Bowenwright - We're crafty people here at the Wright House

Plug for a great little Restaurant in Syracuse, Utah - Cafe Limon

2012-01-13T15:02:00.003-07:00

Last month my 2 nieces from two different of my sibs, and I went

to dinner at a little Peruvian restaurant.

Please, if you happen to be heading north out of Salt Lake through Layton area, perhaps going to Antelope Island

(there is a whole other blog waiting to happen about Antelope Island somewhere inside of me)

then plan to stop at

it is owned by Ron and Amparo Alam

located:

973 West 1700 South Syracuse, Utah 84075

www.cafelimonrestaurant.com

801-825-0219

The food is spectacular! But don't fill up too full because the desserts are spectacular also!

The flan was so thick and smooth and rich, I could have rolled in it and been in heaven.

The rice pudding was 10x better than my Mother's

and I thought nothing could top Mom's - again way creamier and richer!

Look at their website - she has AWARD winning chicken from the food network! That is what I ordered and I ATE the WHOLE entire thing MYSELF!

Just take the exit for Antelope Island -

head west to the city of Syracuse and then look for the address of 973 West. It is at the west end of a little strip mall right there on 1700 South.

________________________________________________________________

Misc:

Just in the effort to be totally up front and honest with whatever readers there are -

I haven't yet started any new years resolutions!

I don't want to get to eager and start before I am really ready.

I'm flying off Saturday, Jan. 14th to Portland to see my oldest brother, his wife, my niece and her hubby
and their new baby Parker!

I will return late on Sunday the 15th to rest up on the holiday on Monday and that is when I will start
in earnest on my new habits, along with starting 3rd term at school.

All I want is 10lbs a term - is that asking too much?

Maybe a little exercise thrown in there for good measure?

(Do you know how much easier it is to read a Nook book when exercising?

You don't have to hold the pages open! Bingo!

January and the first snow - which will stick longer; new resolutions or the snow

2012-01-08T12:23:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I haven't done too well so far this year in the resolution department.

But I am starting a contest at work.

We borrowed the name of "Biggest Loser".

I have to be down at least 20 lbs for my final appointment this summer with my brain/eye doctor.

I can't go to the appointment like a 7th grader who procrastinated doing a term project!

-just sitting there looking at my doctor trying for excuses as to why I can't seem to do the one thing that has shown to possibly get rid of the pressure in my head.

It is like looking at a table covered with money that I am free to go pick up, instead I just sit there complaining;

"but it's all green and wrinkled! and can't you bring it to me?"

How do you spell that sound that babies make? Wa Wa or something?

But on a better note:

Did I ever rant on how much I hate wasting time on useless, poorly written books!

My reading time is precious to me.

Very precious.

And I just spent an entire Saturday on a bad teen's book called Incarceron.

I will not be reading the sequel.

I spent money on these paperbacks.

Money can be replaced, but MY TIME! Please.

I should have taken your comment on this book to heart Amy, but I had already spent the money!

This is why, I think, that I don't write books. I would be a crappy writer and people would say "what was the point" and "can't you describe any better than that", and "your characters were flat" and on and on...

So to not prolong this point to a nauseating length,

I will just say good-bye for today and not ruin any more of any of my reader's time! let's all go back to reading a great book!

New Year 2012 - Resolutions Page

2011-12-31T10:43:00.000-07:00

I hereby resolve in 2012 to make better use of my blog.

I think I will use it as a wandering ramble through my brain.

Sometimes I just want to take a thought or a subject and talk about it.

Maybe it will be an experience I just had, or a review of something I just saw or ate or met.

Right now I'm trying to get through a year of class which is supposed to teach me how to teach to students where English language is their 2nd language.

We aren't exact 'required' to take the course, unlike Salt Lake and other school districts, but we do have to have 100 hours of inservice or training every 5 years to re-certify for our teaching license.

My next 5 year period is coming up - so I thought I'd get all 100 hours by taking this course.

But... I have to pay for it, $600.00 and it is all on my own time - after school every Wednesday night for a whole school year, from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.

Murray District said they would help with the cost...their idea of help is by taking $60.00 from 10 paychecks

Big of them!

So, because of the ESL class (English as second language), work itself and my promise to all family members to copy all the photos in my parents photo albums, and distribute copies to them, I don't know how much writing I will get down but hey

IT IS A NEW YEAR RESOLUTION!

and at least this year my resolution doesn't revolve around diets - however, I did hear a gentlemen say he was just going to try and do without sugar for a year. I think that is a very noble resolution, maybe I'll think about that one also. I do have about 13 more hours until the New Year!

Ok, quit yelling, I know it has been forever!

2011-11-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Something happened - LIFE. Actually I got so into family history this summer that I barely got anything else done. I mean I was so into the work that I didn't even gain weight this summer - I know! Sounds like a miracle huh?

Well the funnest thing was that I found a relative in Livingston, Montana. I found rumors from all the papers I got from my Mother's estate that her great grandfather had a brother that may have settled in Montana and he had two sons and a daughter named Ruth. That's all I knew, that's all I had to go on, oh and the town in Montana was not far from Yellowstone!

So I got out a map of Montana and started figuring places and then searched old newspapers for any word of a Fryer in Montana - Bonanza!

There was a mayor of Livingston by the name of Fryer and the article mentioned that he had a store in Livingston.

I looked up Livingston and found there is still a store there by the name of "Sax & Fryer".

I wrote the store and ask if anyone possible knew anything of the history of the Fryer part of the store name and if possible they could be related to Ann Colton and William Fryer who immigrated to the United States and Ann Colton Fryer and children joined wagon trains to Utah in 1849.

I got an amazing letter back from owner of "Sax & Fryer", a Mr. John Fryer, who said his relative was William C. Fryer the son of William and Ann Colton Fryer!

The missing brother of my Mom's great grandfather.

Mr. John Fryer sent me a wonderful history of his great grandfather and I felt the victory of discovery.

He also said there were relatives of the only sister of the children of William and Ann Colton Fryer that had also contacted him and suggested I get in contact with them!

So now my next big quest is to find out what happened to one of the brothers of my great grandmother, a Mr. Edward Carlile.

He also was in Montana at about the same time period as the Fryer.

I have a picture of him from Butte, Montana and from Cheyenne, Montana. He married a gal from Canada and then disappeared.

So school started and I had to go back to work and slow down on the research.

Actually I stopped on the research and just spend extra minutes here and there scanning family albums so I can give each family member a copy of all the pictures.

It is rather easy but tedious and time consuming.

But I also get to relive time through the pictures.

Sorry it is taking so long family! I am only one person!

Brenda, Research Detective Extraordinaire

2011-07-10T18:17:00.000-06:00

I just noticed this new book out at Barnes and Noble. I have a list of probably 13 books still to read this summer, but this one caught my eye.

Why? you ask. Because I feel like a majorly important detective this summer.

I was given the task of taking all my Mother's bits of newspaper clippings and funeral programs and newspaper obituarys and letters and cards she kept for umpteen million years and see if I could find the story in them all. Who were these people?

Relatives?

Then they needs to be added to the families genealogy record or updated or whatever.

Friends?

Well some of the stuff she kept like old letters and scrapbook memories and such I couldn't just throw away. I tracked down (hopefully) a relative and mailed these artifacts back to their families. Nobody seems to write letters any more and I can't frankly throw them away. The person's handwriting is right there in front of you, they touched the paper that you are touching. I must make the family decide if they are worth keeping, not me.

Business associates?

Humm, tough one here: I threw a lot of those momentos away. Dad's work friends were just not close enough for me to keep memories of them and I think their families would have the same clippings and pictures, etc. Handled summarily!

But amongst all this I have wanted to call my Mom or Dad and ask them about stuff. I'll bet 10 different times I've reached for the phone and duh... they are not talking calls any longer.

So I called my Aunt Lois, my Mom's sister. She is the last remaining relative on my mother's side - of the previous generation. "Aunt Lois, please tell me what your Grandma Fryer was like, what was her husband like?" I never met any great grandparents except my great Grandma Potter - she died at 95 when I was about 5 - but I do remember her feeling my face (see couldn't see any longer)

and telling me, "Oh what a pretty girl".

Aunt Lois said my great grandma Fryer was a "neighborhood lady" meaning she liked to get with the other ladies in the neighborhood and talk and she knew all about the politics of the world. Aunt Lois said, "Grandma Fryer and Edward G Murrow were like one and the same person because Grandma Fryer never missed a program". She said her Grandpa Fryer had more of a temper and was louder where Grandma Fryer was a lot calmer.

Aunt Lois said Grandma Potter was a sweetheart and Grandpa Potter was like a windup toy, anxious energy! so that he never walked slowly anywhere.

I have found a chart my Mom had hidden away that was sent to her from relatives in England which gave the Potter ancestry clear back to 1500's. So I've been verifying and adding all those.

I have found all the brothers and sisters and their birthdays from great Aunts and Uncles that I didn't even know I had. I found the line of twins in the family. I found names on old pictures and now can place them with the names on the family tree.

I found out about relatives that died on the way to Utah as pioneers. I found sadly how many children used to die before reaching adulthood.

I am master detective with my trusty remarkable computer.

My best find so far: My grandmother's date book that was given to her as a gift just before she left England to come to America in 1913. She wrote down the names and birth dates and death dates and marriage dates of everyone in her family for 98 years! What a priceless treasure.

And guess what? On the date for the birth date of Mary Rosina Fryer, grandma wrote in parenthesis: "Aunt May". I solved the mystery of who the heck Aunt May is! (She was the unmarried 1st cousin of my Grandpa Clarence Fryer!) But everyone called her Aunt May. I remember her quite well.

My Aunt Lois said Aunt May was fond of her "hot toddies".

So, do I need to read the new detective book out, that I copied above? yeah, probably someday. But for right now,

I am living the dream!

Here's a quiz: What's the difference between a baby and a puppy?

2011-07-07T17:06:00.003-06:00

Answer?

I don't know, I never had a baby (just a lot of babysitting) but I know the puppy is exhausting!

Little Molly Merganthaler (yes, all dogs need official names, then you call them by nicknames like "Molly Lama" or "who's the little doggie" - yeah, real clever nicknames. Then they say that dogs, like cats, have their own names they use just for each other.)

Anyway Molly has to eat three times a day - 7am, 1pm and 8pm. It took us 5 days to get that routine down. Then very soon after eating she has to go out on a leash to do her peepee/poopoos. Then you have to watch her intensely for the next three hours for any indication that she may have to go outside again. She is a smart little pup, but really couldn't she just wave a paw or something when she needs to go out?

Sometimes it is just a little whimpering, sometimes she just begins to wander off and sniff around. But so far, no accidents in the house on the carpet. Twice she peepeed in a $20.00 used plastic baby play pen and once on the plastic laid down around the cat box. Way easy clean ups.

She absolutely is not allowed to step even quickly on the brand new carpet upstairs! no! no! no!

In fact this is a DOWNSTAIRS dog!

I need to upstairs to stay nice and besides, the cats rule the upstairs.

She pretty much crate trained herself - she sleeps in the crate every night and nap time.

Terry is madly working to get a patio for the cats and dog finished ASAP. A patio for cats has been nicknamed "Catios" for some time, I just added the dog part so now we are building a "Catiog" onto the back of the house. The insulated doggy door has not yet arrived,

But the wired in area with the roof over it is nearly finished.

We will have a cat door coming out of one of the windows and Terry will build high up cat runs for Timmy and Polly. The the doggy door will come out near the bottom so the dog can go out to do his business but all pets can have grass to lay in if they want. It should be really neat. It is attached to the south side of an enclosed patio we have downstairs so building a doggy door into the wall will not be a big deal at all.

Another Quiz:

So what does old age do to you?
ANSWER: Makes you think you can handle puppies and build any damn thing on to your house that you want to, that's what it does.

Cleaning out my parents home getting it ready to sell

2011-06-26T20:27:00.003-06:00

What can I say. A flood of memories, some laughs, some cries. I lot of uncovering mysteries about my parents like after moving at least six times they never threw away some of the silliest stuff, unbelievable after all the lectures about having to go to our rooms to clean! What were they thinking, seriously! and then some of the extremely tender stuff they saved, how thoughtful, why didn't they talk to me about it - I didn't know it meant anything to them at all and they kept it for all these years.

Yeah, we waited nearly three years after my father passed away before tackling the house but it wasn't near so raw and painful as I think it might have been had we tackled this task immediately after the last parent left us.

But I really, really hope I do not leave a mess to go through for anyone. I hope I have the presence of mind to take care and clean out and distribute years before I am unable to! Pardon me, I have to go clean out a closet.

Time zips buy - ZIP is a 15 point word.

2011-06-08T11:08:00.001-06:00

I am finally writing again. and reading again. Both are wonderful but come with their own hazards. I live my books too much, I have to read them smartly so as not to be sucked into the fictional world never to return again to reality - seriously.
First I read the creepy, scary, downright grossly intriguing books by Michael Grant. They are supposedly for middle school age kids - NOT! I'd say high school at the least, and being an adult and reading them was a bit scary. My friend described them as Stephen King and "Lord of the Flies" on crack! Yeah - I agree totally.

But I could not put them down. I read through 4 volumes, "Gone", "Hunger", "Lies", and "Plague" in like one month. I can't wait for the next volume. I love the kids in the book. I relate to them, they are my friends. And I worry so much about them that I just have to read the next book.

So what do I do in the mean-time? I read Stephen King's "Duma Key". I am so frightened that I can only read a chapter or two at a time, and I'm only 20 pages from the end. But I live the dang books in my head.

Then to top it off, I have a bug infestation in my house (&*$# wet spring!) and I have had to clean and even take out drawers and clean the bottoms of dressers and cabinets. I think we also may have disturbed their little homes when we remodeled. But I dream weird dreams and then have to get up and clean more with tooth brushes and borax (which bugs hate). I feel crawly things on me. I see things moving in my peripheral vision, I hear chewing noises....

I LOVE SUMMER so I can just immerse myself in anything other than work.

And truly there is no book or bug scarier than a room full of pubescent students especially if you have nothing prepared with which to entertain them for 40 minutes.

My Favorite Poet/teacher just wrote this on his blog (see link in my list of links):
____________________________________________________________________________

Why I suck as a teacher (except that I don't).

Posted by Taylor Mali to Definitely Beautiful

I did a freebie gig at a middle school in Harlem today, and it was very challenging. There were only about 20 students in the class—sixth, seventh, and eighth graders all together—with almost as many City Year corp members in the room as well (college graduates who give a year of their time to work with inner city youth) so you'd think a veteran like me would find that easy, right? Wrong.

The majority of the students have very poor listening skills, and they talked and hit each other throughout the entire class. One girl in the front row spent the entire time playing games on her phone! Why did I put up with it? Aren't I to blame by allowing that kind of behavior to pass as acceptable?
Well, sure. But I was a visitor to their classroom and there to talk about poetry. Didn't seem right to be all Mr. Behavior Cop. Many would have just shut me out completely after that. So I just did my best, using every trick I remembered. I was loud when they were quiet and quiet when they were loud. They told each other to be quiet so as not to miss what I was saying (except that telling each other to be quiet invariably involved yelling and hitting each other, which never worked). They interrupted my poems when I used words they didn't know, which is fine by me, except one of the words was "smugly." I guess the student thought it was a mixture of "smart" and "ugly"?
When I gave them time to write quietly, it was hard for them to do either. Half the class preferred to write with big colorful markers instead of pens. There were more than a few pretty pictures of flowers. When I asked them to please work on what I had asked them to do, no one ever remembered what that was.
When the girl in the front row blatantly tried to show her neighbor, who was trying to work, something on her phone, I had to stop and tell her I found her behavior insulting to me. No big thing. She actually got better after that. In the end, I thought I had HORRIBLE control over the class.
But of all the poet/teachers I know, I can only think of two or three who might have done any better with that group. Surprisingly, when the kids were gone and it was just me and the City Year corp members, they all said they were amazed at how well behaved the class was! "You got them to work! To participate! It was amazing to see them respond to you! I was trying to take notes on all the techniques you used!"
A little perspective goes a long way.

So hurray for being scared in a fun, relaxing way with good books, cozy bugs and friends who are so competitive with "Words with Friends" (scrabble app for those with iphones - PS, I'm Babs1953 if you want to play!) PSS - how many points for COZY?

I have never really liked April Fool's day

2011-04-01T12:12:00.000-06:00

As a kid it was fun running in to tell my Dad that his car tires were flat (at the suggestion of my mother). And my Dad would always act upset and run outside to look at the car as my older brother and I would yell, "April Fool's" - but as I got older I didn't like being the one who could possibly end up as the brunt of the joke. I was too gullible, too shy.

So anyway, that is all I have to say about April Fool's Day besides that fact I am so relieved every year when there is no school on this particular day!

Especially for Lisa, here are pictures of my new Stanton carpet in my front room and the new laminate wood floor running from the front door into the bathroom. (yes, if you don't shut the front door and the bathroom door you can be seen sitting on the throne clear down the street - we just couldn't design any other way.

Intracranial Hypertension is a painful disorder in which too much cerebrospinal fluid is exerting too much pressure on the brain. It is a life-altering neurological disorder that can cause vision loss, blindness and severe, disabling pain that often cannot be controlled. There is no cure.

2011-03-11T21:15:00.001-07:00

The hardest part about IH for me is that I can't do everything I used to be able to do. Now, a day at work exhausts me - physically and mentally. It is all I can do to handle one outside thing and I don't always handle it very well. I have had to give up most everything else. I just don't have the energy anymore.

My brain thinks differently, too. Between the pressure and the headaches and the head-drugs, I just think a few beats slower. It is frustrating and I struggle to keep it from being demoralizing.

I have a headache most every day. On a pain scale of 1 to 10, 0 being no pain and 10 being the end of my rope [sit perfectly still in a dark room, no noise, cool temperature, trying not to pull my hair out in between throwing up sessions]. Most days, I'm at a 2 - 4. I can handle that. I can have short spikes up to 5 -6 most weeks that last several hours. Once a month or so, I'll have a day at about a 7. During a day I can have what I call lightning strikes that are 7 - 9's that last about 3 -4 seconds.

I've learned to just forge ahead and ignore them as best I can.

I work hard to deal with the mental and emotional issues of having a chronic illness. It is a daily struggle to handle the internal “self talk” about all I've lost to IH, to not smack the people who think because I don't complain I must be better (or cured...), to keep my dreams about my future alive, to keep hope for joy and love alive, and just to make sure I am working hard to be ME and use the energy I do have on things that bring me joy. I want to be sure I use my talents to make my life good and happy and useful.

