I'm alive. Just wanted to let you know. I'm juggling pretty well right now. Haven't made any beads since some time in late may or early june...it's been so long I can't remember.



I am working on seed bead stuff...kits, etc. I miss beadmaking, but not as much as you would think.



off to work during this last 45 min. before my kids get home.



happy Labor Day



starbucks - down to one per week!

music - MTV

lbs lost - 11

I've been working ALL weekend on diagrams for the tiny sweater (hint hint part of clothes line) and I finished!!!! Today I'm cleaning house..already been to walmart...and doing laundry.

My life is all too exciting lately.

Some readers might wonder...why all the cleaning all of a sudden. That is my life lately...cleaning so that I can hire a housekeeper. Isn't that bad??? That I have to get my house to a point that I can even HAVE a housekeeper? yes...it's bad.

I've just had to focus lately, for personal reasons, on things other than my beads. I can't tell you I'm happy about it. I can't say, it's who I am or wish to be...a house-wife-type person who doesn't do anything but maintain a home and my kids and self...without any other activities...but that's where I need to be right now. Maybe some day I'll figure out how to balance it. I know that other people do...but I have never been someone who can do IT ALL. I can be super in one area if I let the other areas go. I've been letting the house "go" for too long and for the benefit of those who live with me...it needs to be the priority for the moment.

I've also let me (the physical me) "go" for a long time, so I'm concentrating on that too.

My schedule is no longer...get up, make beads, be mom, do beadwork, eat and sleep (with other breaks for chocolate consumption in there).

Now it is...
Get up (way earlier than I ever have)
Drink Slimfast
Go to bus stop where evil subdivision superior moms are...wait for bus feeling quite inferior because of one snotty mom
Go to YMCA (think terrible thoughts of evil snotty bus stop mom on the way)
Walk on Treadmill for 30 min.
Do Aqua Aerobics or Lift Weights 45 min.
Go home...clean, organize MAYBE work on computer for bead things for a while (no torch time)
eat tiny lunch
Meet boys at bus stop...evil mom is not there after school (not sure why she comes in the a.m., but allows her kids to walk home in the afternoon...maybe it's just to torture me)
Go home and be mom...homework, snacks, cards with Griff, referee...
Be chef Sylvie and make something that everyone will sort of eat
Clean or do laundry
Watch Baseball
Go to sleep

Not nearly as self-oriented as it used to be, which is good. Not nearly ENOUGH of self...which is bad.

ok...am now depressed at lack of life.

off to do computer bead work...

not much news here...

working working working working on tweaking the new pattern and working on color-ways for the new kits. I am trying really really hard to limit it to just a few color schemes...BUT I CAN'T! I'm addicted to color, so it's just hard to say no!

In other not so exciting news...I have been working out at the gym EVERY day except 3 days during the last 3 weeks. I couldn't work out today due to my stupid ankle needing a day off from treadmill and anything that could cause it stress....so I was going to swim and do aqua aerobics...and THE POOL WAS CLOSED!!!!!!!!!!!! argh!!!!! So...I decided today would be my 3rd day off from working out.

I'm not happy about it...especially since I was not the best nutrition girl yesterday. I will have to do better today to make up for lack of exercise. (does this even sound like me?!!! ugh! I am not loving being healthy-girl...but it's necessary)

starbucks - I wish! I'm just not loving "skinny lattes" lately. And I'm only indulging in REAL starbucks once a week...used that one already. :(

watching -Court TV (I'm lame...I know)

Since I've had two comments, I must add that while in Lowell- home of no starbucks and no restaurants open after 5 p.m. - My beads were on the front page of the "Lowell Sun" They had an article about the bead bazaar (that word never looks right, so I'm sure it's spelled wrong) and they took pictures of my beads...et voila! They were in the paper and on the front page no less.

Probably the coolest thing from my trip...I didn't know it until someone showed it to me, which was like a cool surprise present!

Ok...enough of notariety...off to do laundry...and bead

I'm home! (I wasn't really gone anywhere, but I've been missing here)

I'm working on beady things, but not beadmaking things. I'm also working my rear-end off at the gym! Literally. My focus has been much more home oriented instead of bead oriented. Hopefully I'll find a way to balance all successfully. Right now, I'm doing good to be where I am.

