I get to see this every time I polish a rock. What God made was made perfect but time or man has taken a toll. Some rocks come to be broken and dirty. I get to clean them and see what I might be able to do with them. Some rocks are not broken so I know I have to cut into them to see what they might contain.

As I examine the broken rocks I get to determine if I think this rock would be good to slice or if this rock would be best broken and made ready for the tumbler. When it is a rock best made for the tumbler, I save in my “breaking” bucket. When I get a quantity, I will carefully crack or break the rock into pieces just the right size for the tumbler. When I do the breaking, I save even the crumbs – the small BB sized pieces – as these are used in the tumbling process.

When I determine a rock is best to be sliced, I save it for the saw best of the size of the rock. Small rocks and slabs are hand cut in my 8 inch trim saw. The next size rocks are saved for my 10 inch self feeding saw. The larger rocks are saved for the 18 inch saw.

When sawing, I again get to marvel at what God has made for us to use and enjoy. First I get to use the rocks as an activity that keeps me busy. I enjoy my process of cutting and polishing rocks. I not only get to see them in the rough “ugly” stage but I also get to see them in the pretty polished stage.

Each slice that comes off a rock may be different that the previous slice. Sometimes the pattern and color is similar in each slice throughout the whole rock. I get to see each slice and marvel at what God has made.

Cutting rocks with a diamond blade is a messy job.  The saw blade is cooled with oil so the rock slices come out covered with oil. This has to be washed off. This again is an activity that keeps me busy but I enjoy it. As each slice is cleaned, I get to see what beauty God has hidden in the rock for me to see. For this I marvel at God and thank him for his love for us in making and giving these rocks to us to use and enjoy.

After the slices are washed, there comes another job or activity for me. That job is to decide what would be the best use of this particular slice of rock. I find that some slices should be “hand polished” just because. Other slices should be tumble polished just the way they come from the saw. Other slices need to be saved for further work  – like cutting into smaller pieces for cabs or wire wrapping stones.

Ruby in zoisite

As the slices of rock are separated into the different piles, I see more activity piling up for me. This is good since I like to be kept busy.

It is at these times that I take inventory of what would be the next best activity to keep me busy. What is the pressing job I need to concentrate on now.

Sometimes, I need to take a break from working on my own rocks and work on some of my customer’s rocks. I cut and polish for other people also. This I enjoy also and I get to see more of the pretty things God has made for us to use and enjoy.

Each of my items are in a box or cell. You may copy and paste the contents of the box by setting your cursor in the top left of the box and hold the left button down as you bring the cursor to the lower right of the box. This selects the content of the box. Then right click while still in the box and select “copy”. This will copy the content of the box (except the picture will be copied as its location). Then on the email addressed to me left click where you want to place the item you wish to order. Right click and choose “paste”. This will paste the item you selected and it is placed on the email ready to be sent to me.

If you want to practice this, open your email form addressed to you and practice this procedure to gain practice then mail it to yourself to see what it looks like.

This is all for now. So try it before you forget the easy way to order items.

Waiting for your orders. Have fun with rocks.

But, time is on your side when you get to choose your activity.

At any point of time in the day you may be called upon to make a choice; do I do this or do I do that. When you are not forced to do one activity over against another, time is on your side. You can decide one or the other. If you are planning, look ahead. What needs to be done and what will provide the greatest good toward some future goal. When you get to choose time is on your side.

Examine the choices and choose the one that is most needed to further the next goal. There is no pressure of time because it is on your side. Chose the activity that is needed to help accomplish a future goal. Each activity that is completed towards the goal will open up more time for other activities.

Accomplish one activity at a time. Don’t try to be involved in more than can be done at any one space of time. Remember this: completing one task opens up more time for the next task.

The tumblers produce the greatest quantity of material ready for sale. After sorting the materials in the polish tumbler load the material is ready for storage and later sales or  for photographing and putting on the web site for sales.

I like the web site to have as few “SOLD” spots as possible although I know it is good to have a few “SOLD” spots so people know other people are ordering from the site.

