A Lesson in Anatomy

I have noticed many friends having trouble with their health. I've also been exploring, yet again, the possibilities that losing a job has presented in my life. I think I'm being called as a physician of the Universe; was it Socrates who said "physician heal thyself"? I think I've been steered to ways to do that, heal myself. The evidence speaks to me through the documentaries I've recently watched and the friends I've recently seen in pain. I've been successful with everything except smoking (despite my recent increased distaste for, and discomfort with it)...why is that.

Kidney location and pain

A very young, good friend recently started Chantix to quit smoking. What a fabulous drug! Effective for my friend, a pack a day smoker, in the first week. Too bad she had an allergic reaction that almost killed her. Chantix resulted in a heart attack and severe kidney infection. Ironic that taking the thing that will stop you from killing yourself slowly, can actually kill you quickly. 3 out of 4 people I know who have tried Chantix had an experience that made it not worth taking; experience worth dying slowly for.

Left Brain Stroke

Another person I care about very much, only 7 years older than me, had a stroke yesterday. She's very scared and I'm scared for her, but I know she will be okay. Her right side brain functions were effected; paralysis in the right arm and leg and partial in the motor speech skills. She's very active, and self motivated, and this will serve her well in her difficult and lengthy recovery. I've invited her to stay with me because she should not be alone and her place has too many stairs. Maybe she'll motivate me. I know she'll break records in her recovery. She's not a smoker, no bigger a drinker than I, not overweight, walks every morning, rain or shine. It can happen to anyone; is there a point to trying to be healthy?

Osteoporosis doesn't happen "naturally"

Notice the woman is gray haired? Do you think it only happens when you get old? If you are a woman? Do you think it happens no matter what? If you say "yes" to any of those questions, you are wrong. How does a 24 year old girl have osteoporosis?! Depoprevara for more than one year; that is all it took. She hasn't had children yet; how the HELL is she going to bear children eventually?! Just because a woman can only rely on herself to control her body, and her future, by delaying pregnancy until she's ready, is it worth taking birth control, is it worth being with a man who doesn't even consider this possibility? It tears me up in so many ways that this beautiful young woman must deal with an "old" woman's disease. Boys, grow up, take responsibility for your own sexual commitments, and wear condoms or get a vasectomy (they ARE reversible); better yet, don't have intercourse until you are ready to have a baby. Stop making women carry the weight of the world on our shoulders... it is quite literally breaking our backs.

Can you guess what this is?
Loneliness. But it looks like depression. Notice the posture, especially how the knees are drawn close to the chest. If you google images for "loneliness", the posture is overwhelmingly the same. Loneliness... all of my friends suffer more from that word than anything else. It is more damaging than their kidney infections, osteoporosis, and even more damaging than their strokes. The interesting thing I observe about the "posture" of loneliness is that it guards the chest, the heart, and all the chakras are wrapped up, like an egg. A protective shell on the outside, yet still fragile and crackable; the skin as the albumen, the protein, the builder of muscle; the deepest interior and most vital organ, the muscle we call the heart. The manner in which we protect our heart, is the same manner that gives us loneliness...we block. We block our heart with our knees bent a barrier to our our chest, our heart, and with our heels pulled into our sexual organs, another block, I think to our soul. Yet we expose our skin, a contradiction and invitation at the same time. We invite people to break the skin, but refuse to lower our protective hard bones, heels and knees. We hope that a brave soul will negotiate their way to our heart, with careful and kind manipulation, despite our guarded self protection. Ironic, this same description is applicable to conception. Loneliness is the biggest killer, yet the easiest to cure. Open up!

My loneliness looks like this. Facing the sun, rising or setting, walking toward the strength and longevity of the centuries old oak, in the distance that is only half as far as I've been and half way to where I'm going. A strong point of light, just at the tips of my fingers. Am I catching the light? Am I emitting the light? Both! There are days that I am human, and then days where I'm strong enough to practice being supra human. I feel strangely calm...somewhat melancholy. Namaste my loves, my friends, my childrens' hope.

Knock, Knock...

Who's there? The Universe, that's who! I can't be the only person who's noticing a shift in things in their world. Some special friends had biopsies and the results will be coming back on the same day, though they live in different towns and do not know each other. And their friends are going through similar situations. There are a lot of mental health issues being dealt with by myself, my friends, friends of friends, both near and far. There's a tendency for me to be self-destructive (translate party girl), but I get over it fast and get on with the business of being there for others. That is something the Universe seems to be saying LOUD...I am a greater support for others and less in need than I think...I must have faith in the Universe, for time and time again it proves itself to be there for me.

"It's time to step out on faith, I gotta show my face, it's been elusive for so long...look what I have found...strength, courage, and wisdom, it's been inside of me all along..."

I can't believe it has only been a week since my last post...No, it has to be longer than that! See, I told you I can't believe it (LOL)! I think I will just spit out all the grain I've been storing in my cheek without care of the order in which I give it (boy, grammatically that was from another time...been writing like that a lot lately!)

Sales, sales, sales. Is it the season? Is it the economy? Is it both? I've been noticing a lot of great sales and here are a few I've held onto to share with you.

