#GoodBoyHeath !!!

I’ve been keeping busy trying to get jewelry made for the store and soap and stuff to fill orders. Heath is used to me either being strong enough to go out and do stuff or debilitated enough to remain on the couch for a week at a time, while he remains on constant watch and has my undivided attention. This is something quite new to him and he’s just not sure he likes it much at all.

While I sequester myself in my little work corner, he goes out and patrols the back yard, making sure the cats and raccoons stay out of it. I appreciate it more than you might imagine as I am deathly allergic to cats and until I got Heath, I couldn’t even sit outside as they got dander all over my outdoor furniture where they constantly slept. They also sat in the windowsills and it would blow in the house. But he does his job well and there’s been no more wheezing or itchy eyes.

I hear the back door slam, which means he just came inside. He sighs audibly and settles into one of his sleeping areas (he has several. The N end of the couch, the papasan chair, and the giant dog bed that the Maremmas don’t like.

I continue at my task until he says something. Heath doesn’t bark much, but he does vocalize a LOT. In his talky voice, he complains and lets me know he isn’t happy. He gets up and takes it out on the giant exercise ball and sends it smashing into me. Then he roots his nose into my leg a couple of times until he is satisfied has my attention. Then he smiles. Yes, he really does smile. I take a break and spend some time with him. I can count on him to keep my priorities straight.

Last night Heath was running through the house, collecting all his toys and putting them in the toy basket. He thought he was done and looked at me for confirmation. There was still a disc behind him. I asked him to back up, which he did, still looking at me. Then I thought for a minute, checked my hands and turned to the side, then told him to look left. He immediately did, and saw the disc. He picked it right up and put it away. TheMan was laughing at me, because it took me so long to figure out which was right and which was left. Heath had no such problem. Sometimes it’s tough having a dog smarter than me.

I've got Lemongrass, This Suds' for You (beer soap), Honeysuckle and HoneyMoo soaps currently curing, waiting to go in the store. A few jewelry pieces are done and this week I plan to work on some new jewelry techniques as well as some liquid soaps.

 Lemongrass colored with turmeric which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Beer soap with cocoa butter is a super good cleaning soap, that also conditions your skin.

The Honeysuckle has added turmeric and paprika.

 Heath continues to aid and entertain me each day, with his antics. He daily brings me his empty bowl to let me know he is likely to starve if I don't give him a snackie... and has also brought me his bowl FULL of dogfood that he didn't particularly like!

"halp me..."

"dis stuff is yuk"

"Need snackie plez"

Here's hoping you all have a good February. It's leap year, so there's no excuse not to get everything done, cuz we get an extra day :)

'Til next time,

Me N Heath

A Gem of an Idea

It’s been awhile. That’s because I don’t blog unless I am in a pretty good mood and have good things to share. That was the case frequently when I was riding, had my milk cow and sheep, and was getting out and about each day, living life to the fullest. Multiple autoimmune conditions and a state of constant pain has made that a much more rare set of circumstances, but here I am!

As people in my predicament always do, I am making adjustments. Things are constantly changing and my health is fluid. One day I am able to go out and ride, the next may be in a wheelchair. But I am picking up new ways to busy my mind and do something with my life. I want most to share things of value with my grandchildren, so any skills I can give them, I do.

I was unable to do any gardening the past couple of years as it was just too much and too painful, so I turned to houseplants.

 They make me happy and I can root cuttings to make new plants to gift friends. That led to my needing a plant hanger, so I bought some jute and with a u-tube session and a book, I refreshed my skills and put them together. I was in California in August and two of my granddaughters were there. The boredom monster raised its head so I decided to teach her a couple of macrame knots to make herself some bracelets. She was quickly addicted to it and I left her with plenty of string and some letter beads. Next thing I knew, she was telling me how much money she had made selling friendship “faith” bracelets and plant hangers.

Living so far away from family and seeing them as seldom as I do, makes birthdays and Christmas difficult as I never know what they have, what they like, what they want. She was having so much fun with the bracelets I decided to teach myself to make some jewelry so I could teach her, and get her the tools for Christmas as it seemed like a great hobby for a girl about to launch into her teen years and one that would last a lifetime if she enjoyed it. It’s a pastime that she can continue to learn and gain more sophisticated skills as she matures, so I dove in. It wasn't long until I found myself really enjoying it, and thrilled that there are so many techniques that can be learned. I've been making some wire wrap jewelry and look forward to doing some wire weaving, as well as learning to work with seed beads. It has completely taken me by surprise, as I never wore much jewelry myself. Working in a barn all my life didn't lend itself to fashion, but like so much in my life, except for riding, I turned out to really like doing it.  I always knew I loved riding and training, but cooking, baking, gardening, raising sheep, milking cows, making soap, etc. were all things I started doing with no idea how much fun it would be.

I posted a few pics on my FB page and folks started asking if I was going to sell, so I have re opened the Etsy shop and will be selling handmade jewelry along with soaps. It's taking some times to get inventory made, but at least it keeps me off the...couch!

I think 2020 is going to be a much better year, and I plan to be around here more, so hope to hear from you all!


 Love,
Petey & The Happy Heathen