Breaking Records!

Today, I smashed my sales record.

Smashed it like I didn’t think was possible!

This morning I was looking at April sales and thinking how much I needed a good day to help ease the loss of a week with the doors locked.

Saturdays are historically the worst day of the week for sales.

I remember back in the 70s when my mother owned a small record shop in the Brisbane suburb of Morningside and Saturdays were so busy she needed three staff and the queue at the counter were four deep all morning. It was crazy!

It has never been like that here.

In fact I’ve considered not opening on Saturdays because sales have been so mimimal.

Not today!

It was a blinder and has covered what I will miss out on next week!

To add to that, I ran a fantastic art class this afternoon with ten ladies who all produced some beautiful art. These are some of their efforts. I didn’t get pics of them all, but I will tomorrow.

We sat around drinking beverages until after 4.30pm and there was plenty of laughter and fun. They are a great group of girls.

We stopped at the local cafe to grab some chips to have with dinner and talked to the owners about the fact that they have sold the business.

What a relief for them because Covid has destroyed them and their piece of mind. The locals have really given them grief and I hope that their future is full of success and happiness because they are hard workers and they deserve a better deal.

My Melbourne family are mourning the loss of their pet cat Maggie tonight. I send them healing hugs.

I think I’m done for the day. Tomorrow will be huge as I pack and prepare for my trip to Melbourne. Just two more sleeps!

Nite all.

Job Well Done

It has taken me three days to finish pricing and displaying the new stock.

I thought it would never end!

It was a good day of sales and I had another visitor today in for a chat, which was lovely.

I sold some more of my art 🤗

I paid some hefty bills.

I received my new shoes in the mail!

They are actually navy and white. Thanks go to Aggie 🥰

Some more photos of my new g’bubba ...

Just three more sleeps and I’ll be having cuddles.

Chicklet’s new Aunty bought a cow and she got to feed it today!

It’s all happening down south!

Tonight, I’m looking forward to sliding between my new linen sheets that have been freshly washed and dried especially for their first night on my bed. They are wasabi colour and go beautifully with my ocean themed bed cover. I can’t wait.

On that note, I bid you a goodnight!

Nite all.

Bed Time

It’s 8pm and I’ve been in bed since 5.30pm.

It was not very busy with customers today so I filled my day pricing the new stock and rearranging displays to make space for it.

I probably should have taken a couple of breaks.

By 2pm I was feeling very weary and couldn’t wait to put my feet up.

After 2 days I’m still only about three quarters of the way through the stock that arrived and my office area is pretty messy!

At least the drop sheet is down and the tables are set up ready for this week’s art class.

I had a visit from a lady whose husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about 3 years ago. She comes in every couple of months to vent and debrief. She’s lovely.

There were a lot of parents with kids through the doors today. All just looking, so sales were a little below average.

Something that annoys me is parents who walk in with their kids saying “Don’t touch anything. Look with your eyes.” My gosh! I’m 60 years old and ‘I’ can’t walk into a shop with pretty things and not touch anything! The parents spend the rest of the time saying “I told you not to touch! Don’t touch!”  I appreciate their intention but I feel so sorry for the kids.

Anyway, I heard those words a LOT today.

It’s a great time of the year. The weather has cooled down and the nights are great for sleeping. The light is really clear during the day and there are birds of all shapes and sizes everywhere. People have reported seeing pods of dolphins in the river every day and the fishermen have spotted dugongs in huge numbers on their trips out to sea.

We live in paradise.

I need to go and focus on the football now. My team is beating the top team and I am shocked at their efforts so far!

Have a great Friday!

Nite all.

Time is of the Essence

I just don’t know where the time goes!

Only 7 people turned up for meditation this week. Nobody wants to sit for an hour wearing a horrid mask and because tomorrow morning at 6am, masks can be discarded, I gave the 7 people in the room permission to be mask free.

Afterwards, The Gypsy spent 45 minutes chatting before she had to rush off for an appointment.

In between serving customers, I began to price and display the stock that came in yesterday. Slow going with so many items and having to calculate each price because this company doesn’t provide a recommended retail price.

Aggie visited me for a little while and I was grateful for the break!

Adoring Husband turned up early and interrupted my flow.

After his dental marathon yesterday, he is feeling incredibly well, motivated and full of beans. The Parkinson’s tremor has even eased for him today. It would be nice if it remained that way.

