Follow the Bouncing Buoy!

Surely I cannot be the only person who remembers this public service commercial ditty from the 1960's:

"There is fun in the water
But there's danger too,
And you gotta swim well
So nothing happens to you!
Learn how to swim
At the YMCA.

Learn how to swim
But never swim alone,
There's safety in numbers
Don't strike out on your own!
And never dive
Unless you know,
The water's not too shallow
And it's clear beloooow!!

There is fun in the water
But there's danger too,
And you gotta swim well
So nothing happens to you!
Learn how to swim
At the YMCA..."

It's kind of like "The Song That Never Ends" because this one keeps spiraling around in my head with no hope of a finish. But as obsessions go, it's a fairly happy, harmless one...AND I can promise you that I will never, ever swim alone...even on Artgirl Island.

A few years ago I used "the google" to see if this song came up anywhere else, and one of the few references I found was in a blog by a guy who was a former Jeopardy champion. At least that's what he claimed. And really, it makes sense that only someone who had an amazing knack for memorizing facts and trivia would recall this obscure commercial. In all honesty I do NOT have any kind of knack for memorizing facts and trivia but I do tend to remember oddball lyrics of catchy tunes. Those who know me, or who have traveled on a road trip with me, would not be shocked to hear this revelation.

The Milagros Worked!

I have been an earring-making lunatic lately.

After many, many, many years of not wearing them because I was allergic to the various earring wires I tried, I finally realized it was nickel that was causing me grief. Sterling silver and nickel-free base metal findings are perfectly comfortable for me, so I'm having a blast making up for lost time.

This particular pair I made from the last 2 milagros I bought during our Artgirls Infamous Sacred Dirt road trip a few years ago. I simply strung 9 tiny pearls (obtained when Jamie Johnson destashed her jewelry supplies) in the center of a length of wire about 4 inches long, formed a "pearl halo" and then twisted the wires together (like one twists bread ties).

Then I threaded one strand through the hole at the top of each milagro, leaving a gap about 1/4" between the milagro and the pearl halo. I randomly wrapped that wire up and down to fill in the gap...and then made the wire wrapping thicker by doing the same thing with the remaining wire.

I learned that milagros (which means "miracle" in Spanish) are tiny metal religious charms which often depict body parts or various saints or sacred objects. They are used throughout Latin America for healing purposes and votive offerings. I love them because when I wear them I'm reminded of that wonderful and zany road trip.