A LONG POST TO LAST A LONG TIME.

I wrote a blog post at work while on my lunch hour.
It was a long one.
I read it over and corrected the spelling and tidied it up
but somehow it wasn't right.

I had tried to tell a story and tie it into how I was feeling.
To show some parallels to my story and that story.
It just wasn't working so I deleted it...

So, I'll try again, in a different way, here ya go.

I love blogging.
I love telling stories and sharing ideas and plans and dreams.
I love reading the comments and the friends who take the time to do so, take my breath away.

I love visiting other blogs.
I love the stories, the ideas, the thoughts and laughter and tears.
I sit down with my coffee or pop and read about and listen to other peoples lives.
It's like going to a cafe and "visiting".
But it's perfect for a hermit like me and oddly enough
I think we share things that we might not if we were face to face.
Blogging means a lot to me.

That being said, I have no time.
I've talked about that problem all the time.
Then the other day, someone who I view as indestructible
suddenly has to have surgery.
I'm sure it will all come out fine but still...
it made me think about TIME and what I'm doing with mine.

So I've decided to back away from the Internet a bit.
I'm not going to blog for a while.
I'm not sure how long but I need time.
I can't guarantee that I will comment on other blogs either
but I know that I will be reading posts on my phone when I can steal a few moments.

I'm going to back away from Facebook too
except for my Art page.
I will be on Instagram because it's easy.
I snap a photo and share.
You are welcome to visit me there
and if you have an account, please share!

What am I going to do with the TIME?
I'm going to work on my Art.
Create stuff and get to work and finally write/illustrate my books
that I have been talking about forever.

Speaking of Art-
I finished up 25 images and took them into the Art/Antique place that's going to sell them on commission.
She told me that she would put them out but didn't have time until the next day.
I said that was fine and then I mentioned I only had one that was really for Valentines Day.
I pulled it out and showed her and she started to laugh.
She said she loved it and set it on her front counter!
Then she pulled out another and set that on her counter too.
She pulled out yet another and burst out laughing and called over to a vendor to come look!
She said she loved them and I felt rather good.

I made up another batch and they are all hanging up at the clinic.
If you'd like to see them, I've posted them in 4 separate posts on my Art blog.
You can click the link to the right (on the bunny).

I met my friend for breakfast the other day and told her my plans.
How I was going to back away from the Internet a bit, so I could get some things done.
Work on my book and things.
I told her my name was still on the waiting list for the Antique and Collectibles Mall,
the place I had my booth before.
It's been about 8 months and still no call.
I told her how I needed to call and cancel but....
there was this part of me that still wanted to do it.
I have a LOT of STUFF that I still need to get rid of but...
I can still envision what all my booth could be.
And I had a lot of Art ideas for the booth too, but....
She shook her head and said -  "Yes, let the booth idea go!"

So today on my lunch hour as I'm typing out the now deleted blog post
and telling the story and then I got to the part about time and Art
and the booth and...

My cell phone rings.

It was the Antiques and Collectibles Mall.
They had an opening, was I still interested?

I gotta say, I mean that was a SIGN, right?
I mean Hello! The Universe calling!

So I said I was interested and I'd stop in tonight if I got off in time
otherwise I'd be by in the morning.
He said that was fine.

So then my evening worker showed up a half hour early and I was able to drive to Mall.
The guy was surprised I made it in and showed me two spaces that were available.
I was happy I had come right away rather than wait and maybe not get to pick.
As he walked me to the spaces
I told myself that the location and the "number" would be a sign for me.
Like, if it had the number 7 in it.
Weird, I know but...

So he showed me #17.
It wasn't far from my old booth space.
A very good location.
And it was one of the very few booth that had electricity.
He said only a couple of them had that.

The other booth was 41.
Actually it was the first booth in the place.
I told him I'd take 17. The one with the electricity.
I could see in my mind the lights strung across the top....

