The "A Trend Setter Before My Time" Story

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation bracelet.

It was an ordinary day.  The headline in the newspaper caught my eye: "Mens wrists not just for watches anymore."  Tried to remember how long ago I gave up wearing a wristwatch for four reasons, (1) made marks on my arm when I sweated, (2) wasn't cool to wear a watch, especially when my iPhone was a pocket away with the time of day, (3) most of my male friends wore wristwatches and could tell me the time and (4) time doesn't really matter much since I'm retired.  Can't believe the newspaper actually posted a story telling the public that men are giving up wearing watches, since it isn't an acceptable accessory on a powerful man's wrist anymore.  Wow, I've been chic for years now and didn't realize it.  But, what should I be wearing on my wrist?  Story said I should be wearing a bracelet made of beads, leather, sterling silver or even a plastic "remembrance band."  A few years ago I wore a blue JDRF bracelet for about half a year and I still have a plastic bag full of them in case I decide to don the bracelet once again.  

A few of my necklaces I have draped across
my wife's wedding portraiture on my dresser.

JDRF are the initials for Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund and I was wearing it since my oldest granddaughter has Type I Diabetes.  Instead of wearing the bracelet, my wife and I began to make donations to JDRF which is probably the reason I was given the bracelet in the first place.  Now, for me, being chic and in style goes farther than wearing something on my wrist.  I enjoy wearing a necklace which to me is more trending than something on my wrist.  I have been making purchases of necklaces for over 15 years which I enjoy wearing when going out for lunch or dinner as well as when vacationing in the Caribbean.  

LDub with his necklace and ... a watch!

The necklaces are made with beads, leather and even small sea shells.  My wife at times claims I'm trying to be a hippie dude from back in the 1970's, and maybe I am, but I still like the look of a necklace with flair that draws attention away from all the loose skin I have on my aging neck.  And, in case you didn't realize it, my photo that appears on this blogspot site to the right of this story, and has been there since I began writing stories in 2009, features a photo of me with a really neat necklace around my neck.  Betcha didn't know that, did you?  Click on my photo in this story to enlarge it and you can see it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - You'll also see that I'm wearing my wristwatch! How uncool is that!!

The "Wear Your Dream Around Your Neck" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Watching TV with my wife when she says, "Here's what I want for Christmas this year."  Hopped out of my chair and looked at the screen on her iPad.  Staring at me was a beautiful piece of jewelry that looked like a wave inside a circle.  Not a large piece of jewelry, but not real small either.  

And, inside the wave was sand.  "This is exactly what I've wanted for quite some time," she said.  I do remember walking in every jewelry store on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey as well as every jewelry store in Stone Harbor, NJ and every jewelry store in Cape May, NJ, and every jewelry store in every island we have visited for the past decade or so.  And, here on her iPad screen is just what she wants.  

Information just in case .....

Comes from a place called Dune Jewelry which is located at 1 Westing- house plaza, Building D, Suite 7 in Boston, Maine.  The silver pendant has an empty space within the wave that you can place sand.  Sand from just about anyplace in the world.  The company posts the locations from which they have obtained sand and if you care for a different location, you must send them the sand.   Well, none of the species of sand from locations all over the world was what Carol wanted in her Christmas present, so I searched through all the bottles of sand I have in my den.  Sand from every location that we have ever been that had sand on a beach.  Only trouble that would have been created was that I put a small amount of sand in a bottle and add another layer over top of it and more sand on top of that, etc.  If she had wanted sand from a beach that had sand in the middle of the small bottle, she would have been out of luck.  Then when every bottle had been checked, I found one more hiding behind a photo on my shelf.  

St. Martin sand.

