It's a great day for new beginnings! My bff is almost divorced...good for her.
I am almost ready to celebrate 25 years of marriage, good for me!
May the years ahead, be wonderful for us both...Amen!

Just another day.

Today, I woke up early and got to the gym for a class by 8:00am then afterwards, went to have coffee with a friend who is in charge of a silent auction and in need of donated items. She came to my house and I gave her a few items of jewelry for the cause. Then it was time to practice my Spanish lessons with Rose. I don't like Rose much, she doesn't give me any English translations...Rosetta Stone that is.

Ok, so now it's time to eat something. Eggs are always good for protein, shared this with another girlfriend, then headed to get my gray hair colored, then back to the gym for cardio. Sweaty and tired, time to eat again. Sushi and then over to Kroger for groceries. Now, I'm again with Rose and her accent...I do hope I fall asleep tonight.
Audi-os (spelling is my downfall in either language)

Moving To Mexico or Not...

I have decided to start trying to make more effort with my blog, it's been a long time since I've updated it.
Recently there has been some talk about my husband and I moving to Mexico. This would be something of a joint venture with the company Al, works for now and another plastics molding plant in San Juan Del Rio, Mexico. So that is the city he would work in and we would look to some where to live that was within an hours drive to the plant. Driving in Mexico, is a bit like a duck race...everyone gets to the line at the same time and the most aggressive one gets to go first. Stop signs are a suggestion, and lanes are sometimes created where you need one to be.

Al and I spent 5 days in the area looking for housing options. The first thing that I didn't understand was that there are some real cultural differences in what is considered when building a house. I traveled to a few other countries outside of the USA, and in all there was inside heat available, and bath tubs.  I would have never thought to think any differently, but in Mexico both are not typically available. First, it is considered to be too expensive to add heating/cooling units into the plan when most days out of a year it isn't that hot, or that cold, at least, in the middle, of the of the country.  I can't speak for Mexico City, or resorts because they are different from Quetetaro, Teqisqueapian, and San Juan Del Rio...all middle cities.

I don't think like an Mexican, I think like an American, and I think everyone should have heat/cooling and bath tubs,first mistake.  So after much searching I had to realize that I wasn't going to get a perfect place. I did find some places that had these amenities but they were too far away from the plant and the drive would have been too far for Al, to drive everyday. So, I either had to change my way of thinking or I would be totally disappointed in the experience, so I just started to think differently. When in Rome, so to speak.

There are some lovely places to be rented in the areas we were looking at, some small, some very large, some were furnished and others were decorated. There is a difference and if you can get decorated, that's what you want. But, in life, there is a price to pay for every choice you make. What do you give up to get the other thing that is more important to your life style?

Do you let your material side win out and rent the lovely, decorated home with a pool, and totally modern, spacious rooms that is outside of the city center and isolated win out over the smaller city apartment, that has everything you need, within walking distance, and activities all around you? Or do you just know yourself better than that, and realize that you would rather be around people, activities, a better chance to meet and be around other English speaking people, and be in the city center, with a smaller apartment? The house in Teqisqueapian (see below pic) is so tempting! But, I would be lonely there. It is in a sleepy little town, with not a lot of activities, and hardly any other ex-pats living in that area. Would you come and visit me in the fancy house, with the pool?  Oh yea, there is a Gardner, and a maid along with a pt. driver too. Like I said, tempting!

Shamballa Bracelet Classes

Will be teaching this class on December 5th and again on December 7th. both classes are from
 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm and the cost of class is $20.00 pp with all the supplies or $15.00 if you want to bring your own beads from home ( 8mm size needed)

Call me for more details and location of the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
studio- 248-672-6299

Teaching or not teaching?

I have recently started teaching beading and jewelry construction classes at the local Michael's Crafts Store, I love teaching but it's sort of up to me to get people to sign up. If I go to the store and just hang out talking to customers who are buying things in the jewelry section some times I can let them know we offer classes and talk them into taking one, but who wants to spend their days waiting around on someone who might just like a class? 

I wish I knew of another way to get students. Most of the other teachers that I read about online also work some floor hours as either a cashier or stock person but at my store the instructors are not allowed to work other than their classes. I think I might invest in some small fliers that I can give to the cashiers to hand out to jewelry buying customers.

