Waiting for the BLING

Today was cool as I sauntered out the door at 6:30 AM to set up my stand at the Saturday Farmer’s Market. I stopped into a bakery downtown and bought a cup of coffee and paid for it with a twenty. Now I had some one’s to make change for the rocks I planned to sell. The sun finally broke through around eleven, and the foot traffic picked up a bit. My neighbor’s umbrella kept me shaded, but it also blocked the sun when it finally came out. It wasn’t until 11:30 AM until it began to shine on my display which really makes the Spirit Rocks BLING ! I sold a few rocks to some regular customers but it wasn’t a big day for sales. Thankfully, I got everything up and down with ease and came back to my apartment around 1 PM to nap for a few hours. I enjoy napping since it is rare that I get a full night’s sleep anymore. I hear that is pretty common for people my age.

Poster Project

This picture is a prototype of a poster I am in the process of creating. I have used color inverted copies of pictures I have taken of my Spirit Rocks to form this checkerboard pattern which is visually pleasing. I have stretched some of the .jpg files to fit the Square as I saw fit. Many of you who have used Photoshop can spot the filters I have employed to create the background effects. The poster I hope to create will be approx. 18"X24" . If i comes out according to spec. I will have a glow rock instead of an inverted color rock image which will not be modified in the final product. I will probably have six squares across and down instead of the four you see here.This stuff is fun.

Rocks galore

Every weekday now, I have been painting more and more rocks to replenish my inventory. I have been selling between 20 to 30 rocks every Saturday for some time now. I have to remember to take pictures of the ones that are the most attractive and the big sellers. I honestly cannot say that I have been at all bored doing this. The only thing I find challenging is coming up with different ideas to paint. The picture above is of a 45rpm symbol from the days when people played 45 records on their turntables. It harkens back to the days of rock and roll. I think this symbol is cool and looks visually pleasing on the surface of a round rock. I bejeweled it a little just to add the bling factor to it. I would be surprised if this one does not sell this weekend. If it doesn’t, it will be a display rock because I really dig this one.

Hot Day

Today it felt like summer. The sun is out and I am inside to protect my sensitive Irish skin as I update this blog. The image above are the hills of Sonoma looking west from a view at a turnout on Skaggs road going towards Healdsburg. This was taken durning a day trip with my friend Reid Bennett about a month ago.

Today is Sunday (appropriately named ) in the middle of August and I went to mass at the St. Helena Catholic Church this morning. I usually have a morning coffee at the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company along with a Jalapeno bagel with cream cheese and butter. This is my end of the week indulgence and I usually work it off physically in the next day or two.

Lately, I have been leaning towards being a vegan and I won’t eat meat unless I am put in an awkward situation to do so. Eliminating it from my diet is a progressive thing and I applaud anyone who keeps pushing forward in their attempts to affirm a long life.

Saturday was another good day at the Farmer’s Market in Calistoga. The Spirit Rocks are a hit and they keep selling. Nevertheless, I have to replenish my inventory every week. Sell thirty rocks… Paint thirty rocks. That is just the way it is. Tuesday is my get-away day, when I drive up to my favorite spot in Lake County for rest and relaxation.
I hope that your summer is turning out to be everything you wanted.

So far, mine has. Love and hugs…

The return of Television

The above picture was taken at my niece Marian’s house after we arrived there for the Grand Fallon over a week ago. Since that time, I have been on the computer and rearranging furniture since I’ve been back in Calistoga.That trip was just what I needed to realize what I’ve been needing more of in my life.

I swung a deal with Comcast on Friday and got a reduced rate on my internet connection along with Cable TV after signing a two year contract. Oh joy! As if I don’t enough information flowing through my brain these days.I moved my computer from my bedroom to the living room and put my TV in the bedroom so that I don’t have to run a coaxial cable all the way from the bedroom to the living room. I don’t want to pay extra to have the Comcast guy come out and install another cable. I have an Airport Extreme network on all 3 of my Apple computers so I am fine sitting on the futon typing away without tripping over wires and such.

Now with the local stations back, I will be able to understand references to commercials, shows and other things that have made me feel “ out of the loop “ for around ten years now. It’s funny, when I had a TV I thought that everyone else in my social circles had a TV. Today I know that in many households, TV and Computers are not only optional… but avoided unless absolutely necessary. I think that this is a good thing.The video of Marian on her computer below made me think about how tethered I have been to the whole digital world,

The Grand Faloon

It has been a few days since I’ve returned from Oregon to Calistoga. The trip went well and it was great seeing my family. It was heart warming to connect with Grand nephews and nieces as well as the next generation of family members. We played horseshoes, barbequed, swam, petted goats and horses. went for a bike ride, and stuffed our faces with food. The ride up there and back was a bit long ( 10 hours ) , but passing by Mt. Shasta is always a wonderful site. The video is of my grandniece Cooper who is as cute as a button. She and the others were so much fun to watch.

My sister Tara had suggested this gathering and my niece Marian and her Zany husband Colby hosted ( Colby was non-stop entertainment ). Everyone seemed to pitch in with whatever was required to pull this thing off. Initially, Tara wanted to meet with everyone to pass along her collection of Children’s Books which she has used as reference materials for many years doing her work as an illustrator. The kids loved this, because they all got a great collection of books which they can later trade when they are finished with them. Most of the days were spent catching up or reminiscing about past family events. My only regret is that is went by too quickly and I wished that more of my family members could have been there.