It’s all in the elbow

All the pain, that is. Aren’t I a bit too young for all these joint problems? It seems that my non-stop abuse of my hands has caught up to me, and at knitting club last night (having cut flowers at work for 5 hours that morning)I found my arm tingling. I took of my elbow brace, rubbed my arm a bit, and tried not to cry with the pain. In the car on the way home my hand started to go numb. This is really not good!

I rushed to my Dr. and got a referral to see the OT that my mom works with, but of course she left on vacation today and I won’t be able to see her for nearly two weeks. In the meantime I’ve got two 4 day festivals back to back, and a ton of work to get done! Not to mention a website to update, and a nearly finished sweater, half finished socks, and a quarter finished baby blanket on the needles!

I suppose I’ll be reading more? I can’t spend much time on the computer because that also aggravates the problem. I’ve been icing it, and trying to use my left hand more, and I’m going to try and learn to knit continental in hopes of spreading out the work from my right hand to my left. If anyone has any advice, I’d love to hear it! I’m a teensy bit panicky.

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In Which I Attempt to Catch Up – Ep. 3 – Work

Yes indeed…work. I do a lot of it!

This summer is pretty good, as summers go. I’m working at Taft Farms and Off the Beaded Path, both places I love, doing work I enjoy. At Taft Farms I pick asparagus and plant or pick or really any field work they need from me. Once strawberry season starts I’ll be picking those (any day now!) I get to spend every morning outside with plants, and I’m getting into a really good sleeping pattern. Sleep by 10:30, up by 7. I dig it. I’m working on getting up at 6.

Of course, on top of that I’m doing a LOT with my jewelry this summer! I’ll post the finalized summer schedule soon.

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My excuses this week…

Basically this is my to-do list for the next two weeks, which I’m sharing with you in hopes of justifying the fact that I probably won’t post again any time before mid-May.

In the next two weeks, on top of my regular classes, I have to complete two final projects for my two metals classes (Forming and Enameling). I have to run four Habitat fundraising sales. I have to organize and run the Metals Jewelry Sale (also make jewelry for it), on the same day as one of my Habitat Sales. I have to write a final essay for my education class. I have to study for my History of Jazz final. I have to glaze everything I’ve made in Ceramics in the last month. I have to go shopping for, then make hundreds of bagged lunches for, and then participate in Midnight Run through Habitat for Humanity. I will be spending next weekend with my Habitat group on a retreat. I will be moving out of my apartment the weekend after that. I have to make a Mother’s Day gift for my mom, I have to make a birthday gift for my brother. I have to figure out my work schedule for the summer. I have to finish festival applications and processes for the summer.

I maintain that I am not a negligent blogger just because I’m too busy actually living life to find time to write about it.

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Haha, so NaNoWriMo? NoMo’

I can’t even begin to wrap my brain around the possibility of having time for something like that. I thought it would be a relaxing exercise, challenging but ultimately of no consequence. Except it seems I’m easily obsessed! I keep thinking about it and wishing I could work on it, and as a result I get stressed out.

 

I spent today doing things I actually need to do. No one was home all day, so I had the kitchen table all to myself. I really wish I had a studio of my own so that I had space to spread out all the time. I got so much work done!

 

This is for my first consignment deal. A woman approached me at one of my events last month and asked me if I would be interested in working with her. Why not? We’ll see how this goes!

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Inventory check, and why I’m suddenly almost sane

Ahoy!
There are two major breakthroughs that have just occurred and made my life a lot less stressful.

One, strawberry season is over. While this means I won’t be making as much money, it also means I can drop down to two or three days a week on the farm, instead of six or seven. Thank the lord, because the weather is heating up, and the farmers market is kicking into gear.

This brings us to two. The first farmers market is on the 7th, and I was sorely afraid I was unprepared. Having since mocked up my booth and taken inventory, as well as spent several long evenings and mornings and free moments churning out pieces, I finally feel that I have more than enough. And I still have more than a week left!

I’m working on a whole bunch of different styles that I’ve experimented with in the past, and I must say I love wire.

I still have no pictures, but I promise I’ll post some as soon as I do! Also, new listings on Etsy will have to wait until after the market. Check out what’s still in my shop though, and if there’s anything you particularly like grab it now, because I can make no guarantees for what will be left after next weekend.

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Long overdue!

Hello world, it’s me, Robin Marie!

I’ve been swamped with work. Completely and utterly overwhelmed. Juggling three jobs isn’t always physically challenging (though being on my feet or bent over in a field picking strawberries all day is) but it’s certainly an emotional challenge. At night I dream of work, and in the few hours I’m not working or sleeping I’m remembering to eat. Very little in the way of jewelry is getting done, a fact that terrifies and frustrates me. Terrifying because starting the 7th I’ll have my booth set up in town every other weekend, open to the hordes of New Yorkers that frequent this town. I’m not at all ready this year. Once or twice a week I get to indulge in the calm quiet of the bead store. Those 7 hours are what keep me sane. Last week I made 40 pairs of earwires, 11 pairs of earrings, and a gorgeous necklace. This week I have a custom peyote sleeve to finish.

I’ve taken today off, away from my other-life jobs in order to attent to my life. I’m mocking up my brand new booth, about 10 million times improved from last year! I’m doing my laundry, I’m taking stock of my jewelry and supplies, blogging, cleaning my room, and sitting down while I eat.

Pictures of my booth (assembled in the living room) will follow shortly!

Peace, love, and an oasis of free time!

Robin Marie

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