It's December but Feels Like April

The holiday season is here and my garden flowers are blooming. The weather is unseasonably warm and my irises sent up buds, one rose bush has a bud on it, and the perennial bachelor's buttons are flowering! This weather is great.

Yesterday I got a call from a producer for America's Funniest Videos. They liked the video I sent them, of Farrah messing with the mini Christmas tree, and it will air on their show this Sunday evening! And, they're sending me a tshirt. So, I told friends and family, and will record it on my phone this weekend. Pretty cool.

As for me, I've been self studying skills for growing my business. It's complicated but I get it, and feel pretty confident as I go along. And my office is becoming more efficient, as I move furniture and make the space more comfortable. I practically live in it so it needs to be relaxing and easy to find things (more storage is the answer to most of its issues).

Mom and dad are enjoying their holidays, between shopping, making sure dad's health is on track (it is) and caring for their cats. They love their house and property, it is gorgeous and big! We see turkeys in the big meadow from time to time. Their friends call their property "The McFann Metroparks"..perfect for this nature loving family!

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Late Summer

It's late Summer and I'm busy doing artwork for my stores, working in  gardens and trying to keep my lawn watered since it gets crispy without much rain!

Mom and dad have settled into their new house, and mom is busy with her gardens. With all its acres of land, she - and I - can garden as much as we want. I spread my gardening between my home and theirs. My garden at their house is huge, in the middle of a giant meadow, and is covered from four years' worth of rampant weed growth. It reminds me of the book, "The Secret Garden". Once the tall weeds are out, it will will be necessary to hire someone to rototill it. I plan to grow many kinds of perennials, and bring it back to the grand Victorian garden it once was.

There are fruit tree groves and big raspberry and black raspberry patches on the property. How wonderful that is for us! Raspberry season was amazing. Endless berries, free of pesticides, better than any that can be bought. And good for us, too! Mom made her berry recipes, I made mine, until we were too tired to do any more. Apple season is here now, so we'll be using every apple recipe imaginable for that. We love this wholesome, country life, surrounded by this private park or arboretum that they have.

My parents' cats love their barn, where they can freely come and go as they please. I got them a large cat tree, dad and I put it together and they use it.

The cats love to follow us around or snooze under bushes or hidden in the gardens. They pop out quickly when dad comes to feed them, so cute!

Mom, dad and I are getting along much better now, which is a relief to me. Mom has an Amish cleaning lady now, so she isn't focused on controlling me now. Thank God. I am so glad. All I've ever wanted was a harmonious family. So far, so good.

My business is doing just fine. I draw some but spend more and more time learning to grow it..and it is growing. The bigger it gets, the more there is to do. It's a passion so that doesn't bother me at all. Christmas season is approaching, so I'm getting myself ready for it.

Spring Has Sprung

It's Spring! I am getting over the flu and learning how to use this smartphone. My old flip phone died on me so I got this phone for myself, and I'm so glad that I did. It amazes me how much can be done with such a small phone. Gone are the days of those old, black rotary dial phones! Those of us old enough to remember them find modern technology just amazing. I keep this phone, in it's own pretty case, by my side all the time nowadays. Addictive.

The daffodils I planted in the Fall are poking out of the ground, and I see iris leaves looking green, too. It will be so great to be able to garden again, in a couple more weeks. There are still mountains of snow here, but the temperatures are above freezing, so they'll be gone soon.

This morning I went to breakfast with a friend at Bob Evans, and they have WiFi! Both of us were comparing apps we have, as we drank our cappuccinos. Both of us are never far from our Internet-enabled devices. Ashley helps me learn this phone, since she's got the same kind as mine and is really good at it. Such a big help! My confidence grows the more I work with it. Just learned how to buy songs at the app store. Fun.

Now I'm back home, doing some artwork here in bed. The flu makes me tire easily, so I work/rest/work/rest. Ashley and her child are battling the flu, too. We are all healing, it just takes a long time to get rid of it.

All in all, things are OK. I am living a drama-free, peaceful life now. My parents and I are estranged, due to my not tolerating anymore tantrums, being ordered around, and endlessly criticized. I put up boundaries, they refused to respect them, so I will only talk to them in public here and there. Life is too short to deal with endless drama and toxicity. Peace feels good. They are healthy and have what they need. They can take care of themselves, since anything I did to help was never enough. Life goes on, my business takes precedence in my life, with the cats and friends.