Happy Yule, Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone and their families a bright and happy Yule / Christmas ( or whatever you celebrate ). Have a safe and wonderful holiday.

Holiday break

Apocalypse survived. In process of taking a few days off to relax a little, hence my absence. Will answer emails, messages, etc after the holiday.

Weather alerts

My smartphone just startled the daylights out of me. I was in the other room and suddenly heard something that sounded like the national weather service / emergency broadcast tone, but the TV is not on. So I rushed back in here to find out what was making the noise, only to find it blaring from my phone. Yay blizzard alert.

Ember hurt herself

Worried about Ember, my service dog. This past weekend when we went to our friend's house, Ember and my friend's service dog were playing in the yard and roughing around, and Ember ended up running into the chain link fence, catching her foot on one side. There were no cuts or obvious damage, though it was tender and a bit red when it first happened. She's been limping on it and favoring it since. We haven't really gone anywhere or done anything since Saturday when it happened, trying to give her time to rest. I tried wrapping it but that didn't make any difference.

She's still limping. As a mobility assist service dog, I rely on her being able-bodied when I have bad days and need her to help steady / brace me when I get sore, fatigued, or suddenly dizzy. We had to delay going to the post office and grocery shopping because the lines were so long and store so crowded, and I didn't want to force her to try and exert herself for such a long period of time.  I'm hoping it is just a sprain or something and just tender. She doesn't cry out or wince a lot when the area is manipulated, and there is no swelling or heat / inflammation at the spot.

I'm just dreading if it doesn't get better within the next few days because I'll have to make a trip to the vet to get x-rays to see what's wrong. I was still paying off Wasabi's vet bill, so I am sure the vet will want more of that before they treat Ember. Cost of x-rays will probably be $200+ for that view/area.  So I might be forced to use some of the money that was supposed to be used for my oral surgery for paying for the vet bill instead. But I don't want my poor dog baby to be in pain. I need her to be well again so she can continue doing her job helping me.

Holiday Cards - Last Call

Last call for addresses for Yule / Christmas / Holiday cards!  Email me at leopardwolf@gmail.com with your mailing address if you'd like one.

Oral Surgery Update 1 - HUGE THANK YOU

I was away for the weekend, so I didn't have a chance to write until now. I wanted to extend a HUGE HUGE thank you to Swandog & Sayh, Wertle, Ashes-Sona, Caine, PickledGinger, Dogsoul, and others I may have missed for re-posting and spreading word about my situation and how badly I needed help to afford the oral surgery.  Huge thanks to the many people across the art communities on DevArt, FA, and beyond who have stepped forward to help during my time of medical need. Your outpouring of support and generosity has had me in tears. I had honestly given up hope. But thanks to the people who have purchased arts and crafts from me, and people who were kind and generous enough to donate, you all have helped raise $750 to go toward paying the $1,151 balance with Mayo so that they'll allow me to have this oral surgery procedure done. I only need another $400 to pay it off completely. I am still waiting to hear back from Mayo's patient services and my dentist and the oral surgeon on the referral.

A little more good news is that I *FINALLY* got a notice from the state services that supposedly I was approved for some sort of medical coverage they offer. I am not sure which one it is, or how much it will cover if anything at all. I am praying it will cover a portion of whatever this oral surgery will cost. I spoke with them and they said I should be getting an info packet in the mail that I need to fill out and return. I am really hoping it comes today. It's so frustrating it can't just be done over the phone or online so I can just get the much needed relief from these damned teeth. I'm near ready to take a pair of pliers to the damned things. I am almost out of antibiotics and Vicoprofen, and I am not sure if they'll give me refills. But with the holiday so close, and Mayo being notoriously slow at *everything*, I doubt I am getting in to see anyone before Christmas.

I have a lot of catching up to do, orders to mail, and a lot of people to contact and thank. I will be trying to do so for everyone who helped and offered well wishes, but I only have email notices and comment notices to go by, so if I somehow miss anyone I am sorry. Please know that I am extremely thankful for all of the help from all of you.  I would like to show my thanks by offering some form of art to those who donated and didn't buy anything. It may not be until after the holidays that I can make the art, but I will be trying to contact you all to thank you personally.

Every little bit really can make a difference. I will post further updates as I know more.

Oral Surgery Needed - Please Read, Pass Along

Please take the time to read this post ( and accompanying links ) fully, as all details and methods that have already been tried are described within.


I am still trying to raise money so I can have this desperately needed oral surgery done. So far from a few people buying art and jewelry from me, and a few generous donations, I currently have $300 to put toward the procedure.


To answer all the questions I know I will get in advance and have already gotten: Yes, I have applied for state medical aid and have been waiting, and waiting, and I am still waiting and it may be another month or more before I find out if they'll approve it.  I have tried reaching out and searching for local groups, charities, etc that might be able to help and so far not had any luck.  I don't have anyone else left *to ask*, that I have not already asked. The only reason I have not tried a kickstarter or gofundme or similar thing yet is because of lack of response I got from trying to ask for help before, when I was offering art and things I make in return for money offered.
I can't go to any non-hospital oral clinic to have this done because it is *not* a normal extraction. I have 3 complicated extractions that need to be done, and due to health issues ( heart rate and blood pressure issues ) I have no choice but to be under hospitalized monitored care for the IV-sedation. Non-hospital clinics will *not* do the work because in my situation it is potentially life threatening if they did and something went wrong.

I am unemployed and without insurance right now, my unemployment benefits ran out last month. I have asked at all the oral surgery places I have gone to trying to get this taken care of, and none of them have told me that any free clinics or dental schools exist anywhere nearby. There might be something 2hrs+ away from here, but none of them are free.

