Author: handicraftsowl

My Favorite Books

I tend to favor books in a series, and one of my all-time favorites is the Earth’s Children series by Jean M. Auel. The first book, The Clan of the Cave Bear, was first published in 1980. It follows the life of a Cro-Magnon woman named Ayla, who is adopted as a young child by a clan of Neanderthal people, the Clan of the Cave Bear, after an earthquake destroys her home and separates her from her family. Ms. Auel did extensive historical research and the series touches on a theory that the Cro-Magnon man may have interbred with the Neanderthal, rather than just wiping them out. This has actually been shown to have some merit as DNA tests reveal that modern humans carry more Neanderthal DNA than previously thought. If you are interested, check out the Smithsonian Magazine article linked below.

Another of my favorites is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. This is a romantic, time travel, historical series that follows Claire, a WWII British Army nurse, who falls through time after touching a stone in a druid’s circle. She lands 200 years in the past and meets Black Jack Randall, a British Officer who also happens to be her husband’s ancestor, and is a less than pleasant man. Claire is rescued by a band of highlanders after Black Jack mistakes her for a woman of ill-repute and is about to rape her. When the highlanders find out Claire is British, a sassenach, they don’t know whether she is a spy or if she truly needed rescuing, but decide there is too much risk to set her free. Over time, Claire ends up falling in love with a young highlander named Jamie, and not knowing if she will ever make it back to her time, marries him out of necessity to protect her from Black Jack.

The Starz Network has done an excellent job of adapting the books into a series and I can’t wait for the next season to start. The “droughtlander” is especially long this year due to Covid-19 delaying production.

I am really a bibliophile. I have loved books for as long as I can remember. I even participated in summer reading contests at the library when I was a child. The first book that I actually remember reading was Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. This was a book about two orphan children who try to capture Misty, one of the wild ponies that live on Chincoteague Island off the coast of Virginia.

I collect books and hate seeing people who don’t value them as much as I do. I cringe when I see someone dog-ear the pages instead of using a book mark, or when they write in them, even when the book was meant to be written in. I have a kindle, and I do love the convenience of it, but I will always love the feel and smell of the real thing. One of my favorite places to go, besides craft stores, is the library or a book store. My grandson is in kindergarten now and is just starting to learn to read, but I have read to him almost every night since he was born, and I am trying to teach him to respect books, too. I was so proud when I caught him “reading” a book in bed the other night, when he was supposed to be sleeping.

Where Do I See Myself in 10 Years?

I will be eligible for full retirement from Federal Service in 6 years, 10 months and 10 days from today. Once I retire, my goal is to get out of California. I was born here and I love this state, but it is way too expensive to live here anymore and it really isn’t very friendly to small business owners. As of today, though, I am not sure where I will move to. There are more things to consider than just the cost of living. My entire family lives on the West Coast, so I don’t really want to move too far away.

So, even though I will be retired from Federal Service, I don’t plan to quit working. But, I plan to be making my income doing what I love, and that is anything related to art and handicrafting. I would really like to spend more time teaching others, though. I have always enjoyed the teaching side of creating. I love seeing the amazement on someone’s face when they realize that they, too, can be an artist.

I don’t want to teach in a traditional school, though. I have already done some teaching, either one-on-one, or in a small group in someone’s home. I would like to have my own art studio, preferably on my own property, where people can come to me and learn or just practice creating things with me in my studio. I haven’t decided if I want to go the digital route and film tutorials, or not. I really prefer teaching in person.

Besides teaching, I will have grown my business, HootOwl Handicrafts. Right now, it consists of just selling the occasional item, but I have done some commissioned work, too. So far, it has been paintings, crocheted items, handmade dolls and doll accessories, decorative items, or pieces of jewelry. But I am constantly learning new techniques, so I would like to expand my business to sell more of these items.

One thing I don’t see myself doing is the craft show scene. I would rather have an online store than to make a bunch of things and then lug them around town and hope I have what people want to buy. It just doesn’t seem like the most efficient way to do it. Not knocking people who do craft shows, some people are very successful at it. It just isn’t for me. With an online store, you can reach people literally all over the world and do it 24/7.

My overall goal for the next ten years, then, is to just do more of what makes me happy, and if I can make money while doing it, all the better.

What Would My Perfect Day Look Like?

My perfect day starts with my grandson waking me up, like he usually does, by running in and jumping on my bed saying, “Good morning, Grammy, I love you!”  The munchkin and I snuggle for a while before we get up and I fix him some French Toast with strawberries and bananas while he watches cartoons.

On my perfect day, I am retired from the VA, so we are not in a hurry to get dressed.  We eat our French Toast on the patio while the dogs run around in the yard.

After breakfast, I put a pot roast in the crock pot for dinner.  Then we walk down to the park and I watch him play and run around for a while.  I push him on the swings or encourage him to climb higher on the jungle gym.  I get worn out just watching him.  Our park has a pond with a fountain, and geese and ducks swim there.  We aren’t allowed to feed them, but they are still fun to watch.  After an hour or so, we walk back home.

