Blog Humbug! I've just been in a mood lately - and it's no mood that feels like blogging. Part of it is that I'm too damn busy to make the time, part of it is the ol' "what do I have to write about" garbage, part of it is that I need a BREAK! So, there ya go: 3 parts equal the whole.
The washer's broken, and the laundry is thigh high. The mower's broken, and the yard is knee high. Dropped the mower off today to be repaired and also found a possible fix-it-myself for the washer. (Cross your fingers!) And, tomorrow, I'm trading some nannying hours for quality time with the washing machine at Baby Girl's house. Shee-it: just looked down and there's a tick embedded in my sweater. Hang on.
'Kay, tick has been roasted on stove burner. Thank gawd I'm not afraid of THOSE particular creepy-crawlies!
Did you notice that I actually said 'sweater'? Yes, the weather FINALLY broke yesterday, and its glorious now. The miserably hot (87 degrees still at 8 PM) weather and high humidity is gone. Let's hope for the rest of the summer! That said, I still had the A/C goin' in the truck today . . . but that might have been just because neither of the windows on the driver's side open.
I'm really disgusted with the jungle-like appearance of the yard right now, and that probably affects my mood. Lawn mower should be done by the end of this week, at best, or on Monday.
I bought a (well-used) piano a couple of weeks ago and had friends help me move it last Wednesday night. It's nestled into its corner of the livingroom now, and it even sounds really good - although I need someone in to tune it up (literally AND figuratively): it has quite a few sticking keys. No, I don't play, but I've always wanted to play something I could sing along with, and the guitar just does NOT come naturally. So far, I can plink out (with one hand) "Blueberry Hill". Maybe when life slows down (hahahahahahaha!) I'll take some lessons.
After being on the waiting list for well over two months, I FINALLY got the dogs in to be groomed today. Maisy is so shiny and clean with her feathers trimmed, and Tucker lookssocute! I took "before" shots last night and will take some "after" shots to post.
Probably another reason I haven't blogged, I now realize, is because I'm still dealing with these Big Things I'm having to research and make decisions about. But am still not ready to talk about.
But, my from-March-to-June work with a lawyer that I (may have?) alluded to is finally finished. It all had to do with zoning and a business idea: to see if I could legally do it out of Swamp River Ridge here. And, the upshot is that no, I can't. That was going to be a secondary source of income, anyway, and there were some big cons to the idea, so it's not a great downer. And, at least I know now . . . and isn't that what we hire lawyers for?
The other Big Thing has a deadline that is FAST approaching, so I'm actually taking almost two weeks out of the office to focus on and finish that up - the rest of this month and maybe a titch into August. (August, already?! There's ANOTHER shee-it!) That will officially begin on Friday (the two weeks out of the office). That means, too, that I'm taking no more website jobs until all this has fallen into place. I've taken one little graphic design job on, but it's small. And, I'll do as much as I can on my existing jobs from here at home. I'll have to run into the office from time to time, but that will coincide w/ needing to grocery shop or get gas, too, so that's fine.
The local arts festival came and went. Our summer one, anyway. I split a table with a friend this year instead of manning one by myself since I felt like I needed to establish my (gallery) presence in town, but that was a joke. My location, at just one block up from the main drag, just does NOT garner walk-in traffic. Lovely sandwich board or no lovely sandwich board. But, my point in mentioning the arts festival is that I suddenly find myself on the newly-established (but needed) board of directors.
We had (yet another) huge hub-bub with our director / coordinator this year. And then, after very publicly resigning the day before the festival, she (within 48 hours) re-appointed herself as director w/o talking to anyone else first (also very publicly). She has since, rather unceremoniously, been "disbarred" and a board partially selected. Of which I am a member. Guess that's what I get for being a fairly level-headed person, huh? ;)
What else? Remember my oldest girlfriend who's building a cabin just 9 miles from me? Whose two little ones I took care of over Memorial Day Weekend? Well, following that massive storm a week or so ago (when I lost 8 trees), I finally (!) got over to their cabin to make sure it made it thru okay. And, in the big picture, it did. But, for the here and now, it didn't. All the tarping was ripped from it, and the (finished, mind you!) downstairs flooded with between 1/2" and 4" of water, depending. Thankfully, their floor is one that can take a little damage, but I went back there last night, mop and sponges in hand, to take up all the standing water. Meanwhile, her husband immediately pulled together all his remaining vacation hours, and, with her sister stepping in to take care of the kids over the weekend while my girlfriend works, he's heading up here tomorrow night to work through the weekend to repair as much of the damage as possible (and make even more progress towards completely enclosing the cabin). I wonder how his finger's feeling? (He broke it over Memorial Day Weekend. Working on the cabin.)
My birthday's come and gone and it feels good to be 40 . . . but it will feel even better to be 40 + a month or so: when I have these Big Things finally all under control. And maybe I'll even be able to tell you about them then! ;)
Showing posts with label Art Festivals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art Festivals. Show all posts
Bah Humbug. Again.
Good morning. It's another bah humbug day, post, whatever. Actually, after several days of wet, wet, soaking wet, the sun is out, and I don't see a single cloud in the sky . . . just a lightweight pall of grey-blue hanging over the valley from the wildfire north of Swamp River Ridge in Ontario. But, there's just SO MUCH to do this time of year, and it seems like no matter how much you get done in any single day, it's not enough to feel any satisfaction. That's my grump, grumble, bah-humbug perspective. Helpful, huh? ;)
I had a nice dinner last night with My Girl although neither of us had much to share, catch-up on . . . even though we hadn't seen each other for about a week. Or more. After I got gas and headed out of town, I stopped at Bundle of Joy's house for a quick visit (organized earlier in the day) with her mama (B of J was already in bed) and then her daddy, too, when he returned from his volunteer firefighter meeting. Didn't see any critters on the way home (except deer which are so common as to not "count") save one little baby bunny I had to smartly swerve to avoid. But, I did see an adorable little bear yesterday AM on my way to work.
Anyway, when I finally got home last night - around 11:00 (I think?) - I just WASN'T tired. So, I added the final amounts of water to the laundry detergent in-the-making and set it to simmer, made myself a cup of tea, and sat down with the new ULINE catalog. Went to bed a bit after midnight and COULD NOT FALL ASLEEP. I lay there listening to the police scanner (yeah, I am a bit odd) telling of a caller who was reporting, from a bar, that a fellow in his party had pulled a gun on him earlier. But, the gun was left at their cabin before they went to the bar. Could a cop come and talk to him? A little later, the dispatcher said that the caller had left the group and was waiting to speak to the cop in a parking lot because now he thought the guy DID have the gun with him! The last dispatch I remember hearing was at 1:17 AM before I finally conked out. (See what "excitement" I might have missed w/o the scanner on to "lull" me to sleep?! Ha!)
My weekdays in at the office (when I can't put out my sandwich board to attract walk-in gallery customers) continue to be aggravating. Due to interruptions and the day-to-day stuff of owning a business like paying the bills, etc., I seem to get NOTHING done when I'm there. But, I feel like I need to have that in-town presence established, so I don't feel I can work from home yet two MORE days a week. Today I will close my door in an effort to get more work on this big website & brochure project done. On one of my days working from home earlier this week, I spent all my business hours that day putting together the products page of this website. And, it being a lumber company, you can imagine that that was a BIG, involved page. Lots of links, etc. At the end of the day, after having saved and published to the Internet at regular intervals ALL day, I fat-fingered something and LOST THE WHOLE DAMN THING! Aaaaaaagh!!!!!!!! I could not have been more frustrated! So, I spent the business hours of the next day recreating the entire thing. Non-billable hours, of course, since the error was mine.
My non business hours of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were profitable, though. After having spent the previous couple of weeks on outside stuff, the house had fallen into an abysmal state of ill grace, and so I focused on that. Made some real progress, and the house is much nicer to come home to at night, but why does it never seem to be ENOUGH? Again, I say, "Bah HUMBUG!" And ppppbbbbbbttt!
I think I'm buying a piano today. One was advertised yesterday on our local eBulletin board, and I corresponded with the seller for much of the day. (Maybe THAT'S why I didn't get much done in the office! Duh.) I've wanted one for quite some time. Do I play? Of course not. But, I've always wanted to learn. I'll just add that to my short list of Things I Want To Do. (Insert hysterical laughter). I've arranged for Bundle of Joy's daddy and his hired hands to move it for me, and that's really the biggest hurdle. The seller only wants $50 for it. Just to get it out of her house, I think. I'll look at it today and then make my decision.
The local two-day arts festival is next weekend, and I'm participating this year. Only on an abbreviated scale, and I'll share the table with an author friend. Wonderfully, she'll (wo)man the table all of Saturday and Sunday morning so I can be in my gallery in town to, hopefully, grab some 4th of July tourists. Then, I'll relieve her on Sunday afternoon. I have great, unrealistic expectations of everything I'll have ready to display and sell there. Ha. When will I fit that in??
Tonight I'm picking up (now 2 1/2 years old) Baby Girl from daycare and bringing her to her house. Her mom will be home a couple of hours later. Her daddy is a highly-skilled hotshot (the actual term) firefighter and has unexpectedly been sent out to Texas for two weeks. The Texas Forest Service reports that the period from October of last year to April of this year was the driest seven-month period in recorded Texas history. They're fighting a massive amount of fires right now. And, Baby Girl's mom is the wedding coordinator for the most-used wedding location on the North Shore, and she has a rehearsal tonight. Hence the need for a little help. I haven't seen this little one in a couple of weeks, and so it will be a real treat!
And, with that, I've procrastinated enough. Time to get out of my housecoat and ON WITH IT! I hope YOU have a wonderfully productive day! May I have the same!
