peacocks, polymer and a trip to the past

Has it really been over 2 weeks since my last post?  Wow, where does the time go?   And speaking of time, today I thought I would go back in time.  You see, I made a set of beads which reminds me of peacocks.  I am loving the colors; a blend of wasabi green, cyan, a beautiful purple and lapis blue.  Well, all this thought of peacocks took my mind back to some childhood memories. Or maybe it was those subconscious memories that sparked the beads. Hmmmm.... anyways here is a small look back.

When I was a little girl, we lived next to an old southern plantation called Dixie Plantation.  My grandfather, who took the job as caretaker of the plantation,  moved his family there in the 1940's and lived there until his retirement.  The gentleman who owned Dixie was named John Henry Dick.  He was an extraordinary artist who loved nature, especially birds.  In fact he had some exotic birds living on the plantation, including peacocks.  I was very young, but I remember walking down the dirt road behind my house with my Grandmother and other family members to see these beautiful birds.  Being a child, I didn't realize how lucky I was to have the privilege of being in the company of such an extraordinary, well respected man.  We could walk and explore the grounds any time; the old slave cabins and cemetery, or climb the majestic centuries old oaks, whose limbs swept the ground. What a beautiful place it was!

My Mom stills lives next to the plantation, but we don't have the privilege of going over any more.  In fact, the wooded forests and swamp lands look nothing like I remember. The land has been cleared and the old home where my father once lived has been torn down. I feel fortunate to have memories of this place that was once so grand and beautiful. If you are interested in reading more about John Henry Dick a small write up on him is here:  http://spinner.cofc.edu/~speccoll/jhdpage.html?referrer=webcluster&  He really was a fascinating man, published author, artist and world traveler. I feel honored to say that he was a part of my families life.  In fact, had my grandfather not gotten the job and moved his family there, my Dad would have never met my Mom!

Now back to my beads.  Here they are.  The beads I made that started this trip down memory lane.  I really like them. A lot!  Don't the colors remind you of peacocks too?  I'll be listing them for sale soon, so if you can envision something made with them come by and visit my shop.  I'm always open!