6666

My email total just hit 6666 today.

Yep, before long it would be 7000.

I just know it would.

I used to hang on to paper, bills, receipts

and now it's email.

I started to go through them but...

I just bit the bullet and deleted them ALL!

I really hope there wasn't anything in there that I need because it's GONE.

I also deleted, the deleted.

I should feel good about it but...

I kinda feel sick.

WHAT HAVE I DONE!!!!!

THIS MIGHT BE THE LAST ONE.

Someone that I know, a client from the clinic, asked me to something with a photo of her two dogs.

They are both in Heaven now,

So how could I refuse?

I sent this to her for approval -

Her response was that she was crying.

Crying happy tears.

Her husband liked it too.

Especially their eyes.

Instead of my usual 4x4 size

This one is 5x7 and I've mounted it on a 1 1/2 inch thick canvas with the sides painted black.

While I was at it, I did Doc's two dogs.

I watch them whenever he goes out of town

so I took the opportunity to take their pics.

I'm giving them to him as a small token of my appreciation for him saving Blue.

So, THESE might actually be the last ones in this style.

Maybe, I mean who knows. I might do more if there was a special circumstance.

Other news, the place that I gave notice at?

She's currently using my prints as a header on her shop's Facebook page.

Yep. Too little too late for me though.

I did get a phone call from her yesterday in regards to someone asking if I'd give a discount if they purchased 10...

Or maybe even 20!

I had already dropped the price to $10.00

(For Halloween pieces only)

But I went ahead and said yes.

I authorized a 25% discount if he purchased at least 10.

The owner said she'd call me later so I would know what he had bought and what I would need to replenish.

She never called so I stopped down to look for myself today.

Turns out he hadn't purchased any of them.

Oh well.

Definitely time to move on from there.

NEW PLANS

I've written a few posts.
I just haven't published them.
They seemed dull and whiny.
I need to tweak them up a bit.

I actually have a lot to write about but
just can't seem to get it together.

I've been thinking about A LOT of things.
About the future,
about maybe moving someday.
Just lots of things but I won't go into that now.

Rather, I'm going to talk about my ART.
Things I've been working on.
Mistakes that I believe I have made
and some changes I'm going to make
and just Follow my heart.

So, let's start with my photography prints.
That's kinda backfired on me.
I'm selling them at the Art and Antiques place downtown.

Well, they are for sale

But none have sold.
Seriously.
Zero.
The last two months I had to PAY for my space and made ZERO cash.
Yep.
In the hole.
Materials and time spent have not been recouped.

But...
At my work place, the vet clinic, I've sold a couple
but mostly I've sold commissioned ones of people's pets.
I don't mind it too much at first.

I would take the photos
and alter them and everyone was happy.
But then people have wanted to supply me with THEIR photos....

It's not MY photography, and I felt like a glorified photo editing person who mounts prints on canvas.
Bleh.

While I do need the dollars, I have come to realize that -
I DON"T WANT TO DO THIS!
This very afternoon, I should be working on such a project and I'm dragging my feet.
Add to the fact that I'm charging such a small amount....
Yep, I'm kinda done with it.

But my illustrations...
I need to get back to THOSE.
I want to experiment more with layered papers and things.
AND I bought a book about doing watercolor!
I'm not sure how to do it but I like the look of it so much.
Right now I do everything in Inktense pencils
or else in acrylic paint.
I'm self-taught but I really like this how-to book.
So I'm excited about figuring out watercolors!

Then there's the Art & Antique place where I have my altered photography and also my illustrations.
My sister and I meet for breakfast once a month and after breakfast last weekend
she went with me to set up my new Halloween display.
I had made several prints of my illustrations and also of some vintage Halloween photos.

I was pretty happy with my display and as I was paying up front for my last months rent
my sister milled around the place.
I joined her after I was done and we walked around looking.
My sister is very honest and would never say something just to be polite
but as she looked at the antiques and then the various Halloween displays,
she turned to me and said -
"I don't think your Art fits in this place".
She waved her hand at a display with plastic dolls and their handmade clothes that were for sale.
Then she nodded over at a booth full of antique knicky knacks.
Then she walked over to a display of various Halloween items and said -
"And obviously these things were purchased from a store and then just retagged and put in the booth space"
and she shook her head and said she had not seen one thing she would want to buy.

