After substitute teaching half the day and then grocery shopping yesterday, I sat myself down in front of my computer, determined to update my website with all the [...]]]> I know that old gospel standard is now playing in your, and I’m not even sorry about it. Today was a great day for me, on several fronts.

After substitute teaching half the day and then grocery shopping yesterday, I sat myself down in front of my computer, determined to update my website with all the scarves I’ve woven recently. This is a task that I put off, generally finding it rewarding only when it’s done.

When I started shooting the photos of the ‘missing’ scarves, OMG, they just kept coming. I ended up with 14 pictures to shoot, each of which had to be cropped, formatted, and optimized in two different sizes. Plus there were an additional 4 shots already taken that had to have that same formatting and sizing work done.

Then each of those pictures (18×2=36) had to be uploaded to my website. I know I shouldn’t be whining. After all, the only way I could have accomplished this prior to August was driving into town and going to the library to use their high speed wireless. Now with my little dish, I could stay home, but trust me when I tell you this was not a speedy process. I know I’m repeating myself when I say that rural high speed isn’t all that high.

Anyway, I got the photos all uploaded, and then had to start working on the web pages. I had several new handwoven rayon scarves and a few new handwoven bamboo scarves, so I had to work on both pages. The bamboo page also had to be redesigned. (I’m updating the pages one at a time as I get to them. No point putting the new scarves on the old page.)

So the tedious part is simply adding to the structure of the page to add the new pictures. Then comes the really time consuming part – describe each scarf so that a potential customer would like to buy it. Make the description accurate and written in a way that the search engines will like, but also fun to read. Think the J Peterman catalog vs. a scientific manual.

I started writing in late afternoon, and got on a roll. The muse was with me and my creative juices were flowing. Until 10PM. I still had 4 more scarves to describe, but I’d hit the mental wall. Close up the mac and go to bed.

I got up this morning, wrote those 4 descriptions, tested everything, and uploaded the new pages. YAY!! Another HUGE task crossed off my list.

The sun came out, so I went out for my daily walk. It was a lovely spring morning. I came back home, pruned my raspberries, and got to use my sledgehammer to pound their supports back into the ground.

The fun didn’t stop yet!

Most of my sales are at shows, and since the beginning I’ve had an EZUp tent. If you’ve never put one up, let me assure you that the name is a lie. In addition, they tend to leak when it rains, blow over when it’s windy, and fall apart after a few years. At least that’s been my experience. So I wanted a real tent, a professional tent, but I really didn’t want to shell out many hundreds of dollars for one.

About a month ago, I stumbled on a very gently used Trimline on Craig’s List, and jumped on it. Since then, it’s been snowing, raining, or quite muddy at my house, so I couldn’t set it up to see how that process went, or even make sure that all the parts were there. It was making me anxious.

Today I had a 10×10 flat spot at the top of my driveway that was dry enough to do it. I followed the directions step by step.

Joy! It’s all there, I can do it, it wasn’t too hard. Definitely not harder than an EZUp, in some ways easier. The only thing I didn’t do was extend the legs to their full height – I just didn’t see the need for my trial run.

It took me about an hour to set it up, vs. the 18 minutes it took the woman in the video, but I didn’t think that was too bad for a first time. It took me another hour to take it down and put it away — the hardest part was actually folding the fabric.

But wait, the good news isn’t over yet!

Someone had asked me to make them a healing gemstone talisman. I won’t reveal any details of who, or why I chose these particular stones, but I will tell you that I really enjoyed every part of the process, from the research to the creation. Based on this person’s specific situation, I couldn’t stop myself with one piece.

Each of these can be used in a slightly different way, and for a slightly different purpose. All I have to do now is write up the insert and package them.

So today was a great day, with lots of happiness.

I’m going to go take a bath now to head off the aches and pains from the unaccustomed manual labor after a long winter.

Your turn: what’s made you happy lately?