I am currently on antibiotics and narcotic pain killer because regular over the counter pain meds stopped working to relieve the pain. I tried weaning myself off the pain killer after being on the antibiotics for a few days, but as soon as it gets out of my system, the pain comes back so sharply I literally see red at points. If I take too much Vicoprofen, I am a zombie, and if I don't take enough, I can't function because of the pain. I have Fibromyalgia,Myofascial Pain Syndrome, and Dysautonomia, so I feel pain much more severely than normal people. This problem has made it difficult to eat and severely disrupted my sleep ( it wakes me up from dead sleep with nerve pain throbbing ), and lack of sleep is causing my other health issues to flare up.


My current balance with Mayo Clinic is at $1,151.63 from previous medical testing, surgery procedures, etc. That is what I owe them before they will allow any new procedures/testing/medical visits.

My oral surgery referral to the hospital is pending, so I am waiting to hear back on an exact price since it will be 3 difficult extractions + anesthesiology costs and hospital monitoring costs.

The original quote I was given for 2 normal extractions in non-hospital clinic was at $1,365 minimum. So now that it is 3 difficult extractions under monitored conditions and IV-sedation because of my medical conditions ( heart rate and blood pressure issues ), I imagine it will cost quite a bit more. Maybe twice as much, but they have not told me exact cost yet.


You can read a little more about it and see a picture of how bad it is here ( this was before xrays were taken):

http://leopardwolf.livejournal.com/297508.html

And another post here ( this is after xrays and oral surgeon told me I would have to be referred to hospital ):

http://leopardwolf.livejournal.com/298433.html
I realize people are probably doubtful that I could raise the necessary funds, which may be why hardly anyone offered ( aside from the obvious not having anything to give). I don't expect anyone to shell out the full amount, I don't even expect anyone to give more than $50 if even that. I am *not* asking for a free hand out.I want to sell my art, jewelry, sculptures, dreamcatchers, pyrography, real media paintings, etc or anything else I can make, or offer some form of gratitude art in return for help offered.I have been trying, and trying, and trying to sell my art and everything in between so people feel like they are at least getting something in return. If 20 people spent $50 for art or whatever, that'd be $1,000 right there. Granted most people can probably only afford $20. But reverse those numbers, and if 50 people got $20 of art, still $1,000 toward the cost.



You can see examples of things I have made on my DevArt gallery:

http://leopardwolf.deviantart.com


You can also see some things I have for sale in my Etsy store:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LeopardWolf


I will be posting more finished art and buy-able things over the next few days.

My PayPal Address is:  leopardwolf@gmail.com


These are only examples of the many different things I can make. I am willing to try *anything* at this point, even things I might not normally do. Please feel free to ask if you'd like something made that you don't see in the gallery or shop.




I think if I can at least come up with the $1,151, I might be able to talk Mayo's billing department into letting me have the work done, and hopefully not demanding payment for the procedure up front since they know I am unemployed and without insurance.
I always feel guilty having to try and sell my art soul and then beg and borrow from friends or family for stuff like this. I feel like a burden on everyone, and I am sure people are tired of hearing about it, even if the circumstances are different this time. All the money I have had to waste on my medical issues, medical testing and procedures, and medications. I can't describe how much I hate myself and sometimes wonder if I'd be better off not existing at all.

I *greatly* appreciate anyone wishing to help, in any way you can help. Even if you cannot help financially, please take a moment to re-post this? Maybe someone out there is still looking to donate to a good cause for the holiday, and might see it.


Heartfelt thanks for taking the time to read this. Sorry if any of it was disjointed, but my brain is foggy from the combo of pain and pain meds.

Silly 12/12/12 post

It is now 12:12am on 12/12/12  ( CST anyway ).  Thus I contribute to silly posts yet to come.

Keep it going

Trying so hard to concentrate between tooth/jaw pain and hip/lower back pain to sit here and keep working on art stuff, processing pictures, getting stuff ready to post. Too much Vicoprofen makes me zombie and pass out. Too little and tooth hurts too much. Ember and Raven are trying so hard to cheer me up. Sage and Wasabi are acting as good foot warmers and pillows when I have to lay on the couch and take a break from sitting upright.

Another Dental Update, Bad News

Now on antibiotics and Vicoprofen, but pain comes right back the moment I don't take enough of the pain med. Things took an unexpected turn for the worse. Originally I was supposed to have root canal for 2 teeth, but teeth seem too badly damaged and not save-able ( waiting for oral surgeon to confirm this after he speaks with some colleges). A normal extraction is dangerous because of my teeth/nerve positioning and other medical stuff. So they'd have to do some sort of different extraction which leaves part of root in place somehow, only removing portions of damaged teeth, and they also think it is a good idea to try and do same with wisdom tooth right there ( grown in sideways), to avoid it becoming an issue later on (as they expect it might ) and having to go through a second surgery for it. So it went from 2 root canals to 3 partial extractions under full sedation. Because of my Dysautonomia ( low blood pressure/rapid heart rate) it would be dangerous / potentially life threatening to not have sedation done by anesthesiologist under full hospital monitoring equipment. Independent oral surgery clinics will not take that risk.  Which means I will have no choice but to be referred to Mayo Clinic / St. Mary's Hospital, who I still owe money, and just like once before, they will want that money before they will do this procedure. And now that I am without insurance and unemployed, they will probably also want the cost of the procedure ( or part of it ) up front. Thus the price I was originally quoted just skyrocketed.

Yule / Christmas / Holiday Cards & Gifts

I have cards and stamps ready! Now I just need addresses. I am also trying to rebuild my address book with contact info and birthdays, etc. Even if you think I should have your current info, give it to me anyway to be sure!  If you would like to exchange cards / gifts now or in the future, please *EMAIL* me your current mailing address and info to leopardwolf@gmail.com

I will respond to you with my own contact info.

