June 5, 2021 ~ Hello! I was just beginning to use my knee more and driving :) then sometime in May, my right knee completely collapsed with no warning ~ boy was that embarrassing! Didn't hurt when it happened, but boy did it later and still it's like a constant tooth-ache right now. My neighbor is once again helping me and he just this past week-end told me he spilled the dogs water in the back seat of his jeep and "may have thrown out" some of my mail! (he wasn't sure if it was mail to send or returns as well!) He means well & I do rely on his help but... I am going to Bangor Tuesday to see my orthopedic doctor but in the meantime, please let me know if something hasn't arrived and I will remake it! Hopefully soon I'll be in charge again!

March 18 *** Hi all! I've been limited in my ability to drive and my young neighbor has been helping me. He is a great help, but... He just visited and handed me a swap return that he said he found on the floor in the backseat of his jeep ~ he lost it the last time he picked up my mail. (My driveway is 1/2 mile long and I cannot walk to the box until my leg heals) Anyway... he also said he found some mail the other day that he forgot to send off, but has taken it all to the PO. Bottom line is that I have no idea what or when anything has been mailed for me since about the end of January when I fell! I've been giving it to him when he brings me groceries, but apparently some got misplaced for a bit! Please let me know if something hasn't arrived and I will fix this!

February 7, 2021 *** Hi everyone! I just wanted to post a note here that I seem to be having regular mail issues ~ not sure why as I have a great rural driver! Anyway, please let me know if a swap is missing ~ I'll re-do & re-send if I have to! Also... I have fallen recently and completely messed up (fractured) my right (driving) knee & am relying on others to get to Dr. appt's, grocery etc. It is humbling and I have no way to get to my mailbox without assistance right now. Between snow storms and not driving, my mail is getting off schedule, but I should be able to drive by next week! Yay ~ Stay safe out there folks.

Update December 8, 2020 ~ I just got my power & internet back. I've had no power since early Friday evening & haven't been plowed out yet! There was a tree across my driveway and it's only been cut up this morning... I have swaps ready to go out and I will mail them as soon as I can get to my mailbox... I'm getting too old for this!

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October 2020 update: I'm still here! I'm struggling a bit to get winter ready this year but it's slowly happening! I only go out now to visit doctor or grocery shop, which means maybe only once a week - often less. This pandemic is trying, but I think if we'll make it :) I must confess though, I'm awful tired of cooking! I miss eating out more than I thought I would; I never did it much, but now the option is gone, I want to go out to eat! Mail is a bit wonky but still fairly regular, so all in all things are okay for now. I have a new young cat who is systematically destroying my cabin area by area! She's a rescue that was dropped when her owners moved. She's cute, but I keep telling her she's not that cute! Hopefully things will settle a bit more soon as my two old cats get used to her here...

********** April 15, 2020 ~ I'm writing this as I may have artwork going out late and I apologize for that but... I just got my phone and internet back about an hour ago. I got my power back last night, April 14th. I lost power around 9pm April 9th. I live 1/2 mile in the woods and there were (unknown to me until yesterday) trees and lines broken and tangled in three places along my driveway. All I could see was the section by the house. On the night of the 9th we got 18" - 2 feet heavy wet snow and that's what took all the trees down; apparently 1/3 of the state of Maine lost power. Since I am so rural to begin with, I am always one of the last to get it back :( I am old, tired, and exhausted! I will get everything I need to out as soon as possible, but right now I'm taking a few days to revel in hot showers and resting. thanks for your patience, Ruth ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February 2020 ~ well it's a new year and I thought I'd re-write some of this profile, as it was beginning to sound a bit depressing... I had some losses and health issues but now it's time to haul up those big girl panties and move ahead! I still miss my Newfie girl Ebony, and someday I might bring another "giant" home, but we're doing okay for now. I'm still taking heart medication & probably will for life, but again, that's okay, the immediate fear has passed.

I am a retired/disabled elementary reading specialist teacher ~ I love to draw, doodle, paint, and craft.

I live alone in a log cabin in the woods with a couple of super cats & a knucklehead rescue dog, Coco who is terrified of the cats. I like to read and bake, old movies are fun too! I like mysteries and novels ~ I also have a bunch of puzzle (sudoku, crossword etc.) books lying around. I own quite a few DVD's too, because there are so many movies I just don't mind watching again, and yes I do have the entire Harry Potter series ~ both book and DVD :)

I have RA, so when I am able and my hands are willing, I like to cook, draw, crochet and try all sorts of crafts. Sometimes I even finish one :) Since I live alone, it seems my whole cabin is a craft room some days! I often have 3 or 4 partially read books lying around the place and art projects in various stages of completion ...

I usually have a few mysteries in progress as well as a fiction or two ~ I'm not a fan of pure romance but humorous/comedy romance is okay! I also like inspirational, The Shack for example. It's easier to say that I dislike gory horror - I have read Stephen King, but I like his older stuff, before he began swearing every other word... I do pretty much read everything from historical fiction, general fiction and fantasy to even some self-help :)

I also used to write, so I love journals, and junque journaling ~ and art journals are just an extension of that... I've only recently been trying my hand at creating/binding art/junk journals and while it hasn't always worked as planned, it's been fun. My biggest problem right now is storing and then finding the papers, ephemera, etc I've been collecting for these journals!

I recycle, upcycle and just try to re-use everything! I use a variety of papers, from junk mail to old maps and damaged books for art & crafts. This is because I am poor and also, I'd like to be far less wasteful. I think we're becoming too much of a disposable society and that saddens me. I have actually refrained from purchasing things in the grocery store because of too much packaging. Cardboard boxes I can re-use but when an item is packaged in a huge amount of plastic I often will pass it up!

The colors I use the most are warmer earthy tones. I know neon has a place, but I find it often too glaring. Otherwise I love all colors and am not too picky in that respect :) I will admit that last summer I looked at the clothesline one day and noticed I had 7 shirts/t-shirts all in different hues of red!

I respect art of all styles, but I am not fond of dark/goth gory images. I also am not overly fond of cute "safe" rainbow type images, but I understand others are and if that is their style then so be it! I feel the same way about religious art ~ it doesn't often speak to me, but if it's your passion, then go for it! I feel that we make art for ourselves & not to please another. We can tailor our style to gift to another person, but our style just is.

Collections: I love papers and save just about every different kind of paper I come across, up to and including maps, old book pages, brochures and even takeout menus that are unique in any way. I love ocean related themes (I lived for years on a cabin cruiser in the Hudson River in NY), poetry, and cats & dogs. I would be so happy to receive the Cryptoquip puzzle from your daily newspaper!! I love them and sudoku puzzles. I really don't want to do the entire alphabet of likes here, but I do love crayons (plain old Crayola or the like) they're one of my favorite art tools. I love flamingos and the smell of freshly cut grass or cedar. I love a good thunderstorm and rainy days do make me blue...

As for daily likes and dislikes, I'm pretty easy going usually. I love my coffee throughout the day, hot or iced! I drink way to much of it, and in the evenings I often switch to tea! I love tea almost as much as I love coffee & I enjoy a wide variety ~ love to try new blends too!

I guess if I had to choose a motto, it would be "live and let live."

One of my pet peeves are people who always complain they are bored. I have been too tired, just not willing to do something, or run out of time, but I have never ever been bored!!

Also, I live in an extremely rural area and I won't mark "sent" unless I have posted an item. However, my mail carrier may or may not pick up & have the mail processed - depending on his schedule, so sometimes I realize the actual postmark may be a day off from my marking an item "sent." This is just life here :)