CYBER MONDAY SALE @ Studio Website

Yes Indeed

A Cyber Monday Sale
At the Studio Website!

Spin twirl hop happy dance fun!

Some new work

and some

Great Deals

So on Monday stop by

And

Say

Hi!

http://www.fdferrisbeads.com/ 

                                              HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Wowie Zowie I've been busy! lol
I"m hoping to have some new and neat pieces ready for you
by Cyber Monday (how about a little sale?) Tho you know how
things shift and change so just check back here Monday :-)

There have been so many things

That have seemed to need attention, time, effort.

Things that have resisted being moved to the 'later' list...
Things keeping me from being here. Keeping me from writing time.

Friends with worries who need an ear, a shoulder, a hug.
More hours tending needed by the studio, the business .

Some days I've stolen over the summer to spend with those I love.

Nothing wrong, just life running at a rate of speed
that's a half step faster than my step  :-)

Days sneak by

East to West

Sunrise to sunset

Weeks become

Months

Time slides by....

I've missed being here,

Sharing my tiny bits of my reality

With all of you who stop by

I'll be here more soon.

Promise

Don't give up on coming by....

Ten Years Ago ~ Remembered Always....

    September 11th  

 Pain, Honor, Loss, Pride, Disblief, Compassion

Remember Always Those For Whom Time Stopped That Day
Both Living And Departed...

Good Things Happen (still)

I'm not sure where the last four weeks have gone, quietly slipping past.
Amid scorching heat and non-specific bustling hither and thither and yon (isn't 'thither' a neat word? and 'yon' is kind of intersting too, lol) week upon week elapsed.

Time does that.
It's immensely present hour by hour but in larger increments it's difficult to quantify or track aside from the intermittent glance at the wall calendar (yes I still use one - the epitomy of low tech - why I like it suppose).

But amid the last few weeks one remarkable event is noteworthy.
One event speaks to two other event tied by a heartwarming thread.

One evening, of one week, my husband mentioned to me  he'd crossed paths with a gentleman who was turned around in his directions, distraught about arriving on time for an appointment. Alone and upset my husband took him directly to the location of his appointment (the sort of thing he often does). They chatted a bit about life, the world, handsakes were exchanged and the gentleman headed thru the door to his appointment.

One afternoon, another week, in wallymart, I came across a woman struggling to lift some portable folding tables into her shopping cart (those 'portable tables' are heavy! lol). I asked her if I could give her a hand and we made short work of it. She mentioned she was picking them up for a special party her daughter was planning.  Smiles and thanks/welcomes exchanged I went on to shop and she, to cash out.

One late afternoon, of yet another week my husband and I were struggling to lift a VERY heavy item into our ancient old vehicle. We're pretty experienced at finding ways to do the unlikely if not impossible task, lol. But this was vexing us. We couldn't muscle it in. We'd failed at drawing it in from the inside via a heavy packing blanket. We couldn't get it to roll up the ramps we'd pulled from the garage. And did I mention it was 98 in the shade that day? We were standing, staring, when a SUV drove by, turned around and came back. As it pulled over to our side of the road the driver called out "would you like some help"?

Hating to bother him we laughed and said we weren't sure it had beat us yet, but again he asked and was out of his car on his way to help.  In moments the impossible item was securely placed.  Smiles, thanks and handshakes were exchanged.  I mentioned what he'd done gave me hope in  humanity. He smiled broadly. In moments he was back in his car, on his way down the road. We headed out shortly thereafter.

It's really so easy to make the world a better place. To instill a bit of hope. To affirm we're all along for the ride of life together.

And is a coincidence that Karma and Kindness both begin with K? I think not.

Doing something kind does make a difference. It does have an impact. Especially if you're on the receiving side. But it's equally impressive to the heart and mind being the giver of help or kindness. The world does sense and register your choices, your efforts. Even the smallest ones. The ways of the world rise, fall and alter ~ one nano-effort, one choice at a time.

Dad...

Dad, From the beginning

We've been close

We've been friends

You've been with me for every important step

In my life

You've taught me, shown me no dream is out of my reach

You've taught me how much it matters

to find time for the people you love

You've  protected me from bugs LOL

(as quickly as you can grasshopper, hit the horse-fly!)

You've shared the world with me (Pre-Paris Flight)

Watching you and Mom

You've shown me 

what loyalty and love
and marriage are about

You continue teaching me Dad
About glass, about life, about
marriage, about goals.
You teach me to
always ALWAYS become
a better person


You've taught me that goals are
for ALL of life ~ that any goal or
dream is always achieveable
if you're willing to work for it
(Picture: Black Belt awarded to my father at age 78)

Even now, with grey hair on both of us
(tho I'm not admitting to a day over 35, lol)
you keep teaching me, by example and by word.
You keep teaching and I'll keep learning....
I love you Papa

Happy Mothers Day Mum....

Mum

I'm one of the lucky women who had a wonderful mother in childhood

that grew to become my best female friend in adulthood.....