I had a nice dinner last night with My Girl although neither of us had much to share, catch-up on . . . even though we hadn't seen each other for about a week. Or more. After I got gas and headed out of town, I stopped at Bundle of Joy's house for a quick visit (organized earlier in the day) with her mama (B of J was already in bed) and then her daddy, too, when he returned from his volunteer firefighter meeting. Didn't see any critters on the way home (except deer which are so common as to not "count") save one little baby bunny I had to smartly swerve to avoid. But, I did see an adorable little bear yesterday AM on my way to work.
Anyway, when I finally got home last night - around 11:00 (I think?) - I just WASN'T tired. So, I added the final amounts of water to the laundry detergent in-the-making and set it to simmer, made myself a cup of tea, and sat down with the new ULINE catalog. Went to bed a bit after midnight and COULD NOT FALL ASLEEP. I lay there listening to the police scanner (yeah, I am a bit odd) telling of a caller who was reporting, from a bar, that a fellow in his party had pulled a gun on him earlier. But, the gun was left at their cabin before they went to the bar. Could a cop come and talk to him? A little later, the dispatcher said that the caller had left the group and was waiting to speak to the cop in a parking lot because now he thought the guy DID have the gun with him! The last dispatch I remember hearing was at 1:17 AM before I finally conked out. (See what "excitement" I might have missed w/o the scanner on to "lull" me to sleep?! Ha!)
My weekdays in at the office (when I can't put out my sandwich board to attract walk-in gallery customers) continue to be aggravating. Due to interruptions and the day-to-day stuff of owning a business like paying the bills, etc., I seem to get NOTHING done when I'm there. But, I feel like I need to have that in-town presence established, so I don't feel I can work from home yet two MORE days a week. Today I will close my door in an effort to get more work on this big website & brochure project done. On one of my days working from home earlier this week, I spent all my business hours that day putting together the products page of this website. And, it being a lumber company, you can imagine that that was a BIG, involved page. Lots of links, etc. At the end of the day, after having saved and published to the Internet at regular intervals ALL day, I fat-fingered something and LOST THE WHOLE DAMN THING! Aaaaaaagh!!!!!!!! I could not have been more frustrated! So, I spent the business hours of the next day recreating the entire thing. Non-billable hours, of course, since the error was mine.
My non business hours of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were profitable, though. After having spent the previous couple of weeks on outside stuff, the house had fallen into an abysmal state of ill grace, and so I focused on that. Made some real progress, and the house is much nicer to come home to at night, but why does it never seem to be ENOUGH? Again, I say, "Bah HUMBUG!" And ppppbbbbbbttt!
I think I'm buying a piano today. One was advertised yesterday on our local eBulletin board, and I corresponded with the seller for much of the day. (Maybe THAT'S why I didn't get much done in the office! Duh.) I've wanted one for quite some time. Do I play? Of course not. But, I've always wanted to learn. I'll just add that to my short list of Things I Want To Do. (Insert hysterical laughter). I've arranged for Bundle of Joy's daddy and his hired hands to move it for me, and that's really the biggest hurdle. The seller only wants $50 for it. Just to get it out of her house, I think. I'll look at it today and then make my decision.
The local two-day arts festival is next weekend, and I'm participating this year. Only on an abbreviated scale, and I'll share the table with an author friend. Wonderfully, she'll (wo)man the table all of Saturday and Sunday morning so I can be in my gallery in town to, hopefully, grab some 4th of July tourists. Then, I'll relieve her on Sunday afternoon. I have great, unrealistic expectations of everything I'll have ready to display and sell there. Ha. When will I fit that in??
Tonight I'm picking up (now 2 1/2 years old) Baby Girl from daycare and bringing her to her house. Her mom will be home a couple of hours later. Her daddy is a highly-skilled hotshot (the actual term) firefighter and has unexpectedly been sent out to Texas for two weeks. The Texas Forest Service reports that the period from October of last year to April of this year was the driest seven-month period in recorded Texas history. They're fighting a massive amount of fires right now. And, Baby Girl's mom is the wedding coordinator for the most-used wedding location on the North Shore, and she has a rehearsal tonight. Hence the need for a little help. I haven't seen this little one in a couple of weeks, and so it will be a real treat!
And, with that, I've procrastinated enough. Time to get out of my housecoat and ON WITH IT! I hope YOU have a wonderfully productive day! May I have the same!
A J-O-B
We had a meeting last night for the upcoming art festival - our summertime one is held on the 4th of July weekend each year. Unfortunately, since the grand opening for my new job (yes - I'll have to tell you about that!!!) is that same weekend, I'm not going to be able to participate. I'm kinda bummed about that. But, it's certainly for a good reason that I'll miss it, and hopefully, next year, I'll be able to sell my stuff for at least 1 of the 2 days. Of course, I'm still doing the website for the fair, so that's why I had to be there last night and why I have several upcoming hours that I'll need to assign to that. Never a dull moment, right?!
As you can see by this map (below), our fire danger has increased from where it was a week ago. We're all waiting, expectantly, for that first bad fire to begin. There is rain predicted for tomorrow, but, judging by the NOAA's radar, it's gonna go south of us. So, for what it's worth, please do your rain dance for us!
Oh, yes: my job! The first and second interviews I'd gone to were for a domestic & sexual violence advocacy position. But, the pay was close to horrible (and beyond horrible for that kind of IMPORTANT job - helloooo?!) and there were many after-hours events and on-call requirements that were NOT paid. So, after the second interview, I removed myself from the running. I don't think I would have ultimately gotten the job, anyway, since the person they did hire has a strong background in social services . . . and I knew that's where my strongest competition would be.
But, you know what they say about clouds and silver linings, right? I went back to the woman who I'd approached way back when - when I knew I needed to get a job outside the home - and told her that she could have me full-time, if she so desired, AND for the long run (permanency vs. seasonal work). (Remember, she wasn't advertising, but I knew working for her and in the unique position - with plenty of room to grow - that her new, community-minded business would offer would be great!)
So, on Monday, I went in to meet with her for the 2nd time and exited the building as the assistant manager! (Although that's just semantics as my mom was quick to point out that by reporting only to her, the owner, that I am, technically, the manager). ;) In time, I hope to receive that distinction directly from my new boss. :)
For now, I'm in-office one day a week . . . but that will increase, of course, as we near the opening. The rest of my hours I'm able to full-fill here at home, working on the computer . . . an ideal situation for everyone involved! I hope to be full-time in about 6 weeks.
Cross your fingers for me in another business endeavor, too: tomorrow I am presenting both my regular (blank & pre-printed) and funny (Comments Required) note card lines to the new owner of the local floral shop! What a terrific "in" that would be because how many of us buy a greeting card to send with the flowers we've just purchased? Whoo-hoo! I'd be so happy if this new outlet for this aspect of my photography took off!
Last night, laying in bed, I outlined my To-Dos for today, and I NEED to spend a solid 8 hours on them. And, since I'm already 18 minutes into my first hour . . . and I HAVE to be done by 5:00 when I'm expecting visitors, I've gotta RUN. (Dang, I never included time to brush my teeth & dress . . . !)
As you can see by this map (below), our fire danger has increased from where it was a week ago. We're all waiting, expectantly, for that first bad fire to begin. There is rain predicted for tomorrow, but, judging by the NOAA's radar, it's gonna go south of us. So, for what it's worth, please do your rain dance for us!
But, you know what they say about clouds and silver linings, right? I went back to the woman who I'd approached way back when - when I knew I needed to get a job outside the home - and told her that she could have me full-time, if she so desired, AND for the long run (permanency vs. seasonal work). (Remember, she wasn't advertising, but I knew working for her and in the unique position - with plenty of room to grow - that her new, community-minded business would offer would be great!)
So, on Monday, I went in to meet with her for the 2nd time and exited the building as the assistant manager! (Although that's just semantics as my mom was quick to point out that by reporting only to her, the owner, that I am, technically, the manager). ;) In time, I hope to receive that distinction directly from my new boss. :)
For now, I'm in-office one day a week . . . but that will increase, of course, as we near the opening. The rest of my hours I'm able to full-fill here at home, working on the computer . . . an ideal situation for everyone involved! I hope to be full-time in about 6 weeks.
Cross your fingers for me in another business endeavor, too: tomorrow I am presenting both my regular (blank & pre-printed) and funny (Comments Required) note card lines to the new owner of the local floral shop! What a terrific "in" that would be because how many of us buy a greeting card to send with the flowers we've just purchased? Whoo-hoo! I'd be so happy if this new outlet for this aspect of my photography took off!
Last night, laying in bed, I outlined my To-Dos for today, and I NEED to spend a solid 8 hours on them. And, since I'm already 18 minutes into my first hour . . . and I HAVE to be done by 5:00 when I'm expecting visitors, I've gotta RUN. (Dang, I never included time to brush my teeth & dress . . . !)
Did You Hear?
Did you hear my colorful language punctuating the hours yesterday?
After just touting our relative happiness with ISP HughesNet to a blogging friend, I was tearing my hair out again yesterday. As I've said before and will say again, Technology is great when it's working, but it can REALLY screw you up (once you've become accustomed to it) when it's not. (And, it [not working] really illustrates just . . . how . . . MUCH we [at least I] do use it in our daily lives.)
I do everything on the computer. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. That's where my calendar is. I'm not sure if I'm missing something important if I can't access it. I shop (from printer ink to my new iron to Christmas presents), pay bills (and I like to check on the status of them pretty much every day), keep in touch with friends (Tom never uses our home phone, and I RARELY do), see what's happening in the world (we have no TV), talk to my mom (again, that no phone thing . . . but we send e-mails to each other constantly throughout the day), check the weather, do our banking and see what checks Tom's written each day (vs. asking him to bring his checkbook in from his office every night), do all the ordering & invoicing for the supplies / essential oils for a massage therapist, etc., etc., etc. And, that's all just the PERSONAL stuff! It's not even my graphic & web design business that I'm trying to get off the ground . . . for which I need 24/7 access to the Web!
