Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Better late than never?  I'm for some reason just coming across this.      

First, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!  It looks like you had a wonderful time.  I married my ex after having been together for over 10 years and 3 kids...yes, had kids first...then got married.  When we sent out the wedding invitations, our friends thought we were joking. 

Did you decide on the the last name? 

Hugs,

All is well at Shantell's Cat House.  I picked up Surrender this morning and I really think he was happy to see me.   Hardly made a peep in the car.  He's in the garage and my housemate is trying to coax Skippy in the house, down the hall, through mudroom and into the garage... I'm hiding in the office with the little chocolate kitty who has found a quilt to curl up on and peer out the window.

The vet said that Surrender is a Flame Point Siamese and possibly even purebred.  Even in his current condition he weighs a hefty 10+ pounds and in his youth probably weighed closer to 15-18 lbs.  She said if we can get him and keep him healthy he could easily get back to that weight or more...he's a BIG BOY.

Two more kitties off to the vet on Monday.  Then...it's SKIPPY's turn even if I have to take a tranquilizer gun to her.  :)

Thanks for all the well wishes for Surrender...he needed them and surely got them.

Hugs,

I would like to thank everyone for all their kitty prayers!!   Although the outcome wasn't entirely positive, it could have been MUCH worse.

Surrender finally made it to the vet this morning and he was a trooper.  He barely cried in the car and really only when we moved him...other than that he was pretty quiet with just little meows.

His feline leukemia test was NEGATIVE.... YAY!!!   BUT, his feline hiv was positive.  It is NOT necessary to euthanize a cat who has feline hiv.  In fact, very much the opposite.  So as I type he is being vaccinated for everything else, being neutered, having his owies treated and will be home tomorrow.  We will continue to love him and give him some special treats to help keep his immune system as strong as possible.

Aleta...there is less than a 2% chance that he has infected any of the cats...including Skippy and the kittens.   

He will most likely live to be an wise old cat.  Odds are he will become a bit more friendly...maybe even allowing us to touch him at some point.  Having him neutered was the best course of action to prevent him spreading this to any other cats...typically it is spread through open wounds and BITES and more dominate in males cats that have not be neutered. 

So although I would have preferred both tests to be negative, I'm happy it the lesser of two evils.

Hugs and thank you again...it's time for a little meltdown.

I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a link to his auction so we can all watch with great AWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi … :IT&ih=009

I know I'll be checking him out a time or two...or more!!!

I signed up for Michelle's mailing list many moons ago and actually saw this a few days ago when I was once again drooling over her wonderful creations and trying to justify putting my name into her "lottery" for buying a bear.   

It's an interesting read, isn't it.  I find it sad in some ways that she found it necessary to do that and very couragous in another because as Jenny stated...there will be some grumblers.

Any....I'm dying to see what that pirate goes for...he's a stunner.  I'd be changing his name to Johnny in a heartbeat.

Hugs,

Someone slap me....but seeing the darling  pictures of your grandbabies from time to time just  makes me yearn for grandbabies of my own.

Jenny, Elizabeth is just the sweetest little witch I've ever seen!!!  As far as those creepy heads, you can send me one....I wouldn't mind a bodyless bear from you. 

Someday I will have a 3'oclock bear...even if I have to mortgage the farm. 

Oh honey I am so sorry to hear of your loss.  My own children lost one of their grandfathers almost 8 years ago after a long difficult battle with pancreatic cancer.  The best advice I could possible give you is to just listen, talk, tell happy stories, let them know it's okay to cry, be angry, be scared and just in general FEEL whatever it is that they are feeling.  Keep the communication open at all times...sometimes it's hard but remember to take care of YOU too.

Hugs,
Shantell

Thanks Millie and Brenda...I certainly will try those suggestions whether we get him in to the vet or not.  I'm really hoping the feline leukemia things comes back negative because that means
all the other cats have been exposed...especially little Skippy who sleeps with him ALL the time.  They are just the cutest little "married" couple.

Thanks so much for all the kitty prayers...amazing how you can get attached to these little furry creatures, isn't it?

Dorothy...I gave that up a LONG time ago.  It's quite daunting trying to remember where you saw what and when and if you replied or just thought you did but then forgot to go back.   

Good Luck...I hope someone out there has a great method.      

