The Only Explanation is that it was a Miracle

When you pride yourself as being organized and knowing where everything is, imagine what it feels like when you lose something of great value.  Last month I shared that my current circumstances were overwhelming on every front and stress can play many games on your psyche to the point of losing focus.  Have you ever experienced arriving at a destination without recollection of driving there?  You may have been so intense in your thoughts that your brain automatically took over for you.  That is the mode I functioned in for ten days last month.

After a four-day successful speaking tour, I was flying high on adrenalin.  On the first day, I sold out of the boxes of books I had taken for the entire week.   The response was remarkable and many people were encouraged and motivated to make changes in their lives.  

I changed into my traveling clothes, put my jewelry in my purse, got into my car for the long trek home, turned on my phone and what I read caused me to start shaking.  In a couple of words -- I was the victim of fraud, identity theft, and our online business had been shut down.

Shock comes in many different forms

For the next five hours, I sat in my car talking on the phone trying to make sense of it all.  By the time I got home, I was a wreck and my head was spinning.  For the next ten days, I barely left the office trying to salvage the loss, closing bank accounts, and figuring out what to do next.

On day eleven, I had to finally look in a mirror, get dressed and go to work at our store.  When I opened my jewelry box, I noticed that my cherished ring was missing.   Just that one, everything else was there. The last place I wore it was when I was on the tour.  I retraced my steps, called the hotel where I stayed, and searched my car but came up empty.

Ever Have One Stress on Top of Another?

Ever feel like you are hitting your head against the wall -- especially when dealing with government agencies?  My life, my memoir, and my talk show all echo the same message -- I never quit.  "No" is a word rarely in my vocabulary especially when I experience an injustice.   

I sold an amplifier on eBay last May that the post office damaged extensively.  The man who purchased it mailed it back to me for a refund, RATHER than submit a damage report at his local PO.  Consequently, I was denied my claim of over $1,000.  I submitted three appeals and they were each turned down for the same reason.  The parcel was securely packed so that was not an issue.  It was denied strictly because the buyer jumped the gun and sent it back to me demanding a refund.  

I researched on how to take the PO to small claims court.  You can't.  I thought I had exhausted my resources after spending numerous hours on the phone with various branches of the claim department -- all to no avail.  Three strikes and you are out.  You can't submit another appeal.

Then I contacted the Attorney General of the US in D.C. and registered my complaint about three weeks ago.  Yesterday I received a phone call from the head office of the USPS and they said they were reopening the case; and after I submit the pictures, they will resolve this for me.

Have You Ever Been a Fly on the Wall?

2017!  It can't be!  Didn't we just turn the calendar into a new century?  How could that possibly be SEVENTEEN years ago?  So many people have shared that they are hoping for a better year as 2016 was a major struggle.  

I am sure you will agree with me how much more fun it is to give gifts at Christmas time than top open them.  I always do my Christmas shopping throughout the year and wrap them immediately. Often I forget what I wrapped by the time Christmas rolls around, which makes it even more fun.

I know my family loves to give me gifts as well so I keep a list during the year for them.  Once you reach a 'certain' age, you may become difficult to buy for because there is little you want that you don't already have.

But there was one thing that I have been asking for the past couple years and when I opened this gift I started to cry.  I absolutely loved it.  It was an oil painting by one of my favorite abstract artists - the only type of art that I truly enjoy.  I have hung it where I can see it every day and appreciate the love behind the gift.

What do you think?  Do you have any idea who the artist is?  Would love your input!

Making people happy at Christmas!

We made some awesome pieces for clients this Christmas.  Hubby has the unique ability to design around the client's personality and what they are visualizing in their mind's eye.  Here is just a sample

Family Ring

The pictures are from my phone and certainly don't do these pieces justice but this ring is what he made me and it is as rare as it can be.  After decades in the gemstone business, hubby has never seen another stone like this -- before or since he had it cut thirty years ago.  He had forgotten that he had it until a few months ago and designed a ring around it for me.  The center stone is a one-of-a-kind, totally natural, untreated Imperial Pink Topaz

One of our clients asked hubby to design a pendant to put into the center of her grandmother's pearls to make them more modern. This is what he came up with and it is exquisite.  A blue sapphire and diamond pendant in white gold. 

Christmas and pups

Certainly isn't Christmas without our little rescues -- they get sweeter all the time.







Charlie is saying goodbye to her babies.  Of all the dogs we have had, we have never had sweeter or softer pups.  They are unique in that they are so cuddly and content -- almost never cried and now they are gone.  They were also the biggest dogs we have ever had - Bernese and Great Pyrenees mix.  William certainly enjoyed his time with them and they will make great family dogs.  But H U G E TWENTY-pound pups!

They even started out BIG -- 

And here is your smile for the day:

Aubrie is 11 months old but she has figured out how to play hide and seek -- she INITIATES it. She will go into a dark room, behind the door and wait quietly until someone figures out she is not around.  When they find her she screams with delight and scares the pants off of us.

SPAGHETTI ANYONE?