I happen to have IH. I don’t want it to become who I AM.

I am very lucky that the drugs control it and I don't need brain surgery in the form of a shunt. It is scary waiting for that possible day. It may not ever come. It may be next month. The brain is a smart bugger and for a lot of people it learns to adapt around the drugs. I hope it learns how to STOP doing this.

It is hard for people to understand. I look fine. I seem fine. I still work. I’m not doubled over in pain. I must be doing better. A number of very sweet and well-meaning people don’t seem to understand why I’m not doing [beads and necklaces] anymore or why I’m not as completely organized as I used to be. People don’t understand why I won’t lead groups or organizations anymore. They are flabbergasted that I say "no" now. They seem to think I’m being lazy. It is hard to explain that my brain is just different now. I just don’t have the mental or physical stamina I used to have.

Even exercise makes me ill. Very ill. Exercise intolerance is pretty common.
It is hard sometimes to want to do anything because I am afraid it will make my head hurt or it will exhaust me. I have to watch that or I'll spend my life watching the world turn without me.

But the truth is I can’t go all day like I used to be able to. The heat of summer is dangerous for me. Getting overly tired is dangerous for me. It isn’t merely an inconvenience. My brain is put under tremendous physical pressure and that is dangerous. Brain damage can occur. The spinal fluid bathes the optic nerves so a spike in pressure could crush an optic nerve and render me blind. It is hard to live with that fear.

People understand cancer, but people don’t understand this. They can’t see this. If I haven’t mentioned it in a while, they think I’m cured. But, it may not ever go away. This is something I will probably live with for the rest of my life. My life is different now. But it is good. I still have so much. I am very lucky. And I am grateful.

http://the-brain-pain-blog.blogspot.com

(Thanks to Pamela on the-brain-pain-blog. She wrote the above on her blog with a few adaptation of mine in brackets. She says what I have wanted to say for so long but didn’t know how!)

Food for Thought About Teachers...

2011-03-03T21:35:00.001-07:00

Hey there, this was taken off a facebook blog but I thought it was interesting! :)

Thoughts About Teachers Pay.

by Brittani Andrews on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 12:07pm

Are you sick of high paid teachers? Teachers’ hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It’s time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - baby sit! We can get that for less than minimum wage.

That’s right. Let’s give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM

with 45 min. off for lunch and plan — that equals 6 1/2 hours).

Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children.

Now how many do they teach in day…maybe 30? So that’s $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.

LET’S SEE…. That’s $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master’s degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.

Wait a minute — there’s something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher’s salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student–a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!)

WHAT A DEAL!!!!

some near to final kitchen pictures

2011-02-21T18:22:00.001-07:00

Just to remind you, the first three pictures are the old kitchen - all vintage 1976, even the drop-in almond range! We added the green tile about 10 years ago. The closet pantry in the back left corner is now gone as are all the soffits above the cabinets.

The wall to the left of the fridge is now gone.

The island is now gone.

Yes, this is the same room!

The countertops and backsplash are a white Corian with colored little spreckles in it. They countertop people even made a Corian ledge under the window and Corian molding completely around the window. This will be so easy to clean!

Here is a picture of the sink - a bright white Corian seamless sink. I love it! Of course with the Moen Faucet - and my new Mikasa French Countryside cup and saucer next to the sink. Heck yeah I had to get a whole new set of dishes - dah!

Meet the JennAir gas stove and fancy hood. What a dream. The Corian backsplash goes all the way up to the bottom of the hood.

Now this is more into the dining area. I had these red drawers made to put my husband's grandfather's Noritake China in and linens, etc. And then the Hutch his grandfather also had can now sit on top of another Corian countertop to show off the dishes in a regal manor!

We had two of these bistro tables made with the same Corian as the kitchen countertops. Then I bought Ox-blood chairs on castors to sit up to the tables. We love hanging here reading, chatting - whatever!

The window again all encased in Corian for devine cleaning ability!

So here is a total field of view looking from the entrance into the dining room from the front room. I should have moved the cafe tables back in place but I forgot - they will be off to the right where the mess I thought I had hidden is showing.

My gorgeous fridge. In the last fridge, we had to make a wood shelf to put into it to make it more usable. This one is a dream. You can see a small pantry to the left of the fridge and a flat screen TV above the fridge!

A few throw rugs, the lights hooked up that illuminate the underside of the cabinets and a few paintings hung and a whole heck of a lot more emptying boxes of who knows what and it will be back to normal only elegantly.

floor is nearly done!

2011-01-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

You have to pass it on when you have met the best!

2011-01-24T14:50:00.001-07:00

     Our painter was by far the most skilled, most polite, most thorough painter I have ever seen. Now this is coming from a gal (me) who is married to an ex-professional painter who had his own painting company for 5 years (til the bottom dropped out in the early 80's economy). I was the painter's helper on many occasions so we have both seen good painting.
     But, we're older now and we can afford to hire the work done, so we did. Both my husband and I stood with our mouth gaping as we watched a real pro paint our entire upstairs. The prep work was the most impressive. He moved furniture, taped off and cleaned until I was embarrassed. He said, "I tell people I'm really just a glorified cleaner!"   Then he painted PERFECTLY - no runs, no drips in a few hours. I thought we were done but NO -- He sands his primer, re-cleans, sands the first coats, re-cleans and then put on the final paint coat. Now our job wasn't just an easy one color situation.   We love white, flat paint ceilings (it hides any errors from the sheet rockers). So he had to cut around the entire ceiling with the wall color and I thought my husband was going to cry at the perfection of his cut line - and the ceiling looks flawless: smooth as a babies bottom!
   So here is the shameless plug for a talented painter: Cody of "Cottonwood Craftsman" out of Salt Lake City, Utah. If you are interested in him, send a comment and I'll give you his phone number!

quick kitchen update:

2011-01-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Sheetrock! It's all mudded and sanded and ready for paint to start tomorrow! Doesn't the room look incredibly small without anything in it! I sure hope it finishes off easily - this is getting old!

Small but Significant Progress Towards the French Bistro Kitchen

2011-01-11T17:30:00.001-07:00

So... we have all the electrics done. A lot of wires had to be moved when we removed the soffits! And of course plugs were moved and wires fished through walls and such. That's all done! The plumber has OK'd everything so all he has to do is re-hook up when the cabinets are placed in.
The drywaller is coming tomorrow to start putting the room back together. When he has re-sheetrocked and mudded, then we can paint.
When painting is done then we can lay the floor tiles (my beautiful black and white checkerboard squares).

The cabinets will be done before Feb. 14th. They are red oak (a lighter color) in the kitchen but the dining room will have one wall with large drawers in a red cherrywood color underneath a counter (a white Corian countertop like the kitchen) and then my beautiful Early Federal Hutch (with double S shaped glass in front - picture to the left) can sit on top of the Corian counter and ontop of the similarly stained drawers underneath. This color will give the dining area a slightly different look. Remember, the dining area will have the ox-blood red chairs with bistro tables.

The other end of this room is a work room/library also with red oak cabinets. So the contrast of the redder cherry or mahogany color in between the lighter oak will break the room up nicely, yet tie them together.

Included pictures are a sneak peak of my JennAir range, and the hood (we had to hang it to get the hole made for the vent outside). The hood came immediately back down for the dry-waller tomorrow!

Almost have plans for new kitchen finalized - French Bistro!

2010-12-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

No cork floor - way too expensive and it sun fades! So, I'm back to the black and white checkerboard floor that I've wanted all along anyway. I'm going the "french bistro" look with cafe chairs and tables rather than a large dining table. I think cafe tables are more cozy than seats at an island or a large table. We hang out in the kitchen (like nearly every family does) but I want to sit relaxed like in a wonderful cafe or bar! Right now we will be making the cafe table tops out of the white Corian also - little round 24" or 36" tables, and have at least two of them! For fancy dinners we can throw a white linen table cloth over them and pull them closer.

      My cafe chairs, as shown above, will arrive the 27th.
      The wood in the kitchen will be red oak and the dining area will be mahogany. Then, of course the white Corian counter tops and I think I'll go with white ceramic brick tiles for back splash and the tiling under the stainless steel fume hood.
      Then hubby and I got a great idea - we have a door going out to the garage right in the middle of the kitchen. I wish we could move it! We've tried everything and every way to move it but it involves just way more than we want to get into. So then we thought why not change the door, maybe make it out of oak to match the cupboards (but trying to match hinges and door jams is a big pain) or... paint it with blackboard paint and use it like a menu/message board! I think it would be so fun to put a cute menu in colored chalks on the door, notes to each other, shopping lists, etc.   Am I crazy or is that not a fun idea? (Ok we need to think that one through thoroughly but I still like the idea).

I haven't told the hubby yet that I will need new dishes - something bright and colorful. Oh yeah!

I HAVE NO KITCHEN

2010-12-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

By the end of Sunday, Dec 12th, my kitchen looked liked picture #1 above. We sold the kitchen to someone who will put it in rental property (?) Ok, it is going to a new life - recycled and all so I am proud of that - but EVERYTHING went.

I have no sink, no range, no microwave, no fridge, no dishwasher, no cabinets and

no countertop.

We made $300 on the deal however! and the new owners did all the work - SWEET.

After I came home from work Monday, the kitchen looked like Picture #2.

We are removing the soffit, the tile, one small wall and the old pantry/closet. Yuck - dust and insulation everywhere!

But it is all progress

I have a new JennAir gas range (36") stainless steel, in my front room and the exhaust hood is coming today (also Stainless Steel). We haven't finalized all the design yet but there will no longer be a pennisula and the new pantry will be built in next to the fridge. The countertops will be white Corian. The back splash will be tiled but probably pencil tile made of white marble, gray glass and beige marble to pull all the colors together. The kitchen cabinets will be red oak and the dining room will be mahogony to match an anitque hutch I have - so I guess I'll need a new dining table and chairs to match the hutch.

I'm looking at cork flooring - we'll see how that goes.

Anyway I'll keep updating pictures if I can find my camera and my computer... that's the part of remodeling that drives me nuts: WHERE IS EVERYTHING?

But again, thanks Murray District for not letting me retire - all this money you could have saved is now going to a good cause: ME!

Sometimes You Just Need a Good Story:

2010-11-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

I arrived at the address where someone had requested a taxi. I honked but no one came out. I honked again, nothing. So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute," answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
''Would you carry my bag out to the car?'' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, and then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. ''It's nothing,'' I told her. ''I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.''
''Oh, you're such a good boy," she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, ''Could you drive through downtown?''
''It's not the shortest way,'' I answered quickly.
''Oh, I don't mind,'' she said. ''I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. ''I don't have any family left," she continued. ''The doctor says I don't have very long.''
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. ''What route would you like me to take?'' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, ''I'm tired. Let's go now.''
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
''How much do I owe you?'' she asked, reaching into her purse.
''Nothing,'' I said
''You have to make a living,'' she answered.
''There are other passengers,'' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held on to me tightly.
''You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,'' she said.
''Thank you.''
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

It's BALLET season again!

2010-10-24T18:08:00.000-06:00

Did I ever mention how much I love ballet? How much I wanted to take dance lessons as a child but my mother kept telling my my legs were too thick and I was too short!

So I got the piano lessons instead - which wasn't all bad. I love the piano also and lessons taught me concentration, memorization skills, and how to practice, practice, practice and patiently wait for the results.

In fact, I was the only one of my brothers and sisters who didn't quickly tire of their lessons - whether dance (my TALL with thin legs sister hated it) or piano. So my mother gave me the family piano and then many years later as an adult, when I loaned my youngest sister the piano for her daughter to take lessons while my hubby and I remodeled our home, my mother gave away my piano. I'm still in shock and pain over that one.... oh well, with all I learned from piano lessons I was able to graduate from college with a master's degree and now make enough money to buy whatever damn piano I could ever want!

Oh, but I digress, Carmina Burana opens this Friday, Oct 29th I have like really up-close seats for the hubby and I can't wait!

I took a friend to see a ballet rehearsal last week. Imagine sitting on folding chairs about 3feet from real live ballet dancers whose sweat and pain you can see in their muscles and faces as they practice, and practice and practice until the get the perfect results! What dedication those artists have for their craft. They could all just be sitting at home watching TV but instead they choose to dedicate themselves to give some beauty to people like me who have too thick and too short of legs to ever be good dancers but who dream and live that beauty they create.

Be brave, be grateful and go buy some ballet tickets this season! I suggest if you are a first timer - be sure to go to Sleeping Beauty in Feb of 2011. That one is both fun and beautiful and a good way to break into Ballet. Do it - you owe it to yourself and these fine artists!

Picture Time!

2010-09-08T19:00:00.005-06:00

Grandson on the left!

And grand-niece on the right.

Born within a week of each
other.

Am I lucky or what!

Fratelli's Ristorante 9300 So. 1000 East

2010-09-06T16:36:00.002-06:00

Just one thing to say - Wow! Loved it, Loved it. (Thank Amy for the head's up on this one). But save room for desert - hazelnut Gelato! lemon Gelato! (you actually get 3 scoops of your choice). A very pleasant restaurant that made me believe I was back in Italy...

I had to add a copy of the poem I was assigned to write for my 7 year old niece, Karmen so she can read it again. She gives me (the teacher) homework assignments, you see. After all, she did write me a book about my cats that I begged her to write!
So my first poem back to her was:

I have a young niece named Karmen,
Who's sweater she couldn't get her arm in.
She struggled and pulled
and she yanked and rolled
So we now put a sock on her arm to keep warm in!

Karmen said I got an A+ on this one - so there you have it! I must be teacher's pet!

Yeah, I know, I'll stick with the science job thingy.

bracelets made from wedding announcement

2010-09-02T20:37:00.004-06:00

As I promised, here are the five bracelets I made from a wedding announcement.

They really are beautiful and I hope the recipients love them as much as I do!

If you read the earlier blog about these, the wedding colors are light gray, eggplant purple and silver. The paper beads are the tube beads, the brides have her name and her new husbands name on a bead. The purple I found to go with them as satin string beads.

Put a few silver and AB swarovski with them and TA DA.

Now a life time keepsake.

P.S. for fun, try the blog: catalogliving.net What a hoot. someone takes catalog pictures and then writes lines about them as if it were a couple talking about their daily lives. A quick fun read! - see my link on the left or just type in your address line: catalogliving.net Thanks Amy for the info on this blog! love it!

Too many decisions - Life isn't easy!

2010-08-29T14:01:00.003-06:00

I just received the 3rd book in the Hunger Games series today in the mail, "Mockingjay". This is a very popular book at the junior high I work at so I have to read it - plus I liked the first two in the series so... no problem, right? Not quite!

I also received in the same box, the 3rd book in the Dragon Tattoo series, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest". Now I REALLY like that series and can not wait to read the 3rd and final! But, hold on, it is still not that easy...

I also downloaded "The Secrets Monkey Island special edition (1 and 2) to my ipod touch! I started playing these games back in the early 90's and passed them on to my nieces and nephews and am so thrilled they have been re-worked and up-dated to be glorious in detail so I can see them so well on my little Ipod Touch screen that I just can't believe it.

I have worked months on the puzzles in the past. I have dreamed of playing these games again. If you are not familiar with them, you really need to try them. Lucas Arts! App download for less than $10.00 each - best entertainment around.

BUT WHICH SHALL I DO FIRST? WHERE DO I START?

Oh and school started again - yes, I had to set up rolls and emails and wash and press clothes and go to bed EARLY and all that but only so I could read a bit and then play a bit of a game before bed.

Life is just not as easy as it once was. Too many choices.

Remember when there were only 3 TV channels - and one was junk like Eugene Gelesnik talent showcase!

And yes, I am almost done with the wedding bracelets - which really have to be done before all the other fun stuff. But I think I'll get "Mockingjay" out of the way - easy read. Start "Kicked the Hornet Nest" and play "Monkey Island" one half hour before bed to "get my eyes tired"!

Sounds good, huh

"Terry dear, can you please do the laundry, vacuum and fix dinner tonight? I'm way busy! - with work and all!"

Wedding announcement paper bead bracelets! and other blurbs

2010-08-21T18:57:00.006-06:00

I got a call out of the blue from a customer who would like bracelets made for a bride, her bridesmaids, her mother and soon to be mother-in-law. The bracelets are to have beads made from the wedding announcement. Colors are a very soft gray and aubergine purple. The bride will have paper beads with her and new hubby's name on them and the other women just get the edge of the paper where a silver streak will zip across the bead. I found some gorgeous purple satin string wrapped beads along with some small silver seed beads to go with them. The above picture is of the ingredients so far! Come back in a few weeks and I'll post pictures of the finished products!

And yes, new grandson is now 11lb 8 oz. If I can ever get over this nasty cough and stuffed nose, I'll go kiss his little cheeks! He is such a sweet, happy baby!

School has started again! and I have the 3rd book in the "Hunger Games" trilogy coming any day now - a real favorite of my junior high students! Planning is started for a trip to Scotland and No. England for probably July or Aug of 2012! So life is good.

As far as my IIH condition (I refuse to call it a disease - see:www.ihrfoundation.org), after a brain MRI this summer, I definitely have an "empty sella" and "dilated optic nerve sheathes". But at least I am not dripping CSF fluid and my headaches seem to be under control at the moment so we are making some progress. I will have 20 lbs off by Jan. 1, 2011 or else! Check back on my progress there also.

I'm a Grandma! finally! ok, step grandma, but I'll take whatever I can get!

2010-07-25T15:15:00.003-06:00

My stepson's wife just had their baby this morning. A 9 lb. 14 oz., 22 inch long baby boy named Parker Hub Wright.
Mom had to go Cesarean Section but seems to be doing OK.
I'll get to see her and baby in a few days, I hope.
The new Dad says little Parker Hub is blonde.
If you know Cody, the dad, that's a real duh... Cody has nearly white hair
and his wife is dish-water blonde -
so no dark hair, dark eyes like Grandma Brenda.
Oh, well. I can still spoil him crazy!

