A day with friends and jewels, what can be better?

Yesterday, I so enjoyed working with Zoë.

The tour is one in a nearby village. It's an affluent area, in which residents open their home once a year for artists to show their works. Each home will have from two to perhaps six artists exhibiting their work. Some of the artists are the homeowners, most are from this county, all are good.

The home where Zoë was set up is a really lovely home. It's actually for sale, the owner's husband having passed away almost three years ago, and she has decided to relocate to the Pacific Northwest. I'd give my eyeteeth to have the home. It is not particularly large, but a comfortable floor plan and nice sized rooms. Of course, it doesn't have a view that is even vaguely like mine, so we all know, even if I could afford it, I wouldn't be making the change!

Anyway, Zoë was set up in her office which was perfect. An end room, it had an outside entrance and windows on all sides, so we had a nice cross-breeze. With people going in and out, it would be insane for our hosts to have the air conditioning on, so that cross breeze was critical. We were very comfortable and cool through the day.

Zoë makes the most beautiful jewelry. She is a silversmith and works with semi-precious gems and rare stones, as well as doing nice bead work. I have several pieces of hers, and I wear them a lot. Her silver work is exquisite. When I first came here I swore the pieces were machine-made because of their perfection, but then I began to notice that every item was different. Earrings in a pair never quite match, but you'd not notice without a very close examination. And, although a certain style of pieces may be repeated, they are never duplicates. One of my favorites of the stones she works with is the druzy. It is the crystal interior of geodes. She is not a stone cutter, so she buys them, mostly at the gem and mineral show in Tucson each year, then creates a setting of silver for the shape of the stones. She does some work with brass and bronze for contrast, but the majority is silver.

She surprised me yesterday when she told me she gives a piece to anyone who helps her! I had no idea! I was just there because she is my friend, and because I thought it would be fun to spend the day with her and meet people! I had already picked out a piece that I was considering buying, so this was a delightful bonus for me. It is a druzy ring, and if I can manage to get a good picture of it, I'll post it. I've already tried, but it looks very blah in the photos. Crystals don't sparkle just for the camera! I'm trying to figure out how to make it look as beautiful as it is in person. I'll get back to ya on that.

It was a fun day. I enjoyed it as much and more that I expected. I got to see lots of folks I already know, and I met new ones. We were busy most of the day. Zoë is well known and sought out, so there is no need to worry about a crowd. Many start wherever she is on the tour, and them move on.. They don't want to miss Zoë! In fact, some come only for Zoë, get their "fix" and go home!  By 5:00, we were both exhausted. I hated to leave, but I also couldn't wait to get home and rest!

I had a long chat with a friend on the phone last evening, and I've made a decision to make a trip to Hawaii this fall to see him. I was going to wait till after the first of the year, but his health is not good, and I feel that I should go sooner. If I can work it out, I will probably go in November. I'm looking forward to the trip .... I've not been to Hawaii .... but sad about the need to hurry.

I had a horrible night last night. I went to bed early. I was asleep within a short time, but I woke about 11:00 with an upset stomach. Not throwing up, but serious nausea. I tried several things, finally eating about a half tube of saltines, and that settled it. But by this time it was after 2:00. This morning I've had, uhm, rapid elimination. I'm guessing I ate something yesterday that was not quite right. I'm OK, now, but I'm tired and my whole digestive system is a bit off.

I have plans to go with another friend to see the others on the tour today. I'll go, and I'm sure I'll be alright. It will be a shorter day. In fact, I'm guessing I'll be back home by 2:00 or so, perhaps even earlier. And speaking of that, I need to get cracking! I'm meeting her in just an hour, so I'd better get ready.

Later!