UGH! Obviously, it was a very frustrating day. I was on the computer from about 6:45 - 7:45 yesterday morning, and then the modem just went belly-up. I tried everything. I even searched out the correct wrench size in Tom's shop and moved the satellite dish (did I mention that it was only 5 degrees yesterday?). Multiple times. And, with each hair's-breadth-move, I had to come inside to run diagnostics. Then, there was the shutting all systems down and rebooting. Multiple times. And swearing. Multiple times. (That helps! Not.)
Finally, I called tech support and got a lovely Indian man on the line. And, I only had to ask him to repeat himself 2 or 3 times, so I was pretty pleased about that! They couldn't fix anything from their end and so would have to send a technician. Of course. One would call us within 3 days to set up an appointment. Yeah, a 3-day wait to just MAKE the appointment. Oh, but he couldn't set that up until he spoke to "Thomas". That's whose name the account is under. Of course.
So, I talked to Tom at his desk 70 miles away, giving him all the details I'd just spent 30 minutes giving to HughesNet Tech Support.
Then, I called our friends - the Going To Have A Baby Any Moment friends - to ask if I could drive the 30 minutes to their house to steal some of their bandwidth for a couple of hours. Of course! But, only if I had a bowl of homemade soup while I was there. (Twist my arm.)
I hopped into the shower to scrub away the nasty pall that had surrounded me since 7:45 that morning and got dressed. Got the dogs fed early so they would be more content. Packed up all my bags and got my boots on. Started shutting down the house and walked into the kitchen last. Glanced towards the offending modem, ready to throw it through the window (I mean 'turn it off') . . . and ALL the lights were flashing merrily away at me shouting, "Hey! Lookit me! I'm working now! All's well with the world! Aren't I special?!"
By this time, Tom had already ordered a modem & satellite dish upgrade (something we'd talked with the tech about the previous time he'd visited) AND bumped our rate up $10 a month in order to get a much higher speed. It is a 24-month commitment, but he wants his wife to be happy. He hates to see her tear her hair out when life isn't going well. :) Besides, we're BOTH hoping that my web-based businesses will be able to take a good-sized chunk of the financial responsibilities off his shoulders . . . and I DO need reliable Internet access for that!
So after seeing that things were operational here at home, I unpacked my bags, told the dogs to "stand down", and called our friends back with a chagrined "thank you, but no thank you". I needed to get on the keys ASAP and while the service was still working. After I spoke to them, they - amazingly sweet, wonderful, caring, thoughtful, sweet, loving, wonderful people - talked to Tom and asked that he still stop by their house (where I thought I'd be) on his way home. "It's a matter of life and death!" (They wanted to send him home with a big Tupperware of the still-warm chicken soup. And a huge chunk of delicious summer sausage for Tom from their freezer.)
Have I mentioned that this young couple is ABOUT TO HAVE THEIR FIRST BABY??? Any . . . day . . . ?! And they're doing all this for US?
An aside, at the art festival this past Saturday, they stopped by in the morning for a visit. I, not thinking anything of it, mentioned that I hadn't had time to make a lunch that day. They immediately responded with, "Oh, we'll make you a sandwich and bring it back!" No, no, nooooo! Getting me lunch was NOT their responsibility! So, I said that I didn't feel comfortable eating sandwiches at these things, anyway, 'cause I was invariably caught taking a huge bite when a customer walked up and asked me a question. That is the truth, but I also didn't want them to go to a trouble like that for me!
Well, fast forward a couple of hours, and back in they walk - covered plate & cup in hand. In the cup? Egg nog. On the plate, perfectly cut & sliced into small pieces and lovingly displayed . . . fancy little pieces of flat bread; yummy, yummy cheese; crackers; and some of the previously mentioned summer sausage. Oh, and when they'd arrived for their visit in the AM, it was with a plate of fresh-from-the-oven molasses & spice cookies in hand . . . which I'd quickly commandeered and had been munching on all day. I tell you, these two - soon to become three! - are incredible.
And, speaking of incredible friends . . . .
I remember that I joked to the husband of a dear friend (and fellow art fair participant) when he brought lunch in for her & their daughter, "Where's mine?!" He said, "I can go home and make you something, too!" Again, I exclaimed, "No, no, noooo! I was just kidding!" And, I was! This was before the other friends had returned with my unexpected plate of goodies, and I didn't like that ANYONE was even THINKING about going to any trouble for me!
Well, an hour or so later, in rushes the friend's little (okay, not so little anymore) adorable son. He pushes a bag into my hands and says, "Here's your lunch!" WHAT??? I hug and hug and squeeze him. (Fortunately, he hasn't gotten old enough that he's beyond hugs . . . and in PUBLIC, no less!) And, I have to admit, I was starving. Mmmmm, Cheetos! (Gotta start with the good stuff.) And Sprite. Ahhhhh. (And a Diet Coke for Mom - smart men!) And a granola bar with a particularly heavy coating of rich chocolate. Mmmmmmm. Notice how I get to the good stuff BEFORE I eat the sandwich?
Tom lucked out, too. He devoured my ham sandwich when I got home that night, and there was even a little left of the summer sausage & crackers. And so, supper was taken care of, too.
Morale of the story? "I get by with a little help from my friends . . . ." And what friends they are! :)
After just touting our relative happiness with ISP HughesNet to a blogging friend, I was tearing my hair out again yesterday. As I've said before and will say again, Technology is great when it's working, but it can REALLY screw you up (once you've become accustomed to it) when it's not. (And, it [not working] really illustrates just . . . how . . . MUCH we [at least I] do use it in our daily lives.)
I do everything on the computer. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. That's where my calendar is. I'm not sure if I'm missing something important if I can't access it. I shop (from printer ink to my new iron to Christmas presents), pay bills (and I like to check on the status of them pretty much every day), keep in touch with friends (Tom never uses our home phone, and I RARELY do), see what's happening in the world (we have no TV), talk to my mom (again, that no phone thing . . . but we send e-mails to each other constantly throughout the day), check the weather, do our banking and see what checks Tom's written each day (vs. asking him to bring his checkbook in from his office every night), do all the ordering & invoicing for the supplies / essential oils for a massage therapist, etc., etc., etc. And, that's all just the PERSONAL stuff! It's not even my graphic & web design business that I'm trying to get off the ground . . . for which I need 24/7 access to the Web!
UGH! Obviously, it was a very frustrating day. I was on the computer from about 6:45 - 7:45 yesterday morning, and then the modem just went belly-up. I tried everything. I even searched out the correct wrench size in Tom's shop and moved the satellite dish (did I mention that it was only 5 degrees yesterday?). Multiple times. And, with each hair's-breadth-move, I had to come inside to run diagnostics. Then, there was the shutting all systems down and rebooting. Multiple times. And swearing. Multiple times. (That helps! Not.)
Finally, I called tech support and got a lovely Indian man on the line. And, I only had to ask him to repeat himself 2 or 3 times, so I was pretty pleased about that! They couldn't fix anything from their end and so would have to send a technician. Of course. One would call us within 3 days to set up an appointment. Yeah, a 3-day wait to just MAKE the appointment. Oh, but he couldn't set that up until he spoke to "Thomas". That's whose name the account is under. Of course.
So, I talked to Tom at his desk 70 miles away, giving him all the details I'd just spent 30 minutes giving to HughesNet Tech Support.
Then, I called our friends - the Going To Have A Baby Any Moment friends - to ask if I could drive the 30 minutes to their house to steal some of their bandwidth for a couple of hours. Of course! But, only if I had a bowl of homemade soup while I was there. (Twist my arm.)
I hopped into the shower to scrub away the nasty pall that had surrounded me since 7:45 that morning and got dressed. Got the dogs fed early so they would be more content. Packed up all my bags and got my boots on. Started shutting down the house and walked into the kitchen last. Glanced towards the offending modem, ready to throw it through the window (I mean 'turn it off') . . . and ALL the lights were flashing merrily away at me shouting, "Hey! Lookit me! I'm working now! All's well with the world! Aren't I special?!"
By this time, Tom had already ordered a modem & satellite dish upgrade (something we'd talked with the tech about the previous time he'd visited) AND bumped our rate up $10 a month in order to get a much higher speed. It is a 24-month commitment, but he wants his wife to be happy. He hates to see her tear her hair out when life isn't going well. :) Besides, we're BOTH hoping that my web-based businesses will be able to take a good-sized chunk of the financial responsibilities off his shoulders . . . and I DO need reliable Internet access for that!
So after seeing that things were operational here at home, I unpacked my bags, told the dogs to "stand down", and called our friends back with a chagrined "thank you, but no thank you". I needed to get on the keys ASAP and while the service was still working. After I spoke to them, they - amazingly sweet, wonderful, caring, thoughtful, sweet, loving, wonderful people - talked to Tom and asked that he still stop by their house (where I thought I'd be) on his way home. "It's a matter of life and death!" (They wanted to send him home with a big Tupperware of the still-warm chicken soup. And a huge chunk of delicious summer sausage for Tom from their freezer.)
Have I mentioned that this young couple is ABOUT TO HAVE THEIR FIRST BABY??? Any . . . day . . . ?! And they're doing all this for US?
An aside, at the art festival this past Saturday, they stopped by in the morning for a visit. I, not thinking anything of it, mentioned that I hadn't had time to make a lunch that day. They immediately responded with, "Oh, we'll make you a sandwich and bring it back!" No, no, nooooo! Getting me lunch was NOT their responsibility! So, I said that I didn't feel comfortable eating sandwiches at these things, anyway, 'cause I was invariably caught taking a huge bite when a customer walked up and asked me a question. That is the truth, but I also didn't want them to go to a trouble like that for me!