If you can think of an idea hit me up and let me know what you think!

Edie

Talking to the Wall

Why is it like talking to the wall when you ask for things in life? Honestly, would it be so hard to just give me what I would need to be happy.

Frustrations

Life can be so draining, even if it isn't your drama coming at you, it's always something. In my life right now my daughter took a job in another state as a full time nanny for a family. She Skyped with them several times before she moved away from home and everything seemed well ordered. She based her whole move on their word that they would be paying her set amount of $ for set amount of hours per day, and what do you know...after one week at the job she is told the mother is quitting her job because she misses the baby too much and they will not need her anymore. Hello, what about the fact that she moved all the way from Michigan to Louisiana for them? What about the $ it cost her to drive down there? These jerks aren't even willing to give her any severance or financial consideration above the exact hours she worked!!! I want to smack her silly, or set her hair on fire. What if someone did this to her daughter, would she like it, of course not. I don't know how they can live with this decision and still sleep at night. OMMFG I'm livid right now.

Of course it's not fair, but what can you do. There was no legal contract, she just trusted them. So then you begin to not trust, and only look out for yourself and then that makes for an ugly world. I want life to be beautiful and happy but that isn't the way of things, is it...

Love Summer

Summer has been really nice this year, it's the first time in years that Michigan has had sustained high temperatures, and sunny days in a row!!! I'm loving it, but a lot of other people are not so happy because they live here for cooler weather.
Summer festivals are in full swing and I have been enjoying as many as possible. Just walking around and seeing what's new in the different art booths is usually fun for me, but I don't buy much because I look at what's there and say to myself, "I could make that" and I do if the mood strikes me. I don't copy, but I use the idea for inspiration.

Saw the last Happy Potter Movie last night with Al, we had a great Friday evening. This morning we went to an art fair and then came home and went swimming. Tonight...maybe out dancing. Tomorrow we are going to see a Pole Dancing Competition, one of my friends is entered in it, should be interesting. Ok, going to play with my new pool toy now. Enjoy the sun!

Bye Bye to the JCC

After many years as an employee at the JCC, I decided it was time for a change. I need to be more challenged and to be learning new things. So a new chapter is opening up for me...who knows where it will lead? I will miss all my JCC friends, but hopefully we will keep in touch.

Jamacia this year was great

Although we didn't take many pictures while in Jamacia, we really had a best vacation experience this year, Sandal's was fantastic! We didn't want to leave and a week went by so quickly.

Innocent Facebook Post

Recently, I posted something saying that the sound sytem at the West Bloomfield JCC was broken during an exercise class that I took , the post said "Muscle Jam at WB" it didn't even say the West Bloomfield JCC...anyway today my direct supervisor comes into my office and says "someone saw a Facebook post that said something about a music system being broken...I stopped her right there. I told her that I posted it, and didn't really think anything of it, except maybe it would get fixed. She told me to be more careful, so I wouldn't get in trouble.

I unfriended everyone who works with me! Geez, what a place this is, I feel like the KGB is watching me. What ever happened to free speech?

Garage Sale to raise funds for summer camp at JCC

I recently decided to organize a garage sale because the summer camp program that I work with as part of my full time position at the JCC needed money to buy supplies for the summer. This is a huge undertaking, and very time consuming. I'm spending extra hours at work these days on weekends sorting through donations. This past Sunday I found this item...Brand new BIG, BIG Bra! I had to wonder, who could fit something this large? Since it is in the garage sale, I can only hope the person who bought this has since gotten a breast reduction, and is now more comfortable!

Don't forget to order a new Kippah

Here's what I've been up to...Just read The Lincoln Lawyer and couldn't put it down, it's a real page turner! Now reading Clockwork Angle, it's good but I'm only at the third chapter.

Probably returning P90X.

Interview in the morning, nervous and can't sleep.

My kittens are getting so tall and grown up, but they are still playful.

Had a great night out dancing last Friday, maybe we will repeat it again this weekend! That's it for now.