Many of you have followed my ongoing kitty sagas.  Our dear feral kitty Surrender is NOT doing well.  He's always been a bit raggedy and unkempt but he is a wild-don't-mess-with-me kind of male dude of a cat.  The past couple weeks his eyes have become even more goopy and now he has green gunk seeping from them and can barely see.  He actually ran into us the other day and can't find the food dish unless you put it right under his nose.  He's sleeping A LOT more than usual.  He's not losing weight YET.  We are going to try once again with the trap and take him into the vet...of course the first thing they will do is a feline leukemia test.  Please send him your thoughts and prayers...and us as well...as we have grown very attached to him.  It will break my heart if............       

Hugs,
Shantell

Good Morning, Matilda.  I just love your garden too!!!   I love seeing all the wonderful birds you have flying to and fro.  Although I have wee little birds eating me out of house and home with birdseed they are rather blah compared to yours.

Thanks so much for always sharing them with us.

Oh Sweetie, don't cry.  I 'm sorry...I do understand your frustration.  Go give Max a snuggle, let it sit for a bit and go back to it later.   Perhaps by then someone here will know how to help.

Hugs,
Shantell

:hug:   :hug:   :hug:   :hug:    :hug:   :hug:    :hug:   :hug:

Don't feel bad, dear Aleta....I'm right there with you.  More often than not I want to pick this stupid thing up and toss it right out the window. 

We can sit in the back of class and make spitwads, paper airplanes and sneak out of class for a latte and shopping.

:crackup:   :crackup:    :hug:   :hug:

Oh Jane, you are being to hard on yourself...the pictures are wonderful blurry, fuzzy, doubled or not.  The most important thing is that you took them and then shared them with all of us who couldn't be there....THANK YOU!!!

Does anyone else just love seeing all the bears together.  I often see a single bear and think yeah...that's nice but then when I see them all together I think...I WANT ONE!!!   There is something about just a natural photo that I like.

Best of luck Melissa, have a marvelous time and enjoy your moment in the spotlight.  Your work is fantastic so I'm sure it will be a smashing success.

:hug:   :hug:   :hug:

AWWWW...how sweet are those two babes.  I'm sure they will become lifelong friends especially if you take Anubis with you when you visit.

Sweet Sweet Sweet

Thank you again...I'm really on the fence on this one.  I guess I'll just sit on it for awhile longer and THEN decide.

Yeah...Shantell got it right!!!    :crackup:   But, I'll happily sit in the back of the classroom incognito and slip out when noone is looking.  Even as a honors student, I hated being in the front of the class.

I've never used the Paypal invoicing system...is it simple?

Jenny,

Can you just invoice through Paypal requesting payment in Pounds Sterling and not use the Ebay invoice system?  I have never done it that way but it may be a viable option.  It's not as easy as just clicking the "send invoice now" button from Ebay but it might make things easier in terms of the conversion rate.

It's all confusing...     

From a collector standpoint...when I buy I always pay in whatever currency I am buying from.  So when I buy from the UK, I select in currency type Pounds Sterling.  It just seems to me that it would be my responsibility as the purchaser to pay the conversion.  I'm choosing to buy out of the US, the seller didn't choose me.  Am I nuts?  (Don't answer that  :crackup: )

:hug:   :hug:   :hug:   :hug:

Thank you....I really truly appreciate ALL your comments and opinions.  I've not wanted to start with commissions/custom orders for all the reason you stated Jenny, Ellen, Helena.  Bearmaking is strickly a hobby for me and something I do for enjoyment and I'm afraid not doing my own thing would ruin that for me.   I'm afraid having someone else choose options for me would only create stress and that would not help my health issues in any way.   I often start in one direction and end up in an entirely different one when it's all said and done.  I sort of fly by the seat of my pants...not always pretty but fun needless to say!!!      

But with all that said, I may try a few on a limited basis and see how I feel about it then. 

Thanks again!

Hi Ladies/Gent,

I'm bringing this topic to the forefront again to get some new opinions or opinions from those who may not have responded before or fresh ideas now that almost a year has passed.  My reason is that I've been asked a few times if I do commissions or custom orders.  Thus far, I have graciously turned those down, however, I'm wondering if I'm cutting my nose off to spite my face.  So...although I know some of you have chosen to close your books and no longer take commissions while others still do, I'm needed some MORE input.

Below is a link to a previous post (about a year old) for those who either missed it or to refresh.

http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=2299

Thanks...

Shantell