Devasted

I am devasted tonight.

I've known you since you were nine weeks old.

You were the bravest dog I have ever known.

I loved whispering all my secrets into your bunny ears.

Till we see you again Gussie,

tell Misty, Grover, Skippy, Katie, Beauregard, all the crew; we miss them and love them too!!

Gustave  in May 2009 (C) J Dobbins 2010

Gussie AKA Bunny Ears (C) J Dobbins 2010

Ramblings Part Two

I've been noticing "things" lately, chipmunks, hawks, baby deer with their mother's and PEOPLE. People who let their dogs out without a leash. Leaving them out for the duration. Is it laziness? Can't be bothered with the responsibity...who knows. I hate it. My dogs that I walk everyday, hate it. A ( cough, cough...) neighbor let her dog out as I passed back through our route. This dog with its hackles up, chases my dogs around my legs for several minutes...Oz scared to death...could this be a repeat of when he was a puppy and got attacked by another neighbor's dog? I screamed at the top of my lungs for the dog to stop and tell the owner I will pepper spray your dog...call it off. Oh...she won't hurt them...yeah right lady...that's why the dog is growling and has her hackles up. Lady slams the door shut now every morning when we walk by. So what...your lazy ... at least act like a good dog owner.

Then there's the family of little Chipmunks living under my shed....hope they steer clear of another one of my neighbors, he poisons chippers..... just saying........PEOPLE...

Kemah Lake Chipmunk (C) J Dobbins 6-2010

Disconnected Ramblings

Been having crazy dreams for the last few nights. Last night I dreamed I photographed a Peregrine Falcon. A real dream I'd say.

I've developed fasiitis in my left heel....painful. Trying to find non-invasive ways of dealing with it.

 Was up at my old job yesterday.(Mickey's been having trouble with his right ear.) Family Veterinary Services. My bestfriend is a Veterinarian there. We handscaled my cats teeth...so unbelievable. Most cats would rip you to shreds to even try to handscale their teeth without anesthesia. Mickey is a great Cat. He had a rotten tooth that just fell out onto the  surgery table. We both bugged our eyes at each other. Cleaned his slightly yeast infected ears...then popped him with an antibiotic injection and ear drops, and the big boy is good to go.  It's been almost 7 months since I grabbed him out of the yard after heavily plying him with catnip. I still don't understand how anyone could dump such a beauty. Don't get me wrong, I dearly love Benny, Nefertiti and Serena. But Buca, he's special. While the others love me, I know he adores me. He's my shadow. He appreciates everything I do for him. Even the homegrown catnip. I've never had an cat companion that loves me or catnip as much as Mick.

Mickey a.k.a. Buca (C) J Dobbins 2010

Family Ties

I was thinking about the estrangement of my youngest sister with my sister Patty and myself.I cannot fathom why a woman would hold a grudge for over 30 years over offences real or imagined.
I have spent several years trying to get her to love us. Asking for forgiveness for whatever I did. Never has she asked forgiveness for being the lousy nasty sister who pushed me down my Grandmother’s hallway; telling me she hated me and I didn’t belong there. Patty gave up years ago on having a relationship with her, and moved on. I didn’t. I always accepted her differences... mine she couldn’t or wouldn’t tolerate.


I cherish and revel in the differences of Patty and myself. She makes up where I lack, I connect where she lacks. She tells me the truth, and I tell her the truth. We love each other and she’s my best-friend, my secret keeper, my own personal comedian. Most importantly...A Prayer Warrior.This will be the first year I’ve gone in a very long time without seeing Patricia Ann. It makes me cry and my heart hurt.


It makes me sad to think my youngest sister has no idea who we are and the women we’ve turned out to be. She remembers two girls that she grew up with and did not like. I don’t know her likes and dislikes... Does she have hobbies, what kinda music does she like? Where’s her favorite place to escape....I know nothing.


I know she always thought I was the “weak one”, man was she ever wrong. It takes weakness to never step out in courage and strength and forgive, let go..become new. It makes me mad that she thinks she has a right to be selfish with sharing who she is, it infuriates me that she thinks nothing of us, it makes me laugh that she only calls when something out of her comfort zone happens and she needs prayer. I love my sister. I pray for her everyday. But I don’t like whoever she is today. Someday I will heal from the hurt....but today........it hurts.

Jenny, Nancy, & Patricia (C) J Dobbins 2010

Luna

June 19, 2010 (C) J Dobbins

I took this night before last. It always amazes me the pull that the moon has on the Earth. Birds are fledging, baby animals are leaving their dens, people are feeling feelings they don't normally feel....the pull of the moon on the Earth....

The Father in Heaven....The greatest architect of all.

Hey Patty

I can't always be grammatically correct...like you :>)
What fun would that be anyhoo?

My Accountability....

I was thinking last night about my accountability to my Lord. He saved me and redeemed me. I am dead to sin by what he did on the cross for me. So I'm responsible for what I am willing to accept into my life. The latest fad TV show that offends my ears with words and scenes I don't want to hear or see. The one everyone else thinks it's so great, including some of my family members. The media that tries to shove their propaganda down my throat daily. The focus on a rich kid that grew up to be a woman killer now in custody. Back when he was originally charged he drew allot of tourist dollars for Aruba.

 Christ died for me without putting up a fight, without slandering, without violence, without defending himself...for me...for you. Why should I then even care about "the things of this world"?  I use to "go along" I don't do that anymore. I use to be afraid to speak-up...not anymore... It's cost me people that I thought were my friends...it's labelled me a Radical Christian....Self Righteous...even names I dare not type here. But I don't care...I've been delivered from cigarettes...drugs... not feeling worthy... from countless things ...into the dynamic, artistic, creative woman I am today...I'm not ashamed.... I'm thankful and fully accountable.

