Fantastic Finds Info

“Five more minutes and we go onstage,” the orchestra director informed the 60+ musicians waiting backstage.  The  racket of horns tooting, percussion players banging and strings sawing–all trying desperately   to polish a difficult musical passage  in the next 5 minutes– came to an abrupt stop.

“May I carry your violin for you,” a fellow section member asked.

“I would appreciate it.  I always worry about dropping it because I need my hands to control the wheelchair.  Thank you.”  I smiled as I choked back tears of embarrassment  because I needed such help.

Time was that I walked to my seat–like the other musicians.  Even though the female musicians were required to wear long solid black dresses, I managed to liven mine up with sparkly gemstone rings, a shiny zircon pendant and a  bracelet of  color changing zandrites.  As  time went on, I found it necessary to use canes.   But I continued to liven my attire with sparkly gemstones.   Later, my wheelchair needed to be left just back of the curtain.  Now, the wheelchair is my constant companion as I roll on stage, being careful not to run into a harp,  to manipulate around stands, chairs, and percussion instruments, praying that I will not demolish anything.  but But I am still raising my spirits with  sparkly jewelry on the solid black attire.  How embarrassing that would be!

Playing violin is  the love of my life!  When times are good, I thank God while playing.  When times are dismal, I send the feelings of dismay packing by playing my favorite  music.   I have played in the first violin section  of our community symphony orchestra since its beginning about 27 years ago.

I have wondered why God has allowed my walking ability to be taken from me.  I  don’t know most of the answer, but I think that part of it is that He wanted to teach me a valuable lesson.  I needed to learn about humility.  I needed to think about what is really significant to my life.  Is the use of my legs essential to being alive and well? Is it significant to my being proficient in my profession as professor, or to being a wife and a mother, or to my profession, or to the my passion for playing violin?   All that losing the use of my legs does to me is to make it necessary to be creative in learning different ways to still accomplish the things that are important to my life.

The  world famous  violinist, Ishtak Perlman,  could not walk, but his fingers moved like lightening across the violin strings! Playing violin and the other important things in my life do not really depend on the use of legs and feet, only arms, hands and fingers.  While I will never be a Perlman,  as a mediocre violinist, I’ve  learned that being crippled  does not interfere with my passion for making beautiful music.

I am 86 now.  Arthritis grips my hands and my fingers will not move as rapidly on the strings as they used to.  But I will always be ready to play in the orchestra, at church, or any other place that a mediocre violinist is needed. Each time I take the instrument out of the case, I thank God for giving it to me.  I also thank Him for allowing me to partially understand the blessings of being unable to walk.  So, I will just keep rolling along…rolling along…..and enjoying God’s gift of music!

My mother’s birthday and Mother’s Day often coincide. This can be problematic for my brother and me because our mom is difficult to shop for. Finding two worthy presents in the same time frame can be quite a challenge. This year, I think we’re going to hit it out of the ball park.

We’ve settled on ordering her matching mother’s birthstone jewelry. The birthstone for May is emerald, so we’re having an emerald pendant necklace crafted. The second part of the gift will be a custom made ring with our mother’s birthstone flanked by birthstones representing my brother and me. I was born in December, so my birthstone is topaz, while my brother, who was born in August, has peridot as a birthstone.

For my girlfriend’s birthday I had jewelry custom made for her. I was able to find a jeweler online who specializes in birthstones. My girlfriend’s birthday is in February and the corresponding birthstone is amethyst. With help from the jeweler I was able to come up with a necklace, earring, and ring set I think my girlfriend will really love.

The pendant on the necklace is designed to look like a primrose, the flower of February. Supposedly, the primrose represents modesty, distinction, and virtue- all qualities that my girlfriend possesses. The other design birthstone jewelry is simplistic in comparison. The earrings are amethyst studs, though the matching amethyst ring has a swirling design on the silver band. I’m hoping that my girlfriend really loves her custom birthday gift!

Gemstones have been used in jewelry around the globe for centuries. The Tibetan people are particularly enamored of turquoise. Tibetan people believe that turquoise jewelry mixed with copper and silver will bring them power, fortune, and good health.

