their parents, I'm talking about the ones that have worked hard to get what they have. If they have family/children, did the kids get left with a nanny in order for the parents to acquire what they have? Did they do it for the children or to impress their neighbors/colleagues? I've always wondered that. If anyone out there is in that position, will you please answer my questions? Earthly treasures are temporary and life is but a fleeting moment. God is free and He offers eternal life and heavenly treasures. I think I like the latter. I cannot take what little I do have here on earth. My treasures are in heaven.

Adding New Jewelry to my Website

Today I will spend the day playing with my camera and taking pictures of new jewelry to put on my website. I've been playing with Photoshop, thanks to Pioneer Woman, and have figured it isn't as scary as I once thought. I'm going to be brave and fix up my pics and act like I know what I'm doing in Photoshop. As Ree stated, it is very addictive and I will more than likely spend the weekend doing that considering I have approximately 3,000 pieces. Not that I would take pictures of all of them, I'm not that crazy.

It's going to have to be done a little bit at a time. I have my work cut out for me. I was playing with Photoshop last night and spent several hours with a glazed look in front of my computer. I was in Photoshop-figuring-out mode.

Here's a pic of one I did last night. You can visit my website here www.ricosilver.com

My Quaker Parrot

Today, as if I'm not stressed enough, my daughter almost lost our little Polly. I say almost because little Polly gets spooked if we make sudden movements and goes into flight into the strangest places, probably where she feels safe. So, today, like many other days, my sweet little princess decides she's going to take Polly into her room to play with her. Well, little princess says she dropped her pail, yep pail, not box -- pail of crayons and Polly went flying.

I'm on my computer in my office when I hear a shrill cry..."Polly is gone!" Of course I'm thinking, dadgumit, the little not-so-princess anymore killed her! My heart is pounding a million beats a second, yes a second. I run to find the culprit at the bottom of the stairs with tears streaming down her face mumbling something about..she fell behind my chest of drawers and I moved it (wrong thing to do) and she's not there. Through the mind of a worried Polly master runs these horrible images of a squashed, bloody, very precious Quaker parrot. I don't want to look. I'm afraid to go in the stubborn child's room and discover what could be a very graphic scene of the crime.

I move the chest of drawers and feeling my heart as if it's going to pop right out of my chest, I look. No Polly. I call out her name -- silence. I fear for her life. Knowing Polly, I know she would come to me if she could. By now, I'm frantically looking for her and calling out her name, nothing. I give the Siamese cat an accusatory look. Siamese looks at me with the same look she gives me always as if to say, Human, don't bother me with such insignificant things. I'm a cat and I rule.

Crying like a child that has just lost her best friend I call Mr. Sir and tell him his offspring has very likely murdered our little Polly and I don't know if I can forgive that. He, knowing his spawn rather well, only adds to my fears by saying she probably hurt my Polly and won't admit to it and tells me to ask her for the truth. I do. She, crying loudly, proclaims she didn't hurt her and that she saw her fly behind the chest. My son hears me wailing and says he's going to lift the chest of drawers so as not to hurt her in case she's there. I told him I wouldn't watch -- just in case. He yells down the stairs that he found her! I tell him I don't want to look. He says, she's fine and has no idea how she could have survived being where she was...under the flat bottom of the chest of drawers!! I don't know what I would've done if my little Quaker had been killed.

Only a bird lover would understand. My Polly is precious to me, she talks, laughs, dances, sings, whistles and loves just being with us. She even plays with the Siamese and the Turkish Van kitties. Yes, you read right, a bird playing with cats. She's rather quiet right now -- choosing to take a nap atop her perch after much ado about nothing. She's probably wondering what her crazy master was wailing about. Somehow, I think she knows.

Thoughts of a worn-out, tired, linen-skirt wearing mom

Well, we went to look at a couple of houses yesterday and we didn't like either one. One was remodeled badly the other had a weird floor plan and the master bedroom was too small. It looks like we're going to have to build one. Since neither of us can agree on what we've seen so far, we're back to square one.

I saw a lovely one online in the very town I want it but we don't really want a two story. In Texas a two story will take your paycheck to pay the electric bill and borrow from the bank on top of that. I like it cool in the house, we keep our thermostat at 70 degrees, day in and day out. You have to in this hot humid weather.

Just had to plunk down a healthy dose of greenbacks to get Mr. Sir's truck fixed. I prayed hard that the bill wouldn't give me or Mr. Sir a coronary when we saw it. I must admit it got our heart beating irregularly for a minute. After all is said and done it could've been worse.

I woke up too early to take my little princess to her dancing class today. I went grocery shopping to get some eggs. Only to get some eggs. I walked out of there with a cart loaded up with almost 100 bucks worth of groceries. Expensive eggs, huh? Kidding aside though, along with the high cost of gas comes the higher priced groceries. We used to be middle-class. I think. What is considered middle-class anyway? Since the poverty lines are getting higher and higher will we at one point be considered the poor? How much money does one have to make to be considered well off?