Thank you!

Dental Update, Fender Benders, Art Show

Crazy past few days. Thank you to Sy, Mark, and Synn for your help, it means a lot to me. Thursday Ember and I spent the afternoon talking dog geekery and other things with a friend. Friday I was able to see my dentist and get antibiotics and Vicoprofen. Since her building is under construction, she referred me to an oral surgeon, who I will see Monday. Hopefully they can do the needed work on site, but there is a chance they may have to send me to one of the local hospitals, which means it might be more expensive than originally anticipated. Not looking forward to it. Antibiotics and pain killers are helping, but make some of my autonomic symptoms worse.

We finally got snow last night. We also got rear-ended when we went out for a quick shopping run, idiot cut into our lane and we slowed down so they wouldn't hit us, and the woman behind us ran into us. Mike's car has scuffed paint on the back, but nothing else visibly wrong. We're still going to have it looked at to be safe.  Mike, Ember, and I are fine for the most part. He was sore last night from where the seatbelt jerked. I ended up somehow biting down/clenching my jaw with my bad teeth when it happened, and that hurt a ton. I have some stiffness in my neck and shoulders, but hard to say if it's related to that or not. We were both leaning forward in our seats trying to see the lines on the road through snow and watch the person who was cutting us off. Thankfully we were not going very fast, we'd been at a red light and just started to move when it turned green, when it happened.

Today I spent the day at the gallery helping a troupe of girl scouts who had come in to glaze some ceramics they made in the studio. Afterwards there was a nice artist's reception for the Fabrication's Nine art exhibit I'm participating in. I met a lot of really nice local artists, saw lots of really neat art, and there was a lot of good talk and good company. I wasn't sure I'd make the entire day when the pain kept acting up, but thanks to the Vicoprofen I made it! Ember was amazing. She lay quietly watching, occasionally wagging, the whole time the 30 or so girls sat around glazing ceramics. She was equally well behaved during the art exhibit. Many people were curious about her, and we answered many questions. Lots of compliments were offered. Overall it was a very nice day.

Ember wearing her service vest with patches

 Sharing some more pictures of the dogmeat wearing her service gear.


 Ember with her vest after the Can Do Canines patches were added.

Another picture of Ember in her service vest.

Love my SyMara sis

I'll sing praise to the heavens and anyone who will listen. My SyMara-sis is such an amazingly wonderful, generous, caring person. She made this for me, symbolic of sharing her light with me in dark times.

SyMara has helped so much, and given so much in art and time and love.  I feel guilty ever getting anything from anyone, especially these days when there is not a lot I can do to reciprocate and show my true appreciation besides with art and heartfelt words, and hope whoever it is intended for knows how much it means to me.

Santa Paws

While Ember and I were at Can Do Canines yesterday, Santa and friends decided to stop by for holiday pictures. I am normally not photogenic. I hide behind my camera and take the pictures!  Even so, we were convinced to have our picture taken.

Can Do Canines Ambassador

Yesterday Ember and I attended a volunteer / ambassador orientation with Can Do Canines. I got to hang out with Terri and Brody, meet some fellow graduate teams who before I had only read about, and lots of other really amazing people. It is such a warming, heartfelt sensation, to be among people whose lives have been brightened by these specially trained dogs. It is a humbling, gratifying experience. I am blessed to know them, and be part of this special family.

Dream catchers and dental stuff

Have spent the evening wrapping dream catcher hoops and listening to Christmas music. Fueled by beef jerky and crisp, cool water. I was determined to have something more substantial to eat than milk and peanut butter, since my two bad teeth weren't agreeing with *anything* for a few days. Will probably regret it later. Waiting to hear back from my dentist about getting a prescription for antibiotic and Vicoprofen, since prescription strength Aleve is starting to become ineffective for the nerve pain ( which is probably amplified because of my Dys / Fibro, I feel pain different than normal people ). She is in process of transferring to a new clinic, which is under construction. So even if I could afford the root canals, I'd have to wait till end of December or beginning of January. Not sure I can wait that long. We'll see.

A short video with holiday spirit

Something truly heartwarming. This sort of thing is what the spirit of the season is all about, no matter what spiritual path you follow.

Art Update

Sharing a few artistic shots of some finished wearable art.


Animal pendants and mini pet portraits that I make on commission. I can make them with just about any animal you can imagine! All I need is a nice picture showing special markings if you want one of your own animal. Otherwise tell me what animal you'd like. Cats, dogs, birds, wildlife, and more.

Vintage Orange Branch Coral And Blue Pearls.

Lapis Lazuli and Howlite.

 

Everything here is listed on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LeopardWolf


Lots more to make, lots more to post.

Art And Craft Uploads

Spent the last few days making things, taking and processing pictures, and prepping for store listings. Have new things uploaded on Etsy. Many more to come. May share favorites later.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LeopardWolf

Shop With Artists, Crafters, Small Business Owners

Just a reminder to everyone to please considering shopping with an artist or small local business if you're doing holiday shopping this year. You can make a big difference and get some amazing, unique gifts, as opposed to supporting the big box stores. There's so much incredible talent out there!

Please respond to this message with a link (or several links) to your favorite small/independent business, artist, craftsperson, or artisan to buy holiday gifts from. Someone who needs the business more than big box stores. Someone who makes better products than big box stores. Someone who offers something cool, unique, or handmade that you'll never see at big box stores. Most of all, someone who deserves all of that Black Friday / Cyber Monday / holiday shopping attention. Ready? GO.

Share and pass along!

