Took a Break from Blogging But Now I'm Back

It's been awhile but I'm back on Blogger, ready to talk about whatever comes to mind..art, cats, life, etc. With this Covid 19 pandemic going on, I'm home and have lots of time on my hands. I have no desire to travel or be out in public until a cure is found, having asthma makes me considered "high risk". Many years ago I had a bad flu that nearly ended me, and the coronavirus is much worse so I'm not taking any chances.

Being home all the time doesn't bother me much. My cats are here, my art business is run from home. I can talk to my friends and clients online. I'm taking this time to get back into oil painting, shades of college years ago. I've spent most of my career doing other media aimed more towards pen and inks but have done painting commissions and projects once in awhile through the years. It's like riding a bicycle..once learned, it's always doable. Practice always helps, though, in any medium. I play around with it and enjoy myself because to me, that is what art is all about. I sell everything I make but right now I'm more focused on getting more creative, alone here in my studio. My stores do the selling while I relax and create.

My cats stick with me wherever I go in the house. When I paint, they sleep. Sometimes behind my easel, other times in their different cat beds. I take breaks when they come looking for petting and treats. Little buddies. Lily is only three and loves to play! She loves to rocket around, knock stuff off of tables and play with her toys. When she's resting I can concentrate. Matty and Farrah sleep mostly, watch birds and eat..being older. They think playing is for kittens!

My studio is my "safety place". I go in there and feel at peace. It's full of what I love..books, music and art supplies. Being away from the stress and craziness of the world keeps me centered. Why I moved from the city to the country. I prefer fresh air, nature and peaceful living. 

My parents moved to a lovely town a half hour from me. They are doing fine, busy with their own lives. Dad writes his book and mom loves to cook and garden. We keep in touch by phone now that we're all self isolating. Their kitties love the house and property, equipped with a barn for them to explore, big trees and safety from predatory wildlife. Their old house used to have wild raccoons who came from the neighboring forest to eat the cat's food and there's was a threat of coyotes so this is much better. I'm glad everyone is safe, happy and they like their neighbors. 

So in general, my blog will be about what is going on here at home. Might be a bit limited since I'm not outdoors right now but when the pandemic is over, I'll get back into travel, do a show or two now and then. My ambitious days of doing weekly shows in my youth are over. Having a bad knee that needs replacing, I prefer selling from my stores and not pushing my luck until I get the torn meniscus repaired. It's not going to slow me down too much though because I use the downtime to be busy in other ways. Artists are resourceful. We have to be. I'm well used to that by now, starting my business from a very young age. With no money and no help. I believe in that saylying, "If it's going to be, it's up to me."

Setting Up My New Online Store

My new store, independent from Zazzle, is now underway. It's a huge job but I work on it in pieces. Every day more is accomplished, as I peck away at it. Being a "Type A" personality and a perfectionist, it has to be done right.

My new store is going to carry items not available at my Zazzle stores and will be mostly clothing for now. As time goes by, other new items will be added, as it's a work in progress.

So, I'm taking knowledge from my past in retail to construct this business. From a boyfriend from long ago, who was my mentor and ran a large business. He died a few years ago, so his memory is in my heart as I work. He taught me how to do most aspects of business from marketing and trade shows to the mail room. As a young woman, still a teen and into my twenties I had side jobs in big retail stores, from clerk to accounting. I ran my freelance business too, traveling interstate to do shows.

In the last twenty years, I moved my business online. My Zazzle stores are running OK as usual, but I want to expand and grow more.

My businesses are my "babies", so behind each store is my passion, stress, frustrations and excitement. I love what I do..and the fact that my cats sleep around me while my marathons are going on. Big pot of coffee by my side and TV on in the background (it calms my easily frayed nerves).

So, stop by my new store at https://www.twopurringcatsstudio.com
and take a look around. It's full of my own colorful designs on high quality clothes and more! Bring your friends, too. Welcome and enjoy!  :)

No Pain, No Gain

With the start of any new business venture comes growing pains but also excitement. It's business as usual at my existing stores. I'm adding a new, independent retail  venue. Gulp.

Planning a new store takes time. What I wouldn't give to hire an uber tech savvy guru to do it for me, but without the budget for that, I'm doing it myself. I'm doing everything on my own, as always

Over twenty years ago, I learned how to use computers. I was really enthusiastic about it, taking courses and data entry temp jobs to aquire knowledge and experience. Being a self-employed artist, I did my artwork when I wasn't working on the computer.
In time, I learned to write code, construct websites and more.

Each time I learned tough new tasks, it stressed me to the moon and back. Being nervous to the max and having little emotional support, I went at it head-on. It drove me nuts for awhile until it became easier and more fun with practise.

So now, I'm learning newer, better ways to run my business. Ways to make it run more efficiently and be completely automated. I have my previous knowledge as a solid foundation, but there is much more to learn. It's all about keeping up with the times, staying competitive and growing my brand among the big boys...large and small retailers who have bigger budgets and staff to help them. My staff, so to speak, are three sleepy white cats.

So, once again, I throw myself, kicking and (virtually) screaming, into my work. Tackling one issue at a time. My businesses are my "babies". They take nurturing, growing and coddling. When times change, for example when the economy is struggling, it takes more work. But when all is well, I just concentrate on the fun part (drawing new artwork) and let my stores run themselves.

So, despite a low budget, bundle of nerves deep down and cats as "staff", all is fine. I've done this growth thing before and I'm doing it again. Things worth doing don't come easy, but are worth the hard work in the end. I got this.

Vacation!

Vacation time is near, time to prepare! It's a great time to leave Northeastern Ohio and get some sun. There's so much to do and as usual, my stress is through the roof but I'm handling it all one task at a time.

