Oh my goodness! I am SOOO sorry!
I am sooo sorry that it has been some time since I have blogged! I have been quite busy with the passing of my step-grand-mother (on Christmas Day), setting up a savings account, verifying the PayPal acct., sewing ferret clothing, taking care of the four ferts, trying to adopt out one fert, trying to keep my head above water concerning the needs of the ferts and my own “basic” personal needs, trying to put together a family reunion (in less than 3 months), trying to loss weight and thinking about going back into therapy and back on psych meds (after a 6 month sabbatical).
Yes, I was finally able to get my business cards concerning the fert shelter. I still need to get to the local humane shelter and let them know of my existence. I pondered taking a job at the local PetCo. I decided against it because they take in ferts and resell them. If I took a job with them I would get fired quickly because they would not like it that I run a fert shelter as it screws with THEIR money.
The last two weeks have been busy for me. I took the last of my funds and got some parts to bring one cage up to par (as if it was brand spanking new). I’ve had other parts specially made to combine the two cages (connecting them together). Now I only need two ramps and they are in the process of being made. I personally have sewn a hammock and a sleep sack that should aid in the comfort of the ferts.
The cages are now combined and have all of their bedding. The only things that are missing are the two ramps leading to the lowest level. That should be remedied soon.
As for the novels. I have sent out what I have to MANY people in an effort to get a “feel” for what they may think. Out of twenty people I have gotten one person that “loves it” and one that “likes it”. All that I really want/need at this point is “just” ONE person to say love/like so that I can feel confident in working more on the series.
I did have a lengthy discussion with a person that is interested in what I have written concerning the “Hope Series”. They did look at this site and were curious about the other novels in the works. We both agreed that the ideas that I have concerning “Hypno-Terror” will probably make some pretty good money! However, I would really like to complete the “Hope Series” before I start work on “Hypno-Terror”. Yes, I could really use the money but I just don’t want to lose sight of the “Hope Series”.
Concerning my Ladyship and a potential free trip to Scotland: I highly doubt that I will win the contest because of a couple of reasons. #1) I have not posted a blog in months. #2) I bet that there have been MANY people that have posted daily in an effort to win the contest. Yes, it is sad to think of one’s own self as a loser (just being realistic concerning the facts/data of what I am up against) BUT, if my novels pan out for me… I can pay my own way to Scotland to do my research on my family’s castle, Queen Mary, etc. Cross your fingers!
Yes, I will be writing a novel about my travels to Scotland, of my research and perhaps tell a tale about Queen Mary’s story of her escape from my family’s castle (Borthwick Castle).

Until then, I beg of you to bear with me as I am working on MANY things.

Blessed be and keep sweet ya’ all! J

In the last three weeks I have tried to move forward. It has not been easy. I was able to get a $20.00 donation to the ferret sanctuary on PayPal. YAY! However, because I do not have a credit card or checking/savings account with a bank... I can't get to the $20.00 that was donated. So, with much trading of what little resources that I do have I was able to get some business cards. It will be three weeks (atleast) before I get the cards. It is my hope that I will be able to get the sanctuary off the ground.

I am also hoping that my sister (who lives hundreds of miles away from me & owes me some serious money) will be able to send me the $125.00 that she owes me (as she promised) so that I can get a savings account at Wells Fargo which will enable me to gain access to my PayPal account (that has $20.00 in it). We shall see.

I have made many outfits (for ferrets) for an auction. Well... the auction was a joke. There were no bids... AT ALL!!! So, Schloopay, Dodger, Zinc and Bandit go without. They have more needs than I do such as lax, vitamins and soupie, etc.

Someone asked me "Why didn't you sell on eBay?" Well, because I do not have a credit card, checking or savings account to verify anything. As for the novels? For now they are on hold because of the holidays.

