And time for a new location...

Just as the last bits of musical instruments and other stuff were cleared from the fabulous new TTouch studio, we got notice from the buildings' owner that we have 60 days to relocate! They're going to demolish the building. Wow. Gianna Violins (our primary small business) has been there nearly 8 of our 10 years in business. It's sort of like leaving an old home. The building was built in the 1930's (before the river was dammed) as a service station/convenience store & grill with residence downstairs, It was at that time, a short drive down the Cloyd's creek to the Tennessee River, now of course, the 'river' is right out our back door and known as Ft. Loudon Lake. Our upstairs space has really nifty hardwood, tongue & groove floors and fabulous old style, solid wood framed front doors. We're hoping we can keep the doors and put them in our home. They're really nostalgic and nifty. Other than that, the building is on its last legs. We're in awe that GV has actually stayed there that long. LOL The time flew by!

ETT and GV (East Tennessee TTouch & Gianna Violins) will be moving to Lenoir City in the coming weeks. Clients and customers will be seen by appointment only in the new location. The address will not be published. The location is absolutely lovely and ideal for working with TTouch clients and their animals. It's set in the middle of 15 fenced and private acres with generous woods.  No traffic. No distractions. Quiet. It's a doggie heaven!  It's quite a bit easier to find than our backwater Friendsville place and a good deal closer to most of the immediate surrounding planet inhabitants.  

Early November rings in the Great Smoky Mountain Cluster, a huge AKC dog show event for the entire East Tennessee region. If you come out to the dog show, find me at the East Tennessee TTouch booth near the 'best in show' arena in the Jacob Building. November 3rd thru 6th are the show dates.

The Training Room

The floor has arrived and is (mostly) laid down. The specialty leashes and harnesses are here! The Thundershirts are here! We have a training room!! Just a few more days till a few more things find their place and all is pristine, but if you need an appointment, we're ready.

A new "Bark!" Post coming in a few days.

The website is up: www.easttennesseettouch.com

How was your 10th anniversary of 9-11? I found it really amazing. I cried a lot, just like that day 10 years ago. I adored seeing folks forget their hurries and come together to remember and honor. I rode "bitch" (is that a fitting position for me, or what?!) with my husband on a 50 mile memorial motorcycle ride. I'm thinking close to 1000 bikes (many doubles, like us) showed up, a huge jump over previous years. Our ride was like a procession, folks pulled over voluntarily (on coming traffic that wasn't restrained by police) and they would wave, yell and cheer. It was amazing. The hamburger at the joint that fed us at the end of the ride was amazing! Lube something on Merchants Drive in Knoxville. YUM!

Come by, check out the training room and we'll talk TTouch.

Studio Update

Wow, I feel like I've been running forever. A computer failure put me back about a week. It's amazing what one "can't" do without a computer!

The studio is cleared and ready to become all things TTouch. With a stunning wood floor dating from the 1930's .... it just ain't the best footing for our fur friends, so we have hard foam interlocking flooring coming (in a lovely shade of blue!) along with various TTouch products for you and your critter.

The new website is up and running: www.easttennesseettouch.com

Look for the doors to open for clients late next week! .... It's not too early to book a session!

I'm in the right place

Unlike Dorothy, I'm right where I need to be. This is a great article: "Knoxville goes to the dogs"

All the official paperwork is falling into place for East Tennessee TTouch's opening day of September 1st-ish, 2011. We have an on-going "garage sale" to clear space for the confidence course and all things TTouch, so come buy anytime during regular business hours at Gianna Violins..... I know the guy, we're sharing the space. Many items are from a relatives' estate.... if you like vintage, this is your bag!

East Tennessee TTouch will be at the Smoky Mountain Cluster in November! I'll have all sorts of goodies and hand outs. If you visit the show I hope you'll come by and say "hello"! Think of the lovely autumn weather we'll be having by then!

I currently take emails if you have questions or would like consultation. Visit my contact page.

Studio

East Tennessee TTouch opens its doors for clients on September 1, 2011

The Studio is located at "my other job"
Gianna Violins
10091 Unitia Road
Friendsville, Tennessee 37737

Please note that the bridge right next to the venue is CLOSED while they finish building a brand new one.