We're not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination but I see other people, my neighbor for example, that don't have enough to eat...remember that song, "Fly like an Eagle"...well, that just went thru my mind as I'm thinking it says 'feed the people who don't have enough to eat, shoe the children with no shoes on their feet, house the people, living in the street.' If in fact their IS a solution, why aren't our tax dollars finding that solution? Our property taxes keep going up, where is the money going?

Somebody, please enlighten me. I always give money to the panhandlers, except when a cop's around. Why not give those less fortunate than I a couple dollars? If I don't I'm just going to spend it on something unhealthy, like fast food or an over-priced cup of Starbucks coffee. I feel that these homeless, hungry people need it more than Starbucks does. Some of my friends tell me not to give them money because they'll only use it for alcohol. Now, I give them combo meals from the nearest fast-food place. I know, it's fast food. Fast food is better than no food. Who knows when they'll have their next meal? Other times --- sshhhhh, don't tell my friends, I give them money.

I remember one Thanksgiving years ago. Mr. Sir and I were driving home from who knows where. There in the cold biting wind stood an old man who looked about 70 years old. It broke my heart to see someone that could've been my father (he was somebody's father) standing there asking for a handout, on Thanksgiving. I cried, because I'm a wuss like that. I made Mr. Sir turn the car around and I gave the man some money. On this very special day, when everyone I knew including myself were getting ready to partake in an evening of Thanksgiving for all the blessings the good Lord has bestowed upon us. Eating until we couldn't eat another bite, happy, laughing, playing. This man was in the cold, shivering, standing with a sign that said "Will work for food" I cried for him, I cried for us, I cried for mankind. I realized then as I do now. I am rich. Rich from the blessings that God has found it in his infinite mercy to bestow on our family. I will always be grateful, I don't ever take it for granted. I am rich. Thank you Lord Jesus for the wealth you have given our family.

Jewelry lessons?

My flabber has been gasted!! A lady from my old job actually asked me if I would give her jewelry-making lessons and she would pay me!! I was like, wait a minute, whoa! There is not an ounce of teacher in me. It's all I can do to home school my kids and that is a mess at times. The very fiber of my being is screaming and telling me, no...don't do it, you can't even make jewelry...you just sit and try to make it...you're not formally educated to make it, you received no formal training whatsoever!!

On this particular occasion, I will have to agree with the fiber of my being. I just sit and make it. I don't draw, I don't think up a design, I don't miraculously "see" inspiration in any place or any thing. I take my stones, crystals, silver and surround myself with it. Ever so absentmindedly, I go into a jewelry making trance and an hour or two later I come out of it and there before me are my creations.

You might say, well, your creations are not that nice. You know what? You're right. I don't have the talent of my friend Marcia who cuts her own split rings nor can I make the butt-kicking, manually soldered bracelets that my friend Mermaid does until her fingers feel no more. I'm a light-weight compared to them. But that's okay, we all have our talents, our likes and dislikes.

I started this as a hobby. It helps me relax. I need to relax because I have kids. If you'll remember a couple days ago I posted that I am not allowed to go into a state of depression for more than 10 minutes at a time.

Back to the story at hand now. I must admit I just told the lady from work - I'm sorry, but I really don't have time. Was I lying? No, not really. I DON'T have time. I also don't have the patience to show someone a craft left better being taught by someone who knows how to teach properly. What if I start teaching her and she pisses me off? Then I'll want to send her to her room. She might look at me funny.

Martha, from the bottom of my heart, if you're reading this. I lied! I don't feel I'm worthy of teaching the likes of you. Maybe some other day, in another life and by someone else. For now, this depression-depraved mother of two will keep to herself and her own trance-like trips into the world of jewelry-making. I'll go it alone. I'll survive....10 minutes at a time.

I love to shop even online

Well, looks like I must continue to look for suppliers for my shop. It's hard finding good quality items that I would be proud to have in there. If any of you wholesalers are out there that have items that are just fantastically unique and of good quality, please give me a shout. No mass-produced junk from Asia either, please. I'm picky that way. I did find a Victorian paper company that I will be adding to my list of vendors. Also have Stone Mountain and Costa Leather along with Tignanello for my leather handbags.

I don't like pushy sales people. Just give me your sales pitch and if you are really good you will convince me to buy now rather than later, if you don't, I'll call you back. If you keep calling me and leaving messages I will find another vendor. Simple as that.

I'm going to go look at a space tomorrow and see if I like it. I will also have to get a bigger car so I'm able to haul things back and forth when it's necessary. Talk about spending money, sheesh! I hate car shopping. See, now if I can convince my husband to buy a new truck for himself I won't have to get a new car. I can just use his truck when I need to, right? Yep, that's what I will do.

It's raining again today. I love it, I have a pot of coffee going and I'll be baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies here in a few. Polly can't have any chocolate because she's a parrot, a Quaker parrot. She likes people food. She dances too.

