Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

I had some time yesterday afternoon so I thought I’d go thrifting. Having been to my usual haunts recently (DAV, Goodwill), I thought I’d hit some of the resale shops I hadn’t visited in a while. The staff of one knows me well as I’ve sold my clothes there in the past. Plus, the older staffer knows my dad and always asks about him. When I walked through the door, they greeted me enthusiastically and said they’d been thinking of me as they’d seen my photo in a local magazine. We caught up and the older lady and I got into this conversation:

Her: You look great.

Me: Thanks, you too.

Her: You’ve really kept your weight off.

Me (what I said): Um, thanks. It’s a lot of work.  (What I thought): What the $%&#? Did ya think I was going to pork up or something?

In her defense, I really think she meant it as a compliment, however it didn’t come across as one. I guess I’m just always amazed at what comes out of people’s mouth. Oh well. She kindly asked about my dad and told me to tell him hello the next time I talked to him. Problem is, I can’t remember her name!

I admit I haven’t paid much attention to my blog, but I have an excuse because I’ve found a new love. Don’t worry, Steve is still my #1, but mild steel is coming in a close second.

My good friend Sarah mentioned that she would be assigning her class a project in steel and I was intrigued. Steel comes in many forms and has both good and bad properties. Bad: it does not hold heat well which makes soldering tricky. Bad: it rusts. Good: it’s really strong so designs can be light. Good: it’s cheap. Best of all is that it’s something new for me and I love a challenge.

I made some changes in my studio including a new batch of pickle (a mild acid solution used after soldering) for steel only and labeling old files for steel use only since I didn’t want to dull my good ones. Other than that, I was ready.

At Sarah’s recommendation, I read an article on soldering steel so I knew some of the tricks. The rest has been trial and error. Below are my first pair of earrings using steel. They have sterling silver and 22k gold accents.

Since these, I’ve made a couple more pair and am currently working on a cuff bracelet. All of my final pieces will be shown in October at Waverly House. After that show, I’ll introduce the new line. Until then, don’t count on too many more photos. You have to attend the show to see all the goodies!

Today, I wish a very happy birthday to my youngest niece, Lydia, who turns six years old. I remember the phone call I received the morning of her birth. Ralph called me on the way to the hospital in a minor panic because she just knew she was having a boy and hadn’t committed to a name. Luckily, Lydia was a girl and has been delighting us ever since.

Lydia is very different from her reserved older sister. Lydia (or Lydsters as we call her) has an opinion for just about everything and isn’t afraid to voice it. She loves clothing (much to her aunt’s delight), loves her Care Bears and is know for the funny things she says – Lydia-isms. She isn’t afraid to talk to people and enjoys being the center of attention (but not in a bratty way).

I chatted with Ralph this morning who informed me that Lydia was telling everyone, and I mean everyone, it was her birthday. Ah, the joys of youth! Later today, she is being surprised with a trip to the hair stylist for a feather extension. Then she’ll go home and get to unwrap some presents. I sure hope she likes the outfit we sent her – watermelon pink skinny jeans, a lt. blue tee and a fleece vest with the same colors to tie the whole thing together. As long as she wants clothing, you can be sure I’ll be happy to provide them to her!

Lydia, you are a delight and a beautiful little girl. Uncle Steve and I love you very much and wish you a very happy sixth birthday!

If you could go back in time and change things, would you? This is the question Steve and I have been discussing since we finished reading the latest Stephen King novel 11/22/63. Now, before you get all judge-y about our reading material, please understand this is not your typical Stephen King novel. It’s really, really good and it will make you think about whether or not changing past mistakes is such a good idea.

I’ve thought about the many stupid things I’ve done in my life and what I would do if I could change them. I’d love to go back the re-write my college history but I realize it makes me the person I am today. In many ways, the anger and immaturity I showed in my 20s made me grow up. The mistakes I made (and will continue to make) help me make better decisions in the future. Or at least that’s what I’d like to think. Sometimes I have to learn things the hard way over and over again.

So, would you change things? How do you think that would affect your future? Something to think about, that’s for sure.

It’s easy to forget how fragile life really is until you’re faced with the reality that it does end. I rarely discuss personal things on this blog, but I’m making an exception today.

