Category: PattyAnn.net News

Happy Year in February 2023 ~!

Hello Everyone! I thought I skipped my once a year newsletter last year! But I found it – and if you want a refresher CHECK HERE for the 2022 Newsletter!

After I wrote the 2022 News, my life got challenging. Well. Actually. Downright tough. The winter of 2022 was dismal with rain. I took feed to my horses daily, cleaned stalls, and wrestled with the 100 pound stall gates that dragged on the ground and ripped my body muscles apart. Meanwhile, I was hand grooming their pasture at home, putting in fenced posts. Rain or sunshine. I was determined to get my horses home again, and asap. And I wanted my ‘normal’ life back, whatever that meant.

I designed and got my small house through permitting in March 2022. It rained non stop so the real building did not start until end of May. Meanwhile I did what I could to move forward. I wrote some lesson books in the long evenings for my Patty Ann’s Pet Project mission. During this time of extremely persistent work I pulled 3 ribs out. At the same spot a lump grew.

Long story short. The day my foundation was poured I had surgery. Breast cancer. Yep. I accumulated a PhD. My life challenges started piling higher and deeper than ever before. Check out my breast cancer blog for details HERE.

Then, 12 days after surgery I lost my beloved Mr. Orbit. His life is remembered HERE.

Worse still, I had to turn my horses to full care on this same ranch because I could not even carry a bucket of grain to them. The owner, another alcoholic narcissist, barely fed them. The more I spoke to him the worse he got. Horrors once more? The other narc rancher beat Rio. This one starved Lily! &#*%!?

Surgery, radiation, building going on 20’ from my RV and my builder revealed his addictions loudly. The universe was relentless. But instead of focusing on the crap of my life – I focused on getting someone to fence my property. I took over being General Contractor to get my house framed up. I looked for someone to build a horse shed. My house build was frightful. Full of drama that the builder instigated. GULP! My radiation brain was mush. But. I forged on.

Daily things snowballed into ridiculous. I told people my hillside was haunted. Not far from the truth. Suffice to say. A new builder rescued me. I got my horses home. Put them back into the covered carport. I got into my unfinished house that I continue to finish myself. The nice contractor will finish up when the weather turns permissible again.

What’s this all have to do with the Pet Project? Well, some interesting books came out of it. However, the publishing world has now taken a recession dump. Sales so minimal it should make me quit. But I don’t. I don’t know how. I still have my Pet Project goals and visions.

Neighbors ask how I continue to get stuff done. My philosophy is do only 1 or 2 things a day—and it will show up. A phone call to a plumber. Another fence post in. Pay a bill. Organize a schedule. Keep the end goal in mind. It’s a progression. My property is far from complete. But living in, even a partial done house, my life hardships have eased. And every step of the way I am GRATEFUL. I survived. And masterminded my life a day at a time. Never did I not lose sight of my vision.

So that’s the short of my last year. The Pet Project still exists. But I made changes to make that easier. I sell only through resellers listed on my website. (I was getting charge-backs on my website sales that I could not afford.) After 3 years, Amazon Ignite closed their ebook sale shop. They are also closing Amazon.smile. I have also closed resellers that sucked my time with no return. I’ve been in e-publishing a long time. It goes in cycles. I will stick with it, as I love to write.

Yup. Not your ordinary Pet Project update. Just wanted to tell you all I am still thriving. Still have my Pet Project mission in sight, even if in remission.

Drop me a note on your life. Some of you I know personally. Some not. All are welcome to respond.

Until the next newsletter. I wish you all the very best.

Happy NEW Year in February 2022 ~!

YES ! Patty Ann’s Pet Project is still active, although my news notes are far in between!

This last year brought many changes to my world. A move out of southern Oregon, called me to the Coastal foothills. Living on a hillside no less! It’s been more than an adventure—more like being a pioneer! I had 2 acres of dead firs logged, stumped, slash piles burned, hand picked, raked then seeded. The pasture is coming in. Meanwhile the small house was another episode. Suffice to say all underground utilities were replaced. And a new little house is in permitting at this time. Meanwhile I have been living on the property in an RV, putting up fences, prepping the land for fence, barn, house, etc. which I anticipate SEEING this year.

I am still attending and writing teacher books to support the pet project which has been consumed primarily by the rescue I took in last year. Diamond Rio has turned into a gentle soul; even more so after getting him off the farm where the ranch owner-trainer beat him horrifically. Rio got vet bills and a leftover scar. This man was the craziness narcissist I’ve ever encountered. In fact, if not for him I’d might still be on Facebook which I exited last year. R.H. stalked my FB page. I posted about D.Rio. His ego could not take my friends posting kudos to my rehab of Rio, even though he, nor his ranch were ever mentioned. For this Rio got beaten and found comatose one morning. There is more. Much more. Saving it for a future book “Horses Behind Bars” which reveals the ugly truth of many show barns run by BULLIES!

It was with sheer will and tenacity I move all of us off that ugly ranch 3 months after buying my property of so many needs. And, there we all began to heal. It was soon apparent Rio and Lily had to be somewhere else for the winter. The land unearthed was not suitable, nor safe. It was torn up, soft with extreme rain, plus the huge piles of slash that needed to be burned. I found an old farm a few miles away. Just an old boarding place, yet safe. And a lot of happy horses. There Rio and Lily healed. Rio for the first time in his life was experiencing a small herd and learning horse language. This ranch gentled his soul like no other. He and Lily will come home this summer when things are ready. Meantime, I visit and care for them every day for hours. Some pictures of happy horses and Rio getting acquainted with his pasture mates!

As you know my Pet Project is supported by book sales, which is challenging nowadays. There is so many producing so much that even with creating more ebooks, sales are slim. Even so I write on. Finding old topics to put a new teaching twist on. For instance, The Narcissist Checklist is geared for assessing your relationships with one. Guess where this inspiration came from? 🙂 I have a unique line up of self help topics sold through resellers listed on my site PattyAnn.net. I have culled all social media except Pinterest where my ebooks get wide exposure. I’ve taken back my time off the computer since my property is demanding my attention. Not a bad thing to unplug. In fact, quite peaceful and freeing! I hope this year brings each one of you what you want—or need!