Well, fast forward a couple of hours, and back in they walk - covered plate & cup in hand. In the cup? Egg nog. On the plate, perfectly cut & sliced into small pieces and lovingly displayed . . . fancy little pieces of flat bread; yummy, yummy cheese; crackers; and some of the previously mentioned summer sausage. Oh, and when they'd arrived for their visit in the AM, it was with a plate of fresh-from-the-oven molasses & spice cookies in hand . . . which I'd quickly commandeered and had been munching on all day. I tell you, these two - soon to become three! - are incredible.
And, speaking of incredible friends . . . .
I remember that I joked to the husband of a dear friend (and fellow art fair participant) when he brought lunch in for her & their daughter, "Where's mine?!" He said, "I can go home and make you something, too!" Again, I exclaimed, "No, no, noooo! I was just kidding!" And, I was! This was before the other friends had returned with my unexpected plate of goodies, and I didn't like that ANYONE was even THINKING about going to any trouble for me!
Well, an hour or so later, in rushes the friend's little (okay, not so little anymore) adorable son. He pushes a bag into my hands and says, "Here's your lunch!" WHAT??? I hug and hug and squeeze him. (Fortunately, he hasn't gotten old enough that he's beyond hugs . . . and in PUBLIC, no less!) And, I have to admit, I was starving. Mmmmm, Cheetos! (Gotta start with the good stuff.) And Sprite. Ahhhhh. (And a Diet Coke for Mom - smart men!) And a granola bar with a particularly heavy coating of rich chocolate. Mmmmmmm. Notice how I get to the good stuff BEFORE I eat the sandwich?
Tom lucked out, too. He devoured my ham sandwich when I got home that night, and there was even a little left of the summer sausage & crackers. And so, supper was taken care of, too.
Morale of the story? "I get by with a little help from my friends . . . ." And what friends they are! :)
The Day After
Good morning, and happy Black Friday! Although, I think anyone who goes out shopping today has completely lost their marbles! Battling, elbow to elbow, with oodles of intense shoppers for the best deal of the season? Umm, yeah: my idea of a personal hell. No. Thank. you. Tom convinced me to go shopping in Thunder Bay (Ontario) once on Boxing Day (their version of "good deals" - it's the day after Christmas), saying, "Oh, come one. How bad can it be?" Well, we found out. That was the first and LAST Boxing Day in which we'll participate.
Did you have a good Turkey Day? We had a truly lovely, special one. Although, it went by FAR too quickly! The Pregnant One and her hubby and their sweet, sweet dog, Abby, joined us at my folks' for the day. The baby is due somewhere around the 7th - 12th of December, but we're all convinced she'll (so indicates the ultrasound) arrive sooner. I say it will be sometime next week, Tom says December 6th. I have my "for the hospital" bag nearly packed. All I'm missing is the requested good, interesting book for me to read aloud. I think I'm gonna grab one from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I just have to get up into one of the storage spaces and go thru our boxes of books in order to find 'em, first.
Much discussion yesterday focused on the weather and how there was ALWAYS snow and ice skating for Thanksgivings of yore. And, while the lack of cold weather makes travel much easier, it sure doesn't seem like a "real Thanksgiving" without frozen ponds & lakes . . . much less a nice layer of the white stuff. The temperature finally dropped last night, getting down to 22 before we even left for home, and snow is forecast for later in the week, but the mercury's still anticipated to linger around 30. Boooo! Bring on winter! After all, we can hardly go out to cut down the Christmas tree until it FEELS like the holiday season!
This year is the first since Tom and I have been together (13 years) that he's had a job requiring him to work the day after Thanksgiving, and that put a little damper on the enjoyment yesterday. But, now that he's in the Hospitality Industry, it was up and out before the sky even began to lighten, like any ol' Friday. Blech. No fun! (The resort he works for is a ski resort, and they ALWAYS open on Thanksgiving each year. But, this year has been so mild that they haven't even been able to make snow at night! Their projected opening date this year is December 5th. And, with the economy being what it is, having to postpone the opener is going to hurt, I'm sure!)
Tomorrow is the first holiday sale (art fair) of the season, so today will be a FULL one for me. I'll not be as prepared as I like (am I EVER?!), but I'll do my darnedest to have the fullest display I can muster in the next 24 hours. Wish me luck and send me some extra energy telepathically, okay?
Did you have a good Turkey Day? We had a truly lovely, special one. Although, it went by FAR too quickly! The Pregnant One and her hubby and their sweet, sweet dog, Abby, joined us at my folks' for the day. The baby is due somewhere around the 7th - 12th of December, but we're all convinced she'll (so indicates the ultrasound) arrive sooner. I say it will be sometime next week, Tom says December 6th. I have my "for the hospital" bag nearly packed. All I'm missing is the requested good, interesting book for me to read aloud. I think I'm gonna grab one from the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I just have to get up into one of the storage spaces and go thru our boxes of books in order to find 'em, first.
Much discussion yesterday focused on the weather and how there was ALWAYS snow and ice skating for Thanksgivings of yore. And, while the lack of cold weather makes travel much easier, it sure doesn't seem like a "real Thanksgiving" without frozen ponds & lakes . . . much less a nice layer of the white stuff. The temperature finally dropped last night, getting down to 22 before we even left for home, and snow is forecast for later in the week, but the mercury's still anticipated to linger around 30. Boooo! Bring on winter! After all, we can hardly go out to cut down the Christmas tree until it FEELS like the holiday season!
This year is the first since Tom and I have been together (13 years) that he's had a job requiring him to work the day after Thanksgiving, and that put a little damper on the enjoyment yesterday. But, now that he's in the Hospitality Industry, it was up and out before the sky even began to lighten, like any ol' Friday. Blech. No fun! (The resort he works for is a ski resort, and they ALWAYS open on Thanksgiving each year. But, this year has been so mild that they haven't even been able to make snow at night! Their projected opening date this year is December 5th. And, with the economy being what it is, having to postpone the opener is going to hurt, I'm sure!)
Tomorrow is the first holiday sale (art fair) of the season, so today will be a FULL one for me. I'll not be as prepared as I like (am I EVER?!), but I'll do my darnedest to have the fullest display I can muster in the next 24 hours. Wish me luck and send me some extra energy telepathically, okay?
Morning Post, Take Two
Good morning!
So, why 'Morning Post, Take TWO'? Well, because I was here yesterday morning trying to update the blog, but I felt fairly miserable (hadn't felt great the night before, either) and soon curled up on the couch where I didn't wake up until . . . 12:40 PM!! Good grief! Guess I needed it!
But now, here I am, coffee carafe on the side table to eliminate those bothersome trips downstairs to the kitchen for more java.
First, I have to tell you about the Deal of the Century. And, it's all about beer. Cheap beer, but beer. Hey, beggars (which we are, these days) can't be choosers, right? We were with our friends / the expectant parents both Friday night and Saturday morning. Tom stayed there overnight so that he and J could get out early the final Saturday of deer season, and, after dinner the night before, I returned for breakfast and to see the spoils of the hunt. (More on that later.)
Anyway, over homemade chili Friday night, J pointed at the cans of Milwaukee's Best (as I said, cheap beer) we were drinking and said, "I bought that at the store for $1.99 a 12-pack!" After letting that compute in my tired mind and assuming he meant that it had been mis-priced, I said, "Whoops!" . . . referring to the owner, a mutual friend of us all. "No, no," he said. "The distributor marked it down. It's past its expiration date!" REALLY?? $1.99 for a 12-pack of beer?? "And", he said, "there are a few left, I think."
So, fast forward past a visit to the store, and we are the proud owners of the remaining seven cases of beer . . . for a TOTAL of $13.93! That's 17 cents a can, in case you're keeping track. [An aside, we used to be total beer and wine snobs. Five years ago, had you told me that we'd be buying Milwaukee's Best by the case, I N-E-V-E-R would have believed you. But, as I said, desperate times call for desperate measures! ;)]
Yesterday morning as I waved Tom out of the front yard and down the driveway, as I do each morning, I heard an owl call. This isn't an altogether uncommon thing, but the call was unusual. It wasn't a hoot. It was more of a warble. Like, a contented warble as the fluffy thing sat on its morning roost. I spent about 1/2 an hour yesterday trying to identify it by sound via the Internet but came up with nothing. Hmph. Any ideas? Ruthie?
I do have some super big news to share! For the last many months, a website has been brewing in the minds of both my mom and me. A website to sell her incredible, hand-made baby quilts - the making of which is her passion. And, with me trying to get Chicken Mama's Graphic & Web Design off the ground, we had a great opportunity. So, the last few weeks have been BUSY with set up and design and product descriptions and re-writing and photography . . . and then repeats of all of these 2 or 3 times over until we had something we were both happy with. Enter Mama Pea Quilts!
This last week has been EXHAUSTING with intense finalization, but we finally went LIVE last night, and mass e-mailings advertising this new venture will begin going out today. My mom wrote about her new business on both of her blogs, Mama Pea Quilts (blog) and A Home Grown Journal. Please take a moment or two to check it all out!
The first of the two holiday art sales that I'm participating in this year happens this coming Saturday. And, as usual, I'm woefully unprepared. (Sigh. ONE of these days . . . .) But, I always attack my belated preparation with the same motto: prepare fewer items the very best way possible . . . rather than present more pieces in a slipshod manner. So, you know what I'll be doing the rest of this week BESIDES eating turkey and all the fixins! :)
So, why 'Morning Post, Take TWO'? Well, because I was here yesterday morning trying to update the blog, but I felt fairly miserable (hadn't felt great the night before, either) and soon curled up on the couch where I didn't wake up until . . . 12:40 PM!! Good grief! Guess I needed it!
