Scary Creatures

I’m tired of finding scary bugs in scary places. Last time I changed my sheets I uncovered a black spider just sitting there under my fitted sheet, right where I always sleep. It must have been divine providence that I chose to change the sheets at just the right time to discover and kill him. Creepy. And then there’s the shower incident. I’m standing there, face full of soap, I pull my washcloth toward me under the spray, and an Earwig falls out of it (without contacts I have to assume it was an Earwig). I can tell you I dropped that washcloth like a hot potato and couldn’t WAIT to get out of that shower.

I’ve learned to check the shower for bugs before getting in, but I never thought to check my washcloth. I know these small creatures can’t hurt me, but they sure scare the bee-geesis out of me! I don’t like them and I don’t want them in my house. But, since I refuse to move to a concrete jungle, I have to accept sharing space with the intruders. Some of them are so creepy that I physically cannot kill them without letting out a series of embarrassing girl shrieks and hopping around like a mad woman. Just approaching for the kill raises my anxiety to dangerous levels. What if it moves? Oh, I don’t want to see it move! Can it jump at me? Oh, I hate this. Why do I have to do this myself?

But I am a strong, independent grown-up woman, so I do the thing that frightens me. I’d love to say I am stronger for it, but next time I’m faced with a big ugly spider don’t be surprised if you hear me whimpering like a school girl!

My Casting Call

I was going to do a “Wordless Wednesday” today but I realized it’s been a while since I’ve written a true blog entry. So if it’s alright, I’m just going to ramble for a while. In shop news, I had a nice surprise this week when someone ordered five items. That hasn’t happened since the pre-Christmas days! A thing like that can certainly brighten your day. :)

Last week I was completely stressed out at my day job, but then I decided to let go of the worry and things got much better. It’s hard to keep those outside forces and pressures from getting into your bloodstream. Once inside they’re like a poison until you let go.

I’ve been watching that new reality series on Discovery Channel – The Colony (read about 'The Colony' here). Ten volunteers try to survive for ten weeks following a (simulated) global catastrophe. I’m amazed at what they’ve managed to build from what was lying around the warehouse. In my opinion the “cross section” of society they’ve chosen is heavily skewed toward engineers and scientists. I think a more realistic scenario would look something like this:

Meg – a 30-year-old 3^rd grade teacher

Benjamin – an 11-year-old boy that Meg has taken under her wing

Henry – a bank president who doesn’t even do his own yardwork

Paul – a retired machinist. He can build stuff but has arthritis.

Susan – a SAHM mom who lost her kids in the catasrophe

Danielle – a 22 year-old cocktail waitress and art student

Robert – a computer programmer and a deacon at his church

Javier – an 42-year-old insurance sales rep

Jennifer – Javier’s wife. Sells real estate and has a quick temper.

David – a 24-year-old physical therapist

I have to wonder if this group would be able to build a wood gasifier to run a handmade generator that runs a daisy-chained bank of batteries that goes to a converter that outputs A/C power. Or would they just build a campfire, make their own oil lamps, defend themselves with clubs, and trade the power tools for food??

Chrysocolla Earrings

I just listed these double Chrysocolla earrings. This is such a gorgeous stone with it’s shades of blue and green all swirled together. I was lucky to find a strand of it in a small mom-and-pop shop last year and fell in love with it.

I sold a pair of these a few months ago that only had one bead each. These match a necklace and bracelet I already have for sale in my etsy store.

Four days in Kansas

Plane ticket: $340

Hotel room: $80

Six pack of beer from my hometown: $8

Wireless Internet in the middle of Kansas: Priceless

Traveling for business is not glamorous, at least not in my profession. But it does offer a chance to see parts of the country I would never visit otherwise. It's a chance to break away from my regular routine and the chair I sit in 8 hours a day. It's a chance to meet new people in new places and prove I can navigate in a strange environment (both literally and figuratively). But in a few days I'll be more than ready for that trip home again!