Between now and September 1st, we'll have several "garage sales" to clear out the space for all that lovely ground equipment that is part of the TTouch experience. "Like" us on Facebook for lists of goodies at the garage sales.

YEPPIE!!!

PiT

I never thought I'd be so happy to be referred to as a "PiT"! It's not the pits, that's for sure! Ugh... the "pun"ishment....

Session 4 was simply wonderful! Minnesota is a lovely place with it's geological beauty and really NICE people. The weather was hot, but I was reminded upon getting home that it was much LESS humid than Tennessee! The MOA (Mall of America) is worth seeing and is very nicely done ~for a mall~. Instructor, Edie Jane Eaton is delightfully direct and lovingly encourages thought behind the action which I deeply appreciate. I learned so much from this fine lady and never once felt lacking. I have lovingly progressed! I hope someday my hubby and Edie Jane can meet... they share geology as a former career. That may explain the familiar "rock solid" personality.

Nestle's adventure was amazing! This little guy quickly learned that his airline carrier was his "safe place" for all the weirdness he was exposed to flying up and back. I took a bold step and traveled without any sedatives as backup. I trusted that with my tools of TTouch he'd cope well.... and he did! For future reference, when traveling with a dog take advantage of the privilege of boarding the plain first so you can take your dear sweet time getting settled without the added complication of stumbling around your seatmate! Jeepers those seat isles are TINY! And it helps to put your pup in his carrier "naked" 'cause those collar fittings will set off the metal detectors and you don't want a "pat down" from TSA thanks to your dog. .... No, they don't x-ray your dog, my first time through security, Nestle went through the metal detector IN his carrier (hence the need to be "naked"... the dog.... not me!); the second time, I held him as his carrier was x-rayed.

So, Nestle found take-off the most stressful and I would slip a few fingers in his carrier and touch him calmly while this happened. In the beginning he wore his Thundershirt, but I removed that while laying over in Chicago out of concern that he might over heat in his tiny carrier (regardless of the ventilation). He seemed more able to settle after that. While waiting at the gates for a flight, I would unzip his "lid" to keep him ventilated and allow me to work on him. Ear & tummy TTouches did the trick and he would slip into a comfortable nap. All-in-all Nestle's airline travels went amazingly smooth - not bad for a little guy who had been known for full-on "freak outs" in his past.

What does being a PiT mean?
I can now work with clients on what I would refer to as a "professional basis" rather than as case studies only. Current case study clients will receive the remainder of their sessions free of charge for the remainder of this year.

I can give free presentations to local clubs and organizations introducing the delightful world of TTouch. ..... I'm deeply entrenched in working on a power-point presentation for this purpose - not to mention learning HOW to work the program! LOL Stay tuned.... completing that will color when I'm ready.

My "other" avocation is co-owning a small musical instrument business with my husband at our adorably small shop in Friendsville (see: GiannaViolins.com). We're in the midst of reorganizing the shop to make room for what will become my TTouch studio where animals can be seen in climate controlled comfort at a truly neutral location that is much easier to find than my home! After a lifetime of acquiring "stuff" we're clearing the path for this studio by organizing mass "yard sales", so stuff has to go before room can be made and as a result we'll set a "grand opening" date of September 1st. This doesn't mean I can't see clients till September 1st, it only means it'll either be a hotter, sweatier experience (in my driveway) or we can be creative and meet at an indoor training location provided the space can be rented/used, etc. .... And there's always phone consultations or email (see the "contact" page on this blog), so there's no need to feel stranded till September.

Nestle drifts off to sleep snuggled comfortably within his airline carrier while awaiting to board the first flight headed for home out of Minneapolis - St. Paul, MN

Session 4

And we're off to TTouch Training #4 in beautiful Bloomington, Minnesota! (Maybe we'll have time to experience the nearby "Mall of America"! It all depends on my ability to handle large crowds....

Nestle is flying with me and looks forward to the experience - sorta. ...Hard to be excited when you have no experience!

Wish us well and we'll see you on the flip side!