Better Than a Poke in the Eye

One would hope so because that sounds awful. These bracelets I made are better than a poke in the eye, but maybe not better than fur handcuffs. I guess it depends. On a lot of things.

This one is made from the same materials I used in my Eritrean house pendant and the other bronze pearl necklace.

I added two more of the double cone beads from that pendant, and a couple antiqued brass round beads I found at a bead shop in Whitefish, Brought to Life Beads. (They have some awesome stuff--some Vintaj even--it's great that such a great shop is so close by). I just love this palette. It would be so lovely against dark skin. Maybe an Eritrean woman will buy it and repatriate the beads!

This bracelet below is my early work (Wednesday, I believe it was) in asymmetry. Asymmetrical designs are surprisingly hard to do. I've attempted them before and they looked to me like an upended junk drawer. Lorelei Eurto is the Preeminent Empress of Asymmetry, and I am once again stumbling along in her footsteps. Bracelets are much easier to do in an asymmetrical design because they slip around and around your wrist all day long anyway and who can tell which way is up. This bracelet isn't terribly asymmetrical, just a little. I'm stuck on the wood-and-amazonite thing right now. Just seems so summery--you know, cabin by the beach kind of thing. Wood and water. And bone. Something summery about bone too, can't put my finger on it. (Stumbling across remains in the woods at Kamp Karefree?) The little ivory colored spacers are made from bone. I don't know what kind. Best not to ask. I think they're from Africa, so perhaps wildebeest. Or goats.


This one turned out kind of gothic looking, or perhaps Old Spain. I guess just because of the dark steel wire. The stones are "pineapple quartz" glass, and just lovely. They are really made to mimic the irregularities of quartz and they practically glow when the light hits them.

This collection of beads and pearls sat around on my glass top Japanese-style workbench for a few days before I strung them together. I'm really drawn to dark, rich, wintry, melancholy kinds of colors so this kind of thing is a stretch for me (can't wait to make stuff for the Christmas shopping season). Too damn happy. But the world is full of happy people, who can tan, and one of them will buy it, love it and wear it.


Phew! I'm really fried now. This must be how pizza guys feel about pizza at the end of the week. Doesn't even look like food anymore. I've lost my desire to wear jewelry. I don't want to see another bead as long as I live until at least Tuesday. I'm going to go throw a sheet over all the crap on my glass top Japanese-style workbench and read a Jack Reacher book and maybe fall asleep.

My Favorite Antidepressant

Modish Biz Tips posted an interesting article the other day. The editor, Jena Coray, had received an inquiry from a female reader. The basic question was, “Do you need a supportive relationship to create a successful business?” The article asked for feedback from both single women and women in relationships. There was an onslaught of responses, from both sides of the relationship aisle.

Pros and cons were reported. Women with significant others said they could devote more time to their business/art if they didn’t have a ball and chain relationship to maintain, but that their mate contributed financially, or provided moral support, or helped with business tasks. Some women said their businesses would be further along if they were single, some said they would not have been able to come so far. Some single women said it would be nice to have someone there to bounce ideas off of, or to help with the bills, or just for more regular emotional support. Some women said they were glad they were single, so they could devote all their energy to their art/business.

I was flabbergasted there was absolutely no mention of mental illness. I mean, come on, how many of those women are on psychiatric medication? Like, half. At least a couple of them are posting comments (on their laptops) as inpatients from their semi-private rooms (with wireless Internet access) in between group therapy sessions. (I mean, they’re artists, right?) I had to roll my eyes. “Oh, my boyfriend has an MBA so his help with my business in just invaluable!” GACK. “Oh my husband is my greatest fan and he does all my shipping and billing and he does my taxes every year!” Big whoop. So—did your boyfriend single-handedly keep you out of the Cracker Box Palace? Did he liberate you from a lifetime of the unfortunate gastrointestinal/hepatic side-effects of lithium? Did he nonchalantly put a stop to your compulsive channeling of Sylvia Plath? Mine did. Hell, he’s probably already prolonged my life by about 20 years. And all he had to do was show up and stick around. Too bad it took me 38 years to find him.

Is a supportive relationship necessary for a successful business? I have no idea. My business isn’t successful. I’m not even sure it is a business. It’s more like a mission from God. Would I be doing it if I hadn’t met Tom? Probably not. I’d be curled up on the couch with my colostomy bag reading over my latest liver function tests. Would I be up shit creek, psychologically speaking, without him? Probably. Would I live? Probably. (See, I’ve been thinking and morbidly planning ahead. Tom is about 14 years older than I am, so if the actuarial tables be true (barring any untimely deaths due to illness or injury) I will probably outlive him and spend several of my latter years without him. I’ve already made a little list entitled “What to Do When I’m Really Old”—stuff I will need to do to keep my head out of the oven. I can't find it or I'd put it in here. I really don’t want to rot away in an armchair the last 10 years of my life, watching reruns of Murder She Wrote on TVLand. I don’t have any kids so there won’t be anyone to blackmail into visiting me or driving me to the urologist. (I’ve thought I might want to ingratiate myself with my friends’ children, like start babysitting a lot-—you know, become an honorary Aunt or something—-but I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that. I threw away all my lithium.) If I have money when I’m old I’ll be able to buy all the happiness I need but I don’t feel comfortable counting on that.)

Wow, I really seem to have strayed off topic. What was my topic?

Oh yeah. I guess what I’m trying to say is that Tom has done wonders for my mental health, just by being there, and being himself. Having been really single my whole life, I didn’t know what simple love, affection and constancy could do for my state of mind, or how much comfort sharing a home with someone who is kind and thoughtful could bring me. And what I would be able to do if I were freed from the weight of all that sadness. Do I need a mate to be successful? Well it sure looks like I need Tom. Thanks, babe. I love you.