My newest piece

Well, I have taken the first step toward metalworking. It is just a little step, but like the proverbial elephant, I am taking it one bite at a time.

Well, the piece is a pair of domed earrings. Specifically, polished aluminum (3/4") discs that I cut out of 21 gauge sheet metal, textured with a ball peen hammer, polished with a rotary tool and finally domed in a dapping block. I hung them on Sterling Silver ear wires and jump rings.

All, in all a good start.

Flavor of the Southwest Pendant
Moukite focal with Ocean Jasper accents and wrapped in Copper

Talk about Labor Day – lol!

Today ‘s my son’s Birthday!!!
Growing up fast that little bugger (all 6’2” of him.)   He is turning 19 – sigh. Time flies, doesn’t’ it?

Well all, enjoy your “Labor Day”, I’m off for cake and company with my kids!!!!

I Made Wire Chain Today...

    and it was fun.

Work will be starting up soon again ... sigh.

     Work will be starting up soon again. For those of you who might not know, I am a middle and high school teacher. I have been teaching for 15 years now. Returning to work is bittersweet this year. I enjoy my time off, but because of the economy this summer has been more of survivalist mode than relaxation mode so I will be happy to go back. But due to the economy, I am going back to a pay cut. And to top it off, I live in California where teachers are taking a big hit employment-wise - Gotta love our Gov.

     Yes, I do have a job, for that I am grateful. But sometimes grateful just isn’t enough. How long can you be grateful for struggling to make ends meet? So I have gone back to school myself and become a student again. I need to get short sighted about my life in the near future, so I don’t become overwhelmed by things. I tend to get impatient and want change NOW!! And when I don’t get it I tend to get depressed.

     It will be long days for a while, but hopefully in the end I will be rewarded with a better life. We’ll see.

My Latest:
I Call It… “Pretty in Pink”


Sterling Silver and deep rose Swarovski Crystals

Sometimes I Just Get Tired…

Sometimes I just get tired of dealing with stuff, and I am not talking about depression or wanting to do something more serious.   No, I am talking about the day to day stresses. There have been times where there has been so much responsibility in my life that I have said “Stop the World, I want to get off” just to get a little respite.   But for me that means more handing off to someone for a day or two so I can get a rest. I am tired of dealing with things alone now.

I am divorced, which is a decision I made and would make again.    I did not make it lightly. You don’t leave 16 years of marriage lightly.    My two children were 13 and 15 at the time.    They decided to come with me rather than stay with their father.    The three of us made a new life.    It was difficult, (didn’t help that dad turned out to be a “deadbeat” dad.) But that was then, one moves on.

Now my daughter is married to a lovely young man, (he is a Marine in the the armed forces and currently on WEST PAC) and I still scare him – lol!    Oh, the mother-in-law rep :)

They just celebrated their second wedding anniversary.    She is also going to school to be a Physical Therapist.   She is dealing with life’s responsibilities just fine.

My son has finished his first year at University and will soon be returning to continue his education.    He is the proverbial college kid.   (How I miss those days of carefree learning.)

I am extremely proud of my children.    The only regret I have is that I could not give them more.

Now I can concentrate on me.      Finding out who I am has been a new journey. I am now no longer primarily MOM or the Mrs.   I am Maria.    Who that is, I am not quite sure yet.

I am no longer the Maria I was when I married. Yes, I still like some of the things I used to, like sketching and cooking and writing, but I have also discovered new passions: jewelry making for instance.     Some, I have yet to discover.

I am returning to school to further my education.   I have to, there is only my income.

I am tired of being near the bottom of the pole, am tired of the struggle that entails, of all the times I have to watch money.    Everyone has to watch money I know, but I am getting tired of not being able to go to the doctor or the dentist. rather than just saying “oops, can’t eat out tonight”.

I am also tired of the ups and downs.    Whenever there is light at the end of the tunnel, another bend comes and the light disappears.

I just got an e-mail today that the registration fees for the classes I registered for, and have already paid for, have increased 30% and that this is a retroactive increase.    So my registration is on hold until they are paid - again! (Here we go, another bend.)   Thank you Gov - (yes, I live in CA)

And all of this I have to deal with myself.    Yes, I have my kids.   I even have my own mother, and my kitties of course.    But all of them are not quite the same.

I am not looking for a love.    I am not at that point yet.   Have to get more comfortable with me first, but it would be nice to be able to hand off all the responsibility once in a while to someone.

But I guess life moves on, so I should too.   Thanks for listening to my little rant.    Sometimes it just helps to get it out.

:)