Sad Sad time for our family

It is a sad time. On Tuesday our 100 year old grandfather passed away. Here he is with my hubby and brother in law.

Some people may think "Wow, he lived a long life" or "It was his time" or any of the other thoughts that come when you hear someone of his age passes away. The problem with all of this is, other than an achy knee, he was healthy and his mind was perfectly intact. This was a complete shock to us when we got the news.

PawPaw was a very good man. Of course, he had his moments. We all do. But he lived a life that most only envy. He was friends with presidents, local politicians and more.

He had many jobs and never met a stranger. His personality was infectious.

PawPaw was my son's best friend. Nate even lived with him for a while during a summer internship.

He traveled the world and was a very influential man in the Washington DC communities. He will be missed by so many.

We bury him next week and it will be a sad day for all.

RIP PawPaw. You are with Nanny, Dad and your sisters now. Heaven is rejoicing with you.

I will see you again....in the blink of an eye.

Happy 24th Anniversary to my hubby

Happy Happy Anniversary to my husband.

It has been an interesting ride. People never thought we would last. We were told not even a year. His family has never really accepted me or welcomed me in a way that would make me feel like I am a true member of this family. Here we are 24 years later and still going strong.

We had a small wedding. It was on a Thursday afternoon. Only a few guests attended. His grandfather, mom, dad, brothers and their wives, one of the church members, my best friend Bob and my son. Our pastor performed the ceremony. Shawn's youngest brother and wife acted as our witnesses.

When we finished our vows and the pastor announced us as Husband and Wife, my new sister in law ran up to my husband crying and said "I think you just made the biggest mistake of your life".

How is that for a great big "Welcome to the family".

Well guess what? We didn't make a mistake. We are still going strong 24 years later. But guess what? Both of his brothers' marriages didn't last. I believe that the reason is - we started our marriage with God as the center. We acted on His desires. Neither of them did. They rushed into marriage. One because they were expecting, the other because they were encouraged to have a double ceremony because one wedding was cheaper than two.

Shawn and I didn't have a huge wedding. We didn't spend a lot of money. We did it on God's time and honoring our commitment to Him. I didn't even wear a wedding dress and Shawn didn't wear a tux. We didn't care. We don't even have a picture of us on the day we married. It's not important. What is important is that we love each other and make it work.

We haven't always had the best of times. There have been some hard times, some fights and some times we felt like giving up, but we didn't. We hung in there. God knew we were supposed to be together and be able to help others through our experiences and endurance.

Anyway....I am a very happy woman...I am still in love with my husband....I will be with him as long as God allows.

They need to be educated

Once again, I have had to educate someone about the rights I have because I have a service dog.

It is getting tiresome.

We are going on a short little vacation tomorrow. Yesterday, I called the hotel to confirm our reservations and to make sure the hotel staff was aware that I would be bringing my service dog with me. I was told that it was noted and I would be fine.

Today I get a call from the hotel front desk employee telling me that I would have to bring my dog's certification and papers before he would be admitted into the hotel. I politely informed her that I would not be bringing his papers because it is not a requirement for me to have them.

Of course an indepth conversation ensued. I educated the employee that I do not have to provide them with papers and quoted the ADA's requirements for a service dog. The employee then transferred me to the hotel front desk manager. I again explained that I would not be bringing documentation with me and I was not required to. Again I had to explain the law to her. She insisted that I would need to bring documentation. She then said that she would contact the hotel manager and have him call me.

I got on the phone with the company I booked my trip through. I was explaining the situation with the representative. (We belong to a vacation plan program). She was very understanding and said she would do whatever she could to fix the issue. As we were exchanging information, my call waiting beeped in. It was the vacation plan supervisor and the lawyer of the hotel chain.

I was surprised to know that the lawyer was on the phone. Well, I explained what had happened and quoted the law to them. The lawyer for the hotel confirmed that I was, in fact, correct. He stated that the only issue with the reservation is that my room was booked on a ground floor and those rooms were set aside to be allergen free. I understood that and agreed to have my room changed as long as I received the same amenities that I was promised when I made the reservation. The hotel lawyer then got the hotel manager on the line as well. All the arrangements were worked out and I am satisfied with the results, so far.

When I get to the hotel tomorrow, I will know for sure if everything has been handled when I check in tomorrow.

I took a moment today to make a little PSA about service dogs. Of course, Eclipse had to star in it. I have been trying to show the PSA here but for some reason it won't post.

I wish people would ask if Eclipse is a service dog instead of instantly assuming that I am trying to sneak my dog into a place where he is not allowed.

And I wish people would know that I don't have to carry any documentation, certificates, or tags. My dog is NOT required to wear a vest or have a leash that says "Service Dog". I also would like to see people acknowledge that service dogs don't always come in the shape of a German Sheppard or a Lab. They come in all shapes and sizes.

I am aware that some people do lie to be able to bring their pets with them, but I assure you, I am not faking it or lying.

Palmetto Tat Days is over

Tat Days has come and gone.

