Introduction for LoverBear

phoenixmaid wrote on January 5, 2015, 4:02 PM

wow 8 semi feral cats you deserve a medal we had one and while he was a lovely cat he was an awful lot of hard work and a steep learning curve. Welcome to persona paper I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts.

JeanC wrote on January 5, 2015, 4:48 PM

Good luck on the semi-ferals, they are definitely a lot of work and my neighbor and I usually just have 1 between us when one wanders into the neighborhood.

bestwriter wrote on January 5, 2015, 11:55 PM

Welcome here LoverBear. I am sure we are going to benefit a lot through your posts as you are uniquely creative. I have been to California as part of my US holiday. Who can forget the Golden Bridge

Firecracker wrote on January 6, 2015, 1:26 PM

Hey there LoverBear ! It's good to see you on here!

LoverBear wrote on January 6, 2015, 1:37 PM

I love San Francisco! I live 250 miles from the city. My source of pride is that I actually drove in San Francisco and survived!!! lol. I drove Lombard street (the crooked street) and drove in the down town area to my favorite fabric store, Britex. Then we drove to Gheradelli Square where I parallel parked in the big city! For a country gal it's a huge adventure just driving the freeway let alone drive in the city. If you look at the map of California I live outside of Paso Robles at Lake Nacimiento. (If you look at the pix of the lake it kind of looks like a dragon....I live under the dragon's tail in the poop shoot....lol) A traffic jam for me is three cows in the middle of the road on the way home.

While you were in California did you happen to go to Hearst Castle? I was able to do the tour twice. Once for my California history class (that's the only reason I took the class was for the tour. ) And the second time was during Christmas and we went with my Hubby's son and did the Christmas tour of the upstairs (bedrooms) We had a ball as the son and I hit it off totally, we giggled our way through the tour! During WWII Hearst sent his more exotic and dependent animals to zoos. A few zebras and big horned sheep escaped and reproduced out in the woods. We are about 10 miles from the back of Hearst Castle and the animals came back to our area because of the grazing and the closeness to the climate of their home country. The zebras and big horned sheep reproduced and periodically we see them when we are driving home. It is very exciting to see them.

We have our own wild life (sorry, not pubs, night clubs, etc). We have raccoons, deer, skunks, bob cats, squirrels, possums, and more. We also have mountain lions who have a hundred square mile territory that they roam. It is so much fun to be out at night driving home and spot them. They also pass by the house rather often, leaving their foot prints in the soft dirt. Some times we hear their vocalizations. Needless to say I adore my home and all the life around it.

Thank you for the wonderful welcome, I am looking forward to making wonderful friends here.

LoverBear wrote on January 6, 2015, 1:52 PM

I am a huge animal lover and have been one from a very young age. It is so rewarding to be able to help out animals that would otherwise be destroyed because they are deemed unadoptable. You're right about the learning curve, except that the curve is for me. The cats have taught me a LOT about life, patience, loyalty and so much more...I still haven't gotten down catching mice yet...but they are patient with me and keep trying. lol That is the one plus to having so many cats, I don't have mice and rats that country people usually have.

One of the semi feral cats became a great friend. He lived around the area for about 4 years until one day he was injured, receiving a injury to the face. It became infected and he wasn't able to hunt or eat normal food. He came to my house, barely able to walk from being so weak. I immediately pureed some people food and set it out for him. He was able to lap up the puree. I was feeding him five times a day and finally one day the infected area burst. It opened his face to the bone but the infection cleared up. He survived and immediately went from being a wild cat to being a tame sweet kitty. He followed me every where, and ended up being named Ralphie (after an episode of M*A*S*H) Purely by accident I discovered that he had a horrible addiction...Ralphie adored milk! I put out a bowl of it one day and he was hooked!!! Ralphie would do anything for a bowl of milk, even allowing total strangers to pet him.