Calla Lily, (C) J Dobbins 2010

Love Organic Cotton

Just finished this sweet sedge stitch washcloth

 for my Etsy Shop. (C) J Dobbins 2010

Shaking the negative thoughts

Granted, I'm usually upbeat and a happy individual, but sometimes, just sometimes, I feel like a birch catkin,encapsulated in water, frozen on a tree's branch....

2009 Winter Birch Kemah Lake (C) J Dobbins 2010

Not such a creative day...

Today taint been such a good day...made a stupid mistake this morning. Instead of taking my AM. meds...I took my PM meds. As my sister would say, " How crazy is that?" Pretty crazy... I had my 2 Pekingese I have to walk everyday...they get unhappy and hard to live with if I don't! I was just praying that I would make it through the walk, and back home before suffering the affects of one of the new drugs...one that is only meant to be taken at night...hit me. Needless to say after a half mile...I felt way outta sorts. Ozzie my boy Peke..knew instantly something aint right here..If Akira knew...she ignored it... she's just way to happy to be heading to the little beach. Oz was ready to turn back and head home when I tripped over him. Poor boy. I spent the early morning trying to convince my self to stay busy...it'll all wear off....WRONG... with my eyes feeling like a truck load of sandpaper had been dumped in them...I managed to smash my right hands middle and ring fingers in the back door...cried for 30 minutes with my hand in an ice pack. I guess I cried myself to sleep. Awoke thinking...ok....finish that ribbon scarf I'm knitting...oops...big mistake...13 rows later....saw major mistakes...frogged the whole thing....back to the start..... It will now be a lovelerly ribbon wrap. Good thing tomorrow is the Cardiologist appointment and not today... life...full of little sidetracks isn't it...

Ozzie in the foreground~ Empress Akira in the back (C) J Dobbins 2010

Spinning from too many things...

Once again, I have too many irons in the fire...something my Grandmother Mabel use to say. I have 6 fiber projects in the works, one large washcloth order to complete, a soap room that needs to have the humidity issue dealt with asap! House needs a good cleaning...ugh...that never ends does it...so it shouldn't count as an iron...ok forget that one. Still.... Haven't even thought about what's to feed the husband tonight. All I can seem to really think about is the beautiful ribbon scarf I'm knitting. Copper Penny...teal, blues, copper...you name it the color just shimmers... and the next batch of soap I want to make.....focus...that's what's called for here......

Copper Penny Colorway (C) J Dobbins 2010

Happy with this soaps outcome

(C) J Dobbins 2010

My Very Vetiver turned out fab! I can smell the cocoa butter and shea. The middle note is the really rich and earthy vetiver, bottom note is local organic honey. I am really looking forward to this ones cure date :>)

My Egg Yolk and Calendula Soap

My sister's favorite soap

(C) J Dobbins 2010

Keeping love in my heart

My sister was in a truck wreck this morning...she's alright. But it makes me pause and give thanks for all the ways the Lord has blessed my family. I wouldn't know where to begin if my sister Patricia was taken from me. She is my bestfriend here on Earth.During the comission of the wreck she did her best driving to keep the man from hitting her husband's side of the truck. I love how she thinks...I love her so much. Last night while I was overwhelmed about trying to be a successful "Etsy Seller". I looked up and saw this amazing sunset over the lake I live on. While doing well on Etsy is still important to me.... it's not as.....

Sunset on Kemah Lake

Saturday Morning Crazies...

Unmolded my vetiver and cocoa butter soap this morning. It turned out really well. It was just soft enough for me to make designs on it with my lemon zester.

Cold and rainy here, especially for a June morning. I'm working on a felted pin today, and trying to finish up a ribbon scarf ...aaa...well at least by tomorrow night. The colorway of the ribbon is Copper Penny.

I've gone nuts photographing all the hummingbirds that are showing up....more this year than any of the last 16 years I've lived on Kemah. Here's one of the radical little males that loves to be the center of attention ~~~~~

Male Hummer on my Trumpet Vine (C) J Dobbins 2010

Order that I mailed out to the ladies in my sister's office @  Big Bend Hospice in Florida....Thank you .... (C) J Dobbins 2010

There's always a first time

for everything....the first time I experienced the chemical reaction between oils and lye thrilled my soul.... the first time I washed with the soap I created.... made me so happy and to wonder. " Can this be what I was made to truly do?" Soapmaking, spinning fibers into yarns to knit, photography, felting, purse-making..on...and on....... have been me finding my identity. But.....I always seemed to put my " art" on the back burner......

I use to define myself by my career in caring for animals medically & ethically. I've always created...art, soap, beauty products, photos...it is ....I have found, who I really am.

For years I gave everything I created away. My husband, sister, and some friends would say why in the world. I always thought give it away and they'll want to buy the next time. Well, that's not how it turned out. People loved my things, but didn't want to pay for them. Bruised my ego really bad.

After I started working as a Vet Tech, some of the Drs. loved my things and would buy them. One who turned out to be my dearest friend...Dr. Sherri Valerio, was my most faithful buyer...still to this very day! Her and my sister Patricia, have nudged me along...encouraging me, and giving me valuable advice and feedback. Both being totally frank about me undercutting myself, and not thinking a piece was worth what it really was .... ( or not valuing my time either) Both have gone out into the world and promoted my art...they have been responsible for sales I would've never gone out and grabbed.

I opened my Etsy Shop almost a month ago..it will be a month on the 15th.http://www.etsy.com/shop/helewes I've always wanted to do that...I was just too frightened...guess who's not frightened anymore?

Thank-you God, Patty, Marty, Jan H., Sharon, Beth, and Sherri Lynne .