Good evening, Much has been going on and I have been away from writing in my blog. Earlier this year, I was doing so well with exercise on my Ellipticle. Then I decided to push harder. Wrong decision. I had pulled muscles and got shin splints. Several weeks of therapy and it is on the mend. I am allowed to exercise starting at 3 minutes.

Now I am in therapy for my torn rotator cuff. Hoping that therapy will work and that no surgery will be needed. However, I rest in the hands of my Heavenly Father. He knows what is best for me.

We have a new addition to the family. A little over a month ago, I adopted a dog from the Waterville Shelter. She is a four year old Doberman. I named her Bella as I did not like the previous name of Ziggy. When I think of Ziggy for a dog, I think of a Bassett hound or Bulldog. Bella is settling in. We will be going to training. She did not know how to sit or anything when I got her. We are working on some basic commands before we go for formal training. It is my hope that she will get her Good Canine Citizenship. Bella is a sweetheart and all of the cats except Kai Li get along with her. Kai Li tempts Bella into chasing her. Have a 65 pound dog running through the house is noisy and makes many a mess.

There are only four cats here now. Picasso is at a new home. He would not stop stalking and biting Tang. A friend of mine was looking for a cat and she took him. So far so good. I think he likes being the only cat and getting all the attention.

This summer I will not be doing any art shows because of my shoulder. It is near impossible to lift anything. However, my art has been juried into the Pemaquid Crafters Co-op. Hoping that there are abundant sales from there. Cards as well as art work is available for sale there. This is exciting for me to have my art in a store.

So since I am not doing shows, I am planning to go to yard sales and flea markets to stock up on art supplies. Currently, I am in search of rusted metal pieces and pieces of metal with a patina. There are many ideas running through my brain as to what I can make with them. A few years ago, I went through a phase of making art of all one color. Now, I'm into rust.

My heart is weighing heavy for my country. It is not going in a good direction and I fear it is going to get worse. What is it about the word illegal that people do not understand? I am not against immigration. I am against illegal immagrants sneaking into this country to get benefits that American citizens work too hard for. I say, give all your support to Arizona. If I had the money, I'd go there for vacation and show my support. The health care does not sit well with me either. Oh well, enough of my soap box talking.

May you find God in your life and find that He is all you need. Times may not be all that you expect them to be and there may be hardships, however, if you accept Jesus as your Savior, you will never be alone. God knows what is best for us. You can learn and grow through tough times and come out better in the end.

Take care and know that you are loved.