Sometimes Being Tribal Rocks

I am a "Native American" ...

Wait...let me rephrase that.

I am a member of a Native American tribe and I have a card that says so. :)

I love history and I love that I know who some of my ancestors are more than 2 generations back. Two of them were Indian women. I know where my great-grandma got her cheekbones. =) These women were tough. It wasn't exactly kosher for people to marry outside their own race back then. These ladies would be my ... gosh, let's see ... I think my great-great-great-great grandmothers. I *think*. Or maybe it's just three greats.

Not my relative...but looks remarkably similar.

We have photos of them somewhere. I'll have to try to dig them out and scan them. These ladies are the two we know about but my aunt thinks we have several more Indian ancestors (as well as some Jewish, Russian, and Ukrainian) in our past.

So legally I'm a Native American. Which is such BS considering I have about as much "native" blood in me as a misquito could suck out. It's enough though and I can technically vote in tribal matters if I wanted to (I never have).

One benefit of being a member of the tribe is that we get free fish. I am generally opposed to all handouts. I refuse to sign up for the medical benefits and have never received a penny cash. Nor did I ever check the box "Native American" on any scholarship or college (or job for that matter) applications. I refuse to let some trace amount of blood give me a stupid "advantage" that has nothing to do with ability.

But the salmon ... oh dear God the salmon. I don't get it directly but my grandfather, as an elder in the tribe, gets it for free and he just got his allotment. I won't say *exactly* how much but it's several thousand dollars worth. And it's just so mouth wateringly yummy!!! Grandpa slathers it in a mayonnaise mix and smokes it on the BBQ with alder chips. My mouth is watering right now!!!

So I'm a hypocrite when it comes to salmon. More handouts please!!!

Worldess Wednesday - My Grandfather

Grandpa's Retirement Fund

I know I come by my obsessive need to purchase things honestly. And it apparently didn't just come from my mother...my grandmother and great grandmother were pretty good at hoarding things too.

Apparently grandma wanted to open a jewelry shop - grandpa would cut and grind the stones and she would set them. And she bought a LOT of stuff. I went down to grandpa's on Saturday. We didn't get to grind or polish any stones (the darn things won't stick to the dop sticks still!) I did get to go through some of his supplies. And boy is he drowning in supplies!

www.flickr.com

Casto Creations' Supplies_0208 photoset

I have more photos to take of all the goodies I brought home. There are some interesting base metal necklaces that have unique patterns of chain. Some of the supplies I can use and will keep a few for myself but for the most part I'm selling them and giving the money to Grandpa. I figure it's part of his retirement fund. :)

I'll be researching to figure out how to price them and posting them in my Etsy gemstone shop. But if you see something you would like made into a necklace or ring let me know! :)

Adventures With Grandpa - Thwarted by a Dop Stick

Weathermen are always wrong it seems. It was supposed to snow on Saturday so my mom and I were a little hesitant to head to grandpa's house. But he was really looking forward to our visit, and so was I, so off we went in my mom's new little box shaped car (Scion). The freeway was fine but the back roads were a little shiny. We didn't slip or slide but my aunt, who joined us and arrived about an hour after we did, said it was icy when she got off the freeway.

So while there was no snow, it was freezing cold...hence the scarf and sweatshirt you'll see in my photos here. The rock room (yes he has an entire room) is in the basement ... and it is COLD!

My adventure actually begins with trying to find a size 10.5 women's ring with a bezel setting for a cabochon at least 13 x 18 mm. Yeah...didn't happen.

While my soldering skills have increased over the last year I was still supremely nervous ... but I marched on and created my own dang ring mounts. The first bezel I completely melted...oops. But the next three, after several heinous attempts, finally worked (well, mostly...the next morning I woke up and got them out of the tumbler and one of the bezels had fallen off ... so I had to re-solder it before I left!).
Anyhoo...grandpa seemed pretty impressed with my work. But I think he is slightly biased. :)

We started setting up his equipment ... And let's just say this equipment has seen better days. It is OLD! Older than me (going on 30) and I was a little concerned that it wouldn't work properly.

We had to take time to clean everything out - there were old shavings/dust and quite a few dead ladybugs in the grinder saw.

Going through his rocks to pick out which stones to use took us a little while. We kept finding all these really cool stones that were so beautiful - but too beautiful and unique to use on a practice run. So grandpa found a nice slab of Sodalite and I decided to use a slab of stunning natural Tiger's Eye.
I really love that I can tell people for sure that this stuff is completely natural. And I mean ... some of his stuff hasn't even yet been cut into slabs and looks like it came right out of a mountain. It is that natural. Some stuff you can't even find anymore. I can't wait to play with that stuff!

Grandpa goes first and cuts his Sodalite. It's a gorgeous deep blue color and it's no wonder they call it "poor man's Lapis" because it is hard to tell the difference when you have this high quality of Sodalite.

