June 13th, 2010
It is a beautiful sunny summer afternoon. There is just enough breeze to make it pleasent to be outside. But, me, I am way behind on Internet business between the ISP mistakenly shutting us off earlier this week and spending a lot of time with doctors and dialysis center. Meanwhile, the wonderful lensmasters at Squidoo have really stepped up and donated enough to keep us going for at least a little while longer as well as many great suggestions for ways I can make a little more money.
Just to celebrate, today I created greeting cards, postage, stickers and a magnet with this beautiful summer sun design – one I colored digitally from the summer sun coloring pages I added a few weeks ago.
Someone made a suggestion that those of you who print out and use the coloring pages would probably enjoy having a binder to keep them in. I think that’s a brilliant suggestion – and will be creating some binders for you in my Zazzle store later this week (I hope).
Blessedbe
Summer Fey Foovay
June 12th, 2010
Just when you think no one noticed or cared at all about my plea for assistance on this – my number one website as far as traffic – the owner of Snukums.com comes along. She was looking for coloring pages to add to these marvelous custom puzzle books she creates. I’ve just been browsing through them and they are really unique and fun. I can think of all kinds of uses – neat favors at birthday parties, any kind of promotion or fundraiser event, or gifts for your kids or grandkids with their own family photos.
Thank you so much Genesis Lin for your very generous donation – and for sharing your own unique creativity with the world. May you have much success.
Summer Fey Foovay
June 6th, 2010
If you follow this blog regularly, some of this information is redundant. Please bear with me as I need a place to give a full explanation of our current situation.
My husband has had Chronic Kidney Disease since childhood. He was born premature and the tube from bladders to kidneys was not fully formed. This was not discovered until he was about ten, and by that time his kidneys had been irrevocably damaged.
Many people would have just laid down and whimpered and expected the world to take care of them from then on. Not my husband.
He has worked hard all of his life. He devotes himself 100% to whatever job he is doing. We put him through college and he got a great job. That great job was with one of those companies that was so naughty in the 90s and he was laid off without any benefits for the many years he worked long hours and days off on salary to “help us make it and we’ll take care of you”. Despite that, we made the best of it. Moved to New Mexico and eventually to this ranch we love so much and he took another job – a hard physically demanding job in spite of his physical condition and his age (40) and gave his best to them working many hours of overtime and during times when they were extremely busy and short handed.
In January his body finally gave out. He was diagnosed with ESRD – End Stage Renal Disease. He still forced himself to work part-time until March, when surgery to install a fistula for dialysis (which failed) made him unable to use one arm. We applied then for SS Disability.
I began seeking a job outside the home. It is because of the wonderful support and caring of this man that I have been able to pursue my own dream of making a living with my art and writing through the Internet. I’ve never come close, but he’s never complained or recriminated at me for my endeavors – instead always encouraging me to continue to seek out new avenues to create an income from my work – or tell me just to do it for the sake of it, never mind making any money.
It is because of him that all of you have had my writing, my free public domain clipart, my free printable coloring pages to use and enjoy.
In May his kidneys finally completely gave out and he was hospitalized for kidney failure, as well as a heart condition caused by the kidney failure. They finally began dialysis with a catheter since a fistula will not take and now he is not healthy enough for the surgery to attempt another.
We are now taking him 100 miles to the nearest dialysis center three times a week. Most weeks he also has two or three doctors appointments so that we are driving that distance almost daily. He suffers from mental confusion – a symptom of ESRD – and exhaustion – a symptom of anema caused by the ESRD – and is not able to drive, thus I am needed to drive him to dialysis and doctors.
Although we applied for his disability in March, SSD says they are still “considering it”. Until they make a decision, either to grant or refuse it, we cannot even have a lawyer dispute it.
Mind you – the dialysis center applied about a month ago for his medical insurance to pay for dialysis through SSD – and THAT has been approved. And believe me, I am grateful for that – since they were already asking how we intended to pay for dialysis.
We are receiving food stamps. Last month we were approved for a minimal assistance payment from the state – about enough to take him to dialysis for a week.
I have had three jobs. I’ve been let go from every one of them for the same reason – I need three to five days off a week to take him to doctors and dialysis.
We are still on the ranch, on the sufferance of our friend/landlord/roommate who has not received a penny from us for bills or rent in months. Thank goodness, for it is the one place of peace and serenity we have. I think without it, my husband probably would have given up months ago.
And just when I really needed it the most, my tiny little Internet income has completely tanked. My Google income for May was $23 – and since you have to build up $100 to get paid I won’t even get that.