Black Friday Weekend Promo

Save 10% on your entire purchase from my Etsy shop, Black Friday through Cyber Monday. May extend this or another offer afterwards for further Christmas shopping!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LeopardWolf

Weekend Sales

Working on making things, taking pictures of them, and posting them online for Black Friday and weekend sales. Fingers crossed!

Thankful

Thankful for so much. Spent a wonderful day cooking and laughing with Mike and the animals. Dinner was delicious. Hope everyone else had a wonderful day.

Art bits

Digging through craft supplies. Leather, fur and fabric things. Bone and tagua too. Now where did I put that sinew and hemp cord?

No Dog Seminar For Me

Just gave up my slot for an upcoming dog training seminar I *really* wanted to go to. Finding out my unemployment ends next week, totally killed any chance I had of affording it. Feel like shit over it because a spot was held for me last minute.

Gift Giving Ideas

I make a lot of different things that would make wonderful gifts, all of them unique and one of a kind. Please consider buying from and supporting a local artist this year for your holiday purchases.


Etsy Shop ( Some finished items for sale; I have a ton more where this came from not listed here ):

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LeopardWolf



Art Gallery ( Examples of different things I can make):

http://leopardwolf.deviantart.com


Share with others, spread the word.


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Why?

I confirmed that my unemployment benefits end next week. After that I will have no source of income to buffer being without a job. I can't even try reapplying until after the 5th of Jan 2013. In a *very* bad place right now. I have been job searching since before January 2012 when I knew I was facing getting laid off from the job I was working.

I still haven't been able to pay off Wasabi's vet bill, or afford certain medical stuff I need, or pay off pre-existing bills from such so I can go back to even see my doctors. I don't have health insurance ( tried applying for local state aid and they denied me and now fighting with them over that ), so I can't afford any out of pocket expenses to see these doctors ( upwards of $300 for a consult visit at Mayo ).

I have a hefty medical bill wracked up from all the procedures they had to do on me, and they basically want a certain portion of it paid before they'll see me again, which includes being able to get refills on my prescriptions. I am on a beta-blocker and an SSRI for my Dysautonomia and Fibromyalgia. These types of medications you *can not* just stop taking cold turkey.

I also desperately need to go back to my dentist to have some work done on damaged teeth, which are now starting to get infected like what happened last year when I had to have work done. She started to work on these others to try and help me so I would not be in pain and could hopefully last till I got a new job, but I didn't have enough money to finish it.  Now I don't have insurance/coverage, and same situation as above, I owe them some money that my previous insurance did not cover, and I cannot go back to see them until I pay that off.

I know stuff is hard for everyone. But really, is $5 plus shipping ( normal cheapest price I have for some items ) that much to ask for a little piece of original art, knowing you are helping support a local artist so she has a place to live, food in her mouth, and can afford her medicine and related bills?

Reflective Medical Venting

Chronic illness is difficult enough to live with, without constantly being reminded of how much you fail and will probably never live a totally normal life ever again, no matter how hard you try. Medicine doesn't make it all magically better or make it totally go away. Having multiple 'invisible' conditions makes it worse. This is just generalized grief being expressed that has been building for months and months, that I can no longer contain by smiling and pretending to be okay. Sometimes I am not okay, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Enough Already

Further agitation today: The property management is *STILL* trying to force us to pay for the bed bug treatment ( neighbor's fault not ours and supposedly settled months ago), now calling it 'damages', and charging us late fees because of the balance resulting from us not paying what they want. Our rent has been on time, every time, since this new company took over.

I seriously need a legal adviser familiar with rental/housing law to hash out a polite "cease and desist or else" letter.

Unemployment / Disability Debate

With my unemployment ending very soon ( unless there is something I qualify for extension wise I am not aware of ) and not being certain of landing any positions I have applied for, I mentioned to Mike my thoughts on applying for disability. It would take time for such a case to probably even be approved, but if I am not going to receive any more financial buffer aside from the stray commission or Etsy sale I might get here or there ( not enough to live off of currently ), it would be nice to have that as a worst case last resort.

But it turned into an argument of how it would ruin any future chance I have of getting a job.

Would it be better to have NO money coming in except for a handful of commissions once my unemployment ends?  Or wouldn't it be better to actually have $300 or more coming in and still have the ability and option to work part time if I can find something, and even also have the option to go back full time in the future provided I get a stable job offering such?

I hate to admit it, but I am *not* normal in the same sense other employable people are. I have to be realistic, that I am not going to be able to do certain jobs, whether I like it or not. It has *nothing* to do with being lazy, trying to take the easy way out, or making up shit about my health issues. Just because you don't understand it or have never heard of it, doesn't mean it is all in my head and being made up. It is real, and something I have to be reminded of and live with every day.

Just because you enroll for disability aid, doesn't mean you are damned to be dependent on it forever, and I don't want to be. But I do want even some small source of money to try and actually help rather than not be able to help financially at all, while I am still in between jobs and having such a difficult time finding anything.

I don't know what to do anymore. Nothing I do or try seems to be good enough or help.

What else can I do?

Dogs, and science

Sharing some dog love, dog geekery, and some science.

Wallace is a local pit bull sports dog celebrity ( has his own book ), who was recently diagnosed with cancer. His owners are making sure he lives the rest of his life to the fullest. :)



Dogs teaching chemistry!

Security Camera Video Captures Good Too

Share the good. There's plenty of it that goes unnoticed.

Kittehs!