I watch him cut and his finger hits the blade! He just laughs (the old fart!) and says that it won't cut skin...as he sticks his finger on the blade on purpose to prove it. That actually makes me feel better about using it (I'm a wuss when it comes to tools - I even flunked Shop!) though I didn't plan to purposely drag my finger across it.

Then it was my turn. I got my slab and marked it to the proper size cab I wanted to create for my ring.


Don't laugh at my hair or clothes please. It was really cold down there!

Then I started to cut.

The machine is super loud and the vibration went through my whole body. But it was really fun!!! As if I need a new jewelry design addiction ... now I want to cut stones!

The next step after cutting around the basic shape - grandpa instructed me to not cut too close to the actual line because we shave it down to get the exact shape - is to grind it down.

One thing I learned - the side you mark will end up being the BOTTOM. So the pretty design that I thought I was going to have on the top ... not so much. Thankfully the new top design isn't so bad. But I'll have to remember this in the future.

Grandpa went first to show me how it's done. Look at those hands! Boy have they seen a lot in 80 years.

Then it was my turn. I like this part too!

The goal is to grind it down until it will fit into the ring mount. And finally mine did.
The next step would be to attach the bottom of the stone to a Dop Stick with wax. The problem we ran into ... the wax would NOT stick to the dang stones. Oh, it would stick enough to make us think it was working but when grandpa then tried to start sanding the stone would pop off. He's not sure if the wax is just really super old and no good or what. But that foiled our plans to complete our rings that day.

I really wish he lived closer. It takes about an hour to get to his house but I'm definitely excited and ready to go back down. I have cut a stone once before with him but I don't remember enjoying it nearly this much. Perhaps I've gained enough confidence since that time to have faith in my ability to finish a piece. All I know is that the weekend can't come fast enough. And I'm glad it's still winter because once summer starts I know grandpa won't have the same amount of time to play - he's still a farmer after all.

It never did snow that day, although I did wake up today to an inch and some fun driving conditions.

Stay tuned for our second adventure in stone cutting. :)

Fabulous Friday

It's not fair that I should have a bad headache on a Friday. Grrrr!

Besides my actual job I have several projects to work on tonight before heading to grandpa's house tomorrow. We're going to cut stone!!!

I'll be taking lots of photos to share. I hope I am able to create something from start to finish. *crossing my fingers*

Happy Weekend!

I Need to go to the Range

This is why I need to get to the gun range. I'd really like to get a conceal carry permit.

Man Thwarts Grocery Robbery

I have a bumper sticker that says "An Armed Society is a Polite Society"... a bit simplistic but there are so many examples out there where an armed citizen could have stopped the slaughter of innocents.

I don't understand people's fear of guns. But then again I learned to shoot my grandpa's rifle when I was 12. I was able to hit the center of the "O" on a Folder's coffee can from the second story deck at his house. :) Not sure I could do that now but I'd sure like to try.

State of Emergency in Western Washington

I have lived on the west side of Washington state for my entire life. Born and raised. I've seen a lot of weather my in almost 30 years. From 100+ days in the summer to flooding in the winter. We have some great photos of grandpa's river (that's what we call it - it's officially the Nisqually river) flooding up over its banks.

In 1996 I remember the freeway being closed due to flooding and 11 short years later it's happened again. Hubby had to go in at 5 a.m. today and is being assigned down to help with traffic control.

The weather has calmed down a bit but I still had my wipers on all the way to work this morning. It was coming down pretty good.

My grandfather - the ultimate cowboy - decided that he didn't want his outhouse to float away yesterday. So the stinker wades into the overflowing river up to his thighs (he is 80 freaking years old!), straps a rope/chain around the stupid thing, gets on the tractor and pulls it to dry land. Oy! I swear that man is going to give us a heartattack long before he leaves this earth.

A great photo from West Olympia - I was JUST there on Sunday!


I've seen it flood in that intersection before but never ever that badly. That is just frightening!

I hope grandpa's house is okay...he's fairly far away from the river but I know one of his neighbors lost several outbuildings and had to be rescued from their home! Although neighbor in his neck of the woods could be several miles away. I'm sure one of the main roads into town will wash out - it has before.

God bless mother nature and do not piss her off!

Warn Your Grandparents (or Parents)

This story (may require a subscription) in the Wall Street Journal burned my hide. As if seniors don't have enough issues facing them, being tricked into estate planning with insurance companies shouldn't be high on their list of worries.



So here's the scam. A sweet little ol' lady gets a post card in the mail that says - "The government is going to take away your medicare" or "Get Free Estate Planning" or even "Your Estate Will be Wiped Out by Taxes".

"Some cards gush about sweepstakes prizes, and returns may be used by marketers in any number of industries. But state regulators say the most ubiquitous type of card is delivered to seniors on behalf of insurers. Often plastered with American flags, such cards may cite "changes in your Medicare benefits" or
mention "new legislation" passed by Congress that will "affect you and your heirs" -- along with references to research by federal agencies or AARP on how to handle such changes."