But now, here I am, coffee carafe on the side table to eliminate those bothersome trips downstairs to the kitchen for more java.
First, I have to tell you about the Deal of the Century. And, it's all about beer. Cheap beer, but beer. Hey, beggars (which we are, these days) can't be choosers, right? We were with our friends / the expectant parents both Friday night and Saturday morning. Tom stayed there overnight so that he and J could get out early the final Saturday of deer season, and, after dinner the night before, I returned for breakfast and to see the spoils of the hunt. (More on that later.)
Anyway, over homemade chili Friday night, J pointed at the cans of Milwaukee's Best (as I said, cheap beer) we were drinking and said, "I bought that at the store for $1.99 a 12-pack!" After letting that compute in my tired mind and assuming he meant that it had been mis-priced, I said, "Whoops!" . . . referring to the owner, a mutual friend of us all. "No, no," he said. "The distributor marked it down. It's past its expiration date!" REALLY?? $1.99 for a 12-pack of beer?? "And", he said, "there are a few left, I think."
So, fast forward past a visit to the store, and we are the proud owners of the remaining seven cases of beer . . . for a TOTAL of $13.93! That's 17 cents a can, in case you're keeping track. [An aside, we used to be total beer and wine snobs. Five years ago, had you told me that we'd be buying Milwaukee's Best by the case, I N-E-V-E-R would have believed you. But, as I said, desperate times call for desperate measures! ;)]
Yesterday morning as I waved Tom out of the front yard and down the driveway, as I do each morning, I heard an owl call. This isn't an altogether uncommon thing, but the call was unusual. It wasn't a hoot. It was more of a warble. Like, a contented warble as the fluffy thing sat on its morning roost. I spent about 1/2 an hour yesterday trying to identify it by sound via the Internet but came up with nothing. Hmph. Any ideas? Ruthie?
I do have some super big news to share! For the last many months, a website has been brewing in the minds of both my mom and me. A website to sell her incredible, hand-made baby quilts - the making of which is her passion. And, with me trying to get Chicken Mama's Graphic & Web Design off the ground, we had a great opportunity. So, the last few weeks have been BUSY with set up and design and product descriptions and re-writing and photography . . . and then repeats of all of these 2 or 3 times over until we had something we were both happy with. Enter Mama Pea Quilts!
This last week has been EXHAUSTING with intense finalization, but we finally went LIVE last night, and mass e-mailings advertising this new venture will begin going out today. My mom wrote about her new business on both of her blogs, Mama Pea Quilts (blog) and A Home Grown Journal. Please take a moment or two to check it all out!
The first of the two holiday art sales that I'm participating in this year happens this coming Saturday. And, as usual, I'm woefully unprepared. (Sigh. ONE of these days . . . .) But, I always attack my belated preparation with the same motto: prepare fewer items the very best way possible . . . rather than present more pieces in a slipshod manner. So, you know what I'll be doing the rest of this week BESIDES eating turkey and all the fixins! :)
A Mental Health Day
I had a new post all ready to go this morning (well, the photos are loaded in draft version, at least), and then I got to thinking (uh-oh!) . . . which led me to write this post instead.
The weekend-before-last was the 4th annual art festival at our local town hall. And, for ours being such a little blink-and-you’ll-miss-it village (that’s being generous), it attracts a pretty sizable crowd. And, of course, by the very nature of the thing, the Saturday is busier than the Sunday.
In theory, we (artists) are (should be) working from the New Year onward to prep for this festival and, conversely, from July through the end of November to prep for the holiday sales. My point here is that a good amount of my time went in to prepping for the first & biggest day of the festival: Saturday.
Why, then, do you suppose, was there a nicely (machine)-printed & professional-looking note on my table that read “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here today, but come back tomorrow for a full selection of my work. – Chicken Mama.”
The answer is simple: I was done. Kaput. That’s it. You’re getting’ nothin’ outta me. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
And, so, I did what I wanted to do (needed to do, actually) instead of what others expected me to do and . . . gasp . . . called a Personal Time Out!
Not a big deal, right? Well, when you’re one of those people who’s always done The Right Thing (in direct conflict to what she actually needs / wants) . . . there’s a very interesting and thought-provoking “fall-out”.
Here’s the scenario: Friday night, I set up my table with its coverings and just one counter-top card rack and some specialty Origami boxes. Granted, the table held only about 15% of what it usually holds, but what was there was centered on the table and pleasantly displayed. I’m nothing if not aware of visual appearances when it comes to things like that.
That afternoon, talking to my folks, the idea of not doing the Saturday part of the festival (dum, dum, DUMMMMM!) had begun to take root. But, at that time, I was still firmly seated on the ‘No, people will expect me to be there. I can’t just not do it!’ side of the fence.
But, really . . . WHY NOT?
Back at home that evening, talking to Tom on the phone (he was inNew Mexico
By the time I went to bed, my mind was made up . . . but I have to admit that I was a little nervous.
Saturday morning, I – very purposefully - left the dogs inside the house at home (where I couldn’t leave them for very long) and dressed in clothes that were DEFINITELY not meet-the-public-and-please-buy-my-artwork appropriate. As bad as I felt (the exhaustion that had prompted this whole thing), I knew I’d get talked into staying if I didn’t have a viable “excuse” (or two or five).
I drove down to the art fair, arriving at 5 minutes to 10:00 – just before the doors officially opened. I quickly walked in to my assigned spot, put my ‘Sorry I Missed You’ sign on my table, made sure everything looked neat and tidy . . . and walked out.
On the way out the door, I had to take the time to tell just a couple of people that I wouldn’t be there so they wouldn’t worry.
One girlfriend instantly “got it”. No questions asked (matter of fact, the complete opposite with, “Oh, Honey! I completely understand!” and a big, big hug). What made her reaction different than the others? I dunno. Maybe because she’s “been there” before. Does she “know me” any better? Whatever the reason, it really doesn’t matter. My point here is the other reactions.
At the time, all I got were startled “Oh!”s and worried “Are you OK?”s.
But since then . . . there’s been that “fall-out” thing I was talking about. Word on the street is that at least one fellow vendor was kinda ticked off about it. But, WHY?
Had I paid my full fee for both days, not asking to be reimbursed? Yes. Had I worked my arse off volunteering OODLES of time creating & updating the website? Yes. (Okay, so I guess I’m venting just a titch here, too.) Had I remembered my donation (full set of 12 Christmas cards, thank you very much) for Sunday’s silent drawing so that people could bid on it all day Saturday, too? Yes.
So . . . what . . . was . . . the . . . problem? I desperately needed a Mental Health Day. Would I have “gone Postal” had I manned my table that day? Probably not . . . but maybe. I know I felt like it.
And, what was even more telling to me was that at the end of Saturday, after lying on the couch here in the library all day watching the 4th season of ‘Weeds’ on DVD . . . I didn’t feel any better than I had that morning. BUT, had I gone to the festival that day, I can GUARANTEE you that I would have felt worse . . . and in NO shape for Sunday’s fair.
Another vendor and friend – who I usually hear from every other day or so – had been noticeably quiet since the festival. And, even though everyone’s so super busy with all the extras that summertime brings, her silence just didn’t seem “right”. So, I e-mailed her: “did I scare you with my sudden departure last weekend?”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a phrase that I find SO interesting . . . PARTICULARLY in situations like this.
Sure, we are all different parts (versions, if you will) of ourselves in different situations: I am a certain version of myself when I’m with my parents, I’m a certain version of myself when I’m out with girlfriends, a different version with a different set of friends, and so on. The only time we are TRULY ourselves is when it is just me, myself, and I in the room. And, why do we not let THAT person dominate, show his/her true feelings more? Because, the point is, when my friend said that I wasn’t being myself . . . actually, yes, I WAS being myself. More than she’d ever seen, I think!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Bottom line, I did what no one does.
I. Took. Care. Of. Myself.
For the first time.
Did it fix all my problems, take away the exhaustion? Of course not. But it got me through to the next day. One foot in front of the other. Baby steps. Who’s more important: me or the customers I missed or the other vendors? For once, I chose the right answer.
So, I’m proud of myself. I think I handled the situation with maturity, and I wish for all of you . . . that if you need a Mental Health Day, really need it not in the sense of “get me out of this, I don’t want to do it” but in the sense of “I am going to LOSE it if I don’t get out of this situation NOW”, DO IT. You owe it to yourself.
Can see how the whole experience got me to thinking? Why is it that when we don’t do the societal “right thing” that it is the wrong thing? Does that translate into “what’s right for us is wrong for Society”? Not necessarily, but it does give the philosophical mind something to ponder! The only thing I’m sure of is that . . . something (in societal norms / expectations) is screwed up!
And now, to steal a line from Mike Meyers, “Discuss amongst yourselves.”
The weekend-before-last was the 4th annual art festival at our local town hall. And, for ours being such a little blink-and-you’ll-miss-it village (that’s being generous), it attracts a pretty sizable crowd. And, of course, by the very nature of the thing, the Saturday is busier than the Sunday.
In theory, we (artists) are (should be) working from the New Year onward to prep for this festival and, conversely, from July through the end of November to prep for the holiday sales. My point here is that a good amount of my time went in to prepping for the first & biggest day of the festival: Saturday.
Why, then, do you suppose, was there a nicely (machine)-printed & professional-looking note on my table that read “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here today, but come back tomorrow for a full selection of my work. – Chicken Mama.”
The answer is simple: I was done. Kaput. That’s it. You’re getting’ nothin’ outta me. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
And, so, I did what I wanted to do (needed to do, actually) instead of what others expected me to do and . . . gasp . . . called a Personal Time Out!
Not a big deal, right? Well, when you’re one of those people who’s always done The Right Thing (in direct conflict to what she actually needs / wants) . . . there’s a very interesting and thought-provoking “fall-out”.
