I'm celebrating the fact that a year ago today I wrote my first blog post.

Thanks to everyone who has visited my little online home and learned a little about me.

I really enjoy your comments, emails and watching your own creative endeavors unfold.

I am grateful to my friends and family for being so supportive of my need to communicate my thoughts on writing, crafts, illness and art.

The people that I've met online through this blog have become a huge source of support & encouragement.

It has been a wildly transformational year and as I continue on my journey I am looking to the future to make some changes and additions to my blog that I hope you will enjoy.

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Is there anything you would like to see here or that you have enjoyed in the past that you'd like to see again?

I'd love to know.

Cheers to year 2 of blogging away!

Recently my poodle, Bastian, lost a tooth that was bothering him. The tooth was in the front of his mouth so everything he bumped caused him pain. He couldn't play fetch and he often shied away from petting to avoid getting his painful tooth touched in any way. At his age the anesthesia required for pulling a tooth can be fatal so we waited to see if this problem could right itself. One day Bastian returned from the groomer without that tooth. The groomer told us that it fell out during his grooming. Each day since Basty has had more energy, playfulness and seems all-around happier. He fetches his toys, snuggles his face against us and has no trouble eating up his food.

This week my arthritis has been flaring. For me this means that I have been having knee, foot and back pain and I haven't been sleeping very well. I usually avoid standing or walking for long periods of time even when I am not in flare so when I am in flare I only take small walks to manage pain and swelling. When I am in flare I am really fatigued and don't feel like being creative at all. I generally have a hard time writing, sketching, painting and knitting in flare. Lately, I've been comparing my experience with pain with Bastian's and thinking how much better I would feel without arthritis pain in my life. I don't want to sink back into depression by thinking about the things that have changed for me since my diagnosis, however I do want to experience less pain and physical limitation. Basically, I want to run and play again, too.

It has been a year now since I left teaching to deal with my arthritis and get it under control. In this time I have tried medications (Methotrexate and Enbrel), an elimination diet and I have been denied disability. Now that I am back in Florida I am applying for jobs and hoping to find benefits so I can try and get back on Enbrel again. It is frustrating and nerve-wracking to deal with all the changes in my life since last year. I feel very isolated by my arthritis and frustrated, too. I am not the kind of person that likes transitions and this has been a huge transition which causes a lot of anxiety for me. Although I was unhappy at work I am afraid that I will not find another fulfilling/sustaining job and this stresses me as I look for work. I am still pursuing grad school but have to make ends meet in the meantime. Looking back on what I've written thus far in this post I am aware that I am venting. Thanks for listening, dear reader.

xo,

Kat

 Today I am all about cute!

One thing I love about this time of year is all the bunnies and chickens.

They are on television, in the stores and on packages everywhere.

When I go to the fair I have to be pulled away from the bunnies.

I can hang out, petting them and feeding them carrots for hours.

I took a ton of pictures of bunnieslast year, too

butcan I find them right now? No.

Bunny cartoon characters are always tricky and quick.

I have been playing the Xbox game Rayman lately,

with it's crazy plunger-shooting bunnies.

They make me laugh with their little crazy noises and facial expressions.

I also love dark bunny art, which is why I decided to name my art venture

ScarBunny Studios. As soon as I am brave enough I'll fill that

Etsy shop with crazy dark art like this:

Source

When I was little and in a bad mood my mom and I would get our hand-puppet bunnies out

and my crabby bunny was always called ScarBunny,

kind of like the Oscar the grouch of bunnies.

I can picture him perfectly but can't yet draw him to my satisfaction.

As I take some more drawing classes this year I'll hopefully be able to bring

that character to life on the page.

 Another springtime symbol is the chick.

My kitchen is decorated in chickens and roosters.

The folk art kind are my favorite.

I love the spotted black and white roosters and the tawny red chickens.

Last year I took a fabulous class from PJ Hornberger

and learned to paint a folk art chicken.

I painted it right onto my notebook cover.

There are so many beautiful things about spring

but bunnies and chickens

are one of my favorite

symbols of the new season.

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What spring symbols do you love?

Here are the things that I am plunking into my own pretend Easter basket this year:

Martha Stewart Basket above

1.I love an inspiring blog! The Positively Present blog is just that. It has great articles on choosing happiness, living in the moment, organizing your life and the benefits of daydreaming. This blog is so excellent I actually get excited when I receive the feed in my email inbox. Check it out.

2. Pretty soon it will be time for Ali Edwards' Week in the Life Project. Are you ready to document your life and tell your own story? This is WAY more than typical scrapbooking. This is about leaving written proof of our life for the future. Read all about it here.

3. It's that time of year again. The time when I start hoarding Snickers Eggs. Warning: they are addictive! Seriously, I think that they put special Snickerness in them.

4. Tegan and Sara's new album rocks and their old album was on heavy rotation on my Itouch last year. 

5. Right now I have the best reading material after a very uncharacteristic slump of not being able to really get into reading. My favorite magazines are all out, too. Yay!

6. My favorite Easter present is that I have company coming and they are traveling here with my precious puppy! I can't wait to snuggle his little ears.

What would you like the bunny to leave in your Easter basket?