Jewells of Thought

As a child growing up I didn’t have any devices like my niece and other younger generations now have. I didn’t receive my first cell phone until I graduated High School. I was 18 when I got my first pay as you go phone and didn’t have an iPad for a good while after that.

My cousins and I played outside or did crafts inside. Goodness the plates we painted and beads we turned into Christmas ornaments and the games we played. Chinese checkers, checkers, dominoes, Old Maid, and Gin Rummy were favorites on the Alsman kitchen table to play. Grandpa and Grandma would play with us and aunts and uncles. The word ‘bored’ was rarely if ever used. Grandma Rosemary simply would not have it.

So I showed you what I made with the kids a couple of weeks ago. In the time since I have had some therapy time of my own with my beads.

This has been my therapy lately… it’s fun and addictive. Yet it’s what I default to when I have kids around, because I remember and cherish the memories I have from being a kid and my Grandma and my family allowing us kids to have our creativity. It’s also a learning experience because you have to keep the beads on the pegboard and keep it in the pattern you want it to without bumping the beads off. It can be difficult, but it’s worth learning how to in order to have the pretty finished piece.