I got the best Thanksgiving news ever [...]]]> After I posted Part 3 of this contest, asking for your funny stories, I thought about what funny story of my own I would post. I was surprised to realize that I don’t really have a funny story about Thanksgiving. So I’m posting Part 4 – Good News.

I got the best Thanksgiving news ever – my son will be home for Christmas! Michael’s been living in North Carolina for about 7 years, and I don’t think he’s been home on Christmas itself in all that time. He usually gets some time off in the middle of winter, but we’ve celebrated Christmas as late as mid-February with him.

And this year? He’ll be home a few days before December 25, staying for a few days after. YAY!!!

He’ll be bringing my granddaughter with him. Here’s a picture of sweet, little Dixie and her dad. Ok, neither of them are little, but they’re both extremely sweet.

So what’s your good news? Tell me and you’re entered into the November contest for the free gemstone talisman

My November contest is in that spirit of gratefulness and abundance.

I made a talisman specifically [...]]]> Although here in the northeast our gardens are pretty much done in October, traditionally November is a time of celebration for the past growing season. Thanksgiving is the culmination of this, and includes gratitude for many things beyond just sufficient food.

My November contest is in that spirit of gratefulness and abundance.

I made a talisman specifically for this month’s prize.

Copper is said to bring relief from some joint ailments. I just love its rich, warm color. I’ve stamped it with the word shanti, which means peace. That’s part of what I think of with gratitude, and what I wish for. Inner peace, peaceful thoughts and feelings toward others, and peace in my community and the world.

I chose an assortment of gemstones for their healing properties. With Thanksgiving generally a time of abundance, I included moss agate, amber, and peridot. These three gemstones are said to bring abundance to their owners. Because of the word I chose for the copper, I wanted to repeat the message of peace and happiness, so I selected amethyst, peridot, and repeated the amber. Peridot is also helpful in inspiring compassion, an essential element for both internal and external peacefulness.

I’m sometimes asked what one does with a talisman. Here are a few options: carry it in your pocket (my personal favorite) or purse, hang it from your bedpost, put it on a leather thong and wear it around your neck, pin it to your waistband. The point is to keep the talisman near you as much as possible.

So how can you win this lovely talisman? I’ll be posting several entries asking for your response related to the November theme. All you need to do is comment on one or more of them.

For this week, the question is this — tell me about a person that graces your life, that makes you grateful for his or her presence, that brings a smile to your lips. I’ll tell you about mine in a few days.

I know this woman well so didn’t need to ask too many more questions. I knew that I really needed to focus on memory, but also wanted add other gems for mental functioning.

So I did my research, gathering [...]]]> A good friend asked me to make her a pair of talisman earrings to improve her memory.

I know this woman well so didn’t need to ask too many more questions. I knew that I really needed to focus on memory, but also wanted add other gems for mental functioning.

So I did my research, gathering information about healing gemstones that are good for memory, creativity, and focus, among other qualities. I let it all percolate in my brain.

Talisman Earrings

The talisman gemstone earrings contain petrified wood, carnelian, clear quartz, blue topaz, and rubies. Petrified wood, carnelian, and clear quartz are all memory enhancers. Carnelian, ruby, and blue topaz are all used to stimulate creativity, while clear quartz and ruby improve general brain function. Courage, stress reduction, wisdom, calmness, and clear thinking are a few of the other qualities these healing gems can impact.

My friend’s only had them for a few days so we can’t comment on their effectiveness yet, but she does like the way the look, move, and feel when she’s wearing them.

Contact me if you need a custom talisman, and I’ll be happy to help.

My knees feel SO much better!

Now, I can’t claim that use of the talisman deserves all the credit, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s at least partly responsible for [...]]]> I’ve been carrying my healing talisman for my knees during all my waking hours for three weeks now, and all I can say is, “WOW!”

My knees feel SO much better!

Now, I can’t claim that use of the talisman deserves all the credit, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s at least partly responsible for the dramatic improvement.

