Hi Xyliacs!

I am going to try to update this blog at least twice a week, if not more.  After going several weeks at a time with no updates, it’s time to get the Xylia site up and running again…

Once again, I want to thank all of you for stopping in, reading my crazy ramblings and lending your support, for this I will never stop being grateful.  Those of you who have taken the time to write kind words, please know that it really means so much to me.

Today’s pic is one of many idea sketches I have done in the last couple weeks- tightened up a little bit.  Mostly a character study- but some concept in there too… some funny character interaction?    So many ideas running around- I just need to catch them and weave them into a logically flowing story.

To those of you nice enough to have been keeping tabs, I have been gradually moving out of my latest state of emotional disarray, doing as much as I can cranking out work projects, working out to keep my brain clear, forging through the regular responsibilities of my little universe,  and dealing with the latest ‘traumatic event’- caring for my very sick pup.  He has had some kind of intestinal illness the vets can’t figure out, and has dropped a lot of weight- he was so weak and sick that I thought I might lose him on Saturday night and rushed him to a 24 hour animal hospital.   So it’s been a stressful and expensive time in Barbland.

The good news is that Deekster seems to have stabilized, and I think he has turned a corner and is slowly getting well!  I hope so.  After three other vets failed to help him, I went to a country vet recommended by a friend of mine, and he seems to have figured out how to help me treat Deek.  Thank you everyone for your Facebook prayers and well wishes. I will keep you all informed.

Some exciting news may be coming with the promotion of Xyliatales. Still keeping it under wraps, but there may be someone to help me with getting it out there. Even more reason I want to get it moving again.

As always, a huge thank you to all of you who have written such supportive words here on my blog.  I am stunned at how many of you still come here with the updates on hiatus.  Thank you so much for your support, and kindness.

——————–Response to  August 20 comments———-

Caitydid: Thank you very much for the kind words and well wishes.  As far as responding to people- at this point, yes I do try to respond to every comment.  Once the story gets into gear and taking up a lot of time,  it may be harder for me to write such lengthy responses, but I will try. To me, it really means a lot that so many of you take the time to write words of support and encouragement.  Especially when you aren’t rewarded with any story right now.  Thank you!

Athena: You are very kind, but no- ‘amazing‘ is not a word I readily use to describe myself with!  I’m sorry that the story is still on hold, and I hope it will get back up soon, but I can’t put out something that is sub par.  And the other issue is trying to figure out where I’m going.  My life has changed  a great deal, and for me, I need the story to reflect that.  I just have to figure that out.
Thank you for your kind comments!

Mary Beth: Welcome to the Xyliacs!  Thank you for your kind words, and I’m glad that you are enjoying he story.  I hope the updates will come soon…

OctoDude: Thank you for your kind words, and true words- I have come out the other side of this latest entanglement with the nasty stuff in my head.  No, I most certainly don’t have a cape (although I used to tie my grandma’s apron around my neck and fly around pretending to be Batman, but that’s another story…)and yes, I only clearly see my shortcomings, I do admit that and  I also have to admit that may never change at this point.  (So yes, I agree that  am disagreeing with you… you know me pretty well, don’t you? <3)

Regarding courage-  I always loved this John Wayne quote:
“Courage is being scared to death – but saddling up anyway.”
I feel like I’m still trying to get on that horse…

Skewered Viewpoint: “At the end of the day, all that matters is that one has upheld their personal code as best as they could. There will be regrets, doubts, worries, and failings, but there will also be happiness, certainties, reassurances, and successes.” What you said here really bears repeating.  That’s excellent.  One of the amazing things about the Xyliacs (the community of readers and folks that I am blessed to call readers- is that among us are many that would be classified in the Myers-Briggs personality sorter as “Idealists’.  A rare personality type in the populace at large, a huge percentage of the people drawn to this story tested with these types.  And yes, it’s my type as well.  If you’re curious what yours is, you can take you little selves over and take the test  here. The idealist, as a temperament, is: passionately concerned with personal growth and development.  Highly ethical in their actions, Idealists hold themselves to a strict standard of personal integrity.  FWIW, I took the quiz as Claude and I was answering it as best I could from his point of view, hoping for a “Rational’ personality, but he came out as an Idealist. 

