Restoring Power to The Powerless With Love

The statistics in my last post regarding the zero percentage divorce rate of line repairmen challenged me to find out about it. Today, I got to put the idea to the test. The electrical power to the house had an outage and in came repairmen from the power company to fix the buried line going out to the street that is half a mile away. At first, I was upset that the company had hung up on my phone call when I reported it and they hadn't taken my address, causing me to call back. (I was upset when they asked for my customer service number in the pitch black when it was all I could do to get through to the toll-free number for outages.)

Anyway, Luis, the repairman, was very kind when I talked to him outside, and he noticed my necklace and complimented it. After getting over my surprise, I told him about my friends making jewelry and my own blog, and how I like to make jewelry, and he said he helps his wife make jewelry, too, part-time as well as elevating himself four floors above ground in a cherry-picker to cut cables as his full-time job.

The point is, he spoke very lovingly about his wife over and over again, and I was very impressed with his sweetness. He also told me about a location where his wife would be selling jewelry today, so I would have the opportunity to meet her. Of course, I went over and introduced myself to her. She also had enjoyed a very successful real estate career for nineteen years, which I wanted to hear more about. I had not ever heard two people so in love with each other and talking so well of the other for decades. 

It was very beautiful and at the time, I had forgotten about the statistic that line repairmen are among the least divorced of men. Turns out they were both divorced years before they met each other, thus challenging that statistic (not that I disapprove). They were in the same second grade classes and then met up many years later. Both of them say the other is the very best thing that happened to them, and so on. It was very nice and refreshing to hear such love and devotion in their voices, and it made a very romantic story.

So, while it may be true that the very first line repairman I spoke to would render the statistic false, at the same time, he proves that it doesn't make any more sense not to love another woman any more than it would be to stop eating and breathing, and restoring power to those without it. Thanks for the lesson, Luis!

Fascinating Fascinators

Fascinator: a hairpiece, a style of millinery like a hat, also called a cocktail hat, commonly made with feathers, flowers and beads. Fascinators are popular at events where hats were traditionally worn, such as horse-racing events, as an alternative.

Although this term fell into disuse by the 1970s, it is used in a newspaper article referring to hairpieces worn by women at church at St. James Cathedral in Toronto, Canada today.

The Queen is noted for her hats, and she was certainly not upstaged. But there were quite a few women in the church who also wore hats and fascinators.

TheGlobeAndMail.com

Silk flowers, too can be just the perfect finishing touch for a coat or suit or even a dress. Many are available at M and J Trimmings, 1008 Sixth Avenue, (nr. 38th St.) New York 10018 tel.1.800.MJTRIM. This large store bills itself as "the world's Premier Trimming Resource since 1936. With one location at over 5000 square feet, they are highly recommended for over-the-top trimmings and tassels for clothing and furniture and jewelry designs. They have lace, buttons, tassels, belt buckles, bullion crests, and patches and are located in the middle of the jewelry and garment district, and now have items available online. See that website for a wonderland of creations for use in fabulous designs.

Aquamarines and the World of Precious Gemstones

The following websites have general information about gemstones, where to buy them in different sizes and shapes, even a chunk of the original rock, and healing properties. There are many thousands of websites like these. Gemstone research opens up the fascinating world of gemstone information, sources and organized international Gemological Societies.

This is a website about choosing gemstones for a loved one by businesswoman Kathy Ireland, where she says:

Becoming familiar with the many gemstones available will help with your decision in choosing a stone.The more familiar you are with your options, the easier it will be to find the gemstone that perfectly captures how special she is to you.

Browse through the Birthstone Calendar to see which gemstone corresponds with her birth month.Maybe she’s always wanted a piece of jewelry with her month’s stone. Or maybe she’s always been in love with a particular colored stone.Maybe you can find a beautiful piece of jewelry adorned with the stone from the month you two first met.The nice thing about the gemstone calendar is that you can wear any stone from any month, and it doesn’t matter to the jewelry world.

http://www.kathyireland.com/ContentSystem/ArticlePage.aspx?ArticleID=1784&CatID=96

Aquamarine is my favorite gem, and blue topaz is also a March stone (my month), or so it is in several lists, but it doesn't matter. It really doesn't, because the more you know about gemstones, the more you will love all of them.

As an example, let's dream and learn about..............Aquamarines..............

Aquamarine Beads

Aquamarine actually belong to the gemstone family of Beryl. This stone is often mistaken with emerald. The high-quality aquamarine is generally free of inclusions and possesses a superior brilliance. The value of this gem depends on the intensity of the color as the more intense the color of this stone, the higher its value. They are basically hard gemstones, thus, perfect for jewelery making. It's name was derived from the Latin words of "mare" (sea) & "aqua" (water). It is highly lucky for sailors.

Color

Since, aquamarine stones are soft gems, the color adds an extra quality to it, thus, making them extra soft:

• Shades of green (sea green)
• Shades of blue (sky blue)

Shape

Aquamarine beads can be found in a wide array of shapes:

• Rough Opaque nuggets
• Delicate faceted briolettes

Significance

Aquamarine Gemstone Beads have a versatile role to play when it comes to enhancing one's personality:

• Brings courage and fortitude ·
• Quick intellectual responses
• Spreads peace, harmony

• Strengthens the bond of friendship
• Calming communication
• Excellent therapeutic tool

Material

Aquamarine beads can be gelled well with the following materials for production purposes. Such as jewelery, artifacts etc.

• Gold
• White Gold
• Sterling Silver
• Stainless Steel
• Titanium

• Rhodium
• Shell
• Copper
• Enamel
• Cloth & Nylon

Usage

The aquamarine beads are highly in demand when it comes to jewelry making:

• Rings
• Earrings
• Pendants
• Bracelets
• Loose Gems

• Body Jewelry
• Necklaces
• Jewelry Sets
• Charms
• Diamond Jewelry
• Anklets

Manufacturing Hubs

Aquamarine stones are found in :

• Brazil
• India
• Russia
• Mozambique

• Madagascar
• Afghanistan
• Pakistan

And where you can buy precious gemstones in chunks:

http://www.metastones.com/aquamarine_mineral_specimens.html

Magical properties-

Aquamarine symbolizes peace. It encourages a gentle nature and personality in the wearer.

Chakra Classification-

Aquamarine is generally associated with the Throat Chakra

Star Signs -

For Aquarius, Aquamarine promotes friendship and love. For Pisces it encourages awareness. Libras are warned against danger.

Some say that gemstones heal. It is well-described on many websites that they have "chakras" or healing properties. I suppose it makes them more mysterious if they might have magical properties. They would make fabulous gifts. Buying them online from trusted sites and sources saves money, too.

Some websites offer custom designs if you choose the gemstones, such as

http://dodidesigns.com/

On the internet one can learn a lot more about many properties of gemstones. Looking at photos to really see many different views to tell them apart helps the amateur a lot. To converse knowledgeably about gemstones, whether visiting a jewelry store or at dinner with family and friends, it is now easy to learn about them with photos and descriptions on the internet.

This list is incomplete and just a small example of the many thousands of worthy websites devoted to the world of precious stones. These examples simply illustrate that some are for your research and education, and some are for buying as well, from all around the world, thanks to the internet.

Like paintings, you should really buy ones you love to look at, rather than for investment purposes. They don't always go up in value and can get lost or stolen. Investing money in the stock market and other financial instruments is generally the best way for investment appreciation, I believe, even in this era of uncertain values of real estate and so on. But gemstones create beautiful and enjoyable family treasure to see and feel. They are tangible assets to remember you by if you pass them along to future generations. They are precious gifts to give to friends and family, and a joy to give to yourself to own.