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Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Avoidance

One of my biggest flaws may be that I don't discuss mine well. But I can never be one of those morose types for very long, so it's often not a priority for me. In some ways, this blog has been an escape from reality for me. It's a minor distraction, and a way to "self medicate", as I'm fond of saying. ;o)

My interaction with each of you is important to me, and it keeps me sane at times. I continue to battle the usual difficulties I've mentioned before, but when I've tried to find answers, I've met resistance from others.

For instance, my doctor said a big fat "NO" to my joining a health club. Instead, I'm to do a regimen of physical therapy twice a week. I find that discouraging, because I gained some weight due to the severe pain I was in, and the immobility I had after the surgery. Since I'm tall, it's been gradual and not obvious to everyone, but it's very obvious to me.

All of this is difficult, because I continue to feel that my life is out of control. And instead of attempting to control any part of it, I've gone into avoidance (and I'm very good at it!) Today I'm going to grit my teeth and tackle some of the problems I've been avoiding. So I may not be very available to you today, due to my responsibilities. One new choice I'm making: take the dogs on a walk every morning.

But I've still taken time to "stop and smell the roses"! My trip to St. Augustine was a welcome break, and we also took a brief trip to Sarasota this weekend. My ex-boyfriend (who remains a friend) got me the pretty baubles you see here (jewelry is a wonderful bribe. I highly recommend it).

The necklace is Baltic amber, so is the modernistic pendant and bracelet. I don't know if you can tell, but the necklace and bracelet are huge. The creamy stuff in the bracelet is amber, too. Amber comes in a variety of colors:
The only other color it comes in is blue, which is very rare (and I'm dying to get some).

Amber is really nature's plastic. It becomes charged with electricity when it is rubbed briskly with a cloth, and attracts to itself small pieces of tissue papers and straw. This was well known to Thales of miletus, a Greek scientist of the sixth century BC, and it was this that gave rise to its Greek name, electron, from which is derived the modern world "electricity."

In the Baltic region (which is the most common source) amber is mined from open pit mines. It's tossed up on the beach, too, but the most common way to acquire it is this way:

Amber's been hungered after for centuries. Ancient man thought it was medicinal and ground it up in food and drink, or wore it for it's beauty. Others burnt it for incense (although young amber, known as copal, is better for that). When burnt, amber gives off a resinous smell.

The two pendants additional pendants in the center are drusy quartz (the one on the left) and the pendant on the right is a branch of white coral surrounded by faceted garnet, blue topaz, peridot, and amethyst.

Lots of pretties, huh? But now that I work from home almost constantly... where do I wear them? ;o)

24 comments:

High Power Rocketry said...

That amber is incredible :)

I have always loved rocks, minerals, and gems.... ever since I was a kid.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Alex, Me 2! A very close family member is a famous scientist, so I grew up learning all kinds of cool things, and always collected rocks and minerals myself. Being female, the need to display them was overwhelming. Jewelry's a great solution for that! ;o)

mal said...

hang in *S*,,,I struggled for 4 years getting the health issues back in line. Persevere like you are and it will come

*hugs*

Anonymous said...

One step at a time. The dog walk is a great idea. Stay focused on healing yourself. Now is an important time for you.

BTW, I love small little trips. Pack up my cooler, point the car in a direction and adventure awaits. Great way to treat yourself in stressful times.

Stephanie said...

Oh jewelry is a glorious thing! I would take a jewelry bribe any day too!

Oh! And I can totally relate to you on the tall thing: I hate when I gain weight, because even if everyone around me can't tell, I can! And it drives me nuts! (Walking the dogs will be great for you in this capacity: especially in Fla - *sigh!* so jealous! I get excited when it gets 65 degrees here!)

I hope you feel better soon!

michelle said...

Baby steps Saur!

You must have ESP or something. Little man (he won't let me call him Angel anymore -boohoo)told us this weekend he wanted to buy some jewels and gems. We looked up pictures to see what he wants. He said yes to all of them. He then took some colored plastic and cut it up and pasted a mosaic pattern onto a cardboard box. He was making a castle out of gems.

Kristie said...

i am home most of my days. I might go to my mom's sometimes. But that doesnt stop me from dressing up and wearing my pretty jewelry. Of course my boyfriend asks me everytime why I am so dressed up. But it makes me feel good.

The jewelry looks awesome, i love amber too. i got a big gawdy ring from a garage sale when i was younger and turns out its a big ole peice of amber in that ring. Its neat.

And dont worry about that weight gain. YOu'll get on top of it soon enough, when your body is ready. At least you're tall. i am only 4'11. So even 5 pounds is obvious on me.

Anonymous said...

Hope you get better soon Saur. :)
Ajay

Saur♥Kraut said...

Ajay, Thanks, hon! I intend to!

KristieD, Thanks, hon! My friend Ozma is much shorter than I am (she's prob about your height) and every pound shows on her, too. It's tough for her. Of course, she probably eats less because she's smaller? You're right, it's nice to get dressed up no matter WHAT. And it can't hurt to have the bf ask why! ;o)

Michelle, you're right. I miss you guys! I'm sorry we've all been so busy right now. I'd like to see you guys, even if its for a short time! I miss your "little man" who's as cute as a bug!!!