Just a thought on "use-it-or-lose-it"

2010-07-23T09:02:00.004-06:00

Yeah, I'm getting older. I don't mind it really, in fact it would be funner if I didn't hurt so much whenever I try anything.
Case in point: My shoulder has been giving me trouble for about a year and a half. It really got bad this last spring so I thought with all my scientific wisdom, I said; "I'll just try not to use it as much as possible until it heals". Sounds good right? WRONG. Don't do it. By end of June, I could barely move my arm at all. No motion whatsoever. No overhead movement so I couldn't even shave my armpit. Now that is the pits! Couldn't touch my back, couldn't comb the top of my head when the blow dryer was in the other hand. Great! So off to the doctor and to the physical therapist. I now do exercises twice a day, ice my shoulder and finally I can lift it once again, can't touch my back much yet, but I'm getting there. (My niece is a physical therapist and I think I must now tell her publicly how much I respect her occupation!)
Then I found an old book I've had for years, a book of stories and poems on old age called, "When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple". Are you familiar with this?
Here are a couple of my favorite poems from the book

A Place for Mother by Joanne Seltzer

PRELIMINARY ADVICE
Remember how you once went shopping
for the right nursery school
and when the teacher asked you
if your child was toilet trained
you lied and said she was.

Use the same strategy
in shopping for a nursing home.

Later - when you are told
of Mother's incontinence -
you will clench your fist and shout:
"What have you done to my mother?"

MORE ADVICE
Have a daughter-to-mother talk.
Ask her what she wants.
If she doesn't know
ask her if she's happy.
She will either say
she doesn't know
or she will be silent.
Tell her how much you love her.
Promise you won't forsake her.

To top it off, why not have a necklace made for her with your words on paper made into beads for her to wear, or even better: vice versa, have your Mother write something for you and have that to keep to remember her forever.... just a thought -
see www.bowenwright.com for ideas!
email me at: bbwright98@hotmail.com

Don't read the book, "Stuff" unless you have time to clean!

2010-07-13T15:35:00.004-06:00

I just finished the book, "Stuff, compulsive hoarding and the meaning of things". I read it in two days - very, very interesting. Case studies of people with hoarding problems of all kinds were discussed, then how they were treated (if they could be treated), and what might have started their hoarding. But what it did to me was make me feel guilty. I don't form deep bonds with stuff but I do get lazy and defer sifting out unneeded stuff until I need the room or I'm re-modeling or something. But as I would read this book, I felt the need to get up and clean something out - like all my old saved letters and cards. Those of you who got some really old letters returned to you, I hope you can pass them on as historical treasures to your offspring. It's not that they didn't mean anything to me, it's that now they need to be returned and not simply destroyed like my closet full of useless cloth scraps. I'm just not going to make that quilt I always thought I would! (I didn't throw away ALL my scrap paper for making beads! but it is whittled down to a manageable size now!)

I'm still only doing special order paper bead necklaces as I take it easy this summer. I hate not being at the People's market and other fairs but I found that the heat really bothers my head and headaches so check out the links to pictures of necklaces I have made and see if there is something you need for all the ladies in your life to make them true RECYCLERS!

New info on Intracranial Hypertension

2010-06-29T09:50:00.009-06:00

http://www.wix.com/ihbrainpain/race

For those of us held down from carrying the burden of a medical condition called "Intracranial Hypertension", here is a web-site for a big fund raiser going on in September for this disease. I would LOVE for a cure in my lifetime - I say, "No more CSF leaks", no more headaches!

Every day, women, men and increasingly, children, are
diagnosed with intracranial hypertension.
They suffer with this "invisible" illness,
and battle the pain, vision loss, as well
as devastating financial and emotional impact.
Most feel that they are alone in their struggle.
But they are not.

IH Awareness Month is a TIME FOR HOPE AND FOR ACTION.
And...it is only 3 months away! This September,
please join us and make your own
personal pledge to spread the word about
intracranial hypertension and the need for research
to find better treatments and a cure:
www.ihrfoundation.org   

Since now you know someone with it - ME!

I enjoyed a wonderful trip to Ireland because of new surgical techniques and new
drugs for my condition. I think there are many more out there who need to be
diagnosed and need treatment.  Thank you to my doctors for finally getting
me back to a working condition!
(See archived posts in Mar 2010 to view my CSF leak caused by IH).

New ideas for recycled paper pendants from Ireland!

2010-06-23T15:23:00.003-06:00

So yes, I am home and ready to get back to work making necklaces from recycled paper. I searched Ireland high and low for ideas (and for fun). I have to practice a bit but I think I found the perfect idea for pendants that I can make from paper - St. Bridgids Cross (or as they say in Ireland: Cros Naomh Bhride). We'll see how that goes and get some sample pictures on the blog ASAP.
I think I need to open a little shop in Ireland and sell my beads, of course I'd have to live there year round - wouldn't that be heaven!
I have pictures I will post every now and again so as not to bore the readers but one of my favorite is a video I took of a 5 day old Falabella pony. This is the smallest breed in the world (from Argentina) but there was a little family of them at the Irish National Stud. This is a farm where world champion racing horses are kept and breed. It was an amazing place but I had to take the video of this little pony that was 8 lbs when it was born!
Here are some other beautiful pictures of Ireland:

last 2days in Ireland... no one has screens on windows because of too few bugs -is this the perfect place or what!

2010-06-19T00:46:00.001-06:00

Hi from Derry, Ireland - also called Londonderry, All I can say is GORGEOUS!

2010-06-09T14:10:00.002-06:00

this is live in the air heading for NYC-I'll update as I can! wahoo

2010-06-05T13:11:00.001-06:00

Cancer Wellness House and Idle Chit Chat

2010-05-31T11:07:00.015-06:00

On August 14, 2010, the Cancer Wellness House will present the 14th annual Survivors at the Summit. This inspiring event symbolizes the challenges individuals and families experience when faced with cancer.
I have just mailed two sets of necklace/earrings made from recycled paper and cloth scraps to donate for Prizes and Gear Giveaway for this years event. I gave necklaces last year and feel this is a really good experience for many of us out there who are or have been affected by cancer.
Check out: www.cancer-wellness.org and click on the "Register for Survivors at the Summit" to learn about the event and see if it is something you may be interested in being part of.

I've been very busy with spring cleaning - my back hurts, my shoulder aches, so I thought I ought to take a break and catch up with the old blog.
First, I cleaned out my arboretum (a fancy name for my closed in back porch in which I grow plants and carry out the messy part of bead making.) I try to bring in all my geraniums from outside every fall and then take them back out in the spring. Well, I think this is the last year for that. I have some geraniums that were at my wedding 29 years ago! I think that is remarkable but also borders on hoarding...
But they are a messy living thing, they drop leaves and then bugs and snails often hitch rides inside with them. I just decided this spring that I want the space to work in my covered porch this winter and the geraniums will just have to be bought new next year. I'm sorry for offending some recyclers... So here's a picture of the new, tidy workspace. (I still have to have some plants, for pete's sake - just not overrun by them.)

Next, take a look at my poppy's this year! Wow! The color is unbelievable. They don't last too long so you have to catch them at their peak and this is the weekend.
The last picture is of my wonderful daughter-in-law, Mel with my new grandson getting ready to be born. She is due the end of July! I can't wait. I also have a new grand-niece due the end of July, double bonus month!

But then Ireland is in 5 days, that will hopefully take my mind off
the impending births for a few days!

Trip to Ireland draws nearer!

2010-05-26T17:05:00.002-06:00

School finishes on June 3rd this year and....
yes, I leave on June 5th for Ireland! Not many days now! I'm hoping the volcano in Iceland doesn't delay the arrival into Ireland, but I don't care if we can't leave and return to Utah for several weeks after expected return date, that would be such a shame to have to extend my stay!

We'll be flying into Dublin and start the trip from there - two glorious weeks touring Ireland. I have to plug the company doing this trip, the head planner is Ray Taggart from "Pixel Foto and Frame" on 90th south and State Street in Salt Lake City. He is a professional photographer so he takes groups all over the world about twice a year on these photography trips. They are "all inclusive" trips -all meals, all tours, all entertainment is included in the price which is great for some one going alone like me (husband won't go, says he hates flying for that long). I've done trips where we just winged it and found places to stay when we got to the cities, I've done trips on tours that left you half a day to yourselves to plan stuff to do, but I'm now at an age where I want someone else to do all the work. This trip has three meals a day, all the tours and evening entertainment! Like Ray says, "you just have to buy the souvenirs!"

I just want to wander and look and sketch (while other do photography) and have nothing to worry about. I'll report back on how great that was when I return.

"Pixel Foto and Frame" is now planning an October 2010 trip to China and Tibet. Last fall Ray took a group to Turkey and he's taken groups to Tanzania, Africa, just to name a few of the places. Maybe you are interested? Give them a call! I'm trying to get them to do Costa Rica before too much longer! Anyway, I'm excited and have started to pack my stuff up so maybe next blog will be the return report!
Slan go Foill (Bye for now)

It's my 13th year of extra life! Thank you doctors, researchers and donators!

2010-05-10T20:57:00.006-06:00

For those who read this blog for info about paper beading... sorry, I beg you to suffer my indulgence. I'll get back into paper beading as soon as school is out and I'm back from my TRIP TO IRELAND! I feel the need to slow down and even stop to smell the roses.
Last weekend was a reflective time for me. I happened to be downtown and see the aftermath of the Susan G. Komen race for a cure event on Saturday. It made me stop and think for a moment; to feel the sunshine on my face and breathe the sweet air. And also to look at the love in my husband's eyes.
Thirteen years ago in May, I was doing radiation therapy for my own breast cancer fight. I had already undergone two surgeries - one to remove a lump in my breast and the second surgery to remove the lymph glands under my arm for analysis. I was a mass of scars and scabs and starting to get 2nd degree burns under my armpit from the radiation.
But I never doubted I would recover, really I never doubted it.
Then it was as if the universe decided I needed to be humbled and feel I too was vulnerable. So around a year or two later, I had a routine blood test that showed I had some problems with my blood count. The doctor said it could just be side effects from the radiation treatment and we'd just wait and take another test in a month to see how or if the blood tests changed.
That was one of the hardest months my husband and I went through, I mean as far as compared to the official breast cancer diagnosis. When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer everything went really fast - I found a lump, doctor saw me the next day, did a biopsy right then and there and then surgery within the week - no time really to sit and think about it. But now we had time to think. I got a bit more scared this time. We never told anyone, why have them worry until something was verified. We hardly talked about it ourselves, I could tell my husband was suffering but I didn't want to break down in front of him.
Finally another test and wonderful news - all was OK with my blood work.
Time went by and we got more and more able to go through a day without thinking about cancer.
Then the spring of 2006 my mother passed away. I finally had time to go to the doctor myself and ask him about a lump I could feel under the right side of my rib cage. He felt the lump and said it was about time I had a PET scan anyway. The PET scan can detect potential cancer spot with the use of radioactive isotopes in sugar. The girl doing the scan was strangely quiet after the scan which always scares me. A few days later the doctor says that I have a suspicious spot on my liver and I will need further tests.
The family had just barely watched my mother die from cancer that previous March. My Dad and siblings were still reeling from the shock. I was literally sick to my stomach and this time I cried on my husband's shoulder, I just broke down. He tried so hard to be brave and optimistic but the next couple of months were nearly our undoing. I can't even remember what other tests I had done, but the wait between results, the wait for the next appointment, the wait for the next results were torture.
I decided to go the 268 mile round-trip south to visit my Father for a few days over the 4th of July. Everyone met at Mom and Dad's for the 4th and I didn't want my Dad to feel lonely his first big event without my Mother even though I was going through my own drama. My Father developed a very bad cold on the 4th that quickly progressed to pneumonia and since I am a teacher, it was logical for me to stay and tend to him since I was out of school. Both my sisters who live near, had to work. But I had to leave in the middle of the crisis to go home and get the final results from my liver tests and my sisters gave me a semi-bad time for having to leave. I think I said I was getting a mammogram and the appointments were such a long wait. "I'd just go up to Salt Lake and be right back that same day."
I brushed death aside once again, all I have are some cysts on my liver, nothing malignant!
So here it is 2010 and I have survived well beyond what others diagnosed even 20 years before me where able to survive. The fear is always there, floating somewhere nearby, but because of people willing to donate money for research and because of researchers willing to work for a cure and come up with medicines like Tamoxifen and Femara, I am here today and am well and looking forward to another summer and the adventures it brings. I can't believe my luck but I don't take it for granted! Thank you to you all and your work to give me 13 more years!

I really, really appreciate it!
I think I'll go out and look at the rain one more time before I go to bed!

My Gosh How the Time Flies!

2010-04-26T21:12:00.002-06:00

I only have to get up and go to work on 4 more Mondays. (Memorial Day there is no school). I don't know how many days of actual school that is, I refuse to count yet. Midterm report cards go out this Thursday!

I haven't decided what to do with the paper bead business yet this year. I need to rest and recuperate and so have not planned any fairs or festivals for the near future.

But I am leaving for Ireland on June 5th! I'm going with my friend from work. Her and her husband own Pixel's Foto and Frame on 90th South and State Street in Salt Lake City. They do tours all over the world, (Ray took a tour to Turkey last fall and next year they are during a China tour!) But this year is Ireland. The tour is really for people who love to take photographs since Ray is a professional photographer but I'm going along merely for the site-seeing and maybe a bit of sketching. I said that I'm just not really into "photografizing". But I'll take my little sharp shooter just in case. I'm so excited, I want to go sit out at the airport now!

I would like to put more necklaces on Ebay to sell, if you have a special order, I am still doing them - just email and let me know what you are looking for. I just am really enjoying reading books and doing some genealogy lately.
But I did just make a gorgeous green lanyard for a co-worker out of beads from a Mother's Day poem book from the 1970's that I picked up at the D.I.
And I do need to say a special welcome to the family to my grand-niece's new lizard, "welcome Lizzy!"

I'm BACK! I no longer leak CSF fluid!

2010-03-25T15:46:00.003-06:00

I'm home re-cooping from surgery at the U of U. (Love that hospital, they are soooo professional and efficient and knowledgeable and... most of all they seemed to have fixed me!)

Other than feeling like I was kicked in the face by a horse, I'm doing great.

Even my teeth hurt, along with a headache, nose stuffed full of who knows what, and no sense of smell what-so-ever.

Believe it or not I can handle all the pains and no smell power as long as I no longer drip.

SO...

Hopefully I can get some jewelry back on Ebay and Etsy in a few days and get my inventory down to a manageable level.

Look for some OUTSTANDING sale prices!

I'm not going to do any fairs or festivals this year.

I will only be selling on-line or from my home to help preserve my health.

I need to teach school at least one more year to make sure the Obama Health plan is up and fully functioning!

Can you believe I just may be able to retire now and actually purchase health insurance - it is unbelievable,

I am SO HAPPY!

Teachers (at least here in my area) no longer get health insurance when they retire yet we have a 30 year retirement plan.

I have 29 years in the system but with no health insurance and 8 years to go before any possible hope of Medicare,

I knew I was doomed.

What company, given the option, what provide health care insurance for a breast cancer survivor with chronic CSF leaks?

Who?

No matter what the cost!

(Which I do have limits on how much I can pay each month!)

So, I for one am so happy with the new health care plan that I just have to keep watching the news like it must be some joke!

I pay for roads I never drive on.

I pay for education for children I never conceived or reared.

So,

I thank all those who will pay into the larger insurance fund even though they may never need the insurance monies themselves so that people like me can have some peace of mind in my senior years and get some help with obtaining insurance

(not GIVING me free insurance - just helping ensure that I can purchase some!)

THANKS.

I need surgery. See my CSF leak

2010-03-01T08:59:00.005-07:00

I'm bored, anxious, nervous, and getting stir crazy waiting for surgery. So I took a video of my leaking nose. It does this 24/7 ! I'm saturated with CSF fluid. I often feel like I am drowning. I suck it into my lungs at night while I try and sleep - my lungs burn.
I will get more confirmation on surgery date today but it looks like the 10th or 17th of March depending on scheduling of a little boy with a tumor.
One worry, doctor says if my brain dries out too much, (CSF cushion is too little) my brain could sag into my spinal column and that is NOT GOOD! Meningitis is also a risk but really not such a big of risk. So I stay semi-vertical as much as possible and drink a ton of liquids! I'll get back to beading and teaching when this major inconvenience is finally eliminated! Someone! Find a cure, Please! for Intracranial Hypertension! All my science students, past and present - this is a call for action!

Good news! Bad news. More bad news?

2010-02-11T15:32:00.003-07:00

let's see which first - ok, bad news first..... My nose is definitely dripping CSF fluid again. I just got back from the doctor a few minutes ago. It looks like surgery again but the doctor is anxious to try and "in and out" procedure where I won't have to stay in the hospital so long. He will call in a few days with all his research done and finalized to tell me what and when to do this. It is not as obvious where the hole is this time so a bit of glowing dye in the CSF fluid will need to be used - yuck, why me?

Ok, now the good news. I'm going to be a grandmother! I can't believe it! FINALLY. My daughter-in-law just surprised me with the news yesterday. She is due July 22nd. We don't know yet if it will be a boy or girl but I can't wait for either one! This is Cody my step-son, but I raised this kid so his child WILL BE my grandchild!

Ok, now more bad new. We had another fire bomb on our front porch last Wednesday. I called 911 this time! The fire trucks, cops and all. It turned out to be a bomb made of Drano and wood chips wrapped in aluminum foil. There is a chemical reaction with the drano and foil that starts the wood on fire. This time we had quite the burn left on the rug in front of our door. Thank goodness this one was not on the vinyl decking! But who in the world hates me this much?

But, I'm going to be a Grandmother! That beats all! Thanks Mel and Cody!

It's February and the Dang Groundhog Saw His Shadow!

2010-02-04T22:00:00.003-07:00

So far this week, I've been to a Yoga session (my sternum hurts. What's with that?).

Some prankster (I hope it is just a prank) left an large aluminum foil wrapped something with a burning top on our front porch. It scorched our vinyl decking a bit. That totally freaked me out and I couldn't sleep much that night.

My hubby got ahold of the police but they didn't seem that impressed or interested. What's with that? They never even told us what was inside the foil - we were afraid to look, not knowing what to expect!

I've had a weird cold that seems to be going around, headache, sinus congestion and super tired - just want to sleep, sleep, sleep! What's with that?

Oh well - Harley-Davidson recycled paper beads are selling like hotcakes the last couple of weeks. I've got to get more made!

A new list of items are on Ebay so check them out. Here is a link to one item. Go to the upper right "info" square and click on "other items for sale" to see all up for auction this week. There are some super good deals!

Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/Recycled-Paper-Bead-Necklace-Earrings-Taupe-Turquoise_W0QQitemZ370330864686QQcmdZViewItemQQptZHandcrafted_Artisan_Jewelry?hash=item5639708c2e

Don't forget Valentine's Day - there is still time for a special order or two!