You know there are still times when I miss the routine of going to work every morning, having conversations with adults and getting all dressed up for the office. Now, I must admit, there are days I don't even get out of my PJs, Gasp --- the horror!! I have noticed, however, that my stress headaches are gone; don't miss those nor do I miss the traffic on horrendous LBJ freeway. I do get dressed and put makeup on to go to the store, old habits die hard I guess. I'm going to have to post my friends pics from work here pretty soon. They were all so sweet to me when I worked with them. Hey JPM dudes and dudettes, I miss you guys! Chris, keep them in line cuz you know you da man!

Rain, Victorian era and Gloomy days

I'm sitting here looking at the rain fall through my window and watching my grass grow by the minute. It has been raining so much I'm wondering if God finally said, enough drought for those poor people. Last year at this time the local lakes were down by many feet, some as much as 15 feet below normal.

Although my daughter complains about it all the time when it rains, I really love this kind of weather. Maybe I should move to London where it's wet and gloomy all the time.

I've been in the process of purchasing inventory for my boutique. I'm looking at some Victorian-style items that are absolutely breath-taking. I'm drawn to old things for some weird reason. I want a Victorian house with all its original woodwork and pocket doors and widow's tower and claw foot tub and...well, you get the picture. In fact here are some I found on www.oldhouses.com

Someday I hope to live in one. Strangely (is that even a word?) whenever I see anything from the Victorian era, I feel right at home. Like I want to climb through time and be there...I don't feel like I belong in this era. I never have. As a Christian, I know I am not supposed to believe in reincarnation or previous lives or any of that but why do I feel this way? God, I hope you are seeing this blog today because I want answers. I'm serious.

When I lived in Jersey, there was this one house. The first time I drove past it, it was like I had lived there before. I wanted to go inside and finally be "home". Like I had been gone forever and now I was where I belonged. Everything was familiar to me..it was uncanny and just weird. I was drawn to it and I would purposely go out of my way to drive past it whenever I was in the area. No other house has ever made me feel like that, before or since. Of course I never did go inside, the owners would've called the cops on me for sure.

In my boutique I will be carrying a lot of Victorian type things. I think everything comes in due time. I've been working on acquiring my products for my boutique for a while. I have been making jewelry incessantly for almost two years. I refuse to take out a loan for my business. I'm pretty much ready, I will be going to look at a space next week. I'm excited, a little scared and full of what ifs all at the same time. You know something though, if I don't do it now, I'll never know.

I grew up in a Victorian house in Michigan and I loved that house. I want my kids to experience that. So, today, I'm enjoying watching the rain come down on my back yard, looking at all things Victorian online and dreaming about the day when I too will have one of those lovely homes and have tea parties for my close friends. You are welcome to attend, especially when it rains.

Soap making

Well, I made a batch of oatmeal milk and honey soap yesterday afternoon. Smelled a little strong, my wonderfully observant 16 yr old male offspring waltzed into the room and so nonchalantly and with not an ounce of care for my feelings announced, it stinks in here! I was aghast, I must admit. How dare he say my soap stinks, although I must agree it was a rather strong smell.

I was going to leave the poured soap in his room to cure (just to show him) but thought better of it when through my mind passed but for a fleeting moment, like a film strip from the olden days, images of my poor soap being attacked by the legions of dust bunnies that undoubtedly hide behind the chaise chair in this perfectly unfeeling and callous teenage child of mine....oh, just thought of that song....Guns and Roses...Sweet Child of Mine. Remember them? Remember you when you listened to them? I know I do, I thought I was a cool dude back then, er dudette rather.

Instead, I let my soap sit on top of one of my bookcases in my office, which by the way is adjacent to this particular child's bedroom. Yeah, I am mean that way. After I couldn't tolerate the smell myself I took it to my jewelry-making room. There it will remain until further notice which basically translates to: when it is finished "curing" in about 4 weeks. The smell will then be deliciously delightful.

In the meantime, I will have to either avoid that room at all costs until the strong scent fades a little bit or I will go in there and light one of my many candles and try to overpower the strong scent with another equally strong or stronger scent. I will sit and make jewelry and watch Court TV or some such equally important and educational program. I'll probably get a headache from all the different smells and have to leave and seek shelter elsewhere in the house, away from the kids and the pets.

Of course, due to my inability to go into my "private oasis of peace" I will undoubtedly go into a depression in my own darkened bedroom and ponder the meaning of life. After all of that self-induced depression cycle of, oh, about 10 whole minutes, my 8 year old little princess will run into my room, turn on the light and ask, "what are you doing, mommy...are you trying to rest? Okay, I'll leave you to take a nap." Only to come back exactly 10 minutes later and repeat.

A shame really when a tired mom can't even be depressed in peace, huh? Come visit my website so you can see the work I must create to add a little bit of spice to my boring, seemingly humdrum life. www.ricosilver.com

Tiffany's dancing shoes

Well, looks like we're having to go out at the last minute to buy Tiffany's tap shoes since our trip to the store last Saturday was fruitless. Argh! Her classes start tomorrow at 9 am.

I promised myself this one time I wouldn't be running around at the last minute trying to get everything together. Why is it that life insists on making things difficult for me? Why, I ask, why?

Here's a pic of my sweet little dancer