I enjoy getting material ready for the tumbler. Sometimes it is just getting some loose slabs ready.This may involve breaking the slab along any obvious crack in the slab or breaking off any jagged area left from the sawing process. Sometimes a slab will need to be broken into a more usable shape or size for “useful” jewelry stones.

At other times it is grinding that is necessary. I like to rough grind edges on certain stones so they will have a more pleasing shape. On many of the stones intended for jewelry work, like wire wrapping, I like to make a curved bezel on the stone. Because of the larger irregular size of these stones I do not try to make them have a complete dome. Part of it is left flat towards the center but this is not a distraction to a stone well wrapped.

If I am opening a tumbler barrel  that has gone through the rough grit, I check to see that the stones are really ready for the next smoothing stage. If some stones are not ready for the next stage I take these out and run them through the rough grit again at a later time. This rough grind step lasts from 7 to 10 day.

In the second stage, which again last for 7 to 10 days, I again check the condition of the stones. When these are ready the stones are ready for the pre polish. The pre polish stage is also 7 to 10 days long. After the pre polish they go into the polish stage. And again I run this stage for 7 to 10 days.

I will have to take some pictures of my tumblers and get them posted for view. One tumbler unit consists of a 5 gallon barrel on a home-made set of rollers. The other tumblers are 12 pound Lortone tumblers.

If any one has questions about my equipment or tumbling process, give me a shout.

Squirrel waiting for the right time to attack

This trail of evidence is easy to follow.

Time can be an asset or a liability.

Time used well is an asset while time not used well is a liability.

If one is not careful it may take several hours of well used time to make up for even a few hours of time not well used. Great care needs to be made in judgment concerning the use of time.

I will use the pictures of the squirrel’s activities to point this out in a positive way. The squirrel used his time well. He/she kept watch for an opening (good use of time) instead of just taking a nap or play chase around the tree (poor use of time). When the coast was clear he/she made a mad dash to the paper towel rack on the patio. It might be now or never and he was not going to take a chance napping. By using the available time he/she was able to make off with half a roll of paper towels for nest building purposes.

When we are watchful concerning time and make good use of it, we can accomplish more. Not using time well means we will be behind and not accomplish what we would like to accomplish. If fact, it might be too late to “build our nest”. Poor judgment in our use of time may cause us to have to spend more time than what might have originally taken to  do the job.

If we use the squirrels as an example, we will want to “build our nest” first instead of either “nap” or “play chase around the tree”.

With a home based business there are always choices to make in the use of ones time. It can be easy to take a nap instead of working on a project. When we get behind on a project it usually takes longer to get it done if it has been put off for play. We should use our time well, look for opportunities, and take advantage of that time.

So don’t let good time be lost. You only get one time to use the hour. Make good use of that hour.

Purple desert glass tumbled and drilled.

I have inserted into my wire wrapping web page some information about this purple “desert glass”. I have run it through the tumbler to give it more of the appearance of “beach glass”.

My first goal is to see if there is an interest in material like this. If there is sufficient interest, the material will be available for sale.

The glass has come from broken bottles found in the SW deserts of the USA. The sun over the years has turned the glass to a purple color. Some pieces are lighter in color but all have a shade of purple. The tumbler has smoothed any sharp edges of the glass and has given the glass a “sand ground texture” like pieces of glass picked up on beaches.

Drilled pieces could be used at pendants. Smaller pieces might be for earrings. Larger undrilled pieced could be set nicely by a wire wrapper.

The interest and use of this type of material would enlarge the creativity of many craft artisans.

I also set a square cab I had cut for a customer’s pendant. This was a flat green jade cab. It went behind a Hebrew letter. Interesting pendant.

I was supposed to have taken pictures for my web site but that will be waiting for tomorrow.

I am going to try to make some purple “sea glass”. I will try to put just a small amount of 60 grit plus a fair amount of fair sized rocks – stones – and tumble them for a day or two to see what happens. I have a good supply of the broken glass turned purple. I test drilled a few pieces of the purple glass and will put these pieces in the tumbler to see if it will take off the sharp edges of the glass without breaking the glass at the holes.