First of all, five tourists (rest in peace!) were killed by a mentally ill man a few days ago at the airport I'm going to. Luckily, he's in custody but those poor people! Tragedy and fear in a place that they expected to have fun. Life goes on. Life is a risk. I refuse to be discouraged, and will carry on as usual.

It will be wonderful to go exploring, snorkeling and taking photos of everything. Travel recharges the soul, and mine needs recharging! Being among nature makes me feel happy and excited, alive! I will dicker in the Caribbean markets for handmade crafts, have a few parasol drinks and lattes. Heaven.

First, I have to clean the house, in preparation for my house/pet sitters. Then, there's the packing. I am notorious for overpacking so I'm going to make sure whatever's going meets the airline and TSA requirements. So far, so good!

It will be great fun once there. I will be able to speak Spanish with those who speak it, eat Caribbean food and swim in crystal blue water, checking out some stunning coral reefs. My friend Angie is going too so we'll see as many sites as we can. We worked together long ago and she lives in another state, so it's great to have a "girls' trip" and catch up on what's been going on in our lives. Her kids are now grown men, when I last saw them they were young boys.. time flies!

So, here I am, drawing artwork right now. My business will hold its own while I'm away from it for the few days I'm gone. It's hard to rip myself away from routine and my cats but all is well. The cats will be fine. They won't be alone and will be in good hands. I expect to enjoy the view from the airplane window seat, forget normalcy and really let loose! Coming home with a nice tan will be a bonus!

So here we come, Caribbean islands! Get those Pina Coladas, fried plantains and sandy beaches ready, here come two "sisters from other mothers"!  We work hard..and play even harder. :)

A Very Blustery Fall

As the maple trees' leaves turn brilliant gold and red colors here in Northeastern Ohio, it's been my mission to enjoy this beautiful Fall season while working hard to get everything important done in my stores. This is the retail holiday season now, when everyone is looking to buy and / or sell just about anything. It's time to hustle!

Stir into this, of course, the unhinged Presidential Election hype. I'm not going into my choice but will say that this fight has been stressful, entertaining and disturbing all at the same time. It all unfolds on the TV here in my office as I work. I liken the whole thing to Roman gladiator fighting. This has been the most vicious, knock down-drag out battle I've ever seen for the next leader of the free world. All I can hope for is that my candidate wins, and the other one slithers back under the rock from whence they came. Seriously.

My brain is a bit fried from mental overload. I get an occasional  nervous twitch in my eye at stressful times, telling me that I need to slow down. The best thing to do is to turn off the news, take a nap or walk outside in the yard and then start afresh. Seems to work pretty well. A new coffee shop opened up a few miles away, so that helps, too.

In addition to everything else, I found out recently that my faithful car is nearing the end of its car life. Seven fine years of little repair bills and no car payments has made it very trusty to me. But, the mechanic says the computer in it needs repair, one set of brakes replaced, along with the exhaust system, and a newly found oil leak. Time to get another car. I have a bad habit of keeping cars I really like too long past their safety limits, so this time, I'm listening. The car goes up for sale.

After my vacation, I'll continue my hunt for the right car. I'm picky and so it takes looking..lots of it. Considering the fact that a brand new car depreciates a large percentage when driven off of the dealer's lot, I like quality used cars. I might get an SUV this time around, because I hope to do some shows once I've got means to haul merchandise, etc. It's hard to break myself of the full-size luxury sedan tradition so I'm still hanging loose on what style to get. What matters most is how well it runs and how well it's been maintained. At this stage of my life, I'm going for what is most practical and comfortable.

There is tranquility in my house at all times. The cats are doing fine, spoiled as ever. Friends are doing well, I'm tired but ok. The business is doing fine. I've got a cup of cider next to me, as I sit ouside on my porch. Pretty soon it will be too cold to do that. With my highly wired Type-A personality, I need the peace of this beautiful countryside I live in. It brings me back to nature and keeps me grounded. 

Let's Try Peace, Not Killing

Rest in Peace to all victims of the tragedies in Florida. First there was the savage shooting of a young singer named Christina Grimm was killed by some crazed fan, and now, people in a nightclub. Senselessly gunned down by a terrorist. Young people with their whole lives in front of them, gone in the blink of an eye.
There's too much anger and hate in this world! And, there are too many guns, especially automatic assault weapons.

As I sit here watching CNN, as they talk about Orlando's tragedy, I think of the families of all the dead. They all have a long road of healing ahead, but no one can bring back their loved ones.

Life is fragile, and with crazed freaks out in the world, we all need to be vigilant of people around us when  in crowds. It's not the world I remember as a kid. Back then there were no fears of being hurt while in public. The government needs to do something and get this insanity to stop. Let's try peace and tolerance of people different from us to start.

Getting Ready to Garden

It feels SO good to be gardening again!  It's almost safe enough to plant tender flowers (annuals), but not quite. But I am into perennials mostly, like my mom. Last weekend we all went to our favorite greenhouse, Lowe's in Bainbridge. We were like kids in a candy store!

There was a decent plant sale going on, "Buy two, get one free". So, I got purple primroses  that look like roses,  alpine poppies and some cornflower blue and white columbine. Mom and dad got a bunch of gorgeous perennials, from a variegated euphoria to a large pink penstemon, and topsoil. We walked around, just enjoying the colors and textures of the leaves and flowers. Greenhouses are so relaxing to me. I'm glad dad went with us, he loves it, too, even if he doesn't garden anymore.

So now, mom is busy in her gardens, which are already colorful. I have been weeding and planting, along with some spring cleaning in the house. It feels good to see the yard alive with birds returning from warmer climates, an occasional butterfly or bees, and other signs of life. Well, except the rat who I found digging in one of my gardens. A few sprinkles of cayenne pepper powder around the plants he was digging up, and he hasn't been back since. Hehe. I'm sure he's long gone elsewhere by now.