Prior to making the talisman, my left knee ached most of the time. It would become stiff very quickly, requiring me to rise out of a chair slowly and take initial awkward steps until the knee started functioning normally. I was applying my herbalist friend’s arnica oil at least twice daily to reduce both pain and inflammation. My knee was quite visibly swollen, and I couldn’t sleep in my usual positions because my knee objected, sometimes loudly. I was taking a hot bath just to soak my knees in the warmth at least twice a week.

Now, just three weeks later, my knee is not completely recovered, but it is DRAMATICALLY improved. I don’t use the oil every day. I can sleep in my preferred positions about half of the time. My knee is nowhere near as stiff when I get up from sitting.

Sure, I still have to pay attention to it. It still doesn’t like me to kneel or squat for more than a minute or two, which is a bit of a problem with all my gardening. And my sleep isn’t completely as I’d like it to be. But hey, it’s only been a short time.

I’m certainly going to keep carrying my healing talisman for my knee, in my left pocket whenever possible (it’s my left knee that’s bad), for some time to come. And keep being kind to this joint that carries me through my life.

Learn about how gemstones can enhance healing, and if you think a talisman could help you, contact me and I’ll gladly create one just for you. It will contain healing gemstones chosen especially for you, and will be of a size and shape appropriate to you, your lifestyle, and your personal taste.

(There’s no photo with this post, ‘cuz trust me, even with the swelling down, you do NOT want to see my knees!)

They often ache, don’t like standing for long periods, often refuse to bend tightly, and on occasion complain loudly about kneeling. Why?

In reality, it’s because my knees are as old as I am, and they have carried too much weight most of their lives. I also think [...]]]> I have bad knees.

They often ache, don’t like standing for long periods, often refuse to bend tightly, and on occasion complain loudly about kneeling. Why?

In reality, it’s because my knees are as old as I am, and they have carried too much weight most of their lives. I also think there’s some genetic predisposition going on here, as both sisters have similar issues.

However, I find it more satisfying to blame the nuns at my high school. Like most Catholic high schools of the era, we had to wear uniforms, consisting of white blouses, blazers, pleated skirts, knee socks, and saddle shoes (in a unique design of navy blue & grey). I distinctly remember waiting for the bus after school in the middle of a western New York winter. Between the bottom of the rolled-up skirt and the top of the knee socks, my knees were a bright red. When the wind blew, the wool skirt hitting my knees felt like knives slicing against them. This couldn’t have been good, and couldn’t have done my joints any favors. (Ooohhhhh, perhaps my sisters did the same thing and it’s the nuns’ fault that we ALL have bad knees, as opposed to my parents’ genes!)

Regardless of the cause I believe I have some wear/use issues to the cartilage in my left knee and arthritis in both knees. I try to take care of them by daily walking, regular yoga, and routine applications of a wonderful product called Flower Power For Pain made by my herbalist friend, Anne Romance, of Green Heron Gardens. (Anne doesn’t have a website, but you can read a little bit about her here – scroll down to near the bottom of the page for her mini-bio.)

Then the other day I had a big DUH moment. Like a “physician, heal thyself” sort of thing, although I’m no doctor, nor do I play one on TV. But why, oh, why hadn’t I made myself a talisman to help my aching knees?

So I did my research and made one. I’ve just started carrying it. Check back in a few days and I’ll tell you all about my new talisman. I’ll also give you some periodic updates about how my knees feel now that I’m using it.

I admit it, I learned a lot with this contest, mostly about what NOT to do again. I promise, the [...]]]> …Jane, of Canastota, NY. Jane’s entry in April’s contest to win a free gemstone talisman earned the most points – 327! The moss agate talisman should arriver at her door within a few days.

I admit it, I learned a lot with this contest, mostly about what NOT to do again. I promise, the next contest, which will be announced soon, will be MUCH easier, and the deadline for submission MUCH closer to the contest announcement.

So watch my blog for the next contest. YOU could win next time!

Moss Agate Talisman