My Lorraine Lea order arrived today. I can’t wait to wash my new linen sheets and put them on the bed. I also purchased a lovely mint coloured bath mat set which I won’t use until I give the ensuite a good scrub from top to bottom! My free set of towels are mint coloured to match so the bathroom should look delicious by the time I’m done.

Anyway, I’m off to play the Pop Master quiz and then climb into bed.

Nite all.

Long Long Long

Adoring Husband was being taken into the Bay for his marathon IV sedated dental appointment at 6.30am so after a very restless night, I was out of bed at 5.45am making my breakfast and saying goodbye to him.

His volunteer chauffeur arrived early so after they drove off, I brought my breakfast to bed and spent an hour relaxing before starting the day.

I rode my trike to work and arrived with plenty of time to spare.

I opened the shop and checked the mail - which required a trolley to bring 8 parcels back, 7 of which were stock!

During coffee with the girls, I opened all the boxes and made a complete mess. I was very grateful that The Brains Trust offered some of her time to help me check off the invoices.

Co-incidentally, a gentleman walked in asking for a leather wallet so I was able to show him the brand new stock and he purchased one before they hit the shelves.

The Pommy Warrior who has been leaving her preloved clothing at my shop, appeared today with another two bags of clothes, but I turned her away and returned to her, the remaining clothes that hadn’t sold. Then she hung around for an hour bringing me up to date with her life and home renovations.

So much of my time wasted. My own fault.

Suddenly it was 1pm and the cleaner arrived!

The PW finally left and I set up the table for journaling class, priced some new stock and displayed it until the class began. I had to close the shop first and pull in the flags, signs and chairs so we started a little later than usual.

We were very productive in class and got lots of writing done.

At the end I folded up the tables, cleared the stock out of the training room, set out the chairs for meditation, binned all the packaging from the stock, emptied all the bins in the shop, cleared off my desk, grocery shopped for dinner, locked up the shop, packed all my paraphernalia into my trike basket and at 4.40pm began pedalling home.

I was exhausted 😳

I arrived home to find AH sleeping in his chair but doing well after his treatment.

My best option was to cook dinner straight away because if I sat down, I wouldn’t get back up!

After dinner I got the washing off the line, folded it and put it away.

I played Popmaster Quiz.

I watched MAFS.

I came to bed and it’s already 11.30pm.

Must sleep now.

The day has been long and full and busy. Sales were good.

Nite all.

A Perfect Day

I woke up feeling much better than the day before.

More energised. More motivated. More inspired.

I had the BEST day with my girls.

Exhausting, but fun.

We shopped, we ate, we laughed, we walked and we talked.

The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, the view was special and the company was fabulous.

I had a bit of a spree and purchased two pairs of boots and one pair of shoes ...

Two tops, a pair of white bottoms, 3 gifts and a white fringed kaftan to wear over my swimmers.

Almost seven hours together!

I think we were all very weary by the end of the day and couldn’t wait to get home and put our feet up.

Adoring Husband was asleep on the couch when I walked in the door.

I threw some chicken drumsticks in a baking tray and sprinkled them with thyme, salt and pepper. I lay slices of lemon over the top and put them in the oven for 30 minutes. I removed the lemon and drizzled honey over the chicken and turned up the heat for another 10 minutes.

Delicious.

I can’t believe it’s now 11pm. 

Why aren’t I asleep?

Nite all.

Energy Low

I have to confess that I am feeling completely drained.

I had committed to the Lorraine Lea party this morning and it took every last ounce of my minimal energy to get out of bed, dress and pedal the half a kilometre to the party.

I stayed for 3 hours because I didn’t have the energy to pedal home!

Old Speckled Hen was in attendance and she lives across the road from the party. Since she has lived there for 17 months and I had not been to visit, I agreed to pop over and have a viewing.

It’s a lovely unit with a minimalist garden area, but they have it looking so welcoming and homely.

I pedalled all the way home before I realised that I’d left my handbag on Speckled Hen’s dining chair so Adoring Husband drove me back to pick it up. It was 32°C draining heat - like I needed anything to drain me more!

My aim for the afternoon was for pure laziness.

I achieved my aim.

It’s 7.30pm and I am in bed watching MAFS.

Tomorrow is our lady’s lunch to celebrate Beauty’s birthday and I REALLY hope to wake up more energised than I did today.

Just eight more sleeps til I meet my new grandbaby, my new son-in-law, hug Vegan Chickie and spend some quality time with my Chicklet. But who’s counting? Meeeeeee.

🥱 

I need to rest now. 

Nite all.