Here’s the scenario: Friday night, I set up my table with its coverings and just one counter-top card rack and some specialty Origami boxes. Granted, the table held only about 15% of what it usually holds, but what was there was centered on the table and pleasantly displayed. I’m nothing if not aware of visual appearances when it comes to things like that.
That afternoon, talking to my folks, the idea of not doing the Saturday part of the festival (dum, dum, DUMMMMM!) had begun to take root. But, at that time, I was still firmly seated on the ‘No, people will expect me to be there. I can’t just not do it!’ side of the fence.
But, really . . . WHY NOT?
Back at home that evening, talking to Tom on the phone (he was in
By the time I went to bed, my mind was made up . . . but I have to admit that I was a little nervous.
Saturday morning, I – very purposefully - left the dogs inside the house at home (where I couldn’t leave them for very long) and dressed in clothes that were DEFINITELY not meet-the-public-and-please-buy-my-artwork appropriate. As bad as I felt (the exhaustion that had prompted this whole thing), I knew I’d get talked into staying if I didn’t have a viable “excuse” (or two or five).
I drove down to the art fair, arriving at 5 minutes to 10:00 – just before the doors officially opened. I quickly walked in to my assigned spot, put my ‘Sorry I Missed You’ sign on my table, made sure everything looked neat and tidy . . . and walked out.
On the way out the door, I had to take the time to tell just a couple of people that I wouldn’t be there so they wouldn’t worry.
One girlfriend instantly “got it”. No questions asked (matter of fact, the complete opposite with, “Oh, Honey! I completely understand!” and a big, big hug). What made her reaction different than the others? I dunno. Maybe because she’s “been there” before. Does she “know me” any better? Whatever the reason, it really doesn’t matter. My point here is the other reactions.
At the time, all I got were startled “Oh!”s and worried “Are you OK?”s.
But since then . . . there’s been that “fall-out” thing I was talking about. Word on the street is that at least one fellow vendor was kinda ticked off about it. But, WHY?
Had I paid my full fee for both days, not asking to be reimbursed? Yes. Had I worked my arse off volunteering OODLES of time creating & updating the website? Yes. (Okay, so I guess I’m venting just a titch here, too.) Had I remembered my donation (full set of 12 Christmas cards, thank you very much) for Sunday’s silent drawing so that people could bid on it all day Saturday, too? Yes.
So . . . what . . . was . . . the . . . problem? I desperately needed a Mental Health Day. Would I have “gone Postal” had I manned my table that day? Probably not . . . but maybe. I know I felt like it.
And, what was even more telling to me was that at the end of Saturday, after lying on the couch here in the library all day watching the 4th season of ‘Weeds’ on DVD . . . I didn’t feel any better than I had that morning. BUT, had I gone to the festival that day, I can GUARANTEE you that I would have felt worse . . . and in NO shape for Sunday’s fair.
Another vendor and friend – who I usually hear from every other day or so – had been noticeably quiet since the festival. And, even though everyone’s so super busy with all the extras that summertime brings, her silence just didn’t seem “right”. So, I e-mailed her: “did I scare you with my sudden departure last weekend?”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a phrase that I find SO interesting . . . PARTICULARLY in situations like this.
Sure, we are all different parts (versions, if you will) of ourselves in different situations: I am a certain version of myself when I’m with my parents, I’m a certain version of myself when I’m out with girlfriends, a different version with a different set of friends, and so on. The only time we are TRULY ourselves is when it is just me, myself, and I in the room. And, why do we not let THAT person dominate, show his/her true feelings more? Because, the point is, when my friend said that I wasn’t being myself . . . actually, yes, I WAS being myself. More than she’d ever seen, I think!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Bottom line, I did what no one does.
I. Took. Care. Of. Myself.
For the first time.
Did it fix all my problems, take away the exhaustion? Of course not. But it got me through to the next day. One foot in front of the other. Baby steps. Who’s more important: me or the customers I missed or the other vendors? For once, I chose the right answer.
So, I’m proud of myself. I think I handled the situation with maturity, and I wish for all of you . . . that if you need a Mental Health Day, really need it not in the sense of “get me out of this, I don’t want to do it” but in the sense of “I am going to LOSE it if I don’t get out of this situation NOW”, DO IT. You owe it to yourself.
Can see how the whole experience got me to thinking? Why is it that when we don’t do the societal “right thing” that it is the wrong thing? Does that translate into “what’s right for us is wrong for Society”? Not necessarily, but it does give the philosophical mind something to ponder! The only thing I’m sure of is that . . . something (in societal norms / expectations) is screwed up!
And now, to steal a line from Mike Meyers, “Discuss amongst yourselves.”
Whew! Art Festivals are OVER!
Yesterday was the last of the two seasonal art festivals I did. The other was the previous Saturday, November 29th.
This is a shot of my display from the 1st one, in town at the Community Center:
These two pictures are from yesterday's at our "local" art festival - held in our tiny berg's town hall.
Absolutely no segue here, but I know people have been wondering how poor, ravaged Tom the Turkey is doing.
As you can see, his feathers ARE starting to grow back in (out?), but he's looking VERY pathetic. You'll notice that the feathers at the base of his tail are a little bloody. Those are filled with protein and, unfortunately, the other poultry knows it. :( It's a good thing he's the biggest guy in the chicken yard . . . otherwise he'd probably (get picked on too much and) not make it. So far, so good, though: he's holdin' his own!
This is a shot of my display from the 1st one, in town at the Community Center:
These two pictures are from yesterday's at our "local" art festival - held in our tiny berg's town hall.
Absolutely no segue here, but I know people have been wondering how poor, ravaged Tom the Turkey is doing.
As you can see, his feathers ARE starting to grow back in (out?), but he's looking VERY pathetic. You'll notice that the feathers at the base of his tail are a little bloody. Those are filled with protein and, unfortunately, the other poultry knows it. :( It's a good thing he's the biggest guy in the chicken yard . . . otherwise he'd probably (get picked on too much and) not make it. So far, so good, though: he's holdin' his own!
Birthdays
Happy Monday! We had a good weekend but overdid it as usual, and now I'm paying the price: watery eyes, stuffed nose and sinuses, and general exhaustion . . . again. Or is it 'still'? I think 2008 will be known as 'The Winter Chicken Mama Got Sick & Never Recovered Until She Could Take Time Off'.
My folks - who always host Thanksgiving for the four of us while we host Christmas - were going to haul all the meal fixin's out here so that we could get in a day of wood working . . . but we ultimately realized how ridiculous that would be. Besides, we'd not have Mom's help for much of the day since she'd be inside tending to said meal. And, we finally realized (duh!) that it would be further "pushing the envelope" for all of us. So, instead, a traditional, RELAXING (except for the poor cook) day is scheduled at my folks'. I'm planning on resting, eating, and napping. In that order!
When we lived at Hastings-on-the-Lake (or previous little house down by Lake Superior), we had wonderful seasonal neighbors who became a second (third?) set of parents to us. Unfortunately, since we moved and seem to be busier than ever, the summer came and went without us hosting so much as one visit here. And today, it's his birthday and all my wonderful plans of getting a newsy letter into the mail are already tardy. Hmph. But, I hope they'll accept our love, hugs, and kisses through the electronic ether. We're sending it to all of you in the R family, especially b-day boy T last Monday (Happy 44th!) and Big J's 74th today. I know you can't tell by our actions, but WE MISS YOU and think of you (all) all the time! :(
This coming Saturday is my first of two art festivals I'll be selling my stuff at this holiday season. Problem is, I only really have three days to prepare since I'll be busy both on Thanksgiving (obviously) and Friday. That leaves today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. And, today really needs to be a get-things-in-enough-order-just-so-I-can-think day. That leaves Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm trying not to completely freak out. I'm hoping the organization I create today will set the tone for the rest of the week. But then there's still the fact that my head is clogged and my nose is stuffed . . . .
Today is the FIRST BIRTHDAY of the little peanut I nanny for, and yesterday was the birthday celebration. It was really a fun gathering: 9 people, including us. There were yummy hors d'oeuvres and libations followed by 9 individual pizzas (!) which we each got to "make" as we wished. Then, of course, there was cake (strawberry). The birthday girl was NOT too thrilled with her first taste of the cake (the first she's ever, ever had) . . . but in no time, she figured it out and ate A HUGE PIECE! It was darling.
Here she is, enjoying a story with Uncle Tommy. That's another sweetheart that we're "aunt and uncle" to on the left: her dad and the birthday girl's are brothers.
Ewww . . . I'm not sure I like that pink stuff! (That's her daddy helping her.)
Mmm! Well . . . maybe . . . !
"Hey, this is GOOD!" (I love the expression on Nana's face in the background!) And she ate this ENTIRE piece! (Every girl's got to splurge on her birthday!)
I have a big story to tell you about our Saturday outing, but that will have to wait for another time. We went ice skating, and it was WONDERFUL . . . but that adventure was followed by a little field trip to another, much larger lake. And, let me just leave you with the quote of the day as temptation, "It's not so much how cold the lake is . . . as how thin the ice is!"
My folks - who always host Thanksgiving for the four of us while we host Christmas - were going to haul all the meal fixin's out here so that we could get in a day of wood working . . . but we ultimately realized how ridiculous that would be. Besides, we'd not have Mom's help for much of the day since she'd be inside tending to said meal. And, we finally realized (duh!) that it would be further "pushing the envelope" for all of us. So, instead, a traditional, RELAXING (except for the poor cook) day is scheduled at my folks'. I'm planning on resting, eating, and napping. In that order!