The cats are plastered to the windows, excitedly watching all birds. Sometimes I hear a "hiss" or two, and I know they are getting annoyed with whoever got the best birdwatching spot. Beau loves the rainbows cast off by a faceted crystal sphere I have hanging in a window. I touch it, making the little rainbows dance all over,  and he dances, hops and pounces on them Not bad for a fourteen year old cat :)

Spring Has Sprung Again

Spring is here, and my daffodils are blooming! This is my favorite time of year.

Life is wonderful, despite being bedridden due to sciatica pain and the medications I've had to take for it that made me dizzy. I'm healing up and though not 100% yet, I'm getting out and even did a little gardening (weeding).

My stores are busy and I'm adding new products on a near daily basis. I work from my laptop from bed, cats piled around me, TV on in the background (oddly, it helps me work to have noise on in the background).  I've got new products galore so stop by my main store, Two Purring Cats Clothing & Gifts at:  http://www.zazzle.com/twopurringcats

The cats have been enjoying themselves, watching birds and TV (yes, they really watch it). I work so that they can live royal lives! :)

Pretty soon I'm going back to the drawing board, literally, to do more artwork in my office. Over the early winter I made my office more efficient, with shelves and other items to make working in there easier. It looks good, but there's always work to be done in there (more shelves and places to put stuff!!)

It, like me, is a work in progress. Anyways, life is peaceful, mom and dad are doing fine, and everyone is happy that the weather is warming up.

That's all for now, later!

 http://www.zazzle.com/twopurringcats

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!

<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/christmas+gifts?rf=238441954547012598&CMPN=ban_holiday_gifts_2015" rel="nofollow"><img src="//asset.zcache.com/assets/graphics/z4/uniquePages/banners/Christmas_Plus_Gifts/Z_Christmas_Gifts_300x250.jpg" alt="Holiday Gifts" /></a>

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.

Enjoying Cold Wintery Days at Home

Without the internet at home, I'm enjoying some much needed time off for awhile. It's cold and wintery here in the Snow Belt of Ohio, with a thick blanket of snow outdoors. I just keep the house nice and warm, and settle in to work on artwork, making jewelry and wreaths, with the cats piled around me and a fresh pot of coffee always within reach. The solitude helps me to concentrate and de-stress, and I like it. When I get eager to talk to others, I go to the library or the coffeehouses nearby and use the internet there. Works fine for me for the time being.

It's been a busy November, between organizing things in my house, making my office more efficient and making a multitude of crafts. My online stores are doing ok, it's just not as good as last year due to my having to cut my commissions way down to stay competitive. Ugh. Still, customers come, from every corner of the world. It feels good knowing that my work is appreciated by people. Thank you to my customers, wherever you are. I am very grateful to all of you.

My parents are happy and doing fine. They have a new kitten who is just precious, only a few weeks old, found outside all alone. They feed it kitten formula and he sleeps and likes to stay in his basket (a giant Easter basket with a handle, lined with fleece and kitten toys). His own little playland. And he's with mom all of the time. The cuteness is so overwhelming, love it.

This is German Stollen season, the time of year when German bakeries make this incredible bread filled with raisins, nuts and ground up fruit. Heaven. In the past I used to order a case of it from the German Deli (online), but a few years ago I discovered that it is sold here locally at Aldi's and even Big Lots has them at this time of year. My favorite kinds are the marzipan and/or rum. I bought a couple loaves of marzipan Stollen this time and have been having a slice every morning with coffee. Very satisfying. My favorite brands are Kuchenmeister and Deutche Kuche. They don't have chunks of citron in them like some other brands do (citron, yuck!). If they use it, it's ground up and added to the dough. Dad too has the same aversion to citron. Anyways, Stollen is wonderful. Sometime I will try to make my own. I like to make bread when the weather gets cold.

So, I'm sticking around home, enjoying this time of year. My feeders are loaded with goldfinches, woodpeckers (downy, hairy, red-bellied). My cats spend their time (especially little Farrah!)glued to the bird action outdoors. Farrah presses her nose up to the glass when any bird comes by. The feeders are very close to the windows and in her mind, she's a fierce hunter stalking her prey. It's cute watching her. The other two get bored with it faster then go watch tv. I have a house full of couch potatoes, lol.

Well, time to go home and get back to my offline work. Later! :)

Concentrating on Drawing Now..Less Internet, More (Shudder) Work Away From the Computer

My internet is out right now, and it will be for awhile, so my office is temporarily the library right now, using the computer, and will be every day until I get the net back again. Right now, it's pretty tight money-wise (nearly all my money goes to the mechanic for awhile), so I'm staying in, working on drawings as my business runs itself, without a problem, online. I'm ok, just going through a bit of internet withdrawal at home. It's like going back to the pre-computer days, shudder, when you actually do things around the house other than spend all day online. Wow. For a person totally dictated by technology, this is tough. But I need to find a better internet, that isn't too expensive, and there aren't many options out here in the boonies, where I live. I may even have to get with the 21st Century and actually get a smart phone! Nothing too fancy, just something to get emails from. I have avoided it for a long time but feel the need to access the net from anywhere at this point in life. And home internet has been unreliable and very slow. Lucky for me that I can do my drawings at home, still. It'll be ok, it's just inconvenient to be net-less at the moment.

It's really Fall outside, with brilliant orange leaves on the trees, lots of rain and temperatures are beginning to go downwards. It's nice to sit in front of the fireplace with the cats, doing art and drinking my coffee. No internet means more time to concentrate on artwork I've been wanting to do for a long time, but was too distracted by online matters to do it. So, the time is now, drawing more, computing less (but stressing more, relaxing less, at times, without Facebook and my friends there to talk to 24/7). I'm independent and money-making mode. Due to the plummeting economy, financially it's been tough and I'm making the most of it, now that I have to give a chunk of money for car repairs that weren't even finished! The whole mechanic thing is not being forgotten or swept under a rug, it's being worked on.

