“It Started with a Walk”

By the end of each long workday, my mind was full and tired.  And as so many others may do, I found myself looking for something that would quiet my mind.

In the summer of 2021, two friends and I began meeting every Monday and Friday morning before work to walk the El Dorado Trail. We walked 6½ miles, talking about anything and everything. Those early mornings became a welcome pause before the workday began.

One morning, our conversation turned to how we were spending our free time. We joked about watching movies, working on puzzles with my not-so-patient husband, or, as we liked to say, "howling at the moon." We laughed, but the conversation kept me thinking.

That evening, I searched for my old bead boxes and carried them into the house. I remember sitting at the table, opening each box and wondering what I had been carrying around all these years, and I mean years of collecting beads from as far back as my elementary years!

Then the memories began to return. My son, the comedian, liked calling me "the bead freak." Trips to the bead store in downtown Cotati, followed by taking him and his buddy to Scandia. Coming home, tucking him into bed, and spending a quiet evening making something with my beads. It felt like I was reconnecting with a part of myself that had been sitting idle.

On one of our morning walks, I shared that I had pulled out my old bead boxes and started creating again. That's when I discovered my friend and I shared something we had never talked about before, we both loved making jewelry. She had even owned a jewelry business years earlier.

Not long afterward, on a rainy November evening, we attended our first wire-wrapping class together. I didn't realize it at the time, but that one class would quietly change the direction of my creative life. My evenings of saying I was bored disappeared.   To be honest...I haven't been bored since!

So, Along the Way...

Sometimes it takes years searching for something new, only to discover it was waiting for us all this time. For me, it was tucked away in a few old bead boxes in my garage, a friendship, and one simple decision to say yes to walking.  

I didn’t know it at the time, but those morning walks would eventually lead me to discover the heart behind what would become “TuneStone Jewelry”. 

I realize it wasn't just about rediscovering a creative hobby. It reminded me that some of life's greatest gifts come from making time for yourself.  Whether I'm helping someone navigate an insurance decision, sharing a Creative Road story, or creating something with my hands, the lesson remains the same, and sometimes some of the best chapters of your life begin with one small step.

As We Continue Down the Road….

I invite you to join me for more stories inspired by life, business, creativity, and the experiences behind Highway 50 Insurance Resource and TuneStone Jewelry. Whether you're looking for helpful resources, exploring your insurance options, wanting to try something new or simply searching for a little inspiration, I hope you'll find something of value along your own road.

The Melody Behind This Story “Every Creative Road story has a melody”

"Days Go By" by Keith Urban

Felt like the perfect melody for this one.