What could be better than livestreaming kittens?

http://new.livestream.com/FosterKittenCam/TheSpiceKittens

Dysautonomia sucks

Damn you, Dysautonomia. Passed out. Felt nauseated and wobbly/tremblely all day, headache and sinus eye stabby pains and knee and hip complaints but ignored it and pushed myself to get stuff done around the house. Was sitting with legs crossed going through paperwork for shredding. Legs felt like they were falling asleep so got up to grab another bag across the room. Wobbly legs like jello, tingling pins and needles sensation then flush/warm, got dizzy and vision blur and ringing in ears/all other sound faded. World spun, tunnel vision, ended up back on ground. Came to looking at underside of my craft/work table with clingy worried animals hovering around me. Sigh.

Painful, not hip

My Sacroiliac joint is very angry and not liking me moving around trying to do anything, housework or otherwise. ::Stabs it repeatedly::

Overwhelming blah

Not in a good place mentally. Trying to get too much done, worried about too much, reminded constantly how much my broken body limits things I am able to do, or totally ruins my chances for doing things I want to, no matter how hard I'd try. Ready to sell all my art supplies and just stop bothering. I don't even know why I am running myself crazy trying to make stuff to sell for holidays. It won't sell, like it never does. But I am in panic mode because my unemployment ends sooner than I thought and I only have one job lead that probably isn't going to pan out.

Maybe I could apply for disability, but I don't know the first thing about how to save these days you need a lawyer for it, and I need to see my doctors to do paperwork for that sort of thing. I can't see my doctors because I owe them all money, and we won't mention that this also applies to not being able to get refills on my prescriptions for the same reasons. The refills I had remaining expired in October. I didn't have enough money to get them all filled in time. One of my prescriptions costs $135 by itself, for roughly 30 pills. I don't have insurance to cover visits anyway. I tried to apply for local social service aid, but they denied me because they "didn't get the info they requested by the deadline" despite me having the original form and fax data to prove I sent it in time. So now I am having to fight with them over that. Endless viscous cycle. I can't keep doing this. I just don't have it in me anymore.

Oh, weather

Ugh, Minnesota. It was 70F and beautiful yesterday. 29F and winter-ish today. Such drastic change broke my body. I need a new one.

Service Dog Stories

Having my own service dog, and being among the community of people who benefit from such remarkable bonds, hearing stories like these always touches a deeper chord in me. Follow your dreams. Believe in yourself, and you can do anything.


A Girl's Best Friend:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8598189



Another wonderful article on how working dogs help people, in this case our veterans. There needs to be more awareness about these sorts of things.

War vets find solace in four-legged friends:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/us/cnnheroes-ptsd-service-dogs/index.html?hpt=hp_c3

6 Ways to Take a Mental Vacation

Sometimes you need to get away, but you don't have the time or money. Don't despair: A mental vacation can help reduce your stress.

By Diana Rodriguez
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH
Posted on:  http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/take-a-mental-vacation.aspx

---

Small stressors can quickly add up to major stress and one big stressful event can send you reeling, with no idea of how to start addressing it. If you could just get away for a little stress relief, you know you would be okay. But too few of us have the time — or the money — to run off on an impromptu vacation.

Well, you don't have to spend a dime or go anywhere other than a quiet spot nearby to take a mental vacation.

Stress Relief: Take Off on a Mental Vacation

If you don’t find a way to reduce stress, your health will pay the price, both mentally and physically. It’s not necessary to get a lengthy massage or head to a beach to relax — you can unwind every day in simple ways and still get a major benefit.

"People who are under a lot of stress have physical problems related to constantly being under stress," says Sally R. Connolly, a social worker and therapist at the Couples Clinic of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. "And if you don’t find ways [to relieve it], even in small periods of time, you can have long-term consequences." It's crucial to add stress relief to your everyday routine, she says.

Connolly suggests learning techniques to reduce stress and trying to sneak in one or two each day. "Even if it's five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night, just find time to do that," she says.


Stress Relief: Six Quick Mental Trips

Visualizing a stress-free place and other relaxation techniques are quick and easy ways to help your whole body calm down and give you just the boost you need to get on with your day. Connolly suggests these six ways for you to slip away on a mental vacation to reduce stress:

1.  Read a book in bed. Connolly says this is a great escape and can leave you feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to face whatever is outside your bedroom door. Your bed is warm, cozy, comfortable, and a peaceful place for you. It feels luxurious, and getting lost in a good book is a perfect way to forget, then refocus, your own thoughts.

2.  Visualize relaxation. Steal a few quiet moments to close your eyes and think of an image that relaxes you — such as the warm sun on your skin and the sound of the ocean, a big country field sprinkled with flowers, or a trickling stream. Connolly suggests thinking back to a time when you felt peaceful and relaxed, and focus on releasing the tension from your toes to your head.

3.  Look at pictures from a happy time. Connolly recommends pulling out snapshots from a photo album of a family vacation or a fun dinner with friends. Reflect on your memories of that occasion, and what made it so enjoyable. Spend a few quiet moments reminiscing, and you'll find yourself more relaxed.

4.  Look out a window. Distract yourself by focusing on something other than what's stressing you. Grab a steaming cup of coffee or tea, close the door, and take a mental break. Do a little people watching, appreciate any birds within view, or enjoy some fluffy clouds rolling by. Allow yourself to daydream for a few minutes.

5.  Listen to a relaxation CD. Invest in a couple of these CDs for a short daily escape, says Connolly. You may like to hear chirping birds, rolling waves, or gentle rain — whatever your choice, closing your eyes and listening to these soothing sounds while doing some deep breathing can help you relax and de-stress.

6.  Take a walk. Exercise is a great way to relieve stress because it's a great escape for your mind. Head out for a quiet early morning walk or lace up your sneakers on your lunch break. Walking along a trail, waterfront, or other peaceful place when possible may offer even more relaxation.

Treat yourself to a 5-, 10-, or 20-minute mental vacation each day and train your body to relax and reduce stress — you'll be amazed at how much better you feel after taking just a few luxurious moments all to yourself.