Wayfarer: Thank you, as always,  for the kind words on the art. ^_^

Miamistax: Thank you SO MUCH for the image you created in the forum.  It was very touching, and I thank you for creating it.  Here is a link to view it if you don’t have forum access.  It is exactly how I feel about the Xyliacs.

Francisco: Thank you so much for giving the time to read my story and for your comments here!

Julie: I will definitely have to check out Wapsi Square- I haven’t been reading many webcomics of late, but that sounds quite intriguing.  Thank you for trying to James Bond away my nasty voices.  It never hurts to try!

Slamlander: Reviews of that ilk do sting, I admit.  But like anything else negative in life, they can and will come along, and it’s my responsibility to choose to not allow them to harm me.  I just struggle with that choice, because I have so many inner voices that resonate with negative things like that.  Sort of like gas on a fire… Sorry your muse has wandered off, maybe our muses are having coffee in Nice or playing Guitar Hero at some  Anime convention… I don’t know… Thank you!

Kyastar: *Thank you*.

Dana: My challenges with the Big D started at the age of 13- at least from what I remember. Of course at the time, I had no idea why I felt the way I did, or why over the years I would go through regular periodic funks, resulting in tons of personal damage control- my messing up of friendships, holing up and feeling lost…until I was diagnosed at 27.  Now nearly 20 years later, I still dance with this tangled snarl of angry self talk and stress, until I figure out how to wad it up and stuff it back in its box.  No it’s NOT something everyone can do, and I always try to have a lot of compassion for those people who can’t.  It’s a real journey and a crap shoot trying to figure out what can and will work, and then finding the strength  (and often money) to implement it.    This is why when Tom Cruise jumped around on a sofa like a chimp and belittled Brooke Shields for her struggles with depression, I just wanted to shoot his tiny little ass into orbit.  But that’s…just…me.  Thank you for the kind words, and I’m glad you understood the drawing. One of my favorite works of art that depicts depression is this by Van Gogh:  it personifies depression so purely, it’s painful for me to look at.

Ladyfox7oaks: Thank you for ‘understanding’ my art.   That always means a lot to me.

UsArmyretired: In response to you not knowing what to say when someone thanks you, you really have done more that enough to earn the respect.  ‘Thank you’ always seems like it’s not enough to me.  Thank you for the kind words again, and I do hope to figure out how to intertwine the story I need to tell with Xylia once again.

Mutt Lover: Okay, that is like one of my ALL time favorite Corgi movies.  And I had forgotten how much I love it!   Thank you for posting it!  ^_^

Smack: Thank you for writing.  I suppose ‘battling’ comes from the feeling that some of the nasty internal talk, or as we call it around here, Negavox, can be pretty ferocious, and it can take a mental form of warrior stance to cut it down or at least put it in a cage.  What you say here, I have said to other friends of mine that were going through this – that you should see the success in the day to day struggle.  The problem is that when mired in the pit of total, irrational depression, it’s nearly impossible to see any positive.   Thank you for your kind words and for taking the time to share your story!

Meika: thank you so much for the well wishes and kind words!  I am drawing (as you can see here) it’s just a matter of figuring out how to move ahead with the story that’s giving me grief.  Thanks for commenting!

Lillian: thank you very much, for enjoying the story and the kind words and well wishes.  But mostly for sharing that Xyliatales in some way helped inspire you to create your stories.  That truly brings me the greatest joy. Thank you!

Thank you all, Xyliacs for the kindness and patience.  You are the best readers.  You simply are!

Edit: If you all take the Kiersey (Myers Briggs) personality quiz, why don’t you share your results!  This sorter is really amazingly accurate.   I had a fun time taking the quiz as Tychia, and came up with the personality type PROMOTER- ” In a word, they are men and women of action. When a Promoter is present, things begin to happen: the lights come on, the music plays, the games begin. Clever and full of fun, Promoters live with a theatrical flourish which makes even the most routine events seem exciting.”

Then Talismen’s Ollie took the test and came up with the INSPECTOR type: …”the one word that best describes Inspectors is superdependable.  In their quiet way, Inspectors see to it that rules are followed, laws are respected, and standards are upheld.”
Wow. I guess I know my characters… LOL.  Or maybe they are actually in my head taking the test…Hmm…. that would explain the craziness I seem to exhibit…!

<3 B