Chat…Just Because

I have a thing for dragonflies. I’ve known it for a while, but who else really needs to have this information, right? Ah, but a blog is for sharing, so share I must.

I’m not talking a freaky, obsessive dragonfly thing. It’s just that every time I see a dragonfly or a picture or other representation of one, I usually stop and consider its beauty. On a very few occasions, I have purchased items that include dragonfly images, but nothing over the top or even remotely noteworthy.

So what’s the attraction? I mean, we’re talking about an insect for heaven’s sake. A bug, for all intents and purposes. And anyone who knows me, knows I’m a totally girly-girl, who while I don’t faint, flee or shriek at the sight of small crawling or flying creatures, I also don’t go out seeking their company on purpose.

There just seems to be an inherent beauty and freedom about dragonflies for me, I guess. I don’t think about their life cycle, what they eat, how they survive, or even how they look close up. I just see them for what they are at that moment, flying in front of me or illustrated on the pages of a publication or in a piece of art. They catch my eye and pull my focus. Their delicate wings are a blur, their flight pattern is fleeting and unpredictable. I think I like them because they remind me to stop and appreciate them at that precise moment in time.

Since I have this little issue with dragonflies, I decided to research the symbolism behind them and found that they represent different things for different cultures, but the ideals are similar: Happiness, renewal, positive life force, hope, change and love. Ah-hah! These are all of the ideals I strive to embrace and project in MY life! No wonder I’m so enamored of them. Coincidence?

I wonder what other beauties of nature catch your eye? Hummingbirds? Swans? Eagles? A rosebush? A simple daisy? A cherry blossom tree in full bloom? A bubbling brook? A majestic snow-capped mountain?

Yay! What a great weekend! Weather was beautiful; hung out with the kids and Don; got in a 1.5 hour hike on Saturday and another long walk on Sunday; and managed to nearly complete five newly designed necklaces! I say nearly because I’m waiting on some clasps to finish off a few of them. Should have those by the end of this week.

Don and I will have a lots of pieces to photograph next weekend, and hopefully after that, we’ll get those pretties out on the site.

In the meantime, check out my cool new silver sandals I bought this weekend! Warm weather can’t get here soon enough, y’know?

My friend over at Pink Lemonade Boutique Bags recently ran a blog post that lists 99 possible things to do this year. While I mentioned in my previous post I’m not one for resolutions, this is fun little exercise, the best part of which was that I didn’t need to come up with the 99 things! (I have my own personal list I’d like to focus on for the year, but I’m only on number 42.) So while I continue to expand my list, here is the premade list with the items I’ve completed in bold.

You could do this on your blog, or just have fun comparing notes with your friends and family!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii and danced on a lava cliff with the roar of the Pacific below (I wish!)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (not quite; Disneyworld, yes)
8. Climbed a mountain (does a six-mile hike in Colorado Rockies count?)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (ok, it was a fleeting moment, but it happened)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (nope, just in Las Vegas)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (I did a voiceover for a commercial)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (walked on the edge, but didn’t swim; too smelly)
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Ok, so here’s one from my personal list:
Spent a month vacationing in the Mediterranean with my family on a friend’s yacht (preferably, my friend George Clooney)

Can you add one (or more) of your fun things you’d like to do to this list?

Ahh, a fresh new year! It’s like all of the past year’s less-than-stellar occurrences are somehow erased, and we now have a clean slate with which to work. I’ll remember all of the good stuff that happened in 2008, and move forward with an open mind toward all of the wonderful things that will happen in 2009.

I’m not one for formal resolutions, but I do take time to reflect what personal goals I would like to accomplish this year, what home improvement projects we can tackle, where we might like to travel, and make a fun list any other big projects we’re contemplating. I’ve also got a running list of Just Because Jewelry goals and business objectives to examine and put into action. 

Photo by Elyse

This is my way of mapping out a loose game plan, so that I don’t lose sight of what I believe to be important at the moment. Of course, the list is subject to change and flow, just like life, and so I look forward to that too!

So far this coming year, we know Madeline will head off to college in the fall, Parker will get his driver’s license, I’ll turn 44, Elyse will get her driver’s permit, and Adam will be home from Iraq. Beyond that …

What big plans or changes do you see on the horizon for yourself?

Happy New Year!

A few posts ago I mentioned that my daughter, Madeline, was chosen to attend the Missouri Fine Arts Academy for three weeks of intensive study in the field of theatre. The program is designed for artistically gifted high school juniors and seniors to achieve their full artistic potential and strive to attain higher goals.

During the second week of the program, she was asked by the program’s director if she would be interested in preparing and delivering a ‘student’s perspective’ speech at the closing convocation ceremony attended by all participants, their parents and the MOFAA staff at the end of the third week. Here’s a picture of Parker, Madeline and Elyse that day before the ceremony.

What an honor! Of course she was thrilled to accepted the request, and using her journalistic talents, wrote an insightful, witty and intelligent message. She then proceeded to deliver it to an audience of more than 500 with the poise, confidence and maturity of a seasoned professional speaker.

It was quite a moment, which thankfully, Don got on tape. Madeline is certainly no stranger to public speaking, but listening to the content of her copy, watching her in action, and hearing other parents compliment her (and me) afterwards, makes me so proud.

I gush I guess, but being her mom, I can, right? But that’s not all. The following week she was home from the academy, the director e-mailed her, noted how impressed she was with the speech, and asked if she would make a speech in August to the Missouri State Board of Education in Jefferson City, MO on behalf of the academy. Wow! I’m not sure how many 17-year-olds get this type of opportunity, but I’ll go out on a limb here and guess not a whole lot.

You’ll find me sitting in the audience on that particular day, listening intently, basking shamelessly, and giving thanks to all that is happening at that moment. My children and family are a great source of pride and inspiration to me, and I hope you understand why I like to indulge in expressing my happiness for their accomplishments.