Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Retirement, House, Pampered Chef


(little thief showed up just as the sun was going down)

Well let's see, where to start?? Been a while since I've been able to get on here & update you about anything and (for the 5 of you that are having Groomer Angie withdrawls) I apologize. *grin*

How about we start with this?-- WE ARE AT THE NEW HOUSE!!!

Notice I said AT not IN. We are here, but are sleeping in the motorhome for now. I love, love, love it, absolutely, no doubt about it, LOVE it! I knew I would, but I didn't have any idea I would love it out here this much!



(we were using the tailgate for grilling since our stove hadn't been hooked up yet)

I am not the only one, the dogs love it as well. All the barking I heard while at the other house has gone down by about 80%! They spend most of the day, sitting or playing in the 10 x 30 kennel we put up for them with their noses in the air & enjoying the sun. They seem to be fascinated with all the birds & I know they can smell the deer that come through here at dusk & at dawn. They do bark when the squirrels show up. They hate the squirrels. There are no bratty, mean children to pick at them anymore, no horns honking, no skateboards or bicycles running all over the place & we are ALL enjoying it. My blood pressure is the best it has ever been! DH says it's beginning to grow on him, he's always been in the city & is having to adjust to country life & all the things that go with it, mainly snakes. He hates them! So we have an agreement, I'll deal with the snakes when they show up, he gets to deal with the spiders. *shudder*


Our kitchen cabinets should be finished this weekend! WOOT! I am so tired of washing dishes in the bathtub. *grin* But I can do without the dishwasher for a bit in exchange for this serenity. We still have things at the other house to get out here, most of the little stuff is here, but we have some of the larger furniture to bring out yet, our bed, the couch, the entertainment center, things like that. It's all coming together, slowly but surely and now that I am retired, I can work on it at my own speed.



(took this at the old house when the dishwasher broke, picture the same thing here with a white tub)

Speaking of my retirement, all the letters went out last month & it is NOT going over very well with my clients. They are not happy, but I don't know what else I can do. I CAN NOT continue doing this, I just can't. My Doctor has been after me for a while now & I had a bad scare last month that made me decide it was time now!

When I ended up at the ER with heart attack/stroke symptoms, it scared me badly. Thankfully, it wasn't a heart attack, but we still haven't gotten to the source of my stroke symptoms. Tests showed that I didn't have one, but my body is saying otherwise. With a history of stroke in my family, I am not taking any chances, so I'm finally obeying my doctor. I am sorry this is making it hard for some of the clients, but I have to think about ME & what is best for ME, not what is best for everyone else.

I have given everyone a great recommendation. I know she will take care of the dogs in the same way I do & as far as her grooming skills, well, since I am the one who taught her to groom, I am confident that she knows what she is doing. So, I have to find some way to deal with the clients that are continuing to call me & beg me to keep grooming their dog. I have to try to find a way to make them understand that yes, I have chosen to stop grooming dogs just as I chose to start grooming all those 30 years ago. Difference being, 30 years ago, it was a choice, now it's not a choice, I HAVE to choose retirement, for my sake. So....how do I make them understand?? I welcome any & all suggestions since I really don't want to have to change my phone number, I've had the same number forever. I'm starting to think getting a new number is the only way I will get any peace though. To tell the truth, I expected some fussing about me retiring, but not this much fussing. I have to admit too, it hurts my feelings a bit to hear them carry on about them & what are they going to do, while not even hearing me tell them that I Physically! Can't! Do! This! Anymore! or I will end up in the hospital! (to those clients of mine that are reading this, please try to understand it has nothing whatsoever to do with you or your little dog or me not liking you, it has to do with me & the fact that I want to be able to enjoy life, which is something I have not been able to do in a long, long time because of the pain I'm in & my health steadily going downhill)


OK, enough of that, now on with what I have been doing.