There was an entire bottle of sand from the south end of Orient Beach on the French side of St. Martin/Sint Maarten.  The exact beach she wanted.  The beach with the yellow umbrellas and orange chairs.  The beach with very few waves.  The beach with the pure, fine white sand.  The beach that we enjoy every time we head to St. Martin.  We emptied a small quantity into a baggie, sealed the top, and placed it in an envelope addressed to Dune Jewelry in Maine.  It was lucky she found the site online during November, since they require a few weeks for turn-around time, unless you choose the sand they have in stock.  Carol placed the call and told them she was mailing the sand immediately.  Her gift would be in the mail in time for Christmas.  Then one day we received a package in the mail from Maine.  She told me she didn't want to see it until Christmas morning.  I opened it in order to wrap it and sure enough, I knew she would love it.  There was this stunning, one-of-a-kind pendant in .925 Sterling Silver that she will wear forever.  

Another view of Carol's Christmas gift.

A small card came with the pendant that tells the story of the people who make them.  The founder's name is Holly Daniels Christensen and she is much like us in that she loves to travel and has special memories she wishes to preserve forever.  She began making sand jewelry at her kitchen table in 2007 and over time realized that everyone had a special memory, exciting adventure or travel dream destination that could be captured by her.  So she stared Dune Jewelry.  She signs her little note ... With love & Sandy hands, Holly Daniels Christensen - Founder, Travel Lover, Sand Connoisseur.  Gave it to Carol on Christmas morning and I believe she has worn it every day since.  She does take it off at night so she doesn't wear it in the shower, since a small note suggested that she not subject it to moisture.  

And yet, another view.

It sparkles, as you can see from the photos.  She couldn't decide which of the dozen or so photos I took to show you the pendant, so I used a few of them.  If you too have a special beach location with special memories you want to capture for eternity, use the address in my story or phone number and email address shown in the business card. And, if you decide to order a piece of jewelry, mention you saw her story on my blog.  I would love to get a pendant for my daughter and daughter-in-law, and you can help!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Mermaid's Tear" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got back from my cousin's jewelry store in nearby East Petersburg with presents for our two granddaughters.  Mark took the two salt-water pearls that we had obtained while on the island of Kauai in Hawaii and fitted them with a sterling setting setting so the girls can wear them around their necks.   Also bought a small silver neck chain to hold the pearl.  While on the island of Kauai, Carol and I decided to take a helicopter ride so we could see the 80% of the island that is only visible from the air.  The Sunshine Helicopter office was in a small strip mall near the airport and one of the stores close to the office was a jewelry store.  

Carol is picking the oyster that she got for buying a necklace.

Naturally, my wife was drawn toward the shiny metal pieces hanging in the window of the shop.  Saw a Sterling Silver pendant in the shape of a plam tree with a few small diamonds smiling at her so I knew we were in for another stop after our helicopter ride.  After purchasing the palm tree, the clerk told Carol that she could pick an oyster from the large shell that was in the front of the store as a reward for buying the pendant.  

The clerk has opened the oyster and the two
small pearls are laying on the towel behind
her right hand.  Click to enlarge if necessary.

Carol looked at the couple of dozen oyster shells and asked the woman which one might have two pearls in it so she could give one to each of our granddaughters.  Very rare for that to happen she told Carol.  Carol made a choice and the woman carefully opened the shell.  Out fell a pearl.  Then another one!  "Wow, good pick dear," I said to her.  Naturally the clerk wanted to sell us $100 settings for each pearl and after drilling a small hole in each proceeded to show us a few settings.  Carol told her that we weren't interested and she put them away until we got home from vacation.  I must say that the pearls that she picked were beautifully shaped. The pearl is actually an oyster's attempt to protect itself from irritating particles that enter its shell.  The oyster responds to the particle by coating it with nacre, a substance secreted by the oyster which is primarily calcium carbonate.  

A gift for granddaughters.

The more coatings the oyster places on the particle, the larger the pearl.  The pearls that Carol picked were cultured pearls since the particle was planted in the pearl by a human.    The pearl is unlike most other gems in that it does not need to be cut or polished.  Well, the pearls were sitting under the tree for a few days and were finally opened on Christmas to the joys of our granddaughters.  Carol is trying to instill in them the joy of jewelry, particularly pearls, which she has obtained since we have been married.  After all, you realize that the pearl is really a mermaid's tear and who couldn't love that story.  Oh yeah, by the way in case you were wondering, the helicopter ride was interesting and exciting also!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.