Many Tibetan people wear turquoise unique gemstone pendants believing in the following powers of the stone’s protection:
1. Turquoise prevents stomach acid
2. It soothes viral infections and gout
3. Increases muscle strength and endurance
4. Prevents cramps
5. Acts as an anti-inflammatory
6. Detoxifies the body
Even if you don’t believe in the power of turquoise like the Tibetans do, turquoise is still a gorgeous gemstone perfect for all jewelry types.

Different societies have different traditions when it comes to birthstones, which is why there are so many inconsistencies as to which are the “correct” stones for each month. Some cultures follow the traditional birthstones associated with the Gregorian calendar. Others believe in mystical birthstones, which are Tibetan in origin and date back over one thousand years. Ayurvedic birthstone lists come from ancient Indian medicinal and philosophic traditions from 1500 BCE. In Babylon, birthstones were based on the Zodiac and were thought to have magical properties.

A pamphlet published by Tiffany and Co. in 1870 gives a list of birthstone colors that are generally accepted:

January- garnet
February- amethyst
March- bloodstone
April- diamond
May- emerald
June- pearls
July- ruby
August – peridot
September- sapphire
October- opal
November- topaz
December- turquoise

Rings are great accessories for any outfit. A chunky ring can make a bold statement, while a thinner, subtler ring can add a dash of class. I’ve recently become obsessed with rings that use unusual gemstones in creative ways. Thus far, my favorite gemstone has to be citrine.

I currently own two citrine rings. The first is a chunky ring designed by Meredith Leigh that is shaped like the head of an owl, with the eyes made of citrine. The second is a silver band with a large, oval cut citrine gem surrounded by white diamonds. I love how both rings glitter in the light. That extra sparkle is really something special.

North End of Workspace

My clients on fantasticfindsenterprises.com and jewelrybyfay.com can’t see my messy workspace.  I’m glad! Truly, finding anything in this mess is really a fantastic feat! On occasion, I have stumbled upon things that have been missing for months!  Surely any logical person would question my rational state of mind  if I was seen trying to accomplish anything productive with such clutter and poor space. I have heard it said that “a cluttered desk is the sign of a creative mind.” In that case, no doubt I’m a genius!

My 12′x25″ counter workspace holds a phone answering machine, various size containers, a half eaten cookie, paper clips, mouses (or mice), business cards, stickies, and undescribables, such as ring sizer, and a huge magnifying glass, last years electric bill, a McDonalds receipt from 2001, and other such stuff.   But  I have that wonderful invention–”the grabber” for things out of reach!

Dominating the scene is my 24″ Mac monitor surrounded with stickies reminding me to be efficient and do what I am supposed to do. Sitting majestically alongside the monitor is my Mac Pro computer with enough data in its drives to collapse the government in Washington. Attached to the computer are various kinds of holders for cameras, headsets , connectors, cords, bottles of stain remover, etc. On the front of the computer I posted “The Warning Signs of Stroke” and I check them daily to make sure this mess has not taken its toll! Then there is the space on the counter behind the computer–Well, there is too much variety in that space to describe it!

If you are looking for a cord, be assured it is there! Just plan to spend a couple of hours untangling the mess, unless that cord feeds down through a desktop hole to the floor.   In that case,  be prepared to crawl under the counter, lay on your back and fish the errant cord down through the desk top hole.   You might as well  save time by  doing your daily push ups and other gymnastics while you are on the floor. Then a ten minute snooze wo uld not be out of order.   I keep a pillow handy for just such needs.  Also be sure to pick up all the scattered papers and trash that couldn’t be reached with the grabber.  Now  for me, comes the greatest challenge–getting back up with the prized cord. This is quite another problem, since I can’t walk. But with the help of a crane from the fire department, I am soon back in my wheelchair writing blogs!

My workspace continues southward  with 3  12′ long bookshelves up the wall to the ceiling. The shelves not only hold books, but CDs, nose drops, income tax reports and other “gems” of a creative mind. On occasion, books, etc. gets loose and clobber me on the head! I once dodged a stack of blank CDs, falling without warning, spreading themselves all over the counter, me, and the floor.  When the room stopped spinning around, I spent the next hour using a grabber to pick up each one  and place it back on the shelf! What a mess! The only worse catastrophe was when I forgot to pull out the  printer paper  catch tray, and with the help of the spinning ceiling fan, scattered 3 copies of a 40 page document all over the room! As the pages floated  down, they picked up what was left of a slice of pumpkin pie and emptied a full open bottle of Coke on the carpet! This required a  very unhappy cleanup crew! The city of Normal has threatened to declare  my workspace a hard hat area.