I had so much fun again this year. I drove down to Georgia by myself. Eclipse was with me. It was a long drive down and back, but I made it safely both ways.

I had a really great time. I got some nice classes. I met some new friends and reestablished some existing friendships. It was so good to see everyone who attends Palmetto Tat Days. So many people came and had a great time.

There were a lot of husbands who attended this year also. It was nice to see some males tatting and helping the teachers or just hanging around keeping each other company.

I had a vending table again this year. I did pretty good, but not as well as I wanted to. There were a lot of venders selling shuttles this year so I think that was a little bit of a setback.

Eclipse was so good and helped me so much while there. He kept my busy at times when I would have felt awkward or out of place. He was the hit of the conference. I was asked over and over again to make sure I bring him next  year as well.

It was fun to go, but I am happy to be home. Next week we decided to take a little trip up to Deep Creek lake for some relaxation and rest. I am staying for a week. Nate and Naina said they can come with us for a few days and Olivia is staying the whole week with me. Not sure yet what Shawn will be able to swing as far as days off go. I'm sure he will be able to spend some quality time with us.

I hope to have a really relaxing time and be able to recharge my battery. I want to come home with a renewed sense of self and the energy to get the rest of the year's worth of activities completed.

My birthday and anniversary is this month as well. Shawn and I will celebrate 24 years of marriage and I will turn 52. I can't believe we have been together for 24 years. No one expected us to last a year. I think we have proven them wrong.

Off to get some stuff done so I can go on vacation. Have a great day.

It's been a while

It sure has been a while since I've written an entry here. So much has been going on.

July was a crazy month. Grandma Dex turned 101. What a blessing to have her around for so long. She is finally home and resting after being in the hospital and then a nursing home.

My son turned 30 at the end of July. I can't believe it's been 30 years since I first discovered real love. He is an amazing person and I am so proud of him. We had a Nerdy 30 party for him on August 1st in Pittsburgh. It was so much fun. We all dressed up and had a great time.

Shawn has been working a LOT. I hardly ever see him anymore. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and he will be able to have time off soon, but for now, we just let him work and rest. I am trying to do all the housework so he doesn't have to think about it.

Some bad things happened as well. My friend since grade school lost her husband to cancer. It is a terrible time for her and I feel so bad for her. I wish I could take her pain away. Then another friend lost his wife this past week. Also from cancer. It puts so much into perspective.

We had to give our cat away. My service dog and the cat didn't get along and it was stressing the cat out. It is hard for him not to be here. I miss him a lot. He just left yesterday. The new family is going to take him for a 2 week trial to see if he gets along in their home. If it works out, they will keep him, if not, he will come back here until I can find a proper home. He was so stressed out. He was urinating outside of his litter box about once a week. Mostly on my things. He ruined my laptop bag, clothing, and even on my bath towel. It stinks because I've had him since he was 4 weeks old. I gave the new family all of his things to make the transition a little easier. The last report that I got was that he was hiding in the corner, but made sure he was facing them and purring loudly. That's a good sign. It means that he wants attention. I told them that and hopefully they will shower him with love until he gets settled in.

I have been working on some beading projects and am taking a loom class this Saturday. I have some pre class work to do. Trying to get that done.

I already signed up for the Palmetto Tat Days conference in September. I will have a vending table again and I've even been asked to assist one of the teachers for her class. I am excited about that. Shawn and I need to get some shuttles made to sell and I need to get some thread dyed. I also want to make some more tote bags, but a different design this time. I will get it all done. I always do. I am bringing Eclipse with me and have that all worked out. I just need to send in my payment for the conference. I will be mailing that soon. I'm expecting a large check soon and will be using that money to pay for my trip. I hope that I make enough money to cover my trip. I'm pretty sure that I can make some money with the new shuttle designs that I didn't have last year. I will be unveiling a new design at the conference. I hope it's a nice seller. Shawn is amazing with his designs and I really love to watch him make them.

I have a bunch of projects that I want to get done in the next few weeks. I have too many unfinished projects laying around. It bugs me that I am not finishing things.

I have had a really bad sore throat and have not been able to speak for the past 3 days. I am on voice rest as much as possible. I am hoping that I get better soon. I almost feel like I have bronchitis. That's not unusual for me to get it, but not this early in the year. Meds are not working, so I think I need to make a doctors appointment. UGH, I hate going to a new doctor. All the medical history I have to give just depresses me all the more. I don't like to remember most of the things that have happened to me. I may have to just type a document and print it out to bring with me. That way I'm not sitting there trying to remember it all.

Oh, Olivia got a job at a liquor store. She really likes her job. It's part time right now, but they are giving her more hours each week. I'm happy for her.

Went to the Bead District in NYC yesterday

I belong to a bead society group and yesterday we took a planned trip to NYC to the bead district.

I did some research and found a bunch of bead stores that I wanted to go visit. Two of my friends and I partnered up and hung together for the day.

We all had places we wanted to go. We started out hitting a few bead stores. There was something to see in each one, but basically it was the same thing in each store. I got some discounts some places and that was thrilling to receive.