It costs about $20 in gas per trip. Our poor little car desperately needs brakes, the tags are expired, and our insurance will expire the end of this month. We currently have $24 and 3/4 tank of gas. That will get him to dialysis three more times if I am real careful.
My husband will die within a few days of missing a dialysis treatment.
We have no income and no prospects of any income until the first of next month.
I can create artwork – either “real” artwork such as portraits in pastel, acrylic, colored pencil – or any kind of digital artwork such as clipart for a website or a line art for a crafts or sewing pattern. I can write an article on any subject you need. I will sell you any of my art or websites or Squidoo lenses. I am looking to sell my sewing machine and my precious beloved kayak.
The domain for Color-Your-Own.com expires the end of this month. I can use that $12 to either take my husband to dialysis one more time (almost) or to renew that website that is currently only making $20 a month despite the fact it gets about 30,000 visitors monthly. I don’t plan on renewing it. In fact, it is quite likely that I will not pay the $9.95 for hosting the end of this month. I simply cannot justify paying to give my work away at this point in our lives.
If you have used and/or enjoyed any of my writing, my clipart, my line art, perhaps you can make a donation to help us. I will endeavor to pay you back when/if he gets his Disability.
Thank you
Summer Fey Foovay
May 30th, 2010
Jack Russell Terrier Laying Down Coloring Page
In response to a request. I know I’m behind on requests, but this one seemed important to do right away. I’ve been away from the computer quite a bit the last few weeks. For those who do not know, my husband has been severely ill and is no longer able to work. Between doctors and hospital trips, I’ve also been trying to work various jobs away from the house. He has been disabled since March and unable to work, but we are not getting any assistance (yet). If you’d like to help out there is a donation button around here somewhere – or just share Color-Your-Own.com will your friends and family, add it to your Facebook, stuff like that. It sure would be nice if I could hang out at home and draw coloring pages all day 
and be able to take better care of my hubby, too.
Sleeping Jack Russel Puppy Coloring Page
Please enjoy these adorable Jack Russell Terriers to color! You can click on the thumbnail or the links are here:
Jack Russell Terrier Laying down coloring page
Jack Russell Terrier Puppy Sleeping
May 23rd, 2010
Smiley Sun Coloring Page
Summer tiiiiiime…and the livin’ is eeeeeeeeasy…
I love summer time. Long, hot lazy days to swim, kayak, hike or do other outdoor things – like doze off in the shade. These are the first two of a series of coloring pages inspired by summer. Be sure and come back to see them all!
Meanwhile, please enjoy this Smiley Sun Coloring Page and the Stylized Sun Coloring Page shown below.
Stylized Sun Coloring Page
May 20th, 2010
Nez Perce Native American on an Appaloosa Horse Coloring Page
I think this may be one of the nicest and most detailed coloring pages I have ever created. Using an archival photo as a reference I created this Nez Perce warrior mounted on his Appaloosa horse. The horse shows a typical Tiger Horse type pattern, and has the fine, short mane and tail that the Foundation Appaloosa horses were known for that has since been bred out by the Appaloosa Horse Association breeders who prefered full and long mane and tails. There are a number of breeds now that are descended to various extent from the famous Nez Perce Appaloosa horses. Some of the breeds have changed so much that they no longer even show the prized spotted coats, others have placed their emphasis on keeping the old type with spotted patterns, mottled skin (also shown on this coloring page), and striped hooves. Now and then you’ll even see one with a fine, thin mane and short “rat” tail 
I hope you enjoy this Nez Perce Warrior on his Appaloosa Horse Coloring Page.
April 24th, 2010
They did it to me again. I was browsing through my email trying to catch up a little when a Dover sampler tempted me in. Then I fell in love with a couple of butterfly coloring books. And the next thing you know, I’ve written a new Squidoo lens devoted to Butterflies to Color. Sigh.
Which reminds me yet again that I don’t have one single butterfly coloring page on Color-Your-Own.com yet. Got to work on that…
April 10th, 2010
Can you believe it has been two years since I did a major update and overhaul of good old Line Art on the Internet? So much has changed in my life and at Squidoo since I wrote my very first lens to promote the Color-Your-Own.com website. If you haven’t read it you might find the story of how Color-Your-Own came to be interesting. If you have, you might enjoy seeing the updates.
For the first time I came home from a full days work with a wee bit of energy left. I didn’t fall directly into bed and asleep. There is hope that I’ll find the time and energy to draw more coloring pages yet
Summer Fey Foovay
