test driving

I've been in something like the doldrums ... pretty sure it has to do with Mercury in retrograde and I know I've just got to ride it out.  This doldrum thing has also affected my responding to email and blog comments.  So a big huge THANK YOU to Andrew and Hillary and Glitz and caRol and Janet and Sally for all your comments on the last couple of posts!  Times like this it might be hard to tell, but I really do love comments.

Mostly I've been putzing around, not accompishing much of anything.  I strained my knees last week getting too enthusiastic with my new workout DVD and took to swimming laps at the Rec Park in hopes of easing the pain.  They weren't any better after several days of that, so today I decided to not do anything ... well except I decided to go downtown and cruise around a bit.  Unfortunately, the stairs at the parking garage were no picnic.  I was really hoping to find some little treasures to share - some new magazine or tasty little something - but sadly I got skunked ... phooey!

But it's not been all awful.  I've taken some time to read, which I never do and, interestingly enough, I have had a couple of bursts of creative energy.  Mainly, I wanted to test drive the new nylon cord.  Here's my three trial pieces - two on the cocoa cord, one with all silver and one with silver and some of my stash of real live Roman glass beads and the other one on the indigo with my favorite 'elephant' beads - 'cause they look like the wrinkled skin of an elephant's legs. 

 
I've had those Roman glass beads for at least 10 years.  After doing a bit of online perusing this morning, I'm realizing I better hang on to them ... they were never cheap (I think I paid $50 per strand way back then!), but they've gotten really expensive.  As for the cord, it was feeling less than wonderful right at first.  But after wearing it for a bit, getting it wet and all that, it's not too bad.  Not as nice as silk, but I'm looking for durable and weatherproof here. 

It's been ages since I wore any jewelry 24/7.  I used to wear a slew of things ... rings, necklace, watch, teeny earrings in my second holes and most of all, my signature, seriously long beaded wrap bracelet ... I call it my armor... because it really does feel like protection when I don everything.  I think I've posted this before, but I'm pretty sure this was the longest version of my infamous wrap -  somewhere around 16 feet ... hmmmm, I wonder how much it weighed?

I think I took everything off about 3 years ago.  So, it's kind of strange to be wearing my little test pieces today.  The design still needs to be tweaked.  I'm liking the idea and the look of really long cords with just a few beads or doo-dahs, but I'm finding the spacing is crucial.  If the weight is too centrally located, it pulls the remaining cord tight and the beaded part just hangs and it gets pretty uncomfortable.  Since I'm not into S&M jewelry, I've got some work to do to get the balance right. 

But this break is a good thing.  Come to think of it, I tend to do this in August.  Funny, I hadn't realized that until just now.  The break will continue for another couple of weeks as we're heading to south FLA next week to visit Dave's family.  It's only for 4 nights and I know, we must be crazy to go to south Florida in August, but that's the only time Dave has off from school and work.  This time of year is also why we got a hotel on the beach for $64 a night.  Gotta say, I'm really really really looking forward to early morning beach swims.  It will be especially nice not to worry about Zoe ... I met a wonderful woman that is going to house sit for us.  Granted, she's getting paid, but it's so worth it to have a grown-up and not a semi-spacey college student looking after our little girl.

Speaking of my muffin ...
Little Zoe says HI!

with deep gratitude and bountiful blessings .........
l i g a - kvk