Spirit Beads..what are they??

How many of you pick up something put it in their pocket or rub it like a worry stone and just feel comforted by the feel?? Or feel an affinity for an animal or bird?? These to me would be Totems..or Talismans...

This is one type of spirit bead...another type is what do you like?? What are your hobbies?? What stones do you feel drawn to?? We all "like" certain stones..mine are blue tiger's eye and fire agates.

I started making what I call "spirit" beads for my family...one sister loves and feels an affinity for dragonflies and sea turtles...she also knits, spins, gardens and rides horses..so I found her birth stone and other stones that spoke to me about her and charms for her interests...these are my little sister's Spirit Beads..she has them in her Jeep..

Some put them around the rear view mirror, some wear them as bracelets...

I have a blue tiger's eye necklace I would wear every time we traveled or I needed a little extra confidence. Now I wear a beautiful polished Fire agate set in a gold bezel...Those are my spirit beads..

I have stones that I use as worry stones or were given to me as tokens...one sailing couple we met gave me a stone she used when crossing the Atlantic...she told me to rub it when I was on night watch...

Talismans are things people use to feel more comfortable in stressful situations...they can be a rosary, a favorite shirt, cap or in a child's (and sometimes my DH)life a blanket....

The portable "woobie" is what I was aimming for...so tell me what you like and what your hobbies are and I'll make you a portable "woobie" or "blankie"....

Lost in the Well of well worn plots...

I really had to hunt for this...I have been so lazy about posting to it...

I have been musing lately about life and things in general...need to add more items to my shops and felt a need to explain things to buyers..like..the different crucifixes the popes have chosen as theirs..I googled it..(what did we do before Google??)this is about Pope John Paul ll

The crucifix used by the Holy Father is technically his crozier, the shepherd staff that is the most senior ecclesiastical insignia of the bishop and represents his pastoral authority. As bishops and the shepherds of the Universal Church, the popes have used the crozier, but ceased doing so in the 11th century. Traditionally, the crozier traces its origins back all the way to the Apostles, and it is known to have been used in the traditional form by bishops(with an ornamental crook) from the time of Pope Celestine I (r. 422-432.

Pope Paul instituted a change upon his election. Rather than use a traditional crozier – seen as a symbol of jurisdictional authority – the pontiff adopted what was termed a pastoral staff. The staff was designed by Italian artist Lello Scorzelli in the shape of a crucifix. The staff was retained by both Popes John Paul I and John Paul II. In 1990, a new, slightly re-designed staff was presented to the pontiff in honor of his birthday. This staff is still in use today....

this is a picture of the crucifix

In a blog to follow I will find Pope Benedict's story but in the meantime here is a rosary that I listed on www.artfire.com/stringnstone

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New Addition to Spiritdance

Wow..Hadn't realized I had been so lazy with my posts...

We have put our "new" boat in the water..her name is NEREID..this is the name of water nymphs that help sailors...she needs alot of work but TLC will go a long way...

Actually this post is to announce that coming soon to Spiritdance will be a line of handmade soap..
We have coined the name "AnnVeraLynn" which is the middle names of myself and my 2 sisters who are semi-involved....I wanted to call it "3 Crafty Sisters " but got voted down..
Now you are probably wondering what these two subject have in common..

The soap came out of my youngest sister wanting to do soap again but not having the time and I wanted to do some "boat" soap....on a boat you have limited fresh water, so you need a soap that rinses off in very little water..handmade soap answers that...I am working to see if it will work well in saltwater...Also handmade soaps don't leave a scummy residue so the shower area stays cleaner...
When you are traveling outside this country carrying supplies becomes a storage headache..so if the soap doubles as body wash and clothes washing... sometimes this has to be done by hand on board...that works..now how about dishes??? A good handmade soap with orange oil should answer all these ..maybe..

Anyway I have decided to add the line of soap to Spiritdance sometime in Oct...will have fall and Christmas scents..you change your candles how about your guest handsoap..


by Margaret of Spiritdance

Random Thoughts

I have been trying to come up with a subject for this blog...I guess I have blog block..
Anyway...1st thing ..has everyone seen the new front page on ArtFire???? Just go to Artfire.com to check it out.....It is AWSOME...