When we lived at Hastings-on-the-Lake (or previous little house down by Lake Superior), we had wonderful seasonal neighbors who became a second (third?) set of parents to us. Unfortunately, since we moved and seem to be busier than ever, the summer came and went without us hosting so much as one visit here. And today, it's his birthday and all my wonderful plans of getting a newsy letter into the mail are already tardy. Hmph. But, I hope they'll accept our love, hugs, and kisses through the electronic ether. We're sending it to all of you in the R family, especially b-day boy T last Monday (Happy 44th!) and Big J's 74th today. I know you can't tell by our actions, but WE MISS YOU and think of you (all) all the time! :(
This coming Saturday is my first of two art festivals I'll be selling my stuff at this holiday season. Problem is, I only really have three days to prepare since I'll be busy both on Thanksgiving (obviously) and Friday. That leaves today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. And, today really needs to be a get-things-in-enough-order-just-so-I-can-think day. That leaves Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm trying not to completely freak out. I'm hoping the organization I create today will set the tone for the rest of the week. But then there's still the fact that my head is clogged and my nose is stuffed . . . .
Today is the FIRST BIRTHDAY of the little peanut I nanny for, and yesterday was the birthday celebration. It was really a fun gathering: 9 people, including us. There were yummy hors d'oeuvres and libations followed by 9 individual pizzas (!) which we each got to "make" as we wished. Then, of course, there was cake (strawberry). The birthday girl was NOT too thrilled with her first taste of the cake (the first she's ever, ever had) . . . but in no time, she figured it out and ate A HUGE PIECE! It was darling.
Here she is, enjoying a story with Uncle Tommy. That's another sweetheart that we're "aunt and uncle" to on the left: her dad and the birthday girl's are brothers.
Ewww . . . I'm not sure I like that pink stuff! (That's her daddy helping her.)
Mmm! Well . . . maybe . . . !
"Hey, this is GOOD!" (I love the expression on Nana's face in the background!) And she ate this ENTIRE piece! (Every girl's got to splurge on her birthday!)
I have a big story to tell you about our Saturday outing, but that will have to wait for another time. We went ice skating, and it was WONDERFUL . . . but that adventure was followed by a little field trip to another, much larger lake. And, let me just leave you with the quote of the day as temptation, "It's not so much how cold the lake is . . . as how thin the ice is!"
My Kind of Weather
We . . . FINALLY . . . experienced a 30° temperature drop within the last 24 hours. It was 64 degrees yesterday - WAY too warm for this time of year. It . . . just . . . didn't . . . feel . . . right. (Fortunately, the 34° we had this morning DID feel completely apropos for this time of year!) And, any of you menopausal / hot-flashing women out there can appreciate it when I say, "I thought the hot weather was OVER for the year!" ;) Now, if we could just get that killing frost to get rid of the bugs . . . .
The warm weather did allow for some late season warm weather projects, though: I got the 2nd half of the front entrance double door painted on Sunday (now all three of the front/side doors have, at least, the first coat on them), and Tom got more stonework done on the front entry way. (We really don't have a good "name" for those stone . . . gates. Anyone? OTHER than 'bomb-proof barriers' that P . . . or was it L . . . suggested when we all visited a couple of weeks ago?) Tom also did maintenance on the electrical system's generator and all four of the (currently running of the six we have) vehicles: oil and fluid levels, filling up with gas, etc.
I continued the electrical system maintenance yesterday by tending to my duty of checking and refilling the water/acid level in the 24 deep-cycle batteries. It's a job that usually takes a couple of hours of slightly painstaking attention and physical positions reminiscent of the childhood game 'Twister'. (The NEXT electrical system we build - [Ha!] - will include batteries mounted VERTICALLY on the wall instead of on the floor.) But, the generator kicked on (scaring the heck out of me) just as I was in the middle of the 3rd to the last battery. So, that project was postponed until today . . . when the generator WON'T be running!
The calendar between now and the end of the year is rapidly filling . . . which also fills me with (even more) anxiety! I'm going to try to do two more Christmas-season sales this year (vs. the one I've participated in at our local town hall 2x a year). These are both in town: one at the Free Church, and the other at the community center. I'm in the process of finding out about dates and entry fees right now. Which reminds me . . . the information for the town hall Christmas sale is starting to come in, so I need to start updating the website! Always so much to do . . . !
I don't know how many of you peek at our YouTube channel, but for those of you who do, you already know that our one remaining turkey, Shy Jenny, has turned out to be . . . a tom! Whoops! But, no harm, no fowl (har dee har har). Now we have "Shy Tommy".
Other news: after being fairly free-and-easy regarding any sort of set schedule over the summer, Tom and I have reconnoitered and set forth a solid plan. Living with "Pioneer Purpose", we call it. ;) Each Sunday evening - with a quick follow-up each night Monday thru Thursday - we plan the week. And then, we get up with the 7:00 AM alarm for a set weekday morning routine (late for some of you, early for others - early for us!). That alarm is conflicting with my past-midnight bedtime, though! I really need to work on changing my night-owl tendencies!
I've really been working on getting our backlog of videos posted on YouTube (see earlier link). If you become a subscriber, you'll be alerted when new ones are posted.
Finally (my segue here is thinking about YouTube), I sure would encourage each and every one of you readers out there (okay, so all 10 of you) to CREATE A BLOG to keep everyone else (me!) updated on your life! Hey, if my 65-year old (shhh!) mom can do it, so can YOU! (And, yes, Mom, JB, and TJ - you are excluded from my little rant since you all HAVE jumped on the modern communication bandwagon. L, you are NOT excluded since your blog posts CONTAIN NOT ONE IOTA OF ANYTHING EVEN MINUTELY RESEMBLING PERSONAL NEWS!)
Rant over.
I'll end with a cute picture of Annie Blue taken yesterday when I was working upstairs in the library. Her body is like a slinky. She's so skinny, and if you hold her up in the air under her "armpits", you can wave her back and forth . . . like a slinky!
The warm weather did allow for some late season warm weather projects, though: I got the 2nd half of the front entrance double door painted on Sunday (now all three of the front/side doors have, at least, the first coat on them), and Tom got more stonework done on the front entry way. (We really don't have a good "name" for those stone . . . gates. Anyone? OTHER than 'bomb-proof barriers' that P . . . or was it L . . . suggested when we all visited a couple of weeks ago?) Tom also did maintenance on the electrical system's generator and all four of the (currently running of the six we have) vehicles: oil and fluid levels, filling up with gas, etc.
I continued the electrical system maintenance yesterday by tending to my duty of checking and refilling the water/acid level in the 24 deep-cycle batteries. It's a job that usually takes a couple of hours of slightly painstaking attention and physical positions reminiscent of the childhood game 'Twister'. (The NEXT electrical system we build - [Ha!] - will include batteries mounted VERTICALLY on the wall instead of on the floor.) But, the generator kicked on (scaring the heck out of me) just as I was in the middle of the 3rd to the last battery. So, that project was postponed until today . . . when the generator WON'T be running!
The calendar between now and the end of the year is rapidly filling . . . which also fills me with (even more) anxiety! I'm going to try to do two more Christmas-season sales this year (vs. the one I've participated in at our local town hall 2x a year). These are both in town: one at the Free Church, and the other at the community center. I'm in the process of finding out about dates and entry fees right now. Which reminds me . . . the information for the town hall Christmas sale is starting to come in, so I need to start updating the website! Always so much to do . . . !
I don't know how many of you peek at our YouTube channel, but for those of you who do, you already know that our one remaining turkey, Shy Jenny, has turned out to be . . . a tom! Whoops! But, no harm, no fowl (har dee har har). Now we have "Shy Tommy".
Other news: after being fairly free-and-easy regarding any sort of set schedule over the summer, Tom and I have reconnoitered and set forth a solid plan. Living with "Pioneer Purpose", we call it. ;) Each Sunday evening - with a quick follow-up each night Monday thru Thursday - we plan the week. And then, we get up with the 7:00 AM alarm for a set weekday morning routine (late for some of you, early for others - early for us!). That alarm is conflicting with my past-midnight bedtime, though! I really need to work on changing my night-owl tendencies!
I've really been working on getting our backlog of videos posted on YouTube (see earlier link). If you become a subscriber, you'll be alerted when new ones are posted.
Finally (my segue here is thinking about YouTube), I sure would encourage each and every one of you readers out there (okay, so all 10 of you) to CREATE A BLOG to keep everyone else (me!) updated on your life! Hey, if my 65-year old (shhh!) mom can do it, so can YOU! (And, yes, Mom, JB, and TJ - you are excluded from my little rant since you all HAVE jumped on the modern communication bandwagon. L, you are NOT excluded since your blog posts CONTAIN NOT ONE IOTA OF ANYTHING EVEN MINUTELY RESEMBLING PERSONAL NEWS!)
Rant over.
I'll end with a cute picture of Annie Blue taken yesterday when I was working upstairs in the library. Her body is like a slinky. She's so skinny, and if you hold her up in the air under her "armpits", you can wave her back and forth . . . like a slinky!
The First Day of the Rest of My Summer
Things have . . . life has . . . been too staggeringly and debilitatingly frantic for us these last few weeks. But, with today comes the first day of the rest of my summer. I think.
Seriously, I don't think we've EVER been so busy as this last little stretch of time. One would think that we must have been . . . and maybe we never remember those times for what they were . . . but I just don't remember such an awful, disheveled time.
Since Tom quit at the Rez, an unexpected and undesired side-effect has occurred: he's never home. It feels like a year since he was working that 8:00 - 5:00 job (it's only been 8 weeks as of today!), but the fact was that he was home in the evenings and on the weekends. Now, the light-out-late evenings lend more hours for working any one of his many new jobs as do the weekends.
