Cookie Cutters?

It’s the season for shopping and it seems that so much of what I see looks the same to me. Is it just me or are all of the “big” stores selling identical merchandise? Of course, I look at jewelry a lot…come on, I design it, so it’s only natural I would look at what’s out there in the market, right? Spikes and skulls and druzy, oh my. While I am sure my likes and dislikes are age-related…after all I am no spring chicken. Hell, I am not even a summer or fall chicken…but I just can’t imagine wearing a piece of jewelry just because everyone else is wearing it, no matter their age.

NYC, Sandy and Gratitude

Looking at images of NYC post-Sandy and I feel heartsick. I spent the better part of the last several days connecting with friends to make sure they were all right. I can’t help thinking that if I was still living there I could do something…anything; but I’m not there, so all I can do is sit and watch it all unfold. I was able to make a few monetary donations which in some small way helped assuage my feelings of uselessness. In my heart I was thinking it would be weeks…maybe even months before trains were up, bridges were open and life took on some semblance of normal again. Today I am amazed at the speediness of it all – trains, planes, buses, bridges and tunnels all seem to be returning to regular schedules and power is coming back to life, with some limitation.