Just a bit of catch-up

Hard to believe that it's been so long since blogging....man, am I over due...

So much has happened, rolling one day into the next, and now I'm here....ambiguous I know, but perhaps I'll explain more in a future blog note.

Right now I am psyched that I'm going to the city tonight to see a play with my pal, Nina --- opening night for the Kaleidescope Theatre Productions newest play, then opening night reception after the show! What fun!

If I could just decide what to wear! I've been in the rut of shorts & a tank or Tshirt and that won't do! I am sure I'll decide on something.

The pic is of one of my newer bracelets, on display at the Cuba Dairy Week Craft Fair --- would have done ok if it wasn't for the rain ---but, it was Dairy Week - there will be rain, just a given.

Excited that I have health insurance again - trying out Savella, day #2, to see if it impacts my fibro. The paresthesias have been almost unbearable some days/nights --- makes it hard to sleep.

What the heck - let's plop another pic on here.....what the heck...not working it seems....will wait for another post I guess...too much to do to fart around with it right now.

The last couple of days....

See below for Giveaway details for this adorable snowman bracelet!!!









....have been very eventful...if you are interested in why, read on!

I still haven't figured out how to format my blog well - I upload pics and can't get them like I want them, or the text to wrap like I want....grrrrr...so please bear with me (and if you have any advice --- please - give it!)

I took this outside pic today after mowing -
This one was back by the woods ---

see now the text spontaneously changed color and is underlining! Is my blog posessed?

This picture is my daughter,Katy and I , at the VIP meet and greet at the concert last nite at Hamburg Weslyan Church. It was an awesome show and all the band folks were soooo friendly and genuine. We saw VOTA (the warm up band) - whom I had never heard of but they used to be known as Casting Pearls. They really rocked the place!!!! The lead singer, Bryan, reminded me of the '80's punk kinda guys. If you didn't see my Twitter note - VOTA has a free album down load with 9 great songs, some of which they played last nite - the link: http://411GOD.net log in and get some rockin' cool music!


Bryan is the guy on the left --- the folks on the right here are SuperChick and boy are they awesome as well!!!! Really a high energy show! Those girls and guys were dancing and boppin'g all over the place, one guy did some rapping. Great Christian messages that speak to the masses of current generations! Lastly --- but certainly not least - we saw Barlow Girl -

a 3 girl band who are sisters. They not only rock but can also rock your heart and your spirit with God's love. They are all 3 in their 20's and have never been married or dated and have taken purity vows. They just overflow with a very genuine kindness. It was wonderful to be able to meet all three bands in person but I must say the Barlow Girl gals, touched me the most. God had been working a thing in my spirit since church yesterday morning and he finished with me at the show. I have much more growing to do but I feel like He has helped me to revitalize the process.
This last picture is of Katy and I at the autograph table. These gals are really so gracious --- they tour all over the world yet treated us like we were no less than friends.

They are devout supporters of a womans ministry (link below) that reaches out to women of all ages who have suffered from life issues that are keeping them from moving forward - sexual abuse, drug use, post abortion, cutting, eating disorders...Please consider viewing this link and see if this cause touches your heart too.

http://www.mercyministries.org

This last week I spent HOURS on my closets and drawers - sorting an purging --- had 5 different piles going 5 different directions, including Allegany County Freecycle. It was almost exhilarating to have the reminants left. I thought that I would be grieving over lost items, but not so! I am glad, I feel less materialistic.

I also spent a couple days with 2 different marathons....laundry and jewelry making.

Picked up 2 sweet checks from the local consignment store I have some jewelry placed at - always a good thing - now I need to take some holiday wares in to see how they go --- hopefully they will fly off the rack!

One last thing, when you are shopping on Etsy for vintage wares --- please do a tag search for the vmteam (vintage market team) - these folks have high standards for their vintage items and shops and we would all appreciate your considerations regarding purchases.

OK.....here's the deal about my giveaway --- I am trying to boost blog followers and am new to the giveaway bit --- so if someone feels I need to "amend" the rules --- let me know and I will try to accomodate.