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Dental woe

Tooth pain is among the worse. These two problem teeth have gotten worse and are getting painful like the other one I had surgery on last year around this time. I also need to have them finish this root canal because it only had a temp filling and that came out a while ago. But no money. And no insurance.

I am fighting off a sinus infection / Fibro flair, and with the change in weather I am sure all of it is not helping, probably putting pressure just the right way to cause the TMJ to spazz out. The pain radiates into my jaw and ear area / entire side of face. Just have to keep hoping pain meds will help me manage it for now.

Of art shows, holidays and deadlines

Just got confirmation of deadlines for upcoming shows and events and wargh-ing because I am going to need every single day I can spare to be at home working or in the studio working to have enough items made for the events and holiday sales. Things are going to be insane for the rest of the year.

Neat interactive spider thing

I thought this was too cool in general not to share. Also, might help those who are arachnophobic by interacting with it, with no risk to themselves.

http://www.onemotion.com/flash/spider

Small business and educational possibilities.

Had a meeting with Workforce people yesterday. Found out not only can they probably totally cover expenses for me to go back to take some college classes/programs for web design, multimedia and graphic stuff ( or similar fields ), but also that they may be able to help me with some starting costs for a small business if they approve a plan for me!  It wouldn't be much, but it would be just enough for most of the stuff I had in mind.  Lot of work to do, to figure all this out and make it happen.

Fellow skull collector and taxidermy enthusiast

I will undoubtedly have a collection like this, one day.

---

Collector reveals staggering haul of 2,000 animal skulls he keeps in semi-detached home.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2222967/Animal-skull-collector-Alan-Dudley-showcased-2-000-skulls-new-book.html

Win7 version of Windows Movie Maker is fail

WTF new Win7 version of Windows Movie Maker? I have sat here fighting with it trying to splice slides for smooth transitions at the beginning *AND* end of a clip.

They totally ruined how to add in special effects for fade in and fade out and place it throughout the entire clip/frame like you could in the XP version, which allowed you to right-click and add any effect to each individual frame if you wanted.  Am I just missing the option for this? Or did they really dumb it down and remove all the good features?

I also don't like how it auto-jumps back to the beginning when you mouse over the effects for more than a second.

Video processing and arting

Processing the video from Can Do Canines graduation last week, and painting. Enjoying the autumn weather.

Nom nom punkin

Qpines are awesome.

When People Worry About Math, the Brain Feels the Pain

My brain knows this all too well. Does my Dyscalculia make it worse than a normal person with math anxiety?


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121031213711.htm#.UJMYkm3SQUA.mailto


"ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2012) — Mathematics anxiety can prompt a response in the brain similar to when a person experiences physical pain, according to new research at the University of Chicago."

Happy Samhain / Halloween!

And in closing for the evening . . .

Happy Samhain / Halloween!


"Halloween, related to ancient festivals of the dead, is a time when we can give special thought to our departed loved ones, keeping their memories alive, and to our near and distant ancestors, sustaining our feelings of continuity." ~ Paul Harrison


http://naturalpantheist.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/celebrating-samhain




Hope everyone had a wonderful evening.

Spirit cat

Sage kitty has been chasing ghost Smokey kitty all night (Sage hardly ever plays, only used to play with Smokey), up and down stairs and down the hall, and all the other animals are fast asleep. Makes me cry happy tears to know Momo is still around in spirit.

Cleanse And Rejuvenate, Open The Veil

I just did an energized sage smudge cleansing and spirit welcoming ritual for Samhain, with my rain bell talismans and spirit stick. It smells of smoked sage, sweet grass and herbs now, with a crisp autumn breeze blowing in through the open windows.  This is my zen.

Halloween Lights Show

Sharing the Halloween Lights Show from Edwards Landing, because it is just neat.

Aaaannd...  Gangnam Style!

Must keep arting

Finished posting my handmade pottery for sale on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LeopardWolf


Will upload the rest to DevArt over the next day or so. Juggling several art projects in progress right now, have things to ship, and more stuff to make. Ugh deadlines!

Need to finish processing video from Can Do Canines graduation and post all that good stuff.

Need to go work at the studio to finish a few greenware clay pieces, but that'll probably wait until tomorrow after the workforce thing I have to go to.

Hurricane Sandy

After dealing with Hurricane Katrina, I am thankful we no longer live in Long Island. The area we used to live in NY is flooded. It's hard to see images of these places I know in NY and NJ, with all the storm damage and flooding. My thoughts and prays go out to our family, and my friends and their families who are still on the East Coast. Stay safe out there.

Special days

Today: Bob Ross's birthday, and Ember and I's assistance dog graduation with Can Do Canines. How cool is that? Exhausted now. More later.

Halloween Awareness With Kids

Sharing in hopes of spreading awareness. :)

"In a few days, a lot of creatures will visit your door. Be open minded. The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy might have poor fine motor skills. The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy might have motor planning issues. The child who does not say "trick or treat" or "thank you" might be painfully shy, non-verbal, or selectively mute. If you cannot understand their words, they may struggle with developmental apraxia of speech. They are thankful in their hearts and minds. The child who looks disappointed when he sees your bowl might have a life-threatening allergy. The child who isn't wearing a costume at all might have SPD or autism. Be kind, be patient, smile, pretend you understand. It's everyone's Halloween. Make a parent feel good by making a big deal of their special child."

Stormy Weather, Windchimes, Clay Happy, Frog Happy

Was awakened before dawn this morning by thunder and flashes of lightning. Lulled back to sleep by the pattering rain. Been enjoying it all day and evening since. Really need to get some new windchimes (the ones I have had for years finally broke). I am missing hearing them dance in the wind.

