Whoa Nelly! The 'Tart makes a stop by her Blog!

What?! What?! Not seen the 'Tart in three years??? Well, fear no more ~ she's been here the whole time.

Never gotten rid of a single post; I have always hoped to help touch the lives of those affected by mental illness in a positive way - see my first post from waaaay back when. It was true then, and remains true now.

I guess I have been in 'blog hiatus' for three years now.

My life has changed OH SO MUCH for the better in those years. Really it started a few years before that, most easily noted in 2009, when I started working for a fabulous Drop-In Center, an all PEER RUN Center that changed my life and the lives of countless others, many who are people I see so often.

Since that time, I have been BUSY and just getting BUSIER!! But I keep an eye on this corner of the internet, and see that people still come here, check it out, and READ. Wow!!

I am amazed - Amazed - however, by the sheer numbers of people that have dropped by and the thought occurred to me, this late in the evening, that there is a need, a NEED, to continue talking, with fresh eyes, about mental health, about living with a mental illness, sharing the daily fight and thoughts, sharing the love, hatred, happiness, upset, joy, gratitude, ALL OF IT.

I have always been a fighter, one who refuses to give up, and yes, one who still has that li'l bite of sarcasm, hence I think I am suitably STILL the 'Tart.

I am still here, Friends, and I know that you are, too. If you would like to say, Hi! or lend a comment, I ask you to in a vein of kindness, as I will monitor them. Please do.

I am looking to try again, to blog and converse again. Conversation goes both ways. Do you want to say hello, make suggestions of what you are looking for in a blog that concerns my life and personal mental health journey?

Be confident, unashamed and leaving shyness to the side to say 'Hello' to me. It's been a long time, I know. 

Tart's end of year statements. :) Hello and I have missed you all!!

 

Hello, Hello, Hello! It IS December 2012, it IS nearing Christmas time and New Year 2013, and I AM still Here!!! Yaaay!!! :)

It is also 3:52 in the a.m. and I..am..AWAKE.

I have a regular Dr.s appointment in the morning and I am going to be hating life when it comes time for me to wake up, if I do in fact go to sleep tonight.

Hunh. I have been doing well for a loooong time and I don't understand why I cannot sleep tonight. Could it be that little ol' cup of coffee at 3 p.m.this afternoon?

So I see that it has been since May of this year that I have blogged, so's there is much to catch up on. I should blog more often people, so I can remember what the heck to say. Why didn't you remind me people? Just kidding. I know you're busy. :)

I am going to peruse things, update the Goodstuff blog I think, too, and ponder what to tell you ALL about!

Sleep well, blogland.

My first post on the new system - Hello! It's been so long!!:)

Wow! fellow blogger's are you liking the new Blogger? I am not sure if I do ~ it is so DIFFERENT and bare seeming and well, who likes change? This is drastic people!!

Webshots - This looks like a bearded iris to me, which are coming up in a couple people's yards on my way to work - so beautiful!

My blog goes on! I am still here, still blogging anonymously as a person who has bipolar disorder and lots of pets - hence the name Jungletart as most of you know me. Anyway, what a shock for even me to find that I haven't written since February of last year. And this feels like a new start for me with this new posting system/page.

So much is going on with work, and it is going well. I am on the Board at my little Drop-in Center for mental health consumers and I am still giving 'In Our Own Voice' presentations and I am on some other exciting committees having to do with mental health issues, including the Mental Health Awareness Day in our county A-gain, for starters.

I've come a long way baby. From early days of venting, venting, here on the blog to be being mucho blessed to work in the very field that is a passion of mine from the get-go.

SO, here I sit, surrounded by my Pugs and kitty. They are doing well and are my little furbabies. They make me happy.

We have been fishing already this year and hubby caught a fish on our first trip out and it made him so happy. I got him a fishfinder for his birthday last year and we finally tried it out and it worked!! We were trawling along and I said "Stop here!" and not too long after he caught his fish. Last weekend no catches but it is sooo beautiful to just be on on the riv'a!

