
3:55 pm

September 30, 2010

In the morning, after Shaney had been on one of her adventures, I would go outside to find that she had always brought me something and left it on the front lawn. I've found high-heeled shoes, stuffed animals, dolls, and even baby clothes. The funniest thing that she brought me were orange traffic cones. Not one, but TWO large orange rubber cones. She could only physically carry one at a time since they were so large, so I'm sure she had to go back for a second time the get the other one.
My favorite story about Shaney was when I took her to see friends of mine who's dog wasn't doing well. This couple lived a few miles away so we took the car. Shaney was very good with their dog. It was the first time I had taken Shaney to their house and she treated their dog as if she knew he was sick. She was very sweet with him, trying to get him to play.
A few days later I let Shaney out to run the streets but she never came home that night. I got a call the next morning from the couple, telling me that they had Shaney. Apparently, they had to put their dog down that day and were very upset. In the middle of the night they heard barking outside. They opened their front door and Shaney walked right past them to their bedroom and jumped on the bed. She slept with them that night. They were very comforted by that, since they had lost their dog that same day. We were convinced at that point that Shaney had to possess some crazy sixth sense. First she found a house, miles away that she had only been to once, and by car. Second, her little angel instincts told her that these people needed her doggie comfort that night! Anyway, that's my favorite story about old Shaney girl.
10:59 am

September 29, 2010

11:35 am

September 29, 2010

11:40 am

September 30, 2010

Morning Hep :o)
Hey there Kroiks :o)
Yep - Shaney is definitely a character. Even now, at her age. I've never thought of writing about her, but it wouldn't be a bad idea. Hours in the day would need to be extended to about 32 hours instead of 24. There's never enough time to get everything that I want to do (and need to do) done. I'm sure most people can related these days. Life used to be so simple - what the hell happened! Now-a-days we try to cram a weeks worth of activity into one 24-hour period.
Oh Hep - I know the mornings are tough. I remember losing my cat a few years ago - he was 20. He used to sit outside the shower waiting for me so when I opened the shower door, there he was. That made the mornings hard for sure once he passed. It takes a while to work those little memories out. Our little pets take up BIG emotional space, don't they. :o)
How about this FOG, Hep? Are you working these days?
1:04 pm

September 29, 2010

Hi Shaney,
36 hours in a day, indeed!
The fog hasn't been too bad here. Which is good cause I freak out driving in the fog! But it's getting to be that time of year....
Work is pretty much non-existent. But that's ok. I'm trying not to worry about it. Something will come up. It always does. Then of course my xh makes things even more ducky by telling me that he can't afford our son's health insurance (he's going to be 19, so that will end that) AND that he's not going to be able to help with our daughter's braces. I paid for our son's braces. He was supposed to pay for her's. (well, actually he did sort of pay for hers, but got ripped off by this Orthodonist, and now she needs REAL braces. It's a long story.)
He's got another family now. He's been married for 6 years I think. His 3 year old daughter had a boat load of problems when she was born, so a lot of money went toward that. Plus he over-extended himself by buying a big house, his wife didn't work for 4 years or so and now he hasn't worked in almost a year........
So once again, I'm left with taking care of everything myself for me and OUR kids. Just burns my ass sometimes.
Ok, stop me before I really get into a rant. HA
Hope all is well with you Miss Shaney.
Peace.
Hep
4:06 pm

September 30, 2010

hey hep -
I hear ya - I don't like driving in the fog either. And the older I get, the more difficult it is for me to drive at night too. The lights freak me out and I find I have a hard time judging just how far away they really are... or how CLOSE. Getting older is fun, eh?
Does your son still go to school? I remember my dad was able to keep me on his insurance as long as I was attending school. I think I was covered until I graduated college actually. Something to consider.
That's tough when the dad decides not to pull his weight any longer, or isn't able to. It seems that between he and his wife, they could come up with some work somewhere? That's pretty unfair that it all lands on your shoulders. Although I don't have children, I'm usually one to take on more than my share of responsibilities too. It makes us stronger people in the long run, but it's exhausting I know. Good luck with that.
From what I remember, you work in the film industry here right? Yep, I have lots of friends not working at the moment too. It's feast or famine, but something does always come up. In the meantime, enjoy your time off. I get two weeks off at Christmas time and I sure can use it. Do you have any hobbies?
12:16 pm

September 29, 2010

Hi Shaney,
My son is not college material. He is an ARRR-TEIST!! He's the creative type (Lots of that on my side of the family. His father's side is the athletic type). My daughter on the other hand, has already picked out her college and she's only 12. HA
So it looks like I'll be paying for his health insurance now too. I already pay for his car insurance. AND I got him a car. My dad lent him one of his cars, so he could pick up his sister when I'm working. My xh's wife went back to work, but all the money she makes goes toward HER bills and kids, of course, so it really doesn't do me any good. And now her show got canceled, so she'll be out of work soon anyway. Well, such is the tv biz.
Which by the way, after my last post to you, I got a call and got booked for 6 days of work starting this Monday! Yay! I bet your 2 weeks off is already filled with stuff to do. I hope you find a few days in there to do ONLY what YOU want to do. One of my favorite things to do is to take a day and just read, then nap, then read, then nap, then eat, then nap.......ALL day. ha
Hobbies? Lately it's been fixing my house. But that's become a necessity now more so then a hobby. ha I had worked on a bunch of craft and do-it-yourself shows for over 10 years, so I got into all sorts of "crafty" things as well as refinishing furniture, etc. But my main love has always been x-stiching. But I haven't done that in a long time.
Hope you had a good week-end.
Peace.
Hep
2:54 pm

