The Perpetual Beginner...

Well my sweets I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

It was raining here in sunny northern CA this weekend, which was OK with me since I went to the Gem Fair in Pleasanton, CA and was indoors most of the day anyway.
I hadn't been to any gems shows since November, an unusually long stretch for me. I was beginning to have Gem show withdrawals.
I went with the intention of buying some metalsmithing tools, a Foredom flex shaft, Pepe disc cutter and dapping block and maybe some designs stamps. I'd like to begin working more with raw metals and incorporate stones into some organic metal designs. I've found myself bored of late; working with the same medium and materials has left mefeeling uninspired and very hoo-hum. So I know it's time to change direction a bit.

For me... It’s a never ending pursuit to evolve my skills and knowledge in order to stay passionate about my designs. Once I feel fully versed in something it's time to move on otherwise it begins to feel monotonous and mundane. .

The drawback is I never feel quite the expert at things because

I'm always en route to learn something new.

So I am the perpetual beginner...

I was disappointed to find that there were no tool vendors at the show, which means I'll be forced to buy online and delay my need for immediate gratification.. and pay for shipping (one of my pet peeves) But of course I couldn't leave without any purchases. Not after driving an hour to get there. That would be a waste and since I am a conscientious energy user and all I couldn't allow that...

So I did my part to boost the economy, maximize my energy usage and bought some semi precious gemstones.

I felt motivated to clean my work space a bit since it was totally out of control and thought it a good time to take a picture and show my work space. I'm always fascinated to see to see other peoples work spaces so I thought I'd offer mine up....

Things are beginning to settle down a bit here on the home front.
My foot surgery went well and
I am so ecstatic that it's behind me now.
It'll be a slow healing process but I'm so looking forward to being able to go for hikes again.
I know this sounds cliche, but it is so spot on.
I took my mobility for granted until I lost it.
Why does it so often take loss to fully appreciate what we have.
I know from experience that it's possible to travel along our enlightened path,
the path that leads to our highest self
without calling upon struggle and suffering to show us the way.
Such an important realization and yet I so often forget.

The good news....My camera just arrived freshly repaired from the Canon factory.
They even repaired it under warranty. Yipee! I was somewhat skeptical about the whole warranty thing. It's so vague and sketchy.
There's lots of non-warranty wiggle room, but I'm pleased to report that Canon stood behind their product and handled the whole process quite professionally.

Since the balcony is the extent to which I can travel.
I took a shot of today's view from my balcony