P90X Still no weight loss

Although it's been awhile now and I have been using the P90X DVD's I have not lost any weight. I can't do all the moves the way they do them on the lesson, so I do what I can and improvise the moves to adapt for my old, kreeky knees. Still, no weight lost which I find a bit crazy. It's hard, and I am working hard when I do the DVD. Not going to give up just yet but it's discouraging.

Different note...we bought a fully automatic Burr Grind & Brew Cuisinart Coffeemaker today and I love it! I love that it can grind our fresh beans and that it can be programed to make the coffee for us in the morning! Doing a happy dance.

P90X DAY 1

I just began the P90X program this morning. It was really tough, I don't think I can wake up early and do this before work, I was too tired to even take a shower right away. I took the day off because of snow so I didn't have to rush this morning. But I am going to have a hard time on mornings when I have to get off to work. I might try doing this in the evenings.
DAY 1

Happiness

I watched Goldie Hawn on the Oprah show talk about Happiness the other day and although I have known that I was not happy for awhile now I didn't really know why. A few of the main things the show said about being happy was that happy people have connections with family, co-workers, and neighbors. That your daily commute to and from work is short, and that you spend at least 3 hours each day talking to people.
I am not the complaining type and usually I'm very positive but this is what I've known for a long time...my job at work is very isolating. I work in a beautiful private office, but I have little to no interaction with other people every day for 8 hours a day!


At home my loving and wonderful husband is gone M-F for his job which is out of town. My 22yr. old daughter who lives at home is not around that much and she has her own life. I don't know my neighbors, I have no other family here in Michigan, and life is too short. I'm getting depressed about all of this and I need to make some changes.


What kinds of jobs would be better for me? I thought of going back into the food and beverage business but I don't want to stand on my feet all day. Teaching art would be great for me but where do you find students?
Then it hit me, why not become a nanny? I love children, and I'm very kind and loving, I like teaching and children love art. So maybe it would be considered a set back from the corporate world but who am I trying to impress (No one). All I need to is be happy and appreciated and get paid a reasonable amount of money for the job and heaven knows The Jewish Community Center doesn't pay that well!!!


So that's what I'm thinking about these days.

My Blog

My Blog Jan 24th Meet-Up Group

So as I promised here is a picture showing all the PMC creations the group made this evening. What the ladies didn't know was that what they did in one night would usually take two sessions, but darn I'm a good teacher!

My Meet -Up Group/ Art Club

This Monday my art club will be meeting in my home studio to make some PMC clay jewelry. I sure do hope we have enough time to finish the projects in one evening. I need to start cleaning my house now, so bye. I will post pictures from the group next week!
I love teaching art!!!

Die Hard AOL user

Just got a new computer for home and much to the dismay of my husband I had my son help me to install aol desk top. I love the look and hate change.

Marly Zach Will Be Famous

11/12/10 Tonight I was lucky enough to attend the Andover High School performance of Hair Spray. The Actress who played the role of Tracy, was portrayed by Marly Zach. This was my first time to see Marly perform in a play although I've heard her sing many times, I never knew what a good actress she was. Zach hit every line, was so in character that I thought I was watching the Broadway show, and she was funny! Her skill to convince you that this was all REAL was amazing! I can only say this... one day I will be getting back stage passes because I'm her friend.

They are only kittens for a short time

Just look how they are growing...like cute little weeds!

Time for some art

It's been a long time since I've made anything artistic, what with summer camp taking up so much of my time and now the new kittens. Which by the way are just wonderful, and growing like weeds!

So here is something I made for a gallery show I am in this month. It is a "Green Show" all recycled materials!

Not Enough Kittens

We have new kittens, but these aren't feral, they are the newest members of our family. Litter-mates, Bella & Beau!

I even made them hammocks to sleep in, they hang from our kitchen chairs. We already love!

My Feral Babies are Back!

Over the winter a new batch of baby kittens was born. Recently I got to see them for the first time this summer, the mother and grandmother cats brought them up on the porch to feed. There are four new kittens, but only two were brave enough to come out in the open.

Domino and new mother above.

Two of 4 new kittens.

Some Vacation is better than No Vacation right?