Without the internet, it's given me time to also do a few hobbies I'd put off for awhile. I'm now baking more homemade bread (made a loaf of raisin bread last night) and also, finally got around to refinishing a Duncan Phyfe drum table and a lovely oak end table that really needed a change of color. They look good, like new. Yay, me. Just in time for the cold weather to come in, too. The other day I had them outside, refinishing them in the sunshine, letting them stay outside all day and night to dry, and a day after they were brought inside, it got rainy and cold enough for me to turn on the heat in the house. I love Ohio, the weather fluxuates. Living in the Snow Belt, it REALLY fluxuates, and the winters here are tough. Will have to get the car fixed by a family friend before it's too cold, since the coolant leaks like a sieve. It wasn't fixed. This injustice will be fixed, in time. Until then, I found a trusted, competent and HONEST mechanic to take the car to, just need to make more money since all of mine is already spoken for. Seriously. Until late Spring of next year. Ugh. Yep, the car repair thing has made my finances beyond tight.

Another thing I haven't done in awhile but am now doing is watch tv. I only listen to it normally, as it is on in the background, unless it's some show that I just can't pry myself away from (anything news and some reality type shows). I watched hardly no tv before but now I'm getting caught up on shows, but working on projects at the same time. I have a hard time sitting still and just doing nothing while the tv is on, most of the time. It isn't easy being Type A, lol.

So, until next time..when I'm at the library in a few days, it's time to go home, fix dinner and feed the cats. I am on a mission to keep the economy and car repairs mess with my financial stability. So far, so good. Life goes on, and with friends and support, I'm holding steady. Hope we all get through the economy/government circus soon. Positivity and faith get me through it, and despite some bumps in the road, things will be ok.

Relaxing Here in the Office

It's a peaceful night, time to relax and get more work done. Dealing with car mechanic issues has really stressed me out for the last month, so it's time to relax and not let it consume me. Outside it's cold, so all the windows in the house are now closed and the heat is turned on. Earlier, I got rid of side door drafts by putting weatherproofing foam "tape" inside the door frame, and it has helped a lot. The kitchen usually gets cold in the winter, and it was cold until I did this. Good, maybe I'll save a little money on heat this year. Anyways, another chore crossed off my "to do" list.

I've made my office extra comfortable for the upcoming holiday season, my busiest time of year, especially now that we don't have our bonuses anymore and need to sell more than ever. Sales are coming in, but due to the economy, it's slower than last year. So, I work to market products, and others are also helping me market, via online newspapers, articles, etc. My products are spread all over the internet and they have a life of their own, as they have for years now. If I can just calm myself down from distressing car issues, I'll be more efficient. Right now, I still get heart palpitations from stress so I get up and walk around, go outside and distract myself. It's annoying, this is not normal for me. Just want the car nightmare over with. It's overwhelming. The answer to everything is to keep working. Working on my art or websites is all therapeutic to me.

Tonight I made a bunch of popcorn, a good snack on a cold night. I do it the old fashioned way, on the stovetop, and use butter flavored salt to save on calories. I don't do microwave popcorn anymore after reading about how bad it is, so many chemicals in it. Back to the basics is fine with me. As a kid, I used to make Jiffy Pop popcorn on the stovetop, don't know if it's even for sale anymore. Just give me Orville Reddenbacher's in a jar, a little canola oil and I'm good to go.

Talked to a reporter from Channel 5 TV today, who will hopefully help me with the car travesty. It was so reassuring to talk to him, and he assured me he'd do everything he can to help. He's one of a few strong avenues I've taken to deal with this. Hoping it gets resolved, I'm not some dumb idiot just going to sit back and let people take advantage. Nope, this car will be fixed..but by another place who will do it right this time. Someone I can trust and who won't blow me off, who will listen to me. The mechanic called today, but I'm not talking to someone who hasn't listened to me or treated me right. Any correspodence from now on will be in writing.

It's so nice to know I'm not alone. I have my parents, friends and others looking out for me. In a world where I spend so much time alone, working here at my house out here in the country (which I love), it's easy to feel lonely at down times. I want the months ahead to be good, financially and emotionally. The economy is a mess, people are suffering around the country. I'm so far holding my own but extra tight now that the mechanic's bill is stuffed with pricey add-ons. $40 for anti-freeze, when the container in the car is bone dry, for example. Sickening. I hope our economy improves, customers will then hopefully be less afraid to buy. I checked my products on the marketplace at Zazzle and they're up front, for the most part, being seen. Buyers are just being tight with money until this crisis passes. The best thing to do is to just keep calm and carry on. We all will get through this. Hard work and persistence is the key, I think.

Time to get back to work. I feel ok, listening to music, my pets with me here, asleep, the picture of calm. Life is still good.

I Do NOT Recommend Cooke's Auto Repair in Chardon

The car saga continues. Went to look under the hood of my car, which I just got back from the mechanics last night. The "Check Engine" light is STILL on. The coolant container was BONE DRY. Called up Cooke's, only to be told, "Bring it in, you'll need to leave it". No apologies, no sympathy, and didn't listen when I told him that I want to wait for them to repair it, not leave it there. He wouldn't budge. I will NEVER darken the door of that place again. Not after two very large repairs (one is questionable if I even needed it in the first place), altogether came to a grand total of $1850, which I will be paying on for months. And the coolant container is empty? I wanted them to fix the coolant leak in the first place, not the manifold (pricey repair). And I don't appreciate being put off whenever I call, with a very hurried, "Call you back" for the answer to my questions 99% of the time (with a call back days later, maybe), then at the last day (when I demanded to get the car back) they told me to call first because they were working on it. Were they? Who knows. I'm tired of this and will take my car elsewhere, where mechanics straightforwardly will get things done in a couple days (instead of weeks) and not blow me off when I want a written estimate or explanation on what needs to be worked on. And not make me wait weeks when I need something done, when it could've been done MUCH sooner, then no apology afterwards. No manners, just evasiveness. Goodbye, Cooke's, you'll get your money ($1850 in monthly installments), and then I'm done with you. I've heard many complaints about them from other people since I brought my car there. Live and learn. A woman alone is an easy target, and I feel violated. Not listened to, put off, left hanging for a long time, wondering what is wrong with the car. Ladies, in my opinion, it would be a good idea to take a man who knows about cars with you when dealing with evasive, disrespectful mechanics. This could happen to anyone..especially female.