Sweet little ol' lady (SLOL) is concerned and fills out and returns the card for her 'free' information, thinking the card is sponsored by a government agency or AARP. Not so much. Said ol' lady then gets a phone call to set up a meeting with an 'estate planner' who then goes on to convince her to transfer her life savings into some mutual fund or insurance policy.

"During their meeting, she recalls, he "asked me what I had in stocks and bonds" and convinced her to move her $170,000 IRA, invested in mutual funds, to an American Investors deferred annuity. She says she only realized later that she was limited to withdrawing 10% a year. Any withdrawals beyond that sum were subject to a penalty as high as 17% in some cases, the state complaint says. "

Most of these policies have huge fees for premature withdrawal and tie up SLOL's funds when she needs them most. The story includes one gentleman who's money was restricted from him until he turned 90!

"Soon after they mailed the reply, a living-trust marketer, and then an insurance agent, showed up at the couple's Morganton, N.C., home, Mr. Williams said in an affidavit filed in state Superior Court in Raleigh. Mr. Williams, an 83-year-old retired factory worker, says the agent talked him into transferring much of the
couple's $179,000 nest egg into annuities that barred them from tapping the bulk of their money, unless they paid high penalties, until Mr. Williams was nearly 90. The commission on such products is typically 9.5%"

My full time job is in the financial world. I'm not a financial planner or anything but even I know that when you're retired - the whole point of your retirement funds is to live! Not to invest your money and then not be able to touch it. That's where I am in life, not where my grandfather is.



These slimey tactics are how companies are currently getting around the "Do Not Call" registries. Be sure to warn your grandparents and parents (well, you too I guess) to not fill out any kind of card that offers "free" assistance and definitely check into who is trying to sell you stuff. Nothing in life is free...my mama taught me that!

Rutilated Quartz

I love this gemstone. Rutilated quartz seems so mysterious to me...the golden inclusions (sometimes called "Venus hair") can arrange themselves in any number of ways to form beautiful patterns within the quartz stone.

It's apparently not nearly as mysterious as I imagine since quartz is the most common mineral on Earth, found in practically every environment and as a component of almost every rock type, making up 12% of the earth's crust. Most quartz is valued because it has no inclusions, but not rutilated...the more gorgeous lines and inclusions the better!

Different minerals can create the lines (called inclusions) within quartz. My favorite is the rock crystal quartz with golden lines, but it can also occur as rutilated smokey quartz and rultilated milky quartz. And less commonly known is a variety known as "tourmalinated quartz" which has black or dark green tourmaline crystals instead of the golden inclusions. I'd love to see some of that in person!

Because there are two different types of minerals (with different degrees of hardness) it can be difficult to get a good and smooth cut. My grandfather apparently has the skill to create gorgeous cabachons. Below is a Rutilated Quartz Cabachon hand cut and polished by my grandfather and grandmother, photographed with some rutilated quartz rough uncut stone. Maybe someday I'll be good enough to try my hand at cutting it!

Sources
MineralMiners.com
Gemstone.org
Bernadine Fine Art Jewelry

My Grandpa's Legacy - Part II

My grandfather is so incredibly talented. I never realized exactly how talented until recently when I started to appreciate his previous work with gemstones. I took several dozen photos when I was last visiting and will share them in stages.

Part I can be viewed Here

Rhodochrosite
One of the most beautiful stones when found in good quality - and this is GOOD quality stone!

Rutilated Quartz
Cut cabachon amidst some uncut rough. I'd never even seen uncut rutilated quartz before.
Rhodonite
Another gorgeous pink stone that I love when it has black matrix because it adds a lot more interesting character. :)


Stay tuned for more lovelies made by my grandparents.

My Grandpa's Legacy - Part I

My mom used to wonder where I got my desire to create - not that she isn't capable of creating neat things. I remember her making these really neat porcelain dolls. But she never had a passion for it. Her passion is in gardening - You should see her flowers. She and my husband love gabbing about flowers and Japanese Maples.

The desire to create jewelry must have skipped a generation because my grandma and grandpa used to create the most amazing pieces of jewelry. They found their own rough stones and then cut and polished these into cabachons (cab-ah-shons) or "cabs" to create stunning and award winning jewelry, belt buckles, and bolos.

Grandma is now in full time care and grandpa says he can't create without her (isn't that sweet and sad?!?!). I am hoping that he will create if I am there so he can teach me how to cut stones. The last time I was down there I took over 200 photos of their work. I'll be posting it and showing it off over the next few months - and asking if anyone knows what some of the stones are. He's forgotten some of them - that was grandma's job.


Petrified Dinosaur Bone



Malachite

Botswana Agate

He has so much uncut stone it's like heaven to go through it all. I'll post the photos I took of some of this rough stone. I know you'll drool just like I did! He got a kick out of how excited I got to see it all and he was impressed that I was able to name most of the stones. I've taught myself quite a bit in the last five years when it comes to different types of stones. What can I say? It must be genetic!