We planned a short trip to Cozumel, Mexico thinking we would get away from the chilly weather and gray skies of Michigan because of course Mexico would be sunny and warm, but guess what? It was rainy and gray there too, at least 2 out of the 4 days we were there. It was beautiful, the resort was beautiful, the food was really fresh, I enjoyed being away with AL, but  something was missing, oh yea...night life. There was nothing to do at night. Better go to  Vegas next time!

 Still it was better then no vacation, and I am going to New Orleans in a few weeks to visit my girlfriend Donna Forte, and she assures me it is hot and sunny there. Have no fear... we will DANCE! Oh, don't get me wrong, I had a great time with Al, and the evenings weren't a total loss... !!! Just look at this bed.

Empty Nesting is lonely

Well, today my daughter Madison drove off, down the street on her way to travel to her new home. North Dakota is a long way from Michigan and although her best girlfriend (Alex) is there North Dakota doesn't hold much appeal for me or anyone else I know. Madison needed to leave home and learn how to be more independent but this is just a bit much...not to mention in the middle of nowhere, but it was her decision and even though I don't like it I am supporting her. In the back of my mind I secretly hope Madison will only be out there for a few months and then decide to come back home, it gets really cold in the winter, and how much fun can 60 degrees below zero be?

My home will be neater, cleaner, but also quite and lonely, I think I might break down and get another kitten. I miss her already and it just dawned on me this morning that none of my kids are ever going to live in the same town that I live in. I've always wanted to have all my children live close to me so we could have big family dinners and spend holidays together, but that was just a dream that I now know will only remain a fairytale in my own heart. When all my family gets together the reality is it's never that much fun anyway but I would still like to work on it...now it's not even a dream for me. People are busy, life goes on and before you know it another year has passed.

I think I might get a new kitten!
Shalom, till next time.

My November 2009

This past Thanksgiving I had a birthday and my whole family was in town with me, it's the first time that both of my sons were here with me in 10 years!  I was so happy that they were here and we could all be together as a family.  No matter what problems we have, no matter how crazy we can be, there is nothing like being around your family.  My husband Al is a fantastic cook, and he really made us a wonderful meal...poor guy he cut his finger, burned his arm, and hurt his back making this meal...but it sure was tasty! My brother-in-law (Ron Verbonach) is a super Mr. Fix it, and he got my electrical outlets on my side of the bathroom to work again...Al helped too and they both changed out the light bulbs in our lobby chandiler which is up really high and very hard to work on!  So if that wasn't enough my carpet installers were able to get the guest bedrooms ready in time for my family so that they had nice new carpet in the guest bedrooms.  

I'm full of joy, and life is good! 

NEW Carpeting in my house

The new carpet is here!  Well, actually only part of the job is installed right now but next weekend the rest of it will be put in place!!!


The basement is the textured gray and the upstairs is a plush gray called Pewter which looks slightly purple at times.  I love them both!


Thanks to seeking out an installer from Craig's List I was able to save a considerable amount of money. Also, thanks to the Andover High School Wresteling Coach Jerry for organizing some of his players to move the very thick and heavy dinning room glass table top for us, it weights around 800 pounds and we couldn't have moved it without their help. Thanksgiving will be wonderful this year...all my family together and new carpet!

Finding an Exercise Partner

I would love to find an exercise partner, someone who likes to work out and could push me along till it got more enjoyable. I'm not only a hater of exercising but also very impatient and when I work out for two days and haven't seen 10 LBS drop I say "See this isn't even working" and quit.  I work at a facility that has a full gym for crying out loud, why don't I get on board?  I know I need the cardio stuff the most but that is the most boring part of working out...it's so BORING!  So what I need is someone who will inspire me. 


Do you know anyone?

Thanksgiving Gathering

I just recently firmed up the travel arrangements for both of my sons to come to Michigan and see me for Thanksgiving/My Birthday.  It has been years since all of us were together and I am very excited to see both of them and to have my sister and her husband here too.  I of course want everything to be perfect but that means making some purchases which I'm good with but I wanted all the new carpet to be installed before everyone got here which isn't going to happen.  So that is a bit upsetting...the installer just is too busy to do the job before Thanksgiving.  We can't afford to pay a higher price which puts our job on the back burner till he can free up some time, it will get done eventually.  Of course I need to be thankful that I have a house to put carpet in, and that we can buy carpet for our house at all, so it's all in the way you look at things.

