Closing down, moving on....

Hello!
I've decided to merge blogs, as the reason I created this blog no longer seems valid to me.
So this will be my last post here, but have no fear I'm still all over the web!
I'm still blogging over at Moonbeam Disco,
And over at All About Benjamin Cedric,
And of course there's my Jewelry shop on Etsy!

I guess all there is left to say is PEACE!

And be well folks :)

The second class.....

The second class went well! I was the first to soldered my band for the ring. I measured, cut, filed, and bent the metal for the setting while everyone else was soldering. While they were cutting their settings, I started work on a pendant. I cut that shape out of a flat piece of metal. It took a really long time. My neck and wrist ache a bit so it's a good thing I'm only doing this class once a week :)

Silversmith=awesome!

I really enjoyed my first three hour workshop!
I can tell already that there is a lot to learn, and this workshop will be more about them telling me what to do and me doing it to make a final product (ring with a stone set into it) than about them teaching me how to be a silversmith. There is however a variety of courses available at George Brown that will teach me that kind of stuff.
If the first class is any indication I am going to love Silversmithing!!!
First we went over some basic safety rules, like point the end of the blow torch that the fire comes out of *away* from your face. We also learned some basic stuff about metals and the different types of metals and what they are used for/ with.
Then we were given saws with blades so fine they were like string. After being shown how to string the blades and wax them, we were given squares of copper and told to score one straight line (with a ruler) and one wiggly line (free hand). Then we cut the copper
Here are my cuts. She said my first cut was impressively straight for a first time.


Next we learned about ring sizing and the math to translate a band size into a rectangle of material to make a ring from. We were then shown a bucket of silver scraps and stock and told to choose either a flat strip of silver to cut out our rectangle from or a piece of stalk to cut to length. I, of course, decided to do the harder one and cut from a strip of metal. I only took a photo of the scraps, because I didn't actually think about documenting the progress until it was significantly progressed.
Then there was much filing and sanding to make to two connecting ends completely perfectly flat. There was more filing and more sanding. In fact, the bulk of the work shop was spent filing and sanding. Next we heated the metal with a propane and oxygen torch. It was pretty fancy. We did some technical stuff involving pickle brine and baking soda, and we bent the metal until the two ends were touching.


Because it took some people so long to get the ends perfectly flat and then to bend, we were not able to begin soldering. That we will do next week. The goldsmith who runs it also told me that I could bring in some sketches of designs of anything else I would like to try making.
I guess since I progressed the farthest in the first class and she could tell I was all with the seriousness, she told me I should be able to make another project if I continue at that rate.
So I guess I'll get to sketching, and see what she says!
Weeeeeeeeee!

Revival?

Perhaps.
Since I gave up this blog I started working retail again full time, and just recently stopped again. So, as of November 26th I will once again join the ranks for unpaid full time care givers. I'm am really looking forward to spend more time with the boy. After all that's happened in this past year (one, two, three, holy crap what a year!) I have reorganised my life. I'm now putting the most important things (namely Benjamin) first. I have no idea why I was driving myself crazy to earn enough to make daycare make sense. I don't know why i put up with such ridiculous working conditions, but that's all in the past now. Don't misunderstand, I didn't quit my job, I just decided that I'm not working Monday-Friday anymore. Weekends only.
So, you may be wondering, what will I do now?
My darling husband is currently completing a pre apprenticeship carpentry program, and I, well, this very night I am going to the first of five workshops. I am taking "Silversmith for beginners" . It's scary and exciting and I'm hoping, really hoping silversmith will be a good fit for me. I'm not getting my hopes up or going all in on this, but......well......maybe..... I'll keep you posted!!

Eight months huh?
I guess I did just kind of drop this blog when I got the news that I wasn't getting a subsidy for daycare.
Hence died my dream of going to school in 2009
Especially as I wasn't excepted into my first choice.
But, to be honest even though it was my first choice, it was not my dream job. It was something I thought I could do to earn money, and maybe feel like I was doing something useful.
Well, I was excepted into the two programs to which I applied. I'm pretty sure that for dental hygienist I just didn't have the math skills.

Well things have happened in my life since, (yeah well, when in life does nothing happen and everything stays the same?) which has caused me to do some soul searching and thinking.

The Husband was laid off. He lost his job along with a whole bunch of his co workers and is (for now at least) a gentleman of leisure. I'm sure he'll get another one, but not just yet.
So in theory, I could have gone to school this fall (that is if I had a magic future seeing device at the time) and he Husband could have looked after the boy.

At any rate, I'm now thinking maybe all this happened for a reason. Maybe I should be seriously re thinking my choices in education.
Maybe I should be thinking about what I would really enjoy doing as apposed to what I can make a living doing.
Could they be one and the same?
Because now I'm thinking,
what I'd really like to do,
is be a photographer.
Like professionally.
I'd need a lot of gear, and the program I'm looking at, is expensive and over subscribed.
Well, I have lots of time before I need to make any final decisions.
It's something to think about......

In other news, I currently have a photography exhibit in place at Insomnia
It was well received and I've sold two pieces from it.
Hmmmmmm.

Still Old, but not a school girl afterall (Well not yet)

Well folks, here's the deal.
I've done a feasibility study (by which I mean figuring out exact cost and trying to budget and pulling my hair out, and crying, and well, you get the picture.) and going back to school this year is not a good idea.
Basically the cost of unassisted daycare is just too high.
We already have too much debt . If it were only tuition and books that would be okay. The sad fact is that with the recent cuts to the daycare subsidy program I'm not gonna get any help from the government. The only way I could make this work is by taking out a huge loan. I'm really not will to do that right now.
I'd just like to thank you all for your support and advice. It was much appreciate.

Well, you might be wondering what I'm going to do with myself then?

Actually, I have a great plan!
Next May my dear old Mum is going to retire from her job, and bless he soul, she is willing to care for the boy while I go to school. So, since I'm going to wait until next year, I'm going to save oodles and oodles of money! (By which I of course mean I will not have to take on insane amounts of debt.)
I've thought long and hard about this, and I really feel this makes the most sense for me and my whole family. I've talked with the whole house hold and they all agree. Also I would absolutely feel much better knowing my Mum was caring for Ben. (Not that there's anything wrong with daycare, I'd just feel better.)

So I suppose I should get a part time evening job or something o_O

So Friday the 13th is crappy thin letter day.

Yeah.
Crap.
This sucks.
I really wanted to take dental hygiene at George Brown.
Getting the news now kind of puts a downer on my romantic anniversary weekend getaway.
This blows goats and suck rocks.
I can't express it any better without a lot of swearing. Hmmm. Maybe I can:

:(

Rejection is not fun.
Oh well at least the waiting is finally over.
So what the heck am I going to do now?
Library Science?
*sigh*