I got to take Eclipse with me. He was so good. He was the best companion I could have had. He kept me calm in the stressful situations and didn't have one accident the entire time. He was funny when I ate. He got to eat steak for two meals and he even ate part of a bagel. The city was a new place for him and there were so many things to see and smell.

I didn't get any questions about him the entire day. I guess in NY, people are more used to dogs being with their humans.

I got to walk on Broadway (but not near the theatres. I got to be in Harold's square. I was even in Hell's Kitchen. I saw Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, and so much more. It wasn't my first trip to NYC, but it was the longest time I've spent there walking the streets and seeing everything.

We stopped at Chelsea Market before we left the city. That is a really neat place. I went into a lot of the shops and even got a Christmas gift for someone there. I ate at a small Mexican stand. Boy was that disappointing. I ordered a quesadilla and it turned out to look like a soft taco. And it was very small. Eclipse ate more of it than I did.  

I toted a large bag around which got heavier and heavier as the day went along. One store had packages of beads for $2 a bag (about a half pound). Of course I picked up a lot of them. They aren't the best beads, but they will work perfectly for some projects I have coming up.

The bus ride was very interesting. Our bus driver, Cameron, was a really nice guy. He took care of us and got us there and back safely. If we do this again, we are requesting him as our driver.

We had to be on the bus at 6:30. I got up about 4:15 to get ready. I was driving several people so we didn't have to keep as many cars in the parking lot. One person stayed at my house and we hit the road about 5:15. We picked up Lisa and her daughter, then off to pick up Patti. We got lost because I mistyped her address and I had the wrong phone number. She finally called and we found her in a minute and off we went to the pick up location. We got there about 6 and got right on the bus.

We were treated to bagels and muffins with coffee and drinks. That was a nice surprise. We laughed and enjoyed each other's company for the entire ride. We had prize drawings (It worked out that everyone got a prize). Then before we got off the bus, we were all given a little snack bag to take with us. It held a few snacks, some water and some chocolate. That was a nice gift.

On the ride back, a few movies played and we got a little silly. There was some wine and drinks shared - not by me tho - and lots of snacks. Everyone was kind of tired, but that didn't keep us calm or quiet. Some people slept on the bus, but some of us stayed up and talked. Eclipse slept the entire ride home, except for the one bathroom break the bus driver stopped for. (The bathroom on the bus had an issue and we couldn't use it on the way home.)

I didn't get to sleep until after 2am. I woke up at 11:30, then took another 3 hour nap on the couch. Boy was I exhausted.

Over all, it was a great trip. I enjoyed myself and plan on going on the next one.

So freaked out right now

I am so freaked out right now.

I was just chatting online with a former neighbor. She told me that before her family moved, that their home was broken into. She told me that her back sliding back door was smashed and they lost thousands and thousands of dollars worth of property.

The thieves pawned her jewelry and that's how they found them. Well the thieves are one of my other neighbors. The police broke their door in one Sunday morning at 5am and found their laptops and some other property. The police also found 23 illegal guns in the house. The house is a rental property and is rented by an elderly lady. She had her  handicapped son, and his two adult sons living with her. The two grandsons are the thieves.

I am so freaked out. The grandsons and I had a conversation one day and they told me that they were criminals and would take anything that they wanted, but would never steal from me. I thought they were joking. I guess not. And I wonder if they told me they would never steal from me because we are really nice to them and their father. Or because we have God to protect us. Or because we have a retired cop and 2 pit bulls living here.

They guys pawned $6,000 worth of jewelry for $87. How dumb can they be?????

I am so upset by all of this. My former neighbor had their house on the market when this happened and they took the first offer they got, just to get out of our neighborhood. They didn't tell anyone about the break in because they didn't want it to effect the sale of their house. I can understand that. But I wish we had known that there were so many illegal guns 3 doors down from me.

I'm not a gun hater. I actually love guns and love to shoot. I don't own a gun but would if I had the chance. I am just wigged out that they had so many and in the hands of these two irresponsible young males who are criminals. Thank God that they are off the street - the guns and the thieves.

Etsy shop reopened and ready to take orders

I reopened my Etsy shop the other day. I thought that people were waiting for us to unveil our Eddie shuttle with a hook. Well, the sales have been underwhelming. I expected to receive more orders than what I have gotten.

I guess it's a good thing because Shawn has been busy at work and this is giving him a much needed break. He has been so busy lately that I worry about him. He isn't a young man any more and can't stay awake as long as he used to. I try to let him sleep as much as he can.

I've been keeping busy making chain maille. I've really begun to enjoy the craft. I have purchased a lot of supplies for it. I even got a sample of most of the sizes and made a chart of each one for future use. I will be able to tell what sizes I need for projects.

Eclipse will be home in 3 days. I can't believe he's been gone for 11 days already. I miss my little guy and can't wait to see him again. I have been following his progress on Instagram and here are the photos that have been taken of him.

