**************** |
You're here because you're interested in
who I am. It's an age-old question, that. "Who am I?"
I'm Genn. Welcome to my world.
Descriptively, and in no certain order, I am
a crystal lover and gemstone fanatic, a healer, a best friend and
wife to Robert, a mother to Gitszy, a daughter & sister,
a champion of lost causes and defender of the weak and those in need...
I am an artist, a poet, a craftsperson, a Kung Fu and Tai Chi practitioner...
I buy Barbies and Bratz (to play with, not to collect).
I buy super-hero action figures (for the same reason)... I love Elektra
comic books, I collect all things Kwan Yin... I am Reiki II, and practice
Intermediate Light Language... I am Wiccan, Christian and Buddhist and
I honor the Divine in all Paths... I have been both a waitress and licensed
nurse. I love sparkily things and very hot food. I am
a cancer survivor.
These are just scrapings that came off as I mused
upon the question. I am a million other things and none of them
at all.
I am Genn.
As for how I came to be here on the web selling
crystal... the long and the short of it...
I was born and raised in California and I have
been rockhounding and collecting crystals since I was very young.
That's the short of it.
For the long of it, in 1993, after working as
a nurse for 5 years, while studying for my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing,
I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
The tumor was large and took up about 2/3 of
my chest cavity on the X-Ray. Because of my young age (27) the
doctors chose to treat my cancer very aggressively and the damage that
the chemotherapy and radiation caused has left me with some fairly difficult
challenges to deal with as time progresses.
After the treatment was over, the nerve damage
that the toxic chemicals caused created extreme, unbearable pain in
my feet and body that morphine, anti-seizure medications and other
pain meds much stronger than morphine couldn't even help. The
pain was so intense, I was suicidal and absolutely without hope.
Defeated, I quit all the drugs, which weren't
helping anyway, turning inward, and I suppose, seeking some sort of
solace, began wading in the lake by the house my Mom and I were renting
at the time. We were told by the locals there was quartz all over
in the lake and that it had healing properties. This was at Buchannan
Dam, Texas, 1994.
I began to find a quiet peace there, and my pain
lessened to the point that I began drawing and painting again. The
self portrait in the banner at the top of the page was one of those
paintings. Spirit and circumstance led us back to Arkansas to help
my ailing Grandfather.
After moving from Texas to Arkansas to help my Grandfather,
Mom and I decided to go to the crystal mines to try out the crystal
mining I had heard about since my early childhood. I am quite
sure she did it to get my mind off my pain and mood which were going back
downward.
Going to the crystal mine was like nothing I
have ever experienced. It was like heaven. A high. An
addiction. No matter how many times we went, I always wanted to
go more. When we were there, I couldn't stay long enough. We
bought a tent and "dry camped" at the forest service campground and dug
for days at a time.
I was still very weak from the chemo and its
after effects but Mom always helped me as I trudged along. I
had a sweet little chihuahua, Ody. He was my saving grace. We
adopted him from the humane society in Texas right after my chemo ended,
when I was so sick and depressed. He kept me going. He was
a special needs 'pup', 10 years old with congestive heart failure and
seizures and he was the sweetest ray of light you could ever imagine.
He LOVED the crystal mine. We would put
him in a bucket and wag him along. At times we would tuck him in our
shirt and he would grunt and complain when we bent over to pick up yet
another crystal.
Soon we had so many crystals it felt almost as
if we were hoarding them, but we couldn't stop. Dad, living
in California, suggested through e-mail that I write a webpage and
spread them around. At the time I was new to e-mail, the thought
of a webpage was daunting. However, with his help, I taught myself
HTML and in early 1996 Arkansas Crystal Works was born.
In late 1996, the cancer came back and I underwent
chemo and this time they added radiation. I used crystals to
help alleviate some of the symptoms such as pain and especially nausea,
as well as helping with meditation and focus. I offer crystals
to people who need them, so if you are undergoing chemo and/or radiation,
please e-mail me and I will gladly help you out.
During treatment, I had a central line (IV port)
hanging out of my chest, so dry camping wasn't so easy, and I didn't
feel really good, needless to say... We had bought a pop-up camper
that had gotten too unwieldy, so we "upgraded" to a used RV and camped
in that while we crystal mined. The doctors weren't too thrilled
to know that I was out in the dirt with my IV port and showering ala
naturalle under an outside pump... but when crystals are involved, hmmmm.
There's just no stopping me!
ANYWAY... the cancer is gone, I am in remission,
and have passed the 10 year milestone. I am thankful to Spirit,
the crystal, everyone's prayers, All That Is.
FAMILY:
Ody has gone on to Doggy Heaven...
I still miss him very much, but he returns to
visit often in my dreams.
I treasure these visits.
