Winter has arrived with a BANG!

and with it freezing rain. What is freezing rain you might ask, especially if like me before moving to the States, you have never heard of it before.

What is freezing rain?

Freezing rain is just rain that falls onto a surface with a temperature below freezing. This causes it to freeze to surfaces, such as trees, cars, and roads, forming a coating or glaze of ice. Even small accumulations of ice can cause a significant hazard.

From http://www.weatherwizkids.com/winter_storms.htm

Anyway it bloody pain in the arse and causes chaos most winters. Must admit in the first year, I wondered what all the fuss was about but then one night got caught in an ice storm which then turned to snow. The roads are immediately turned into ice rinks as the rain falls and as its usually getting towards night when it falls, it hard to tell if its ice or rain.

Anyway, I don't plan to go out until late afternoon and hopefully the temps will have risen above 32f by then. I know I shouldn't be surprised by Texas weather by now but for God's sake it was in the mid 80's on Saturday. The one saving grace is that it only lasts for a day or so and then it back to the seasonal norm of mid 60's. I would hate to live in the north of the US where it appears to be an ice bucket for nearly 4 months of the year, at least! I like cooler weather but not below freezing for a good part of the year. Scotland has a much better climate really. Not too hot in the summer and not to cold in the winter

At least I didn't have to take Emily to school today as it was cancelled. I was expecting school to be delayed and as usual Pflugerville was the last school district to make that annoucement. I am sure the kids are delighted that they have the day off but personally, I think it slightly OTT to cancel the whole day. The kids wont be so pleased when they have make up the day next spring semester.

Below are photos of some of the jewellery pieces I have been busy creating rather than doing housework or christmas shopping. They aren't great but hey, its a start. Maybe I should just stick to painting?

These hoops were harder than they look to make as the rings weren't soldered together. So I would go so far and one of the ends would pop out and I had to start again!

Basic link chain with matching earrings which I have made for my sister. Cheap do I hear! Yeah, well maybe but at least I made them myself.

My first piece from the class I did at Austin School of art this autumn.

Memory wire bracelet with seed beads and some beads I had lying around. for my other sister in the UK

Basic link bracelet.

Anothe memory wire bracelet again for my sister.

My first silver cased piece. It is made wax and then silver is poured in the mold to make the final piece.

Ring made with same process as above.

Not sure if I am destined to a be jeweller, don't have that eye for detail, actually my eyesight doesn't allow me to see the detail and my sense of touch is shot to pieces so what feels rough to someone else would seem ok to me. If I do more classes I think I will have my camera at hand as having seen these pictures I can exactly how rough and unfinished the pieces are.