Marlboro & Willamette Weasel Sanctuary (http://www.willametteweaselsanctuary.com ): I re-entered the contest. Again, I didn’t make the cut. Ugh! That $100,000.00 would have been great for ALL of the ferret shelters here in the state of Oregon. Of course I am upset that I failed yet once again. It truly does not surprise me that I failed. It seems that I fail at everything. If I should ever succeed, I’d probably have a heart attack! Ugh! So, now I have no choice but to do a lot of hard work to get the shelter off the ground. Yesterday I found out that in order to get my 501(c)(3) filing (as a non-profit) that I am going to have to have at most $900.00! I just do not have that kind of money… at all!  

For three months now I have been BEGGING and PLEADING for donations. So far the shelter has gotten NOTHING!!! The two ferret outfits that I have for sale have not been sold. I’ve had to call my father (in Arizona) to beg for money, I’ve had to call my sister to beg for “some” of the money that she owes me AND I’ve had to sell some personal items just to buy ONE bag of ferret food. Aside from the need for the 501(c)(3), the ferrets REALLY need to see a vet AND they need medications to keep them healthy and happy.

Granted, there have been no monetary donations. There has been a donation of materials from two private parties to make ferret outfits so that I may sell them. Now, what are the chances of those outfits being sold (based on the previous 3 months)? NIL!

I even have Bandit up for adoption. I hate to sacrifice such a sweetie but I have to make that tough choice for the survival of the other ferrets that are here. He is still up for adoption. Bandit’s 1st. birthday is on Dec. 8th. of this year.

I just don’t understand. The ferret community on FaceBook GIVES to everyone else. Why not me??? I could REALLY use the help!!! PLEASE DONATE AT PAYPAL TO LLHARTLEY@LLHARTLEY.COM !!! What the hell else do you people want from me? You want to know that I was a single parent of two whose father didn’t give me child support or spousal support? You want to know that I was a hooker because I was given no choice because of the facts that I was uneducated and job in-experienced (because I was a stay at home mom)? You want to know that I’ve had to steal food to feed the ferrets? You want to know that I’ve had to sell my food stamps to buy food for the ferrets??? WHAT???!!!???!!!???

I HAVE A HUGE HEART OF GOLD! I’ve done everything that I can (without getting caught) just to pay the rent, feed myself and the ferrets!!! HELP ME PLEASE!!! DONATE!!! I don’t even have a car, high speed internet, a cell phone or cable! Personally, I know that I have sacrificed MUCH just to survive!!!!!!!!!! HELP ME PLEASE!!! DONATE!!!

The novels: Because of my ongoing stress concerning the sanctuary I have not been able to clear my mind or find time to do anything at all when it comes to the novels. PLEASE DONATE TO THE SANCTUARY! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!???

Scotland: Oh how I ever so hope that someday I can go to Scotland! I can’t stress this enough.

The ill computer: The ill computer belongs to my ex-husband. I love to fix computers as a hobby but I’m now rethinking “SCREW HIM” because of how he has treated me for the last 20 years. YES! Twenty years!!!

Final note: PLEASE DONATE TO THE SANCTUARY AT PAYPAL AT LLHARTLEY@LLHARTLEY.COM!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I finally got an e-mail from Marlboro. It wasn't good news. I failed to make the cut into the finalist circle. However, they did encourage me to re-enter. So, I did. PLEASE... wish me luck as I'd really like to get the ferret shelter (http://www.WillametteWeaselSanctuary.com ) off the ground. The shelter is in dire need of donations. I've had to steal cat food from the landlord to feed the wee angels. For the sake of the majority, I have to sacrifice one. Bandit is up for adoption. I'd LOVE to keep him. He's such a sweetheart! Yes, I am secretly hoping that no one will adopt him and that the shelter starts getting donations.

As for this last weekend, I had plans to go to the fabric store to get the needed materials so I can make more ferret outfits. My plans fell through as someone was sick. Hopefully by this next Sunday it will be remedied.

As for the novels: More ideas come into my head. I wish that last night as I was watching a show that I had not been so sleepy because now I am having trouble trying to recall those ideas. Ugh! Bummer! Hopefully in time I will recall what they are.

