Feeling guilty but just too busy

Feeling guilty but just too busy to write my blog this week. With so much work to do on my website, I just can't justify the time it takes me to sit and write the blog. That doesn't mean I am lounging in the garden, out in the sunshine (I wish). I have set aside today to knuckle down and catch up on paperwork. I've spent a lot of time getting all my new animals housed and fed over the last couple of weeks and now I need to tackle the pile of paperwork that has yet again piled up on my desk. I really have to look at all the GDPR information that I have and 'try' and work out how it relates to me and what I need to do. It is something to do with privacy and storing data and I could be sued if I don't do it, is all I know at the moment! It's great to see sunshine this week (even if it is only through my office window). The bramble is once again growing and I haven't had to use any heat packs in my parcels for the last few days. Anyway, as I said I haven't got time for this :)

Sorry, no blog next week either as we are going away to Dorset for a long weekend to hopefully see Adders coming out of hibernation as we did last year (great fun). I just hope this weather lasts, fingers crossed. Then I will indeed be out in the sunshine enjoying myself (the hotel break was my birthday present from my favourite son and partner).

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A surreal week indeed!

A surreal week indeed! I sent off my last orders on Monday and the remainder of my bugs will be leaving me on Friday. So many people are congratulating me on my retirement but I prefer the good luck messages. I didn’t think I would ever retire but it all became too much, not just for me but my family too. Our home was taken over by my work. The bug room was my domain but the rest of the house had gradually filled up with ‘stuff’, plastic boxes, cardboard boxes, tanks etc. and I never ever had any time. Whatever task I was doing, I was always thinking of the next job on the list. People keep asking what I am going to do with my time now. In the short term I will be clearing everything out, especially the loft which is full to the brim. I’m a bit of a hoarder so that really doesn’t help 😄 Lack of time was indeed the main factor for finishing my business but there was also the constant “I only want a female tarantula” 😤, leaving Europe was a big blow, Covid, the animal welfare licensin...

Retirement

Who am I? My bug room is cold, my bug room is quiet. I have lost my identity, they say we are defined by our job. Am I still “the bug lady”? I think so, I hope so, it’s all very weird and as someone who has always hated ‘change’, it’s difficult. I’m really glad I kept a tank of Hissing cockroaches, I always said that I would and I find it strangely grounding. The tank is now full of hissing cockroaches and anything else that I have found while emptying the room (odd cockroaches, cave crickets, a banded cricket 😂 ). One thing I love about this blog is that I can now use emojis, my old blog didn’t support them and I love emojis! I hear that I’m not supposed to use certain ones and that some may mean, “not what I intended” but ignorance is bliss so I won’t know unless you tell me 😊 I feel almost as busy as ever but with a lot less stress. The world has become busier and busier, people expect more and more and I needed to get off that crazy roundabout. I’m such a people plea...

My biggest announcement ever!

My biggest announcement ever! It is with a heavy heart that I am informing everyone of my impending retirement as “The Bug Lady”. I have been running my business for approximately 45 years so it has been pretty good J Things change over the years, I was one of the only bug dealers in the early days and possibly the only woman but these days, every man and his dog is selling tarantulas and “proper bugs” seem to have fallen out of favour. I have been cutting down on stock for some time and had hoped to keep going without the tarantulas but it hasn’t worked out. I expect to fully retire by the end of this year but a lot depends on my wonderful customers (you!) as I need to sell off a large number of little creatures. I still have 24 species of tarantula (multiple numbers of most), millipedes, cockroaches, isopods, scorpions, slugs etc. Do take a look on my website, once they are gone, they are gone! If you want to help me, please spread the word to all your bug mad friends. I have lots of...

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