What I believe is the philosophy of some car mechanics.

Here is the bill in question. The second one, the first bill..additional charges..came to 962.33 Didn't pay to go back there. Each time over 900 dollars.Check out the $40 coolant, when in fact my coolant chamber is empty.

Life goes on. Needing to de-stress after having heart palpitations and hyperventilating over the stress of the car problems for the last few weeks, it feels good to mellow out and work in the garden. Put mulch around my plants in preparation for the upcoming cold weather. My flowers are still blooming, as the leaves start to fall. Colors are showing in the trees now. The countryside is full of blooming purple aster flowers and goldenrods, along with all the turning trees. It's so relaxing. I took my camera and took a bunch of pictures, then will do it again later when the colors get even brighter. Farrah, Matisse and Beau watch the leaves fall from the windows, and Farrah wants to jump for them! It's so cute seeing her eyes widen with each falling leaf.

So, I'm busy working on my business, designing high-end lunchboxes. I like them and they should be a hit with customers, I'm sure, as they're well-crafted and come in very pretty colors. I'm also doing some drawing, and switch back and forth to keep energized, while Matisse here sleeps at my feet. The little goldfinches are outside, chirping in the tree next to my windows. They are moulting into their winter colors now (shades of olive green). Their little whistles are so cute, they are always nearby. Money's so tight at the moment, I can't even get their nyger seed right now, but there's enough to sustain them until next payday.

All is calm and peaceful. Feels so good. It's raining now, a quiet, easy rain, good for the plants. And it's so warm, I have my windows open! In October! This is great, global warming makes our climate here in Ohio slightly more mild than it used to be. That's not all bad. Made a pot of coffee just now, using Morning Blend from Aldi's, along with my fav Melitta from Heinen's. I never tried Aldi's coffee before but it's good, and so cheap! A bag of it was only $3.99! I won't be such a coffee snob anymore, only getting the more expensive kinds..from now on, I will use Aldi's in my own personal blend of brands. Other brands I normally get are Starbuck's Morning Blend, any kind of coffee from Peet's, and Folger's Gourmet Caramel. Emeril LaGasse has good caramel flavored coffee, too. My family has carried on an age-old tradition of blending coffees, and I'm no exception. Mom and dad like to blend Peet's and other types. Coffee, one of the simplest pleasures in life.

Glad to Get My Car Back From the Mechanic

My car is finally home, at last! After stressing out over everything, it feels good knowing that the car is now home, in my driveway, safe and sound. Now, to pay off the $1850 repair bill, so much for spending money for quite awhile, I'll be making some steep payments. Oh well, my car is ok, and I'll deal with it. I brought my dad with me, and the mechanic explained to us exactly what was done, showed me the manifold he replaced and it sounded legit, still, I don't know. Did it need to be done? Can't say. So, I made payment arrangements and we left. Glad that's over with. If the darned thing breaks again, it can just sit for six months, until I pay off the previous repairs. Most expensive repair and most evasive mechanic (doesn't like to answer questions, blows me off) I've ever had. I'm officially done with car expenses for awhile. Got gas, my license sticker and that's enough. Thank you to my dear parents, for helping me out. I was glad to have dad with me for moral support. A man's presence does indeed help, so it seems. Always did in the past, too. This car has been very good to me. I'd rather fix this than go out and get something else. Payments are going to take awhile, $300 per month. Steep. My heart gets palpitations just thinking about it. This experience has been torturous to me. No respect and I just hope and pray that the car is really fixed.

So, I'm busy designing lunch boxes tonight. After getting the car, my parents and I went to Heinen's grocery store and I got my groceries. Felt good to get them because without a car, I just hunker down and don't ask. One friend chose to take me once, but I don't want to impose and ask again. Thanks to all who offered to help, it's so nice knowing there are people who care. Anyways, I went home, unpacked, grabbed the package of Chips Ahoy cookies (haven't bought those in years) and headed upstairs to my office, where I am now.

In college, my friends and I used to pull all-nighters, studying or doing our art assignments in the RIT dorms with packs of Chips Ahoy (one pack each), a huge bag of M & M's, and a bunch of 2-liter bottles of Tab or Diet Coke. Disgusting, a festering cocktail of nasty chemicals and sugar I know, but to us back then, it was heaven and we had great metabolisms to handle it. Well, I had a few cookies tonight, as I sit at the computer, with a cup of coffee. I reached my limit very quickly. Blah, heartburn. Guess I'm not twenty anymore. Oh well, it was fun. Now I'm having an Alka-Seltzer chaser. Getting old sucks, lol.

So, tonight, I'm jacked up on sugar and caffeine and will be making lunch boxes all evening. Fun stuff! I can finally unwind from this week of unbelievably high stress. There's still lots to worry about (where are my steady sales, Zazzle? and the leaving of one of the main people at Z headquarters got me worrying, too). But I'm going to put it all aside and work. I can't fix certain things, so I just need to get more educated on marketing and work hard on my designs/stores.