As for Scotland: I still have dreams and hopes that someday I will get there. I would love to do research on my Borthwicks and visit my cousin (Cheryl) near Edinburgh (as she lives there).

My plans for this week? I hope that my sister comes through and sends me SOME of the money that she owes me as the wee ones need food. I'd like to get to the fabric store, grocery store, get some fags, something to imbibe (hehehe), clean the cages, bathe the wee ones, write, brain-storm some ideas, maybe get to Portland and somehow crack open a computer to diagnose it. Yes, I also repair computers. Guessing by what I am told about it, I'd say that it needs a new hard drive. That's easy to repair. Just R&R (remove & replace) it. The most time consuming part of it is loading the software on it. Ugh! But it has to be done. A new computer is not cheap. It's cheaper to repair it and cheaper still if you have a friend like me that's not getting a dime to fix it. lol

Anyway, time for me to get to the dishes and laundry. Thanks, keep sweet and blessed be ya' all! 

Here it is. Another day has dawned and the asteroid missed us! YAY! It's close to bedtime for me. I'm currently waiting for the pumpkin (that's in the oven) to get soft enough to peel the skin off so I can jar it as a treat for the ferrets. I'm still debating, should I sell the newbie so the others get food?

My future plans: I am also waiting for an e-mail from Marlboro. I sincerely hope that I am one of the finalists for my pet food bank idea. This next Saturday my father's girlfriend (when he's here in Oregon) and I will be shopping at the fabric store so I can make more fashionable outfits for ferrets. I plan on making Christmas outfits such as an elf, Santa, Mrs. Claus and an angel. Hrmmm... should I make a Happy New Year outfit & a Baby New Year outfit as well? Of course I hope to sell these outfits/costumes.

My novels: Two nights ago I had the pleasure of watching a couple of interesting science fact-fiction shows on the National Geographic channel. It gave me some ideas for my novels. Something about a cable, an elevator, an ocean and a space station.
 
My hopeful trip to Scotland: Who should I take? My grand-mother (a direct descent and cousin to all of the Lord Borthwick's) or my ex-husband so he can play golf in the native land of the sport? Hrmmm???

Feel free to comment! I've got to go now and check on the pumpkin. Have a fabulous day! Keep sweet and blessed be ya' all!

If anyone watched "Two and a Half Men" last night they would recognize that saying. It was Ashton Kutcher's character that said it. Trust me, it was hilarious when he said it and how he said it.

Anyway, I finally did get Bandit. He's a big boy and he's about 11 months old. He's a sweetie, energetic, playful and a non-biter. I'd like to keep him for myself but I'm afraid that I have to sacrifice him (adopting him out) so the others get food. As it is, I only have enough food to feed them all for another week. Which reminds me. I was finally able to enter the contest at http://www.marlboro.com . I entered as a start up company. My idea is to create a pet food bank. In these tough economic times so many families have been evicted and or foreclosed on their homes. Many times they do just do not have the money to feed their fur-kids. Many times I have witnessed that some of these people leave their pets behind in their evicted and foreclosed homes. Sometimes it is unfortunate that when the landlord, bank or new homeowner enters the unit they often find a dead animal or an animal that is near death due to starvation. I'd like to minimalize this possibility as much as possible. So please, I beg of you, if you are a member at http://www.marlboro.com (if not, become a member... pretty please?) and vote for my brand. My brand is LH and has a black and white picture of a ferret. THANK YOU & blessed be! If you aren't a member or choose to not become a member at Marlboro but you still want to help, please go to http://www.willametteweaselsanctuary.com Once again, THANK YOU & blessed be!

I have been a wee bit busy lately with getting Bandit and trying to integrate him into the population as well as keeping up with my normalities. I've had to expand the living quarters of the ferrets. This meant hot water and some bleach (to make sure that all buggies are killed off so as to not make any of the fur-kids sick) of a cage that matches the one that I already have set up. The cage that I was given has some missing parts. Thankfully there are replacement parts available. Unfortunately, I don't have the $37 to get the parts. Bummer.
 
