Just poking my head in to briefly connect with you all - and to use up some of the thousands of words I’ve been “storing up” - (a silly throwback line from the one man comedy act Defending the Caveman… where we are ‘issued’ only so many words a day - that women store these words up, while men generally use them all, hence often having not much to say in the evening… sorry guys, for the joke & generalization) ; )

I’ve had a blog idea rattling around in my brain since about midway through the covid19 time at home. Let’s see how it spills out.

SO. I’m almost 59 and remember 9/11 as if it were yesterday, exactly where I was & what I was doing when I tuned in and saw the assault on my country. After the initial horror - I remember being quieted by the gathering together of a people… to assist each other, to comfort & console. Where in the face of something so horrific as that day - a silver lining still was found.
I was living in Germany at that time, on a US military post, and most of our soldiers were on training exercises elsewhere… leaving their families. Upon learning of the attacks in the US, the threat levels went from Alpha to threatcon Delta. Access to the Post was closed & armed guards put in place - to quell potential further acts of malice. Boquets of flowers started appearing, laid at the closed gates by people from the little German town close by… we also had soldiers from the German Army volunteer to help guard our military post and keep us safe. It was a scary time to be so far away from home… and the outpouring of concern was certainly touching.

And now, for everyone worldwide, the first quarter of 2020 has been hard... when faced with such unfamiliar circumstances & a whole new trial set of parameters with which to live our lives - it’s definitely taken some adjustment to find balance. Add to this my personal sadness in the passing of my brother & impending decline of my golden, Charlie. I lost my creative drive… but chose to write about it here, as I have known many of you for decades. You’ve transitioned over time from being customers/visitors to close friends. Admittedly, this blog is not always about beads, as I don’t think of myself as a machine that pumps out soul-less beads, it’s important to me that you have an opportunity to get to know the artist, so when you wear my work - you feel a connection of warm familiarity.

This new isolation has been difficult for many reasons - the new set of circumstances. Being alone. Dealing with loss. Dealing with impending loss. So the blog has been a way of connecting - and not feeling so alone. Did I have any idea that I would receive letters of comfort/support from as far away as Amman, Jordan… NYC, CA etc? NO, not really. But then it started me thinking about how even in a time when this country is so divided - politically - we still are human beings - and when we hurt - people are inclined to comfort.

People from so far away stopped to reach out, and it felt really good. thank you.

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On the other side of things - my creative energies are returning… but they have morphed. I’ve not been inclined to the norm for Springtime/Early Summer carved and sparkling transparents… but more storytelling totems. Crazy, huh? I will photograph the new totem sets for next week in a normal horizontal “set” format, then also a vertical totem pole type layout. The beads will be shipped with a vertical post and a wooden base that it fits into - so that while you decide what you will make, the set can be displayed as temporary enjoyable art. Smiles - Jill