I lost Ralphie last year. He was 21 years old when he died in my arms. He is under the tree in the front yard. I miss the little guy, he spent his time on the top of my car, leaving cat boogers all over the roof. I had been pulled over by a police officer and the man was going to lean his arm on the roof of my car. I stopped him and asked if his uniform was clean. I received a VERY strange look from the man and finally he said "Yes, why???" I told him that he really didn't want to lean on the roof of my car because it was full of cat boogers. He totally lost his train of thought and why he pulled me over in the first place. He just thanked me and went back to his vehicle and left. That was one way to get out of a lecture or ticket. You'll see Ralphie stories posted from time to time.

Thank you for the welcome to the site. I have a feeling that I will have a wonderful time here.

LoverBear wrote on January 6, 2015, 2:02 PM

I've been very lucky with the semi-ferals. Once they realize where their food is coming from they settle down and become a part of the family. One of the biggest things you need to do with feral and semi-feral cats is to provide them with a safe place to hide and also a secure place to sleep. Also once they realize that you're not going to hurt them they become more and more friendly. I so love my critters that the extra work isn't a problem at all. Living in the country having the cats is almost a necessity. The cats keep down the mice and rats which in turn keeps the snakes from congregating at my place. With rattle snakes being prevalent in our area (since the place I live has the temperatures soar to 115 degrees at times) it is a blessing to have the favorite food of the snakes kept to a minimum. Mice, rats and ground squirrels are major inhabitants of the area and also great attractors for the snakes. A day doesn't go by that I don't find the remains of a mouse, rat or ground squirrel in the yard...and I say a quiet prayer of thanks for the four legged traps for keeping the population reduced. The neighbors also comment about the lack of vermin in their places.

Thank you for the welcome. It is so nice to be made to feel so welcome by so many sweet people! I look forward to reading your posts.

LoverBear wrote on January 6, 2015, 2:09 PM

I have seen avatars and names that are familiar to me from other sites. It's going to be great to renew friendships with people I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet elsewhere and catch up on what's been going on in their lives and let them know what I've been up to. I have made some wonderful friends from other sites and wondered where they went, in just a little over 24 hours I have found a lot of them, it's great!!!!

I've been kind of down in the dumps the past few weeks and the wonderful welcomes from members has really brightened my frame of mind! Thank you!!!

phoenixmaid wrote on January 6, 2015, 2:28 PM

Oh bless him, it's so nice when they find a loving home. I'm sure you will love it here.

Firecracker wrote on January 6, 2015, 2:29 PM

You're welcome!
You mean to say you don't remember me from Bubblews? lol I have the same username there as I do here. With myLot my username was sacmom. Does that ring a bell? lol

seren3 wrote on January 6, 2015, 2:55 PM

Welcome to Persona Paper! Your creations sound amazing. I can't live with cats but have had some lovely cat friends to visit over the years. Look forward to your writing here!

bestwriter wrote on January 6, 2015, 7:19 PM

Your driving experience must have been great too specially since you say you were not a city girl!
I did not visit Hearst Castle but saw the crooked street from a distance Also saw the gay street. Visited Alcatraz, and ate at some nice restaurants. The most memorable experience was the journey on the Amtrak train from San Jose to Santa Barbara although we were to travel up to Oxnard. The train did not go further. We did the rest of the travel by bus. The Golden Bridge was yet another sight that I will never forget.

scheng1 wrote on January 7, 2015, 8:50 AM

I prefer not to live so near to wild life, and not insects.

LoverBear wrote on January 7, 2015, 6:32 PM

Santa Barbara is one of my most favorite cities in California. It is such a wonderfully creative area and there are so many great artists there. It also has such a positive atmosphere. Any excuse I can find to go to Santa Barbara I grab for it. I am hoping to go down for a bead show next month. I've been trying to get to go down there for that show for almost a year. Unfortunately scheduling has managed to mess it up.

I couldn't visit Alcatraz, I am sure it is fascinating but I just can't bring myself to visit a site that so much violence and sorrow has occurred. I am happy viewing it from a distance.

