Magnetic Monday -- Tarantula Hawk

Tarantula Hawk: a wasp that gets it's name from using the tarantula spider as a food source for it's young. While large and scary looking, they don't bother much with humans, although the sting is reputed to be quite painful. I had never tried to grab one, but have had been in close proximity often and never felt threatened. Keeping with my New Mexico Hall of Fame theme, I should note that they are our state insect.

Magnetic Monday

Old Magnetic Poetry from a few months ago...

Found in my Garden this week....

other magnetic mondays.....
growing a life
guinevere's thoughts on nothing in particular

The Art of being Crafty

Crafty

adj. craft·i·er, craft·i·est

1. Skilled in or marked by underhandedness, deviousness, or deception.

2. Chiefly British Skillful; dexterous.

Recently a post came through on the polymer clay group I joined about whether we are crafters or artists. Personally I don't have a problem with the term crafty. In fact being crafty has paid off for me this week.

Example #1.

I have a bed of squash and melons coming up for the second time. The first time the squirrels made it through my defenses. This time so far so good, I even have one plant that is growing big. While I would like to think it is all due to my superior, squirrel abatement skills, I think this guy might be helping me out. Instead of being horrified and killing it when I spotted him laying near my melon bed, I obviously went and got the camera. Don't get too freaked out boys and girls, this is a bull snake, not a rattler, not too big only about three feet. I am glad to have him or her around, squirrels beware. I feel like definition number one here, luring innocent watermelon hungry squirrels to their death, but I am okay with that.

Example #2
Being skilled with ones hands means you have lots of things to give away to your friends and family. Sometimes you are the lucky recipient of such gifts. Hyperher, is a crafty lady, and she very sweetly send me this bag this week as a belated birthday present. Please join me in telling her how much she rocks. YOU ROCK, and definitely fall into category #2 there. Please don't drool on your keyboard as you look at the picture.

Example #3

Giving away those crafty items can be so rewarding in unintended ways. I mentioned in my last post about making a scrapbook for my cousin going to Princeton for the summer. My aunt, her mother, has had a hard time of it of late. Her son is in Iraq, her mother passed away in February and now her daughter got on a plane today and flew for the first time in her life, across the country, alone. In fact she had not been speaking to my mom, over some of the arrangements for my grandmothers estate. My mother has been very worried about her sister, she felt like the emotional stress of those situations was causing the problem. In fact we had a going away party for the cousin that they did not attend. However when she saw the silly scrapbook I made at my mom's request for her daughter, she called crying and they are reconciled. I would have never expected some silly crafting to be the catalyst for that.

So upward and onward. These are my last batch of beads waiting to be sanded and buffed. I have great hope for them. Maybe they can instill world peace. ; )