My mother has always found it easy to smile

(and loved jewelry as do I, lol)

(I think I have her eyes)

June Bride with her Navy Guy (Dad!)

No matter where we lived (amid numerous moves between east and west coast)

she created "magic" ~ christmas in tiny walk up apartments, special handmade birthday cakes......

Her spin on life has always been choose to be happy because there is

always something to be happy about!

She taught me how to roll my hair,
to wear a hat, to use makeup.
She also taught me to believe in
myself, to speak my mind (kindly)...
She taught me the universe did not
(does not, will not ever) revolve 'round me.
But as she taught me that also let me know
how loved I was, how loved I am....

She set(s) an example still that it's nice to
feel important but it's more important to be nice...


She taught me to dream, to expect
the unlikely. Santa, Easter Bunny,
Good over Evil. A career as a working artist.

She taught me to be a lady
who could also do any task
a man could do

She still is AMAZING, still my best girlfriend

we still laugh, she still teaches me about life...

Happy 'Mum's Day' Mom

Love you, love you, love you!



No Different Yet Special

You are, by all definition, a handful of bulbs
A tiny smattering of the millions if not billions

That each Spring, past present and future
Awake from the earth to 'be'..

Each of you here with me is like your sisters

Inhabiting countries, islands, states, cities, towns

Your existance is linked to pots, plots and windowboxes

Of warming earth

You, each of you, who I think of as 'mine'

Are no different than your sisters

Heads raised to the faltering returning

Gentle Spring Sun

No different

Yet Special

I remember the day I found each of you

I was with my Mum at a big box store

I recall the sign that proclaimed your value

was designated by retail to be no more than 50 cents each
I was saddened and annoyed that they valued you so little

I was brokenhearted to hear the plan was to trash each of you

who went 'unpurchased'

by that weeks end...

I smile remembering my mother at my side

Helping me place as many of you into my cart as we could fit

Saving as many of you as the budget would allow

(I whispered a sad word of apology to those I could not save)

Driving home, she and I talked of gardens, of growth, of time

And in the coming days I planted you, one by one

In half frozen earth covering you with thatch to hide you

(a tiny bit)

from grazing hungry searching deer

Fragments of memory

Moments of time

Frozen in my soul

That come alive each Spring

Along with your return

You are no different

Than your millions, billions, zillions

Of sisters over the world,

thru ever returning Springs

But you are special

You who I think of

as

mine

FDFerris 2011



Kindness, Care, Words

 In the best of times

the kindness we give

elevates us....

In the worst of times

the kindness we give

defines us

Kind Care Can Be Given
At Not The Cost Of A Penny

But it always costs a moment of time

It always requires thinking

Beyond

Your

Self

In return 

Kindness dividends

In ways

No stock market can steal

No government can tax

No passage of time can ever erase

fdf 2011

To see a beautiful example watch this

(With thanks to Ronni & Darlene for sharing this video link)

Old Friends

Old Friends

Ever Patient
They Wait For Me

One By One
They Came To Live With Me
Shelf By Shelf
They Became

Old Friends



The Internet Really Makes Me Laugh Sometimes!

This reminded me...

Years ago, (and this is a true story) we had a possum

stay with us briefly sheltering in the corner an open out-building.

She had her new babies in tow. We immediately 

noticed that one was different. Ma Possum had adopted a 

tiny wayward orphaned kitten somewhere along her travels.

She raised it with great success.

The kitten* not only survived, it thrived.

Apparently happy & healthy it nursed and frolicked with

its possum brothers and sisters. Eventually they all moved on.

*I've often wondered if the little guy suffered from identity or lifestyle issues, lol*

 

On my jewelry bench

A peek at a piece currently 'in progress' on my jewerly bench at the moment....
(one of my lampwork beads, pearls, etc)

Well, on my leg actually lol

(too many bits spread out on the bench to take a picture I confess)

I find blue such a soothing and

calming color ~ to the eye and the heart.

Spring in NY

Ah April in NY....

The Excitement of "Spring"!

Look! Look!
You can see ground (amid the snow)

You can see the snow shovels!

(as opposed to having to dig them from a

drift so you can dig snow away from the walks and drive)

Look! More snow is gently falling

(as opposed to blowing horizontally at 45mph)

Only a "small accumulation" is expected today!

(not 10-14 inches)

Oh April in NY...

Relief at last! lol

And before anyone asks, no this is NOT an April fools joke*

(*this pic was added today a la my phone camera)

If only it was an April fools joke ...

Does it happen to you too?

Sometimes I wonder what's wrong with my mind.
Oft times I know what's wrong with it - it belongs to me - 'nuff said.....
Then there are days that I'm back to wondering, really wondering - like today. I load the washer (which is probably older than many of you reading this - this machine is loyal but old)! I walk away. I hear it whirring and whining and splishing and splashing along in the background.

Then I notice I hear nothing.