February is the Hardest Month for me - how about you?

2010-01-28T17:45:00.004-07:00

January has been so hard and we still have all of February to go!
AND at least there will be a wonderful holiday in February. And of course we must go Green at Valentines! Check out my latest items up for auction on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Paper-Bead-Necklace-Set-Harley-Motorclothes-Mag-copper_W0QQitemZ370327334021QQcmdZViewItemQQptZHandcrafted_Artisan_Jewelry?hash=item56393aac85

Paste the above address onto your browser. Then when the ebay page comes up, look on the upper right corner "Seller Info" click on "see other items" to see all I have at super discounted prices this week!

Or in the Ebay search line just put in: paper beads harley - that will get you started.
There's some red in the list this week!

There is also my Etsy store site. Check it out! No auction, just buy-it-now, no waiting! see the link on the right side of this blogsite.

Back on Ebay by popular demand!

2010-01-20T18:02:00.002-07:00

I'm back on Ebay with auction selling. I haven't re-opened a store, thought I'd just go for some auction selling for a while.
Check out the new LOW prices!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Recycled-Paper-Bead-Necklace-Earrings-Harley-HOG-pages_W0QQitemZ370323509290QQcmdZViewItemQQptZHandcrafted_Artisan_Jewelry?hash=item563900502a

just hit the link on the right side that says "see more items for sale" or something like that and you can see all the inventory I have on ebay right now.

OR

just enter: "Recycled Paper jewelry" in the search line and up will pop my stuff.
Thanks for your wonderful interest.

Selling only on www.Etsy.com now - check it out!

2010-01-04T17:04:00.004-07:00

I've given up my store on Ebay - too expensive. Etsy is so much better. It is more like shopping in a real store but you don't have to get out of your jammies and slippers!
You can still pay with Paypal for all of you who have an account with them. Or - send me an email (bbwright98@hotmail.com) and tell me which necklace (or whatever) you like and I'll set it aside and you can send me a check or money order!
Don't forget - Special orders are still my favorites! If you have an idea, email and we'll work it out if at all possible.
And may I ask.... "How much longer until the LIVE GREEN FAIR?" That is my next planned booth out in the real world. It is usually around the second week in May. Can I make it that long? I plan on having bounties of recycled envelope, comic papers, and junk mail jewelry. They are the meat and potatoes of my business.
But... stay tuned for more discarded Disney book beads, discarded Bible pages beads and old calendar beads. And some really cool and colorful scrap cloth beads! I have been out scrounging for material and have a lot of new ideas so hang in through Winter, we can make it!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bowenwright

Well is it ever so close to 2010

2009-12-22T16:33:00.004-07:00

I never thought I'd live old enough to see the year 2000 - that was 10 years ago now, old stuff!

Time flies. Thanks to all for a wonderful year.
A small hick-up with my nose dripping spinal fluid this year - but that is fixed and hopefully is in the past.
Good things from this year? ... well the beaded lanyard business is doing super good. I figure I made 20 lanyards to raise money for sub-for-Santa this year. Teachers at our school now wear identification cards, but why wear an old, stuffy, boring lanyard when you can have a handmade "recycled bead" lanyard with a THEME.
I did a recipe and food picture bead lanyard for a cooking (CTE) teacher, an American Constitution, revolutionary soldiers, George Washington bead lanyard for a history teacher, An math worksheet bead lanyard for the math teacher, Sheet music bead lanyards for the choir and band teachers, a comic strip lanyard for the art teacher, A "Twilight" (glow in the light) paper bead lanyard for me! (I teach science can't you see the connection?)

And lots of lanyards that just match outfits better than a gross red nylon thingy!

Then today, the sewing teacher (my very good friend) and I did a cooperative class and taught kids how to make art projects out of re-cycled stuff that usually gets thrown away. It was great to see the enthusiasm of 9th graders (girls AND boys) doing paper collage pictures from old magazines or making paper beads from junk mail! They did great! Maybe the tradition will carry on after I am gone!
It was fun teaching them my hobby. We used stir sticks (you can buy them in bulk at Costco) to roll the beads onto and then we just coated them in Elmer's glue and some were even able to string them on stretchy string to make a bracelet or anklet during our limited time together.
I'd like to continue this tradition also!
So, what will 2010 bring? Hopefully more fun!
Best Wishes to You All!

Remembrance Necklaces - Let me show you some ideas:

2009-12-06T15:04:00.006-07:00

One of my biggest custom orders requests is for "Remembrance" necklaces. They are not necessarily to be worn but sure can be worn. I just finished an order for 4 necklaces made from a relatives obituary and funeral service program for his mother, two sisters and a brother. They are very special to those who give them, and I hope they are special to those who receive them. I love doing them.

But think of the other special occasions people may want to remember.
I recently did a bracelet out of a graduation ceremony program for a gal who finally went back and got her certificate after 10 years of marriage and 3 kids.

How about celebrating an anniversary or write letters on beads to best friends or grandchildren!
Keep forever your own handwriting and own words!
There are lots of ideas and sometimes don't we all need something to be the keeper of our memories.
bbwright98@hotmail.com

No more out and about selling at booths - this is Special Order Time!

2009-11-30T17:41:00.005-07:00

If there is something you want, don't be afraid to call: 801-209-1382 and make an date to come by and pick something up at my shop (you can always leave a message and I'll get right back with you).

I'm available after 4pm weekdays and most anytime on weekends.
Maybe you already know what you want, just call and I'll get it made for you!

You can also buy on my
Etsy site:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Bowenwright

We Made It Through Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T11:29:00.003-07:00

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

We actually cooked a turkey! For those that know us, that is quite an amazing accomplishment. We also baked some sweet potatoes and had store bought rolls, that's all! It was a start. Cooking is not our thing! Cats wouldn't eat any turkey but I thought it was good. Cats are picky. Cats can hurt your feelings. We're not going to invite cats next year.

Move Over Necklaces, Here Comes Paper Bead Lanyards for ID

2009-11-20T18:43:00.001-07:00

Yes, it finally happened! We now have to wear ID badges at work. I have been advocating them for many years but now that I have to wear one it's like (as my 7th graders would say) "totally messing up my outfit!"

So I happened to recklessly and half teasingly mention at lunch with the ladies that I'd like a paper bead lanyard please!
And good grief, I think another branch of my business has just been born.
You could have interchangeable necklaces to clip onto the ID badge and look
totally hot every day!
So I've ordered some clips and hope to have a few prototypes out by the end of the
Thanksgiving holiday.

_______________________________________________

___________________________

Now another matter - my glasses. A lot of people have looked at them like they think I am crazy. Yes, I know the bifocal part is way high and I look like I was afraid to tell the eyeglass makers they messed up but I LIKE THEM THIS WAY!

You see, most of my life is spent reading books,
correcting papers and
working on the computer.
So my bifocal part is very high so I don't have to tip my head way back to look through a normally placed bifocal like in the picture above - can you say "neck ache"!
I can read everything at computer distance with ease and comfort
and I don't have to look and search all over for my "reading" glasses.

Outside of the bifocal part of the glasses is where I can see distances -

distances like the kid in the back of the room throwing eraser ends at other students!
I don't have to find another pair of glasses to see those little darlings
and I can drive the car great with this remainder part of my glasses
and speaking of that I can read the instrument panel of the car with my bifocal part real well - without having to tip my head way back!
Now the only thing is when I do beading... I need closeup lenses!
Ah, you say, "why not get TRIfocals?"
I refuse to go trifocal lenses, don't even push it!
These days I just go to the Dollar Store and buy about 10
of their $1.00 reading glasses in about +4 strength and
scatter them all over the house.
Now when I sit down to roll beads or string beads,
I just pop on a pair of close-up glasses.
That's the only time I have to change glasses.
So it all works for me and that's what is important. Don't look at me so funny,
I may be old but I still get a creative thought every couple of years of so!

There is still plenty of time for Christmas orders - do you have a special paper for a special person in mind? email me: bbwright98@hotmail.com
Think about beads with words on them, in your own handwriting, saying words of love or encouragement!

I Got My Copy of "1000 Creative Ideas for Reuse" by G. Johnson

2009-11-07T11:59:00.005-07:00

So I came home from work Friday, starving to death as usual. I got a cold piece of chicken out of the frig and started the greasy mess of eating it when my husband decided to check the front porch to see if his "something-we-don't-need" came in the mail.
Yes, there was a box, but it was addressed to me! Open it! I asked Terry politely but firmly since I was greasy, and oh my heck (yes I am from Utah) is was my copy of
1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse by Garth Johnson.
I was in this book! But I didn't know which of all the pictures I submitted were chosen so I was really anxious to see what necklace or necklaces they thought were cool enough to put in the book. My hubby starts flipping through the book for me (it is 300+ pages). I said, "it has to be in the jewelry section" so he found chapter 3 and started through page by page. Now you need to know there are one to four pictures per page and when you are anxious, that is a lot of pictures to look through.
Chapter 3 starts on page 103, hubby turns the pages, I want to jump in and do it for him but again, I am greasy! I do not see anything familiar, a lot of cool ideas, however, and a lot of good photography.
I took my own pictures, how can they compete with all these great shots! "Which of my pictures looked sort of professional enough for them to choose?" I try to think as I skim each page quickly with my eyes.
Page after page goes by, I'm about to cry! "maybe they made a mistake and I wasn't really in the book" I whine to my hubby.
So he flips a bit faster, we are up to page145 and still nothing I recognize as mine...
Then, wait, stop, go back! There on page 148 is something I recognize, "yes that is one of my security envelope necklaces" Oh my heck! My photography doesn't look so bad at all! I have one picture in the book! That's ok, at least there is one. Terry flips quickly through the rest, neither of us see anything else.
I finish my chicken, It's ok. One picture is better than none and I'm proud anyway!
But I wash up and decide to look just one more time, just a bit more carefully! And boy am I glad I did. There on page 159 is one of my Sunday Comic strip cartoon necklaces! It looks great! WoW! Now I am really happy. Now I am like almost a super star!
Two whole pictures in the book.
So I decide to go backwards through the jewelry section and holy crap! I have another picture on page 158 - how did I miss that. It was one of my favorites, a 7-strand junk mail necklace! Man that looks good. I can't believe my luck, I keep flipping backward and I don't believe it again! A fourth picture! Now I am jumping and screaming at the same time and Terry is laughing and saying;
"Don't you dare pop a patch in your nose now!"
So I am also in there a fourth time on page 147 with a Bible pages necklace.
I was flattered with one, but with FOUR pictures?

This makes up for all the times I tried out and didn't make cheerleader, all the times I was not asked to the prom and even makes up for all the times I was the last one chosen to be on the team in P.E. class! I can't believe it.
At the back of the book all the contributors are listed with name, email addresses and web pages.
And the best part! I got so many ideas already from the book that I can't wait to get back to my studio and begin! I AM INSPIRED ANEW!

See you at the Family Christmas Show, Nov. 13th, 14th and 15th at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy, Utah! (I'll have a copy of the book there for you to look over if you would like!)

Now This Is Exciting - I'M IN A BOOK!

2009-10-28T18:57:00.005-06:00

I just received an email that said basically, if you got this email then your contribution has been selected by the editor and you will be in our new book!

The book is published by Quarry and is:

1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse by Garth Johnson
I sent the editor over a dozen pictures of my necklaces made of recycled paper and cloth and I guess at least one of them made it into the book, along with my name and website address!
If you want to see the book ahead of time and browse some of the pages, then check out these links:

In the United States, the Amazon link is: http://www.amazon.com/1000-Ideas-Creative-Reuse-Restyle/dp/1592535402/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1256053237&sr=8-1
The link on BN.com is: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?box=9781592535408&pos=-1&EAN=9781592535408
And the link on Quarry.com is: http://www.quarrybooks.com/description.asp?isbn=9781592535408&topicid=2

ISBN: 9781592535408
November 2009

$25.00
$31.99 Canadian
£16.99

Paperback
1000 photos/illustrations
320 Pages
Size (in): 9 x 9
Size (mm): 227 x 227

1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse

Remake, Restyle, Recycle, Renew

Garth Johnson

Artists and crafters have always been recyclers, but for many, it has not only become a thrifty choice, it has become a moral imperative. 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse contains a cutting edge collection of the most inventive work being made with re-used, upcycled, and already existing materials. The work in this book ranges from clever and humble personal accessories to unique and important large-scale works of art, including paper art, fashion, jewelry, housewares, interiors, and installations.

Garth Johnson is a studio artist, writer and educator who lives in Eureka, California. In addition to maintaining the website "Extreme Craft" (www.extremecraft.com) Garth writes for CRAFT magazine and his writing has been featured in museum catalogs, magazines, and books worldwide, including a contribution to the upcoming book Handmade Nation from Princeton Architectural Press. His first DVD, ReVision: Recycled Crafts for Earth-Friendly Living will be released by Eyekiss Films later this year.

I get to order a book ahead of time from the publisher - I can't wait to see what to see everything in there.

This is such a good idea! I have fallen in love with recycling!

One of my teacher friends (who teaches sewing) and I (who teaches Earth Science) are doing an integrated unit on recycling. The students have to bring cloth or paper and design jewelry or wall decorations from all recycled products and the products they produce must be viable products, ones that people would actually use.
I'll have to blog on how it goes with pictures and all. We're thinking of actually making the products those few days before Christmas when hands-on lessons are a God-send!

My next public venue is the Family Christmas Gift Show

at the South Towne Expo Center on 9500 South State Street in Sandy, Utah

Nov 13, 14 and 15th! See You There!

or - just call or email and I'll get you the item you want!

No More People's Market for Me in 2009!

2009-10-22T18:20:00.005-06:00

This Sunday, Oct. 25, is the last People's Market for the 2009 year.

I don't think I will be attending.
It looks too cold for me.
Two weeks ago I returned to the market after being ill and Sunday Oct. 10th was COLD by me.
I had to call it quit at about 1:00pm.
I called the hubby to come help me pack up and I went home and sleep under a heated blanket to warm up.
Now last Sunday, the 17th, was spectacular!
Warmed up to 80 degrees they said on the weather report.
I couldn't get enough of that weather.
But this Sunday I hear is going to start out at 35 degrees and go up to 53?
That's just not going to make it for me, so I think I'll bag it for this year. Email with your special orders or requests!
I'll mail them to you with free postage!
bbwright98@hotmail.com

I will, however, have a booth at the Family Christmas Show at the South Towne Expo Center. (9575 South State Street in Sandy, Ut). --------->

This is a 3 day event starting Friday, Nov. 13 from 10:am to 9pm, Then on Sat. the 14th from 10:00am to 9:00pm and Sunday Nov 15th from 10:am to 5:00pm. It really is a fun venue to do. I will have my recycled products jewelry along with soy candles for you to give as Christmas gifts.

Give Earth friendly gifts this year!

Two Gorgeous Special Order Necklaces! Sneak Peak

2009-10-07T16:09:00.006-06:00

On the top is a picture of a piece of toile cloth my friend fell in love with.

"Could you please make me a chunky, long, 3-strand necklace of this beautiful cloth?"

Voila, the finished product is below the cloth! (I hope you pronounced all that with a French accent to make it more authentic!)

I used antique copper caps and spacers with ernite green and some copper Swarovski crystals in between the spacers on the middle ten beads of each strand - just for a hint of glamour.

My friend is a statuesque, coppery brown haired, green eyed beauty who can easily pull off wearing this 36 inches-in-overall-length attention grabber!

I'm glad she asked me to do it.

I had the best time.

The cloth beads are, of course, soaked in a poly-acrylic sealer so that don't pick up dirt or body oils and can be cleaned with a damp cloth!

Now this set of pictures is pretty fun also.

Without giving too much away, (in case the recipient of this gift reads my blog... hey, it could happen!) a women who I see often at the People's Market asked me to make a necklace for her boss.

She wanted me to use papers with the logo of their place of business and with some of the wording from their directory information.

I used blue iris spacer beads with a "volcano" Swarovski crystal between each paper bead.

The volcano swarovski is mostly blue/gray but when in the sun it shoots out orange sparks which match perfectly with a small orange glint of color on the business logo,

which is otherwise blue.

The necklace is 3-strand and about 28" in overall length.

Well, this is all I have done since being off sick.

I'm feeling way better today.

Almost like my old self again, except my husband says I sound French when I talk (all nasal I guess), Maybe I just sound French from touching so much French Toile cloth!

P.S. Who is sneaking off to Disneyland next week????

You better take a TON of pictures!

I think I better whimp out on one more People's Market

2009-10-02T13:39:00.009-06:00

If the weather prediction was for sunny and warm this coming Sunday, I was going to sweet talk my hubby into helping me go to the People's Market, Sunday Oct. 4th. But frankly, I don't think I ought to risk the chance of getting worn down too much with the cold (expected high of 55? Please!) so I am hoping for a beautiful Sunday, Oct 11th! I can not tell you how excited I am to get out of the house and into fresh air, with my friends and sit in the park all morning - I'm STIR CRAZY!

Currently not working on much. One special order for a longer, 3-strand necklace made from material that is a green on beige Toile. I'll use antiqued bronze for accent beads. and I promise to take a picture before delivering!

See you hopefully Oct 11th at People's Market,
Sundays through Oct. 10am-3pm
1000 South and 900 West, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Super Science Week: Let's Learn About IIH

2009-09-28T11:01:00.006-06:00

I got out of the hospital last Friday. Only 4 days in ICU, and one day in a regular unit then home, home, home. I honestly cried when my husband walked in to get me Friday at about 11:00am.
I feel... um... well, tired, achey, nervous, scared, stiff and sore. That about covers it all.
It seems my doctor, Dr. Peter Ventura of Tooele, Utah is quite the bulldog. He kept shakin' until the pieces started coming together. I love that kind of doctor, he wants to know "why".
First, before starting the operation they kept me awake to do a spinal tap and to monitor the pressure in my spinal fluid because the pressure changes when you go to sleep.
Then Dr. Ventura didn't just fix the obvious leak, he says he remembers that in my initial MRI that I had fluid in one of my upper sinuses. Initially he thought it just spilled over from the hole he found at the top of my nose, but figured since he was up there he'd patch the top of the sinus also, just to cover all bases. So he took a skin graft from my stomach, used glue made from blood taken from punctures on both my ankles. He finished up with a "rhino rocket" packing and out I went from surgery.
Now the hard part; every hour the nurse had to drain 10ml of spinal fluid from my back. I could feel every molecule being pulled out and as they were pulled out, my headache got worse and worse. Thanks for blissful morphine induced sleep!
One day, maybe Tues or Wed, the doctor tells me the problem with my spinal fluid pressure. He says most people are under 20 (whatever the units are, like cm/H2O maybe?) and actually most of those people are 5-10. I, however, was at 30! crap. With that high of pressure I am in serious danger of losing my eyesight. The pressure on the optic nerve as it leaves the eye, going to the brain can lead to permanent damage. So Dr. Ventura sends in an eye specialists to see me immediately in the hospital. Good news, so far no noticable damage!
The next day Dr. says he has been talking to someone and/or researching and there is a drug now, a diruetic, that reduces the amount of CSF and therefore reduces pressure: Diamox. He puts me on this immediately and from Wed afternoon to Thur afternoon they only monitor my spinal pressure without withdrawing any liquid. It stays down around 18! With that, out came spinal tap and out of ICU and to a regular hospital bed. Friday he unpacks the "rhino rocket" and I go home.

