Friday, September 26, 2008

Goodbye, Sparky...

Today, my husband and I took Sparky, my 21-year-old cat, to have him put to sleep by our vet. Sparky was the best cat a person could ever hope for. All those years of loving companionship...and now he's gone. Sparky and I had a very special relationship. He will never be forgotten.

To those who say "it's just a pet", let me tell you...Sparky was more pure, innocent, and loving than most human beings I have ever met. His love was unconditional, his faithfulness never wavered, and he was always my little fuzzy buddy. He was so much more than "just a pet".

I will probably write more about him as time goes by, but for now...my heart aches too badly to come up with the words to adequately describe what a wonderful cat he was, what a huge hole his absence has caused, and how he will forever live in my heart.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Okay, all joking aside...

This will be a serious post from me. No pictures, no talk of stitching addictions, etc. I just want to clarify a few things.

Due to some recent events, I have decided to temporarily back off from the message boards. This is not one of those horrid farewells where other members beg the person leaving to stay. *gag* Rather, it's just a way of backing up and regrouping for me. There have been several people e-mail me with concerns so I just thought I'd go public with my thoughts and feelings.

I am finding that the older I get, the thinner my skin is getting. No, not like some bizarre medical condition, but I'm speaking in terms of the internet. Ya' gotta have a pretty thick skin to weather things on-line with message boards and such. Well, my skin isn't so thick anymore. For some reason, I am not as able as I used to be to allow things to roll off of me and just move along. I don't like that but it is what it is. So, that just means I have to take a break from time to time.

To my on-line friends and buddies: I don't wish to end any relationships with any of you. I don't mean to make it look like or make anyone feel like I have abandoned friends or boards. Just please understand that -- no matter how silly it is -- I sometimes have difficulty not letting things in the e-world get to me. That's when it's time to walk away. I will eventually come back around full-swing with a thicker skin and carry on from there. It might take me two weeks...it might take me two months...I don't know.

I hope this post is clear and that it explains why I am semi-absent from the boards. I cannot stay away from all boards 100% of the time, but I can choose to open stitching-related threads only and drool with the rest of you. You will most likely see me from time to time at the 123 Stitch message board, especially on Fridays when the weekly finish and weekly WIP posts are active. I love those pictures and posts!

Anyway, I have no clue if my e-mail address is anywhere in this blog, but in case anyone wants or needs to contact me, my e-mail is loriray2003 AT yahoo DOT com.

Bye for now and happy stitching! :-)