First day at training

 

First walk in training

 

Sitting in the sun

 

Eclipse learning to "leave it"

 

Eclipse and his best friend Murphy the Newfie.

 

Eclipse in his 'spot'

Dog training and a new craft for me.

So much has been going on.

We have been really busy. We have put our Etsy shop on hold so we can get some orders finished and out.

Eclipse is at Puppy Boot Camp. He is there for two weeks and will be trained in obedience, some agility, and some manners. I am so excited for him, but can't wait to get him home. He left on May 13th and I don't get him home until the 27th. They work extensively. I will get a course in his training when I pick him up. The trainer said that he's a little hard headed but very smart. Well, I knew that. They are really having fun with him and also said he's fun to play with. That makes me smile. I really miss him and am counting down the days until he's home.

When he gets home, they will come and do several home visits to make sure he's doing the right things and that I am also. Plus he gets a lifetime of training from them. This all is necessary for him to be my service dog.

Oh yea, I forgot, Eclipse has been upgraded from ESA to Service Dog. He is so in tune with my stress and alerts me to stressful situations. He also alerts me to situations where I will be anxious. I didn't train him,  he just instinctively knows what to do. He bonded with me immediately.

Yesterday we got to witness one of our "kids" begin his life as a married man. It was so sweet. We are so happy for the couple and can't wait to witness their future. Nate and Naina came home because the groom is a great friend of his. Olivia was my date because Shawn had to work.

I have learned a new craft that I really love. I've been doing chain maille. OMG it is so much fun. I took a free lesson at my bead society meeting last Tuesday and I am in love. I made a pair of earrings and a bracelet.

I want to learn how to make this without marking up the colored rings. I am still learning that. I have already ordered supplies to make some more jewelry. I bought a book on Chain Maille years ago and even bought some tools to make my own jump rings. I can't wait to try this again.

Got harrassed by a State Trooper today at the MVA

So, today I went to the MVA to renew my husband's tags and had Eclipse with me. Now Eclipse is my ESA dog and I have documentation from my Dr stating that I need to keep him with me all the time.

So I walk into the MVA and past this state trooper who is on duty there. I get in line to renew the tags. There about 6 people in front of me and I realize I will be there for a little while. I pick Eclipse up and stand my distance from anyone just in case they are afraid of him.

All of a sudden I feel someone next to me and look over. This trooper is standing right next to me looking at me. He was almost touching me, but never said a word. I looked over at him and asked him if I could help him. He starts drilling me about the dog and if he is licensed and has papers, etc... I advised him that I have documentation and am allowed to have the dog.

He said "I've never seen a service dog that is that small. Are you sure he is your service dog, and what is wrong with you that you need a dog? I assured him that my Dr has prescribed me to have the dog and I have Anxiety and Depression. I ask the man is there a problem with me having the dog in the MVA and if so, I will take him home and come back to renew the tags. He said "No, I just wanted to check". First of all, he can't ask me why I have a service dog. It's none of his business. I felt like I had to tell him because he was demanding to know.

So I'm standing in line and had a little issue with one of the employees who was being extremely rude when the guy at the kiosk is having issues and I asked for help. I called him on it and he tried to get me to get ejected from the MVA. SMH. The trooper comes over again and gets in my face.

So, by now I'm getting upset and start feeling my tears well up. I just turn around and stand in the line. An older gentlemen gets in line behind me. We start chatting and he asks to pet the dog. We start talking and all of a sudden the trooper is standing in front of me again.

He starts telling me that if I'm not being truthful about Eclipse, then he's going to have to write a report and get in trouble and goes on and on about me having the dog in the MVA. I again ask him if I should leave and take the dog home. At this time I'm crying and visibly upset. The trooper keeps talking and talking to me about me having the dog.

The gentleman behind me tells the trooper to leave me alone. That I am upset and I get the point. The trooper gets rude and says to ME, "I don't know who this person next to you is, so he needs to stop talking". I try to tell him that the man and I were just talking and he was defending me.

The trooper keeps talking about me having the dog. He won't shut up. I again tell him that I UNDERSTAND. I inform him that I'm a former cop and I know that I should have had his tag with me but I forgot it at home. The man behind me again jumps in and asks the trooper what his name is and for a business card. The trooper tells him "I'm Corporal Butler and I don't have a card". The man tells him that he's a former police officer also and that he has a PhD in Criminal Justice and that he's also a lawyer and he would like to have the officer leave me a lone and walk off. He said "She understands what you are saying, because she has told you that she understands, so just leave her alone". The trooper asks him who he is to me and he said "I'm a citizen and can see that she is extremely upset and I am protecting her".

Again the trooper just kept harassing me about the dog and keeps talking. I asked him to just leave me alone and let me get my tags and go home. He won't stop. He says "I'm not raising my voice so I' not harassing anyone". The man tells him that he's going to write a letter of complaint to his superiors and again asked for his name.

By this time I am shaking so hard the dog is bouncing up and down in my arms. Eclipse is snuggling up to my next and whimpering. He kept licking my neck trying to comfort me. He really did his job.