I'm very fortunate, but I work really hard each day and that says something about it all too.  We help ourselves, we work hard, we make sacrifices when needed so that we can have some nice things in life but mostly I think it is all about doing your best when the opportunity is there to take action. I don't really believe in luck as much as I believe in hard work!

Thankfully this November Sagittarius ... is grateful for so many things in life!

Family Gathering for a Simchah

Recently we went to North Carolina for a double Bar Mitzvah for  Al's cousin Steven (and wife Lori) Katzenstein. Their sons Benjamin and Jacob, were so well prepared and such nice young men, it was a preasure to be there to share this fun Simcha.

 

I have more pictures to upload but these were the first two I did... imagine that?

Painting Realistic

So once again I've taken on a project that for me is quite a big bite. I am not a trained painter by any means, in fact up until recently I never tried to paint anything besides abstract designs or simple things like cup cakes. But now I've tried to do a commissioin of two sweet little girls and let me tell you faces are the hardest thing to paint. To be able to show depth and skin tones and hair colors as realistic is so hard. Maybe if I had gone to art school and spent many hours of formal training doing nothing but this I wouldn't feel so intimidated by this but anyway I am getting off the track... I am going to post the original picture that I ended up painting from, it's different from the one I thought I would use to begin with. Then I will post the follow up paintings and hopefull the final painting when I am completely done.

Tell me what you think?

Online Painting Class with Suzi Blu

progression of the painting...

I have been taking an online painting class with an amazing

instructor/artist Suzi Blu! She is one of these people that on camera appears to be not on camera, she is so comfortable that you think she is in your living room with you, speaking to just you. I sometimes feel like I've made a friend with Suzi because we chat online and email each other often and since I've been on a quest to meet a few new friends this online relationship seems to be more real than some of my face to face friends here lately. Anyway, she is such a wonderful person and her ability to inspire and actually teach is incredible. After just 5 weeks I've been able to draw and paint so much better. Here is the most recent work I've done with her class.

Finished painting!

My Circle of Friends is Getting Smaller.

It has occured to me that I just don't have that many friends that like to or are able to go out during the week day evenings. Some of my friends have small kids at home, most of my friends are married and have a husband or family obligations waiting for them, very few are free during Monday - Thursday evenings. I need to meet some new friends!
I tried to do this by answering an ad in a local paper (Craig's List) but when we actually met there was little the two of us had in common. So how does one meet friends when you are a mature age??? I like to make art, dance, have dinner out, and would exercise more with a partner. It's hard no matter what age you are to meet new friends but especially when you are older. My husband works out of town all week long and that leaves me with an open schedule most evenings and trust me there is only so much art you can make to keep yourself busy. So I am on a quest to expand my circle of friends.
If you like dancing the Somba, going places on a train, want to dance on a Wednesday, and you don't use a cane...
Contact me here and we can see if there is a connection!

Tie Dye By: Laura Willwerth

This past Monday and Tuesday I had the pleasure of watching a real artist ( Laura Willwerth) create or rather produce about 40 beautiful tie dyed tee shirts as gifts for another one of our friends (Brenda Zach) whose daughter (Marly Zach) is going to be in the Stage Door Performance of HAIR! Laura offered her talents to Brenda who is generously giving each cast member one of these great tees as a gift. I wish I had thought to take pictures of all the different patterns that Laura made as we were unveiling them from the plastic bags, but of course I didn't have my camera with me.

I was lucky enough to get one for myself and I took this picture of me wearing mine, and as you can see it really is a thumbs up kind of thing!

Thanks Laura

Precious Metal Clay Lessons

Contact me if you want to take PMC lessons!

CAll 248-967-4030 ext. 2028

Location is at the Oak Park Jewish Community Center, 15110 W. 10 mile road.

Just Catching Up:)

Today I went to Plymouth, MI. for an altered art meeting with MISABA, and it was my first time at one of the meetings. Pam Yee made sure I knew about the meeting because it was so close to where I live. Most of the group meetings are held in Grand Rapids and I can never make those meetings. One of the members of this group Ingrid lead us all in making a lovely Butterfly Book, of her own design. I love the way mine turned out! I'll post a picture later.

