Just thought I'd let you all know how I'm doing

This is a kind of an apology for not being here more - I so wish I could! This is also an opportunity to vent a little - so be warned!

I feel like a juggler in the circus lately, trying to juggle work, family and volunteer work. On the homefront, my hubby is not well. He got a nasty case of CMV, which is a kind of virus that caused him to get some kind of mononucleosis. He also suffers from a condition called NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) which is like an inflammation of the liver. This combined with the CMV has put him into hospital for over a week in July + a month of bed rest following that. Since then he has been very weak still, and the blood tests he had last week showed high levels of the virus in his blood still as well as active hepatitis So, when he comes he goes straight to bed (doctor's specific orders) and I don't let him help with our baby Ron, who is now almost 9 months old. Ron is the sweetest baby - very good natured and we love him to bits. I am so grateful for my in-laws' help in raising him! With hubby the way he is, I couldn't have done it by myself.

Then on the work frontier... I still can't believe I actually took the plunge and got Meowhoo on the way if it wasn't for Mary Anne (hissy) I could never ever have done it on my own. And bless her, she is helping me get advertisers for TCS as well and doing a wonderful job at it (as you can see, our forums are now sponsored thanks to her!). So why it's nice to actually be getting a bit of money rather than losing every month, it also means more work - not that I'm complaining MA!

My cat counselling service is not doing too bad either. The problem is I tend to try and help people for free rather than charge for the service , but I'm trying to get myself used to asking for money too... Thing is, between spending time with Ron, working on the websites and managing the household - I almost hope I won't have too many clients. I don't have too many either - but the 2-3 I have a week seem to be too much some time. I do enjoy helping the cats very very much and I get immense satisfaction from it - only the owners can be very frustrating at times!

And then, just when I thought I have reached my limit... I was asked by the Israeli Cat Welfare Society to join their board of directors. I was very very honored and I am thrilled at the chance of helping so many cats! They are the best organization - a huge no-kill shelter for cats (with over 500 cats kept in a wonderful facility) and they do most of the work with ferals and stray and with TNR. They have neutered and spayed over 50,000 cats in the last 16 years! You can see their website here: www.cats.org.il By the way, I really want to work on that website - it looks really bad now and I have tons of ideas on how to improve it. I am also going to write fact sheets on TNR and other matters and I am going to start a special cat behavior hotline (which means getting volunteers and training them).

So, you see, I can't say I'm bored Just very tired... I wish I could get some more sleep - but Ron is teething and waked up 5-6 times a night too. Anyway, not enough hours in the day for me

So, I am sooooooooo sorry I can't post more in the lounge. I hope you all understand and are not too mad at me . I love you all to bits and I do check in daily and have a look around. I wish I could spend more time posting too. I will be posting some more today or tomorrow re the help I need with getting the word about Samoa out. Yola has come up with a brilliant idea which I may try to implement... it would involve the help of as many as our members as possible, that's all I can say for now.

Phew! Thanks so much for letting me vent! I needed that!

Love you all!

Anne - you sound so busy! Don't worry about us and just let us know if there is anything we could do to make things easier for you! Take care of yourself - don't you get sick!

Gosh Anne, if anyone has the right to vent around here it's you! It sounds like you are a very busy lady, and of course we all understand why you haven't been around a whole lot lately. Don't forget to schedule in some down time, too.

I admire all your hard work Anne

Thank you for building so many neat things for cat lovers all around the world. . . and a mommy as well. . .whew! How does anyone keep up with you?

Yes, Anne, you are truly an inspiration.

Besides everything else you do and want to do, you're not exactly doing all this during complete and utter peace.

Congratulations on all your successes! Best wishes for many more!

All I can say is.......

WOW!!! What a dynamic woman you are!!!

Sending good thoughts to you and your family!

Anne, there are "Superwomen," and you are obviously one of them. There are many here, so kudos to you for that too!

Anne - since Christy and I are doing the research and work anyway, why not let us write some of the TNR stuff you need for your website (well - the Israeli Cat Welfare Society, anyway)? I would ask Gary translate it if you need it in Hebrew, but his grammar and spelling in English is terrible, so I doubt it'd be that great in Hebrew. ...though we do have friends there who may be willing to provide the translation for you...???

Either way. We can certainly ask, if you want us to.

But if you have the stuff in English, will that help at all? When do you need it? ...or...we can send along what we have, and then you can just change it as you want to. I wouldn't have a problem with that.

Christy - what do you think? Anne - you'll let us know.

Anne, you are one of the women I admire and respect most in my life!!!!!! I don't know how you do it all!!! Juggling a family (and a little baby even!) and all the projects you have going on, and being a wife, and your cat behavior job, and still managing to keep this site going (and now meowhoo as well)......WOW!!!!!!!! You do SO much!!!!!!!! I just wish I could help you out more!!!!!

Hissy has done a fantastic job of helping you and I also admire her so much for all she does here!!!!!!!!


Don't ever apologize for not being around a whole lot, we know you are busy, and we know you still care about us all!!!!!

We LOVE you Anne!!!

I sincerely mean that!!!!! If it weren't for you, none of us would have met and made the friendships here that we have and created this bond!!! You are the glue that holds us all together!!!!!

Well said, Debby! Hear Hear!

Geez, reading all you're juggling makes my computer change over at work seem trivial. I can only say one thing: you are woman, hear you ROAR!! LOL! I am amazed at your talents! I bow to you! You are an inspiration to us all!

Oh my! I am NOT one of those super women! You should see the state my house is in right now I have a pile of dishes in the sink, the baby is with the baby sitter and all I can think about is S-L-E-E-P Besides, I don't look the part either... I need to lose weight, do my hair and re-introduce myself to cosmetics before I can qualify

None of us buys it for a second. I mean, none of us buys that you're not a super woman! I believe you have dishes waiting for you! With two men around, it's almost impossible not to! Then you wouldn't be a superwoman, you'd be a miracle worker - which you probably are that, too. We just don't want to write any more here because we don't want to tie you up any more! Making you come back here.... shame on me!