So, my goal is to unwind, make more money doing my work, and if Zazzle continues to give me disappointing sales, up my marketing for my products. And if all else fails, start doing holiday art shows. It's fun to talk to customers, get feedback and get out of the studio..as long as the car is ok. I'm not set up for it (no merchandise at hand, will have to make jewelry and buy store products from Z) and I need diplays. If I don't look professional, it'll have to wait until I get the right equipment. So much to do. A friend offered to loan me money but I declined, though the thought was so kind. I hate owing anyone, one reason payments to the mechanic are so stressful. I especially don't want to owe friends or family. It's ok, it's a puzzle to figure out and it will be done..somehow. Still working on it. So far, most important bills are paid ok.

It's a comfortable, warm night..in October! I actually have my windows wide open. Matisse is sleeping in his chair next to my recliner here in the office, his feet and whiskers are twitching as he dreams of catching things. He's a big pile of white fur..on a big pile of white fluff (chair cushion is white and furry). His serenity makes me feel good. The cats don't know stress or worry. And they are happy. I'm doing something right.

Dealing with an Overload of Everything

Sometimes life is just overwhelming. So much that it causes my brain to shut down, memory to fog and concentration to float off like clouds. I'm an upbeat person normally but some situations make me just want to explode. This is my venting post, as I just am fed up with just about anything that has happened within the last few weeks. First, store sales are slow, not dead, but slow. Reading the Zazzle message boards in the Elite ProSeller area, other elite sellers share my stress over our profits becoming harder to get and fewer in number. Some people are about to lose their homes, others feel panic, others are just sad. I'm not losing my home or anything but money is now tight, with this car repair fiasco going on (more on that, later). It breaks my heart seeing others so miserable. I'm keeping sane (barely) with the help of caring friends and my parents. I just want to sleep most of the time, and hyperventilate frequently for no reason. My body is highly tuned to stress out due to the PTSD which makes matters worse when I'm overstressed. Outwardly my demeanor is calm, but inside I'm frustrated and worried. My business is still there, and will continue as always. My other branch of business at Cafe Press is making (small) sales already. Not much but it's a start. I used to have big commission percentages but due to the economy, I lessen them more and more. And, Cafe Press only lets you get 10% commission in their own marketplace (but whatever you want away from it). It's about survival, growng my customers and visibility at both Zazzle and CP. I will go with the flow, but it's uncomfortable. Especially since..

My car is in the shop. And has been for the last few weeks, with mechanics who give me the runaround and blow me off whenever I call to check on the status. They want to charge me outrageously high prices for grandiose jobs. I was told by previous mechanics it needed just a hose to keep the coolant from leaking, the mechanic tells me I need a new manifold ($1000 repair). I told him "forget it". He claimed he would "save me money and look into it", then never called back. I called him back the next day, and he was annoyed, "I already told you it's the manifold". I said to him that "I know, and I told you that I don't want that work done. You were going to call me back to save me some money". He hemmed and hawed, doing the same song and dance of "I'll call you". I told him, "I need the car by Friday. Urgent. I don't want big bucks spent on an old car." He said "Ok, I'm on it". Heard that enough in the past. I said, "Are you? I hope so. I am tired of getting the runaround, and need my car." He said again that he's "on it". I take him at his word now and will get my dad to deal with them next time if need be. It's hard being a woman alone getting repair work done on cars. There are some great mechanics out there, who don't play games or string us along. I know that. But, there are quite a few unscrupulous ones that want to jack up the bill thinking that the dumb lady won't know any better. I took my car to two different mechanics before this one (as of now, unnamed), the only reason I didn't choose the others is that they don't take payments, this one does. They both told me I just needed a hose to get the coolant to stop leaking, nothing grandiose like manifolds, etc. They told me the turnaround was only ONE or TWO days. This mechanic acts like it's a huge project and it takes a long time to find out what's going on, yada, yada.

Anyways, my blood pressure is surely rising as I type this, needless to say I'm unhappy and World War III will go off if I don't get this car back at a reasonable price. The brakes were the original problem and this time, that idiot light on my dashboard saying "Brakes" had better be off. And fixed. Don't just take a fuse out and call it fixed. UGH. If I was a man in a three piece suit, I highly doubt this would happen. I have gotten tough with mechanics in the past who tried this BS with me, and had unneccessary charges taken off. I don't want to be a B. But sometimes it is unavoidable, you have to put your foot down, if not amicably (my first choice, of course), I hate to fight. But I'm ok with calling the local TV ombudsman if need be, not to mention give scathing reviews to sinister mechanics who try to screw me over, sticking to facts, keeping it real. I'm nice, but don't mistake my sweetness for weakness.

Then there's my dear laptop, turns on but has a black screen. I contacted Hewlett Packard's site and looked up how to fix it, ran some tests, and it needs to be seen by a computer mechanic. No way around that, too technical for me to do on my own. My main, FAST computer (my other computer is slowww, with less memory..I could leave the office, go make lunch and eat it in the time it takes to load a YouTube video.) The laptop needs me to spend surely over a hundred dollars to fix it. I haven't been to a computer repair place and walked out with repairs for under that. The last one was over $200! I want to cry but can't. I'm too numb. Will fix it later, after I finish paying the thousand bucks off that I owe that car mechanic.

One bright light in all of this totally insane mayhem is that my parents and our pets are ok, love my house and gardens, and beautiful Autumn is here. I'm going to get better health insurance soon and working to fight this blasted infection in my mouth/system. I looked into dental coverage as an add-on but true to form, it's not worth paying $12 per month for only $1000 total benefit in a year. What a ripoff. But the rest of the plan looks ok. I keep all my same doctors, and get medicine coverage, when needed. Being fifty, I am getting more health conscious. Want to be prepared if any health problems crop up, without paying an arm and a leg for it.

