I'm pretty fortunate that my husband doesn't laugh at all of my ideas, but in fact, can usually implement some of them! Our latest foray in me taking advantage of his talented hands, deals with reclaimed granite. We've gotten our hands on some lovely pieces which I initially envisioned could be recycled into cheese boards. Upon further reflection I realized they can be used for many things, as you can see in the above flyer.
We have a couple of pieces ready to go and they will be available for local folks at the shop. I haven't decided yet if I want to delve into on-line selling, but between these granite creations, and his various wooden pieces, I have been thinking about maybe talking my husband into joining some local craft shows or markets. I just have no idea how to go about it all! The reality is that there are no old mechanics and he's getting "old." We need to come up with another way to bring income into the house and since he loves woodworking and creating beautiful objects d'art I hope I can help him fulfill his dream of doing what he loves. If we were to depend upon my book sales we would starve, and since prolific is not a word I would use to describe my writing, and I'm not a romance writer, we're not going to be getting rich on it any time soon.
I've taken shots of some of the pieces he has already finished and would like to share them. All the serving stones come with a cheese spreader which will most likely change after they are sold. The small and medium ones right now have a marble handled one, and the larger pieces come with a Il Mulino New York stainless steel one.
The pieces are all irregular shaped, have different dimensions, some more smooth sides than others, and all are heavy. The added red oak feet serve not only to protect your counter tops, etc. but also serve to elevate the piece so you can slip your hands underneath and lift it easily.
If you are interested in any of them, or have questions, just drop me a line at Light540@gmail.com. And if you locals know of any festivals, markets, stores, etc. that you think we would fit in with, I'd appreciate hearing about that too! I'd also love to hear your experiences with Etsy, Amazon and/or eBay as a possibility.
The first five taken outdoors to better reflect their color
This is the largest one...approximately 14.5" x 9.25" - 2 smooth sides
$45
I call this Arkansas - approximately 9" x 8" - 1 smooth side
$35
I call this slice of pizza - approximately 10" x 12" - 2 smooth sides
$35
I call this sushi slate - approximately 12" x 5" - 3 smooth sides
$35
You can't really tell but this has a green tone to it - approximately 8" x 6.75" - 3 smooth sides
$30
To really appreciate the beauty and colors of the stone you have to see them in person. I have them on display at the shop in Salem so feel free to stop by. We have a couple of beautiful square pieces and Frank is already thinking about how to make them into end, side, and perhaps even a coffee table. Stay tuned...
Spring rains...love them. After the rain the forest, the flowers, smells so fresh, fragrant, delightful...
I received this hibiscus beauty for Mother's Day
Look close...and you'll see a visitor on the pistil
Is that a baby grasshopper?
I just adore the fragrance of honeysuckle
Wild roses and wild vines have taken root on the side of my triangle
A lone yellow rose has grown near my Max
Don't know what type of flower this is but it sprung up in my flower box
Peony
I almost hate to see the sun come out because the moment it does so do the noisy power neighbors...I so enjoy my yard when it's raining and I feel like I'm living alone with nature.
It's been almost two years since we last visited Atlantic City. In that time a couple of casinos and many jobs have been lost. As I was heading up to Brooklyn, I thought I would see if there were any discounted rooms available. I was able to get a room at Bally's for $41 a night, which after resort fees and taxes really comes out to $75 a night! It was the cheapest I could find so figured why not. This was the view from our room...
If you decide to stay at Bally's, be forewarned the elevators are being repaired in the Tower which means only two are working and lengthy wait times around peak hours. And no way are you walking up to the 35th floor. You're actually better staying on a higher floor like 35-40 because you're guaranteed to get on the elevator going down. If you're on say, the 20th, good luck with that! Last time we stayed in the marina area at the Golden Nugget. That was a beautiful room, but they had a lousy casino. I would have booked the Borgata, but since I'm not a high roller I couldn't get a cheap room. This trip I wanted to stay on the boardwalk so we could take advantage of the beautiful weather.
Just a couple of quick observations regarding Atlantic City...maybe because it was not "in-season" yet, we had a hard time finding an open restaurant Sunday night. We tried to get into the empty Gordon Ramsey joint at Caesar's, but was told it was an hour wait. I call bullshit! They just want you to think it was busy, but based on the number of empty tables we saw, it wasn't. We ended up eating at the Rainforest Cafe, which was okay, but better if you have kids who will enjoy the roaring of the elephants and pretend thunderstorm more than you will. The following night we went to the Borgata as the Japanese restaurant there had a Monday special...half-priced appetizers, rolls, and sake. I wasn't impressed with the portion size, nor the quality of food. And it was way too loud in there. The sake was the highlight of that meal. I will recommend highly Harry's Oyster Bar between Bally's and Caesar's. Fresh seafood, delicious drinks, and fair prices. The raw clams tasted as if the chef went out to the ocean and dug them out right before our lunch. Yum!
Atlantic City seemed deserted. At least the boardwalks were. Didn't bother going into the city itself. Every casino was pretty empty too. Now, you would think they would lower the minimum amount for table games to attract people like me, but they didn't. I lost my limit at roulette in about five minutes. None of the slots in any casino paid off. My favorite slot, Wheel of Fortune, was particularly irksome; every time I'd get the free spin, it would only land on 40, and that's many different machines in many different casinos. Since I had spoken "Rabbit, Rabbit" up the chimney the moment I awoke on the first of May, I thought perhaps the good luck I was hoping to receive would mean I would hit the $388,809 progressive jackpot. Nope, nothing even close!
What would I do if I did hit such a windfall? That's easy...buy a beach house. I love, love, love the shore, and my dream of dreams is to one day wake up, and fall asleep, to the sounds of surf and seagulls. For now I'll have to take what I can which is putting my feet in the frigid surf, which was by far, the highlight of visiting Atlantic City.
My moment of zen...I recorded this on my phone so whenever I get stressed I can listen to it...