Random happy - All of my glazed pieces survived! They turned out amazing! Will share pictures later. Probably all but two will be for sale.

Another random happy - There was a tiny tiny ( inch or less ) frog by our door tonight. I think it was a spring peeper, or some other species of uber tiny frog.

Off to inventory stuff, gather a few items for charity benefits, and do a little reading before bed.

Quick update

Been busy the past few days with more art things. Plan to try and get pictures and post some things on Etsy later. Werewolf chronicle went a lot better this week, as far as productivity and progression of the scene was concerned. Now it's time to finish creating backups of data, duplicate on each of my external drives just in case, and format this beast of a Franken-comp-u-tor, and upgrade the OS.  Praying it goes off without a hitch.

F-disk, format, reinstall, do-dah, do-dah.

Leonidas, you're where?

So, we totally had a Leonidas moment tonight.

I was in the kitchen cooking dinner, and suddenly Mike appears in the doorway . . .wearing a bed comforter like a cloak, wielding a swiffer wand like a sword in one hand, and a pillow like a shield in the other.

He got his gameface on and proclaimed: "THIS IS SPAAARTAAAA!!!"

I was laughing so hard it hurt.  He escaped before I could get a picture.  ::Shakes first::

I haz a LOLcatz.

Raven wanted to help make dinner.

Raven antics

Raven cat has a strange fascination with water. I am constantly having to fish cat toys ( and sometimes other random objects ) out of the dog water bowl after she deliberately drops them in.

Zumbrota Iron Pour 2012 - Videos

Here are the videos of the iron pour event.


This is a full length recording of the 2012 Zumbrota Iron Pour event.

A shorter compilation of various footage filmed during the 2012 Zumbrota Iron Pour event.

A compilation of various footage of Savage Aural Hotbed playing during the 2012 Zumbrota Iron Pour event.

Enjoy!

Zumbrota Iron Pour 2012 - Photography

Recently the ancient art of metal casting came to Zumbrota, Minnesota and the sparks went flying!



Setup for the evening events and getting molds ready.

Here is an image of some of the recycled metal that was smashed and used.

Foundry artists from KRL Metals rolled into town with their fiery furnace. They began prep-work to melt the iron, which was salvaged from radiators that once heated the historic state theater. Later in the evening that iron was poured over various types of carved and casted molds designed by local participants, producing custom designed iron-cast artworks and enabling these individuals to take home a piece of the historic state theater and local art history.

"You feel like a giant baked potato in those suits. . ."
— Kelly Ludeking

My camera accidentally switched modes when I took this one. It was so strange, I couldn't help but keep it.

The firey festiveties were complimented by the spectacular industrial flavored music of Savage Aural Hotbed, who creates their compelling sound using conventional and "found object" percussion instruments, bass guitar, electronically modified horns and vocals, and power tools. With up to four people drumming, they provide visual, as well as aural excitement with their high energy rhythms, flailing arms, and flying sparks.

" . . . the sound of steel and rust, oil drums and hubcaps, screeches, sparks, grinders and gears finding new fury and energy . . .
It's also fun, it makes you smile to see a man make music with an electric saw . . ."
— Scott Simon, National Public Radio


The precise, percussive sound of Savage Aural Hotbed is inspired by many influences, most notably Japanese Taiko drumming, and the cutting-edge (sometimes literally, they use saws and grinders on stage) innovation of Industrial. Other influences include diverse styles such as modern minimalist, and many ethnic styles.

Food and drinks were provided by Bridget's Cafe and the Covered Bridge Restaurant.

A shot of the front of Crossings.

It was a lot of fun, and my iron-cast design turned out amazing.

Me working on my design.

It went from looking like this after I carved it . . .

To looking like this!

Special Thanks To:


The Zumbrota Area Arts Council

http://zaac.org



Crossings At Carnegie

http://www.crossingsatcarnegie.com




Kelly Ludeking And His Team Of Foundry Artists From KRL Metals

http://www.krlmetals.com



Savage Aural Hotbed

http://www.savageauralhotbed.com




Bridget's Cafe & Covered Bridge Restaurant




Video will be posted next!

Busy me is busy

I have been soooooo busy over the last week, between dog training geekery, processing the video and images from the iron pour and pictures from clay studio, doing art stuff for upcoming shows and holiday sales, writing needed content for different things, researching and reading on other stuff, juggling job search crap and workforce shoving mandatory stuff at me, oi vey!

Not enough time in the day.  Or the night. Or any of the hours between.

My poor thumb and index finger on my right hand have been split open for over a week now in different places. When the weather changes this time of year this happens to my hands and feet because it is so dry here, and no amount of lotion or moisturizers I use seem to help ( possibly a side effect of my other medical stuff ). Constantly using my hands for art stuff, especially the wet clay stuff has been rather painful. I have tried doctoring it up with bandages and pain relief Neosporin since the tears are so tender, but they just keep splitting open. Since liquid bandage does nothing and wears off too easy,  as a last resort I am going to clean them out real good with disinfectant, and then superglue the damned things and see how long that lasts.

Wish we had a fireplace to snuggle in front of with some coffee or cocoa, listen to the soft crackles as the smokey scent drifts, mind drifting watching the dancing flames and glowing embers. I guess I'll just have to settle for a candle.  The cooler weather is finally coming back, and it feels sooooooo goood, since I overheat so easily these days, stupid broken body.  I think I am one of the only people left in Minnesota still running around in shorts.  The wind here makes it feels so much colder than it actually is.

The video from the iron pour came out better than I expected. I kept one version full length, only editing out very minor things ( like people obliviously standing right in front of me and the video recorder, or the one instance where someone ran into me, Ember *and* the tripod and nearly sent everything crashing to the ground - thank Gaia my reflexes were good that night ).

