A Super Week Off and Rambling Thoughts

I took the four days after the Labor Day holiday Monday off from the day job this week.

We had the medical thing scheduled, and I didn't know how the days after that would be, and I wanted to be at the house, just in case. I'm sure you know what I mean. Things went just fine, thanks very much for your good wishes and keeping us in your thoughts. The "patient" is anxious to mow the yard, I see that as a good sign.

So I had four entire days in a row without travel, being in the studio as much as I wanted, no deadlines or distractions.

I made some goals for myself, because I knew those few days would fly by. And here it is Friday morning already.

In some ways I feel like I stole something, like I got away with a sneaky trick. I've tried really hard to make each day count toward something. To show progress, accomplishment of some kind.

I heard on the radio earlier in the week that many parts of the country are starting to rebound from the financial distress in the county. With one big exception that made me laugh out loud. Want to guess? SAINT LOUIS - HA! Of course.

I'm really, truly grateful to have a full-time day job, and try to appreciate each day as I go to it, those who sincerely wish they had somewhere they were supposed to be every day, and a job of work to do when they arrived.

Still, I do wish sometimes for days, luxurious undisturbed days, to spend in the studio. I've learned a lot this week, and accomplished a lot of what I wanted to get done.

After all, it's just Friday morning. I have all day today, Saturday and Sunday before I have to put down the tools and pull down the blinds in the studio. And head out to commute to the regular day job, thank goodness it's still there.


This morning I got up especially early and put on some favorite rhythmic music in the studio. I lit the candles in the wrought-iron holder, see them in the background there? I opened the patio door to let in the morning air, and lit some incense. To celebrate the week ending.


I'm working my way through self-designed projects in two books this week. One is "A Charming Exchange" and the other is "Bead on a Wire." Both are reference and inspirational books I turn to often, to prime the pump of creativity. And to take the place of studio time when I have to be elsewhere. Research, you see. Or so I tell myself.

Sometimes I wonder why I spend so much time creating, learning and trying new things. Weeks like this one answer that question - it's fun, it's satisfying and it gives joy.


The seven pieces for the publishing project are finished and photographed and ready to send out. That alone gives a feeling of accomplishment. This is a photo of the shipping area in the studio, where I package things up, make my handfolded boxes and get things ready for the trip to the Post Office. I didn't even make a special effort to clean it up before taking the picture (you can probably tell!) and this is what it usually looks like, or sometimes even worse!

Now- back to work! or is it play .... ??? in the studio, it can be both.

And guess what? Sharilyn Miller, the author of "Bead on a Wire," has a new book coming out. It's titled "Contemporary Copper Jewelry" and it looks great, too! It's scheduled for release this month, I'll have to see if I can find it. That would get me off my book diet!