"Save 15% on all chain and stringing material during the String-a-Palooza! This is a great time to get basic elements for your designs. Everything from jewelry wire and silk cord to sterling silver and base metal chain is on sale. Enter ZZ-PALOOZA15 at checkout to save before this sale ends on Wednesday, April 20, 2011." at Artbeads

Wednesday, April 13, thru Sunday, April 17, 2011: Don't get strung out choosing the right jewelry cord — stock up now on quality stringing supplies at great sale prices! Get 10-20% off volume pricing for WireLace®, velvet ribbon, Rattail™ satin-like cord, SoftFlex® beading wire and SoftTouch™ stringing cable. 5 days only! at Rings & Things

At Heartsy you get "Daily deals on fabulous hand made items", at least 50% off from selected ETSY artists in all categories. I hope I'll be chosen some day.

And of course for my blog subscribers, at Mona Rae Beads when you make a purchase over $20, you get 15% off when you comment "subscribe15"! Did you see the rosary I made? It is a jewelry piece but includes all the parts of a 5 decade rosary. Perfect for spring!

I received an order for 6 beads that will be used as buttons on a hand crocheted coat. I can't wait to see what Sharon at Chubby Cheek Sweaters does with these!

Julie Smith, one of my loyal fans, just purchased these from me. I hope she sends me pics of what she makes with them! If you send me pics of your creations with my beads I will give you an immediate refund and shout out in my blog!
Well, I've said a lot today, yet there's so much more I can share with you! I have new listings and price reductions in my shop, so I thank you in advance for looking at them. In the meantime, I want to share a charming story about being tenacious, making others happy, and this bead that I sold to Deborah (The Jeweled Bird). It will bring you back full circle, as the Universe always does!

2/28 MONA: When I was packing your bead to mail today, I noticed the small surface encasing crack had turned into many cracks. I must have grabbed an incompatible rod of clear. I can make you a new one or refund your money.

DEB: I really REALLY fell in love with that one!

MONA:  I love this bead too, and it was fun to make, and it was so vibrant and my first successful attempt at baleen pleats.


MONA: I made another one yesterday and used a fresh rod of the clear. The same thing happened with the encasement, but this time it cracked in a way that told me it was incompatible with the gold metal in the pink...So, I just made another one, this time with a less expensive (no silver metal in it) clear, which unfortunately is not as crystal. It is in the kiln now... If you don't like it then I'll try it without the clear encasing. I guess another option would be to either use another color other than pink...As long as power stays on, I'll be trying again tomorrow

DEB: No problem, thank you!

MONA: I did try another. I used a light gray clear and the rubino I used didn't turn out as pink. It is a deep rich purple...Still want to try again for another

DEB: No problem, thank you, thank you!

MONA: I had a couple ideas, one of which I am sure will work. I'm going to re'anneal the two I made that cracked to see if they can be "healed". The other idea I had is... lightly encase the bead with 104 moretti clear frit  then encase with the Aether it will keep the two metals (Aether silver & Rubino gold) from "stressing eachother out."



DEB: First thanks for the update, second, I truly thank you for the tenacity that you have shown for this one focal...
If you decide that 'enough is enough, I will understand, as you have devoted so much time to ME and this one bead.

MONA: I appreciate your patience and the opportunity to work it out so it can't happen again. I hope we are successful so that you can have the beautiful bead you want and I'll have a solution to share with others.

DEB: Well, I will remain optimistic, then:):):)...it is so hard when you really fall for a bead...and you have been so kind to try to make it work... i will keep my fingers crossed!

MONA: The last option might be to take the bead as it is. The cracks do not go all the way through, so the bead would not break. However, how you use the bead will make a difference in what will happen (will the cracks get bigger, will the clear encasing break off?)...

MONA: Well, they came out of the kiln and looked healed with the exception of one tiny crack, but as soon as I dropped them into the water to soak (and I dropped them on purpose) the encasement on "the one" cracked. I also made a test bead using the clear frit encasement and it also had two long cracks in it. However, I found one rod of diamond clear (which is not double helix) and I will try that this weekend.

DEB: Dear Mona, your efforts are so , SO appreciated...I think, perhaps, you love this pretty bead as much as I do.

MONA: Yes, I really do like this one as much as you do. I'm very frustrated that I haven't been able to duplicate it, which makes it even more special! I'm disappointed in the performance of the diamond clear. If you want it cracked, you can have it cracked. If you don't want it cracked, then I'll wear it! Other options at this point are to make it without clear or make it without rubino. Do you want me to try that?

DEB: Hello Mona....Oh you poor dear...you have tried harder than anyone I know! I will PROUDLY wear the cracked bead...as a testament to your perseverance and as a beautiful object with a mind of it's own. I cannot explain WHY it is so special..it just is! I give you my grateful thanks for trying to repair this beauty...or remake her. I thanks you so much...

I look forward to wearing the 'special' bead, and I look forward to telling it's impressive story...about a glass woman who tried so hard hard to make me happy (and did:):):) (4/13)