I am back on my feet: no cane, no pain, more walking. Feeling more like myself and looking ahead.
Thank you for every comment on my book excerpts. I will keep posting snippets until the darn book is finally in publication.
Here in New England the leaves are falling and the temperature has dropped. I am preparing for winter and thinking of holidays. Here are a few suggestions if/when you are in the market for gifts:
1. My friend Tracie's new CD, The Dream. Hopefully this link will take you to the first song on her CD. At $10, with a gorgeous enclosure, it's so worth it for yourself or for somebody's holiday stocking :^)
2. My friend Joss at www.etsy.com/shop/soulbrushart : Her African inspired cards are sold in sets of 8 and are just fantastic. There are four different sets on her Etsy site, along with her original art at affordable prices.
3. My first book: an adult love story. I'll sign it and send it where and when you'd like. It's available on Amazon but if you prefer to order directly from me, you'll pay a sale price of $ 8 plus shipping.
4. Fall is a most beautiful time of year here in New England. JB and I drive the back roads and scenes like this are common.
5. Look what JB and I made for our grandkids! I got the idea from Lo on Facebook (thank you lo) and this weekend they were a huge hit with the under six crowd-- all kinds of candy stuffed into thin gloves I pilfered from my Mother's nursing home :^)
6. I am catching up on so many people and events I've neglected since my surgery. Among this was my 97 year old Godmother's birthday. We took her out for lunch and darling 4 year old Drew wanted to sit beside her. It was all special and I felt great joy.
7. JB took this photo of 14 week old baby Reese. I think this child is an old soul. She is quick to smile and does not cry. My daughter and son-in-law are wonderful parents and it shows.
8. Drew ready for Halloween...
9. The decoration and upgrades in a new beach house in Provincetown continue. We've installed this light over the dining room table. The table and chairs will soon be painted distressed ivory white and we are adding bead board to the wall around the table. What utter fun to make these changes and be able to pay someone else to do the work! We're on a budget but we have enough to put up a fence, fix the brick steps, add railings, paint a room or two. I am feeling very very very very lucky.
10. How to say this? We have returned Chase to the greyhound adoption agency for his placement with a different family: one that has other greyhounds. JB and I have tried everything we could think of but Chase has not been happy with us. He has been inactive and mostly unresponsive almost 23 hours a day, has howled through the night, has seemed lonely and sad. And taking him to Provincetown has been visibly traumatic for him. We know we are not the right family for his needs. So sad but relieved too. He will be placed in a family with at least one or two or three other greyhounds and where his inactivity and history can be supported without making things worse.
We are visiting him on Friday.... :^(
That's my news. Thanks for stopping by. If you don't know already, your visits and comments are Hersey kisses to my grateful soul.
love
kj
first of all, lovely pics and the kids are just adorable. I hope I send you Reese's birth gift before she graduates college. love the pic of your godmother, I sure hope my godkids take me out at 97. She looks remarkable.
ReplyDeleteI pray that Chace is happier with other greyhounds around, the poor doggie. I know that your love for him was so great, and you've both tried so hard with him. Some dogs need things that we humans can just never give them, and it's so hard to accept that. You did good KJ, you did good. both of you did. He is a lovely wonderful dog that has had a tough tough life, and is just everlastingly traumatized by it. I think placing him with other dogs is going to be good for him, I hope so.
kisses (Hersheys and smoochie kinds) . Mim
mim
ReplyDeletedon't send anything. i want to personally show up to collect a laugh and dessert :^)
the family chase is staying with thinks that he is actually within normal limits. that is not our experience but maybe in a new situation they will be correct. i hope so. i know it has to be; and there is some relief weaved into the loss. never given up a dog before in my entire life. it's a weird thing to do.
it's time for us, mim
love
kj
It's not just Reese in the photo.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that you're having to give Chase up, but at least the new people will know what they're getting into, and at least you can look back and say that you gave it your best shot. If I should come back as a dog, maybe you will adopt me, and if you do, I will take comfort in knowing that I'm with someone who will make every effort to see that I have a good life. Schopenhauer wrote: "Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man," and nothing has come close to impressing me more me about your goodness of character than your treatment of Chase.
Snow, your comment has touched me deeply. I could not welcome a greater compliment than goodness of character . Thank you xoxo
ReplyDeleteAnd, do you mean company in the upper right hand corner of Reese's photo? :-)
Love
kj
Silly me, I was looking at the wrong photo, not stopping to think that the child in the photo I was looking at was four rather than 18 months. I actually have a grandchild in my life now (his parents call me their baby's Grandpa although we're not blood-relatives), but I've noted that, as much as I enjoy playing with the baby, I'm not nearly so interested as Peggy i -in the many pictures of the baby that her parents send. I think men are probably just different than women that way.
Delete"I could not welcome a greater compliment than goodness of character."
I'm sure there are millions who would choose looks, money, intelligence, fame, and so forth any day over goodness of character, which leads me to conclude that it takes wisdom to appreciate wisdom.
snow, i've found that guys are not into infants and little babies. wait until that child is two and talking words. i think your heart may do cartwheels.
Deletethank you again. i am damn glad i know character comes well before those outward signs you mention. although i would like to look hot...
love
kj
How wonderful that you've written a book! I have two books that I wrote about ten years ago and could never get published (unless I wanted to go the route of self publication and I stupidly thought that was admitting that I was a loser...)Now I pull those books out from time to time and wonder what to do with them...
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your endeavors!