Well, I finally get up to the kiosk and the nasty MVA worker was there assisting. I told him that I could handle the machine alone and I respectfully did not need his assistance. So he starts telling the trooper that I was rude and walked away.

I get the tags renewed and while waiting for my receipt to print, I ask the man behind me if I can give him a hug. He hugged me so tight I thought he was going to break me. It felt good to know that someone had my back.

I was shaking so hard that I couldn't get the key into the car to go home. I sat in the car and had to calm down before I drove home.

I get home and tell Shawn about the incident and he immediately wanted to go up to the MVA and have a talk with the trooper. I wouldn't let him.

As I was telling him the story, we realized that Mike, my cardio kick boxing instructor is the guys supervisor. Shawn wanted me to call Mike and tell him, but I don't want to mix the issue with the trooper up with my relationship with Mike. It puts him in a bad position.

I went to my dr's office tonight for my appointment and told her what happened. She is going to write a complaint against the trooper as well.

How the heck did I get myself into that mess? I just wanted to renew my tags.

So now I am home and much calmer but I am still shaken by this event.

New shuttle design coming out and more

Oh My Gosh. Shawn and I both have new or improved shuttles coming out SOON. Both have been requested and begged for. We have finally accomplished them both. I hope this will be the last shuttle designs we come out with for a while. I think that our Etsy store is going to blow up for a while. That will be nice, but make us super busy.

I don't have pictures of them yet, but they will be coming SOON. I have a motorcycle event this weekend and after that, I should be in mad production mode for a while. I just feel bad for Shawn because he works a full time job and then works on shuttles as well. He needs to show me how to prep his shuttles for him. I can start the work and he will put his amazing skills to work. It will ease his burden for working them and anything that I can do to ease his workload is all that I want to do.

So on another note, Eclipse is doing wonderful. He is working on day 3 of no accidents in the house. We are working hard on housebreaking him. I haven't had this much trouble housebreaking a dog in a long, long time. I think I am being a little more gentile with him because he is so small. I don't want to spank him, or speak harshly to him. Usually I just remove him from the room and clean up his mess. I have heard that this is the best way to train a small dog.

I also need to start his obedience training and his skills training. I may have a trainer help me. I want to get him into agility training and possibly competitions. I think that would be a good thing for both of us. It would force me to be in a situation that I'm not used to and it would give my puppy some amazing confidence and skills.

One other great thing is that Olivia is moving back home tomorrow. I am very excited that she will be going to school here to finish her degree. She will be going to a much better school and have our full support. I pray all goes well here for her.

Shawn and I have enjoyed being empty nesters and know that we will be that again, but our baby girl needs us right now. I have missed her but not the head bumping we have done in the past. We need to work on that aspect of our relationship and move on. Plus having my shopping and crafting buddy back will be so nice.

Frustration, frustration, frustration

I am having such a bad day.

It started out wonderful. My former sister in law, my niece and her daughter came to town to visit. We toured DC and had a wonderful time. We went to the Holocaust Museum, the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the White house. 

There was a free concert on the lawn of the Washington Monument for Earth Day. We go to hear Train, Mary J Blige and Fall Out Boy as we walked around.

We then went to a Tex-Mex place for dinner and had a great conversation. We talked about family and just caught up on our lives, since we haven't seen each other in a while.

Then the crap part of my day happened

Backstory: my husband's brother was in the hospital earlier this week with a blood clot in his lung and had what is called "Coal Minors Lung". It's really serious. I was out of town and had very limited access to the internet, so I didn't know about what was going on. The only notifications the family got was by my BIL's fiancé posting on FB and I didn't really see anything. I saw the messages on Tuesday and immediately told my hubby that his brother was sick. I messaged the fiancé to find out what hospital he was in and she said he has his phone so my husband could contact him. So, I did my familial duty and notified my husband about his brother. My husband was supposed to do his duty and check on his brother.

Fast forward to today. While traveling our of DC, I get messaged on FB from the fiancé telling me that it came to her attention that I never contacted my husband about his brother's condition. She also said that she felt if the tables were turned, I would also be upset and because of that, she no longer wanted to have a relationship with me. OK, WHAT THE HECK?

I was not responsible for my husband not contacting his brother. I told him every day to call his brother. I can't control what someone else does. This person has caused issues with me in the past and I have been blamed for a LOT of crap I didn't do. I have been trying to foster a relationship for her, for the benefit of the family.

I demanded my husband call his brother to straighten this mess out. He did and the response was that blame was not to be placed and we only needed healing.

OK. First of all, I was blamed for something I didn't do and now, all of a sudden, no blame is to be placed when SHE is the one who is shown to be at fault. My husband was not permitted to speak to her to explain the truth because she was "too upset". OK, who gives a crap that I'm beyond upset? No one.

Yes I am whining and venting here. I am just so tired of being blamed for stuff I just don't do. My husband's family has been doing this for 24 years and I'm done with this all. If something doesn't change, I really want to cut everyone out of my life. I'd rather be alone then have to deal with this stress all the time. I'm always waiting for the blame gets placed on me again.

