Retail therapy is ALWAYS good to cheer you up! Glad you found some treasures too...you find the neatest things..the bunny ornament is too cute (and you love bunnies so much anyway), the cardinal is really pretty and the teacup and the plate look beautiful. I am SO happy that you are re-doing your room as a place of peace and solice for you. The color sounds very relaxing and inviting and I know it is beautiful! Glad to hear that Zorro is doing so well...isn't it something how they know when they need to be patient and quiet and when they know it's okay to play and be themselves again? It's nice to know that you're moving forward day by day my friend!

Hello, it is me again. I started the thread. I'm sorry to have posted and then gone incommunicado, but I had a nasty motherboard problem. Eeeek! But I am now back online. I am very, very grateful to those who stepped in to answer questions. I hope you all don't mind if I do some quick clarifications under headings to save time, rather than respond to each individual. Therapy Dogs (TDs): Delta, TDI and Therapy Dogs Inc. are all great. The 14 point test on Delta's site is a very good example of what a TD must be able to do. If you want to volunteer as a TD team, you might want to get a CGC first. It is a good basis. If chapters of the above organizations are not in your area, please do not give up hope, but do a google search for Therapy Animal Groups in your state. There are smaller organizations, and some hospitals are beginning to start their own groups. I do advise joining a TD organization that offers training, ongoing support and, most importantly, insurance in these litigious days. Please don't try it on your own. We get huge enjoyment from our TD work. We also know we do good. We do both "social visiting" and "Animal Assisted Therapy". The first is just pleasant visiting, the second is working with a medical or educational team to achieve identified goals. So, we do regular volunteer visits at: an elementary school Reading Program, an Assisted Living, an Alzheimers Unit, and a residential facility for the severely Develpomentally Delayed. We also do Hospice on request. One of my dogs is a natural TD, and does most of the harder Animal Assisted Therapy work. The other I never expected to pass the test (!) but she has a huge affinity with seniors, and is amazingly understanding of those with dementia. She has totally exceeded my expectations and is enormously loved. Mental Heath Service Dogs: Autism and severe Anxiety Disorders have been mentioned above. Yes, and yes! Northstar is an exellent example of training service dogs for autistic people. I'd also add ADHD to that list. Sometimes petting a dog helps people to focus on the task at hand. Finally, Service Dog training: I did not mean to imply that there are not many wonderful training facilities for service animals. And the larger organizations provide valuable documentation. I do think that it is important to acknowledge that not all legitimate service animals have certification from *known* organizations. To date, there is no federally recognized training or certification for service animals. Some may disagree, and as I said it leaves things open to abuse, but this is a good thing IMO, for the individual who has a well trained animal bonding to them, and for smaller groups just starting up. Most people whose service animal is self-trained, carry a prescription from an MD for a service animal. That is usually accepted as documentation. In addition, most make sure the animal in question is well trained. Finally, Quirky and plasticgarden, I am very glad that you were joking. I did not find the jokes in particularly good taste, but that is because I work with and volunteer with so many disabled people. Possibly I should lighten up. But I would prefer not to. Quirky, and others considering it, best of luck with TD training. I'm sure you will all love volunteering. All the best.

Yes Carole quilting is good therapy, when my DH passed away I lost myself in quilting sent so many out to the longarm quilter I got a "good customer" discount still do, this year I have slowed down alot making only about 1 or 2 a month, can spend days away from the sewing machine, now if I can cure the addiction from buying fabric but that will never happen.

Terri, that is a great painting. I am wading my way through the books that I ordered and I can tell you I have a very long way to go to a quarter as good as you are. Do you ever buy your canvases pre-primed? I found a great article on supplies for the beginning oil artist. Absolutely stressed was high quality brushes and the best paint you can afford. I purchase from Utrecht and some things from Amazon but I have found Ultrecht, Dickblick, and Jerry's have better prices on art supplies overall than Amazon. The list had 12 colors that were recommended. Honestly the pricing is pretty even across the spectrum. Ultrecht has their own line of oils and some of their prices are great but then in other colors they are higher. Highly pigmented reds and yellows are on the high end. Do you have a studio, or at least a dedicated room where you paint? My animals would drive me crazy and there is no way to paint without locking Simba and Toby out of the room or all art would be abstract kitty paws! I am so happy for your encouragement and I am determined to go as far as my limited talent will take me.