This weekend was the annual bead show put on by Rocky Mountain Bead Society. Normally I like to take some classes, but this year I focused on my shopping. I found a lot of beautiful pieces that I can't wait to make into lovely things and post on my shop. I found what I think were the only four strands of purple spiny oyster at the show. I took the lot. Spiny oyster is rarer every year - especially the purple. Apparently it thrives in cold water. The oceans are getting warmer which means divers have to go deeper and deeper to find the purple, which of course raises the price. The vendor told me that he didn't restock this year because what used to be his retail price for the stuff is now the basic wholesale price. That's a lot, considering his retail is $120 per strand. Happily he puts them at 50% off at the bead show, but it's still a lot.
The day before the bead show, Friday, was our neighborhood garage sale. Most places just had kids toys and clothes, or furniture items. One spot I lucked out. Apparently the person used to make jewelry and they had a ton of beads and findings dirt cheap. I need to do some sorting to get at the good stuff, but it's still worth it.
Sunday, sadly, I paid the price for all the running around on Saturday - I was there five hours. Woke up with a brutal headache. It was probably 4:30 in the afternoon before I was functioning again - which means I still have beads and things to get properly cataloged and stored away. And then I can start making things!
Rant of the day:
For homework in science, the child brought home a kit from the local power company. Her homework is having her collect all of this demographic information about our energy and water usage and then they want us to install things like shower flow regulators and document how much water we're saving. I"m sorry - I'm not volunteering to do free market research for the power company. I'm not having my child time my shower with a freaking stop watch. I've already emailed her teacher asking that they provide an alternative assignment that doesn't looking like a marketing survey for the power company. I haven't heard back yet. Here's what really ticks me off on this - they're collecting data for the power company that is none of their business - and they shouldn't be asking anyone's kid to collect it, and apparently this kit went out to all the 6th graders - as homework. Now when the president of our country was speaking - for that they send home permission slips and opt out letters because they don't want to offend anyone with different political views. Mandatory big business - a-okay by the school, listening to a non-partisan talk by the leader of our country - that's too scary and requires a permission slip. @#$%!#@$
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