But for some light reading check out: www.ihrfoundation.org Click on "What is it" under the title and go to symptoms. Under "other symptoms" it mentions:

"spinal fluid leakage from the nose is the result of high intercranial pressure erosion of the bone separating the skull from the nasal cavity". Hmm, sounds familiar.

Also, for women, it seems that weight loss often helps relieve the cranial pressure problem, not always but often.
I see Dr. Ventura again tomorrow and maybe find out where I go from here besides to Weight Watchers!

I will not be out in public for the next few weeks, BUT...

2009-09-10T18:26:00.004-06:00

I will be selling from home and from over the internet!
Read my sad saga:

For those of you who have known me for over 12 years, you may remember my horrible, very bad year of 1997. It started in February with a continually dripping nose - ok, not exactly dripping, more like I had literally sprung a leak! Doctor after doctor kept saying it was allergies and try this and try that. I DON'T HAVE ALLERGIES - NONE, never have!
Well then one month later, in March, I find a lump in my breast and off to the races I go with breast cancer. Surgery at the end of March. Radiation starting in April, ending the first week of June.
But in the mean-time a great doctor decides to test the liquid coming out of my nose and eureka! it is Cerebral Spinal Fluid! "IT'S WHAT?" I said. "My brain juice is dripping out of a hole in my nose!"
Well with all the breast cancer stuff I was going through, we decided to postpone the patching of my nose until beginning of July. They took a patch of skin from inside my right nostril, shoved it up my left nostril and then to make sure the patch takes and doesn't spring a leak again, I had to have my spinal fluid drained down to very low levels and so I lay quietly in a hospital bed for 4 days with a horrendous migraine headache! But, it all worked and by mid-August I was myself again.

That was 12 years ago.

But last Monday, Labor day, I woke up to moisture on my upper lip, didn't think much of it (maybe I drooled a bit?) but as my husband and I were walking up the walk to a restaurant, a giant stream of liquid poured embarrassingly from my left nostril. We were both horrified to say the least. The dripping of liquid got worse each day so today, the 10th, I spent the entire day talking to doctors, enduring scopes pushed up my nose, having MRI and CT scans.

YES, I have sprung a leak AGAIN! WHY ME? Sure it can be fixed and I can most likely get the surgery within the next week but I KNOW WHAT IS COMING UP! The 4-day migraine from HELL!

Anyway now that everyone is bored to tears, that means:

No Bowenwright booth at the Avenues Street Fair this Saturday the 12th!

No booth at the People's Market for probably the rest of September!

BUT...

I will spend all this time away from People I love loading stuff on to Ebay and Etsy!

AND....

I can still mail out purchases from email orders! You can pay by check or paypal!

I EVEN PAY THE POSTAGE!
So keep in touch, I'm just vacant for a bit whilst I deal with "CSF Rhinorrhea"

It's Labor Day - the End of Summer 2009? I Think Not!

2009-09-07T11:59:00.005-06:00

Saturday, 12th of Sept.

on 9th Avenue between D and I streets!
from 9:00am to 6:00pm
see: www.slc-avenues.org
for more details of events!

I will be between F and G avenues on the north side of the street,
11 positions east of "F'' street.
_____________________________________________
So, was it windy yesterday or was I just having a very BAD hair day?

I have to thank all those who braved the wind to come and be apart of the People's Market yesterday. Those of us who are vendors were exhausted by the end of the Market from pulling down tents, chasing blowing merchandise and produce, and holding onto table legs! I was so tired when I got home. I felt I had run a 10 mile marathon!
Several visitors dared say they "liked" the wind because it kept the air from being so sultry! Get me hot still air any day!

By the end of the day my hair was in dredlocks,
My eyes were literally blown tearless - dry to the bone
and my skin was like an old used baseball mitt!
my tongue so parched my lips stuck to my teeth as I tried to talk.
And don't say I look like that everyday because I'm old,
I promise, It was a very windy day!

Dani, your Harley ankle bracelet is ready. I'll be there next Sunday or I can mail it to you or you can come to the "Salt Lake Avenues Street Fair" remember:

Saturday, 12th of Sept.

on 9th Avenue between D and I streets!
from 9:00am to 6:00pm
see: www.slc-avenues.org
for more details of events!

Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming Wonderful Events!

2009-08-31T21:29:00.008-06:00

Of course there is People's Market every Sunday through Oct!
from 10am to 3pm at
Jordan Park 1000 South and 900 West
Salt Lake City

(Peaches are coming on now! and may I say, "Oh my gosh" because the tomatoes are here!)
Plus probably a gazillion craft and food vendors.
(have I mentioned how much I like the Argentine Empanadas?)

But did you know: Saturday, September the 12th is:

The 2009 AVENUES STREET FAIR

Saturday, September 12th

9th Avenue between D and I Streets

in The Avenues of Salt Lake City

9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Check out their website for all the details:

http://www.slc-avenues.org/streetfair09.htm

This is a very popular fair and you don't want to miss it!

Then come to a wonderful fund raiser and craft fair on Friday, September the 25th:

The Mount Olympus Fall Craft Fair
Friday, Sept. 25th
from 1:00pm - 5:00pm
at Mount Olympus Center
1635 East Murray-Holladay Road (4780 So.)

All arts and crafts must be new and handmade by the seller!

That's the kind of Fair I like - great original gifts for the holidays!
AND support our senior citizens!
I will be at Both sellin' the recycled Jewelry!

Ok, and yes I made it through the first week of school, barely. But I've made a great discovery.
Have you ever heard of J-41 Shoes? (or Jeep-41 shoes?) I was near crippled by the end of the second day of school. My feet hurt so bad! If I can't retire (I can't afford health insurance so I must work even though I'm almost as old as dirt but younger than Medicare), but if I must continue working then I figured there must be, out there somewhere, a stylish heeled shoe that I can stand and walk in all day.

For heavens sake, they have put men on the moon!
We even talked to the men on the moon,
has not technology progressed enough to make a
SHOE AN OLDER WOMAN CAN WEAR AND NOT LOOK LIKE A ....
like an...
ok, like AN OLD WOMAN?
For cryin' out loud!

So it has been a mission for me. I researched for two days and nights! Because of the good reviews from women like me, I choose to try J-41 brand of shoes and I choose to buy them "on-line" through one of my most favorite store: www.zappos.com If you don't like the shoes you buy from Zappos, at all, for any reason, you just send them back within.... I can't remember how many weeks, but they even pay the return postage! And my shoes arrived, I kid you not, in TWO DAYS! and I paid NO postage! And I am in love. I wore my J-41 "Lyons" the first day I got them with total comfort so I wore them again today! AND, I think I'll wear them tomorrow also! YES! two days in a row and tomorrow is a lab day! I LOVE THEM. I also bought the "cosmos" and wore them all day Saturday chasing around town with my hubby! And dang, I looked good. Even my husband said, "Those are good looking shoes!" A wee bit pricey but if I only buy two or three pair of shoes and wear them over and over instead of 50 shoes I only wear once... you see my point, I'm sure.
So just go to zappos.com and take a look. I really, really love that store and I love my new shoes, so much so that I loaded up every other pair of shoes I hate to wear, no matter how cute (an embarrassingly large sack) and will send them with no regrets to the second-hand store! You don't happen to need any 8.5 size shoes, do you?

I was on TV AGAIN?

2009-08-24T16:49:00.006-06:00

Here are pictures of a single strand "Bible Pages" necklace. The paper comes from and old torn Bible from Desert Industries (a second-hand store). The colored beads are called "Miracle" beads. They seem to glow with a mysterious 3-d glow when in bright lights. These are a special request order and I thought I ought to show them. I can do several strands or even make a gorgeous "wrap" necklace. The wrap necklace is 6 1/2 feet of continuous beads which can be wrapped around your neck 2 or 3 time OR can be twisted and made into a gorgeous 8 strand choker by using an included clasp. (The pink beads are for a breast cancer survivor - a great gift idea, isn't it!)

Today was the first day of school for students. As I walked in, my vice principal asked if he could have my autograph. "Huh... ?" I intelligently answered in my best teacher voice.
"Didn't you see yourself on TV this morning, on channel 2?"
NO.... I missed seeing my self... I missed seeing an old, fat, wrinkled but happy crafter working at the People's Market yesterday!
So was I really on Channel 2? Well some students also said they saw me. More advertisement for the market the better, I say!

Yesterday was a bit quieter, slower day at the market. I believe the weather scared a lot of vendors from coming. It was blustery, then rained gently and then got real blustery (knocked over my earring stand!) and then it became hot as the sun came out near the end of the market - just in time to exert myself and break down camp. For being a slow day, I was exhausted by time I got home. It must have been from thinking about going back to school the next morning! But none-the-less it was beautiful in the park and I mourned the end of summer vacation.

I think I love the smells at the People's Market the best. a beautiful mixture of the grass, flowers and the trees and all the fresh air mingled with bar-b-que and bars of goat's milk soap and soy candles and Dora's kitchen and everything else!

So have you seen the way cool scorpion's lined up on the tables on the south side of the vendor circle? How beautiful are they?
And the knit hats that kids love to wear... The knit hat lady had an off-white one that I think has my name on it. (just thinking about the snow that will be here before too long.) My students wear them even in the middle of summer, however!
I can't remember the name of the vendor who sells dried fruits and nuts. I bought a bag of dried mangoes that were laced with a hint of something like maybe chipotle? - mangoes with a little zing to them - I loved them!

Come down, bring a blanket. Nap a bit, then eat lunch, hang out, shop, visit. Then watch kids roller blade and then nap a bit more and have more to eat and shop more. All that can be done only at the People's Market.

See the cool video from an Aug. 11th newscast about the market on:

SLpeoplesmarket.org

So, I mentioned I am back teaching again. Are 7th graders like the cutest thing ever or what?
I must admit both their excitement and terror are contagious. I'll still do the People's Market through October but now it takes nearly two weeks to get a special order out unless I already have some of the beads made - so go ahead, email with a request! I need the diversion from teaching! AND you need to get started on Holiday shopping!

I am LOVIN' this cooler weather...

2009-08-18T19:51:00.003-06:00

But, I don't want summer to be over yet!
Good thing the People's Market is running clear through the end of October!

I had such a great time talking to people last Sunday at the People's Market. And I'm sorry Kyle if I hurt your feelings about your torn and well worn shorts. They did look mighty comfortable and that is what this market is all about! Good job advertising!

I constantly hear how everyone loves the slow pace and comfort of this market - a great place to go on a beautiful Sunday morning! from 10am to 3pm!

So the Avenues Street Fair people still haven't announced who all their vendors will be for the HUGH Street Fair on Saturday, September the 12th. I HOPE I am there. But you can always catch me Sunday morning or via email.

So last week was "I want a Harley necklace" and this week is (surprisingly) the "I want a Bible pages necklace". Hmm... does that mean anything or just a strange coincidence? And Yes, I can and will do those Bible bead necklaces and there will even be extra Harley and Bible necklaces for all!

What else is happening? Hello, School is starting! Us teachers stumbled in to work yesterday looking all healthy, well-tanned and happy to see each other. By the end of the day today however, we were already showing signs of wear and tear. Get those rooms ready because kids are a' comin' on Monday. Wahoo. How many more days until June?

More Harley-Davidson paper bead necklaces!

2009-08-11T19:30:00.004-06:00

the first photo has copper bicone beads in between each paper bead

The second photo has a silver-colored barrel bead with black round beads on the ends of the barrel in between each paper bead.

I guess in honor of the Sturgis rally going on right now, everyone has been asking about the Harley necklaces. These are two styles I have for sale right now. They are 16" in total length but I can do longer if you want to special order. Please note that not all necklaces will look exactly like the ones in the pictures, all have different paper beads depending I what I find each time. But they will be put together in about this same pattern.

Email me if you want me to set one aside for you to pick up at the People's Market or to have it mailed out to you. $18.00 for a necklace and matching pair of earrings. $15.00 for just the necklace if the necklace length is 18" or less. bbwright98@hotmail.com

Prefect, perfect weather for People's Market Book Day

2009-08-10T11:49:00.005-06:00

I liked the cooler weather right in the middle of the August heat!
Who can I thank for that favor?
It made a perfect day for the People's Market and we had quite the crowd. It was officially "book day" at the Market. (Did you see the Market on Channel 5 news yesterday?) I personally gave away about 2 dozen books. I thank, once more, all the people who kindly took books from me so I wouldn't have to throw them away!

It sure seemed like everyone was having fun. One gal who came to my booth stopped suddenly, pulled out her cell phone and called someone saying, "you ought to come down here to this market, they have so much stuff. Yeah, it's really cool!"
I agree, the market is only bigger and better every week and now with even more farmer's vending their produce!

If George is out there and still wants his Harley-Davidson special order necklace, I have it and will bring it to the next few markets unless you email me, then I will mail it to you!

Because of George's special order, I now have a rush on making more beads out of Harley Davidson motorcycle advertisements and magazine articles. (See: www.bowenwright.com to see the special order necklace yourself). I should have several copies of this necklace for sale next Sunday. I will also email pictures to those of you who have already asked about them as soon as I am finished!

This is my last week before school starts again. Teachers have to report back at my school on Monday the 17th of August! So I am working like crazy now to get tons of projects done to sell the rest of the season.

What's coming up, you ask:

The Avenues Street Festival is Saturday, September the 12th and the People's Market runs every Sunday through the end of October! Come see us Sunday mornings, 10am to 3pm at 1000 South and 900 West - in the Jordan Park which is in front of the gate opening into the International Peace Gardens. The Jordan River Parkway runs right through the Peace Gardens so hop on your bicycle and ride down a beautiful path into the beautiful Gardens and on into a beautiful craft and marketplace! And all for FREE! What could be better? Ok, all the food, crafts and produce you can buy would be better and you can do that also!
See you there!
P.S. my cell phone is broke so if you need to contact me before I can get a new one, please email: bbwright98@hotmail.com

What else have I been up to that I should report on? Saw the newly married Mac's new home! Wow, fancy smancy! and soaked in a lot of my own yard's summerness! No, I did not climb to the top of Mt. Olympus - remember, I'm old! But I must say Hi, to two girls:
HI KARMEN! HI AVA! --- let's get together this week, any day is good for me!

Cloudy then a Spit of Rain, then Windy then HOT, HOT, HOT

2009-08-03T15:33:00.004-06:00

This blog's title was indeed a weather report for yesterday at the People's Market! But a GREAT crowd! What a fun day!

I bought myself a scrumptious Iced Coffee Mocha with real grated Mexican chocolate from Mexicali's (6th West and North Temple), then I bought a bag of apricots! and of course had to get more Soy Wax melty things to put in my Scentsy warmer. I love the smell of scented candles but refuse to burn them in my house so I melt them to release the scent. When you use SOY wax you can use the melted wax as a skin softener! It rubs right into your skin - chalk full of Vitamin E! I have hot soy wax to put on my heels after most every shower - what luxury!

So anyway, back to me. I have a lot of special orders this week. I need to make two necklaces from paper with a USA flag on it for the couple who donated a ton of pages of these paper USA flags. Then make a bracelet out of the graduation program from a gal who finally returned to high school to get her diploma - that one will be cool! Then I must make another Bible pages necklace with black beads accenting the Bible beads. I have to cut more sheet music pages to make music note paper beads and get at least two more necklaces out of that. Then a request for more Harley-Davidson necklaces! IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'VE BEEN WANTING?
Now is the time to order!

Hopefully I will soon get the call saying, "Yes, you are invited to vend your paper jewelry during the Avenues Street Festival". This festival is one of the best attended festivals in Salt Lake. It will be on Saturday, September the 12th! 10am to 6pm. We should get word by Aug 15th as to who has been accepted! Keep your toes crossed!

People's Market keeps on Growing!

2009-07-29T13:49:00.002-06:00

People's Market keeps getting bigger and better every week.
Don't you need a new picnic table? These look like benches until you fold the back rest forward to meet the other bench's back rest and now you have a picnic table!
All kinds of cool art. How about beautiful china that has been made into mosaic tables, serving trays, wall hangings, vases?
And the vegetables are more and more each week. Did you know you can eat Squash blossoms? Did you know you can buy them at the People's Market?

Come for a relaxed, unstressful fun Sunday morning - 1000 South 900 West -
Salt Lake City, Utah 10:00am - 3:00pm!

Here's an Example of a Custom Order

2009-07-23T12:55:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago (just after 4th of July) I received a package in the mail. Inside were a letter and a small bag of charms and various beads.

Here's the letter:

Hello Brenda
Writing this letter in hope's you are still able to make an exceptionally beautiful and unique necklace for my daughter Teresa Tashina Salazar. She had lost her father, Michael Paul Salazar so suddenly on June 24, 09. My husband and I met you at the Jordon Park and we purchased earrings that had a brochure of the Philippines. We loved your work. Please help us; help my daughter Tashina to be able to be strong at this time and forevermore. I'm sending these items which I hope will be of help. Each item has significant memories and symbol of our love.
Michael Paul loved the Grateful Dead music, loved tye dye, nature, the desert, people who he came in contact. I enclosed a copy of the service pamphlet, obituary (copies), 1 spiral which means life is a full circle, mother carrying baby which Tashina will always be my baby, turtle represents take your time enjoy life, arrowhead -sacred symbol of the Navajo for prayer (protection), green earring which her father purchase for me at a Grateful Dead concert (lost the other one), Dove - her grandma bought it home from Mexico for me because she loved me, and beads from our time together. The colors and where we purchase them mean a lot to me.
I thank you before hand, Brenda, you have an amazing gift and you are sharing that with everyone. Peace. Charilene Filfred

I looked at all the items, read everything again and again. One phone call to Ms. Filfred just to verify my idea of what to do. Then I added:
* several beads made from tie-dyed cloth
* silver colored beads and spacers
* Turquoise chips
* handmade paper beads from the memorial service and the copies of the obituary

The end product:

I'm having a good day today, I just received this email:

Hello Brenda

Wow!! my friend, if I may; I love it, it is so beautiful; I am forever grateful for creating a master piece for my daughter Tashina. I honestly think you’re an AWESOME person to have done this creation for me and my family. Please use what you need to, even the names. Again Brenda I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I just absolutely love it. The necklace is a moving piece for me, so many memories. And especially a great father, friend, son, and husband to be honored in such a beautiful piece of art. Blessed be, Clarilene

Another Week Closer to Start of New School Year...ugh!