Munchkin is worn out from the park, so I sit him down with a snack of fruit slices and yogurt while I crochet for a while.  I’m working on a baby afghan for a client who has her first granddaughter on the way.  I am so excited for her.

After Munchkin finishes his snack, he sits next to me while I crochet and he watches his favorite show, “Dino Dan”.  It’s an educational show about a little boy who is a budding paleontologist.  He and his friends have adventures and uncover clues about dinosaurs.  Munchkin has loved dinosaurs since he was 3 and he constantly surprises me with how much he knows about them.

Next, it’s lunchtime.  I fix one of his favorites, grilled cheese and tomato soup.  I always sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the soup.  Yum.

After lunch, Munchkin plays outside with the dogs while I work on the piece of art another one of my clients has ordered.  This time, it’s an abstract painting for above their fireplace mantle.

I can usually finish a painting in one afternoon, and now it is dinnertime.  The pot roast is tender and yummy!

Dinner is over and the dishes are done.  Now it’s time for Munchkin’s bedtime routine.  He gets to play in the bath for a while, then it’s a bedtime story, usually one about dinosaurs.  I tuck him in and turn out the light.  This leaves a couple hours of me time.  I catch up on a favorite series with a cup of tea and wind down.  Then get ready for bed myself.  It has been a good day, no, the perfect day!

A Typical Day in My Life

My Dream Job

We all have our own definition of what a dream job is. For some, it’s making gobs of money, for others, it’s being famous, and for others still, it’s about doing something meaningful. My dream job is doing something that is meaningful and fulfilling to me that brings joy to others, and if I can do all that while making gobs of money, all the better!

For me, that job is HootOwl Handicrafts. I am still working full-time for the Veterans Administration, so handicrafting is more like a hobby right now, but I will be retiring from my federal job in the near future and want to make HootOwl Handicrafts my full-time career. I want to create all kinds of things that others will enjoy, and also share my tips and techniques with others, either on this blog, or teaching in-person classes.

Besides handicrafting and creating art, I love to teach others to create. According to TollFreeForwarding.com, being a teacher and an artist are in the top ten of dream jobs. I would be combining two of the Top 10! So far, I have taught people to crochet, paint pictures, and to sew. I really enjoy teaching others, and love to see their faces when they realize that they are now artists or handicrafters, too.

During my long career with the VA, I have seen what our returning heroes go through as they try to readjust to civilian life. They are often dealing with disabilities, either mental or physical (and sometimes both), and veterans make up about 11% of our homeless population. It is my passion to help where I can, and as a veteran who comes from a long line of veterans, that is where I will be placing my focus. I will also be making art or handicrafting items that will benefit charitable causes. I will either be donating a percentage of the proceeds from certain items, or will be donating useful items, such as quilts, blanket rolls, hats, gloves, etc., directly to veteran organizations.

Creating beautiful and useful things makes me happy, and I plan to be doing much more of it in the very near future!

Jobs I Have Done

I have worked just about my entire adult life minus three short years that I was married and was able to be a stay at home mom.  The rest of the time, I have been a single working mom, and now a single working grandma.

US Navy – Data Systems Technician (AKA IT Tech)

AAA Travel – Travel Agent

Irving Oil Corporation – Human Resources Specialist

Federation of State Medical Boards – Credentials Specialist

For the Veterans Health Administration at several VA Hospitals – Medical Clerk, Medical Eligibility Advisor, Human Resources Assistant, and Advanced Medical Support Assistant (13 years total)

For the Veterans Benefits Administration at the VA Regional Office – Veterans Service Representative (7 years and counting)

Founder and CEO of HootOwl Handicrafts

Dream Vacation

My dream vacation would be a Grand Tour of Europe. I want to spend at least a month and visit all the iconic monuments and landmarks. The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

I also would like to visit all the famous castles and chateaux in Europe. I spent a summer in France while I was in college and was able to visit several of the chateaux in the Loire River Valley and they are amazing! I would love to see castles in other countries as well, but I especially want to visit Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria and Versailles in France.

Most importantly, I want to visit the countries where my ancestors came from, including England, Ireland, Scotland, and France. I would like to visit the cities where they lived and maybe visit where they are buried. I know there is a plaque honoring one of my ancestors in La Poterie, France. Nicolas Paquin in one of the early French pioneers to travel to New France and is the ancestor to virtually all Paquins in North America.

Places I Have Lived

As I said on Day 3, I was born and raised in California but have lived in a total of 8 states and 2 foreign countries.  The other states I have lived in are Arizona, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, Texas, and Washington.  I have also lived in France and Germany.

What I didn’t say is why I moved around so much. I guess I come from a family of rolling stones. My parents met in the military, and after they were both discharged, they moved to San Bernardino, California. I was born in Riverside, but by the time my brother was born, only 2 years later, we had moved to Vancouver, Washington. We stayed there awhile, but due to my father’s lung condition, the wet weather forced us to move to Phoenix, Arizona where my younger sister was later born.

