a little different kind of creativity

I've always been a rock hound. My mom always found rocks in my pockets, and the habit didn't really stop. I of course got to know the law about not picking up things in parks... but I have been known to go into the little gift shops and BUY rocks. 

I found several containers of little rocks here and there in my cleaning/decluttering, and today decided to find some kind of place to actually display them so I could enjoy them. I also raided my "rock collection" which is one of those plastic containers with dividers. Most stayed there, the geodes and bigger rock specimens. I should say the MEDIUM ones. I also have LARGE rocks. 

Here's the box. The ones with words on them I got, would you believe, at the DOLLAR TREE. 

Some I got in little bags of rocks from here and there. Some I bought at a bead store! There are a few dyed rocks in there, like the one in the bottom right corner. There are a few metal things with words too, you can see "peace" if you look closely. 

When I was in seventh grade, I participated in a Science Fair, and I decided to show off my rock collection. I was talking to the lady who lived across the street, and she said her father in law was a rock hound too and he invited me to come and visit his rock workshop! He gave me a few things, like the rocks on the left, a petrified fish and a tiny slice of petrified wood. He also gave me some industrial diamonds from Nevada, which of course some wise guy stole from my display! 

I'm thankful for that man, who took time out of his busy day to show me so much that made my eyes pop! We talked about the different kinds of rocks, and he showed me so many examples and told me where they came from.

This one I picked up "somewhere" I don't remember but I thought it was one of the coolest river rocks I had ever seen so it went in my pocket. 

Most of the rocks I have are small. My collection was smallish rocks and sometimes labeled collections within my collection. But once in awhile I would find a big rock that I just loved. On the land "up the hill" I found a gorgeous pink quartz. It is around three inches across and was just sitting there semi buried in the dirt.

A few were from Oregon, when my brother went there and brought them home and for some reason just dumped them on the hill. When I moved up there, I found them. Finders Keepers I said, but I asked if he wanted them, and he fortunately said no.

So here are some of the bigger rocks. That quartz is on the right. 

I don't remember when I got that pahoehoe. It's lava that hardens slowly into very smooth and ropy formations. That's right in the front. Some of this I have no idea where I got it or what it is. The butterfly is one of my dad's creations.

My dad got a rock polisher once. It took WEEKS to polish in its tumbler. A few of these rocks (the tiny ones) came from there. It is NOT an instant gratification hobby, and you can imagine having that tumbler humming in your shop for weeks? I think he only did it once. 

It was good to have parents that let me follow my interests. As crazy as they were. Not the rock collecting, although I did go a bit overboard with that. I haven't collected any lately, except for the little baggie of rocks that JP put in my pocket when he was 2 or so and I got home with them accidentally, but I put them in a little baggie and it makes me smile to look at them. 

So there's a tiny bit of creating (cardboard and felt put in the bottom of a little wooden box) and a lot of nostalgia. That box is going to be on the table in my little game corner of the dining room. Just in case someone needs to know.