I had to sign a contract and he went over the details.
Obviously he didn't remember me.
He told me how the place was shopped by a lot of dealers.
How shopkeepers came in and bought for their own shops.
He said they had buyers from all over the country and people as far as Australia
and China have come in and loaded up containers to take back.

He said that traffic was good and unless it was priced too high,
most things sold.
I had images of things I wanted to make for the booth
flying through my head as he talked.

We went back to the counter and I had to pay first months rent
and get my tags.
I recognized the woman working.
She was actually the one who had taken over my old space.
But she didn't recognize me either.
Actually that happens to me often.
I think because I'm forever changing my hair and I think it was shorter and very blonde back then
and now it's to my shoulders and brown/grey.
Anyway, they were both talking to me and suddenly she said I looked kinda familiar.
Did I come in there often? she asked.

I said no...
I had a booth space there before.
They looked at me quizzically and I added -
"In fact you have my space now".
"What?" she asked and then she said -
"OMG you are the artist!"
and they both smiled really big and laughed.
I got to tell ya,  that made me feel so GOOD!

It was really nice to feel good.

So that's what's going on.
I'm kinda disappearing but not really.
I'll post on my Art blog sometimes,  but I will definitely be on Instagram.
I've started Following a lot of childrens book publishing houses
and authors and illustrators. (wink, wink)
And like I mentioned in a prior post,
alot of old blogger friends now are on Instagram.

So.......I'll wrap this up.
Just know that Blogland and the friends that I've made mean the world to me.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

I leave you with two images.
The first is of Blue when he tummy has told him its dinner time and he turns to me and
gives me the "look".

The second one is him on his bed that's in the living room.
(He has a twin bed upstairs.)
He "almost" fits on it.

He's been doing well.
I just keep him super calm and he hasn't had another episode.
So.... Life is Good.

WHEW! I'M GLAD THAT'S OVER!

I must admit, I've been in a funk.

I suppose the fact that I didn't sell much at the Horse Expo
AND I haven't sold anything at the Art/Antique place, didn't help.
What was really getting to me though was, how I was living my life.

It was getting to me, working at the kennel, taking care of all the pets
and doing through the same thing each morning and evening at home.
In between I had spent every moment working on my Art for these 2 places
and then I suddenly felt as though I had taken 3 big leaps forward
and then slipped off the path and was stuck in the mud.

I try to be optimist and I know I have so many friends out there urging me on
to keep going
but suddenly I just wanted to come home and do nothing.
I wanted to unplug and relax.
I mostly stayed off Facebook and Instagram except to idly thumb through images on my phone.

I felt like my life was just repetition and not fun.

There are a few positives that happened.
There is a new woman veterinarian at the clinic.
I actually know her,  not very well, but she was at the first clinic that I worked at.
I worked very early mornings then and she would be coming in as I was leaving.
I'm not sure if she remembers me or not.
Right now she's taking over all of Doc's surgeries except the bone ones.
He said that he brought her in as part of his plan to scale back.
He wants to just attend to his long time clients who request him
and of course all of his clients that need chiropractic adjustments
and ultimately just do chiropractic care
but he said he's not going anywhere for a while.
I made the comment the other day to my vet tech friend that I plan on Blue being around for another 20 years and he turned and said he wouldn't be around THAT long (he's Blue's vet) and that he'd be retired by then... (Doc is 2 1/2 years older than I).

And talking about age.
I've hired a new boarding person because one of my workers will be graduating soon from college and moving to Portland, Oregon.
I think everyone was very surprised as to who I hired.
Before I hired him, I told Doc that I had an applicant who the girls said was OLD.
I said that he wasn't old and then I told Doc the year that the applicant had graduated High School.
Doc was startled and said that was the year HE graduated and I said,
Yeah! See he's not old!
Truth be told, they might be the same age but if you put them next to each other, you would never guess it.
Doc looks many years younger but I think he has a young mind frame and that makes a big difference.
SO I hired a man who's older.
He's still working full-time and he has a cat that he loves to talk about but he said he needed to fill his off time and and he misses having a dog
and he has a work ethic.
My niece was worried about a man doing the job, because sometimes men can be a bit rough or harsh with animals but one day as she was leaving work she spied him through the window and saw him playing with one of the cats with a toy and then he stopped and hugged the cat and then went on his way to the dog kennels.
Lily called me right afterwards and said she liked that guy.
So there's that.
Although once the college girl leaves, I'll be working 6 days a week... at least for a while.