The giveaway is the cute snowman bracelet at the beginning of the blog for today ( I couldn't get it to move down here, another grrrr) It is made with lampworked glass beads, white cat's eye beads and silver toned toggle closure, measures 7" long.

Here's how I will do this --- I will give one entry "point" for each of the following:
1) Follow my blog - 1 pt
2) Follow me on Twitter - 1 pt
3) Look at my Etsy store and tell me which item you like best and why - 1 pt for choice and 1 pt for why ( over 100 items, vintage and handmade to choose from)
4) Purchase an item from my Etsy store and you will get 5 points!!!!

my Etsy shop link: http://sweetcindylouwho.etsy.com

For each of the elements - leave me a comment (can all be in one comment) as to how you are entering, e.g "I am now following you on Twitter", and I will document 1 pt. Be sure to include in comment your email address for notification of winner.

The winner will be chosen by 6 p.m. November 15, 2009 - I have a very random system ---- I will put each person's point/name on slip of paper - put it in a paper bag and have my teenager draw out one lucky winner!

If this whole thing works out, I would love to have more giveaways!

P.S. I will give everyone who is already following me with my blog or on Twitter credit for these but, please make a comment so I can know who knows about the giveaway!

I wish you all well and hope to boost that blog following! Thanks :)

A full day and a full moon

Wow...today was certainly a full day. Up since 4:30 a.m. to get the hubby off to work and decided to be productive. I made the cognitive decision, LOL! How many days have I done that, yet found it hard to follow through. Not today!
First I started on a jewelry making frenzy - thus the picture with the fruit of my labor! Washed a few dishes, did some laundry, followed Twitter, checked Etsy, packed and sent 3 packages, went to the bank, washed and vacuumed the van, put dogs in and out, made more jewelry, twittered along with some of my Tweeps and now I am ordering out dinner because I can!

I drove my daughter to our friend's so she can tutor their daughter and on the way home noticed the full, beautiful moon just popping up over the eastern horizon - this at 5:40 p.m. Love the new time change - makes me want to hunker down at home and be cozy.

When I was younger I couldn't wait to leave this area, but now as an adult I have a much finer appreciation for the seasonal changes. I find it wonderous. God certainly shows Himself vividly throughout the year, but season changes are so evident of His work.

The dogs have had more privileges today and boy do they like it! The area where I have placed my workspace had always been verboten (mostly because they can sneak upstairs and eat cat food), but I figured out how to block off a couple exits and they have spent most of the day at my feet. They are so faithful.

So, I have a few more minutes before I have to go pick up the food and I will squeeze in a bit more beading. Another item on the agenda this evening is to list a few items on Etsy and eBay. Won't you stop by my shops and see what you must have? Christmas is coming, ya know!!!!

Autumnal winter

It has been a busy and trying week.
It started with an MD appt out of town - he deemed my vision as likely not to improve. So the only thing to do is accept that. I am grateful I can see what I do!

Later in the week was the estate auction for my Aunt and Uncle's estate. It was a trying day for many reasons. The normal difficult reasons made it difficult but the way the auctioneer company handled the sale was less than adequate for many reasons. The result of this was a nominal return for a lifetime of them both.

I was there to intently bid on a couple family heirlooms. There was a desire to bid on so much more - it was so hard to see it all pass to strangers. I don't know how my cousin was able to hold up.

The following day we spent half the day doing the final clean on the house as the sale closing is pending this coming week. Indeed it was very sad and most difficult for my mother and aunt who were siblings to my uncle, and my cousin - his son. Not that I am without feeling in this regard but having been a nurse so many years, some how I seem to cope with these things a bit more pragmatically.

Thursday morning we woke up to heavy snow flakes floating from the skies. By that evening there was measurable snow! Everything was very pretty - flocked in fresh, heavy snow.

A block away someone built a snowman, but by the time I went to take a picture he was melting.
I have set up a Twitter account and am trying to get the hang of that...interesting.