2009-07-19T19:03:00.011-06:00

But, one word about the weather for the 'I heart Utah' festival....

Can you say, THE WORST EVER FOR A FESTIVAL!

I gave up on the 'Earth Jam' festival in April due to the beginning of the Freaky Utah monsoon this spring. Now I had to give up on the 'I heart Utah' festival because of the 103 degree temperature. Electric Park at Thanksgiving Point is pretty new so the trees were not much taller than me. Very little shade - which is not good for hundreds of vendors, many of them being food vendors with hot grills! I was under the pavilion so I fared much better than most all the others. The morning was gorgeous, all vendors were rather 'hyper' with anticipation of the day's events. By 9:00am it was beginning to feel warm, at 11:00am it was really warm and then it proceeded to get downright miserably hot by 1:00pm. By 3:00pm I called my husband and said I'd have to stay longer because there was no way I was going to clean up, haul stuff to my car in this heat, I'd have to wait until it started to cool off! Clouds came over within 45 minutes of my calling the hubby and it was amazing to see everyone acting like Alaska Caribou heeding the migratory instinct, (only because of the heat I guess we were more like African Wildebeest!) I felt real bad about abandoning the festival which was continuing until 7:00pm, but it literally had been about 7 hours since I had last needed to go potty. I had downed 3 liters of water and still had no urine output! That's not good.

So those festival attendees who braved the heat and who came to visit me and purchase, I say Thank You!

I couldn't wait to get back to my Home Sweet Home, the People's Market today! The weather was delightful (I would probably have said hot if I hadn't experienced the previous day). I enjoyed meeting the young lady who had been to Africa recently and had actually seen the women of Africa "in the bush" making paper beads. I said I made these paper beads in the way yonder bush of Utah called Murray! and even better, my beads were indigenous to Utah. Real authentic Utah, indigenous junk mail beads. (Her male companion laughed.)

The young lady who had recently returned from Africa then asked if I also coated my beads with clear fingernail polish? Hmmm.. no, I use the sap from the local polyacrylic tree! How do they get enough clear nail polish in Africa to coat all those beads? These women in the bush are really poor people aren't they? How do they even buy fingernail polish?

I was very impressed with a young lady, Catherine, who also makes jewelry mostly out of pennies! yes, pennies. I had to buy a pair of penny earrings. Please check out her ETSY store and support a young entrepreneur - http://www.cmmay.etsy.com/

By the way did you see the full page write up on the People's Market Chain-mail lady in last Sunday's paper? You need to come see her wares! How about a 35 lb. chain-mail vest? But actually her wallet chains are to die for! If I were thirty years younger and male and cool, I'd buy one!

Oh, and how bloody cool that a couple from Scotland bought a necklace from me! I thought my hearing was getting worse when I couldn't understand what this one cute little lady was saying to me. So I finally said, "What part of England did you get that accent from?" "Scotland! not England," she correctly me quite harshly, I must say. Well, anyway my Tiger Eye pendant will now be sported around in Scotland because they are just here on vacation and bought from me! How sweet is that?

This week will be a bit less hectic. Maybe I can visit some relatives. Maybe I can vacuum some floors and dust... hmmm, I better think those last two over a bit more.

The final week of summer coming up - It's all down hill to school starting after the 24th of July!

Driving Directions to I 'Heart' Utah Festival this Saturday:

2009-07-15T20:31:00.009-06:00

I'm really excited for Saturday; The I "heart" Utah Festival!

http://www.iheartut.com/

It is FREE and has tons of activities for kids, prizes, entertainment, food and shopping.

There will be an opening "ribbon cutting" ceremony at 10:00am with special guests and free pearl necklaces for the first 5,000 through the gate!

Ok, so take I-15 to exit #284 which is the Cabela's store exit, the first exit in Utah County after leaving Salt Lake County OR the last exit as you head north out of Utah County!

Anyway, exit #284 then head west to the first intersection and turn left weaving past the Chevron station and that takes you on the frontage road running between I-15 and Thanksgiving Point. Follow the frontage road going south all the way to the Thanksgiving Point theatres. The very first road past the Thanksgiving Point Theatres you want to turn west (right) and now you are running along side the East parking lot area for the Festival. The large grassy Electric Park area is enclosed by green wrought-iron fencing. There is an east parking lot, south and west parking lot! Inside the Festival area is a covered pavilion where I will be located! The pavilion people will be facing the large stage area where entertainment will be on-going!

Ok, so see you Saturday at Thanksgiving Point and then back to my home-sweet-home, the People's Market on Sunday morning. (1000 South and 900 West in SLC).

Last Sunday's People's Market spilled over into this week. I had the three lovey Sneed ladies (mother and two daughters) come to my home to purchase jewelry. They were able to leisurely look through and try on all the necklaces they wanted to, at my "in-home" jewelry store! Thanks for coming ladies, I really enjoyed having you at my home! Give me a call if you and your friends would prefer this kind of shopping experience also!

I also need to tell Clarilene (who sent me memorabilia from which I shall made a necklace) that I am still working on the necklace and will call her hopefully the first of next week to get pictures sent of the finished product.

And George, your necklace is done - take a look at http://www.bowenwright.com/ to see it!

I also need to thank, at this point, CyberDefender, for fixing my computer! http://www.cyberdefender.com/

Good heavens, they are fast, efficient and darn nice to work with! They took over my computer, cleaned it all up (took them about 3 hours) and I didn't have to drive anywhere, un-plug and un-hook my computer or even lift my fanny off my chair! Plus I can have a live person to talk to anytime I want for a Year! Why didn't I invent this company?

Well now comes your Summer Science Lesson: This week we had a tragic death in our family. My 30+ year old Maple tree in my front yard had to be put down. It was traumatic. It hasn't been doing well the last maybe 10 years. It's leaves are small and turn brown before summer is over, large branches dying. The neighbors had their tree like this just summarily cut down. I wanted more for my tree so I took it on as a project and researched (I love the Internet) and found that Maples are prone to "Strangler Roots". If the tree is not planted properly sometimes a root will grow around the trunk and over time as the root and the tree both get larger, the root strangles the tree. They say you can tell if this is happening to your tree by inspecting the trunk and if it is not perfectly round in shape (like with a flat side), then you have a strangler root and it needs to be cut away to save the tree.

That's the ugly strangler root against the base of the tree!

So my husband and I decided to find the strangler root and cut it away and save our 30+ year old tree! What a hoot that was! Our neighbors watched as we dug away the soil from one side of the tree and after going down less than a foot, we found the problem. It was a HUGE, (as Karmen would say, "Ginormous") root running perpendicular to the tree trunk. It was so obvious that the root could not be cut out and safely leave enough of the tree trunk to make it anything but a falling hazard. So the wonderful arborist dudes with Murray City came and cut it down Wednesday morning. They had the tree down, ground up into mulch and the stump removed quicker than I could believe. So what shall we plant in it's place.... We haven't yet decided... You are just going to have to wait to find out! Something fast growing, that's for sure, I doubt we have another 30 years!

Here's a bit closer look. They say planting young trees to deep can promote strangler roots! Also make sure roots on your new tree are not looped or twisted around the trunk as you put them in the hole! You learn somthing new every day!

Come Celebrate Utah! July 18th Thanksgiving Point

2009-07-10T10:22:00.002-06:00

Bringing together many local Utah businesses, artists, entertainers and families, the 2009 I Heart Utah Festival focuses on, “celebrating the state of Utah and her treasures…the people, places, and products that make Utah great.”

The Festival takes place on Saturday, July 18^th just prior to Pioneer Week, Utah’s own holiday and is FREE to the public. At a central location between Utah and Salt Lake counties, Thanksgiving Point’s Electric Park will be the picturesque location of a memorable day full of shopping, sampling, winning, entertainment, education and activities for the entire family.

With the current economic situation, Festival producers saw a need to do what they could locally to help support small business within Utah cities and throughout the State, and help encourage Utah citizens to do the same. “We found such an impressive amount of quality products and services offered by individuals or small businesses right here in our own back yard, and an exciting amount of nationally recognized companies that are founded or run from our great 801 or 435 area codes!” (Melynda Valgardson, Vyking Media & Entertainment)

Festival vendor categories include health and wellness, travel and tourism, sports and recreation, home and garden, businesses catering to women, preparedness, education, ‘Greening” Utah, arts and entertainment, and will include a local Farmers Market. Any business or organization that is based in or originated in Utah qualifies for involvement in the Festival and can reserve a vendor or nonprofit information booth space for a minimal fee.

Festival Schedule: The I Heart Utah Festival begins at 10:00 am with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce. The ribbon cutting will be done by special guests and local Utah heroes that will be escorted in by motorcade and helicopter, (please contact for details). Krispy Kreme donuts will be available while supplies last. The first 5,000 Festival attendees will also receive a pearl necklace courtesy Overstock.com.

Throughout the day attendees can walk the Festival grounds including theme areas: (1) Pink Street sponsored by Window Fashions with vendors catering to women, (2) Green Street sponsored by Utah Valley University including businesses and organizations that focus on ‘green living’ and taking care of Utah, (3) Red, White, & Blue Street hosted by Vyking Entertainment representing businesses throughout Utah with a patriotic theme, (4) Kids Korner sponsored by Sunshine Generation of Utah County with businesses catering to children including numerous inflatables from Goose Jumps, (5) Sports Park sponsored by Supa Fly Mobile Detailing and representing local sports and recreation organizations, (6) Front Parking Lot sponsored by Fun Share Rentals including boats, ATV’s, motorcycles and a Utah Trikes demo, (7) and a Farmers Market reflecting Utah cuisine, food and beverage as well as local artists and crafters. Additional activities and displays include a karaoke contest at the Talent Quest booth, hang gliding display by Wings over Wasatch, a sailboat from Bonneville School of Sailing, a helicopter by Universal Helicopter, and an airplane from UVU Aviation plus many more prizes, activities, demos, and education at over 100 “I Heart Utah” vendor and informational booths. All Festival attendees can visit the information and prize booth to vote for their favorite Utah businesses and sign up to win a number of prizes throughout the day including our grand prize courtesy JetBlue Airways.

A full day of entertainment will be available on Ebay’s Green Stage which is powered entirely by the sun and captured by Green Tow’s mobile solar power trailer. Entertainment includes local artists and musicians (Shaun Barrowes, Jarrett Burnes, Justin Williams, Ryan Innes), performances by the Talent Quest karaoke competition winners, dance performances, and even performing dogs trained by Arrow Kennels Dog Training.

For a complete list of vendors, sponsors and event and schedule updates, please log on to www.IHeartUT.com

A quick picture of my picture enhanced back porch

2009-07-06T22:02:00.003-06:00

I'm not even sure my family will think this cool, but I had to show what I put on the walls of my enclosed rear porch to keep it from feeling like the Sahara desert with all the light tan stucco! The wallpaper mural came in 8 pieces. I cut the bottom four a bit shorter to fit on the short walls then wallpapered them to masonite. Then I coated the front and the back with two layers of my ever faithful poly-acrylic sealer! then attached them to the wall!

Summer is the Time Between July 4th and July 24th!

2009-07-06T15:47:00.010-06:00

Dates to remember:
***Every Sunday through Oct. 10am-3pm People's Market 1000 So. 900 West SLC
*** I "heart" Utah Festival, Saturday July 18th at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, Utah 10am-7pm

Happy Summer! The heat is on. Sunday at the People's Market was extraordinary. Lots of vendors and lots of visitors!

It is so fun to see familiar faces. Thanks for coming by!

I'll be making Harley Davidson necklaces for men this week. I have a special order in for a man's necklace made from a Harley magazine so words show up on the beads that relate to motorcycle riding. In between the Harley beads will be orange and silver beads with a silver motorcycle pendant. It is easier to make several once you get going so maybe stop by my booth later this month and I'll have one for you also.

Besides the motorcycle special order necklace, I had a request by a gentleman to make him a necklace with pure black paper beads with silver in between. This was a "guy" week, I guess. The black paper beads look like black oiled leather, they are quite beautiful I must say!

I know I promised to begin men's and boy's jewelry last fall, but... but... well, I just like girl's stuff the best I suppose! But I shall begin.

I also promised to make more bracelets! Ok, OK! I'll do that also!

I just sorted through all my cloth scraps this morning and have them separated by color so I can go into major production with more cloth scrap beads. I saw some scraps tday that were from my old dresses back in the 1950's. I think I'll have to make jewelry for myself from some of the great "memory cloths". One cloth scrap was from my "rick-rack" dress. Rows and rows of rick-rack on cloth that had little red and blue sail boats. The gathered shirt of the dress was so full that I could hold onto the hem on each side and raise my hands above my head with still plenty of material in the skirt left to still cover my knees in front. If I twirled just right, the skirt would stand straight out like a ballerina skirt!

So how was your 4th of July? Most of my relatives (sister's families) got together at my parents old home and watched the fireworks from their front lawn. That would have been fun to have seen all the kids! The hubby and I decided to go see a Bees baseball game and then watch the fireworks afterwords for the 4th of July. Good intentions - We decided to go down early Saturday morning and buy the tickets and how harsh! they were all SOLD OUT! I guess 4th of July at the Old Derks Field (I can't remember what the new name is... some phone company, I think) is pretty popular now. It is so fun to ride TRAX downtown to the ball field and then stand with everyone and wait for the TRAX train to head back home afterwards in the summertime! That's when I know summer is here, it is still pleasantly warm outside at midnight!

So not only do you have the People's Market on July 12th to attend, but don't forget the:

.................."I

....................... Utah Festival"

at Thanksgiving Point on Saturday, July 18th! Tons of fun! Farmer's Market, Crafts Market, Entertainment, Prizes, Food, Games! A whole day of celebrating UTAH! FREE entrance. http://www.iheartut.com/ for all the details.

I am excited!

I'll be in the big tent - see you there.

Start thinking about July 18th at Thanksgiving Point - I Love Utah Festival

2009-06-29T22:08:00.003-06:00

OMG! Did you just see me on TV?

2009-06-28T22:51:00.005-06:00

I guess fame is just my middle name! I have to plug my current FAVORITE TV STATION - Channel 4!

Today at the People's Market all three major TV channels were there. It was amusing watching the camera dudes walk around the market interviewing and filming the goings-on. I happened to see the handsome Channel 4 camera guy just standing a bit from my canopy, perhaps thinking maybe what to do next, so I said something clever like, "Too bad you have to work on such a great day". We talked for a bit, never did I see the camera going but then tonight on TV, every channel did a brief blurb about the People's Market... BUT, only on CHANNEL 4 - there was a brief camera roll of an older, chubby, dark but short-haired lady, wearing a lime green shirt and a coin purse strapped across her chest and talking to some customers and - YES, IT WAS ME!

I was just talking to some customers about my recycled paper and cloth jewelry. I will sign autographs later!

Yes, Kyle, I saw that you got to talk longer on one of the other channels, but really who was cuter?

I hope channel 4 doesn't mind me placing their logo at the top of my blog! It really is to freely advertise their wonderful channel. as they freely advertised for me!

I had a GREAT day: talked to a lot of people. I love talking to young kids. It was a hoot watching them do the sack races, the "carry the egg" race, and the water balloon toss! They were all so adorable and Talented!

I loved talking to the couple from Mexico! The woman was from Chiuahua, and the man from Cabo San Lucas. They bought a newly made cloth bead necklace set. It was made of shimmery black cloth and I added silver colored beads and jet black crystal beads! I just finished it Saturday night!

And Thank You to Sammie and her mother who rode their bicycles all the way from Murray to come see me! Sammie was a student of mine a couple of years ago. The rode from about 6000 South to 1000 South - ON BICYCLES! I had a hard time riding that far in a car!

Thank you to all who have directed people my way. I couldn't count how many customers today said they had seen my necklace on someone and then were told to go to the "People's Market"! Referrals are so good to hear about! Thanks to all of you once more!

This week, no extra fairs or festivals, I'm just going to look forward to next Sunday at the People's Market!

Who Stole Summer?

2009-06-22T18:47:00.005-06:00

Ok, so like I was really excited to go to the People's Market this last Sunday "Father's Day", but when I woke up Sunday morning it was raining.

I know it was rain because I have seen A LOT of it the last few weeks. One thing I will not do is try to sell PAPER jewelry in a RAIN STORM! So I think bummer dude, I'll have to stay home this Sunday and spend time with the hubby. But at about 10:30am I wander outside to see an amazingly strange site - Blue Sky! I had to ask my hubby what in the world that blue stuff was! So, I race inside, get ready and head for Jordan Park, in front of the International Peace Gardens for the PEOPLE'S MARKET! I had my canopy up in no time and was meeting and talking and selling before you could say, "Yes my hubby had to help me set up on Father's Day even though he would rather be home reading a good book, but he even bought me breakfast at McDonald's and brought it to me at the park". What a good man he is.

Not too many vendors ventured out, but it was a grand day. I met many members of a family renunion, some came clear from Rigby, Idaho. I said, "you came all the way from Idaho to come to this Market?" "Well, the reunion was #1, but we stayed over another day to come to the market", was the answer. Wow! People's Market was #2! Not too Bad! AND.... Great Uncle (I forgot his name) is going to sell his homemade wooden bread boards and children's wooden blocks next Sunday!

And I hope I convinced the nice young lady I met to sell her "Book Art" at the People's Market. She takes covers from popular books and makes really neat sounding frames out of them for poems and art that remind her of the book. I can't wait to see some!

I told her about the necklace I made for a school teacher. I cut up an old discarded paperback book of "To Kill a Mockingbird" (her favorite book in the whole world), cut and rolled it so all the important names and facts showed up on the rolled paper beads. Then I made a gorgeous 3-strand necklace out of her favorite book beads.

That is why she had to tell me what she makes out of old books. She has got to come sell her stuff!

