Gifts in the Road


For as long as I can remember, I've had a habit of scanning the ground for treasures when I walk. It doesn't matter where I am - the beach, a noisy casino, the sidewalk of downtown anywhere,  or the dirt road that leads me one mile "around the block" each morning. Not that my main focus is looking down, because I really believe that looking up is important, both physically and emotionally. But I've found enough cool things by watching where I'm going that I'm encouraged to keep watching for these little gifts from... Somewhere.

This morning I noticed some lovely butter-yellow flowers along the roadside that hadn't been there yesterday. And dogs that usually bark at me seemed to be friendlier, as if they're beginning to recognize me, like the horse on the corner, who whinnies when he sees me coming down the slope. He knows I'll stop and feed him a handful of long grass from the side of the road, just our of his reach. Sometimes he even nudges my nose with his, a soft little horsey kiss. As I spend more time out in my neighborhood, we're getting to know each other. Even human neighbors are slowing down in their cars and waving as they go by, kicking up less dust, and less often causing me to wonder where my escape route is if they should veer in my direction.

I was almost to the end of the old stretch of the El Camino Real that once ran through these parts, on its way to Santa Fe and Mexico City, when my gaze went from the giant cottonwood trees that shade the road to the dirt beneath my feet. Suddenly I stopped, looking down, and said, Really? There in the dirt, next to the acequia (ditch), in perfect condition, was a peacock feather. This was amazing on so many levels, which I pondered the rest of the way home, waving my prize in the air and smiling at my good fortune.

Not only was it practically a miracle that the feather hadn't been run over and ruined, but also that nobody else happened upon it before I did. And a peacock feather is not a common thing to find on a road in New Mexico, so I felt very special indeed. I know that a peacock lives in the house there on the corner, so it's not really that odd, I guess. But I've only seen it a handful of times and it's always inside the fenced yard, wandering with the chickens and chihuahuas, or roosting on a picnic table. I hear it more often than I see it, crying out in the middle of the night, Help! Help! It must have gotten out last night or early this morning, I imagine to leave this feather, just for me.

When things like this happen, I'm reminded that gifts and miracles large and small can show up at any time. The Universe has no preference, and no concern for what seems like a "big" or "small" thing to us. A gift is a gift, and as we all know, when we're grateful for them all, more are likely to follow. I adore this lovely, graceful feather. It makes me feel special, and gives me hope for something I hadn't even known to hope for. Not many things you find by the side of the road can do that.

~~~~~~~~~
I made this purple Lotus Bead a while back, 
when I thought it might be the last one I ever made.
Now that I'm back at the torch, I suppose there will be more, 
so now I can let this one go.
It has 3 layers of petals and 20 sparkling CZs. 
The colors are purple and lime with little hints of aqua.
It measures about 22x27 mm, and the hole size is a large 1/8 inch.
$95
L1 - sold




This bead is lined with sterling silver, and although it might be too large 
for a bracelet bead, it will fit Troll Bracelets, but not Pandora. 
I like these worn as a simple sliding pendant on a chain.
This bead measures about 16x19 mm.
$45
L2 - sold


This bead is lined with sterling silver, and although it might be too large 
for a bracelet bead, it will fit Troll Bracelets, but not Pandora. 
I like these worn as a simple sliding pendant on a chain.
This bead measures about 14x20 mm.
$45
L3 - sold


This bead will not fit on any of the bracelets.
 It's better suited as a focal bead in a necklace.
It measures about 14x17 mm, and has a 3/32 inch hole.
$35
L4 - sold


This bead will not fit on any of the bracelets. 
It's better suited as a focal bead in a necklace.
It measures about 14x18 mm, and has a 3/32 inch hole.
$35
L5 - sold


This bead will not fit on any of the bracelets. 
It's better suited as a focal bead in a necklace.
It measures about 16x18 m, and has a 3/32 inch hole.
$35
L6 - sold


These fit Troll only. The hole size is 3.75 mm.
Hand-riveted sterling silver, of course!
$30 each
T1, T2, T3


These fit Pandora and Troll.. The hole size is 4.3 mm.
Hand-riveted sterling silver, of course!
$30 each
P1, P2, P3


















Comments

  1. your beads are transporting to view! I am uplifted on the wings of a peacock!

    ReplyDelete
  2. and some gifts are truly amazing. like a whoe raven for example.....

    ReplyDelete

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