Pixie
For those of you returning to my site,
my baby, Pixie, went to live with my Mom to keep HER baby, Chrissy,
company. Pixie had surgery on her front leg (a congenital malformation
which almost caused the breeders to euthanize her) and it is doing
very well! She is a pistol. Gitszy and I just went for her birthday
party and had cake!
Chrissy and Ody
Sadly, since then, Chrissy has
gone on to Doggy Heaven. However, she is there with her pal,
Ody.
Gitszy with her Tiger
Gitszy is our new baby. She
is a rescue pup, who has scholiosis and hip dysplasia.
She was 2 years old when we got her and weighed just under 2 pounds.
She has "chubbed up" since then. She is a goof. We love
her.
family photo
Robert and I got married March 2006. We
have been best friends since 2000. Robert, also called Sifu
by almost all who know him, is a Kung Fu Master, just celebrated a 31 year
anniversary in the martial arts. He began his training at the age
of 9 in San Diego California, learning under a 75 year old Shaolin Monk.
He practices the ancient art of Shaolin Healing Hands, as well as
Reiki, and Light Language. Sifu is a kind and gentle man and is also
a tiger that could swipe you aside with the sweep of one paw. Yin
and Yang. It's all good. He's a good man.
We live in our Kung Fu studio. Our
home is overflowing with crystal in every closet, drawer, shelf and
crevasse, so due to the overflowing of Martial Arts Qi (Chi), Healing
Energy and Crystal Vibrations, this building simply pulsates. You
could probably spot it throbbing from a satellite. :)
Genn & Sifu with Ancestors
(see the orbs? they are in most all
of our pictures. These are the smallest. They oftentimes get
up to dime, nickel size and larger. Sometimes they take up half the
picture. They vary from swirly whitish orbs to glowing blue diamonds.
We look forward to searching our pictures for our friendly orbs)
Gitszy & her Papa
Following is a brief introduction of how this
crystal is making its way from its home in the mountains to you.
I am the only person here. I always wonder when I
go to a website, "Who is behind this thing?" "Who is doing all
this packing and handling and writing and busy-work?" To
answer simply; ME, ME, ME, ME and ME.
Beginning from the ground level up, I select the
crystal, I measure, weigh, photograph and "read" it... I write the
webpage, and post the crystal. On an administrative
scale, I am the web-mistress and secretary. I
answer all the e-mail, I take the orders, pack and ship the orders
and I am the "boss" of me (so I can fire myself if I don’t do a good
job).
I promise to do my best to do a good job, though, because
I love what I do. I get up in the morning, and I check e-mail,
and I am at it until I go to bed, usually 11:30 at night. (With
many breaks in between, of course).
Robert has to make me stop. Luckily we live at our
Kung Fu studio, so I break to hang out in class in the evenings, 3
to 5 hours. Otherwise I would be at the computer or handling the
crystal in one way or another all day. It exhausts me at times and
I have to stop, forgetting I have limits to my physical self, that my
emotional self never used to have (sort of like my inside self feels like
it did before I was changed externally by the yuckies and such...) so
I drop back and re-group...
ANYWAY...
Basically, I assist the crystal
through its entire journey from the crystal mine to your home.
It is very important to me that your crystal is in a positive and
loving atmosphere from the time is it held for description on the website
until it is carefully wrapped to be delivered to your door.
I feel I have been honored with a unique opportunity to assist the crystals
to where they need to go and my intention is always to do it with love
and grace.
I don’t see this as a business, or that I am
in “control” of the crystals… that they are my possessions. I feel
like I am adopting out crystals to new homes, helping to spread the
light of the crystals out into the world. To clarify, I don’t
see myself as anything but a helper to the crystals, simply because
they can’t get to where they need to go on their own.
I used to pride myself that
all of the crystal on the website was gathered by me/and or Mom directly
from the crystal mine . This is no longer the
case. About 5 years ago my health started on the decline and
I haven't been able to catch it back up. I haven't been well enough
to dig and do what it takes (clean and etc) to keep the website full...
So I have had to purchase the crystal that is posted. All of
it has been hand selected by me, however.
You may find that all of the crystal offered
here isn’t what you would call absolutely flawless… I don’t always
purchase the "highest quality", AAA grade crystal ("perfect") and not
the chipped or damaged. I feel (touch) each crystal and find
there is an inherent beauty in all things and many times, the empathic
crystals have the greatest pull, both energetically and emotionally.
I do truly feel that I am matching up the proper
crystal to it's rightful companion and when I am selecting crystals
to bring home with me to post to the webpage, oftentimes see it as
a rescue mission of sorts. Many times aesthetically (or
vibrationally) I wouldn't select a certain crystal, but if my hand
is drawn to it a second time, I bring it home, knowing it is for someone
specifically.
I pray you will find the crystal that has called
you here today.
Thanks for sharing your time!
In love and Light~
Genn :)
****************************************************************************
|