I told her I was rethinking it all.
Then I told her I hadn't had any sales for 2 months.
I gathered up a few of my altered prints to take back to the clinic but I gave her two of them.
They were of her own cats.
She smiled.

Later that night, I was on Facebook and I noticed that the Art and Antiques place
had posted on their page a video montage of all the Halloween displays.
I watched the video and then I text my sister with a link to it and asked for her "opinion" of the video.
She watched it and then text back -
"So she's included everyone's Halloween items but yours?!
You need to pull your stuff!?"
I told her I intended too.

The next morning I gave my notice, unfortunately it's a 60 day notice per my "contract'
but at least I'll be done by the end of November.

Then I called the place where I used to have my big booth
and sold a lot of my items that I had here at home.
I had given that up when I felt like I didn't have the time for it
and also when I got rid of my van.
A couple of weeks ago I had been thinking about that place
and I just randomly called and had them put my name on their waiting list.

So I called them and clarified to the exact size space that I wanted.
I didn't want the BIG 8" x 8' space that I had before but rather the 4' x 8' space.
I asked if there were a million people ahead of me and he laughed and said -
"Not a million but a few"
(Last time I had to wait a whole year to get in but hopefully it won't be the same again.)

So that's the other mistake I made.
Letting my space go at the big Antiques and Collectibles place.

So I text my sister that night.
Usually when I tell her a current idea, she will answer back with a single word.
Like - "OK" or "Good" or "Uh Huh"
I suppose it's exhausting to know me,
what with all my ideas.
But that night I text her and said - that I had put my name on the list at the old place and she said that she thought it was a great idea.
I told her I should have stayed with that place even if I couldn't move big things with my car.
I said I had been thinking about things I could make besides also selling things I still had in my house.

I wanted to paint Folk Art signs too,

and weather them outside.
I wanted to make weird primitive dolls like I used to make for her girls
and just really folk arty stuff like things I want to make for my own yard.
I wish I had photos of the old stuff but here are a couple cat dolls I used to make. They aren't the same as the dolls but they were also made out of cloth and painted. -

I have ideas like making peace poles
and eclectic painted fence pickets
and I said to her that I wanted to make the booth space like a "scene"  or a window display.
Kinda magical and things for the seasons.
I wanted to make one of a kind things so people would feel like they must buy it before its gone.
I  also would paint some furniture but just little pieces.

I also want to make some papier-mâché things.
I've done papier-mâché items years ago and they didn't look like papier-mâché.
I wish I had photos but one looked like a ship's figurehead.
It was the head of a mermaid that was made to look like it had been under water for a very long time.
She had her eyes closed and her mouth was open and it was very eerie.
I entered it in a Halloween Art competition downtown that was sponsored by  Midcoast Arts
and I won a prize!

I also made a 3 foot old mermaid and then her nose was accidentally broken off in a "cat versus space on the table top" incident and I still sold her for $80 and that was more that was 20 years ago.

Another time I made a life-size snowman shaped like a cat.
It had a tree branch going through it for arms and I made a papier-mâché bird to perch on it.
It was very detailed with a scarf and mittens and a big crafted carrot nose.
My friend had it displayed in her restaurant window for the Winter season.
Lots of people commented on it.

Yep, I feel like creating just very folk art stuff and selling that and different things I've collected and some signs that I will paint.
And illustrations. So that I can sell them as prints, cards and things.
I told that to my sister and
she thought it sounded like a good idea and it would be cool stuff for me to make.

So yeah, that's where my head is at,
for now.

WHAT DOG?

Here's a funny thing I realized -

Someone asked me

"How's your dog doing?"

And I hesitated.

My dog?

I thought to myself.

What dog? Which dog? Oh wait! 