OH, and I forgot, I did drill holes in some pieces of Florida coral (Tampa Bay) These I want to tumble polish and see if they will sell on my web site.

I should copy all this and put in for my blog on my web site: Maybe I will.

Have a good day, evening, weekend all.

A good foundation is necessary for accomplishing the goal.

Goals cannot be reached if there are no goals set.

Goals cannot be reached if there are no plans directed toward the intended goal.

Planning then, is necessary to reach a goal. Planning consists of all the necessary steps that would be needed to arrive at the desired objective. When necessary steps are left out, the plans are incomplete and the steps will not lead to the desired goal.

Goals should be set that match an individuals values, interests, and abilities.

A person’s values will help direct as well as limit individual goals. A value of honesty will not allow any steps of planning to permit dishonesty. If dishonesty was necessary to reach a chosen goal, that goal could not be chosen. Good values  like: honesty, trustworthiness, good work ethics, reliable,  and responsible will help direct not only the goal but the planning that will lead towards the reaching of the goal.

An individuals own interest should be the compass that directs the establishing of the goal. The abilities will be used in caring out the steps needed in the planning towards the goal. If certain individual abilities are lacking, then education to make up the difference is needed or ways to have others provide their expertise to fill in the gap.

What then is needed?  First, establish your life values to aid you in your goal setting.

Nest, examine closely you interest to see what you would like to set as a goal.

Then, establish a goal. This then, is the time for the planning stage to be entered into. Research may be needed to determine the sequence of steps necessary to reach the goal. When a goal has been determined start by writing out the goal as well as some of the known steps necessary to reach the goal. Your study may turn up other requirements or steps that need to be inserted at the proper time and place.

This phase of goal setting should be a time of excitement. It should produce a lasting drive well into the time of the step after step in following through with the plans.

One thought I want to insert her is the thought that it is okay to change goals. If your values change, you may have to change your goals. If your interest changes, you should change your goal. If your abilities in any way change you also may need to change your goal. This is life and what life is all about.

Mushroom surrounded by grass.

A new month. Another new day.

Today is not the day to worry over things not done. Today is the day to begin getting the important things done.

Choosing the important things (projects or daily tasks)  first frees up time and energy to do more of the ordinary or even  the necessary things.

Being able to choose the important things rather than those urgent things brings us peace. Sometimes an important thing can become an urgent thing if we are not careful to use our time wisely. When an important thing becomes an urgent thing it may not be done in an efficient manner and therefore not done as well as it would have been done if it had been done while it was thought of as important.

Urgent matters cause haste and waste. The haste may cause the thing to be done hurriedly carelessly, and with waste. The waste may be in time, energy, money or pride in accomplishment.

Wisdom in knowing whether a project  is important or urgent is needed.  When important projects are not handled efficiently they may not become urgent. More thought can be given the important projects which will produce a better outcome.

Most flat slices of agate, jasper, and petrified wood take a good polish

Attitudes open up opportunities.

Friendliness is an attitude that can open up opportunities. This life value opens paths of communication which can lead to unexpected opportunities. Let me relate a recent example.

I was in a business recently to make a purchase. I had been there before and had met some of the workers. One worker, in particular, I had not seen for a while and I commented that it was good to see her again. She had finished some training and was now using it in the business. To another one I mentioned that I had not polished a piece of petrified wood that she used as a tool to demonstrate the variety of magnification lenses. We had talked about this previously. She handed me the slice of wood to take home and polish for her. From this friendly conversation  they offered to let me to bring in some of my polished rocks as samples for their customers since their customers frequently  asked about such things. The owners offered to sell some of my rocks and give me the money. To be fair I would not want them to do all the work without reward. What I would rather have them do is to sell it on commission or for me to sell it to them at wholesale price and then they could mark the prices and keep all that was sold.

This would be the next step but it may not have occurred if there had not been the friendly conversation that led up to it.

So the personal value or attitude of friendliness can open unexpected opportunities.