The most prominent job has been his new Mr. Fixit company, Trapper Cabin Handyman Services (check out the website which I'll have up soon: www.trappercabinhandyman.com). The motto is "Lotsa jobs may be too big, but there's no job too small!" :) (He is a one-man show, remember!) So far, he's had three jobs: two private and one that he had to bid on (and won, obviously!).
The first job was cutting and installing 3 windows in a (basically) windowless log cabin. Then he replaced the front door which was no small feat due to the complete LACK of "square-ness" in the cabin.
(This first picture, both of these are courtesy of the home owner, is a bit terrifying: where he once had a perfectly sound log wall, he'll soon have a gaping hole!)
The second shot is of Tom routering out the logs so he can install the window frame. (Keep in mind that many of the locations Trapper Cabin Handyman is called to don't have electricity - such as this one. That means he has to lug the "portable" [that's relative when it weighs somewhere around 75 pounds] generator to each site.)
The 2nd job was some miscellaneous yard clean up / organization followed by re-roofing a potting shed and re-siding and roofing a small greenhouse. He's still working on that job.
Today took him down to the job he bid on in the county south of us. The work site is about a 2 hour drive, door-to-door. There's a new development on a tiny lake there, and each of the building sites needs to be marked by signs that the developer had made. Tom's mounting the signs and putting them in the ground (which is difficult since the ground is pretty much nothing but ledgerock in that area). There are 33 sites, if memory serves. There were also 3 large signs that needed to be put up at main intersections. My dad went down to help him one day last week with the largest of the signs. Does that mean that Tom's business is big enough to sub-contract work out now?! (Ha ha.)
Anyway, with a job like that - so far away from home - and him having to drive the big one-ton pickup due to everything he has to haul, there's just no sense in him coming home at nights. There is one spec home built on that new development, so he stayed down there last week. There was cold water, a microwave, and roof over his head - but no bed nor heat. So, you can imagine that sleep was limited. Because of that, we've almost decided that it's worth it for him to come all the way home in between . . . or, at the very least, to our cabin just east of town at night. A bad night of sleep has an amazingly large effect on a person's day!
So, besides the handyman business, I had Trapper Cabin Tommy hoppin' to get ready for his first art festival over the July 4th weekend! And, while people oohed and aahed over Trapper Cabin Woodworks, Tom has pretty much vowed that that was his first and LAST art festival. Not that he won't make more items to sell in the future, but he's NOT a happy camper at those things: being "ON" all day, every day for three days straight; smiling at every single person who passes your table; chit-chatting with strangers to pass the time; trying to tout your own crafts without sounding boastful . . . you get the idea. It is exhausting. I have impressive blisters on both feet from the weekend that are just now beginning to dry and peel off. (Aren't you glad I shared that?) But, Tom did sell one of his beautiful tables for $125. Can't beat that with a stick . . . especially considering all the materials (except the glue, screws, and varnish) were 100% free! (Think we remembered to take a picture of it before it sold? Nope!)
And, finally, Tom's THIRD job has been painting for a friend who owns one of the most respected painting businesses in the county. Unfortunately, the development they've been working at is 65 miles down the shore! So, the little Yaris has been racking up the miles: 2,400 already in only 30 days! (We GOTTA get that in for an oil change!)
And then there's the computer consulting business that Tom's trying to get going plus the alternative energy (mostly solar) sub-contracting that he and my dad are doing.
So, are you beginning to understand, now, why Tom is never home?! This weekend was kind of the breaking point for us, and - while we know that this period of "establishing" ourselves in whatever jobs are going to bring the most money / happiness will not last forever - we also realized that we have to take a good look at prioritizing things. I've not been home this past week, either, and I wasn't "home" mentally the weeks before, prepping for the art festival. Meaning, the house is a DISASTER (I know I've said that before, but I REALLY mean it now), and we haven't had a healthy, home-cooked meal since I-don't-know-when (thank you, frozen pizzas and Subway). Neither of us are happy about that, and Tom - who never asks for ANYTHING - said this weekend, "I want my wife back." And, I, too, MISS being a wife - a homemaker - a proper (i.e. spending enough time to do the job[s] right) farmer. I've been doing my own part to try to bring money in lately, but, as I said, we've got to sit down and prioritize. All we've been doing is putting out the proverbial fires. Running around doing "just enough" to avert major disasters. But, in the midst of all those attempts, of course there are failures. I've lost a duckling, a gosling, one chick, and two turkey poults in the last couple of weeks . . . and an itty-bitty bunny. But, those are stories for later. (Be glad I've gotten THIS far!)
Seriously, I don't think we've EVER been so busy as this last little stretch of time. One would think that we must have been . . . and maybe we never remember those times for what they were . . . but I just don't remember such an awful, disheveled time.
Since Tom quit at the Rez, an unexpected and undesired side-effect has occurred: he's never home. It feels like a year since he was working that 8:00 - 5:00 job (it's only been 8 weeks as of today!), but the fact was that he was home in the evenings and on the weekends. Now, the light-out-late evenings lend more hours for working any one of his many new jobs as do the weekends.
The most prominent job has been his new Mr. Fixit company, Trapper Cabin Handyman Services (check out the website which I'll have up soon: www.trappercabinhandyman.com). The motto is "Lotsa jobs may be too big, but there's no job too small!" :) (He is a one-man show, remember!) So far, he's had three jobs: two private and one that he had to bid on (and won, obviously!).
The first job was cutting and installing 3 windows in a (basically) windowless log cabin. Then he replaced the front door which was no small feat due to the complete LACK of "square-ness" in the cabin.(This first picture, both of these are courtesy of the home owner, is a bit terrifying: where he once had a perfectly sound log wall, he'll soon have a gaping hole!)
The second shot is of Tom routering out the logs so he can install the window frame. (Keep in mind that many of the locations Trapper Cabin Handyman is called to don't have electricity - such as this one. That means he has to lug the "portable" [that's relative when it weighs somewhere around 75 pounds] generator to each site.)
The 2nd job was some miscellaneous yard clean up / organization followed by re-roofing a potting shed and re-siding and roofing a small greenhouse. He's still working on that job.Today took him down to the job he bid on in the county south of us. The work site is about a 2 hour drive, door-to-door. There's a new development on a tiny lake there, and each of the building sites needs to be marked by signs that the developer had made. Tom's mounting the signs and putting them in the ground (which is difficult since the ground is pretty much nothing but ledgerock in that area). There are 33 sites, if memory serves. There were also 3 large signs that needed to be put up at main intersections. My dad went down to help him one day last week with the largest of the signs. Does that mean that Tom's business is big enough to sub-contract work out now?! (Ha ha.)
Anyway, with a job like that - so far away from home - and him having to drive the big one-ton pickup due to everything he has to haul, there's just no sense in him coming home at nights. There is one spec home built on that new development, so he stayed down there last week. There was cold water, a microwave, and roof over his head - but no bed nor heat. So, you can imagine that sleep was limited. Because of that, we've almost decided that it's worth it for him to come all the way home in between . . . or, at the very least, to our cabin just east of town at night. A bad night of sleep has an amazingly large effect on a person's day!
So, besides the handyman business, I had Trapper Cabin Tommy hoppin' to get ready for his first art festival over the July 4th weekend! And, while people oohed and aahed over Trapper Cabin Woodworks, Tom has pretty much vowed that that was his first and LAST art festival. Not that he won't make more items to sell in the future, but he's NOT a happy camper at those things: being "ON" all day, every day for three days straight; smiling at every single person who passes your table; chit-chatting with strangers to pass the time; trying to tout your own crafts without sounding boastful . . . you get the idea. It is exhausting. I have impressive blisters on both feet from the weekend that are just now beginning to dry and peel off. (Aren't you glad I shared that?) But, Tom did sell one of his beautiful tables for $125. Can't beat that with a stick . . . especially considering all the materials (except the glue, screws, and varnish) were 100% free! (Think we remembered to take a picture of it before it sold? Nope!)
And, finally, Tom's THIRD job has been painting for a friend who owns one of the most respected painting businesses in the county. Unfortunately, the development they've been working at is 65 miles down the shore! So, the little Yaris has been racking up the miles: 2,400 already in only 30 days! (We GOTTA get that in for an oil change!)
And then there's the computer consulting business that Tom's trying to get going plus the alternative energy (mostly solar) sub-contracting that he and my dad are doing.
So, are you beginning to understand, now, why Tom is never home?! This weekend was kind of the breaking point for us, and - while we know that this period of "establishing" ourselves in whatever jobs are going to bring the most money / happiness will not last forever - we also realized that we have to take a good look at prioritizing things. I've not been home this past week, either, and I wasn't "home" mentally the weeks before, prepping for the art festival. Meaning, the house is a DISASTER (I know I've said that before, but I REALLY mean it now), and we haven't had a healthy, home-cooked meal since I-don't-know-when (thank you, frozen pizzas and Subway). Neither of us are happy about that, and Tom - who never asks for ANYTHING - said this weekend, "I want my wife back." And, I, too, MISS being a wife - a homemaker - a proper (i.e. spending enough time to do the job[s] right) farmer. I've been doing my own part to try to bring money in lately, but, as I said, we've got to sit down and prioritize. All we've been doing is putting out the proverbial fires. Running around doing "just enough" to avert major disasters. But, in the midst of all those attempts, of course there are failures. I've lost a duckling, a gosling, one chick, and two turkey poults in the last couple of weeks . . . and an itty-bitty bunny. But, those are stories for later. (Be glad I've gotten THIS far!)
Quilt Raffle!
The local summertime art festival is just around the corner: the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the 4th of July weekend. A seasonal gal (okay, so she's a woman ALL thru the year . . . but LIVES here only seasonally) made this beautiful quilt and donated it as a fund-raiser for our festival. Tickets are $2 each (I think). I'll happily float you the money to buy as many tickets as you want, and then you can just snail mail the money to me! ;)
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