She meant how's BLUE doing!

Lol!

I forgot that he's a dog! 

And HE'S DOING GREAT!

He'll be getting his staples out this Friday.

It's like it never happened.

He's 100 % again.

And I can never thank everyone enough

For all the emotional support,

The positive thoughts, 

The healing energy sent his way

And the financial help for his major emergency surgery.

My heart is full

And my eyes flood with tears

Because of the help sent out to me and my Blue.

You are the best!

I'm truly blessed.

XOXOXOXO 

MY LABOR DAY so far....

This is the view from my backdoor yesterday morning-

And today is Labor Day!
Such a beautiful day! Great weather. I'm actually off work today!
I'm working on digging holes and sinking fence posts into the ground for the fence I'm crafting.
My "Folk Art" fence.
It's so peaceful.
Dogs snoozing on the chaise lounges on the patio.
The soft whiz of cars going done the street.
Birds chirping.
The neighborhood kids playing on their trampoline and the sounds of them jumping and chattering with one another.
Calling out to each other.
Neighborhood sounds.
Kids being kids and
suddenly I remember something my Dad yelled out to us kids so many years ago and
NOW I understand what he meant.
"Stop that! You sound like lunatics!"
Ahhhh, memories.

HE POOPED!

After several days...

Things are finally "moving" as they should!

And all is right with the world.

EMERGENCY SURGERY

Sorry that I'm so late on posting what happened with Blue.

And sorry for the length of this post.

It's been an exhausting few days. 

I brought Blue to work on Friday and he had finally pooped!
I was so happy but when they did another X-ray, while it showed that the barium had finally made its way into the intestines (It shows up white on X-ray ) there was also a big white blob still in his tummy.
The techs said to try to feed him and see if it would budge.
So he finally ate some canned food, the first food in a few days!

He went potty again, not much and it was runny.

Doc looked at the X-rays and there's definitely something that you could now see an outline of.

Maybe a wash rag or something is what he said.

He wanted to do another X-ray at noon, since Blue just had some canned food and then diarrhea.

To see if it moved any more.

He didn't want to do surgery quite yet since there's been a little bit of movement.

I tried to be calm but inside I was freaking out!
The night before I kept waking up and then I'd have to make sure he was ok.
In the morning, driving him to work, I totally lost it when he suddenly leaned his head over from the passenger seat and rested it in my shoulder.
I was having a really hard time being strong and thinking positive.

(Blue, resting between X-rays)

So after the X-Ray at noon, where they could see something in his belly but entering into his intestines, the tech said if Blue would eat, then see if maybe I could get him to eat enough to push it through.

So I gave him canned food and squirted cheese whiz on it and he ate quite a bit.
He seemed to be in good spirits and Doc thought we could give him the weekend to see if it would work it's way through.

It was really busy at work because on Fridays there are only two vets so Doc was double booked while the other vet, was doing an emergency exploratory surgery on someone else's dog. She started surgery at 1:30 and it wasn't finished until 4:30. They weren't sure what was inside the dog and it took quite a long while.

SO, about 3:30 or so I took Blue outside again to see if he'd poop.

He was walking slower and getting into the position to poop but nothing.

I could see his stomach ripple and kinda tremble.

But no poop.

I went in and told Doc and he was frowning and thinking and then said to take another X-ray.
So we did and it was obvious that Blue was in distress now.

He was breathing heavy and quivering.
The X-ray showed no change and Doc said Blue needed surgery.

We agreed to do it and not wait. 

Doc finished his appointments and the other vet finished up her surgery.
I helped the girls as they prepped him and when Doc came in, I left.

I've been in surgeries before but I couldn't handle seeing Blue cut into.

Lily came in to help.
So in 40 minutes. Start to finish, Doc cut him open, cut out some fat, cut his belly and pulled out a huge woolen thermal winter sock.
It was so big that it would never had gone through his intestines.
I was shocked.

