21/08/2024
Hello to all of my beloved clients! I have some news to share with you that is both exciting and difficult. I will be moving back to Northwestern Ontario in October.
As many of you know, my Mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May, and she passed away in July. Mom and I were very close, and losing her was the most difficult loss I’ve ever experienced. I spent a large portion of the summer in Ontario caring for her, and I came to realize how much I've missed it there. Mom’s property has always been special to me; it was her Dad’s homestead, then she bought it in the early 80’s, and my siblings and I grew up there. It’s 160 acres of boreal forest in a remote area, with a wide variety of wildlife and birds, peace and quiet, and dark skies filled with stars. It’s beautiful. We built the house ourselves, so it has a lot of memories… and some quirks too, of course!
Losing Mom made me think about my priorities, and I realized that I want to slow down. The summer of 2024 marks 30 years of grooming for me, and I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished, however I’ve been working 60+ hours, 6 days a week, for years. I still love what I do, and don’t want to stop, but I do want to have a better balance in my life – I’m tired. We also don’t want the house to fall into disrepair, which is bound to happen if it sits empty. I’ve been yearning for a simpler, quieter life, and taking over the care of this property that Mom loved so much feels like the perfect way to have that in our lives! Ellis and I have plans: we want to build a huge catio off the back of the house, so our cats can watch the wildlife, we are going to build a barn and some fences so I can have a horse again, and Ellis wants goats! I’m sure there will be chickens, maybe a donkey, and who knows what else?
I’m not giving up grooming; I don’t think that I ever want to do that! I plan to take some time off, to settle into the house, and to grieve the loss of my Mom. I’ve been told that there are no cat groomers in the area, so I will definitely get back to it when I’m ready. I also have a few great cat groomers in Calgary that I refer, so I won’t be leaving you without options! I’m happy to pass along your grooming notes to your new groomer to ease the transition as well.
Thank you for all of the support and love over the years, I wish I could have had the chance to tell each of you in person. Please give your kitties a cuddle from me, I'm going to miss you all ❤️
Love Tamara
*I've attached a few photos to share some of the beauty of our new home with you