I love this market; it is slow, casual and unique! And getting larger and better every Sunday!

I hope all the Fathers out there had a wonderful day! This was my first Father's Day without a Father. I sure miss him!

1st People's Market - it was a huge success! Come next Sunday and See!

2009-06-16T10:32:00.003-06:00

The first of twenty Sundays at the People's Market was a great success by my standards. There was a bigger crowd of people ready to shop and stroll and eat than I saw at last year's opening day!
There are more vendors it looks like also!
Dora's kitchen is back with excellent egg rolls! The Argentina empanada people were there as well and a few other good eats I did not get to because I was BUSY!
The soy candles are back (hurray because I swear there is nothing better than the warm melted soy wax for softening my hard calloused heels! and then I smell luscious also!). The mosaic lady is back - she breaks up old porcelain plates, dishes, etc and makes outstanding pots, vases, trays, wall decorations and such. (I love my mosaic flower pot in my kitchen window I got from her last year!)
The chain mail lady is back and there were hand painted pictures, mosaic furniture (like small tables). There was wire wrapped stones for jewelry. Lots of new plants to put in your garden, and classes on how to mulch! And of course - homemade Music. Thanks to all the performers, it was great!
I know there was more but I couldn't get out much to see it all!
I loved seeing familiar faces! Thanks for coming by my booth to see the new stuff: music book and topographical map paper bead necklaces are a couple of my new lines this year! I also have expanded the cloth bead section. The example of the pink cloth necklace in the picture above went FAST!
At about 1:30pm it looked like it was going to rain any second so I started to take down my booth. At about 2:00 the wind blew and it sprinkled pretty good and most all vendors were gone in a flash. We've all seen too bad of weather the past few weeks to even chance it! So sorry if you came late and everyone was gone!
But we will be back next Sunday with only a slight chance of rain. I bet it will be a spectacular day to get out enjoy the sun and the fun at the International Peace Gardens and the People's Market! See you there!

il Divo, HFB Air Show and People's Market!

2009-06-09T15:21:00.010-06:00

I SAW THEM UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL - YES! Il Divo! Last Friday Night!

My little sister and I bought tickets to see Il Divo, a quartet of massively excellent maleness and 'epic' singing ability, at the Energy Solutions arena. (Doesn't the Energy Solutions Arena need a nickname? like EnSol or something? It's just too much to have to pronounce) Anyway, we bought the very best tickets available - price was no object- and we sat, I am NOT KIDDING! about 8 feet away from their bodies! They had a circular stage and at the peak of the circle as it juts into the audience, there was our seats! I literally saw spit jump from one of their mouths! (No, I did not jump to catch that drop of spittle!)

Ok, let's get serious, yes they are extremely good looking young men. Heavy emphasis on the word YOUNG. But it is their voices that knock me over. How can anyone sing that well? And there are four of them! Carlos is the cocky baritone from Spain. I just like to look at him. Sebastian is the Frenchman and I'd love to hang out and talk to him, he seems very amiable. Urs, the German-Swiss is so cute you just want to cuddle him and his voice IS like an angel BUT I want David Mills, the American, to sing to me. His has the most extraordinary voice. He is from San Diego I believe, and guess what ---? Pay attention to this Lisa! David used to sing for the Logan Opera! 10 years ago he hung out in Logan, Utah and says he really loves Utah! Cool, huh. Well I was honored to be able to hear their talents and I hope they only get more popular (is it really possible to get any more popular?) and hope they come back to Utah!

Saturday Morning, after breakfast and seeing my sister and her husband off to get their tattoos (that's another story), my hubby and I made our eternal pilgrimage to Hill Air Force Base to see the Air Show. We left the house at about noon. Got caught in an extremely bad wreck in North Salt Lake. Finally we were diverted by the cops to go across a dirt road divider to get up onto highway 89 and off the freeway to finally get to HAFB to only be in another huge traffic jam! Finally we got parked and walked like 8 blocks through metal detectors and we were finally at the air show. Terry got to go aboard the airplane his Dad flew on D-Day (probably not the very exact one but same model) but Terry was thrilled! And teary! Then we finally found someone willing to tell us when the Thunderbirds would fly -- 4:30pm! Two whole more hours! I am not what you would call an airplane enthusiast, not even by a long shot and Terry being the gentleman, says, "let's just go, that's too long to wait". "Like HECK it is" I answered, "I came all this way, through all that mess and we are staying!" So we did, we found some lawn there on the base, and listened to Ipods and wasted time! It was wonderful and the weather was wonderful and the Thunderbirds were as exciting as the 2,000 other times I have endured them!

But, hurray, the People's Market begins this next Sunday, the 14th of June. 1000 South and 900 West in Salt Lake City, Utah! It runs from 10:00am to 3:00pm every Sunday morning through October!

It is yard sale day! So besides vendors having their regular stuff to sell, many bring yard sale items so it should be a lot of fun. Maybe a bit rainy but the rain this week doesn't seem to last too long and it sure keeps us cooler! Come and say HI and then take a quiet, beautiful tour through the International Peace Gardens which are right in back of the Market!

I will have new "music notes" necklaces made from an old 1917 music methods book I found discarded! Plus plenty of junk mail bead necklaces also!

Home Parties, Craft Shows, There's a Way for us to get Together!

2009-05-30T19:37:00.005-06:00

It's nearly Summer Vacation Time!

I had hoped that by this time I would be celebrating retirement rather than just Summer Vacation. Oh, well. It could be worse: I could be homeless pushing my shopping cart with all my belongings under the freeway somewhere!

I don't know how much longer I will teach, I only promise to go one year at a time. The big problem is, is that teachers (at least the Salt Lake Valley) no longer get health insurance when they retire! It's great that we have a 30 year retirement but no life time insurance coverage. The Benefits package used to be one of the big reasons people would go into teaching! So, I don't dare retire with the economy the way it is and chance not getting another job to cover costs or provide me with health insurance benefits! Besides, I really like the people I work with, I really do like teaching - it suits me, and I really do love having weekends off and holidays off and 9 weeks in the summer with which I can:

SELL MY "Recycled Products" JEWELRY

(I love this recycling picture since I also use scrap cloth pieces to make beads for jewelry)

Read the email I just received yesterday:

"I stopped by your booth at the Live Green Fair and could kick myself that I didn't buy some of your beautiful jewelry. Are you coming to a fair or show in Davis or Weber County? I could buy some on ebay but I love to see it in person. The pictures on ebay don't really do them justice. They are really stunning. R.G. ~ North Ogden Utah."

I don't know of any craft shows in Davis/Weber County Area. I'd love to visit my old hometown - I used to live on Ogden's 6th Street and about 1300 East - back in the olden days! So why not throw a party?

I love doing home parties! Get a bunch of friends together and I'll come to your house! If you host a party, you receive 10% of all sales to put towards purchase of jewelry for yourself!

But I now have a beautiful Studio/Show room in my home and you are welcome to stop by most every day through the summer. Just call my cell phone:

801-209-1382

and tell me when you'd like to drop by - I'm located in Murray, Utah. It is quite close to the Fashion Place Mall! or - email me I we can set up a meeting time!

bbwright98@hotmail.com

Well, I'm looking forward to starting the People's Market, June 14th - every Sunday morning through October from 10am to 3pm at the International Peace Gardens, 1000 South and 900 West in Salt Lake City. It is a beautiful, quiet, comfortable, cozy way to shop the craft and food booths - especially if you don't like the hectic, crowded Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings. Then you can take a tour through the stunning gardens of the International Peace Gardens! What a way to spend a beautiful Sunday Morning!

OMG! you'll never guess who I met in person today!

2009-05-09T20:12:00.009-06:00

Ok, maybe I'm a nerd in some circles, but I'm sure others would say I was cultured! I say I'm with the cultured group. And so, with all the cultured essence oozing from me, I had the thrill of a lifetime today!
I was working today at my little booth at the "Live Green" fair. It was a lovely day and I was having a great time. I love meeting all the people and I love hearing the sweet comments about, and the interest in my jewelry!
But there I was, just talking and working and I noticed this beautiful couple standing and looking at my stuff and I saw the guy was handsome, muscular yet slim and the girl was gorgeous with tight muscles in her shoulders and grace in her movements. I looked carefully at her face and I just felt like I knew her and I looked at those muscles in her arms again and noted she was wearing a leotard top so I got brave and just blurted out: "Are you guys with Ballet West?" "Why yes we are" she said. Holy Cow, I was star struck!
So then I blabbered on about how I have been a season ticket holder for years and so enjoy the ballet and thanked them for all the hard work they do so I can have such pleasure watching them dance! Then of course, like a dork, I ask what their names were. (I should have known but they do look different without the costumes and makeup!) She said, "I am Kate Crews and this is Jason Linsley".
"Oh, my gosh", I said, "I bought a pair of our your ballet slippers with your signature on the toe along with Annie Breneman's and I gave them to my grand-nieces!" With that Kate Crews shook my hand and said she was glad to meet me! Of course Jason wanted to know why no one wanted to buy male dancer's old shoes. We all stared at each other as the seconds ticked until Jason answered his own question saying, "maybe they're stinky?"
Any way they asked if I was going to their dance; "Innovations". I said I hadn't planned but after Jason informed me he had choreographed one of the dances in it, I said I want to go now!

So is there any relative or friend out there who wants to go with me - May 14-23?

I will even buy the tickets!!! I prefer May 22 or 23 - anyone, must I go alone?

Here are Kate and Jason's pictures. Check out http://www.balletwest.org/ for all the info - but....

..... I have the REAL news.... Kate and Jason are getting married! - I think they said this fall! That makes about a gillion married couples dancing for Ballet West! I think that is so wonderful. Maybe I am The One, here and now, breaking the news to the world!

I so enjoyed meeting and talking to them - THANKS You two and Congratulations!

Kate said if I came to "Innovations" I should say Hi to them. I said I would just stand up in the audience and yell "Hello" and they would know it is me because I would be the old fat lady in the back row! OMG, I'm still thrilled at having met REAL ballet dancers! What talent!

So it was a wonderful day today - made many new friends and reconnected with some old (like the lady who gave me all the topographical maps) - Thanks again, people love them! and the people who stopped by after participating in the 5K Susan Komen run for breast cancer. Thanks to all you who ran! I have had 12 extra years of life since my breast cancer! The best 12 years of my life so far!

Thanks to gentleman who bought a bible page necklace to wear himself! I must admit, it did look good on him! And thanks to all those who bought just to support recycling! I appreciate you all and hope you enjoy the jewelry. AND... Yes, I pledge to try and make more jewelry for men and boys and yes, I'll make more Harley Davidson motorclothes catalog earrings and necklaces!
____________________________________________________________________

Next adventure? I am scheduled to be at Wheeler Farm on Saturday, May 16th! It is the Mayday Festival! Thousands are expected. The vendors will be outside on the East side of the Activity Barn. There will be tons of activities for everyone, especially Moms and kids!

Mayday Festival!
2009 May 16th 10am - 3pm
Wheeler Farm 6351 S. 900 E.SLC, Utah
Bounce Houses, Mini Golf, Skating,
Face Painting, Field Games,
Laser Tag, Scales & Tales Show,
Blacksmiting, Sheep Shearing, Wool Spinning, and more...
Martial Arts Break-a-thon, Entertainment, Food Vendors, and much more...
Details... http://www.wheelerfarm.com/calendar/spring.html

See You There!

What's up?

2009-04-29T19:05:00.006-06:00

EARTH JAM TURNS TO RUNNY JELLY!

Ok, the Earth Jam Festival at Liberty Park was a major bummer -so cold and rainy that I just gave up and went home Saturday afternoon. Anyone who came later looking for me... well, Sorry! I am a lightweight when it comes to cold and drippy. It's hard to talk when your teeth are chattering and it's hard to stand when your toes are numb. Do I sound whiny and pathetic? Mostly that characteristic comes from teaching 7th graders in May. I really am about as whiny as they are!

Will summer ever come? YES, It will be spectacular weather for the annual:

Live Green
6th Annual Downtown Eco-Festival

May 9, 2009 at Library Square (downtown SLC) from 10am to 6pm.
This event is an opportunity for the public to learn about the green resources in the community. Exhibitors include a variety of businesses that offer solutions to environmental problems. From alternative energy corporations to recycled and organic products for everyday living, more than 100 booths will display at Live Green. Be a part of this unique event.

Please visit: http://www.livegreenslc.org/

Please check the links in the column to the right to see what types of Recycled Products Jewelry will be available - I've been working all winter and my supply is LARGE! But maybe you want to order ahead if you see something you like! Email me: bbwright98@hotmail.com

or buy via eBay or Etsy.com

Wonderful time at U of U showing paper recycling

2009-04-22T18:36:00.004-06:00

I almost felt like I was going to be late for class OR I hadn't finished my homework or something as the nerves began to hit me on my way to the Uof U this morning. There was no school class, thankfully, that I was late for or missing work for because I was privileged to be a part of the University Earth Day. Flattered is the best word I can think of to explain how I feel about all the attention and admiration over my recycled bead project. I love the Uof U! and all its people! Thanks again for the wonderful reception! Everyone I met is welcome to email with ideas, questions, suggestions and comments. bbwright98@hotmail.com is probably the best and quickest way to get in touch with me.

Don't forget the "Earth Jam" this weekend, Liberty Park - by the Fire Stage both Saturday and Sunday!

April and Crafts are in the Earth's Air!

2009-04-20T20:34:00.002-06:00

Ok, I just realized I had the Wrong date for Earth day Activities at the U of U. It is THIS Wed, the 22nd of April. On the East side of the Student Union. Come say Hi! 10:30am to 1:30pm! I'm so excited to be back at my favorite of favorite Universities - U of U! Wahoo!

http://www.unews.utah.edu/p/?r=041509-1

Then, this weekend is the Earth Jam Festival at Liberty Park. Both the 25th and 26th will be fun filled days. I will be by the "Fire" Stage. (I have yet to figure where that is).

http://www.earthjam.org/

Then my favorite of favorite festival is almost here:

Live Green
6th Annual Downtown Eco-Festival
May 9, 2009 at Library Square from 10am to 6pm.

This event is an opportunity for the public to learn about the green resources in the community. Exhibitors include a variety of businesses that offer solutions to environmental problems. From alternative energy corporations to recycled and organic products for everyday living, more than 100 booths will display at Live Green. Be a part of this unique event.

http://www.downtownslc.org/events/live-green.htm

I have tons of junk mail necklaces, Sunday Comic necklaces and lots of new and different; old music books, discarded children's picture books, old brochures and magazines necklaces!

What a way to recycle - Go Green Beautifully.

And as I often say, "Saving the Earth one Bead at a Time"

If you want to see ahead of time what type merchandise I will have to offer, please browse through my eBay and Etsy stores - use the quick links in the right column of these website!

The April Rush Begins!

2009-04-12T15:23:00.003-06:00

I'll begin April with an "Earth Day" booth at the University of Utah Student Union. Celebrate Earth by seeing how paper beads and paper bead jewelry are made from recycled paper! There will be lots of crafts, lots of things to learn about and things to buy! This will be Wed. April 22nd from around 10am to 2pm. Just outside and to the east of the Student Union building!

Then lets all get together for the "Earth Jam" festival at Liberty Park on April 25th and 26th. This is a two-day all day long celebration of Earth. I'll be in a booth with Celestial Soy Candles. Soy candles and recycled paper bead jewelry - you'll need several of both!

Then, following closely in May is the spectacular: "Live Green" festival at Library Square in downtown SLC on May 9th. This is all and everything with living green! Even great food! Come join us and the cause!

Then best of all, the People's Market begins Sunday, June 14th - wahoo! The craft mecca extraordinaire! and right near the entrance to Salt Lake's beautiful "International Peace Gardens".

Easter at Wheeler Farm - April 11th

2009-04-04T13:55:00.001-06:00

Wheeler Farm’s 1st Annual Easter Carnival
Saturday April 11, 2009
10am-3pm
$2.00 Per Wristbands

Easter Bunny Flying In Via Helicopter!!

Includes: All you can Bounce House, Magic Show, Dance Show, Scales & Tails Reptile Show, Mini Golf w/ Hollywood Connection, Laser Tag, Egg Hunt, Face Painting, Tumbling, Photo Opportunities with a Princess, Easter Bunny & Star Wars, Cooking Class w/ Young Chefs Academy, Origami w/ The Origami Lady, And so many more Games/Activities with over 75 Vendors, food, fun and so much more!!!
Of course, you can make paper bead necklaces with Bowenwright Crafts!
Wagon Rides $1.50 each, Duck Food $.50 each
Girl Scout Cookies $3.50 While Supplies Last

Wristbands go on PRE_SALE
Monday April 6th-10th at Wheeler Farm
9am-5pm Buy Early and skip the entry lines!!
We hope to see you out!!
www.wheelerfarm.com

This is just one of those "I have to write" moments

2009-03-26T20:41:00.008-06:00

So, imagine back to 1958 0r 1959. Imagine Kearns, Utah - a west side (wrong side of town) suburb of Salt Lake City... A young girl 5 or 6 years old is watching her parents bring in and set up this funny wooden box on a table into the front room. They plug it in and and it makes a bright light and has fuzzy black and white people moving around in it! Our first TV! It wasn't really instant love for me. For quite a while I didn't really see the point of it. But I remember my older brother lying in front of it watching Howdy Doody and Soupy Sales everyday. Like any kid I soon became a BIG fan, especially of cartoons on the Captain Kangaroo show after school. And later a big fan of the m0vies that would come on in the evening. Sometimes if I was really, really quiet and acted like I was invisible, my Mom would not make me go to bed (I really believed she could not see me) and I could stay up and watch a movie with her and Dad. I fondly remember a movie called "Tea for Two" that I got to stay up late and watch because I was so invisible on the couch. But often I was sent to bed without being able to finish the movie and that had major traumatic consequences - even to this day I can't ever NOT finish a movie. It is better to not start a movie than to not finish it! I just think about it forever and ever until I can finally wrangle a way to finish it, sometimes waiting for many years. I'm patient and persistent in these matters. I don't even care that much if it is a bad ending, I just have to know!

So anyway...

as a young girl, who was most often sent to bed not being able to finish a show, I would lie in bed upset and wish I could have a tiny little TV that I could set on my stomach and watch all the movies, clear to the very end.

I imagined having this little TV over and over again, time after time, wishing and hoping someday it would be invented for me. (I think my idea was also spawned by watching Dick Tracy calling Joe Jitsu on his wrist-watch sized phone!)

