Blue Jade Saturday

On the weekend I had 3 hours to myself while my son attended a friends birthday party. This meant lots of time could be spent at Michaels and better yet...they were having a great sale on beads! I was able to take my time and let the creative energy take me in the direction of the day. 

These are a few of the pieces I came up with that afternoon : )

I also got supplies to start on my special butterfly craft......



Pretty butterflies

Today was one of those days where everything had a "glitch" yet one of those days where it all worked out....for that I say "thank you".....

I needed to get to my peaceful place so I took out my jewelry cart..wheeled it to the dining room and got into my zone. I channeled everything I saw in the cart and came up with a couple of pieces.

This one is a glass locket that I inserted a couple of pretty pink butterflies...with bling of course : )



Pretty butterfly



reverse side



and another.....

Feathers were everywhere today.....thank you precious angels!



Someday!

I was watching The Voice tonite and Rob Thomas, who is one of the coaches, was explaining how a great song is one that takes you somewhere. This song takes me to the place in my heart that longs for all things wonderful!

 My Libra self is constantly leveling the scales.....a little bit for you...a little bit for you and a little bit for you. It's my nature to care deeply for all the people in my life and to make sure that they are O.K. but lately I feel like my light has dulled. Don't get me wrong...I would do anything for anyone but I know that I need to take care of my precious spirit and let my light shine to it's greatest potential.

I love to read quotes and to read and learn about life and have developed a desire to understand the spiritual side of me. I did have a "lightbulb" moment the other day.....I post quotes thinking I am doing it to share with others but I believe that I do it to convince myself.

There is so much bad and we are constantly reminded of it through media, the actions of the people around us and even through our own eyes. Our eyes are the windows to the soul and it is really easy to let the bad seep into your core and get you down.

My heart feels good and my spirit feels rejuvenated when I see this video....I of course cry because that is what I do for every emotion...this one gets me though because it shows how things are wonderful if you let them......there is good in the world.  Let your light shine!!!

I think of my precious butterfly who has found her light...not in our world... but in an amazingly beautiful place where we will meet again.

"Spread your wings and fly pretty little butterfly"

Doodle!

One of my favorite childhood memories is that of the "Doodleart". I was about 9 years old and our family was living in Grande Prairie. I come from a large family and there was always someone extra living with us as well. There was always a place for whoever needed a somewhere to live. It was a busy house but one where alot of memories were formed for me. One of those memories was the Rainforest Doodleart which was laid out on the dining room table waiting for anyone to come along and color a leaf, a bird or a flower. Many hours were spent on that poster and I can still picture it so vividly in my mind. It was not an activity that was just for the little ones but it was for the big ones too....anyone who wanted to contribute. It brought us together taking part in creativity. Creativity has a way of doing that.....

The other day I was in a bookstore looking for a card and I came across a "Doodleart"!!! and not just any Doodleart but a Butterfly Doodleart. My friend Angele at work said to me the other day "Katherine it is like the butterflies flock to you.....everywhere we go there they are". There was no hesitation...that Doodleart was coming home with me. I started it today and know that it will take many hours to complete but the time spent on it will be relaxing, calming and centering for me. There is so much technology out there and there will only be more to come. Purchasing the Doodleart brings me back to my childhood to reflect on the memories and to do something that seems to be a lost art.....It's old school and it feels really good to do something that perhaps went out decades ago.

I will always be attracted to butterflies while I continue to protect the memories of my precious butterfly angels...perhaps this is God's way of saying they are O.K.......The other day I had a moment where nothing seemed real and then I realized that it was.......I know that will happen from time to time.... Things change, people change and our lives change...not always like a pretty picture but everything has a way of coming back in a different way to help us. It's the same but different..new ways to experience the experience in a different time.....create new memories.....

At the right moment

I was recently in a bookstore with my sister in law Cheryl while vacationing in Invermere, B.C. We were each looking for specific books for our own specific life journeys. I saw a book that I read everyday and recommended it to Cheryl. As I was explaining it to her a woman walked by and said "I have that book, it is fabulous and it seems to always pertain to the moment in which I am reading it".

The book is called "The Book of Awakening"  - Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have...written by Mark Nepo. In the Foreword of the book it says "Mark had cancer, and it shook him awake. His desent into illness gave birth to an astonishing mindfulness. Now he invites us to use his eyes and heart to see and feel how awake our being alive can be. Having survived his cancer, Mark is grateful simply to breathe. But more than gratefulness he brings wisdom, clarity, kindness, and a passionate enthusiasm for sucking the marrow out of moments, out of the bones of time.

I am going to share today's excerpt as it pertains to this moment in time for me and what I have recently been writing about.

