More good fortune

I've had such good things happening lately, that it's kind of scary. Must be the Irish in me that makes me slightly superstitious. First of all, this week, I won a giveaway from my friend Jeanie's blog, The Marmalade Gypsy. She has a handsome yellow cat in whose honor she's named the blog. Jeanie is always having grand adventures and posts wonderful photos and writings about her travels, art, and just general interesting information as she works for public broadcasting. She recently completed a wonderful vacation and offered a giveaway souvenir package to those who posted and I won! I'll be sure to post a pic of the goodies when they get here!

Then, this week I received a "ton" of jewelry from a friend from work. She had an Aunt whom she helped care for in her final days who was an avid collector of many things, and I do mean many! Her cousins live in other states, so that is why she offered to help with her Aunt. They came back to try to deal with all their Mom's stuff and it is so overwhelming that they are giving most of it to thrift stores or throwing it away. There was a basement and house full of a lifetime of collecting. Which is reminding me to declutter and try to keep my hunter/gatherer instinct under control. I told my friend, Rebecca, when she talked about her aunt's jewelry and some of the other things she collected, like glass shoes, that some of them can be worth some money and that her cousins might want to have an estate sale. She said that there is just too much to deal with and they don't have the time to be away that it would take. I had told her that if she ran across some broken jewelry bits and pieces, stuff that wouldn't be worth anything to resell, that I would love to have them for my artsy endeavors. So she emailed me this week that she was bringing me some stuff and that was what I was eagerly anticipating was a single box of broken jewelry, BUT these are pictures of what she and her cousins gave to me. She said her cousin asked who was interested in some jewelry and to just take it to her. I'm am going to make some collages or some type of art incorporating some of the jewelry and give it to them. That is all the payment Rebecca would consider. I've only just gone through them briefly and will have to sort and be deciding how I'm going to store them.

Oh yes, I almost forgot there was a bag and a basket of some sewing notions, trims, fabric scraps, embroidery thread, couple of quilt squares, and a pretty floral handkerchief. And a set of 4 lovely fashion prints, unframed, as well as a small wooden box, ideal for assemblage.

I'm feeling guilty, really, ovewhelmed. I won't need to buy any jewelry ever. I never knew there were that many kinds of pins in the world. I don't think any 2 are the same. It is really amazing. I have all kinds of ideas going through my head for projects. Will have to continue the decluttering/organizing process that I've started at the house, though. I am making a list of housechold chores and never-got-around-to-it things that I hope to make headway on a little at a time during my weeks off between the weeks to work. Maybe that will help counteract my Puritan feelings of guilt and gluttony. Is there such a thing as an Irish/German/Puritan?

Well, I need to get off here and get some of that work done, lol! Funny I'm feeling less energetic than I did the last week I was off when I had that horrible cold. I think my cold medicine was hyping me up then.