Deletemaria, my current book, i will seek an agent and a publisher. my first, i didn't even try. i set up my own publishing company (not hard) and published through it. from start to finish, including editing, layout, covers and 250 advance companies, the cost was under $ 2000. it was so worth it. i am still giddy about that book and i still rejoice every time a copy is bought.
i enocourage you...
love
kj
First let me say that I am sorry to hear about Chase, but I am not that surprise. For some reason it just wasn't the right fit for him. He had so many problems. Perhaps you can get a nice healthy dog next time??
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear you are on your feet again, literally. It's been a long haul.
The kids are just beautiful. Love Drew in his astronaut costume.
I am recouping from a double mastectomy I had a couple of weeks ago. Doing pretty good. The toughest part (treatment with chemo and radiation) is yet to come.
Barbara, in the midst of your own challenge, you take the time to offer me such good wishes . Thank you.
DeleteI have revved up my prayer machine on your behalf. You are very brave and you will get to the other side of this
Love
kj
oh! a mishmash post :) i like these :)
ReplyDelete1.) tracies cd sounds awesome
2.) omg joss's african art!
3.) i have an autographed copy :)
4.) i can't wait to see someday!
5.) haha, kinda scary, but happy kids = happy halloween!
6.) happy birthday godmother! i felt joy looking at this photo too, drew, grin grin.
7.) darling photo of reece. i think you are right, and also she is number four. number four's are like that. (birthorder).
8.) drew. grin grin grin.
9.) oh how beautiful, what a joy to make it your very own.
10.) finding the best home for something, someone you love is showing a deep compassionate love.
and hip hip hooray for your very first sentence!
love, lori
Lori,
Deletexoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo !
Glad you're feeling better and love the photos. It is difficult giving up a dog. I've done and it broke my heart. Take care, Deb
ReplyDeleteDeb, glad you're doing better too. Hell, we show up; no small matter!
DeleteWe visited chase today and are even more sure we've made a decision that is best for him and for us. He is with 3 other greyhounds and he is content
Love
kj
Happiness more happiness and a tear or two.
ReplyDeleteFirstly thanks you sooo much for mentioning me and my art and showing my cards. I truly value this support and your genuine love of my arty stuff. It means a whole lot to me and the fact that you actually own my art is terribly special.
Then more happiness as seeing your beloved mom and that little Reese- she is quite the cutest baby I have ever seen (besides my little Maggie -who is nearly 5 now).
Then a tear or two for dearest Chase, he knows you loved him, he knows how much you cared, he just couldn't give it back to you in return. Dear dear doggie.xxxxxxx
Joss, see above. Chase is better with other greyhounds
DeleteI hope you sell like crazy over the holidays. I plan to buy a set of cards for my friend Clara. I am so glad you 'get' the importance of wise and consistent marketing: it takes your talent to broad success :-)
Love
kj
so glad you are walking again sans aide. the kids are dadorable. all photos great. what a life! onward
ReplyDeleteSuki, life is not easy but most of the time it's good...
ReplyDeleteI am doing my best not to over think and just take things as they come
Love
kj
So glad things are looking up. Sad for Chase though. Little Reese is a doll and so are the boys and your God mother. I have had no sales on my ETSY site for months so there will be no Christmas buying for me this year, sad to say as a woman alone I rely on those sales for extra money. Your book is coming along nicely, keep it up...
ReplyDeleteHave you forgotten to take a photo of my painting at P town? Would love to see it in it's new home.
Happy Fall KJ. xoxo
Aw Annie, that's tough about etsy and money. I hope it picks up.
DeleteYour painting is in the kitchen. It is my least favorite room and both Janet and I thought we needed this beautiful painting there. I will send a pix soon. We love it
Oops. I should have said JB. :-)
DeleteLove
kj
Things sound like they are moving in a positive direction. Even for Chase...as much as you hate to give him back if its best for him you've done the best thing... I hope the book cont to proceed steadily... I just sent mine out this week... decided not to self publish due to health and energy reasons...so my editor suggested this route may be best as he seems to think it is worth picking up...but who knows...he's worked on it and doesn't that make him biased??? Anyway...sent it out and now Im a wreck. Thanks for cont to find my blog although as I said it isn't able to be listed on some of the usual sites... I appreciate staying in contact.
ReplyDeleteZoe, GREAT that you've taken a big step. Never give up!
ReplyDeleteI want to solve access to your blog. How come it's hard for me and not others. ? :-(
Love
kj
A few folks have the same issue... I truly don't understand it but have tried to resolve it without any real success so I will suggest what has worked for them which is to sign up for email delivery of Rewritten. A new post will come to you whenever it is written and you can get to the site by just hitting the link at the bottom or title. Sorry don't know any other way....Im glad youre persistent! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear you are mending well, and also sorry Chase wasn't a good fit. That must have been a hard decision.
ReplyDeleteIs Tracie the young woman who sang at your YART the year I was there?
Thanks cs. It's been hard for sure knowing chase is not for us or we for him. He has just been diagnosed with cups disease and will have all his remaining teeth removed this month. But he is in a 'greyhound' home with a wonderful family
DeleteYes, that's the same tracie. She's put out a new cd with much excitement.
Hope all is well with you,
xo
kj
Hello darling girl, Thank you for the lovely post and photos...oh my your Godmother looks so bright and happy for her age...it's so lovely to see....the children are gorgeous of course...and Chase sounds like he's in the best place...take care of yourself darling...remember you deserve to be happy and well and surrounded by love...
ReplyDeleteYes your are wright and thanks for post a good topic . your post is
ReplyDeletetop most in related post of Mish Mash .