So all this good stuff and I was still dragging my feet.
I started devising alternative career plans.
I thought about caring for dogs in my home, just smaller dogs
and marketing the fact that they would be in a home environment.
Then I realized I have a full plate right now, several are elderly and
then there's Blue.

So I discarded that idea.... at least for now. Maybe as a side job in retirement, but not NOW.

Then I decided to open a Cat Cafe.
A place where I'd serve, coffee and teas.
Smoothies and tasty treats.
I'd have big comfy chair where people could lounge and read or work on their laptops.
And there would be cats.
Sweet sociable cats, Cats to relieve stress and comfort.
Maybe a big screen in the back area and big floor cushions to lay on and have movie nights....
But after talking with my sister about all the expenses to furnish the place, the rent, the little kids that would want to come in and run after the cats and...
Yep, nixed that idea too.

I did have a great talk with my sister though.
We had met for our monthly breakfast get-together at my favorite family-owned breakfast joint.
I wish we could do that more often.
Afterwards I drove her by a house in the neighborhood we grew up in.
It's for sale and needs A LOT of work but sits on an acre of land.
On either side of it, sits big gorgeous homes and the property taxes would probably be at least 5K a year.
Yep, out of the question.
Then we drove by a house that I've always loved and is now for sale.
It's only four blocks down and one block over from me.
I said to her that I would probably be stupid to move so close to where I live right now.
She didn't think it was dumb, not if I was moving to something better.
So, anyway-
The house is small with a little breezeway going to the attached garage and a nice level backyard.
Usually my sister is pretty bland in her responses about houses I find but she loved this one.
She said that if there was an Open House the next day (Sunday) she would go with me!
She NEVER wants to go to Open Houses.
So I went home and looked it up and found that it was "Sale Pending".
Sigh, Oh well.... it's not like my own home to sale ready.
It needs many many repairs and major de-cluttering.

So... I went to the library.
I checked out a bunch of children's books and poured over the illustrations.
Suddenly I wanted to start drawing again.
I'm going to re-write my Kanga book and making it less wordy.
But I've got clear ideas in my head about it.

I'm then going to start on my Blue book(s).
One for any age and also a series for kids about some of his adventures.
And I can see it in my head!
I'm dropping my altered photos and moving forward on the illustrations.
I'm working on simple little cards and prints and putting them for sale on my blog
and Etsy.

I ordered a couple of books off of Amazon about
non-traditional retirement ideas and also about de-cluttering and why a person accumulates so much in the first place and can't let stuff go.

Then the weather turned and it suddenly was nice outside.
I worked outside for a bit and finally was able to breathe.
Literally and figuratively.
I had forgotten how much I missed working outside, it's garden therapy.
I texted my sister that maybe I'll grow and sell cut flowers!!!
She didn't respond but I think I wear her out with my grand schemes and ideas.
She's probably just waiting to see if I change my mind again!
But whatever!
At least I'm full of ideas and motivated again!

Hervé Tullet

I've been searching the Internet
and checking out Children's books from the library.
Devouring everything I can for knowledge and inspiration.
I want to take my bits and pieces of random scribbles
and quickly jotted down notes and blend they together
to magically form a book.
My journey has left me spellbound and dazzled by illustrators.
I have just discovered Herve Tullet.
His book "Press Here" is pure genius.

and now he's done it again with "The Colouring Book"

                            http://www.herve-tullet.com/en/boite-9/The-Colouring-Book.html
Just Fabulous.