I have posted a few new items to Etsy and had 2 sales in my eBay store. Tonight I have spent quite awhile in the forums, trying to network. I have been accepted to the Vintage Market Team, which I am excited about; additionally, I have made inquiries to 2 other teams. I love the model of Etsy and am hoping I can grow to success there.

This week I don't have much on the docket and I really need to spend some time creating. While working on the creative process I will try out the lovely "executive" task chair I got from the estate sale, it was my cousin's.

I shall post again soon! Thanks for visiting.

Etsy

I am up way too late, especially after recovering from some kind of bug...however I have not spent much time on Etsy in the last few days, so I thought that I would read messages, catch up on forums and join some new forums. I also was getting "advice" about my blog. Part of this was viewing the blogs of other Etsians. This is really interesting.

One of the suggestions is to cross reference other shops on the site to encourage activity. So you will find a link to my friend Laurie's shop, Cutethings6. She and I "met" on eBay (where I also have a store, sweetcindylou62) and we just sort of clicked so we have maintained a relationship for quite a few months.

We enjoy keeping up with each other's lives and when I chat with her, I almost feel like we have always known each other. This is one of the awesome benefits to this type of business - the networking and fellowship that can develop between people that would have otherwise never met.

So take a minute and look at her site...she is really creative and has great vintage stuff...I have been a customer, myself, a number of different times and have always had excellent experiences!

http://www.cutethings6.etsy.com

Where do I begin?

Yesterday was such a productive day...it was wonderful. It has been a long time since I have felt so good all day long. I did have intermittent pain but it was tolerable enough to do what I did. This may not seem like a big deal to most people, but good days with minimal discomfort are treasured. Probably not even treasured enough.

For those who don't know me, fibromyalgia is something I have lived with for years and have accepted that it will fill my future as well. However, that is not my main focus, merely a statement of fact. It colors each moment of each day and often causes me to lose objectivity, surrendering to subjectivity. Is that such a bad thing?

But today, it is like I paid for yesterday's worthiness. Not in a terrible way, rather, with tremendous fatigue. It almost makes it feel as if I shouldn't be entitled to any good days, not that I should feel entitled to anything.

Now that I have verbalized, I will move on!
It was exhilarating to follow thru with each next moment. The most enjoyable part of the day would have to be my walk. I enjoy my IPOD so very much and I can walk for what feels like an eternity as long as the power holds up! This part of my day lasted for about 45 minutes and encompassed much of the village. I could smell rain in the air and once again this summer we were obliged with further water from the sky. As all things, it is purposed by God, so He knows why we have needed so much. If the precipitation continues we'll sure have a lot of snow to shovel!

I swore I wasn't going to do it, but I surrendered and finally made a few new pieces of jewelry. These beads were in a dish next to "my chair" calling out to me. No longer was I able to hold off. Nothing especially amazing, but was able to stave off further longings to bead. Eagerly I wait for completion of some other projects around the house to liberate the workspace I desire for crafting and creating - soon, very soon.

There go those dogs again - ripping and snorting and panting and jumping, just because someone walked by the front of the house! Yesterday George managed to open the screen door by himself, off for another adventure. When I finally found him (accidentally on my way to Megan's) he was SOAKING wet and stinking. So of course he had to traverse the entire inside of the van, spreading his wealth of malodor.

If the rain holds off tomorrow, it will be back to the races. Theoretically it could be Friday and Saturday. Friday in Freedom and Saturday in Little Valley, with Little Valley running the larger track. It has been a couple of years since my going there. In fact I think it is the first track I ever saw Todd drive at back when he was driving a standard big block stock car. The bug bit me then.

Who knows what tomorrow will hold. Plans include seeing Dorothy in the morning and in the afternoon meeting with the principal at the school. It is my hope that tomorrow will be more like yesterday; additionally, a good night's sleep tonight would be helpful. Another day of household duties gets me closer and closer to the project area being ready. That is encouraging in and of itself.

Time to potty the puppies for the last time today. Thirty more minutes of television then off to attack "We Were The Mulvaneys". It is a great book and has been enjoyable. I am not sure what I will read next, I should probably finish the other book or two I had started prior to the Mulvaney book. Good night all...sleep well.