Bound

I don't know, bound in love? bound in betrothal? bound and gagged? or maybe it's an ancient Egyptian mummified heart? In any case, it's a cool look.

Torching Away

I'm finding lots of time to lampwork these days since the kids are occupied with school again, and my baby sitting skills aren't yet required. It's AWESOME. :-)

I'm making hearts for the designers of Valentine's Day jewelry, and i have blown the dust off the spiky beads pattern. I sure do love my New York Dolls ones (photo).

A Healthy Dose of Peanut Butter

I'll have my usual, please.

Occasionally, perhaps on a Saturday, i'll make pancakes or eggs for the kids, but my usual breakfast is 2 pieces of grainy toast with peanut butter. When i was a teen and in my twenties, i wouldn't touch the stuff for fear of its fat content, but for several years now, peanut butter has felt like a healthy helping of protien, and keeps me going till lunch.

Turns out peanut butter is one of those "bad" foods that some researchers think is packed with stuff that is great for us:

Aside from being one of the most caloric foods in the kitchen, so that one shouldn't eat it if one is trying to lose weight, it contains primarily monounsaturated fats and in fact acts to reduce the "bad" LDL cholesterol and increase the "good" HDL cholesterol. It is fairly high in dietary fiber, and high in protein. It's a good source of vitamins E and B3, and provides several beneficial minerals. And peanuts contain Resveritrol, a natural antimicrobial agent that wards off pathogens like bacteria and virii. (And it is also believed to keep cardiovascular disease down in people whose diets are high in fats.) Studies have also shown that peanut butter may reduce incidence of gallstones and protect against Alzheimer's disease.

For Christmas my husband gave me a Peanut Butter of the Month membership. My first two jars were an organic dark chocolate peanut butter from Sunland (which is funny because the factory is right here in my little New Mexico town) and an all-natural crunchy made from Virginia peanuts by the Appomattox River Peanut Co. The Sunland one is interesting, being a creamy dark brown. But the sweet and bitter of the dark chocolate is a bit too much when combined with the sharp smokey flavor of the Valencia peanuts. Or maybe it has just too much going on compared with the pure and simple comfort of the golden, grainy mild Virginia peanuts, which i am really enjoying on these cold quiet holiday mornings.

The Skippy has been shoved to the back of the cupboard for now while i indulge in exotic peanut spreads.

Holiday Trip

We took a family trip to Texas and played in the sand and surf around Corpus Christi/Padre Island. We took a tour of the USS Lexington aircraft carrier that is at dock there, and of course made a pit stop at the local skateparks. The weather was lovely with temps in the 60's and, of course, since we were coming from New Mexico, the humidity was a sensual treat!

We were surprised that late December would be the "low season" for tourism in any place that had palm trees, but we found the beaches pleasantly empty of people. The boys considered the water warm enough to swim in and they had a blast in the surf. Finding crabs amongst the rocks of jetties was a favorite activity, too.

We spent three days at the coast, and three days inland at a rustic cabin in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas, where again we were gifted with isolation and mild weather. It wasn't the right time of year for insect collecting, but other wildlife, like deer, armadillos, skunks, fish and spiders, were abundant.

The Creativity Gene

My oldest son has taken to various creative hobbies from an early age. His current passion incorporates a lot of different skills. Check out this nice cleaver he just made. The long bullet sharing the hanging nail is a key fob he made, too.

Sock Monkey Hat a Must-Have

Promoting beautiful handmade sock monkey hats available from seller jessicambaiseku on etsy. They are made in my old stomping ground of Edmonton, Alberta, which makes them twice as cool. And the baby in the photo is perfectly adorable in that little ear flap hat, so let's say they're at least three times cool. (Several styles available in baby to adult sizes.)

Alternative Snowman

I'm making a new snowman bead for the Christmas spirit that doesn't conform to the red, green and white tradition. My new lampwork glass beads are fun and unique. Even though they are decked out in tu-tu's i still refer to them as snowMEN, because i believe in suspending judgement. If a person likes bright colors and cliché girlie wear, and it makes them feel good, then why not? These kids are also a little goth or punk, with their black and white hats and scarves. Tu-tu snowmen beads are a quirky holiday option that are available in my etsy shop now, and they will shortly be available as pre-made zipper pulls.