Linda's Trip to Florida

I just returned last night from spending ten days in Florida by myself. Bob was too busy at work to take off for vacation and I felt a need to go visit my dad and other friends and family. So, I flew to Orlando on Thursday, January 20th. Michael (on the right of this photo), who has Cavan's right kidney, picked me up in Orlando and we drove to Gainesville to the Paramount Plaza Hotel where I stayed through Sunday. I was given the same suite that Bob and I had last year! It is a beautiful room and I had plenty of space to entertain and relax. Michael and I had lunch about 4 p.m. at a local deli called Toojays, then he took me to the hotel. We had planned to get together for dinner and spend the evening together, but we were both too tired and not hungry. I enjoyed the relaxation watching TV and reading since I'd gotten up at 5 a.m.

On Friday morning, Michael taught his law class at City College. I asked if I could sit in and watch, but since the class started at 8:30 a.m., I decided to pass on this opportunity. I had breakfast at the hotel and took a walk to the local Dollar Store and a thrift shop near the hotel. Michael picked me up for lunch and we went to the Olive Garden. We decided to eat light since we were planning to spend the evening having dinner with his girlfriend, Katie. Before dinner, Michael took me to two bead shops! He walked through them quickly to see what I thought was so interesting about bead shops, then he stood outside to wait for me. It was very sweet of him to take me. I met his girlfriend Katie and we went to dinner at Carrabba's. After dinner, they took me back to the hotel, where we sat and talked.

On Saturday, Michael picked me up for breakfast. I wanted to go to McDonald's for an Egg McMuffin. He said he would take me to some place better, but this is what I wanted. Then, we drove to the Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park -- http://www.floridastateparks.org/devilsmillhopper/ Michael mentioned that there is a sinkhole there and I wanted to see it. I had something in mind already before I saw this sinkhole, as there was one mentioned in "The Lovely Bones" that I had read recently. This sinkhole was nothing like the one in the book, however. There is a 232-step stairway to the bottom which I walked down and then back up! Whew! I should have had a physical exam before I did that!!

DeWayne, who has Cavan's left kidney and liver, and his mother, drove over from Jacksonville to spend the afternoon with us. We went to lunch at the Genghis Grill. Michael, DeWayne and his mother had never gone there, but they enjoyed it.

We all spent the afternoon looking at old photos that DeWayne brought and getting caught up. I talk to Michael & DeWayne a few times each month. They are definitely a part of me now. I love them both dearly and they are very deserving of Cavan's organs.

If you would like to see more photos of my time spent with Michael & DeWayne, you can see them on my Shutterfly album -- share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8EbMmLJq3aKMs4

On Sunday, Michael took me to Micky Dee's again for another Egg McMuffin. I don't like Fast Food, but I do like a good Egg McMuffin now and then! After breakfast, I got my rental car, a Ford Focus, and said good-bye to Michael. Then, I started my 904-mile trip around Florida.

Another Found Object for New Jewelry?

Yesterday when I was walking from the free trolley to the eye doctor to pick up my new contact lenses, I saw this on the sidewalk. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. New piece of jewelry? Maybe a bracelet? Stay tuned!

Homelessness in Dallas

I saw these signs on my walk to Albertson's. They are hard to read in this photo, but there is someone going around Dallas leaving these cutouts with heavy messages about the homelessness here in Dallas. I stopped to read them and a news crew from Channel 8 was filming them. They asked me if they could interview me and I said "yes". I might be on the late news tonight! They also told me that these illegal signs were all around the Dallas area, but many had already been removed.

Homelessness is a big issue in Dallas. I'm sure it is a big issue in most big cities. Bob and I saw it first hand when we lived in downtown Dallas. We don't see so much of it here in the Uptown area where we now live. I do go downtown often to the library, my eye doctor and just to meet my friend Bradley at Starbucks now and then for tea and good conversation. I met Bradley when Bob and I lived downtown and Bradley stood on the Starbucks corner selling the "Zine" newspaper that addresses homelessness. Bradley WAS homeless, but now he lives in a government subsidized apartment. I still keep in touch with Bradley and meet him at Starbucks or for lunch whenever I go downtown.

I hope a lot of people will stop to read these signs and take to heart the homeless issue.

Roadkill Bottle Cap Necklace II

This is a continuation of my January 8th blog when I wrote about my search for rusty, smashed bottle caps. Here is the necklace I made with some of them. I called this one Roadkill Bottle Cap Necklace II because last August I made one and sold it to my friend Rhonda. I will take this one to the Walleska store to see if she wants to sell it in her store with the other pieces of jewelry made with recycled materials. I hope so! If not, it will be for sale on the NeeNee & CheeChee's Beaded Things website under the Dizzy Discards section.

Copies of Nordstrom Jewelry

A friend of mine will be attending her son's wedding in February and she asked me if I could copy a necklace and earrings she saw at Nordstrom, but she didn't want to pay the Nordstrom price for them. She described the necklace and earrings and I found them on the Nordstrom website. The upper left is the necklace and earrings I made for Judy and my price isn't even HALF of the Nordstrom price!

The Hunt for Roadkill Bottle Caps

Last summer when I was visiting my sister and mom in IL, Cindy and I went to a bead shop in Springfield. The owner of the shop had just returned from the big bead show in Milwaukee that Cindy and I had also attended. The lady took us upstairs, away from the shop, to show Cindy and me the beads she bought at the show. She didn't have them marked yet for sale in the shop, so Cindy and I got first dibs on them. There were these wonderful, rusty, smashed bottle caps that I HAD to buy, but I had no idea what I was going to do with them. When I got home, I made a necklace and wore it a few times. When I was in Tulsa a couple of months later, I met my friend Rhonda for lunch and she bought my Bottle Cap Roadkill necklace.

After Cindy and I started our new line of jewelry made from recycling things, I thought of those rusty, smashed bottle caps. I think that another necklace and a pair of earrings might sell in the Walleska store. Yesterday on my walk around West Village, I looked for some rusty, smashed bottle caps, but I didn't find any. The parking lots around where I live are too clean! I started thinking about where I could find these old bottle caps that I needed for my new pieces of jewelry. Then it hit me! Deep Ellum! This is an area close to downtown Dallas that used to be THE PLACE to go for bars, restaurants, unique shops and tattoo parlors. This was in the late 90's. Since then, many of the places have closed down. But, when Bob and I walked around today to look for rusty, smashed bottle caps, I hit the jackpot! I can't wait to start making some more Roadkill Bottle Cap jewelry!

From Trash to New Jewelry!

Yesterday when I was walking to my dentist office, I saw a smashed tape recorder lying in a yard near the sidewalk. I didn't see it as a smashed up tape recorder, however. I saw new jewelry! Cindy and I started Dizzy Discards, a new line of NeeNee & CheeChee's Beaded Things, using pieces from items like this, scraps of fabric, pieces of paper, and found objects, for our new jewelry. With my husband's help to dismantle the push on/push off switches and drilling the holes, I was able to create a new pair of earrings and a pendant for a simple necklace with some of the parts from the smashed tape recorder. These will go up for sale, so if you're interested in purchasing them, contact me.