Changes are a'Coming

So the blog has been radio silent for a while and I've decided that I need to fix that. In that light, here are mostly current goings on in my neck of the world.

I am getting more involved in my local Fiber Community (yarn, not food people, seriously I consider chocolate a food group) and as part of that I got approved to the Advisory Board of the DFW Fiber Fest over the summer.  I get to be my techie self and help out where needed and get to learn more about this great event that is run by a great group of volunteers.  Yes volunteers.  This entire event is driven by people sacrificing their personal time to bring a great close knit solid community event to celebrate the fiber arts.  And I get to play with them.

As part of my foray into doing more with my hobby, I've also started designing patterns.  Yup,  say hello to Tiny Tyrant Designs:

 

There isn't much there, because I'm just getting started, but hopefully what I'm offering will be solid and pretty and something you want to make.

Except for the random collection I get invited to be a part of, all of my designs are free.  I may add a donate button at some point that links to my favorite causes but the patterns are free and I'm doing this for fun.  Be kind or be quiet.  If I mess something up I will fix it, just don't be a jerk about it.

One other thing I'm also doing, that I would love to eventually make a profit on is my own skin care line: Soft Kitty Balms:

 

If you've ever followed the blog, you know the nightmare I ran into 7+ years ago with the skin allergies.  I finally got fed up with not being able to avoid propylene glycol and started making my own stuff and asking friends for their opinions.  I've been on etsy for almost two years and sales are happening, just nothing big time since I love my day job and have no intention of giving it up for this.

Because I want proceeds to be able to go to the Beagle Freedom Project, I'm trying to get more serious about it, just not make a living at it. In light of that, I managed to tie it into my love of all things yarn and guess who managed to get into the goody bags at the November Strung Along Retreat starting this Friday in Port Ludlow WA?

I found out late Sunday that they were still taking offerings for it and oh the scramble.  I would have to ship overnight to make the deadline of getting it across the country before Friday so they could add it to the other items.

A wonderful shout out to my friend Terri Mitchell for being my assembly line while I got everything processed.

This is what we ended up shipping:

  

A cute little turtle stitch marker and a heart button to a tie into my Turtle Trail Shawlette, so attendees know that Soft Kitty Balms has a fiber connection.  My Basic Balm, whipped to make it easier to use, a little goes a long way, and my super favorite Lip Balm in Peppermint.  All packed up in 49 pretty purple packages.

So now I wait and hope that my offerings are well received.  Maybe I'll get more sales, maybe I won't, but at least I tried. I put it out there.

And because I love my cats here are a couple of gratuitous shots of my Squeaks, Ru and Cinna.

 

 

 

  

The Time Flies

Yes I know.

Once a year is not a real blog, even my Dad has asked that I post more since he's not on FB.

I plan to try in 2016 because I want to spend less time on FB.

If you are still here, thank you.  If not, thank you still, because I understand.

2015 had some changes, good and bad like any year.

We lost JtheB to cancer and age.  The Squeaks did not understand.  We are all dealing with it as best we can.

I changed jobs again.  Reconnected with some family members.  Made and lost some new friends.

It's life.

Over all, 2015 was a good year.  Still playing with yarn.  Need to get back to my cross stitch and I still want to figure out how to use my Cricket Loom.

I hope your year had the good out weigh the bad.

And I plan to be around here more in 2016.

Happy New Year

Almost Three Years

Here we are at another Christmas Eve.

It's a good day because, YAY!  Christmas!  But it's also a sad day, because Cliff the Mutt is gone.

16 years ago today I sped to the Sonoma County Humane Society to bring this scruffy little monkey faced bundle of fur home.  He was the best present I ever got.  Yes, ever.

It's hard to believe he's been gone almost three years, which means The Squeaks are almost three years old.

I still believe part of Cliff stayed behind in Ru because the mannerisms are too similar and they never met face to face.

Christmas Eve will always have a special meaning thanks to that little monster that curled up in my lap after I got home and stole my heart for good.

May you all have a joyous Christmas and have someone, human or not, special to make or recall a memory.  If you know some that is alone, make it so they aren't.

Thanks for watching over me Cliffy Mutt. 

Mama still thinks of you every day and loves you bunches and bunches.

An End and a Beginning

Yesterday was my 43rd birthday.

It was a nice low key day spent with my best friend, his beagle and my Squeaks.

The day before that was my last day at my job at CA.  I had been in that job for 8+ years and I am very good at it.  Leaving won't change that.

However it was time for a change.

As such, tomorrow morning, bright and early, I start my new as a Technology Architect III at a new company.

I am excited and scared and sad.

I don't handle change very well, even ones I put into action.  But I know that this is something I need right now to grow professionally.  However, I will miss all of the co-workers I leave behind.

They were my family in as much as they could be.

So here is to the end of a year for me and a work era and to the beginning of a new year and new path professionally.

Your 'Mom' Still Misses You

A year ago today I lost the best thing that ever happened to me. Many people on my feed may not understand, but many of you will and, even better, many of you knew him.

Yes, I'm talking about my little monkey boy, Cliff the Mutt. I got him when he was 4 months old and he was mine and mine only from day one. He is why I support rescues, why I volunteered at the Humane Society and, with Oscar the Dog, why we walked in the Human Race very year for the Healdsburg Animal Shelter.

He and I were a Pet Assisted Therapy team. People that hadn't moved or responded in weeks would smile, or reach out a hand, or speak when they saw Cliff. They didn't care about the chick holding his leash and that was okay.

He brought such joy into my life and helped me through more pain and sadness than 15 pounds of fur and squeaky monkey noises should ever have to for a person. I wouldn't have made it through any of it without him there with me.

He let me drag him on planes to visit sick in laws. He traveled every where in the RV. He went on the Jet Skis with me (VERY unwillingly but always safely). He slept through my driving. Many a road trip to Tucson happened with him in the passenger seat.

Lastly, with his health already failing, he let me move him halfway across the country so I could have a new start in a new place. It would not have gone as well without him.

Its hard to believe that he's been gone a year already. The Squeaks keep me busy now, but I think of Cliffy every day. A part of him ended up in my Ru Ru. He has the same white check on his belly. He squeaks and sings when I get home like Cliff and he lays under the desk when I'm at the computer and snuggles with me at night.

So Cliff may be gone, but his soul is still here and his memory will always be with me. His eyes are my FB timeline cover photo and always will be. Because he always saw people for what they were, I was no exception. He loved me unconditionally and I still try to spend a bit of every day making sure I still deserve that.

I love you and miss you so much Cliffy Mutt.