And they all wonder why my depression is so bad???????

Fingerlakes Tatting Conference

Well, I'm a late resister but I got into the tatting conference at Fingerlakes NY. Woo Hoo.

I called Karey and she said it was OK for me to bring Eclipse with me. I have a crate for him to be in while I'm in class and I will have plenty of time for him to be outside and stretching his legs.

I got both of Karey's classes on Saturday and both of Randy's classes on Sunday. Since I was so late, there weren't many classes that were still open. I'm excited because I got two of the classes I originally wanted and the other two were backup selections. Plus, I will have the patterns for all the classes so I can make whatever I want when I get home.

I can't wait to see friends that I have missed since last year. It's nice to know that some people really would have missed me if I didn't go.

I won't have any shuttles or thread to sell, but I will be able to take orders. I gotta bring samples of each shuttle and I have a display of some of the wood species that we have. I hope to sell some shuttles and I hope that Shawn is able to put a hook in the Eddie so I can unveil that one at the conference.

He doesn't get to go with me this year. He has to work. Oh well, we can always go this summer when work slows down for him.

I get to take a few days for myself. I have several ladies who will be staying at the condo with me. They all will leave either Sunday or Monday and I'll have a day or so alone before I come home.

On the way up to NY, I'm going to stop at Bead Fest in Oak PA. I plan on checking it out for a few hours. It will only take me about an hour out of my way. I hope to find some patterns and unique beads.

As I type this, I'm getting excited about my trip. I'm trying to decide what crafts I should take with me. I just don't know what to bring. I guess I'll figure that all out later. For now, I'll just be happy that I get to go.

I have registered my ESA today

Well, I got my ESA yesterday and he is registered in the national database today.

If you don't know what an ESA is, it's an Emotional Support Animal. My doctor recommended that I get a dog that I can bring with me to help me when I feel overwhelmed or anxious in public. My two Pit Bulls didn't fit the bill because they are too excitable when we go out in public. The cat hates to go out, so we got a small dog for me to bring with me.

I chose to get a Papillon. I did a lot of research on which animal would best suit my needs and there was a choice between a Papillon and a Pomeranian. The Papillon is not a yappy dog, is extremely smart and very trainable. So I researched breeders and the first one I called had a male, black and white, and on the larger size  meaning 8-9 pounds. After a few weeks of talking to her and many discussions about how he will be raised with the pit bulls, he was delivered yesterday. I named him Eclipse. He is a purebred and has papers. I need to register him with the AKC.

He's 16 weeks old and, believe it or not, he's litter box trained until it's warm enough to start house breaking him. He's only had one small accident and that was in his play pen. He is very cuddly and loving. He has already tried to put Zura in her place by barking at her when she tried to take a toy from him.

We had a little bit of disruption last night. He had a hard night but I completely understand. He was ripped from his home and his mother and thrown into a home with 3 other animals that he doesn't know and people he'd never met before. We disrupted his entire schedule and he just had a hard time. I think we will be a little better tonight.

He's already such a cuddle bug. He loves to lay in my lap and chill out, but only after he's taken about 30 laps around the room. He loves to run.

Here is a picture of him.

His ears should be standing up soon. They have flopped down because he is teething. But if not, I'm OK with him not having the ears that stand straight up. I'm not going to show him, but I will train him to do agility. His energy level pretty much demands I do some kind of training.

Well, time to put this little guy to bed. He has a vet appointment tomorrow with my vet to be checked out.

Work out was great.

Shawn and I started attending Cardio Kickboxing classes last week. He met the instructor when he was getting his company's security license. Sgt. Jones is a State Police Sargent. We were invited to check out the class. Last Wednesday we decided to go. We got our gloves (required) and found the location. We paid our fee and off we went. I knew I was out of shape, but man, this man had me huffing and puffing after about 20 mins. I had to take a few breaks during the hour session, but made it through.

The next day I was not sore. I felt like my muscles were loose and I could move around easier. I kept up the cardio, kind of, for the rest of the week. I made it a point to move while at home doing chores. I shoveled snow for 6 hours. I took a brisk walk through the mall. And I started thinking about what I was eating, not just shoveling food in my mouth - trying to make better choices.

Yesterday I jumped on the scale and I have lost 5 lbs this week alone. YIPPEE. I have a goal to loose 80 lbs this year. I'm on my way. Sgt. Jones started it, but I kept it going. I was shocked to see that I had lost so much, not thinking I had done that much to lose weight.

So, today I went to the class without Shawn (he had to work). I did pretty good. I only had to take 2 breaks this time. One was because I had taken in too much water and felt sick. The other was to take a puff from my inhaler - big mistake. It made me sick. I didn't do all the exercises exactly like he wanted going at my own pace, but I hung in there. I made it through the session huffing and puffing again.

It took me almost 3 hours after the workout to stop sweating. Man it was a good feeling to be able to work out like that. I am really enjoying the lessons.  I hope that I can keep them up.

