Knotty, Where Have You been??
First off, please accept my apologies for being away for so long!
It really wasn't intentional.
My life went on a downward spiral that took quite some time to recover from.
It all started on a good note...
First
My name is Lisa, and Chantix worked for me.
Yes, I finally did it. I kicked the habit and have been smoke free for quite some time.
In the process though, I found i couldn't sit at my desktop.
It made me crave a cigg.
after about 4 months, I started thinking I could do it again.
And Then
I had to have an emergency hysterectomy.
I was devastated.
I know it sounds silly, but I wanted to keep all my girly parts!
I wanted my "womanhood" to end on a natural note.
not have it all ripped from my body.
I had no one to talk to about it except for my husband, and he did his best to console me. But you really cant expect him to know what i was going through lol.
And Then
Less than a month after my surgery,
My beloved husband was diagnosed with leukemia.
Again, I was mortified. How was i suppose to deal with this?
I'm still dealing with healing my own body?
I was a basket case when home alone, and made of steel when my family was home.
Again, I had no one to talk to about this, as the one Id normally turn to needed ME to be the strong one.
And Then
As if that weren't enough,
my birth dad drowned in the ocean in Panama Beach Florida while vacationing with his wife daughter & grand kids.
The wonderfully kind, honest, strong man who participated in giving me life was ripped away from us.
When I got the phone call i was alone. I heard the words Doug and riptide.
I dropped the phone and just started screaming. Even now, the memory of it brings tears flowing. It took the better part of a year to be able to even speak his name without bursting into tears. i spent several months laying on the couch sobbing.
It was the most gut wrenching emotional thing. I cant find the words to describe it.
I can tell you, I've always been a strong person. The one everyone turns to for a shoulder. The woman who can handle anything.
But this was more than anyone should have to bare.
There is allot more to this story, but I'm stopping here.
Nuff said.
And Then
Less than 6 months after that, my mother started having heart issues again.
Shes had several surgeries since and her heart has stopped twice while on the table.
they recently put in a pacemaker to keep her rhythm on the right track.
And Then
On top of all that, you can imagine the financial strain.
Each time i fly home, its a grand.
Each time my husband needs a scan to check for nodes, its a grand (after insurance)
Every 3 months its $240 just for blood work and an office call on top of that.
There You Have It
My last couple of years in a nutshell.
As a rule, I don't discuss my personal life for public viewing.
But I thought after all this time, you deserved to know.
Thank you for reading.
Stock News
I've been revamping my gallery. There will be no more free stock.
Now hold on! Before you go getting all upset, hear me out.
Why
Because I'm really tired of finding my stuff being shared in tagger groups via yahoo etc. Yes, Im there and I know all about it.
I also found my stuff being sold on discs and being offered for free on other sites.
If this is how they want to play, they will at least have to pay me for it first.
On The Upside
In lieu of freebies, Ill be adding some that only require a few points.
This will deter allot of those accounts who only come here for all the free downloads.
- For those of you who have purchased my commercial license, you will get those items for free. They will be placed in the links i provided you when you purchased it.
- Ill also be treating you on your birthdays by letting you choose what you'd like as a gift from me to you.
Q-But Knotty, I have a ton of your stock downloaded already!
(a) That's OK. Even though its converted to premium, you can still use it.
Just follow my old rules just like you always have.
- For those of you who have purchased my stock items, you already know that purchase gives you commercial rights to do whatever you like with your derivative artwork any where any way you like (this includes premade backgrounds).
That's A Wrap
I love making stock. I love seeing how you use it. I'm enamored each time i open my inbox. Please don't let the changes deter you from supporting me as a stock provider as I support you as an artist. If you read the top part of this post, you know I need all the help I can get lol.
She's a smoker, 
Warning