Full length still turned out to be about 50mins long. So I took that and made a condensed version that is about 12mins long, showing the highlights of the evening. I also made a separate video of some footage I got of the band playing throughout the evening and closer to the end of the event, before I ran out of tape.

I plan to post these videos and pictures of the iron pour, and pictures of clay stuff sometime tomorrow.

Want To Be More Focused? Look At Pictures Of Cute Baby Animals

Some interesting research has come to light that indicates that looking at pictures of baby animals could actually improve your concentration and focus.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/09/29/want-to-be-more-focused-look-at-pictures-of-cute-baby-animals


So next time your boss catches you looking at those cute pictures, just tell them you are trying to improve your productivity, and share the link!

Art And Dog Geekery

Had an exciting end of the week, with more overflow of awesome going into the weekend.  Thursday was pottery class, and our attempts to save my dried out mishaps by rewetting seems to have worked! At least it worked well enough that I was able to somewhat trim and shape and not utterly destroy the pots.  Now I just need to keep my fingers crossed that they survive the bisk fire without cracking, and then I can glaze and finish them off.

Saturday was amazingly fun because it was the day of the Zumbrota Iron Pour and live concert offered by Savage Aural Hotbed to compliment the blazing festivities. I got to design a sand cast of my logo, and later in the evening it was among many that had molten iron poured upon it. The metal came from recycled parts from the old city theater building. How awesome is that, to have a part of art history to call my very own?  I go to pick up the finished piece tomorrow.

I have a ton of pictures from the fun art stuff and some video to process, and hope to have stuff posted over the next few days.

Sunday I spent almost the entire day getting my dog geekery on. I audited several different classes held by an amazing local trainer who I plan to apprentice under.  I am so overjoyed with this opportunity, I'm afraid I may have reached levels of blathering idiocy at points. It's just *so wonderful* to discuss psychological, behavioral animal stuff with someone and not have their eyes glaze over. Thanks again Sara!

Also played a fun new game. It involved a slinky. It was confirmed that I make a good animal and can be clicker trained. Also, slinky.

Tons of geekery

Here, have a ton of nifty science to fill your brain.


Very awesome article. Makes me idly wonder if part of my time perception issue ( not sensing passage of time ) is because I am in some hyper active state of awe ( I do experience such emotions and feeling very frequently, getting that awe inspiring sensation from things apparently most people don't from what I have been told), and how all of that ties in with my Dyscalculia on the neuroscience side of things.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-awe-stops-the-clock




Spiffy little genetics article. King cheetahs are love!

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345332/description/News_in_Brief_How_the_cheetah_loses_its_spots




Spiffy feet! Also, is it sad that I can identify what species each of these are by their feet? The green one in the bottom I don't think is a gecko, but actually a green anole.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=508603189154661&set=a.427991027215878.121441.427481527266828&type=1

( version for non Facebook users )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/19149870




Everything is better, with lasers!  Using Precisely-Targeted Lasers, Researchers Manipulate Neurons in Worms' Brains and Take Control of Their Behavior

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120924102658.htm

Raven tries to wear service dog gear.

Here, have some Raven cuteness to brighten your day.

New Youtube Channel

My new Youtube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/leopardwolfvideos

Since Youtube / Google decided to ignore my trouble ticket and not fix my issue, I had no choice but to alter my normal username slightly, or be stuck waiting indefinitely to upload videos.

Huzzah Fall!

Happy Autumn Equinox / Mabon!

The air is crisp and has the scent of fall leaves and wood fires.  Very soothing.  I love this time of year. So nice to settle in and get some reading or writing done, or to work on art projects while enjoying hot cocoa or a coffee latte. Pumpkin and spiced scents abound! Love the cooler weather and watching the leaves turn.

What do you like most about Autumn / Fall?

Joining The Mainstream Blogosphere

I finally decided to create a presence among the mainstream blogosphere.  While I am new to Blogspot/Blogger, this is by no means my first time "blog-ing".  I have well over a decade's experience with writing and online journaling. My roots reach far back to the "glory days" of LiveJournal (LJ ) before it was sold off, and in many other places before and since.

I am an artist and a writer. I love to create, and I love to write. Many have said I have a gift in the meaningful way I weave words. There are times I simply feel like I am rambling aimlessly, and perhaps I am.

 I have an honest desire to get to know people I interact with in places like this, LJ, Facebook, Twitter, or whatever else have you. I thoroughly enjoy stimulating conversations, sharing ideas and getting to know the people behind the words and online presences. I value and miss the sense of community that LJ used to have, and while I have not given up on it, I am hoping I might find something similar or better here.

I have not quite decided how I will share content here. LJ has been my primary writing space for a long time, and even after I joined Facebook and Twitter, I still much prefer journal-oriented sites as opposed to "social media" sites. I keep seeing a pattern, they don't seem to be very 'sociable'. People have forgotten how to communicate, stuck in short-hand stupors. They get the "too long, didn't read" mentality and just scroll past because it takes too much time and effort.  It makes me sad.

Until this point, I have cross posted certain things between my other three accounts, when it was writing updates about what was going on in my life, or sharing my artistic creations, or just something neat I found.  Sometimes shorter rambles are reserved for the character-restrictive sites, random mind blathers.  This blog will probably serve as a combination of everything about my life, my animals ( who are family and mean the world to me ), and my artistic creations, photography, and writing.

I am still learning to navigate the site, finding out where all the layout editing tools are located, so I can make it more personalized. If you happen to stumble upon this and have any recommendations or suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

I will be poking around while I gather content to start adding here, seeking out things that interest me, and hopefully I can meet some really awesome people along the way.