I invited the kids to go with us when they are home. Nate and Naina are all for it. Olivia said that she does not want to work out, but agreed to go with us and watch. I am hoping she changes her mind.

I am going to try and attend the Sunday morning session. Working out like that two times a week should be good for us. I know that I feel good about myself and actually went back. I didn't make excuses why I couldn't go and actually seemed excited to go. I hope I can keep this up.

So I'm off to bed. This old gal is tired tonight.

Just a rant

I am just going to rant right now.

I have a few pet peeves that really, really bug me. One of them is when I watch a TV talk show like the View or the Talk and they have a male guest and he sits down before all the women are seated. Did people forget manners? Who is teaching these men how to treat ladies? My husband opens doors for me, unless I beat him to the door and open it myself, which he absolutely hates.

I know that some people will blame the fact that a lot of men are absent fathers, but they do have mothers who should require their sons to treat women with respect. I can't believe all the men that I see who just don't have that small piece of respect. When I see a "celebrity" that I have admired sit their rear down when a woman is still standing, I loose respect for him. It breaks my heart.

OK, pet peeve number two is when you are approaching a door and someone shuts it in your face. Or if you are going into a door on the right side and someone pushes past you going out, when the other door opens as well. What the heck is wrong with people? I see it all the time. Have people lost all common sense? I have had younger kids push me out of the way to get through a door that I have just opened. And there is no "excuse me" "thank you" - nothing. Where are the manners there?

I'm not saying that I'm better than anyone else, but when my kids were young, they had to say Yes Ma'am, no Ma'am. Yes Sir, No Sir. Please and thank you. My sister told me that I was treating them like they were in the military. My thought process was that if I taught them and they didn't show respect later in life, it was on them, not me. I have gotten so many compliments on my kids manners. I have been told they are the most respectful, polite kids. That makes me happy to know that my kids learned how to do it right and maybe, just maybe, they will rub off on others.

OK, so next pet peeve is people who talk on their phones ALL THE TIME, and are loud about it. I don't care what you are talking about and I don't care to know what you are doing. Then the people who sit in the dr's office playing on their phones with the key pad tones on. That bugs the heck out of me. I suffer from social anxiety as it is, so when I have to hear all those different key tones beeping, it gets on my nerves and I start to panic.

Oh my goodness, speaking of being in a waiting room, I can't stand when people wear too much perfume or cologne and come into the waiting room. I can't breathe. What are people thinking when the bathe in that stuff? Maybe you like it, but you are around others and maybe someone is allergic to the smells you are wafting through the room.

OK, so I'm finished ranting for the day. Sorry for dumping all of this out today, but I just had to get it out.

SNOW

If we can believe the forecasts, we will be getting about 6 inches of snow tonight. I don't like the white, cold stuff. Shawn and I are nice and cozy in the house. We are wrapped up in blankets watching TV and hopefully won't have to go outside until tomorrow, except to let the dogs out.

I've been beading a lot lately. I made a really cute bracelet yesterday and today. Here are pictures of it. Tell me what you think.

 









The clasp was a little pricey but well worth the $15. It looks great pared with the color combinations I chose.
I am also working on another peyote bracelet designed after Starry Night by Vincent van Gough. That is my favorite piece of artwork, of all time. I have a print of it on my wall in my family room and I look at it every day. It makes me happy.

New shuttle design listed in my Etsy store

Shawn and I just unveiled the new shuttle design in the Etsy store.

We are so excited about it. I named it the Eddie shuttle after my dad. I hope people like it enough to order some. Shawn really worked hard on this design.

We had 3 testers and the only adjustments we needed to make minor adjustments when he sands them. Woo Hoo.

Here are photos of it.

 
 

It tats so nicely. We are offering it in 7 wood species right now. Plus we will have a hook added to the shuttle soon. Shawn is playing around with the placement of the hook now. This is such an exciting time for us.

I love unveiling new designs.

The good and the bad

So, there has been a lot of uproar in the world lately. Far away and close to home.

I have been having ups and downs here as well. Good and bad. I want to concentrate more on the good than the bad. Sometimes it's hard to take the high road and I don't always choose the right path. I am, after all, human and human emotions sometimes get in the way. I make mistakes and fall short more times then I want to admit. One thing I can fall back on is that I am forgiven.

Shawn and I are on the upswing with the job issue and the difficulties Shawn had when he wasn't working. His new job - almost 4 months in - is exactly what he needed and is so great at. He is an amazing boss and treats his employees so well. He's a hard nosed boss but teaches the right way to do things. I am so proud of him and happy that he has been placed exactly where he needs to be.

Olivia will be coming back home to finish her college degree at a university closer to home. We are happy that she chose to finish school in Maryland. She already has a full time job waiting for her and so many options for which school to go to. She wants to attend Towson State University.

I have still been having some memory issues. I play games to try and build up my short term memory. I have such a great long term memory that some people don't believe that I have memory problems. It's funny how people judge you when they don't understand your issues. I guess that's not something I should concern myself with. I know what happens to me, and so does my team of doctors.

