"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either." ~ Elizabeth Zimmerman

4/12/11

Beady S.E.X.

I had a good weekend. On Saturday Sweet Hubby and I tackled getting the taxes done. Didn't take long, fortunately, but misery just the same. We are getting a refund from the Federal, but have to pay the State, so it pretty much evened out.

On Sunday Awesome Daughter and I had a Beady S.E.X. That is Stash Enhancement EXperience. We went to a rock and gem show that was held at the Spokane Fairgrounds in Washington. We pretty much go every year. I don't know what it is about that show. Seeing all the variety of colors and types of rocks, stones, and gems that are found on this planet is fascinating to me. I usually ask questions of the booth vendors while I'm there so I'll learn something new about different stones. I also go every year with no intention of purchasing anything and end up coming home having spent too much. This year was no different. I bought 3 cabochons and a small string of beads.

This first cab is made from a fossilized dinosaur bone. I love the way the orange and yellow glow, like lava pools on a rocky landscape. It is 2 inches(50mm) high by 1-3/8th inch(35mm) wide.


This second cab is made from a piece of Picture Jasper. It is 2 inches(50cm) high.


The pattern on it intrigues me. I see a view of the inside of a very large cave, looking toward the sky at the cave opening.

This third cab is made of Pietersite. It is 1.25 inches high.


I love the colors in this one so much-Navy blues, golds, and reds. This stone has a beautiful iridescent quality that does not show in photographs. It's also rather expensive, which is why I can only afford a small cab.

I also picked up this small strand of 4mm Chrysocolla beads to go with a Chrysocolla cab I bought a few years ago (at the same rock show).


I did a little bit of beading over the weekend. The Yahoo beading group I'm in is doing a mystery project together in tubular peyote. I got mine started. I'm not real happy with the way the colors I chose are working up, but I will finish it just for the learning experience.

For the past few years I've been trying to grow dahlias, with very limited success. My biggest problem is we have such a short growing season that by the time they are ready to start blooming, it is also the time we start getting heavy frosts. I'm lucky to get 1 or 2 flowers before everything is turned to green mush. A couple weeks ago I decided to try starting dahlias indoors. I wasn't sure if such a thing could, or should, be done. However, thanks to the internet, I found out it's actually a good idea and there is a great deal of information on how to do it. I got them planted in some pots and set them up on a table in the sun room. They started sprouting right away. I mean-the very next day! They are going great guns.


They are growing much faster than they usually do when I start them outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. I have at least 6 more weeks before I can put them outside. I am afraid I will have a jungle in the sun room by then. I am excited!

Live long and prosper. \\//

4 comments:

  1. The potted dahlias (the only way to go up here, IMHO) will be happier if you put them outdoors for a while during nice days- they'll be much stronger stemmed. Yesterday I had the geraniums out on the porch most of the day.

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  2. Oh, lovely stash enhancement (and LOL at the SEX)!! I always love going to those shows.

    Good luck with the Dahlia's! I've never been able to grow then successfully, but then my thumb is a relatively pale shade of green. ;-)

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  3. Love the stones, that first one is really amazing. I too am always fascinated by all the different stones and rocks that are on this planet, and gemstones, and how they are formed. Very cool.

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  4. Those stones are simply beautiful...can't wait to see what you end up doing with those!

    My husband wants to plant Dahlias (our growing season is a tad longer than yours so they do okay here except years we get an unusually early frost) but we haven't taken the step to getting any. I'm not much for bringing plants in during the winter. Low maintenance I guess. I hope you have blooms galore this year.

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