When I was 16 my parents and I decided to go to San Francisco by train. It should have been a great trip but my father was throwing a tantrum because he didn't get his way and we didn't go to Mexico in August. We were supposed to be there for a week but after 2 days we couldn't stand my father and his negativity any further. We packed up and went back to the train station. Of course he had a fit about the $10 taxi ride (both ways) and every place we wanted to go to was a "tourist trap" so we didn't get to go anywhere like Fisherman's Wharf, The Cliff House or any other places. We finally boarded the train but he wouldn't let us eat because the prices were too high. The only fun my Mom and I had was elbowing our way to the front of a demonstration in front of a major hotel (we later found out that President Nixon was staying there and had come out on the balcony when we were at the front of the demonstration..Everyone was shouting "JUMP...jump"). Mom and I were on the national news and of course father had followed us to the front of the demonstration yelping that if his boss saw us on the news he would lose his job. Of course they showed a close up of the crowd and Mom and I were prominent in the closeup...so was father.

We finally returned home and after we walked in the house I walked up to my father and looked him right in the eye and announced "i AM NEVER GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU AGAIN!!!!" Mom totally lost it and retreated to the bedroom to have a good laugh. My father looked blank and wanted to know "What did I do?". I stood good with my promise, I NEVER went anywhere with him again. Talk about a wet blanket, the only time during the whole trip that he was vaguely civil was when we walked through the door of our home, then he was so sweet that Mom and I wanted desperately to smack him good and hard!

LoverBear wrote on January 7, 2015, 6:37 PM

Of course I remember you! LOL. Your picture is so wonderful, you're absolutely gorgeous! You're one of the people that I tell others about...the ones that are so gorgeous that you go home, look in the mirror and want to break every mirror around so you don't have to see how un-pretty you are. One of my doctor's exwife is one that is so beautiful that I looked in the mirror and wanted to cut my head off! ROTFL, not that it would happen but I'm just not that pretty.

I love your posts from both places and am happy to find you here!

LoverBear wrote on January 7, 2015, 6:41 PM

When I first moved here I wasn't too good with a lot of the wild life, but after living here awhile I find it fascinating. I even have a group of deer that I feed and there are several that come up to me and insist that I hand feed them. One even will stick his head in the sack when I reach in for another piece of bread or tortilla shell. I still am not great with snakes, but I can handle lizards now. I think what really helped me a lot was the environmental biology course I took a few years ago. I have a much better understanding of nature and the balance. Otherwise I would be a city person too.

LoverBear wrote on January 7, 2015, 7:03 PM

I can understand not being able to live with cats. I've been lucky and haven't had any allergies to animals. You'd go nuts in my place because it seems like everywhere you turn there is a cat lounging around. I just had one stretch and tickle the back of my neck. Thing is where I live it's almost mandatory that there be a cat or 12 around to keep the mice, rats, and ground squirrels out of the place. Cat Friends love to receive company too. Mine disappear for awhile when the company first arrives and then they get curious and come out of hiding. NO ONE could ever steal one of my cats, they would end up hamburger from all the claws. I also would pity anyone who had enough guts to enter the house and threaten me. One of the thing about the Siamese breed is that they are very protective of their homes. They are the pit bull, Doberman and Rottweilers of the cat world. My Mom was attacked by a Siamese once and it scared the daylights out of her to say the least. She about had fits when father brought one home from one of his customers. It took to Mom right away and always slept by her head at night. She and the cat were inseparable. We now always have at least one Siamese in the house for protection. Mom has since passed away, but she always made sure she had a Siamese.

I do have to admit that I just got back in from hand feeding the deer. One of them really would love to be a pet. It always nuzzles me and gives me a huge "thank you" kiss for the snack. I'll post pictures one day.

bestwriter wrote on January 7, 2015, 7:34 PM

How about covering all this under the heading 'Memoirs - Father's tantrums' - I am sure there will be many more (lol).

maxeen wrote on January 7, 2015, 7:58 PM

Nice to see another animal lover here,you certainly are that. I used to collect the Beanie Bears do you remember them?

OnlyErin6 wrote on January 8, 2015, 2:41 PM

I'd like to see some of your designs. Do you just make teddy bears, or all sorts of stuffed animals?