Other than that, I repeatedly keep thinking about my impending novels. After watching a few documentaries on the National Geographic channel... I believe that I have resolved a few issues. So, in due time, I will be putting them into my novels. Yay me for figurng it out!

Oh! I still very much hope that I win the trip to the native land of my Borthwicks! It would be such a nice treat to "get away from it all".

Now I protest as I must log off and tend to my normal chores such as dishes, the kitty boxes and getting the garbage out (collection is tomorrow). See you all soon! Thanks for stopping by. Blessed be and keep sweet ya' all!

Wow! Babette finally called me about Bandit. If all goes right, Bandit should be in my care in about 2 hours. The other good thing that happened today was that I finally got the correct prize package from the Highland Pet Competition at http://www.lochaberhighlandestates.com ! Thank you Kim for you time and patience! You are such a sweetie for having to deal with me as I know that at times I can be not easy to deal with. Again... Thank you Kim!
In the prize package I got a DVD about the Highlands. It made me yearn even more so for the lands of Scotland. I already had an appreciation of the land. The DVD just not only re-affirmed that appreciation but made that appreciation grow even deeper as well as made me realize that there must have been a difficult choice for my Borthwick's (I am a cousin of the current Lord Borthwick) to leave behind the beauty of Scotland to come to the new world. It is my most sincere hope that I, my grand-mother (Virginia Borthwick-Randolph) and my significant other (as he loves to play golf) go to Scotland someday soon. 
 I envy my cousin Cheryl Borthwick as she now lives in/near Edinburgh. Maybe I can visit her? I have been soooo wanting/desiring to go to Scotland for YEARS!
Oy! Time for me to close this down and prep for the arrival of Bandit. Blessed be and keep sweet ya' all!

I'm still waiting to hear from Babette about Bandit. In the meantime, I had a delicious dinner! YUM! After that I watched my shows then napped. Since 11:00 pm (last night) I watched the news & Nightline. When the news shows were over it came time to clean the ferret cage. I decided to rouse them with just the squeaker from a toy. OMG! The boys went nuts! They wanted to kill it! I have never seen them become so excited and agitated! I actually thought that I was going to get bitten! Thankfully I didn't. My little girl was very ho hum about it. While I was cleaning the cage my prize winning ferret (Dodger) crawled up onto my desk and knocked over my cup of Mountain Dew and proceeded to drink what he spilled. Meanwhile my computer mouse is dying from the flood of soda. So, now I have a dead mouse. Thank you Dodger. I can't afford to replace it. Ugh.
Speaking of money. I went to Marlboro.com to enter their contest for $100,000.00 and curses... too late. I have to wait 'til this next Monday to enter. I really hope that I can win something because setting up a ferret shelter and a pet food bank is something that can't be done on the cheap. The one thing that I can afford is my time as I have plenty of it because I am jobless. I've been looking for work since February of 2006. Anyhow, it's nearing my bedtime (8:00 am). So, offline I go so I can mellow out and eventually go to bed. Maybe I will get awakened to a call from Babette. Blessed be and keep sweet ya' all!  

I'm still waiting to hear from Babette about Bandit the ferret. I called about an hour ago and she was still in transport from Tacoma to Salem. I hope that she calls me once she is here and at her home. I am also waiting for a chicken breast to thaw so I can make Creole Chicken with red beans and rice and broccoli with brown butter and myzithra cheese. YUM! I have also been waiting for a package to arrive from Scotland. My ferret (Dodger) took 1st. runner up in the Highland Pet Competition! The first package that I got was the wrong one so I sent it back. Now, I have been waiting... and waiting... and waiting.

In just over 8 hours from now I will be picking up a sweet little boy named Bandit. He "might" be my first rescue. We shall see. His current mommy can't keep him because she has a very ill-informed apt. mgr. that knows nothing about ferrets. He's a meanie and meanies suck! I will be sure to post pictures later! I can't wait!!!