South Area Workspace

Looking at this disorganized mess, one would wonder how anything beautiful could emerge. However, on the table  are multiple trays of pendants, earrings, rings, and bracelets that I have carefully crafted, set and polished to a shining glimmer. Gemstone Creations is the brand name chosen to market these treasures.   In my collection of beautiful, unique gemstone jewelry, we feature birthstone jewelry, fashion rings and pendants.  We continue to expand this collection to  include more affordable jewelry as I continue to create. Any one of these “gemstone creations” could be your next family heirloom that would outlast me, you and the people who read this blog.  If a messy desk  really IS the sign of a creative mind, I have the world beat on creativity.

Amethyst is a naturally occurring and unique form of quartz that’s well-renowned for its purplish color and striking beauty. The name derives from the Greek word methustos, the word for “intoxicated.” It was believed in some ancient societies that amethyst could protect against drunkenness. The mistaken belief was so ingrained that people would wear amethyst jewelry while drinking alcoholic beverages, or drink from cups lined with the ore in the mistaken belief that the amethyst would keep them from becoming intoxicated.

The colors most commonly associated with amethyst range from a light violet to a deep and intense purple. Depending on the particular chemical makeup of the ore the color can vary greatly. In some cases amethyst may also exhibit a secondary hue in the colors red and blue. Amethyst rings and jewelry date as far back as the ancient Egyptians but still remain popular today for their unique and attractive coloring.

The holidays are here and with them come all the frustrations of holiday shopping. If you’re anything like me then you have a long list of people to shop for. Given heavy traffic, huge crowds and long lines you’re probably not looking forward to it. Don’t worry, I’m not either. Luckily, though, with lower shipping rates and faster delivery times we can now do most, if not all of our shopping online.

Given that convenience there’s no excuse not to be a gifting superstar this year. With affordable jewelry for your loved ones you can do just that. And the best part is you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg. Great looking jewelry doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and affordable jewelry doesn’t need to look like poor quality. With smart shopping and a little research you can find great deals on terrific looking jewelry that anyone is sure to love.

I have been spending a lot of time being completely frustrated.  Working on the computer is both necessary and enjoyable–like working on the websites, Photoshop,  databases, bookkeeping, and writing articles.  I even  play games! However, almost every time I get really engrossed in a project, I look at my legs and they are swollen like weather balloons. ( I hope the weather service does not read this. They might figure out a way to use me as a substitute for their balloons.) When my legs swell up, the only remedy is to  get my feet higher than my heart.  They can be swollen for days or weeks. Meanwhile, my projects just sit there waiting for me to get upright again and I feel guilty for not getting things done.    So, I lie in the recliner chair and feel sorry for myself.

“Let me see your MacBook Pro for a minute,” I asked my daughter yesterday.  “What are you up to, Mom,” she asked. I put her five pound light power book on my stomach, opened the screen, pulled up my project and started working on it. However, after a while it did get heavy and I got tired.

“Have you seen those new airbooks? I asked her.  “I wonder what they weigh and if they get hot on the bottom.”

“I can see the wheels turning in your head.  What are you up to?”  she responded.  “Is it legal?”

“I think they have the new MacBook Airs at the university computer store,” I responded. “Let’s go see.” I came home with a 13″ MacBook air weighing a little more than two pounds and seated myself in the recliner again.  Laying back with my feet up.  I placed it on a pillow and began working away!  I don’t call it a MacBook.  I named it Skinny Minnie and designated it a “tummy computer” instead of a “laptop.”

People laugh at my set up. I don’t mind.  It is just one more thing I can laugh about and keep my sense of humor about my inconvenient disabilities.  When you laugh about things you can’t change, you can’t cry–and the whole world looks brighter!  Laughter is a wonderful thing.  It brightens the world just like my handcrafted Gemstone Creations.