Two words--Pampered Chef! I absolutely adore the stuff! It's like Kick Off at the Redskins' season opener, Fireworks on the 4th of July, Winning Best of Variety at a dog show, Mardi Gras & Christmas all rolled up together! Ok, well maybe that's a bit ridiculous, overboard, exaggerated, but I mean to tell you their products are awesome! My aunt had a Pampered Chef Cooking Show at her house & I went, oh sweet mercy did we eat some gooooood food, all fixed in the microwave no less! So I booked a show of my own (held in my aunt's downstairs kitchen since mine is still not together yet, hers was held in her upstairs kitchen), we planned Baked Chicken, Mexican Layer Salad, & Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, all made in the microwave!!

Yes, that chicken was made in the microwave! 20 mins & it was done!! The cake was made in the microwave too! The center has those mini Reese Cups in it!!

It was pouring rain that day, I mean a real frog strangler & the only ones that showed up were me (of course), my sister Linda (on the left), my aunt Frances (middle) & Jane our consultant. I was a little disappointed with that, but I figured as much when the rain didn't let up. We didn't care, we all ate good & had a wonderful fellowship with each other that day. I'm seriously thinking about becoming a consultant for Pampered Chef, I could make a little extra money AND would be able to get all kinds of Pampered Chef stuff! :)




I'm also still working on my stained glass & loving it as well, so don't worry about me in my retirement, I'm doing lots of things I enjoy. As I close this longer than I intended it to be post, look what I found at Wal-Mart.......

You know I just had to have them! teehee




Be blessed everyone,











8 comments:

Mari said...

Hooray for being at the new house! I grew up in the country and love it in the country. I couldn't handle city life. I wouldn't want to handle snakes either though!
I also love pampered chef. I have lots of their stuff.

Pei In The Life said...

YAY! You're back! I was in withdrawl for sure. Glad you're at least "AT" the house. You'll be surprised at home much just being there and not at your old place will change your mindset and you body language. I think it will help a lot in healing your mind and body.

Now, as for that Peanut Butter cake, did you save me a piece?
-Winterdark

Anonymous said...

Woot on being at the new house. Hopefully the rest of the updates will be taken care of and everything moved. I'd sooo love to live out in the country.

Im so sorry your old clients are only thinking of themselves. Your health is wayyyyyyy more important. Unfortunately there is no easy way to deal with it. Probably have to be very blunt "Im sorry but Im not going to end up in the hospital and even die to groom your dog!" Good luck!!!

Anonymous said...

It's about friggin' time you got there. Hooray!
I hope your customers read the comments because I have a thing or two to say...

A person's health and well-being comes first.

Selfish, selfish people who are more concerned about their dogs getting groomed don't deserve a response. Heck, I'd change my phone number if it were me.

You explained things to them, they knew it was coming ahead of time, you gave them another groomer's name, and you've been more than patient with their inconsiderate and boorish behavior.

I say enjoy your retirement, new house, Hubby, and the pups and to hell with them. They should be happy for you and wish you well.

Hugs!
MWH

sprinkles said...

I'm one of the 5 who had withdrawal. Glad you're back and hope that you'll be posting more often once you're fully settled in!

Ick! I wouldn't want to deal with snakes OR spiders!!! I'm sure it's probably worth dealing with considering you get a nice new home out of it. Hope the hubby and settled in a little more. I'm more of a city girl too so I can understand how he might be feeling.

Glad you are putting your health first and not listening to your old clients trying to get you to come back to grooming. You're so right - you need to enjoy life!!! Hope you're feeling MUCH better now that you're not working so hard and probably not nearly as stressed!

Woodrow, Luna, MJ Campanella said...

So glad you are At the house - now hopefully you will be IN the house very soon - sorry you are having so many issues retiring - it has to be hard - but a little flatterring too i would guess.

give all the kids hugs from us

Woodrow - Sweetie - MJ

Cousin B said...

Your dogs are Sooo cute! We are traveling in our MH now too, its nice to have your housecleaning take only 10 mins. isn't it! LOLO
We retired recently too and welcome to this wonderful life! Your former clients will adjust, give them time. I say ask them to come to your launch party when you become a Pampered Chef consultant!!

Sandra said...

Hey there!!! I don't know if you know this... but i have been a Director with PC for almost 10 years now!!!

Join up... you can make a lot of money... not just a little...

We have one more thing in common!!!

So excited for you!!!