December 11, 2007

• Next semester, Megan will be studying rocks and minerals in science. So last week, her class took a field trip to the Gemological Institute of America. The institute does a really cool Junior Gemologist program where the kids get to work, hands-on with various gems. Joe and I went and enjoyed it very much.

  The GIA is the birthplace of the modern day international diamond grading system as well as many other innovations in gemology. The teach all sorts of programs in everything from jewelry design to gemology and have a huge library of every type of book on the subjects you can imagine, including at least one book from 1497! They also have a large collection of gems and jewelry that are exhibited all over the facility on a rotating basis, along with a small museum.

  

  Here Megan works with a classmate to look for special inclusions in stones that create desired attributes like the bending of light in a cat's eye stone.

  

  This is a bird in their museum that is entirely made of precious metals and gems . If I recall correctly, I believe most of the gems are sapphires in various colors and diamonds. The bird is about 9" tall.

  

  These two roosters are about 4" high and are carved from tourmaline, a crystal that goes from pink at one end, to green at the other.

  

  And this is the pride of the GIA, Bahia, a 4-foot, 7-inch-tall, 602-pound quartz sculpture, was carved from a mammoth piece of transparent rutilated quartz found in the region of Brazil. Believed to be the world’s largest gemstone sculpture – and the largest pendant. The GIA is a nonprofit institution, so is trying to raise the funds to buy this so it may be kept in their permanent collection.

  Anyhow, we all had a great time and I hope to go back again soon to enjoy more of there collection when I will have time to really enjoy it and not be busy herding a group of kids around.

  Also last week, my Girl Scout troop made candy cane reindeer to pass out later this month when we go to sing Christmas carols at a retirement home. It's a super easy craft and the girls had fun with it.

  

  Today, Joe and I were back at the old house, working away! Joe installed a ceiling fan in the living room which took forever because the instruction were terrible and he had to make sure there was a supporting beam for the weight. While he did that, I put up a new medicine cabinet in the front bathroom, installed a new toilet seat and hung a toilet paper roll holder. I also put in several door stops, so we don't get holes in the newly painted walls!

  Our painter was busy in the kitchen masking counters and built in appliances so I took the opportunity, while the fridge was in the living room, to finish cleaning it up. It virtually looks like new now! I also took two ceiling exhaust fan covers and repainted them. The old plastic had yellowed with age and they looked really sad with the newly painted ceilings. This is the first time I have tried this spray paint made just for plastics. It seems to work well but goes on in very thin coats, so you have to do several coats to get good coverage.

  Next visit, I plan to clean the tub in the front bath (it has paint and wall texture junk splattered all over it from the work) and install a new shower head and towel rack and then that bathroom should be done! Yeah! Oh, and I called the flooring people and told them they can start on the carpet and wood floors next week! The inside of the house should be basically done before Christmas! Hurray!!!

  Anyhow, I am off, I need to get to work on Christmas cards or they will never get to people before the holidays!

  • 9:33 pm
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