Well....

About two weeks ago my husband lets me cash in his credit card points (that are about to expire). There are just enough points for me to order an Ipod Touch - with 16GB. (He had a LOT of points.) I had heard you could download podcasts and audio books and such and thought that would be fun. It arrived and I've been learning how to use it. And then, just the day before yesterday, I got really brave and bought the video of "Twilight" the movie on itunes and downloaded it onto my new Ipod. (yes, I actually figured out how to do it and everything all by myself). I was so excited to see the movie again that I took the Ipod to bed with me to just sneak a quick peak of what the movie would look like on the little screen (about 3" x 2" for those not familiar) before I went to sleep.

I still can't believe how good the picture is on that little bugger - absolutely freakin' amazing. I lay there and watched the whole show again! And then it hit me like a lightning bolt; my ancient dream had come true! 50 years later! but here I am lying in bed watching a movie on a little TV. It is even better than I could have ever imagined! I don't even have to plug it into an outlet! It was so perfect the tears rolled down my face. I just had to cry, the reality just suddenly overwhelmed me and I'm really not much of a crier.

My grandmother was born in 1898 and died in 1996. I used to ask her over and over, "what are you most amazed about today that you didn't have back when you were young?" She thought a tape recorder was amazing and was afraid to use it to hear the recordings I made for her - she thought she might break it. I believe she loved her mix-master the most, however.

I was just sitting here tonight, twirling my Grandma's wedding ring that I now wear, and was thinking how I know exactly how Grandma must have thought about modern conveniences. I'm seeing the most amazing accomplishments by humans in my own lifetime! There is stuff now that I could never have imagined: computers, internet, cell phones, ipods, thumbdrives - heck, I'm still fascinated and amazed by a calculator! And I want to be buried with my microwave oven!

I can't believe I am lucky enough to live in a time where people have taken advantage of being able to get a great education and then together have pushed the collective knowledge to such amazing heights that we have reaped fantastic technologies. One receiver and user of such technologies, I think, is our current, unbelievably miraculous modern healthcare. Because, as you see, I have been given 12 more years of life (so far) so that now, instead of surrending helplessly to death by breast cancer, I can now lie in bed with a little TV on my stomach and watch a movie -all the way to the end!

I WORSHIP EDUCATION! and I love those who strive and sacrifice for it and put it to USE! Thank you All! Thank you so much!

************************************

Ok, thank you for the indulgence - now I'll go back to finishing the bracelet I was working on for a fellow teacher - a gorgeous charm bracelet made of 18 Swarovski 10mm hearts dangling like charms from a 4mm crystal and chain bracelet - a super sparkler!

TWILIGHT DVD - coming out March 21

2009-03-17T14:50:00.001-06:00

Wheeler Farm Boutique this Saturday, March 21st - see BABY ANIMALS

2009-03-16T20:08:00.003-06:00

We would like to invite you out to participate in an exciting and fun filled event at

Wheeler Historic Farm 6351 S. 900 E. in SLC!
Come join us in the Big Barn at Wheeler farm for another Boutique!
Free entrance to the Boutique - 10am - 3pm!
and
Moms, you can send Dad and the kids to see the baby animals at the Farm!
The weather will be spectacular and you deserve a day of
SHOPPING!

Bowenwright Crafts will have many recycled products jewelry!
Come to the upper level and say HI!
you'll find:
recycled junk mail paper bead necklaces
security envelope paper bead necklaces
Comic paper back necklaces
Recycled Disney and kids books paper bead necklaces
Recycled scrap cloth bead necklaces
Also
Bracelets and Earrings!
WHAT a WAY to GO GREEN!
"Saving the Earth One Bead at a Time"

New Necklaces on ETSY.com

2009-03-09T21:46:00.000-06:00

It's March and I've been tagged!

2009-03-06T22:02:00.003-07:00

I've been tagged!
If you are up for it - copy the questions, edit the answers and post them about you! Tag friends to do the same! DON'T TAKE FOREVER TO THINK OF ANSWERS. IT'S BETTER WHEN IT'S THE FIRST ANSWER THAT COMES TO MIND.

1. Do you like blue cheese? yes, in moderation.
2. Do you own a gun? yes, I especially like my really old rifle that hangs next to my 'for real' pair of chaps and spurs!
3. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? has to be cherry - no other color or red flavor will do.
4. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? usually way freaked out!
5. What do you think of hot dogs? There are very few things I refuse to eat but hot dogs are the #1 thing I wouldn't eat if I were starving and on the brink of death! Does that answer the question?
6. Favorite Christmas movie? the old time Scrooge movie - what the heck is the name of that Dicken's book?
7. Favorite thing to drink in the morning? Coffee with cream - don't even talk to me until at least one cup
8. Can you do push ups? only if it is a bra we are talking about!
9.What's your favorite piece of jewelry? my grandmother's wedding ring.
10. What is your favorite hobby? rolling beads and then #2 is making the jewelry out of them
11. Do you have A.D.D.? Don't make me laugh... or rather be sure to wake me up to laugh
12. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I eat way too impulsively
13. Middle name? None, I still have issues over it.
14. Best Birthday? The last one I just had, I'm thankful for everyone I've been able to have since 1997!
15. Name 3 things you regularly drink: Coffee, water and Metamusil
16. How many siblings do you have? 2 brothers and 2 sister
17. Current "I hate it right now": That would be students, who in the middle of a powerful, stimulating, Earth-shaking lecture, raise their hand to say stuff like, "Did you just get your hair cut?" - a girl just did that today!
18. Favorite place to be? now-a-days it is in my house.
19. How did you bring in the New Year last year? I said good-night to Terry at about 9:00pm and then laid in bed and watched TV until it hit midnight then went to sleep.
20. Where would you like to go? I would love to see my friend Jo-Lynne in New Zealand!
21. Do you own slippers? Red bootie slippers my niece gave me - they're about worn out!
22. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No, I prefer Egyptian cotton.
23. Can you whistle? Yes, I can whistle three different ways! and I can wiggle my ears!
24. Favorite color? I LOVE red, I love to wear it, to see it and to eat it.
25. Would you be a pirate? No, I don't like the water well enough. I get really sea-sick and I hate to get wet. I'm not real fond of foul body odors or rotty teeth either!
26. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing in the shower, I just hurry to get out because I don't like getting wet- and I can't sing.
27. Last thing to make you laugh? Looking at the You Tube video on Lisa's blog called, "Everything is Amazing, Nobody's Happy"
28. What vehicle do you drive? Camry
29. Worst injury you've ever had? Broken arm from falling off a teeter-tooter
30. Do you love where you live? I really do! We've travel all over the USA and even out of the country with the idea of finding a better place to move to, but we keep realizing that Utah is spectacular.
31. Do you have any pets? Well, actually I prefer to call my two cats my children - thank you very much!
32. Does someone have a crush on you? I think one of my little 7th graders might - he hangs around a bit after class to tell me stuff -like today he wanted to know what kind of car I drove. I answered, "Toyota" He then asked why I didn't buy American? And when I said, "I don't think they are as dependable", he replied, "That's what my Dad says"!
33. Your favorite book(s): anything written by Cormac McCarthy, Paul Bowles, Milan Kundera or Charles Dickens
34. Do you collect anything? I'm not really a collector, I'm more of an "Accumulator". I have over 100 tin boxes, over 80 plants and over 1700 books (classics!)
35. Favorite Sports Team? I really, really don't like the normal spectator sports, I like dance competitions, does that count?
36. What song do you want played at your funeral? Having a tape of real birds singing would be very, very cool
37. What are you listening to right now? My cat snoring and "America's Best Dance Crew" on MTV. I love Quest Crew! Hok and Dominic are sooooo talented, I'd like to squeeze their little cheeks!

IS IT STILL FEBRUARY???

2009-02-25T20:12:00.007-07:00

Ok, enough is enough! I NEED SPRING! The last few days have been MAJOR Spring Fever!

But...

I do have some incredible beads that I made this winter - long winter nights mean lots of beads!

I must say this winter produced one of the best batches I have ever done. I found that occasionally the local library discards old CHILDREN'S books. Have you ever noticed how luscious the colors are in Disney books? Well I bought a couple of very well worn books. "Chicken Little" was one of them. Through the winter I carefully cut out all the pages, sliced them into papers for beads and WOW are the colors beautiful. I need to take pictures this weekend and post them - so check back. I'll also put most of them for sale on Etsy and Ebay so check those sites. (Links are on the right side of this blog)

Just imagine those colors with accent beads - VIRBRANT to say the least.

Tonight was the first of two nights of parent-teacher conferences. I find it rather difficult to do two 12 hour days in a row! But maybe these conferences are a bit old fashioned? I think I only had 20 parents tonight. With internet grades and email I don't think parents feel the need to come to school anymore??? Or maybe tonight was just to loaded with other more important activities. But anyway, tonight's attendance makes me think just how much different life is from when I started teaching 18 years ago! Heck, I'm still amazed at a microwave oven!!! And maybe I should try the internet one of these days - I hear it is really amazing.

Next Wheeler Farm Boutique is March 21st - 10am to 3pm at the old Barn. It's free to get into the Boutique so come and spend some time at least browsing all the wonderful wares and say HI!

Need Something for your soul? Try Ballet West!

2009-02-13T23:26:00.007-07:00

May I make a small plug for something extraordinary?

I just arrived home after a wonderful date with my niece. I took her to Ballet West's Madame Butterfly - opening night! Is an old lady allowed to write: "OMG!"

Madame Butterfly was so moving, so beautiful. I'm so proud of Salt Lake City for having such a treasure as Ballet West! You really should experience the talent, beauty and work that has gone into this production.... and support the arts!

You still have chances to see Madame Butterfly so go do it, it's good for the soul! Oh, and wear some lovely beads there, take every opportunity to shine!

At Capitol Theatre 50 West 200 South Salt Lake www.balletwest.org (they have a great blog also!)

Great Happenings at Wheeler Farm!

2009-02-11T18:45:00.009-07:00

We would like to invite you out to participate in 2 exciting and fun filled events at Wheeler Historic Farm 6351 S. 900 E. in SLC!
1st: we have Wheeler Farms 1st Annual Easter Carnival, with Main Sponsors, Utah Kids Club & Thin & Healthy Utah!!

This event is Saturday, April 11th, 2009 from 10am-3pm.

2nd: we have The Utah Kids Club 2nd Annual Summer Stampede!!!

This event is Saturday, June 6th, 2009 from 10am-3pm.

Some vendors include; Hollywood Connections, Laser Quest, Salt Lake Bees, Grizzlies Hockey Bowenwright Paper Beads and Much more!!!

At both events the booth vendors are being ask to set up a fun activity for the kids and parents, something that resembles their business.... SO......

Please mark those dates on your calendars!

come make your own paper bead necklace with Bowenwright Crafts!!!!

And then there is the Wheeler Farm itself to see! Baby animals???

These dates are going to be so cool! You really don't want to miss them so bring your friends and families.

Here's the Spring 2009 Schedule!

2009-02-04T16:37:00.008-07:00

So I just got the email yesterday and just mailed in my booth fee in for the.....

2009 - Live Green Festival In Salt Lake City(http://www.livegreenslc.org/)

at Library Square, downtown Salt Lake City MAY 9, 2009

from 10am to 6pm. I'm so excited!

I love the Live Green Festival with all the great ideas, products and stuff to buy!

"Each year new vendors are added to strengthen existing product offerings and to provide exciting opportunities for the public to learn about green resources in the community. Vendors in the following categories are desired: alternative transportation, sustainable and recycled products for home and business, green services, community advocacy organizations, green buildings and architects, natural and organic food vendors, local plant vendors, sustainable artists, and alternative energy companies"

---that's what the event planners are looking for! Sounds good, doesn't it.

Please, there has to be something that you would find interesting. I just know it will be beautiful weather! So mark it on your calendar now!

OK.... That was the good news. Now the sort-a-bad or sad news:

I Won't be retiring from teaching this year! No sitting in front of the front window all day long on a snowy winter day, in my pajamas, with an endless cup of coffee, with no where to go....

Oh well! The economy is just a bit too tough for me to hang it up yet! Besides, I need to be with all my friends at the school! What would I do without my young students keeping me laughing everyday!

But luckily teaching is the perfect job for doing weekend festivals and summer farmer's markets!

A Drippy Rainy Day at Wheeler Farm!

2009-01-24T17:44:00.006-07:00

Best Friends Boutique held their 2nd boutique at Wheeler Farm today. It was full of wonderful vendors and crafters. What a unique place the old farm is for housing a boutique! So quaint, full of memories and yet how grand and comfortable!

Too bad the weather was not necessarily helpful to the vendors. I suspect the weather kept many families from enjoying the farm while the Moms shopped at the Boutique. But I also suspect that as the word gets out and the weather gets warmer, the Wheeler Farm will be famous for being the location of one of Utah's premier Boutiques!

Thanks go to Erin and Norie for setting up and coordinating the whole event.

I think Feb 21st is the date for the next Boutique at Wheeler Farm.

BUT...

Many of us can hardly wait until summer for all the fairs, festivals and farmer's markets!

I have spring fever REALLY bad and I just heard on the news of snow starting tomorrow!

This crafter, the bead roller herself, will wait to be a part of another boutique until spring hits the air. I'm waiting until the "Live Green Fair" at library square in downtown SLC in May! I need lots of sun to get in the mood for craft fairs and boutiques!

So until Spring, I will be selling on Ebay and Etsy. I am striving to add daily, a new paper or cloth bead necklace to Etsy.com and then sit back and undure the rest of winter. Click the links on the right column to get to my selling sites. Or send me an email: bbwright98@hotmail.com

This would then be an EXCELLENT time to book a party. Winter is perfect for parties. Snug in your home with friends, eating chocolate and buying jewelry! Reply with a comment if you are interested and if you live in the area in or around Salt Lake County! I'd love to bring my niece with me who sells "Twilight" inspired jewelry!

(It's Ok to admit you secretly dream Edward gave you a bracelet!) BOOK a PARTY TODAY!

Valentines Boutique Time! Jan. 24th at Wheeler Farm!

2009-01-10T22:48:00.008-07:00

Really, really! It is time to start thinking about Valentines Day Gifts.

And what better way than to have fun at a Boutique that the family will love also!

Come join us all, Recycled Materials Jewelry, the Best Friends Boutique and Wheeler Farm, and have a great day at the farm! 10:00am to 3:00pm

Boutique Venue:
Wheeler Historic Farm
6351 South 900 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84121

And guys, you don't have to go to the Boutique to get that special woman in your life a personal gift.

Contact me via email (bbwright98@hotmail.com) and lets turn your personal note into gorgeous beads for your mother, wife, girlfriend, sister or whoever to wear your lovely words forever!

This is my very own necklace I made from a note my husband wrote to me that said, "To my forever sweet heart, Love T". I cut the paper so that the words in his own handwriting can be read on 6 beads. The beads are sealed with polyacrylic so that last a very long time. What a wonderful way to say I love you day after day, after day!

January 1, 2009 What adventures will this year bring???

2009-01-01T21:42:00.010-07:00

I can't believe it is 2009 already! So to celebrate, hubby and I went to breakfast at Little America in their swanky dining room! Then I sat at home most of the rest of the day and began a new batch of beads from all the paper that hubby and I found at 2nd hand store (D.I. is the name for the locals). I got some cool old sheet music, old picture books and old rolls of wall paper. I even got some old discarded children's books at the library that have wonderful colors! So I was like in hog heaven all afternoon.

I think my favorite beads from this batch are the pictures from a magazine of the outback of Australia - t he red dirt and the blue, blue sky! These are going to make a wonderful South Western necklace.

Check out my nieces etsy store: see the link in the column on the right ---> She's selling "Twilight" inspired jewelry like there is no tomorrow! It is all SO clever! I hope she has some left for me!!

Come to Wheeler Farm Boutique! Jan. 24, 2009

2008-12-30T09:56:00.005-07:00

Start the New Year right and get a jump on Valentines Day gifts!

Best Friends Boutique has a once-a-month boutique at the Wheeler Farm. The first for 2009 will be January 24th. Check out these links and then plan to see us there.
http://www.bfboutique.spaces.live.com/

http://www.wheelerfarm.com/

All kinds of crafts, all kinds of fun at the farm for families!

I have a bunch of new jewelry made of recycled paper. I have recently used: Goodhousekeeping magazines, National Geographic Magazines, Bible Pages, Financial Statements, maps, Chemistry/Drug information sheets, old Christmas Wrapping paper, and the ever famous junk mail. Lots more varieties of security envelope jewelry and comic paper jewelry will be featured this month.

A ton of new cloth scraps have been donated and are being made into beads as we speak - all kinds of beautiful colors!

AND lots of pinks and reds with hearts for the Valentine in your life. (Why not special order a love note necklace for your loved one!)

Happy Birthday Sir Isaac Newton!

2008-12-25T12:22:00.003-07:00

In honor of the most influential scientist of all time, Sir Isaac Newton. May all you apples fall down today!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWE_aGqfUDs

The Shortest Day of the Year! Happy Winter Solstice!

2008-12-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

I had to stay in pajamas all day because why waste time getting dressed when night was going to be here so soon! This is it, the turn-around day when we now start getting closer to summer, just as a winter storm warning is issued!
I spent the weekend making 10 special order necklaces. Friday night I cut all the paper, Saturday I rolled and dipped approximately 400 beads and strung them all into necklaces on Sunday and finished in time to watch "America's Funniest Video's"
Four necklaces are made for one gal - she wanted them made from scrapbooking paper she furnished me. Beautiful pastel papers: green, blue and pink. I made three single strand necklaces, one of each color and then put all the remainder pastel beads into a beautiful 6 foot long wrap necklace.
The other order was for 5 necklaces made from pages out of old "Good Housekeeping" magazines from the 1970's - what a hoot going through those magazines! We sure have improved on printing colors since the 70's. I had a hard time finding full page ads with interesting colors but finally made a red/black single strand with black swirl crystals, an orange-ish two strand, a lime green (I remember this was a linoleum ad) single strand, a brown and yellow long strand that can double wrap the neck and finally, a multi-pastel colored long strand with blue accents. ---Whew!
Oh, the 10th necklace... one out of a black/blue colored page I saw in a National Geographic magazine and had to see how it would turn out. I think it will be a great men's necklace.

Terry cooked a spectacular ham in his crock pot and we set out heating pads (on timer switches) for the cats to lay on in the window. The Metcalf's brought us homemade toffee so life is sweet! Let it snow!