I hope that 2017 is your best year yet and that your dreams and goals will be met.  Thank you for sharing my blog posts along with your encouraging words and smiles.

Let's be honest!  Wouldn't you love to know what goes on in some homes?  Wouldn't you enjoy being a fly on the wall and watch? Being part of this blogging community you can do just that! Each month it is such fun to get a glimpse of how other people live, how they handle stressful situations and even better, to laugh with them at the crazy antics of their partners, kids, and pets!  I hope you can check out some of my fellow blogger's posts this month as they give you a peek.

Baking In A Tornado                   

Searching for Sanity                 

Eileen’s Perpetually Busy            

Go Mama O                            

Spatulas on Parade                    

A Little Piece of Peace                 

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy                                           

Cluttered Genius             

When Your Energy is Spent - Can You Keep Going?

Ever reflect on recent activities and wonder how you managed to do everything you did?  That was my October this year.

Many of you will remember the recognition and award I was to receive in Washington D. C. as a Woman of Impact.  It will be an event I will remember the rest of my life.  I am honored to be on the cover and centerfold of the magazine Focus on Women, Sept/Oct 2015.  I will realize the benefits of this event and magazine for a long time into the future.  For this, I am grateful.

My hubby surprised me with this beautiful pendant he made for me for the event.  It is a 7.5ct Ceylon sapphire and diamond set in white gold.

How I physically made it through this month without falling apart is a miracle in itself.  On Oct 13, I left at 4:30 in the morning to catch the first ferry out of Dodge.  Starting out tired on this journey was not a "good" thing.  Once on the mainland, I had lots of errands to do before heading to the airport in Seattle around 9 P. M.  My plane didn't leave until 1 A.M. so I had time to kill and went to the movies. Opted for a scary thriller which made the walk back to my car around midnight a bit unnerving. Then back to the airport.  The plane was overbooked.  NO elbow, leg or moving room to get comfortable -- or SLEEP.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Last month I spent a few days at Rochelle's farm doing the usual house/dog/cat/sheep/lamb and goat sitting.  I was unaware she had hired a team to landscape the area around the house.  As I watched from the kitchen window I was shocked at how organized and fast this team worked.

I have never seen any gardeners maintain such an incredible pace. They mowed the lawn, completed the weed eating and pruned the fruit trees and bushes in record time. They had equipment that was so quiet I never would have known they were there if I had not looked out the window.  But the most amazing part was the unique way they fertilized as they worked.

When they were finished, they left as quietly as they arrived and I found out they never charged for their services.  I wonder if they need a promoter....

Oh, and by the way, the sheep do not make that nice "Baaa" sound we read about in nursery rhymes. They sound more like old men burping....or worse.

My Encounter with the World's Dumbest Criminals

Most of us have read stories of criminals whose actions were so dumb it was as if they wanted to get caught.  Remember Klaus Schmidt who tried to rob a bank in Berlin?  The teller asked him if he needed a bag and he answered, "Yes, it's a real gun!"  She quickly realized he was deaf so she set the alarm; the police arrived, came up behind him and he never heard a thing.

In 2008, Ruben Zarate wanted to rob a muffler shop in Chicago.  He was armed with a gun and demanded money.  The employees told him the manager was not in yet and they could not open the safe. He left his PHONE NUMBER with them so they could call him when the manager got there.

Then there was the carjacking gone badly when the thief couldn't drive a stick shift!

Recently, we had an encounter with two of the world's dumbest criminals.  That's right - two, not one. Are two heads always better than one?  Apparently not.

The Good, The Bad, The Funny, The Sad

Many of you will agree with me and wonder what happened to January.  Wasn't it just Christmas?  This is our monthly Fly On The Wall post where bloggers share their goings-on in their homes over the past month -- the Good, the Bad and sometimes the Ugly!  Along with the Funny and the Sad.

In the past three months we have lost three dogs.  Two of them were my daughters, Dakota and Willow, and then we lost our 18 year old Texas, the sunshine of my hubby's life.
For that tear-jerking yet heart-warming story click here.

Most of you will remember the posts I have written about Mercedez, my black Lab.  After Texas died, I wondered if Mercedez would make it through another month.  She has grieved deeply with each buddy she lost.  Although she is in good health, with a beautiful shiny coat, she is definitely slowing down -- especially this past month.

Can Dogs Have Dementia?

Do you know if dogs can get dementia?  Sometimes in the middle of the night I will find her standing in the hallway staring at the walls.  It is like she does not know where she is or why.

Sorry But Your Husband Has Irreversible Brain Damage

I remember the first time I heard those words.  It was unexpected.  "We're sorry but there is nothing more we can do."

Doctors are supposed to fix what ails you.  In my twenties, I was told I had two years to live if I didn't have a hysterectomy.  It is 40 years later and I'm still here.  I had a baby.  So, even though these words about my husband were terrifying, I knew there had to be another way.  I'd find the answer. We could fix him.  Click here for that story.

In 1995 my husband was waiting in an intersection to make a left-hand turn.  The guy in the big truck making a left-hand turn from the opposite direction.... didn't see him and hit him head-on.  He blamed the sun.