Well hello all my blog friends and new ones too. I hope life is treating you well.
Jungletart 

My Goodness!! Has it really been since October 2011 since I posted??!! Well, I must change that!

I got through Christmas. I had such plans to make stuff for Christmas, lots of stuff for all the babies in the family but that required sewing and I kept putting it off.

BUT I did knit a few things!!:) I knit two scarves, one a nice man's scarf, and the other a very pretty scarf out of fancy yarn. It had little bits of sparkle to it. I used a pattern from one skein wonders book called the 'Pandora' scarf - it's knit on the bias. I forget the name of the yarn but it was fancy and it changed colors from aqua to blue to lavender and purple. Lovely! I gave that one to my mother in law.
I think she is enjoying it. I know she showed it to her Bridge group who are knitters.

I sent baby towels from JCPenney instead of sending the baby towels that I Meant to make (and...never did).I was going to make hooded baby towels out of regular towels and put an applique and bias tape around (such plans!)

I also held onto the baby doll/rag doll that I made from a kit from Walmart, because my first attempt at making a doll's reversible dress didn't turn out so great. But I love the dolly.

All of this would go great on my 'Good Stuff' blog but it's been my experience that if I try to cut and paste out of here and put this on my other blog it will mess up.

On a professional note, I spoke in front my state's budget committee about the importance of funding for mental health in the beginning of January. That was a very satisfying experience. We had to wait half the day to speak but it was very worthwhile.

Then late in the January I and a fellow presenter did a NAMI 'In Our Own Voice' for a local community college and that one went very well!! The audience was very receptive and their questions were very good. They also came up and thanked us after the presentation.

And biggest of all, I got asked, and accepted, to be on the Board of Directors at work!! I help advise on things. My boss said it was my insightfulness and judgment that they wanted on the Board. How great is that!!:)

Ok I'll sign off for now. Hope all is well in Blogland!:)

MHA Event done!!

Mental Health Awareness Day is over. It was a special event that I was on the committee on in my County and it was an exhaustive day but quite wonderful. I handed out programs and was on my feet for many hours. I also helped with a special award and it was very satisfying to see that handed out and know that my help with the wording was on a plaque that will be up for a long time.

********
I look at my fingernails as I type. I am so glad that I don't have my fake fingernails on anymore as it makes it so difficult to type. AND they were awful to my real fingernails, which are now even more transparent and weak than they were before. I am babying them in the sense of no more fake nails, at least for a little bit!! ;)

**************

Busy, busy. Happy:)

Still here! I am LOVING my Craftsy class "Sewing with Diana Rupp." I am learning so much! I have gotten the stuff yesterday to make my 20x20 pillow and taking it a step at a time.

New task: someone at work wants me to hem some pants. I brought my pins in a marked where the hem should be. Hoping this will turn out well. If so, he has jeans to hem too. Money is involved.:)

Tomorrow I am going to a Renaissance Faire. Hoping the walking won't wear me out. Supposed to be a nice day and I am looking forward to it.

Thank you to my commenters. I am so glad to see you here, too!
Have a good day.:)
Jungletart

Projects, projects - Autumn is coming.

Hello! Five months since the last post!? What is that about? :)
Well, I am here today. I have been doing well. I am getting more and more into my hobbies. I have completed my first sock, knitting-wise, and now working on the second of the pair. I am getting into sewing. There's a great new site (that I totally am not paid to shill) called 'Craftsy' and I am excited to say that I am getting ready to take the sewing class with Diana Rupp on that site. I will tell you how that goes after I take it. I have been working on some small sewing projects, including a rag doll for a relative's daughter and hooded baby towels for twin boy babies, hoping to get this all done for Christmas.
I am enjoying a time of eveness, although I say that and wonder a little when the other shoe will drop.
Oh big change, I am TRYing to do Weight Watchers again. When I am counting PlusPoints I actually lose weight. I have taken a little hiatus from it, and I need to get back on the bandwagon. It's the only thing so far that I've seen has worked for me.
Well it is getting late. Time to take the medicine. :) Hope all have a wonderful Labor Day and that all had a great Summer! Bring on Autumn - lets hope that it is fruitful and kind to all of us.