Sharing your heartbreak is not "dumping", Janice. This is the Boom FRIENDSHIP group, and we are here for you to share anything you need to. Please feel free to talk about your sweet doggie in any way you need. I think most of us have dogs and kittys we love dearly, so we understand a little of what you are going through. It's a helpless feeling.
My doggie is going on 13, and I am already medicating him for arthritis and nerve pain every day. As long as I don't lapse, he seems ok, but I'm already dreading the end. I always say, dogs just don't last long enough!
I looked at Kathryn Kerr's 365 challenge and signed up! I can't promise to be "regular", but I thought it might be fun to make at a slower pace. She said the challenge is open every year, so you can take years to make the big 90"x90" sampler of blocks.
Another nice block-along that recently started is Moda's Blockheads 5. Those patterns are given once a week (I think) and you can make them in 6" and also 12" sizes, so they can be used for our Boom blocks! They are only on week 4 there, so we aren't too far behind. That is on Facebook.
I'm so excited to start Boom 31 too!