It's a lot like kids and construction. When there is no noise you know you're in deep crap you know something is wrong. You go. You look.  I went. I looked. Note to self: (and others) leaving the lid open on a full load of wash that continues to run is a bad idea. Trust me on this.  I suppose on new washers there is a saftey-thing-a-roo that keeps the machine from running if the lid is open. Maybe a cyber voice warning statement or a beep or cheep or chirp. Maybe new machines send you a tweet from twitter alerting you.....

But me and my mind and my loyal old washer learned a new fact today. Open lids on running washeres are a bad idea. Yes. Bad. A lesson. One that once was enough applies to quite well, lol

Here's hoping once was enough for my mind to remember in the future!

Just a bit 'o happy for today

Happy sights found in my world....

 Little snippets of color
          

                Of life
             

Most times it's the little things that 'make a day'   :-)
A pop of color, an email from a friend for no reason, feeding bird-buddies, endless coffee
comments found here ~ sharing the weave of similarities and differences ~ in our lives!
Small pleasures

That

Aren't
Really

So
Small
At

All

:-)

Aaaarrgghhhhhhhh

A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 5 PM EST this afternoon.
* Hazards... heavy snow.
* Accumulations... storm totals of 8 to 12 inches.
* Winds... northeast 10 to 20 mph... becoming northwest and
increasing to 15 to 25 mph this afternoon with gusts to 35 mph.

          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Third major storm in six days ...

 Meh.....

I know it's wicked all over the country, but I thought having a tiny cup cake sized
pity party would be ok ~ you know, just a tiny bit-o-whining prior to heading back
out to shovel AGAIN, lol

PS
Isn't it cute how my weather service uses little 'snowflake-esque' asterisks rather than
solids as bullet points for their postings? lol

In the home stretch

Mini Daffs
Photo FDFerris

Week upon week
 Of four degrees
 Week upon week of
   Fourteen degrees
    Winds that howled
     As wolves-a-hunting

     But yesterday
      But today
        Fifty degrees
         Forty degress
         
            Sun and sky send snow on her way
              It's a short reprieve I know
]              
               

                 But it's Spring, peeking around the corner
                   Just before she enters the year
       

Random Studio Views

Where do studio artist

lampwork beads come from?

From glass rods!

And torch flames!

And brick kilns!

Oh my!

(lol)

My muse mutters, my hands 'transcribe'

Italian glass melts, solid to liquid

I coax it into muse-whispered shapes

Kilns anneal

Magic revealed.....

And that is where artist created lampwork beads come from

One, by one by one

How many days till Spring?



My bird bath frog seeming to signal for help!

windswept snow filled fields

 I'm pretty sure you're weary of seeing pictures of snow - yet I somehow can not refrain from sharing mine.....

So if you're tired of snow-snaps, skip this post but if you're interested, keep reading!



Snow reaching window height!


 


It is beautiful.....

 





One of the endless essential paths shoveled

Yes, tell me is it long till Spring arrives?
(feel free to lie to me if  necessary, lol)

 



The Sun Dial
(as IF we have much winter sun-Not!)

Happy little faces :-)

As January winds down and February nears
The desire for color becomes akin to a desert thirst for me

So to see 

These happy little faces

Smiling at me 

As I rounded the corner
To check out at Aldi's

Made me smile....

Unexpect Happiness

For 99 cents

(quite a deal if you ask me! lol)

Acting on my word for 2011

This winter has been remarkable. Snow in states that never see chilly weather much less snow.

For those who live in the northeast as I do it has been brutal. The snow has been endless. The gray skies more ominpresent than usual. 

Bleh.
And the heat bills. They could bring you to tears.
Or insanity.
Or both.

I've always winter-treated windows & doors. But of late it has become my personal quest to find every open space, every leaking window, every bit of 'frost' and then irradicate any 'cold connection' I've found. With dedication both DH and I have made progress. Much has been improved. Much remains. "Take that!' I whisper to each window & door (and ok, yes, with a bit of a 'bbbwwwaahhhhhh' laugh as I proceed).  Hey, it's part of the process....  lol

But as I'm working along, caulking, sealing, quasi-cursing the cold I remember. I remember the word I chose for 2011. The goal I chose for these 12 months BOKEH  ,,,,,
Stop.
Breathe.
Not only look but SEE.
Observe the outside-of-the-direct-line-of-sight beauty/good in any situation.
And these pictures along with the momentary pause & happiness capturing these images, are the outcome.

The image above and this one as the sun shown briefly and the blue of the sky reflected are the gifts 'bokeh' shared....

They say artists are inclined to notice beauty in small things. But I think the truth is that anyone who looks finds a treasure trove. 

If my campaign is successful, if the cold is kept outside and the warm inside. If the dragon-of-heat-bills is slain these images will 'ner again be seen. 

And dontcha know I'll miss their beautiful flowing delicate shapes. Another lesson. What seems (or even is) a problem at one point in time still possessed beauty. Still had merit. Or was not without merit. There is always something bright shimmering in the darkness of difficulty.  But to find it. To see it.  There, ah.... there is the challenge.  

Bokeh. 
A good word.
A good goal.
Here's to many 2011 moments not missed because of it......