Happy Birthday to An Amazing Man

Happy Birthday To An Amazing Woman

On Mothers Day...

Everyone who wakes and begins their day today had a mother, she who gave breath and life.
Some have mothers they love. Some do not. Some have mothers who love them. Some do not.
Few are given the gift of a mother who loves them, who they love, a mom who is their best friend

I am one who was given such a treasure

 

My 'Mum' is so very many things to me
in this life of mine

She is my dearest most trusted female friend
my co-hort and co-conspirator

We talk of life of love
of growth and of loss

of challenge and of joy

We share time, cups of coffee

wing emails to each other

laugh, cry, hunt for treasures

analize the world

discussing how we each
fix what we can
discussing how some things

can not

be

fixed

Since my first step, my first word

she has never stopped teaching me

never stopped listening to me

never stopped 'being there' for me

She encourages me when I feel overwhelmed
(as in the pink 'bad day' image, lol)
She reminds me to keep paddling!

(as in the ducks image)

She ever-reminds-me to see the beauty in life

(as in the images of flowers)

She sees the best in me

while being able to be truthful & honest with me
She reminds me to keep growing and learning

She has never failed

to make me feel

loved

My greatest, deepest hope 

as my life continues to unfold

is that I do the same for you Mum

because

I love you 'so'

Happy Mothers Day

 

What Is Surprising

Q:  WHAT IS SURPRISING ABOUT LIFE?
(one way or another)

A: EVERYTHING....

The Past Eight Weeks

Are windows better lended
to looking out or looking in?

Are weeks and months
spent pondering
for beginnings?
or for ends?

Do questions demand answers
or do they simply point the way...

Is thinking useful to the soul
or a tool used for delay?

Do searching thoughts find purpose,
direction, new design - or simply give
my heart a chance to stop, review,
're~find'?
             FDF 2/2012

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!