New kits for the new project "the clothes line" are in process. I am teaching the class in atlanta in a couple of weeks, so I have incentive to get my act together soon!

ok...off to work...

starbucks - I'm down to one a week - caramel frappucino (I'm liking these lately)
music- some of everything, but lots of crowded house lately

I am back home. Have been for almost a week. I survived Lowell and my presentation and class at the Gathering.

I spoke in front of 500 some people!!! OMG! I totally freaked out and was very nervous. I wondered if people even cared about what I was saying. Many people afterwards said other than being nervous, they liked what I had to say....that was a good thing. It would have been awful to be terrified THEN have people say "you were awful!" :)

I do have to report some very important things here....

For those who understand this...I am fine. Things are much better. Not solved but much better. - If you have no idea what I'm talking about...well....just know that I'm ok and say "oh good...she's ok" then move on to the next section. (like people actually read this other than my mom, the couple from canada, sandy and blair) Oooh! I have an audience of more than my mom now!

Here's the important stuff I need to say today....

The Intuition shaver ROCKS! If you don't have to shave your legs, then this isn't of any interest to you. I am not employed by the maker of this product...nor do I even know WHO the maker of the product is...PLUS they have really stupid ads with the Jewel song....BUT this is the best razor I have ever used. And that's my plug for the day.

In other news....I had my first starbucks since my return. I know...you're saying....hey! she complained and complained about the lack of Starbucks in Lowell....how come she didn't RUN to starbucks as soon as she got home?!!! Well...life was just too crazy...PLUS I'm cutting down on caffine (gasp!). I had a grande caramel frappucino. It was yummy. I was happy.

Music - lately is thank you to my new Ipod. Yes I have a mac again!!!!! And I have an ipod! It is wonderful and it makes life happy even when it's a little wacko.

Beads- haven't made any since I got home. Wouldn't recognize one probably! LOL But I am dying to and to play with boro...it's like meditation and peace to play with boro since it works so slowly. I need that kind of slow paced beadmaking this week I think.

Finally....the boys are back in school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ta ta

Am still in Lowell, Mass.....still no Starbucks...



This town is wacky. Everything closes at 5 p.m.!!!!!! I think attendees of the Gathering (not a witch conference, but a International Society of Glass Beadmakers convention) will be very surprised and HUNGRY!



Class is going really well from my standpoint. You never know what students are thinking until after the class...and that's if they actually say something good or bad about it. Cindy Jenkins is in the class and I'm having fun getting to know her, since I only knew her as a "hi Cindy" before.



Must go veg....class wears me out!



s

Dear Diary,



Am in Lowell, Mass.



Please send starbucks



love,



s

writing to journal one more time before heading off to boston early tomorrow morning. Very excited about the class...very nervous about the presentation. I'll pull it together some how.



I'm packing and other prep stuff all day today.



coffee- no

music - classical, but I have no idea what

I just have to add this...



the guy who is the host on QVC coming up next is scary! He's like psycho friend of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" like if they had 6 guys instead of 5 and one of them was a homeshopping network guy who would wander in and say "hurry...operators are standing by" while they cleaned out the guy's frig.



Right now he's selling blender/juicers...selling them like he totally relates to every Indiana Housewife and how her life will be much easier if there were an easy-slicing pineapple slicer.....



(i am not kidding this is the product on right now)



And here's a rotating blade food chopper that "actually uses your own hand to do the chopping" Isn't that a knife?????



I truly love QVC...not kidding here....there are some wonderful things on QVC, like fake diamonds! But this guy is AWFUL and watching him is icky...so I must end this and change the channel!

Ok...today my life is brought to you by Suburban Bliss...



Right now I think she's much funnier than I am. Read her journal today and insert here. She has life ups and downs too, but seems much cheerier about them than i do right now...



I know that I'm not fun to read this week...it's my journal, though, so i'm stealing hers today...



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(Insert Suburban Bliss Text Here)

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and now we return to our show...



Coffee today - venti 2% 2 pump mocha (I have learned that this is the less confusing way to state my drink order) mmmmmmm

(and a peanut butter cookie which was not good for my "issues" right now)



Watching - QVC...stuff I don't even want...this is really dumb tv viewing