It wasn’t too long before we moved back to California. My father was then involved in a motorcycle accident and passed away there. My mom remarried a couple years later, but then she and my step-father were in a car accident that killed both of them. My grandmother became our guardian and we moved to Oregon with her, where we lived until I graduated from high school and got married.

My husband joined the Army shortly after we got married. He went to AIT (Advanced Individual Training) at Fort Eustis, Virginia, where he trained to repair Apache Helicopters. Our son was born while he was stationed there. Next, he was transferred to Germany, and after a short stay in Oregon, we joined him there.

After my divorce, I went back to Oregon for a while and then I joined the Navy. I was stationed in California for a couple years and had my daughter there before being transferred to the Emory S. Land in Norfolk, Virginia. It’s a sub-tender that rarely left the pier while I was on it. “Join the Navy, See the World”, my foot. Our ship was literally stuck in the mud every low tide.

After I was discharged, I went to travel school and moved to Raleigh, North Carolina to be a travel agent. A couple years later, my daughter’s grandpa convinced me to move to Bangor, Maine, where I live for about 3 years. I hated the cold, and we moved back to Oregon again, and I decided to work on my degree. This is when I went to France, and I lived there for a summer while in a language immersion program. While going to college, I did work-study at a VA healthcare facility and eventually left school when I got hired there full-time. My ex was also in Southern Oregon, trying to wreak havoc on my life, and my sister talked me into moving near her in North Texas where I continued to work for the VA. After putting up with Texas heat and humidity for 11 years, I was able to transfer to another VA Hospital back in California again.

I have been working for the VA for over 20 years now. I have enough federal service to qualify for retirement, but I’m not quite old enough yet. My kids are grown and I have one grandson, who was born here in California. I have been doing art and handicrafting for a long time and it is something that I love to do. I am currently building Hootowl Handicrafts into my full-time job and working on gathering some long awaited moss.

My Favorite Quote and What it Means to Me

We are the sum total of all our experiences, good and bad. Every experience that we’ve had has shaped us into the person that we are. Every decision we make sends us down a different path and towards different experiences.

As I look back through time, I also realized that every decision my ancestors made lead to my very existence. If just one of them had made a different decision, or had not had a particular experience, I would not even be here. One of my ancestors is the second wife of a widower. What if his first wife hadn’t died? He would never have married his second wife and I would not be here. Nor would all the children born from that marriage, and their descendants. This is mind boggling! You could seriously go crazy thinking of every decision you’ve made and wondering, “What if…”

Of course, I don’t love everything that I’ve done or that has happened to me, but I like who I am. I am not perfect, but I’m a good, caring, compassionate person. I make mistakes, but I strive to learn from them and not make too many of them. I love me for me.

My Hobbies

As you may know, I love to create things, but that’s not all I do. Below are a few of my favorite hobbies and past times.

GENEALOGY – My parents had both passed away by the time I was ten, and they had not been very close to their extended family. As I got older and started my own family, it became more important to me to learn more about my own roots. When I started researching my family tree, I only knew the names of my parents, my paternal grandparents, two sets of aunts and uncles, and 5 total cousins. It took me over 20 years (and counting), but my tree now has over 2500 people in it. Obviously not all of them are direct ancestors, but researching the collateral lines can often help you break through brick walls.

But I don’t do genealogy to just collect the names and dates. Through my research, I have found Pioneers and Patriots, Carpenters and Quakers, Fishermen and Farmers, Shoemakers and Barrel Makers, and even a Salem Witch! This is what makes it your Family History and really fleshes out your family tree. I am fascinated by any stories I am able to find out about how my ancestors lived.

KARAOKE – I am definitely not Mariah Carey and will never be on American Idol. But I do love to sing Karaoke. I even have my own karaoke machine and quite a few karaoke cd’s, though it is just as easy to pull up the karaoke videos on YouTube on my Smart-TV and sing along.

I’m an eighties girl, so most of the songs I sing are from that decade, but I sing some country, too. Some of the songs I like to sing are: You Keep Me Hangin’ On by Kim Wilde, Metro by Berlin, White Flag by Dido, Don’t Know Why by Norah Jones, Everytime by Britney Spears, Addicted by Kelly Clarkson, and even some country songs with When You Say Nothing at All by Alison Krauss, Take Me As I Am by Faith Hill, and No One Needs to Know by Shania Twain.

STUFFED TOYS – I have a young grandson and I love to make him stuffed toys. I made him a rag doll that he named Jack, and I made clothing and a sleeping bag for him. Jack has brown hair and blue eyes like his “daddy”. I made a stuffed alien named Axel, and I also made a doll for my friend’s little girl that she named Betty.

EXERCISE MY BRAIN – Another hobby I have is exercising my brain. I love to learn new things and am a voracious reader. I also watch educational shows and take classes outside of college. One way to prevent cognitive decline as we age is to use our brains. I like to do cross-word puzzles, play games, and solve mysteries. And I am also studying French to increase my fluency as I prepare for my trip to the Olympic Games in France in 2024.