Throughout my rough last month, it helps me to know that there are people out there who care about me. Thank you all for that. I truly appreciate everything you've done, and most of all, your just being there when I need you. It's been a meltdown for me, of sorts, but I'll be ok, my business will be ok. It takes creative adapting, learning more about marketing/business, and working through the tough times (with breaks to freak out now and then). My home is peaceful and safe, the countryside around me is so beautiful and relaxing. Life could be much worse. I have a lot to be thankful for, as do we all. Zazzle shopowners, don't lose heart. I read your stories and feel for you. Let's stick together and help eachother out in growing our stores. Never give up. This too shall pass.

Putting Out Fires, One by One

This last month has been busy, catching up on issues that have been bugging me and my business. It's a puzzle to solve, and pushes me to do better, work harder and get more creative. Adversity is scary at times, and at first I panic, but then level-headed thinking prevails and it's kind of a Rocky IV moment, where I kick into gear and push myself to fix things, failure not being an option. I'm a wierd mix of fragility and strength..but the strength is winning.

The new store at CafePress is coming along just fine. I've made a few minor sales and my art has been on the front page twice. Not bad for being back there for a little over a week..but I need more. So, that means work, and lots of it. It's a stunningly beautiful day outside, and I'd love to be out in it, but work must be done. I'm in the office, working on some artwork. I need to get everything in place before this online Wharton course on Marketing course I'll be taking soon starts. That will need me to divide my time even more, but is worth the sacrifice. I've been tested on which side of my brain dominates, and neither do. I am balanced, 50/50 right and left brained. Creative yet analytical. Must've gotten that from my father, he's the same. This balanced way of being will be tested as I have requests for drawings to add to my stores, meaning more to draw, and I will need to deal with complex issues in the course. I have to do one at a time, or it's overwhelming in a huge way, so when I study, I'm analytical, when I'm drawing, I'm creative. My self-esteem gets shaky so I maintain positivity as much as possible, keep my head down and work. It's what I do to survive..and thrive.

I've made this office comfortable, a place that I enjoy being in, and that is livable. Will be setting up the ol' college mini-fridge (well, updated version, at least) in here this week, to make it even moreso. The cats are experts in relaxation and the office passes their comfort standards with flying colors. My back went out in 2007 (herniated disk from lifting heavy furniture and doing too much damage to my spine), and it's healed now, but I want to keep the lowest lumbar vertebrae from hurting again, so the recliner and a donut pillow solve that issue. No more sitting upright in uncomfortable office chairs. Many artists have back problems from doing the same thing I do, sitting long periods of time, letting gravity take its toll on the spine. After that issue with my spine, I learned to be more mindful and preventative, because it was an excruciatingly painful experience that took a very long time to come back from. I never, ever take my spine for granted anymore!

The infection in my teeth is still there, and I have swollen glands to prove it. Without a car momentarily, I can't do anything about getting medicine if a prescrition was written, so I'm just being vigilant with hydrogen peroxide gargle, swabbing the touchy area with toothpaste at night (kills bacteria), and using the Sonicare to keep the teeth clean. How I hate dealing with these problems, and hope they die off as soon as possible.

My car is still at the mechanic's. It's a negotiation between us, so far, so good. I will be happy to get the car back, and plan to get it back this week.

Business at Zazzle has improved, thank goodness. I thought it tanked there for awhile, but it's back..and it BETTER stay back. I am loyal to them, as long as they bring in the sales in a steady manner. All good businesses expand, and even if I have expanded to CafePress, I will continue business as usual at Zazzle. Now, I just have double duty, making sure both locations are well-maintained and products are up-to-date.

An added bonus to everything, I've been losing weight. Some of my clothes are actually becoming baggy. How? I lost my appetite and don't really care to eat much. It happens. No diet, just lots of water, smoothies, and cereal for breakfast every day. Even my favorite food, pizza, isn't as interesting as it normally would be. Small miracles happen, lol. My metabolism is still good, even at fifty. Thank goodness.

The weather is getting colder now, the leaves on my maple trees are showing more yellow daily. My garden still blooms, especially the roses, wine cups, asters and blue penstemon. I've harvested quite a lot of seeds for next year, and will soon be potting up my Bolivian pepper plants so they can (hopefully) live indoors and keep peppering. I added one to a stew recently and it was perfect, just like the ones my ex-husband used to use down in Mexico, to season meals. One tiny pepper flavors an entire meal without making it blistering hot. The peppers are hot, but it's important not to add the seeds to the dish, just the skin. He always told me that the seeds make it more hot. I saved the seeds and will plant them next Spring. The other peppers that I harvested are in the freezer, and will provide me with flavor all winter long. Love it. This growing my own food thing is a good idea and will be expanded to inclued more fruits and vegetables next year!


Wine Cups

Working on My New Store

Make Two Purring Cats Studio at CafePress

When the going gets tough, the tough get going! I always liked that song by Billy Ocean, and the sentiment is so true! I've been on fire over here in my office, working on my new Cafe Press store. It takes a long time to build it to the size and reputation of my Zazzle Silver Pro-Seller store, which has over 18,000 products in it. The Cafe Press store has a few hundred so far, and is growing steadily. Happily for me, I am able to use HTML language on my CP store, and will make it more fancy once I get a larger number of products released for sale. Cafe Press put my store front and center on their main page in the "Featured" area yesterday, so that helps get some exposure, too. A new store is not well seen in the Cafe Press marketplace until it gets settled in, so any exposure on the front page of CP is welcomed (thank you, Cafe Press!).