Well it's time the the Detroit Dirty Show again! Yes in the middle of the recession the show producers have decided that the Detroit area could support a second show this year. Usually this show runs during Valentine's Day week, the last one was the 10th show. Now we are going to have a 10.5 show in September and I have entered another piece of art for jury. I am such a beginner when it comes to painting people that I'll be really surprised if my piece makes it into the show. In my opinion it's just ok and it is a first try at realistic painting ... I'm not holding my breath.

Summer camp has one week down and 7 more to go. The camps at JPM ran really well last week and everything worked out fine. I did have to teach the first day of pottery camp because our teacher got the dates mixed up but guess what? That time I spent teaching art at Hillel Day School really came in handy because I had to teach a pottery/clay building class then and it all came back to me. I'm did a bang up job of pitch hitting for that class if I do say so myself. I did hurt my back lifting a heavy box of clay and ended up taking one day off work to recover but you can't have everything, can you?

One of my good friends Lauren Ferguson just got published in a book (not a magazine) a book! I'm very happy for her. I am also waiting for Suzi Blu to open registrations for her online portrait painting class. She is the reason I even began painting faces. Everything I know about painting faces and bodies I learned from her online Petite Dolls class. It's a wonderful way to learn to paint, and her techniques are easy to follow... so do a search for her and check out all of her classes.

Love you all lots,
Edie

My Al-grande!

I really am lucky... my Al is so sweet to me! I just want to give him a shout out! This man does all the grocery shopping, laundry, cooking, he even irons his own clothes... not to mention being the best (you fill in the blank) :)~

Stolen Cell Phone

If you are following this please send me your cell phone number because I have to re-create all of my lost contacts.
Thanks

Post Operation

Most people didn't think I was fat or fat enough to undergo such a dramatic surgery but I wasn't happy with my weight and just couldn't loose the belly fat. So I took matters into my own hands and
Well... after making the decision to have my body transformed by way of a Tummy Tuck and Liposuction procedures I am happy to say that I am very satisfied with the results! Although I am still not fully recovered and my doctor says that swelling will continue to go down for a few more months the difference is extremely noticeable and I am happy that I did it.

Surprisingly it was not as painful as I had prepared myself for, or maybe my imagination is just really good at conjuring up the worst? It's been 3 weeks now and I am still very tender and my skin feels very tingly and tight but not painful. I would post before and after pictures but I'd hate to scare anyone, let's just say I still have to make myself workout but after all this I do think twice about each and every bite I take and there is no more late night eating!

Unique Gifts I Can Make For U

Contact me if you would like me to make a book for you.

It's been too long

I know that I haven't been posting here lately but I have been posting blogs on my page at Suzi Blu ning site... I know that's no excuse but I have 3 different blogs now and it's really hard to keep up with them.

So what's new with me... hummm well my husband is in the auto industry and still has a job! I'm so grateful for that, I have a new lady living in my home with me because she didn't have a place to live and I said she could stay with me till she got up on her feet again. Diane is really a wonderful lady and I enjoy her being around the house, she is good company. Madison has been sick but seems to be on the mend now and she is presently with out a boyfriend and that's a good thing. She has the most curious way of always choosing bad boyfriends.

I've just made the cutest bunch of cupcakes that I saw in Cloth Paper Scissors about 8 months ago, I've been looking for the plastic cup bottoms for that long too. I was so surprised to find them at my local Dollar Tree this weekend so I rushed home to make my version of this project. They were so much fun Madison even made one.

What do you think?

Taking care of Fearl Cats

This is Domino and Coco

Domino, Coco, & Ltl Black

Trying to trap Smoky

Not taking the bait!

I am fostering some Fearl Cats and if anyone has any hints for me please pass them along. I've tried to catch them so I could get them spayed or neutered but they are really smart and avoid the trap even with a can of Tuna inside it. I don't want them to keep breeding, so what can I do if they won't go into the trap?

They come on my backyard screened in porch and eat, sleep there at times but not always. I bought a special heated pad that keeps them warm because it is really cold here in Detroit. I change the water twice a day because it freezes, and I keep the dry cat food under a box so the snow doesn't fall on it. Other than that I don't know if I can do anything more. If you have tips please send them my way.