September 27, 2010

3:06 pm

September 30, 2010

Wow Hep - what a coinkydink... I worked as art dir. for a major craft company for years. We did lots of television. I left there and went to a different industry, but still have a few clients in the craft industry - I do their packaging, marketing materials and even help design their trade show booths. Small, crazy world.
Hey healing :o) - thanks for reading about Shaney - she's a real special girl.
11:26 pm

September 29, 2010

6:54 pm

September 30, 2010

I wouldn't doubt it, Hep. I have a couple of close friends on hgtv. Pretty small world.
My main job has nothing to do with crafts anymore. I'm art dir. for a company that produces designs and markets commemorative products. We do tv as well, but only short infomercials.
But I still have a couple of clients in the craft industry. One is a beading and finding company on the east coast, and the other is a knitting co. out of the country. I occasionally do work for a paint and rubber stamp company here in LA. I still like the craft industry even though I've gone on to other things, because they still send me samples of their product to try out! Are you crafty?
7:01 pm

September 30, 2010

11:09 am

September 29, 2010

Almost 15 years of my life has been around hgtv, so I bet we, at the very least, know people in common.
Ah yes, the rubber stamp companies......ha. I've done lots of shows about THAT. That and for a while lots of shows on how to do Faux.....well, faux EVERYTHING! HA. Faux finishes are tricky if you really want it to look right. There was this one woman who was the Queen of Faux finishes. Lapis, Tortice (sp) Shell, you name it. Scrap Booking was HUGE too, however I never really got into that. One of my favorite guests was the Queen of Polymer Clay. It was amazing what she could do with that stuff. I even bought a pasta machine specifically to use for conditioning the clay.
I want to get into glass blowing and stained glass. I want to make my own beads. I have a room dedicated to craft supplies. (And as a true crafter, I'm always on the look-out for storage containers. I think half of the space in my room is filled with storage containers. ha.) That stuff is expensive, so I would horde any of the "left-overs" from a show. I didn't care WHAT is was.
I miss those days and all the great people I worked with. Those were the simpler days, and my goal is to get back to those days. Now it's whiney directors and premadonna Hosts.
Someone just give me a sharp stick!
Coming Soon: Me on a beach selling my stained glass panels that say Aloha on them and glass bead room dividers. Oh, and sipping Pina Coladas or Mai Tai's.
Hep
11:50 am

September 30, 2010

Gotta love the premadonnas of the craft industry! Ha! So funny. I know several, personally - some who have always been so, and a couple who have turned mega-diva over the last few years. One of my friends in particular, appears on hgtv quite often. I'm SURE we probably know some of the same people.
I used to work for one of the oldest craft icons out there - and she's still selling herself after all these years. I've managed to stay in touch with several people from that job, even though they all work for different companies now. But they still call me after all these years to work a trade show about once a year. I don't see these gals often, but they've kept me busy in some form or another for the last 15 years. Come trade show time, we all still get together for dinner ... even the new and improved primadonna tv personalities manage to lighten up and remember where they came from! Haha. And they still send me product. So I completely understand the storage container dilemma. You can never have enough storage containers OR enough room to stack those boogers as high as they'll possibly go. I have one of "those" rooms too.
It's funny that you mention beading on the beach. A photographer friend of mine asked me one time, what my idea of the ultimate job would be. I told him that I just wanted to set up a booth at one of the beaches in Hawaii, and sell some of my jewelry. That's it. Oh, and my fully stocked cooler would accompany me. Maybe one day, eh?
1:29 pm

September 30, 2010

Hey there Miss Bev -
Wondering how your holidays are going so far? Busy? Have everything done?
A big fat wrench was thrown into our plans and so now, I'm having dinner at my house - which meant that I went into psychotic cleaning mode this weekend. I didn't get to make the jewelry that I wanted, but I need to hammer some of that out in the next few days.
I had a really positive and productive meeting this weekend as well. I landed a great freelance job that has the potential to open some doors for me. Keep your fingers crossed :o).
Let me know how you're doing :o)
1:03 am

September 30, 2010

Miss Shaneybobaneybananamousse,
I am doing fine, thank you. I bowled tonight- it was the Xmas party gift exchange, pot luck. I could barely bowl for trying all the different kinds of cheese balls.
I haven't been too busy, since I only do "Xmas" for my nieces, I don't have all the flurry and hubbub of that shopping. I got the afghans mailed to my nieces last week - they got there today. My little (17 yr old) niece called me tonight to thank me. I didn't say which was to go to who, but she liked the aqua/ blue/ violet one I made with her in mind, and the older niece immediately gravitated toward the one with the earth tones/ruby that I made for her. The little one said, "I already have it spread on my bed, so I can snuggle up under it tonight." Whew!!! I was having flop sweat, worried that they would both want the same one, or both hate them both.
I decided not to make the 6 hour trip "home" to see my family. I'll spend it with my friend and her son. Their Xmases are always more casual. They certainly aren't as emotional for me as the ones with my family of origin are. I'll be home, and in my own bed with the furs by 10 that night.
I declare girl!! You're house must be spotless!!!
9:52 am

September 29, 2010

4:25 pm

September 30, 2010

7:00 pm

September 29, 2010

8:45 pm

September 30, 2010

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