The pic on the left of cats is mine, on the front page of Cafe Press yesterday

There is a vast amount of work to be done, in making a good online store. It takes careful planning, advertisement and design sense to do it right. I make mistakes then redo them over and over unti I get it right at times. If it doesn't flow or look right, it has to be fixed. No slacking in store design and execution. None. So, with snoring cats by my side, the stereo on and a peaceful mind, I'm a creating and designing machine! Doing this kind of work in general, takes patience, which I usually don't have, but force myself to. Concentration is important, and I'm good at that if my mind is calm. It's called "getting into the Zone", basically. When I'm in it, a bomb could go off and I wouldn't notice, too focused in on what I'm doing. So this is why it's so important to have the right atmosphere and as little "bad" stress as possible while I'm working.

Otherwise, my car is still in the shop getting fixed. My laptop is still waiting for me to get it fixed, and I am not physically feeling all that great. The infection in my gums came back and is spreading, yet the dentist didn't return my call when I called him. So, I'm just dealing with it on my own, but if it gets any worse I will have to contact them again or go to an infection specialist to see about some antibiotics. Sometimes I feel like one big Petri dish. I'm better than I was a year ago, but I don't want to backslide with the progress, so I'm pretty vigilant about getting rid of it.

Mom and dad are doing ok, enjoying the last warm(ish) days of Fall on their front porch, happy and most importantly, in good health. Their wayward cat Felix finally returned home, which was a relief. He's not an outdoor cat and so I'd wondered if he'd figure out how to come back..and somehow, he did. He was sitting near their sunporch, outside on the trash, talking to one of their indoor cats, when dad found him late at night.

Felix

All in all, my stores are still seeing less profits than this time last year, but they are coming back (hopefully, slowly) from the dire earnings from last month. At least that's what I keep telling myself. Friends, who are business savvy, tell me that it's not my fault, it's the economy, and to just keep pushing onwards. I appreciate the moral support, and the occasional rescue (since the car's being fixed) to get me out of the house, because being inside too much makes me stir-crazy. I like solitude but not too much of it. Going out, whether to the store or to a restaurant, is a good break from marathon work.

A Time to Rest and Enjoy Doing Absolutely Nothing of Value

Today was a beautiful, cool Autumn day, so mom came and picked me up, and took me back to their house for the day. I've been stressed lately and it felt good to go do a few chores, spend time with my parents' kittens and see mom's gardens. Family time is so important, and I was also able to help mom look for one of their cats, who escaped through a window and has disappeared. We didn't find Felix but he's not the type of cat who will go up to strangers, and hopefully he'll make his way back home. I will alert Rescue Village that he's missing, as they have people (pet detectives?) who look for lost animals.

Dad is busy working on his projects in his office, and he's very skilled with making just about anything, so it was fun talking to him about his ideas. Mom has been doing leaf printings, making stationery and having a great time with that (Oriental ink brushed on leaves then pressed into paper, very pretty!). It's so wonderful to have such a creative family. And cute kitty cats around, too. The two kittens Blackie and Felice, sat with us on the front porch and had fun watching mom make stationery. Then, they'd tussle, chasing eachother with such energy, throughout the gardens and back up onto the porch before wearing out and retreating to their favorite chairs. They both let me pet them now, and follow mom all over the place. Love those little ones. They are precious.

No news yet on my car. Until then, I have a friend to help me, and mom took me to get my distilled water (my water supply was running low, as out here in the country, faucet water is ok for washing and doing dishes but it tastes terrible (too salty), so I have to have my water delivered. I'd been out of water for a week for the first time, and it was getting precarious..not enough water to make coffee..now, that's an emergency! Cats have always had their water, I make sure they are always getting what they need first and foremost, no matter what.

Mom & Dad

My parents and I went out to eat before they dropped me back at my house, and so I'm sitting here, stuffed and feeling mellow. We had driven out in the country a little while, with its rolling hills and now, Fall colors are coming into the trees and fields. Here in Ohio, there are purple Aster flowers all over the place, as well as Goldenrod (terrible for those allergic to it but very pretty yellow flowers for the rest of us non-allergy sufferers). This is only the beginning of the upcoming colorful displays, as the trees prepare to color up. Living in the country is heavenly, with Amish buggies going here and there, the smell of burning leaves in the air. We noticed a new little coffeehouse on my road (a couple miles from my house), so that's nice to see. They have a full line of coffee drinks, donuts, and Gyros, the sign said. My kind of place. We desperately need a Starbucks out here, but since there isn't one, any decent coffeehouse will do.

The cats are fed and the sun is now setting. Rays of the last sun are falling on me as I type. It makes me so happy to see that there are people who care about me, and that my parents are happy. Mom stopped to say hello to my cats, who watch her with interest, not afraid, just curious. She marveled how little Farrah has blossomed into a beautiful, fuzzy wuzzy white Persian fluffball. She bounds around, wanting to play and making chirping noises at me. The cats enjoy my "fake fire" fireplace, that puts out fake flames (I don't want real flames around my pets, way too dangerous), and it gives off substantial heat in the Winter, as well. It looks very realistic from a distance, and the dancing "flames" spark cat curiousity. They like to sit in front of it and watch. I got it going for the first time in months, now I know Fall is officially here.

Farrah and her straw

So, hopefully tomorrow I'll get news on my car. I'm so glad my parents' Buick Roadmaster is strong and safe for them. We've all been through a tough month or two and their car was in the shop before. But now, just in time for cold weather, they are safe and secure, it works fine and all is ok there. Hope for the same with my car, once I get it back. I will be paying it off for awhile, which will be tough, but at least I'll have a safer car to drive. With snow coming, it pays to have a safe vehicle with the steep roadside dropoffs around here. In the winter, we all sort of hiburnate. Who wants to be out in blizzards? Not any of us. We're enjoying this lovely weather while it lasts, until then. Autumn..the best time of year. It's priceless to have friends and family to share it with. Despite some stressful financial setbacks, life is still good.