I went through my past purchases on ArtFire to get some ideas ..mostly supplies..decided on
My pearl lady ByBonnie.artfire.com...I have been making birthstone bracelets with fresh water pearls, Swarovski crystals and some times semi-precious birthstones..

Bonnie has been my go to lady for fresh water pearls..Bonnie lives in Hawaii and has some lovely necklaces made with the nut beads.....This is a very funny and friendly lady that
I am thrilled to call a friend.

She added some nut beads in an order that got my daughter-in-law thinking about some interesting necklaces....
pictured: Sept. bracelet, Nut beads, My favorite color pearls..

I guess random thinking is good...

Goat's milk soap

When I travel I take knitting along...I have shawls, socks, scarves, and other small projects in my travel bag organized for plane or car travel...
Recently we visited our son and his family out in Oregon...took my plane knitting but packed my "visiting" knitting which this time was washcloths and soapbags...soapbags..hmm..maybe if I had soap I could use them as hostess gifts for the other visits we were going to make...

OK got the idea..but I needed soap in a hurry...didn't know any shops locally that had goat's milk soap..Oh yea, I decided on handmade goat's milk soap to go with my soap bags...now where to get soap???
I went to Etsy and typed in Oregon for locale...wanted to get it shipped quickly..and goat's milk soap..
found the most incredible soap maker...Katiesgoodstuff.etsy.com....She has the greatest smelling lemongrass goat's milk soap..I have ordered this soap for several family members...She shipped to the Oregon address and got it to me before we moved on to the next house.
Everyone raved about the scent, the lather and how well it worked in hard water...

Thanks Katie...

The top picture is Nigerian goat's milk soap this is great for sensitive skin...the bottom is lemongrass ....

grandma Jeanette

This past 2 weeks has been very emotional for me..first I learned a favorite cousin past away while we were on vacation....then grandkids graduating from 8th grade and high school...Time moving much too fast.

A memory of a high school graduation past came as I watch grandson #2 ( #1 graduates next Sunday)...walk across the stage and accept the diploma cover..you all remember no diploma inside...as his under class friends hooted out and he signed "love you"...my mother-in-law came to mind. She would have been so proud of all her great-grandkids..She only managed one grandchild graduation before cancer took her..

This woman stepped in when my mother died suddenly..I was only 24 and had 3 babies...she was my rock when it came to..well everything...
Her name was Jeanette and she was a fairy-tale grandmother..she made sock puppets, played games with my boys, let them help her with things...whether they wanted to or not...read to them and above all let them be themselves...

When she was very sick and in pain she sat at the stadium watching her oldest grandchild accept his diploma cover...she died a year later...That grandson wrote the following in his Phd thesis acknowledgments...
"My decision to begin a career in science was prompted by two people who I can only thank on these pages. My late grandmother Jeanette Julian first encouraged me to pursue a science degree, as 'the only thing that makes any sense.' She would have expected nothing less that my finishing this degree......." Miss you Jeanette....

Merlin

This blog is about our Pearson 442...a 42' sailboat..
To decide to live on a sailboat is not a decision made lightly...In 1995 we sold up and moved on to a 30' S10 center cockpit sailboat. We had the boat in a marina on KY lake..a bit of a river ride from the salt water...
At a point in the spring of 2001 we decided to enlarge our living space...So boat shopping began in earnest....
We bought Merlin, a Pearson 442, in Regatta Point FL in June of 2001...we were in Ft. Meyers FL at the city marina for 9/11..
The trip to the Keys was beautiful and uneventful..time to dodge lobster pots and find enough water to navigate the west coast of Florida..
Finally made it to Boot Key harbor for a final check of boat systems, grocery shop and start watching for a weather window to make the jump to the Bahamas....more later on the Gulf stream crossing

The photo is Merlin at the fuel dock on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean