Do you know the best way to annoy your Facebook friends?
Post your new Etsy items...each and every one of them....
Often several a day.
And hope that someone will buy something.Friday, March 26, 2010
New work now online!
Do you know the best way to annoy your Facebook friends? Post your new Etsy items...each and every one of them.... Often several a day.And hope that someone will buy something.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
My Great Aunt's Notes Feb 1-7
This evening I was looking through a box of old books when I found an ancient devotional that my mom's aunt Evelyn kept for decades. Each page had a date and the religious devotional that went with it, and Evelyn wrote notes about things in the margins. They were like an "on this day in history" entry. I leafed through and I'm really fascinated at the things that she wrote....some were big history like "war started", and sometimes it was just the weather for that day. It's her own personal history book!
Does anyone do that anymore? We always plan ahead and jot notes down about what we will do, not what has happened. Even worse, so much of it is digital, and it's often deleted forever.
Each week I will post the things that she wrote so that I can understand her more as the person I really didn't get to know, as well as remind us the big things in history that we have forgotten or didn't know at all. Sometimes I added words to clarify what she was saying (such as the word "degree" instead of the little circle next to the number, for which there is no font). If I wrote it exactly as she did, much of it wouldn't make sense.
Feb 1:
~ Fire and Burglary system comp installed today Thurs-1979 CDAlarm - dumb thing to do !
~ 66 degrees Wed 1989 record since 100 years ago (65 degrees)
~ 63 degrees Sat 1986
~ 10" snow - 1966 home at noon
~ Rev Nussbaum's last Sunday - 1953 Wonderful services
Feb 2
~ Bill in Deaconess, Mon 1987 Pneumonia + 105 degree temp (to Feb 8)
~ last car 3-31-1988
~ SOLD '87 Dodge! Oct 1992
~ Owned my first car as of today 1950 Dodge 1959
~ Mrs Miller moved in Sat 1957 (apt vacant 3 months)
~ Tues 1954 - retired - Rev James Sanders
~ Wed 1955 - retired - Rev Harold Walker
Feb 3
~ 1852-1996 Saturday McAlpin's downtown CLOSED
~ To 32 cents Jan 1995 (postage)
~ To 29 cents 1991 from 25 cents
~ Bought my first home! Saturday 1962 $15,500.00 5.5%
Feb 4
~ 71 degrees - 1962 Record breaker
~ 61 degrees - 1986
Feb 5
~ 8 degrees - 1962
~ Mom's landing Fri 1971
~ New partial Sat 1966 $125.00
~ New green rug in mother's room + replaced August 1975
~ New green rug bought for mine.
Feb 6
~ Margaret Berenford passed away Mon 1990
Feb 7
~ Helen Beigel with Lord - Tues 1984
(Update: March 26, 2010....obviously I didn't follow my big dream of posting everything in her book. Frankly, her handwriting is pretty darn hard to read. )
Does anyone do that anymore? We always plan ahead and jot notes down about what we will do, not what has happened. Even worse, so much of it is digital, and it's often deleted forever.
Each week I will post the things that she wrote so that I can understand her more as the person I really didn't get to know, as well as remind us the big things in history that we have forgotten or didn't know at all. Sometimes I added words to clarify what she was saying (such as the word "degree" instead of the little circle next to the number, for which there is no font). If I wrote it exactly as she did, much of it wouldn't make sense.
Feb 1:
~ Fire and Burglary system comp installed today Thurs-1979 CDAlarm - dumb thing to do !
~ 66 degrees Wed 1989 record since 100 years ago (65 degrees)
~ 63 degrees Sat 1986
~ 10" snow - 1966 home at noon
~ Rev Nussbaum's last Sunday - 1953 Wonderful services
Feb 2
~ Bill in Deaconess, Mon 1987 Pneumonia + 105 degree temp (to Feb 8)
~ last car 3-31-1988
~ SOLD '87 Dodge! Oct 1992
~ Owned my first car as of today 1950 Dodge 1959
~ Mrs Miller moved in Sat 1957 (apt vacant 3 months)
~ Tues 1954 - retired - Rev James Sanders
~ Wed 1955 - retired - Rev Harold Walker
Feb 3
~ 1852-1996 Saturday McAlpin's downtown CLOSED
~ To 32 cents Jan 1995 (postage)
~ To 29 cents 1991 from 25 cents
~ Bought my first home! Saturday 1962 $15,500.00 5.5%
Feb 4
~ 71 degrees - 1962 Record breaker
~ 61 degrees - 1986
Feb 5
~ 8 degrees - 1962
~ Mom's landing Fri 1971
~ New partial Sat 1966 $125.00
~ New green rug in mother's room + replaced August 1975
~ New green rug bought for mine.
Feb 6
~ Margaret Berenford passed away Mon 1990
Feb 7
~ Helen Beigel with Lord - Tues 1984
(Update: March 26, 2010....obviously I didn't follow my big dream of posting everything in her book. Frankly, her handwriting is pretty darn hard to read. )
Friday, January 15, 2010
The End of One Era and The Start of Another
It's Friday night and I'm eating asparagus for dinner, the way my great friend Susan taught me. I'm washing it down with a Miller High Life....cheap, drinkable beer that I can buy across the street for under $7.00. My usual choice would be Blue Moon, or Christian Moerlein, or maybe Sam Adams. They don't sell those across the street.
Work today was like night and day in one 7 hour period. For most of the day, we had a steady stream of people but it never got overwhelming. Then, at almost exactly 4:15pm, both doors opened and people gushed in like tidal waves that crashed in a sea of fabric and beads. I can't remember the last time I cut so much fabric, so quickly. All of the fabric is 75% off, starting today. I suppose people still had to work, which is why the slam came so late. Even though we technically close at 5, we still had people in line at 6:20pm. I was cleaning up the aftermath and noticed that yes, we are selling out of stuff, and it will be gone very soon. It was the longest 9 hour day I've worked in a very long time.
There was a moment of zen when I looked up in the crowd and saw about 8 of my favorite 50 customers all shopping. I felt like something part of something bigger, like as souls we were supposed to cross paths for a while. Had I thought about it longer, while I caught my breath and cleared my head, I would have surely started to cry. I have helped all of those people over the years with their quilting and beading projects....and have been able to get to know them more as people and not just customers. And nowhere else would I have met all of them. It was St Theresa Textile Trove that brought them into my life over and over again. Fortunately in the last couple of days I've been able to say goodbye to many good customers who I've always enjoyed having around...lots of sincere hugs and thank-you's. Tomorrow is my last day there, the cap on 10 years of intense work in the best store in Cincinnati. It'll probably be so busy because of the sale that the day will fly by before I can feel the looming sadness of the loss of such a great store.
But really, lots of great stores and come and gone. Remember God Save the Queen and Woodsprite on Vine? Aquarius Bookstore (over 20 years!) on lower Main? Lots of hardworking people have had great shops and have had to close their doors for whatever reason, but we all just keep on keepin' on. And new awesome stores will open up when the void gets to be too big.
So Monday is my New Beginning....a Clean Slate. I'll be starting over at the bottom. Which is really where I need to be now. Being "in charge" for so many years has been rewarding and challenging, but honestly, now I just want to be told what to do. I want to learn the ropes of Half Price Books starting with the floor, then proceeding to the corners, then the walls, then the shelves, the books, the signs, the everything. I look forward to a broader customer base in a different part of town, working with lots more people (including MEN!...I haven't worked with guys for 11 years....luckily I get along pretty darn well with that half of the species). I look forward to an expansion of my peer group, and even a new circle of friends. This change couldn't come at a better time....and I'm so ready for it. Many of my regular Trove customers have vowed to follow me to Half Price Books. I believe them, and I will smile and help them find the book or DVD or CD or vinyl record or whatever they are looking for, just like I helped them at the Trove.
