Icicles
I saw this quartz crystal at a bead show and was reminded of the long, sharp icicles that
hung from the eaves of the house where I grew up. As kids, we’d break them off and sword fight with them, the icicle sticking to our mitts as it melted from our body heat, and bits of ice flying as our makeshift swords clashed. We’d also terrify each other by claiming that anyone unfortunate enough to be caught under one of those icicles when it broke free of the roof was guaranteed an instant and gory demise. But still, and often, we’d stand under the icicles, tongues hanging out to catch the drips as the icicles melted. Every once in a while, my mom would come out of the house and warn us away but the minute we heard the door close and we knew she was back in the house, we’d be back to what she thought were dangerous games. I thought about all these things as I stood at the bead show, running my fingers over the crystal quartz and thinking about what a dramatic piece I could create with them.
After much deliberation and experimentation, I paired them with a black wood link chain and silver metal hardware to create an earthy but edgy look. I’ve designed it so the piece can be worn either long or short.
Here’s another view where you can see the sterling silver spacers I interspered at random to add some more interest.
Quartz crystal or rock crystal is transparent and colourless. The name quartz actually comes from the Greek word krustallos, meaning ice, because it was thought that quartz was ice formed by the gods. Brazil is the most significant source of quartz crystal but it’s also found in the Swiss and French Alps, Madagascar and the US. In terms of healing properties, it is said that the person who is badly affected by criticism will benefit from clear quartz as it is believed to be a generator and activator of energy and repels negativity on any level. Since the Middle Ages, crystal balls used to predict the future have been made of quartz/rock crystal.
We all managed to survive falling icicles and icicle fights!
And Finally…Barbers and Hair
In a previous post, I talked about trips to the barber as the most embrrassing experience a little girl could have when it came to hair. I truly believed that until I was going through my photo archives and found this photo of me (on the right) with my younger sister Pat.
One of my four older sisters had given us each a Tonette home permanent – women had Toni perms and little girls had Tonette perms. The smell of the chemicals that was used to create the curls was awful and burned my scalp. I can’t recall the occasion – could have been an early Easter that year – because Tonettes were inflicted on us only for special occasions. Then the sister(s) took us out on a cold winter day to take this record of their handiwork, probably with a Brownie camera. We survived this too!
This is me now, not a curl in sight in a photo taken by my friend Melanie Losee at the Planet IndigenUS Festival at Harbourfront this past weekend.