Some of the other techs and the other vet started to make jokes about how socks disappear in the laundry and that's when it hit me.
I'd been so confused as to how he got socks when I haven't worn any since it was cold out.
But when my washer quit and I pulled it away from the wall, a lot of stuff had fallen behind it and there was some old dog food under there so I had run and got a dust pan as I shoo'd the dogs away.

I didn't want anyone eating that icky stuff.
I remember rags, wash cloths, and stuff and I bet there were socks!!!
He must gave gobbled them up as I shoved the washer out the door and down the steps!!!!
So I think that solves the mystery!

I must say that Doc can upset me at times, but he knows his stuff. I don't think Blue could have lasted 3 hours on the table.
Lily said it was the quickest surgery she's ever seen.

She said Doc just went in there and got it, double checked that there was nothing else, flushed it out and closed him up!

I couldn't take Blue home that night because he was out cold (and too big to carry although he's down to 140lbs) but I would get him in the morning.

My friend Katie, the vet tech, went in that night  to give him his injection, pain medication.
And to check on him.

She lives minutes away and I'm across the river in Illinois.

So she sent me photos while she tended to him.

Here's where he's just awake

and then another where he's turned around and he has an e-collar on.

I asked if he hated the collar and she replied that he was already snoring and the walls were rattling!
That's my boy!

So I went to bed and slept very restlessly.

In the morning I hurried downstairs to let the dogs outside to potty.

My cat Harry was in the kitchen.

I don't write as often about my cats but I have so many stories about Harry.

I have had him longer than any pet ever.

He is so special and I've tried to explain to people that he's not really a cat at all but a person trapped in a cat's body.

People always give me that "you are crazy" look but then they meet Harry and fall instantly in love.

You'd just have to meet him in person to understand but he's super important to me and I've had him for 17 years.

So this morning he was crying loudly and walking wobbly.

I ran to the basement for a cat carrier and scooped him up and rushed to the clinic.

I sent a message to the tech that was working that I was on the way with Harry.

I have to drive over a bridge to go from Illinois to Iowa.

I got to the Government Bridge and it was blocked off so I had to turn around and head for the Centinnenial Bridge.

Traffic was lined up because of a big tractor going across.

Apparently they were having a Tractor Show in the East Village.

So as I drove behind this tractor going 20 miles an hour, I lost it.

I was just sobbing.

Finally I arrived at the clinic.

We did several X-rays of Harry.

Luckily we found nothing.

Nothing broken.

No mass inside of him.

He wasn't blocked.

So they drew blood and while they ran his blood work I went back to Blue.

He had an accident over night and they had cleaned him up.

He wouldn't eat breakfast but that's not a surprise. 

I took him outside and he moved very slow and his back was hunched.

He was really sore.

I cleaned his bottom up and his tail.

Then I took him back to his run and gave him his pills.

Because of his size, he's got a handful of them.

Then I went back to check on Harry.

His bloodwork was fine.

The vet couldn't find any bruises or wounds and she checked him over thoroughly.

Doc stopped in and we asked him to give Harry an adjustment while he was there.

He said Harry's neck was really out bad.

He said it would be sore for a while after the adjustment.

The other vet had the tech give Harry a time released pain injection and then they gave me more pain medicine for him to have at home.

So....

I loaded up Harry in the car

And lined the passenger seat with bedding and went and got Blue.

He got into the car like an old person and I buckled him in.

When we got home, Blue took the 5 steps up to the house very slow and gingerly.

I guess we will be sleeping in the living room for a while.

He's not ready for all those steps to upstairs.

When he got inside the house, he just went and laid down in front of the fan.

I brought Harry in and he hid for a while but then came out and I held him as we all took a nap.

I must say, this has been an exhausting few days.

Usually I feel physically exhausted! LOL!

But now it's more mentally and emotionally.

Sorry for such a long post.

I just wanted to share what happened and get it all out of my head.

And finally,

a BIG HUGE THANK YOU

to everyone who sent positive healing thoughts and energy out for Blue.

And thank you for so much more than that too. The emails and the support and the HELP.

Truly, I'm blessed. 

XOXOXOXOXO