St Theresa's will literally be a memory in a very short period of time. It's unlikely that I will get there between Sunday and the 31st...the official last day of business. All of the staff is going to be there on the 31st....I imagine we will be sipping wine between customers, reminiscing, crying, laughing, enjoying our one last big HURRAH before the paper goes up in the window. I wonder how many customers have no idea we're closing. Once the store is closed, I wonder how many people will drive x number of hours to shop, only to find us empty. (Note to reader: If your favorite store has an email newsletter, JOIN IT. That's how you find out important stuff like this.)
All I can say at this point is that it has been an honor and a privilege to work at the Trove. It has certainly been a character-building experience, and I know that much of how I work at Half Price Books will be a direct result of what I learned at the Trove. I hope that if you Cincinnati locals are able to stop by tomorrow, that you will. I'd love to see you. It may be crazy and I may only be able to squeeze in a desperate "hello", but I will remember that you came by!
Work today was like night and day in one 7 hour period. For most of the day, we had a steady stream of people but it never got overwhelming. Then, at almost exactly 4:15pm, both doors opened and people gushed in like tidal waves that crashed in a sea of fabric and beads. I can't remember the last time I cut so much fabric, so quickly. All of the fabric is 75% off, starting today. I suppose people still had to work, which is why the slam came so late. Even though we technically close at 5, we still had people in line at 6:20pm. I was cleaning up the aftermath and noticed that yes, we are selling out of stuff, and it will be gone very soon. It was the longest 9 hour day I've worked in a very long time.
There was a moment of zen when I looked up in the crowd and saw about 8 of my favorite 50 customers all shopping. I felt like something part of something bigger, like as souls we were supposed to cross paths for a while. Had I thought about it longer, while I caught my breath and cleared my head, I would have surely started to cry. I have helped all of those people over the years with their quilting and beading projects....and have been able to get to know them more as people and not just customers. And nowhere else would I have met all of them. It was St Theresa Textile Trove that brought them into my life over and over again. Fortunately in the last couple of days I've been able to say goodbye to many good customers who I've always enjoyed having around...lots of sincere hugs and thank-you's. Tomorrow is my last day there, the cap on 10 years of intense work in the best store in Cincinnati. It'll probably be so busy because of the sale that the day will fly by before I can feel the looming sadness of the loss of such a great store.
But really, lots of great stores and come and gone. Remember God Save the Queen and Woodsprite on Vine? Aquarius Bookstore (over 20 years!) on lower Main? Lots of hardworking people have had great shops and have had to close their doors for whatever reason, but we all just keep on keepin' on. And new awesome stores will open up when the void gets to be too big.
So Monday is my New Beginning....a Clean Slate. I'll be starting over at the bottom. Which is really where I need to be now. Being "in charge" for so many years has been rewarding and challenging, but honestly, now I just want to be told what to do. I want to learn the ropes of Half Price Books starting with the floor, then proceeding to the corners, then the walls, then the shelves, the books, the signs, the everything. I look forward to a broader customer base in a different part of town, working with lots more people (including MEN!...I haven't worked with guys for 11 years....luckily I get along pretty darn well with that half of the species). I look forward to an expansion of my peer group, and even a new circle of friends. This change couldn't come at a better time....and I'm so ready for it. Many of my regular Trove customers have vowed to follow me to Half Price Books. I believe them, and I will smile and help them find the book or DVD or CD or vinyl record or whatever they are looking for, just like I helped them at the Trove.
St Theresa's will literally be a memory in a very short period of time. It's unlikely that I will get there between Sunday and the 31st...the official last day of business. All of the staff is going to be there on the 31st....I imagine we will be sipping wine between customers, reminiscing, crying, laughing, enjoying our one last big HURRAH before the paper goes up in the window. I wonder how many customers have no idea we're closing. Once the store is closed, I wonder how many people will drive x number of hours to shop, only to find us empty. (Note to reader: If your favorite store has an email newsletter, JOIN IT. That's how you find out important stuff like this.)