"A friend was traveling around Europe, training from city to city. Despite her plans, her interest drew her in different directions, and a path unfolded that she couldn't have foreseen. Each point of discovery led to the next, as if some logic out of view were guiding her. During this phase of her journey, though she often wasn't sure where she was, she never felt lost. It was when she needed to arrive at a certain station at a certain time that she felt she was off course, astray, and at a fringe of where she was supposed to be. 
All this led her to realize that the more narrow her intentions on any one given day, the more she felt behind, late, and lost. In contrast, the wider her net of designs, the more often she felt a sense of discovery. Regardless of where she had to be, it seemed that the more open to possibility and change she was, the more she felt like every moment she came upon was holding a treasure she was supposed to find.
Of course, there will always be times that we need to find our very precise way. But more often than not, our image of a destination is only a starting point that we cling to needlessly. When we can free up our sense of needing to arrive in a certain place, we lessen the weight of being lost. And once, beneath arriving and beneath our fear of failing to arrive, the real journey begins."

This basically sums up me at this moment. I am going to open my heart completely....I am going to write, and write and write....perhaps create some new jewelry or even paint...I am going to do what feels right at the moment. I trust and have faith in the path that has been quietly chosen for me. I will discover it for myself when I am meant to.  

Amazing inspiration

http://www.kindovermatter.com/2012/08/dont-give-up-finding-gratitude-through.html

I follow this blog on my Facebook and today I read this story which made me cry. The words that flowed enabling the story to be told exactly the way that it needed to be were extremely touching. 

I recently wrote about how I wasn't sure what to write.....This story came at the precise moment that I needed it to...it made me realize that I don't need to think so much about what I feel that I should write. I need to write from my heart and let my fingers form the words on the keypad. I have thoughts and experiences and inspirations that I would love to share.....I need to stop thinking "Well what if it's not interesting and what if nobody reads it" I need to undo the ties that hold me down and feel free to go forward with whatever it is that I enjoy doing at the time. I love the jewelry making, I love to take pictures, and I love to research new crafts. It's time now to go for it...put myself out there...take a risk and let go.

Uncertainty

It has been a while since I have written and I could say that it is because it is summer and we have been busy. That would be partly true...we have had a busy wonderful summer doing everything that summer brings. We have gone on a couple of awesome vacations, enjoyed the many activities Edmonton has to offer and spent time with family and friends. My son recently turned 6....another year has passed and a new chapter is about to begin. He starts Grade 1 in 2 weeks which I find hard to accept at times...he was just a baby not so long ago!

The main reason I have not written is because I have not known what to say. I am feeling a bit "lost" in my creativity and life journey. I have had a knot of creativity in my heart for so many years waiting to bust out and make it's presence known...I can feel it trying so desperately to appear. 

I have been making jewelry, which I truly enjoy but don't quite know if it is "my passion"....I know it was one of Kari's passions.  I made pieces I hoped would reflect why I had started, which was to keep Kari close to me. I felt her spirit with me the minute I put the first bead on that string. I don't want to lose that feeling and I am scared that if the jewelry making doesn't continue that I will lose that connection......Totally silly to say I know but a feeling none the less. I have never known exactly what my passion is....I joke that I don't know what I want to be when I grow up! I truly wish I did. I have grown in so many ways, personally, professionally and spiritually and I do hope that the butterfly emerges from it's cocoon and shows me the flight path.....

I have a solar butterly light in my garden which I have never seen work. The other night when I went to bed I asked Kari to visit as I really was needing that. The next night after Anthony's birthday party Tony and I sat in the backyard to unwind. I told Tony about my wish and he said "Well I think she heard you". He pointed to the garden and the butterfly light was shining so bright...flickering red, then blue..green and yellow. It was a heart warming scene and "I thank you Kari" xox

I will continue with the jewelry because I do love it....perhaps Kari will throw me an idea that I will be able to say "That's it!"...

A beautiful surprise

Anthony's last day of Kindergarten was on Thursday June 27th.....I can't believe my baby has evolved into a kindergarten graduate!!! The time has gone by so quickly. I remember people always saying "oh they grow up so quickly"...I can say that is the absolute truth. 
He came home with a bunch of stuff but the most precious was his Coronation School Kindergarten Portfolio. His teacher, Mrs. Webb had gathered everything that they did throughout the year and put it together in a memory book. What a wonderful idea!
I looked through the portfolio smiling at everything that I saw but the one that caught my eye and most of all my heart was the 3rd page. It was a watercolor painting of a butterfly! His description card said that he chose a butterfly because they are beautiful and special.  
I know that Anthony has a special connection with Kari and as time goes on more moments present themselves as a way of solidifying that relationship.  Kari and Anthony only had a few short months to really get to know one another but it is one that didn't need alot of time to form the deep roots.
It is also said that children are very spiritual it is the grown ups who squash it....some of us are scared to accept the fact that children see or hear or connect with the ones that have left this earth....I want to nurture this ability with Anthony. I am very spiritual and I want Anthony to embrace it if he chooses to.
Anthony's painting has a special place by Kari so that she can enjoy it while we do.....

