Another of my pieces featured in a treasury on Etsy:
Texas Gold by chicbychoice on Etsy
Friday, July 1, 2011
As We Celebrate Our Freedom
Another 4th of July is almost upon us, and since I have family coming in and will be bustling about making preparations, loving on the grandbaby, barbecuing, loving on the grandbaby, sitting on the deck visiting, - oh, and did I mention loving on the grandbaby? - I will hardly have time to even think about blogs. So here are my thoughts on this celebration, which is one of my favorites.
The 4th of July is all about celebrating our freedom--all the many kinds of freedom--that we enjoy. America is still truly the greatest nation in the world in spite of the many problems that we have endured and are continuing to endure. I am proud of our country and I am proud to stand up and say "I am an American." Sadly, though, we take our freedom and our country for granted. And how easily that freedom could be taken away from us! I never shall forget how, following the tragic and frightening events of 9-11, the whole country came together as I had never seen it do before. Yet, today, ten years later, we seem to be back on our laid-back, lackadaisical path of apathy. "When will we ever learn? When will we ever learn?" says the song by Pete Seeger.
God has blessed this country richly, and I am so thankful to Him for keeping His hand over us and protecting us, even from ourselves.
Yes, like most Americans, I will be joining my community in the local fireworks display, and I will feel overwhelmed by the beauty of the night sky as those rockets burst into beautiful showers of color. And I hope that we all will hold dear to us the sacrifices that have been made to give us the freedom that we enjoy and that we will carry this pride for our country with us every day so that each day is a celebration of freedom! Happy Fourth of July to everyone!
The 4th of July is all about celebrating our freedom--all the many kinds of freedom--that we enjoy. America is still truly the greatest nation in the world in spite of the many problems that we have endured and are continuing to endure. I am proud of our country and I am proud to stand up and say "I am an American." Sadly, though, we take our freedom and our country for granted. And how easily that freedom could be taken away from us! I never shall forget how, following the tragic and frightening events of 9-11, the whole country came together as I had never seen it do before. Yet, today, ten years later, we seem to be back on our laid-back, lackadaisical path of apathy. "When will we ever learn? When will we ever learn?" says the song by Pete Seeger.
God has blessed this country richly, and I am so thankful to Him for keeping His hand over us and protecting us, even from ourselves.
Yes, like most Americans, I will be joining my community in the local fireworks display, and I will feel overwhelmed by the beauty of the night sky as those rockets burst into beautiful showers of color. And I hope that we all will hold dear to us the sacrifices that have been made to give us the freedom that we enjoy and that we will carry this pride for our country with us every day so that each day is a celebration of freedom! Happy Fourth of July to everyone!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Amethyst, the Natural Guard Against Drunkenness
The finest quality Amethyst is medium to medium dark purple, reddish purple to bluish purple. It is a variety of the mineral quartz and is considered a semi-precious stone. Experts believe that its color is derived from its iron oxide content. The name comes from various forms of the Latin word "amethystus", meaning "not drunk or intoxicated." Those who have February birthdays call this their birthstone, and it is the wedding anniversary stone for the 4th and 6th years of marriage. Amethysts are sensitive to heat, and long exposure to sunlight can fade their color.
According to Greek mythology, Bacchus, the god of wine, was insulted one day by a mere mortal. He swore that the next mortal to cross his path would be attacked by his fierce tigers. Along came a beautiful maiden named Amethyst. Goddess Diana turned Amethyst into a beautiful statue of quartz to save her from the tigers claws. Remorseful, Bacchus wept tears of wine over the stone maiden, creating a lively purple stone.
Purple color has long been considered a royal color, so it is not surprising that amethyst has been so popular throughout history. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. There is evidence that there existed jewels made of amethyst as early as 3000 B. C. in Egypt and in anterior Asia.
According to those who believe in the healing ability of gemstones, the amethyst magnifies psychic abilities and right-brain activity. It strengthens immunity, while energizing and purifying the blood. It also relieves headaches and improves blood sugar imbalance.
According to Greek mythology, Bacchus, the god of wine, was insulted one day by a mere mortal. He swore that the next mortal to cross his path would be attacked by his fierce tigers. Along came a beautiful maiden named Amethyst. Goddess Diana turned Amethyst into a beautiful statue of quartz to save her from the tigers claws. Remorseful, Bacchus wept tears of wine over the stone maiden, creating a lively purple stone.
Purple color has long been considered a royal color, so it is not surprising that amethyst has been so popular throughout history. Fine amethysts are featured in the British Crown Jewels and were also a favorite of Catherine the Great and Egyptian royalty. There is evidence that there existed jewels made of amethyst as early as 3000 B. C. in Egypt and in anterior Asia.
According to those who believe in the healing ability of gemstones, the amethyst magnifies psychic abilities and right-brain activity. It strengthens immunity, while energizing and purifying the blood. It also relieves headaches and improves blood sugar imbalance.
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Amethyst Druzy Necklace with Oval Amethysts
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Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Back in business
Well, I finally got all those beads, clasps, bead caps, etc. organized and my beading table cleared off. So today I made a new necklace and a bracelet for the 4th of July. The necklace is quite unusual, I think, in that it has a mixture of beading styles and techniques. I used different kinds of glass beads, pearls, chains, seed beads, bead caps, and a pendant with a vintage style picture behind an oval glass cabochon tile. Here is a picture of the necklace. I haven't photographed the bracelet yet.
Saturday is the next Farmer's Market and Artisan Fair here in Stephenville, so I plan on being there with my jewelry. Saturday is also the day that my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson are coming for a visit. Sunday afternoon we will barbeque on the grill and eat outside on the deck that evening--if we can stand the heat, that is. So it will be a full weekend. My next post I will get back on track discussing different kinds of gemstones.
Saturday is the next Farmer's Market and Artisan Fair here in Stephenville, so I plan on being there with my jewelry. Saturday is also the day that my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson are coming for a visit. Sunday afternoon we will barbeque on the grill and eat outside on the deck that evening--if we can stand the heat, that is. So it will be a full weekend. My next post I will get back on track discussing different kinds of gemstones.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
What is a gemstone?
Any mineral that is cut and polished and used to make jewelry or any other ornamental object can be classified as a gemstone--sometimes referred to as precious or semi-precious. There are also some rocks that are considered gemstones--such as the lapis lazuli, and some organic materials--such as jet, amber, or pearls, that are considered gemstones as well. The price of gemstones is determined by several factors, such as their beauty, their quality, their rarity, their physical characteristics, to name a few. Many gemstones are enhanced in some way to improve their appearance and durability. Heat and radiation are often used to enhance or change the color of hard gemstones, while some of the more porous stones are dyed. Turquoise is one example of a stone that is often dyed. Some stones that may have fissures, or inclusions, are oiled or waxed to fill in the fissures. This may improve the overall appearance and stability of the stone but is usually quite noticeable and reduces its value. Gemstones have been used for centuries for many purposes, and some even believe that gemstones have mystical or magical properties. For an extensive list and description of various gemstones, the article Gemstones Meanings and Properties is an excellent resource.
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