All I can say at this point is that it has been an honor and a privilege to work at the Trove. It has certainly been a character-building experience, and I know that much of how I work at Half Price Books will be a direct result of what I learned at the Trove. I hope that if you Cincinnati locals are able to stop by tomorrow, that you will. I'd love to see you. It may be crazy and I may only be able to squeeze in a desperate "hello", but I will remember that you came by!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Antique Mall = Perfect Birthday
Freaky mannequin.
Great beadwork. One of several beaded pouches.
Lovely cabinet.
$65 glass snail.
"Being John Malcovich" nesting dolls.
Marionettes.
Happy orange mugs. Should have bought these.
Warthog and butterfly. How cute, and only $280!!Thursday, December 17, 2009
All but abandoned Etsy
Man oh man! Life has thrown quite a few curve balls my way this year. I can't wait til it's over. 2009 (especially the last half) has been the least productive year for me regarding new beads and buttons. Seems like I've had the same jewelry for years and years...who knows how many. I just don't feel like literally sitting down as much as I used to. My mind is restless, and it's very hard to focus on creating. Sales have shown it, too. I have no idea what 2010 will bring....what distractions will keep me away from the escape that making little treasures provides. Or maybe my definition of "escape" is changing. My Etsy sales this month have been: zero. I'm sure if I were able to invest the time into Etsy or my website that I could, if the following life events haven't kind of taken over, I would have better sales. But honestly, I don't really care. After I post this blog I'm going to go into my studio and work on making some jewelry, I guess. See? If I use "I guess" after stating something that involves creating, you know I must not be feeling the mojo.
My distractions:
Fitness:
Running, lifting weights and doing pushups (or any physical exercise, especially challenging exercise) are a really effective way to dissipate stress. My diet has gone to hell over the holiday season, but I am keeping active. The other day I bought my January 2010 YWCA pass. Since I have no clue if I'll have gainful employment in February, I figure that if I buy the pass this far ahead of time, I'll be more likely to afford February's and maybe even March's monthly pass. It would be cheaper for me to commit to a year, but I'm not feeling that risky right now. Paying $55 for full access (no restricted hours) to a gym that's 2 blocks away, during the crappiest months of the year weather-wise (lugging all the "stuff") is well worth it. Last night, my brother and I went for a run on the most dreary, drizzly, damp, cold day possible. And it was exhilarating! I probably could have gone for another 10 minutes, but his calf was hurting and I didn't want to make him sit in a steamy pickup waiting for me. But I can say that it did whet my apetite for more cold-weather running. He estimated I ran about 2.75 miles.
Mom:
My mom is the best. She has had to transition to living in a nursing home....though she can still get around, has her mental faculties pretty much intact except for short-term memory issues. This could have been a really bad situation.....but she has accepted the situation and is now thriving more than I remember in past years. Next step is to get her apartment cleaned out. That will occupy much of my "free" time over the next month.
Work:
St Theresa Textile Trove is closing in just 6 weeks, which is coinciding with my 10 year anniversary there. I have started submitting my resume to places...one in particular is a job I'd REALLY like to get, but will have to wait to find out if they're interested. On top of everything else going on, I need to keep on the job search. I just don't have the resources to tide me over until I find new work. Part of me is a little scared, I have to admit. I haven't been unemployed for more than 2 weeks since probably the early 1990's. And as much as I'd like to be able to support myself with my craft, I really need to interact with other people. I like being out in public, talking to different folks.
So, I'll get going now and start making something, for someone, somewhere.
My distractions:
Fitness:
Running, lifting weights and doing pushups (or any physical exercise, especially challenging exercise) are a really effective way to dissipate stress. My diet has gone to hell over the holiday season, but I am keeping active. The other day I bought my January 2010 YWCA pass. Since I have no clue if I'll have gainful employment in February, I figure that if I buy the pass this far ahead of time, I'll be more likely to afford February's and maybe even March's monthly pass. It would be cheaper for me to commit to a year, but I'm not feeling that risky right now. Paying $55 for full access (no restricted hours) to a gym that's 2 blocks away, during the crappiest months of the year weather-wise (lugging all the "stuff") is well worth it. Last night, my brother and I went for a run on the most dreary, drizzly, damp, cold day possible. And it was exhilarating! I probably could have gone for another 10 minutes, but his calf was hurting and I didn't want to make him sit in a steamy pickup waiting for me. But I can say that it did whet my apetite for more cold-weather running. He estimated I ran about 2.75 miles.
