Jewels By Nature

As I was signing into today I wasnt even sure how long it had been since i blogged. A year. Oh well, a blogger I am not, I try sometimes. Mostly I just like to make jewels! I am only blogging today because I needed some room to tell a story about my holiday jewel experience.

I managed to send out 287 orders during this ordeal. Much thanks to those that purchased my creations. Sorry to say that I messed up on 6 orders myself(ok maybe 1 or 2 more) I admit, all my doing! The post office lost 7, only 2 now found. Not bad out of so many unless you are one of the ones who didnt get to give their gift or wear their jewels. For those I truly apologize for the problems with your orders. I tried my best to get everything meticulously made and out in a timely manner and for the most part I succeeded. For some I didn't, and know that I do feel bad your order failed to arrive in time. The patience and understanding from most was much appreciated in this trying time.

December began so nicely, little did i know it was the calm before many storms. The 2nd week of December my son got the flu (and missed school for a week). Autism and being really sick doesn't go together even under the best of circumstances. Then he gave me the flu. And it was a week long knock you on your butt kinda flu!!! It put Daniels behavior in a whole new perspective!!! Raised the empathy factor alot. The next week is when the snow began.

The first day was so beautiful! Then Record snowfall for 3 weeks solid. Wake up to new snow daily (sounds so pretty doesn't it!). No school. As of today Daniel has been out of school for 5 weeks ...Getting around town was hazardous! Piles and Piles of snow!

During the next 2 weeks we actually had snowfall of about 8 feet but there was some melting (Not MUCH!). We had 5ft+ high drifts from roof snow removal all around the house. On each side of the driveway were 5ft piles from daily shoveling so I could get to the post office.The silky white landscape was 3ft deep. It was such a sight!!!! Not one I am use to seeing around here.

If you have never lived in snow you cant imagine the amount of shoveling involved to just get out of my 1/4 mile driveway. I am so ready to move to a tropical island....

Just as everyone was tired of the snow and work involved in maintaining normalcy came the 16" of rain in a 12 hour period. All this water on top of the 5 feet accumulation of snow.

Imagine the acrtic where all the ice floats in the serene blue water. Except this water, along with the big ice chunks, was sand and muck full of debri, moving fast and growing higher by the minute. The town of Morton was deluged by water from the mountains that surround us on all sides. The wintery landscape became one of muddy destruction all within an hour. With people trying desperately to save their houses and animals and selves.

Outside my door the water started to rise. The slow meandering creek that borders the house became a raging river. Spilling its banks changing course thru my driveway creating paths it wasn't meant to have. The 2 neighbors houses below me and mine were all in danger of becoming part of the ever increasing water flow. The water took all the driveway gravel and left 4" of sand. I was afraid the entire hillside would come tumbling down as it had further along my hillside. Just about a 1000ft from me water poured thru the neighbors barn only 20 ft from their house. All that mudd and trees crashed onto the main road and pasteur below. This scene was repeated on more than 50 other hillsides and creeksides thruout this town and many more beyond. The entire county and parts of the state are a disaster area. Some are still being rescused from water filled streets.

Thankfully we were able to build a dam on our creek and truck in some rock to get the creek(raging river) back on course and saved the houses. Once the water receded the landscape was eerie. Resembling nothing of its former order. Nor of the wintery landscape of the last 3 weeks. Some of the piles of snow remain. The creek is back to a gently flowing pace. Amazing the new path it created.

Some pictures:
Rising Water
And Rising


The first dam(crested after photo, would need more!)

The experience of Getting my oldest son back to Evergreen State College (much to his relief) in the snow is yet another exciting snow shoveling, wheel gripping, anxiety producing experience worthy of its own blog entry or a short novel. Now things are beginning to get back to normal. I have been making new jewels, many unique creations, and hope to get pictures done as soon as I finish here. Tho I may go watch the golden globes instead. I think I am still in recovery mode.

My final thought for this blog entry is that the December holiday season shouldn't coincide with the flu, 500 year record snowfall or 100 yr floods OR school closures.

But that's life isn't it.
We cant choose our path the way the river did, we are just along for the ride.

Best wishes for a happy 2009 ....

Cheryl