Stephanie, oh YES, the weather's GORGEOUS! It is starting to get downright hot, though. That makes it miserable unless you go out first thing in the morning. But it's manageable here because of AC. I can't imagine living in Florida in the 1800s, though, wearing long dresses with no AC!

Kathleen, thanks, hon! You're right the day trips are like a breath of fresh air!

Mallory, you understand! I just get so impatient with it!

Lee Ann said...

I love getting the new pretties! It has a medicinal effect on me.
Good luck with your new regiment.
Keep your chin up, we are here, lean on us when you need to.

Ellen said...

All dressed up and nowhere to go?
I agree with everybody else, and think you should just put them on and wear them while you are at home blogging to us... or when you take the dogs out for a walk in the morning. If it makes you feel and look pretty, that's all that matters, right?

Sorry to hear about the few pounds, and can feel your pain on that one. I'm relatively short myself (5'5"), and a few extra pounds show no matter what you do. Perhaps if I had some pretty jewelry to distract me.... only kidding, as I don't wear ANY jewelry except a watch. Rings, bangles and necklaces get in the way of my work, and if I took them off, I'd be prone to forgetting where I put them. It's best for a person like me to go without, rather than risk the fact that I'd lose prescious gems. Luckily my watch has the expandable band so I can move it up past my elbow, when I'm scrubbing pots and pans.

Love the amber, though, and I'll bet they look great on you!

clew said...

Very cool! You are a fountain of interesting facts. I love that about you!

Just dropping by again to say hi ... I know I'm only one of about a billion other people who've done it but I'm going to link you as soon as I have the time to dink with my template again. Just wanted to let you know. :)

Saur♥Kraut said...

Clew, thanks, hon! No rush, I'm just glad you came by today. And I'm glad you like my factoids! I am a repressed professor. My parents are both scholars and profs and made me swear I'd never go into the profession because it pays so little. I was right to take their advice, but I really love teaching.

Ellen, thanks! Women especially understand the frustration, I think. I had the walk today (sans jewelry) and was glad I did it! Tomorrow I wear something, though!!! I'll be the best dressed walker in the neighborhood! Just as long as I don't look like a street walker...

Reverberate, I make my own, and also sell the stuff. How interesting! I don't know if you're familiar with some of the great bead shops, but I can point you in the right direction if you're interested (I get most of my stuff wholesale and it's much cheaper, but there are great retail outlets too).

Lee Ann, you're working out in a gym! Aaaaaa! I'm soooo jealous. Thanks for the support, hon.

Mindless, thanks, hon. Tomorrow I'll get dressed up because I'm going to see a client... YAY!!! Glad you like my teacherly posts. See my note to Clew about it. I love sharing knowlege. ;o)

Jamie Dawn said...

I like the necklace.

What's wrong with getting all gussied up even if you're just hanging around at home? You can make a dramatic and lovely trip to the mailbox with all your bling on.

I'm 5'8" tall, and I know that the taller you are the easier it is to hide a few gained pounds. BUT, tall women's BUTTS get wide too. I know this from experience. :-)

Tim said...

get bf to take you out anywhere so you have an excuse to wear them.

mikster said...

I'm letting other people cover my flaws this week.

Bryan said...

I say, if you want to join a health club, then do so. But don't over-do it.

Yeah, that avoidance thing is a common safety mechanism, isn't it? I'm intimately familiar with it as well. But you're right in your determination to face what you don't want to and get on with life; it's the only way. The Lord frequently deals with us when things need a changin'.

Wishing you well, dear.

The Zombieslayer said...

Gold and jewels are bad luck for me, so I don't own either. They do look good on other people though. ;)

Dave said...

Saur,

A Doctor can prescribe medicine for your mental problems. Many people take medicine to feel normal.

The weight thing is more serious. As long as this is just a temporary weight gain with no indications of cellulite on the upper thy and buttocks you should be able to work through these trying times.

My thoughts are with you.

Paul Nichols said...

Amber is one of my favorites. I think it comes from my enjoyment of Jurassic Park. Also, I lived nearby when little Amber was...well, they named the Amber alert after her. I really enjoyed your trip to St. Augustine. Brought back identical memories.

Beaver said...

Hey Saur, thanks for sharing the stones!

I still haven't updated (too lazy *blush in shame* to sit all this on paper).

But I wanted you to know you are in my thoughts. Hopefully over the weekend, I'll write some more !

Cheers,

Beav'

Tyson said...

... i'm sure you're in all our thoughts (and for some, prayers), saur, and if it helps to keep blogging, then please do. but i have a feeling that you are a very committed and determined person, and might have a hard time letting up on the blogging to the detriment of other activities. just so you know, i struggle with the same prioritization issues.

do you think it would help if you posted just every other day? i'm sure your readers could adjust. sorry for all the advice!

Nihilistic said...

Wear them anywhere you want! Especially if it makes you smile!

Three Score and Ten or more said...

My dear one calls the pale opaque one butter amber. She lusts after red or cherry amber. She has (sigh) vast quantities of amber, and is always looking for more. When I began showing this to our insurance man, asking how to best insure it, he ended up just shaking his head. I guess I will just get a big safe.