Mom:
My mom is the best. She has had to transition to living in a nursing home....though she can still get around, has her mental faculties pretty much intact except for short-term memory issues. This could have been a really bad situation.....but she has accepted the situation and is now thriving more than I remember in past years. Next step is to get her apartment cleaned out. That will occupy much of my "free" time over the next month.
Work:
St Theresa Textile Trove is closing in just 6 weeks, which is coinciding with my 10 year anniversary there. I have started submitting my resume to places...one in particular is a job I'd REALLY like to get, but will have to wait to find out if they're interested. On top of everything else going on, I need to keep on the job search. I just don't have the resources to tide me over until I find new work. Part of me is a little scared, I have to admit. I haven't been unemployed for more than 2 weeks since probably the early 1990's. And as much as I'd like to be able to support myself with my craft, I really need to interact with other people. I like being out in public, talking to different folks.
So, I'll get going now and start making something, for someone, somewhere.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
6 months later
Some folks have asked me for a before and after photo. These are 6 months apart. The one with me smiling was taken today.
Bottom line: Eat healthy, keep your body moving. Period.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Very strange week! I mean, creepy.
Ok, so I'm kind of freaking out just a tiny bit. Listen to this:
Next:
Two times this week something very symbolic occurred...a sign only I could recognize. I wonder what it all means. And what will be the next "coincidence" that will knock me out of my own shoes?
********************************************************
1) My maternal grandma loved clowns. She didn't go overboard or anything, but she did have some figurines and an old clown painting from the 1960's that my mom painted, using a guidebook. When I was a child, I remember her playing "Send in the Clowns", that depressing song, sung by Carly Simon.
Before I could correctly pronounce "Grandma" as a young child, I started calling her Ranga. That name still sticks. It's like "Mee-maw" or "Na-na". Noone that I've spoken to has ever heard of that as a name for anyone.
Last week, a traveling clown, a cute French older woman collecting donations to further her work in children's hospitals, came into St Theresa Textile Trove, where I work. She really was very nice. Not creepy at all. She had a nametag with the name of a doll attached to her front....the name was Ranga.
Last week, a traveling clown, a cute French older woman collecting donations to further her work in children's hospitals, came into St Theresa Textile Trove, where I work. She really was very nice. Not creepy at all. She had a nametag with the name of a doll attached to her front....the name was Ranga.
Next:
2) Tonight I was checking the store's email, just to see if we've had any orders over the weekend. There was one from a customer, responding to an email my boss sent her. She signed it with a picture of my cat, Kitty. It is a small thumbnail image with the lady's website beneath it. I KNOW that photos was not on my computer. She had to have sent it. I wonder if it was ever on my old Myspace page. Really shows me how far one of my own photos can go. Makes me very very happy there aren't any pictures of me doing anything embarrassing floating out there. I sent the customer an email asking her where she found that...the curiosity is killing me! I'll be sure to let you know.
UPDATE: The customer told me that the image she attaches to her emails is a photo of a raven. Makes it even weirder, that her image is different than what is showing up.
UPDATE: The customer told me that the image she attaches to her emails is a photo of a raven. Makes it even weirder, that her image is different than what is showing up.
By the way, her quilts are amazing. Please visit her website and see how gorgeous her site and work are!
Two times this week something very symbolic occurred...a sign only I could recognize. I wonder what it all means. And what will be the next "coincidence" that will knock me out of my own shoes?
********************************************************
While I'm here, I might as well post the results of my first 5K running race. 35:43. I'm damn proud. That guy is my brother...he was 21 seconds ahead of me at the finish line. Thanks Jay and Mike for the pictures!
I look forward to warmer races in the spring, that's for sure!
I'm tired! Goodnight!
I'm tired! Goodnight!
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