About My Lobotomy

Josie and the escaped mental patient

Yesterday jewelry artist Josie Lamb of Mayapple Creations (and her charming husband Mark) stopped by on their way home to Kentucky from a trade show in Las Vegas. I was delighted to meet her - I've been admiring her jewelry from afar for over a year. When I finally got to see it in person I was not disappointed. It is stunning. Josie was fabulous, also. It was such fun to talk with her, and to pull out my dusty box of sea glass collected years ago at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, CA. I sent her home with some treasures, and can't wait to see what she comes up with.

ANYWAY, even more impressive than the jewelry is its pedigree. Josie uses only recycled silver (from coins, the photography industry, etc). Because jump rings aren't available in recycled silver, she makes her own. Whew! Talent and dedication.

Mayapple Creations Greensleeves Necklace. Recycled Sterling Siver. Fair Trade pearls & glass beads. Wildcrafted Kentucky Coffeebean.

For example, look at this. It's gorgeous! The large glass beads are Fair Trade certified, which is vitally important for anyone with a conscience - the number of children, ages 5-13, who die each year from silicosis and other ailments contracted while working in the bead industry is staggering, unnecessary and heartbreaking. Beauty does not have to be so expensive. The freshwater pearls are Fair Trade from Thailand, the glass seed beads from the Czech Republic which has an impeccable labor record (the Fair Trade Federation is only utilized in Third World countries).

Mark took several photos of Josie and me sitting at the table discussing all things jewelry, so that I could document the moment and share a bit what the Josie visit was like. Unfortunately, I look like I've just come back from my lobotomy, and Josie looks terrified to be sitting at the same table with the crazy lady. Sigh. Trust me. Really. I'm not that scary. Besides, I fed her (really good, home made) cookies.

While I was talking to Josie 12-year-old Sierra stopped by and breathlessly announced that Brian had found HALF A PILLOWCASE OF MORELS! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! MUSHROOMS! YOU'VE GOT TO COME SEE! She promised me that she'd show me where to find them the next day.

Well, today was the next day. The weather was beautiful, sunny, and not too hot. So we set off, in search of the delicious morel mushroom.After about five minutes of looking, Angela and Sierra spotted a herd of them. We all rushed over, taking note of surrounding plants, trees, dead wood, etc. Then we spread out to hunt. After a few minutes, I found one. Yeah! I cut it, and placed it in my optimistically-large bag.

I looked for another 45 minutes and didn't find another one. Not. A. One. And then, on the way home, I lost it - somehow it fell out of the bag. Fortunately I have photographic proof:

Still life with Morel and Violets


Teaching Baloo (unsuccessfully) to search for morels. Maybe I should get a pig...


The intrepid mushroom hunter with her (only) trophy.

It's supposed to rain for the next few days. And you know what rain means - mushrooms! I'll let you know how it goes...I can almost smell them sauteeing in butter now...