Archive for September, 2008

Two hundred quartz and silver beads.

One hundred mixed gemstones: quartz, citrine, rose quartz, hematite, aventurine, spiny oyster and others.

One hundred mixed stone and glass beads. (If anyone notices the numbering went weird, it is because I apparently cannot count in the wee hours of posting…and had two number 8 labels.  :::head slaps self:::)

This strand of 200 is made of aventurine and quartz, with rough amber pieces representing female soldiers, and silver rose counters.

Three hundred in shell and glass beads, with counters sent from friends afar.  For anyone keeping count by photo, this strand brings the count to 3700 men and women of the armed forces of the USA and her allies, who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Ten photographs to go………

Two hundred, blood red spiny oyster beads with silver rose counters.  This one seemed particularly evocative when I made it, after one of those horrid heavy death count months.

The released names of the dead since the last moon quarter follow.  For those of you searching for photographs of the dead, I do not have the wherewithal to post such pictures;  but the following links may help you:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/oef.casualties/

Sgt. Kenneth W. Mayne, 29, of Fort Benning, Ga. – Army – Iraq _IED

Pfc. Bryan R. Thomas, 22, of Battle Creek, Mich. – Army – Iraq – IED

Pvt. Jordan P. P. Thibeault, 22, of South Jordan, Utah, – Army – Iraq – non-combat incident

Pvt. Michael R. Dinterman, 18, of Littlestown, Pa. -Army – Afghanistan – small arms fire
Pvt. Vincent C. Winston Jr., 22, of St. Louis, Mo. – Army – Afghanistan -IED

Hospital Corpsman 3^rd Class Eichmann A. Strickland, 23, of Arlington, Wash – Navy – Afghanistan – IED

1st Lt. Nicholas A. Madrazo, 25, of Bothell, Wash.,  Marine – Afghanistan- combat ops
Capt. Jesse Melton III, 29, of Randallstown, Md.,  Marine – Afghanistan – combat ops

Senior Chief Petty Officer John W. Marcum, 34, of Flushing, Mich. – Navy – Afghanistan – combat ops
Chief Petty Officer (select) Jason Richard Friewald, 30, of Armada, Mich., – Navy – Afghanistan – combat ops
Spc. Marques I. Knight, 24, of San Juan Capistrano, Calif.- Army – Afghanistan – small arms fire

Sgt. 1st Class Daniel R. Sexton, 53, of Wentzville, Mo. – Army – Iraq – non-combat incident

Chief Warrant Officer Michael Slebodnik, 39, of Gibsonia, Pa. – Army – Afghanistan – small arms fire
(in his helicopter)

Pvt. Michael W. Murdock, 22, of Chocowinity, N.C., – Army – Afghanistan – small arms fire

Gathered roses…silverplated rose beads, two hundred for the dead in Iraq–this was one of the early bead strands in mid 2006.

Three Hundred in mixed stone beads with lava-rock counters. (Counting beads from the Walk of the Fallen Iraq War Memorial Labyrinth)

A strand of 400 dual-colored beads for the men and women who died in Afghanistan.  (Again, these are the beads counting the war dead; this is not a craft site)