New additions

Treasure Life

 On Sunday May 20th I was blessed with the opportunity to accompany my sister Charlene on a road trip to the Ol' MacDonald Resort near Stettler, AB to join families who had spent the weekend at the Children's Heart Society Campout. This is an opportunity for families with children who have heart disease to get out and have some fun and to be with other kids who are living life like they are.


We went to spend some time discussing the Treasure Bead program which was launched at the Stollery Children's Hospital for the "heart kids" in January of 2011 by the Treasure Life Foundation. This foundation was formed as a legacy to honor the memory of my great nephew Evan who passed away from Congenital Heart disease in 2006.


To start, each child is given a string with a Treasure Life anchor bead symbolizing the start of their journey. Then a "Child Life" bead is added which represents the many wonderful people who help the kids at the hospital. After this it is a personal journey with each bead representing a procedure that the child has gone through. It could be a needle, an x-ray, an echocardiogram, surgery and of course so many more I can't even name..the kids and parents remember it all.


 Many of the children hadn't started their bead chains so they were extremely excited to be able to document their personal journey with their heart. It brought so much joy to my heart to talk to the families and to see the love and joy they felt doing this.

Procedure beads...a few of many.

These beads were her journey!

Me and my sister.

It was a wonderful day that I got to spend with my sister and with families who touched my heart!


To learn more about the Treasure Life Foundation please visit: http://www.treasurelife.ca/
and the Children's Heart Society: http://www.childrensheart.org/

The Power of Yellow

  It was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon and I was outside staining my Adirondack chairs a wonderful yellow. I wanted a color that would make the yard pop. After I had put one coat on I sat down to enjoy a drink and chat with Anthony. He was sitting on my lap and we were discussing bees and "waspes" as he calls them. All of a sudden something absolutely amazing happened. A butterfly came up on to the deck and fluttered right by us. It was the biggest yellow butterfly unlike anything I have ever seen. I do not remember ever seeing a yellow butterfly. I have only witnessed the little white ones or the orange Monarchs. It was breathtaking and it left both Anthony and I utterly speechless. All we could do was stare at each other both knowing exactly what and who it was...Kari. I take that moment and hold it tight....I will never forget that moment.
A few days later I was catching up with my best friend Drina and she said that she had the most spectacular story to share.
She was outside in her garden and the biggest most beautiful yellow butterfly fluttered into her yard. Without even a pause she spoke out loud "Kari...it's you!...you are so beautiful. You're O.K I know you are....My Mom is with you..is she O.K?" She thought nothing of the fact that she was talking to a butterfly because she knew she wasn't.....it was Kari.

Drina, Anthony and I were blessed with the opportunity to spend a few precious moments with our beautiful yellow butterfly...but what is so dear to my spirit at this moment is the fact that we shared it together....not in the same yard and not at the same time but in the same spiritual way. We are in tune with the many wonders that life has to offer and we are walking the same spiritual journey together. Being best friends is in itself the most precious gift but to be able to share our spirits is the best blessing ever!

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life.  And everyone deserves a little sunshine.  ~Jeffrey Glassberg

  

Water Bugs & Dragonflies

My Mother was telling me about this story...it's beautiful. Enjoy.....

Water Bugs and Dragonflies
By Doris Stickney

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs.  They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun.  For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond.

They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about with its friends.  Clinging to the stem of a pond lily, it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.

“Look”, said one of the water bugs to another.  “One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk.  Where do you suppose she is going?”

Up, up it went slowly.  Even as they watched, the water bug disappeared from sight.  Its friends waited but it didn’t return.

“That’s funny!” said one water bug to another.

“Wasn’t she happy here?” asked a second water bug.

“Where do you suppose she went?” wondered a third.

No one had an answer.  They were greatly puzzled.  Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together.  “I have an idea.  The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why.”

“We promise,” they said solemnly.

One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk.  Up, up, up he went.  Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water, and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.

When he awoke, he looked about with surprise.  He couldn’t believe what he saw.  A startling change had come to his old body.  His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail.  Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings.  The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body.  He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water.  He had become a dragonfly.

Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air.  He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere.  By and by, the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest.  Then it was, that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond.  Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs!  There they were, scurrying about, just as he had been doing some time before.

Then the dragonfly remembered the promise.  “The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why”.

Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down.  Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away.  Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water.

“I can’t return!” he said in dismay.  “At least I tried, but I can’t keep my promise.  Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body.  I guess I’ll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too.  Then they’ll understand what happened to me and where I went.”
The dragonfly then winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air.

Saturday morning inspiration

It is a beautiful Saturday morning! The sun was shining brightly in the dining room window so I sat down at the table and put this together. Sometimes ideas come when you aren't planning for them....

The time was right

A couple of pieces I made tonite. I had these heart beads for a while but it was not until tonite that I knew how to put them together. Life is alot like that too.....it all comes together when the time is just right!

There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart . . . pursue those.

Author Unknown

Pretty Butterfly

You can shed tears that she is  gone
 or you can smile

because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray

that she’ll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow

and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow

because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she’s gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

http://youtu.be/yt8MAFApHWg

In time you will know

It has been almost a year since Kari passed away..... It is so hard to imagine that the time has gone so quickly. It has been a year of many ups and downs as I try and deal with my loss. Mine is of course so much different than her Mother's, her Father's, her Sister's and most of all her children's. We all had our own relationship with Kari and are dealing and trying to understand it in our own way.

I can say that through her passing there has come some understanding, not about what happened or why it happened because I still try and piece it together. There is no way that I can but my mind wants to balance the scales....I am a true Libra. The understanding comes in the form of my spirituality. I have been what could be referred to a a sideliner.....I would watch and listen and take away what I thought I should at the time. Now I feel like I am in the centre of the learning and growing and understanding. There is still so much to discover about this life that we have been given but I feel like I am ready to really "see" things in the way I am meant to. I feel like I am getting ready to bust out of my own coccoon....that my purpose is being unveiled... 

I have decided that I am going to slow down and make a point to see something everyday. Take a minute to really look at someone, or something or even a situation. It's quite an amazing feeling to have that moment sink deep within your soul and see it differently. I had a revelation of a moment that happened last year. I don't remember alot of the small details from the past but this one has stuck with me and I have finally figured out why. 

It was Friday morning at the daycare the day after Kari's Celebration of Life. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were dropping Anthony at daycare so that we could go and golf in the Treasure Life golf tournament. While we were waiting for the doors to open at 7:00 a semi truck drove up to the 4 way stop. On the passenger side door were the words "Kay Jay Trucking". At the time I noticed the name and thought...wow..that's cool. Looking back at it now I have finally figured it out....it was Kari....."hey guys here I am"....she wanted to get a glimpse of us and for us to get a glimpse of her. It took me a year to appreciate this moment for what I think it was. I know that some people would say "Oh, it's just a coincidence" but in my mind it was Kari......   

Take the time to really see..and to appreciate what is in your life. It is such a wonderful experience!

I love you Kari and I miss you....

Run Wild 2012

Saturday afternoon I charged my iPod in preparation for the run on Sunday morning. When it was finished I let Anthony listen to it as he done so many times in the past. Later on I asked him where it was..."I don't know Mamma"...really??? We scoured my tiny house....no where to be found!...really??? I thought of my Mother and how she prays to St Anthony, the Patron Saint of lost items. Perhaps this Anthony knew where it was. Nope.....Not much I could do..had to let it go. I was obviously not meant to listen to my running music while I was running. Sunday morning I woke up with my kidney pains...really??? then I had a nervous stomach...really??? I had a hearty breakfast got my running gear on and Tony, Anthony and I left for St. Albert. It was an absolutely beautiful sunny, crisp morning.  

I was feeling overwhelmed...but I was ready. I was here...and I was going to run 10 km!!

Little man walked me to the starting line...off I went. I know why I wasn't meant to listen to my music...I was meant to be in tune with the moment, my surroundings, the people along side me and mostly with myself. It was time to do something completely by myself for myself...and I did it!!! I did it in 1:05:06...almost 2 minutes better than last year. 
I know my pretty little butterflies were with me too xox

With all of the glitches before the race...they were minor in the grand scheme of things.

When things get rough and you think that there are forces at work putting obstacles in your path..remember it is most likely yourself...... Let love carry you through......



A few more

I think I had a creative growth spurt today......

Some sweet pendants I found....added the Swarovski Crystal butterfly pendants.

With a saying also on the reverse side.

Love the wood butterfly beads!

Something new

Love will carry you through

http://vimeo.com/runwild/leading-edge-runwild-marathon

This video always inspires and motivates me to push through.

Last year I ran this race the day after Kari passed away which was the most difficult day of my life. I thought about not going in the race but staying home would not bring Kari back.

