More Good Bye 2010

Something happened today that made me think. That sounds funny, doesn't it? Well, it's true. I've been beating the drum of good riddance to 2010, because the past few months have been so difficult... like it's kicked my butt and got the best of me, but really, I think, now that I'm, um, thinking, it was *me* that did the kicking - I'm the one that kicked 2010's butt.

This is what happened:

Today, one of my 2010 goals was realized: I got my work published in a real magazine. Check it out, The Flow, Winter 2010 issue, page 7, number 17: two tiger beads by me, aka The Blue Between.



Goal number whatever, get published - check! Just in the nick of time, but that's ok. What were my other goals, do I even remember? Why yes, I do. There were two others - one I didn't manage (getting into a gallery/shop/show/whatever), and one I did - that was a health goal, I was going to finally figure it out and get my body back. And I did that too, thanks to persistence, a handful of good books, and my awesome doctor, not to mention a gazillion dollars in supplements and such... but still, I feel 10 years younger by the end of this year than I did when the year started. If that was all that I accomplished, I'd be more than happy.

But that wasn't all.

* I also jumped into this homeschool stuff head first and I think we are doing pretty amazing with it, now that we know what we are doing.

* I fell in love with Kalypso glass and made some really amazing beads. If I do say so myself.

* I designed my very own Rawr! Tribe of Tiger Beads - original to me and like no other beads I've seen anywhere else... very proud of that, it's a great feeling!

* I started a new store on ArtFire, with my jewelry designs.

* I learned how to make Almond Brittle, one of the highlights of my Christmas holiday this year.

* And! I! get this! reached 500 bead sales on Etsy! And to make that accomplishment even sweeter, I never even blogged about this one, but at that 500 bead sale mark, $500 was sent to the University of Washington's Alzheimer's Research Center and was matched by Microsoft.

So as you can see, a GOOD year. More good than bad. We won't talk about the bad... that is just recent history and won't stick around, unless I keep thinking about it, right?

Time to set some new goals... hmn...

Happy New Year, friends, I'm wishing you all a happy, healthy, creative focus for the new year as well.

Six To Go

Just heard the sad news that my grandmother, the artist, is no longer creating art. Art of any sort. I knew it was a matter of time... her art has gone from "wow, she's amazing" to "we are glad it keeps her busy". But no longer even that. Alzheimer's. It sucks. And yes, I do believe it's an epidemic. I know too many people, personally, who have it to think otherwise.

Here is an article by Dr. Mercola, with what seems to be some very commonsense ways to try to avoid it - they are all just smart ways to stay healthy in the first place, so it can't hurt.

Six more beads to go for my "500 Beads Alzheimer's Disease" donation. I'm looking forward to writing that check. For doing something, no matter how small, to try to put an end to this horrid disease. Thank you to all of my customers for all of my sales - each bead sold makes me so happy to be one closer.

500 Beads for Alzheimer's

Twenty-nine! 29! bead sales left to reach my goal! The sooner the better. I am mixed with happiness at the thought that I can do *something* that might make a difference in the world about this, and sadness that my grandmother is soon to be moving into an assisted care home because things have just gotten so hard with her. It's very sad to me that it's come to this, and yet I feel great relief that my mother will soon be free to sleep and rejuivinate - she's given everything she had in her trying to do the right thing for Grandma - it's been so hard. In so many ways I have felt as if I were watching the two of them sinking deeper and deeper into this hell hole caused by Alzheimer's - watching my grandmother crash down and my mother getting pulled down with her.... and my 3000 mile rope just not long enough to pull either one of them up and out. So, this $500 - really, $1000 as it will be matched by my husband's work - is the least I can do. I want it to go to research so this disease can be stopped and countless families will no longer have to fall down in it's particular awful hole.

A big fat thank you to all of my customer who have gotten me this far, and for the next 29 of you who will help me finish this off!

Alzheimer Art

I'm spending the week with my grandma so that my mother can go on a much needed vacation. So far, things have not been all that difficult or unpleasant, and I'm very thankful for that.

I'm fascinated too, by the what my grandmother is creating these days. I've shared some of her art on this blog before, she's a fine artist and a fiber artist... she's got an amazing work of art, much of which is hanging in my home. She can't remember how to cook, needs reminders to eat, forgets she's got a great-grandson named Luke, and all that other stuff... but she's got her creative process down cold, even if her art is not what it used to be. These days she is working much smaller than she used to, on plastic backing instead of cloth. Things are very modern, abstract, sometimes very chaotic, sometimes simple and soothing. She uses a LOT of red and yellow and purple - red seems to be a color that attracts her more than anything. I have a feeling these are little glimpses into her mind, what remains of it, anyway.

This is Grandma. Sitting and sewing her work, and, standing, drawing a design for her newest one:





Here are just some of the works she has completed since last October when she moved into my mom's home.























(PS. I'm still working toward my 500 Beads for Alzheimer's goal - I've sold 147 so far this year, once I reach 500, I'll be cutting a check for $500 and mailing it off to an Alzheimer's Association. A big, BIG 'thank you' to everyone who has purchased one of my beads!)