Yesterday I received an email from a childhood friend telling me that her dad is nearing the end of his life. While I knew he hadn’t been well, I was shocked to learn that he had deteriorated so rapidly and that the end was near. It broke my heart. Not only for the pain she was feeling, but also because he is so young. When she and I were spending most of our free time together as kids, I remember her dad as a quiet, serious man who listened to a lot of bluegrass music and spent time in his office. Naturally, he is more than that, but as a kid you see things differently. While I don’t know his exact age, I do know that she’s too young to lose a parent and he’s too young to go. But is anyone really “old enough” to die? I don’t think so.

A few years ago, I dealt with a similar situation with another good friend. After spending a fun weekend at our house, she was on her way back home when she received a call from her mother informing her that her dad wasn’t well. Unfortunately, the signs of his deterioration had probably been going on for a while, but no one noticed. The news was bad; he had brain cancer and wasn’t going to get any better. About six weeks later he was gone. I was in the car driving to see her when she called asking when I’d arrive because her dad had died that morning and she needed me. A couple of hours later I was there and we spent the weekend dealing with the situation. I felt helpless, as I do now, but glad I could be a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen.

I guess the reason this hits me so hard is that I have been dealing with my own father’s illness for the past several months. While his prognosis is very, very positive, it’s just a sobering reminder that life is to be cherished every day. I love my dad dearly and hope he knows that even if I don’t talk to him as often as I should. Yes, we drive each other crazy (probably because we are very much alike), but he’s my dad and I love him.

Life is fragile. Treat it with care. Take time today to tell the special people in your life that you love them. I know I will.

Steve and I have been devoting some time this new year to purging unwanted crap stuff from the house. While most of the things we have in the house are items we love and enjoy, we knew there was an attic filled with stuff we hadn’t looked at or used since we moved three years ago. Saturday we devoted the day to working in the attic.

Despite the low ceiling, which meant we were sitting most of the time, and the cold, we had fun unearthing stuff we hadn’t seen in a while. While most of it was garage sale material, we did find some real treasures which made the afternoon fun. Steve found a box full of photos and his uniform from the Navy, along with some possibly valuable baseball cards and a mug with his high school crest on it. I found this:

This photo is from a Drury College (as it was then) Admissions catalog. I believe this is the fall of 1985, but it might have been the spring of 1986. I was dating the guy pictured, Steve W., and he worked in the Admissions office. They needed some Drury students to pose for their upcoming catalog so he asked me to be a part of it. I think it’s the happiest I ever looked in college! Ok, so the nerd part is that I can tell you the details of my “fabulous” outfit. The shirt was a peach cotton shirt from The Limited and I adored it. I wore it until it faded and fell apart long after college. The shorts are Liz Claiborne shorts my Grammie bought me on a shopping trip in Columbia. Yes, I was stylin’ in those days.

I also found my letter to the Pi Beta Phi sorority I wrote  in 1987 asking to be excused from several absences and permission to go on alumni status for my senior year. Many of you who know me personally know that I was not excused from those absences and was kicked out of the organization. Reading the letter made me want to go back to my 20 year-old self and tell her to lighten up! I was so sad and angry then, mainly because my parents were getting a divorce and I didn’t know how to process the whole thing. Oh well, I survived and learned quite quickly who my real friends were in those days.

The attic is clean and organized, the garage sale stuff is in several bins, I have things of value I’m going to put on eBay and some nice vintage stuff I’m going to try and sell to a local antique store. The best part is that Steve and I worked together, had fun and are getting rid of the clutter!

Once again, Steve and I had one of the most uneventful New Year’s Eve celebrations in history. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining! We were invited to a party and had every intention of going, but Steve developed a sinus infection shortly after Christmas and was still feeling a little tired. Since the party wasn’t supposed to start until 9 p.m., we met some friends for dinner at Gem of India for their New Year’s Eve buffet and celebration. It was a great time with some excellent food, but we were done partying by 9:30 p.m. Call us old farts, but NYE celebrations just aren’t our style.

We went home, watched a little TV and then got into bed. The new year came while we were snoozing and that was just fine by us. The next morning we decided to hit the Dillard’s New Years Day sale at the mall. I consider myself a seasoned shopper, but that sale was not for the faint of heart. It was a madhouse! I will say, all of the employees were so nice and most of the people I encountered were laughing about the situation. Steve and I were both in good moods and just went with the flow. An hour later, we declared ourselves done and went to Target for some cat food. Yep, we were on fire in 2012.

Later that day, we rearranged the living room and talked about our goals for the new year. I wouldn’t call them resolutions, but more like goals we’d like to achieve together. It was a good weekend, but I’ll admit I’m ready to get back to my normal routine. Happy 2012, everyone!