I put on my running gear, had a hearty breakfast and went to the race. I am pretty sure I ran it in a state of shock and on adrenalin. My best friend Drina and I started out together but by about the half way mark we split up. It was an uncommunicated..."Go on Katherine you can do it without me right beside you"....I did do it. I actually talked to Kari the rest of the way telling her "I helped you...now it's your turn to help me". At one point my legs felt like they were going to give out but I pushed through and let the love carry me the rest of the way. It was extremely overwhelming once I approached the finish line...I never imagined that I would be able to run a 10 km race...I did it!!! Tony and Anthony were waiting for me at the finish line and it was amazing......

This year I am running it alone as Drina is unable to. I was disappointed of course when I found out she couldn't come but when I thought about it... I was able to finish it alone last year, I will be able to run it alone this year. Even though I will be alone in body I won't be alone in spirit. I know that Kari and Jayda will be flying beside me..maybe they will even let me hitch a ride on their wings!!!

I have a goal set for tomorrow but if I don't meet it that's O.K. I am proud of myself and what I have been able to accomplish. 

We all have things that we are scared to do or feel we can't do but if we let the love carry us through we can do just about anything you set our minds to.  

Forever Love

During the past year I have really taken an interest in gaining insight into the spiritual part of our being. I read, I listen and I talk. I take comfort knowing there are other people who believe that there is a much larger force that guides us, teaches us and prepares us. I read this poem today and it is truly profound. "Mother" would also apply to Grandmother, Father, Grandfather, Sister, Brother, Aunt, Uncle, Daughter, Son or Friend and for each of us there is a peace that comes from believing that our loved ones are in grand hands, while still close enough for us to know that they are always with us. 

I thought of you and closed my eyes
And prayed to God today.
I asked what makes a Mother
And I know I heard him say.

A Mother has a baby
This we know is true.
But God can you be a Mother
When your baby's not with you?

Yes, you can He replied
With confidence in His voice
I give many women babies
When they leave is not their choice.

Some I send for a lifetime
And others for a day.
And some I send to feel your womb
But there's no need to stay

I just don't understand this, God
I want my baby here
He took a breath and cleared His throat
And then I saw a tear.

I wish I could show you
What your child is doing today.
If you could see your child smile
With other children and say

"We go to earth to learn our lessons
Of love and life and fear.
My Mommy loved me oh so much
I got to come straight here.

I feel so lucky to have a Mom
Who had so much love for me
I learned my lesson very quickly
My mommy set me free.

I miss my Mommy oh so much
But I visit her each day.
When she goes to sleep
On her pillow's where I lay.

I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek
And whisper in her ear.
Mommy don't be sad today
I'm your baby and I'm here."

So you see my dear sweet one
Your children are ok
Your babies are here in My home
And this is where they'll stay.

They'll wait for you with Me
Until your lesson is through.
And on the day that you come home
They'll be at the gates for you.

So now you see what makes a Mother
It's the feeling in your heart.
It's the love you had so much of
Right from the very start.

Through some on earth may not realize you are a Mother,
Until their time is done.
They'll be up here with Me one day
And you know you're the best one!

~ Author Unknown

Arizona Inspiration

During a recent trip to Arizona my sister in law Michele and her sister Jacquie went to an outdoor market and came back with a neclace made from a wine cork....who would have thought of that idea? Cool!! They supplied me with some funky corks (not hard to gather those in my house!) so that I could give it a try.



I sat down with my supplies this afternoon and this is what I came up with......fun!

These would look great with your favorite swim suit at the beach, to the park with your kids or maybe even to a wine tasting!! (maybe you'll get to take the corks home!)

The Man and the Butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly

One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched

the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force

its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop

making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far

as it could and it could not go any farther.

The man decided to help the butterfly, he took a pair of

scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly them emerged easily,  but it had a swollen body

and small shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected

that any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be

able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened!

in fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around

with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that

the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly

to get through the tiny opening were nature's way of forcing fluid

from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight 

once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. 

If we went through life without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been

and we could never fly.  

~Author Unknown

Sunday afternoon

It was a wonderful Sunday! Cleaned house amidst the aroma of pasta sauce simmering on the stove. Anthony anticipated the lasagna all afternoon and when it finally came time to eat, wolfed down 2 great big bowls!!! Way to go Daddy! DELICIOUS.......
It has been a while since I sat down to make any jewelry and part of my happiness project is get reconnected to the jewelry and Kari......that brings a smile to my heart....I'm sure she would like what I came up with today.

The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy; I mean that if you are happy you will be good.

- Bertrand Russell