hope springs eternal

well well well

we all fall down sometimes. the trick is not to stay down.

this photo is one of the most inspirational things i have ever seen with my own eyes. it pretty much says it all, right? hope. grace. resilience. tenacity.

i took the photo on my honeymoon trip to the eastern sierra mountains. it was late may. dave fished in the snow, and i chased him around. i soaked in the hotsprings. it was beautiful. if you ask my idea of paradise, it is soaking in the springs of the eastern sierra mountains, looking up at the sky.

i needed to be reminded of these moments. in particular, of those spring buds pushing up from the snow. pushing up as if their lives depended on it (which they do, in fact).

i am just pulling myself out of a period of worry and inaction... worry over my child, the possibility of litigation against my orthodontist, and the disheartening blow of some flooding at the shop {which led to rust on EVERYTHING. durston rolling mill. break my heart}. i have had a hard time staying motivated. i have indulged in plenty of sitting around feeling sorry for myself. i cancelled my annual gem-buying-spree to tucson. i toyed with the idea of cancelling my seat in the upcoming metal workshop of my dreams.

but then something happened. a snap-out-of-it, wake up sort of thing.

despite some struggles, my little one is going to be ok.

i found a new orthodontist.

i got an order for {several hundred} ruby necklaces & {several hundred} garnet earrings

{so a last minute jaunt to arizona is in order}

and my enthusiasm for the stone setting workshop with John Cogswell {which i have so been looking forward to} is renewed.

i can't wait to go to that workshop and tell you all about it.

my closed-for-the-flood etsy shop will FINALLY reopen tonight, with a BIG after-the-flood sale on all in-stock pieces.

and lastly, I need to give credit where credit is due.

i absolutely love wearing the work of other jewelry makers.

there is something vital to me in wearing pieces made by other strong, capable hands.

there are two special pieces i have NOT TAKEN OFF this last month, which have helped me to keep sight of possibilities and hope, during some bleak moments.

these delicate, simple-yet-perfect earrings made by jj have not left my ears.

and i have worn this miracle necklace that jillian made for me, nonstop. i even had an inspirational dream with the necklace in it a few days ago, which was when i finally woke up and decided to snap out of my funk.

so, thank you dear ladies, for allowing me to wear the work that you have made.

it fills me with strength and lifts me up in a way that i can not quite describe.

here's to standing back up.