Dance and Swing

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We had all the little ones around last weekend for a family reunion and I was showing the girls (10, 12 and 14) a little more about jewelry making. After they left I went on a binge of earring making. I'm stating to stockpile for some reason. Anyway, these are a few more of the chandeliers (a couple I did a while ago)I'm making, but I'm really into creative dangles that I'm calling in my head "dancers". That's what I love to see exciting and unique long earrings do, and those are the ones that always catch my attention -- those that dance and swing.

Oddly, I haven't done very well with photographing jewlery, especially not with my digital. We finally took most of these with a 35mm and if ever I decided to try to sell them online I'll get rid of all the shadows and unprofessional positioning, cut off words and the like. The one on the bottom I just laid on my scanner - couldn't get it straight for anything, but it certainly picked up the detail much better.

So, enough, I've got to get back to writing. My deadlines are looming and as usual I'm tripping. LOL

Arm Chair Philosophy

Courtesty of Aarin Free Photo

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I think it's all in how you look at it. Life that is. And sometimes you think you're looking at it only to discover a week, a year, a decade later that your bead was definitely not on what it should have been -- or at least that's what you think you think. I don't mean to try to go off on a philosophical slide here, nope, not at all interested in plunging down any old slippery slopes, but I've come full circle in just this short span of time tonight to say I'm convinced: It is all in how you look at it.

Luther Vandross - An Ascended Star

(I thought I'd share my Tribute to Luther from my Emerging Music column with you.)

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My first thought when I heard of Luther Vandross' passing was that he was in the loving arms of both his fathers. A deep sense of comfort engulfed me as I imagined him dancing with his father - his earthly father - again. I don't know about anyone else, but as one who so longs to do the same with the father I too miss so deeply, it's a beautiful thought.





Luther was the quintessential emerging artist and thus I must give him tribute here. Although most of us knew him as the artist who consistently provided us with platinum albums and CDs, not everyone knows that he got there only after a discouraging struggle. Even though he sang background for some of the greatest, including Roberta Flack and Dionne Warwick, and they urged him to go for it for himself, the industry ignored his worth.


No doubt, had Luther Vandross, the emerging artist, listened to the critics when he first sought to market himself he would have quietly slid back into the background (a background that I must say he represented with extraordinary style, sound and class) and been content. But, althought he was turned down by every major label initially, rather than be stopped Luther took his own money and produced his own album. An album that ultimately went platinum.


His last CD, Dance With My Father is a most fitting and lovely exclamation point to his phenomenal career. If you haven't, you might want to dig out your Luther collection and give them all a listen.


Rest in peace and thank you, Luther!