All That Glitters, Isn't Gold

Some folks like to run through life, blind to the view from their peripheral vision.  I hope and pray I'm not one of those people.  A friend awakened a glint from my periphery and so I'm walking on that path today.  Here's a peek of what's in front of my eyes: 

 

This one is for a well-respected sister in our ward that gives from the heart, faithfully.  She's also a sucker for pretties:-)

 

As an experiment, I tried out wire wrapping.  WHAT FUN!!!  Actually, my first version of this was a total flop, you don't even get to see it, but this one, well it turned out quite nice.

 

Preparing for prom!  What could be a more creative way to express how much you love your dress?  Adornment of course (ok, really creative would have been to make your own dress.  LOL)  We helped the young women in our ward prepare for prom by designing a few necklace models, then we showed them the beads.  Heaven help us! 

Those girls are just gorgeous, the adornment is merely decoration.

Beginning a new skill is always challenging at first, so I thought I'd take it up a notch anyway and combine two in one.  First the soldering, then the wire work and up came this little pretty. 

Front:

Back:

It's an interesting journey and I think I like it:-)  As I play, I'm finding what exudes beauty in my art is music, nature, and pieces and parts that evoke emotion.  Still finding my way, one piece at a time.

Apr 29th, 2010

As an oil gusher spews into the Gulf of Mexico, we await the inevitable destruction of the local draw.  The gorgeous, emerald waters and sandy, snow-white beaches that have been taken for granted are in jeopardy and just today the federal government has offered the responsible company assistance in solving this horrible dilemma.  Thank you!  While I don't know how they will stop the 210,000 gallons of oil that are daily churning out of a pipe 5,000 feet under water, I am grateful.

See, I live here because I love it.  I love the natural wildlife that I encounter each day, the clean air that blows from the shores, and the beauty that surrounds me.

Until yesterday, I couldn't imagine the disappearance of those luxuries.  Yesterday I looked online at photos of the oil strewn beaches of Beirut, Alaska, and Australia.  Now, I can't help but imagine.

So, yesterday I took pictures of the just a portion of the beauty that surrounds us. 

Workers have been constructing a new pier after Hurricane Ivan removed significant portions of the last one.  We've been anxiously awaiting it's projected completion in May. 

Can't you just feel the sunshine reflecting off the water?  Nice.

Clicking on the photos will bring you so close, you might even feel the sand between your toes.

Yes, this is truly a beautiful place to live.