I try really hard to be kind and nice to everyone. Sometimes people fool you and appear to be the same, but eventually the truth comes out. It takes a lot for me to end a friendship and usually I hang on longer than the other person, so when I dump someone, there is a real good reason. I have either seen something new, or the person shows their true nature. I really despise it when the person I dump tries to turn mutual friends or people in general against me. That's just not a good thing to put others in the middle of an issue. I have been placed in the middle of situations in the past and I know that it's not comfortable.

So, Friday Shawn's grandfather is turning 100. We are having a huge party for him. Nate and Naina are going to come for the night so they can attend the party, but Olivia has too much school work to do so she isn't making the drive. I think it will be a good evening. I'm actually going to buy a new dress to wear. UGH a dress. Shawn is buying me new jewelry to wear that will end up being an heirloom set. A necklace, earrings and a ring made from sterling silver and opal. I will post pix of it when he picks it up on Thursday.

Next Friday, Shawn will turn 50 and two days later Mariyah will turn 3. Lots of important birthdays coming up in the near future.

I have been keeping myself busy by making jewelry and taking beading classes. I am still tatting a little, but right now, I'm enjoying learning new beading techniques. I will always crochet, knit, tat, quilt and bead. I just like to switch up where my energy is going every once in a while.

So with all this being said - I am going back to making the bracelet that's sitting on my bead board.

It's been a year since.....

It's been a year and a day since my cousin's house burned down. One year since Braxton died and one year since Tiffany died. One year since Tre' was put in the hospital in critical condition. Tre' is out of the hospital and attending school on a part time basis. He has a lot of physical challenges right now, but his life is a miracle and he is an amazing boy. He misses his brother and sister. He has a hard life. He loves so hard and is a wonderful person.

On the same day as the fire, my son and his then fiancé (now wife), celebrated at their engagement party/blessing ceremony. The day was such a mix of emotions. I wanted to be happy for my son, but was so sad that our family was going through so much.

Olivia was a mess because Braxton was named after her and they were very close. That young man could do no wrong as far as she was concerned. His death hit her very hard. My daughter has dealt with many deaths in her 22 years of life but this one was one of the hardest things she has had to deal with. She still cries when she thinks of him. She still cries when someone talks of him. She still cries when she hears his name or sees his picture. I keep telling her that she will see him again when she gets to the gates of Heaven.

Braxton was a Christian and I know he is in Heaven. Olivia is a Christian and I know that she will go to Heaven when she leaves this earth. He will be there waiting to greet her and welcome her home.

The one think I like to say about those who have gone to Heaven before us is that we will see them "In the blink of an eye". Because to them, it will only seem like the blink of an eye. To us, it seems like we will never get to see them again and life just drags on.

I don't normally "preach" on my blog, but God has really put it on my heart to say this:
Not everyone will be in Heaven. Only those who accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior will get to enter the gates of Heaven.

I always hear people say of a loved one who died "They are in heaven looking down on you". "They are my guardian angel."

I'm sorry, but I don't believe that. I guess that people say that their loved ones are in Heaven to help them feel better. I'd rather know the truth. I know that a lot of my family members who have died will not be in Heaven.

I worry about people who are not believers. It scares me to know that people I love so much will not get to share eternity with me.

Ok, so I'm going to stop preaching now.

Braxton was a huge huge huge Seattle Seahawks fan. The coach of the team even sent the family a special video he recorded just before going out to coach the biggest game of his career. He said that Braxton was going to be with them during the game. What an amazing guy. I'm a lifelong Seahawks and Pete Carroll fan because of what he did.

This year they even printed Braxton's name on a list of fans who they lost in 2014.

Needless to say, I will be cheering for the Seahawks this year during the Super Bowl and wearing my jersey I got made in honor of Braxton. His football number was 16, but I got 11 put on my jersey because he was 11 when he died.

Nothing going on

Not much going on lately. Olivia is still home but will be leaving on Saturday for her next semester in college. It was an interesting month having her home.

It snowed here yesterday. We only got a few inches. The dogs loved playing in it, for about 10 seconds and then they were ready to come inside.

We also got the appraisal on the house done yesterday. I'm anxious to see what the house is worth. Refinancing is a pain in the rear, but my loan officer is a great friend so I know he will take care of us.

I've been doing a lot of beading lately. I have two loomed cuffs going right now.

I haven't started working on the quilts I want to get finished in 2015. It will happen. I feel like I will be abandoning some other crafts, though. I think I need a break from tatting right now. I've been taking a break for a while. I even am considering not going to the tatting conference in Fingerlakes NY this year. I know that I should go to see my friends and I always make a lot of money selling shuttles and thread, but I haven't been inspired to go yet. I'm sure I will soon. I don't even know what classes are going to be offered yet. There is no info posted about it yet on the Fingerlakes Tatters web site yet.

I think I'm just getting the blahs. I am sure I'll get over it.