An Irish Lad goes away on adventure

Some people are larger than life.  Some people just sneak up on you, surprise you with their quality, their depth!

My good friend and neighbor, Paul, is leaving today.  He is off to the West on an adventure.

I am sad.

Paul helped me move in, fixed my favorite antique oak bureau, provided lots of laughter and song. Paul is a Giver, a Doer.

I trust Paul.  Lately, he has been the majority of my 'safe' people. I will miss Paul.

This photo of Paul is at the Glendale Falls.  He is sitting at his favorite spot, enjoying the power, sound, spray, colors and movement of the long falls.

Paul, May the Sun rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back...!

black onyx and porcelain beads

Perhaps it is the cool, smooth sensation to my fingers. 
Perhaps it is the weight, or the colors.

Perhaps it is the enjoyment of focus! 

Perhaps it is all of these, and other things I cannot fathom.

I love beads!  Natural gemstones, semi-precious, and hand-made.

In the past, I deeply indulged myself.  I have quite a collection! 

There is work to do! 

To soothe over my indulgences, I sold several necklaces.

For a while, I made necklaces customized to a persons' astrological profile,

or chakra or spiritual needs.  To get through the six years of my divorce process, I made a one-of-a-kind necklace to give me courage and strength.

Here are my fourth and fifth pieces. 

These were inspired by a dark-haired woman that attended fundraisers at the Boston Museum of Art.  I used black onyx for class (and for grounding), hand-painted porcelain,

and brass spacers, gold-plated clasps.

If I were wealthy, they would call me eccentric.

Without the wealth, I am eclectic.  As you will see in future posts about my jewelry.

Walking to stones

We walked.  We walked everywhere.  No car. 
We walked in the woods, we walked around the lake.
We walked to the woods, we walked to the lake.

Da had long legs, so he was usually way in front, often out of sight. 
It was O.K. He taught us how to look for a snapped twig, or some disturbed grass. 
Never even considered getting lost!

Many times, we walked to stump pond and blueberry island.  This took us along the main road to New Hampshire. 
Each time we went through this area, he would point Northwest, and tell us about the abandoned quartz mine deep in the woods.  I wanted to go there, really wanted to go,! He always said that I was too small, and a female, so I would not be able to get there easily! (?) 
If he only knew the places I was going alone at my tender age!?

So, what was left was a lifelong need to find that mine!  At least a love of rocks, gemstones! 

My sister and I would spend away the time gathering tiny bits of garnet from  sand in our front yard.  We loved the red, and that, if t pieces were larger, they would have some worth. 
Was this like panning for gold?

I collect rocks, my sister collects rocks. 
Now I want to collect, and to 'know' the rocks of our earth.  I have several good books. 
I have some apophilite, stilbite, ruby, quartz, malachite, and a herkimer diamond. Currently, I wear a kionite.

I want to go to mines and find my own.  So much to learn!

Today the Postmistress, Cyndi, gave me two quartz crystals she 'mined' in Arkansas!

I have been a maker of necklaces from semi-precious stones.  It is one of my artistic, creative outlets.  I will post some photos here soon.  I realize I never introduced myself to the blog community as an artist!

Origins of the word Gorgeous

I appreciate Lexicography.  But I like to have fun with it, too.

Here is a photo of the Chesterfield Gorge, in Chesterfield, Massachusetts.  Gorge is Gorgeous, yes?

the East Branch of the Westfield River runs through deeply glacial carved walls of a Schist chasm, according to 'Little Bang Theory'.  All I know is they are stunning, attractive, large!

These photos were taken over a month ago, when winter still held on, just before the notable runoff went through.

I played in this gorge back in the early '70's, with my friends.  I will be writing a synchronicity story soon about these friends.

Yellow Gold like blaring trumpets

When I die, I want to be surrounded by glorious color!  Scrumptious, unexpected color from nature. These must have been nice people, don't you think?

The budding time

Now is the budding time.Trees up here have removed their winter gowns and stand naked waiting to be dressed in tender greens.

Have you ever noticed that nature begins the warm seasons with strong yellow-golds in forsythia and daffodil, and ends the warm season with the same tones in goldenrods and in the leaves of birches?

I gaze out at the wooded hills and watch the rapid changes.  Seeming rows of red tips on the maples, alternated with evergreen. Each day more red gives heathered hue to the canopy and to the underbrush.  Spring belongs to the Impressionist style, the changes come so very quickly!

I wonder what it feels like to the woodlands.  To me, standing here gazing, it all looks warm and still.  Yet the energy, the rapid cell division and specialization is amazing!  Each day is a new scene!

Forsythia have just bloomed this week. Yet, 300 feet closer to sea level, the crocus and forsythia have been bloomed for two weeks already.  1,000 feet closer to sea level, there are...Magnolia!

All around my apartment are shallow beds of bulbs in a hurry to reach up green.  It will be a delightful surprise!

My own perennials have shivered through the winter, high in the woods of Huntington.  I was unable to cover them with leaves last November.   I will visit them in a week.  This will be a surprise, also.

I feel the need to find a better home for them.  Where they are now, I cannot haul enough water to them.  Nor can I shower them with apreciation daily.

I know that they are visited by the wild turkeys, and the quail.  Birds sing to them, too.