LoverBear wrote on January 8, 2015, 6:20 PM

I sure remember them. Ty did themselves in when they announced that they wouldn't be making Beanie Babies anymore. People spent fortunes on buying them up like crazy, then in January of the next year there were more Beanies. I know of one man who spent nearly ten grand on them on speculation. He now has a collection worth about $200! I've been finding them at the local thrift shops for next to nothing. I feel so badly for people who spent hundreds and even thousands on Beanies that now are selling for a fraction of the original purchase price. Ty originally came out with them for children to collect in response to the artist bear market that adults were involved with. Ty is still producing Beanies but the market isn't as huge. There were quite a few that I wanted but never bought. I did sell Humphrey the Camel for enough to buy a car. I had bought it for my Mom and she gave it back to me to help pay for my car. Even though I make artist bears, I wish the market was still there for the Beanie Babies and the collectors.

I'm going to have to post about Willy (one of the Siamese) and his exploits yesterday and today. It's so sweet and so funny!

LoverBear wrote on January 8, 2015, 6:28 PM

Hi,
The majority of my creations are teddy bears but I do make other animals. Right now I am concentrating on finishing teddy bears that I have waiting for stuffing and finishing. Once I finish those I will start working on new designs. I started making them 31 years ago when I needed a gift for my Mom. Then I made one for my doctor and he heckled me until I agreed to try to sell them...the first show I did I sold out and the business was started. My home is full of bears, although there are dogs, cats, and horses too that I have designed and made. It's extremely relaxing and fun for me to get involved with the critters. I also collect bear and animal patterns too, with a collection of over 500 patterns from about 100 different artists.

I will be posting some of my designs. Hopefully I will connect with other artists and I can have conversations with them. I miss talking "bears" with other artists as the number of bear shows has diminished in my area.

LoverBear wrote on January 8, 2015, 6:31 PM

I don't know if anyone ever told you that the Golden Gate Bridge has never had the painting completed. My Mom worked for the department that oversees the highways in California and one night she came home and told us that they never finish painting the bridge. Once they reach the end of the bridge the workers get to start over at the beginning. It takes over a year to paint the bridge and it has to be painted yearly because of the weather conditions in San Francisco.

bestwriter wrote on January 8, 2015, 6:51 PM

No I did not know about this nor did I notice that semi finished work out there. But I am sure one fine day wisdom will dawn on them to start from the top for a change (lol)

OnlyErin6 wrote on January 8, 2015, 8:15 PM

I wish I could sew. I tried once but I found it frustrating. I can't imagine making all of the patterns for animals.

livingnow wrote on January 11, 2015, 11:24 AM

Welcome to this lovely site! I'm glad you have been accepted here and I'm looking forward to see your articles! I love dark chocolate too!

BarbRad wrote on January 12, 2015, 4:26 AM

Welcome. We have been together on other sites and have even talked about someday actually meeting each other when we both have time. It's a shame to live so close to someone you "work with" and never meet. I'm currently living in Paso Robles, but still really live in Templeton. I'd love to see your teddy bears someday. I think you will like it here.

Carmelanirel wrote on January 14, 2015, 7:48 AM

Hi LoverBear I didn't know you were here until I saw your reply on another member's post. I can't remember, what kind of book do you want to write? fiction, nonfiction, genre? I am reading a book now that was suggested to me and though the author is famous (He wrote "The Notebook") I am seeing errors in his writing. The most common error I am seeing is changing POV without a good transition. Of course I read another best selling book where there were not only no transitions, but not chapter breaks. I can't stand that, because I see how this can confuse the reader, yet these guys are best selling authors? I don't get it!

ashuli wrote on February 23, 2015, 8:22 AM

Hi there ! Welcome to persona paper, i am sure you will enjoy writing here!

irenen1 wrote on June 13, 2015, 9:57 AM

Hope to hear more from you. I'm a l so getting ready to retire. Doesn't mean I have any intention of not living. Dave and I still have much to explore together.

JohnRoberts wrote on December 10, 2015, 2:40 PM

Obviously you were one and done at PP and never gave the site a fair chance by posting more writings.

LeaPea2417 wrote on December 18, 2015, 5:02 PM

It is nice to meet you on here, hi. I do hope you come back to write more posts and interact.