Gettin’ Arty

Today was enjoyable.

I was able to finish setting up the training room for the art workshop quite early, which worked out well because The Motivator came for a visit and we spent about 30 minutes catching up and making fun of our aching body parts and giggling like idiots.

There was a steady flow of customers until closing time, which was exactly when the art class started so I changed into my old art clothes, greeted my 8 participants and we spent two hours making messy fun.

Included in my class was Paige, who I think may have been about 7 or 8 yrs of age. She had a ball and was very creative.

We all practiced making flowers on a small panel using the straw blowing technique and then everyone decided to create something different on their larger canvas.

There were feathers, flowers, jellyfish, abstracts and a pelican with a fish in its mouth (courtesy of Paige).

The photos really don’t do some of these justice. They look better than this.

I don’t think I was quite as exhausted as after the first workshop two weeks ago, but I was still happy to get home and put my feet up.

We’ve watched the footy and are in bed now.

I’m looking forward to my rest day tomorrow.

Have a happy Sunday!

Nite all.

Taking a Load Off

I think I need to wear a step counter when I set up for an art workshop.

I swear I did 10000 steps just in the training room today!

My feet were killing me by the time we closed the shop at 3pm.

It will be a full class of 8 and I’m pushing the social distancing rules squeezing that many in. I had to get Adoring Husband to purchase two new tables to make it work.

Aside from setting up the training room - and it’s still not finished - I was able to fix up the art and craft display area. Until my new table and glass cabinet arrive, I need to make do with what I’ve got. I priced almost everything and stuck all the art to the front of the glass cabinets with double sided rubbery stickers.

I must take a photo tomorrow!

By the end of the day, I was DONE but before I could put my feet up, I had to get changed and bathe psychotic dog Ruby and tend to her eye.

From there, I planted my butt on the lounge chair and that’s where I stayed until after dinner. I was in bed by 7pm and AH joined me at 8pm. We are watching the footy in bed.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s workshop, but right now, I am again feeling my age! Luckily I know how to indulge in some self care so things don’t get on top of me! And also lucky for me that I have a husband who is generous with TLC and looks after me no matter what kind of day I have.

He took psychotic dog Colli into the groomers today. She gets so excited when she knows she’s going in the car and then comes home full of energy and feeling fab - just like me when I’ve been to the hairdresser!

AH ran some errands for me during the 90 minutes that she was being beautified.

He’s the best personal assistant I’ve ever had!

Don’t forget ...

... we are altogether manifesting this win for me! Everybody put it out there into the Universe!

New Sassy Duck bags arrived this week.

Time to sleep now.

Nite all.

Busy Busy Busy

Adoring Husband and I set up the tables for art on the weekend and decluttered all the sheets of cardboard that have been stored against the wall for over a year.

I ‘started’ a few things on my ‘to do’ list and did not not finish any of them.

I started to fill out a form for the bank.

I started to price Corina Corina’s jewellery and she dropped in with some displays for me to use.

I started to check my emails.

I started to claim my domain name.

I spoke to Artsy Mae about which art of hers I would keep at the shop.

I took some timber work from the Men’s Shed to sell in the shop.

I received a delivery of Sassy Duck bags to unpack, price and display.

I served customers until 3pm.

AH replaced a fluorescent tube in one of the ceiling lights, but another light is broken and looks like the entire casing might need replacing, so I called an electrician. Actually, I called The Gypsy’s partner who is an electrician.

I sold two pieces of my art for $110 and $120 🤩👩‍🎨😮

We left the shop after 3pm and I cooked an early dinner because AH had SES training tonight. I got some lamb and caramelised onion sausages from the local butcher. They were SO good! Served with cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, mashed potato and gravy.

I watched the Roosters thrash the Cowboys in the NRL.

Now it’s time to sleep, but I’m thinking of going into the back bedroom where there is no steam train in the bed beside me!

Nite all.

Morning Struggle

It was a real struggle getting out of bed this morning.

My alarm went off at 6am and I hit the ‘snooze’ button.

Adoring Husband brought in some warm lemon water for me and I sat in bed sipping it until after 6.30am.

We had to leave the house at 7.05am so it was my amazing time management skills that had me sitting in the car, ready for work, at exactly 7.05am!

Meditation was great and we even had an elderly male join us! He joined in the discussions and seemed to enjoy himself.

Afterwards, while The Gypsy and I had a catch up at my desk, some of the ladies from meditation bought themselves coffee and returned to sit in the training room for a giggle and a chat.

I received a delivery which included bulk coat hangers and a couple of gifts for two of my friends.

I had some sterling silver chains arrive in the mail too.

Sales were average, but the cold, damp day probably contributed to that. Even ‘I’ felt cold when I stepped outside.

Even though I made a ‘to do’ list, nothing was achieved from the list. Instead my time was spent changing my registration details with some suppliers, ordering stock on sale for EOFY, discussing business with the Howard Men’s Shed to sell some plant stands as well as having them possibly make a “Local Arts and Crafts” sign for my yellow wall.

My work days pass so quickly!

AH and I had a late lunch and then stuffed our faces with delicious muffins from the FROG box.

We spent about an hour in the pool shed sorting through my jewellery making trays and I gathered a few bags of beads, charms, chains and findings for Corina Corina to make more jewellery to sell in the shop or the markets. I hope she’ll find them useful.

AH had leftovers for dinner. I was still satisfied from the late lunch.

I bathed psychotic dog Ruby’s eye before I climbed into bed and now I’m listening to AH snore like steam train. I nudged him to be quiet but he claimed, very assertively, that he was NOT snoring. He could end up with iPad slapped on his forehead if he’s not careful!

I shall now attempt to sleep through the commotion.

Nite all.

Good Start

It was a very good start to the week and the day passed so quickly!

I really enjoyed morning tea with my girls and there were seven of us enjoying each other’s company.

I’m not even sure what time they left, but I think it was pretty close to 11am.

Sales were great and there was a steady flow of customers all day, then, before I knew it, my 1pm appointment arrived.

My appointment was with a local lady who makes jewellery out of repurposed pieces that she finds in op shops and garage sales. She is very creative and does an amazing job. She brought with her four boxes of her pieces. I took almost all of it and bought two sets for myself!

Here is a small selection of her repurposed, handcrafted jewellery ...

Now, I really need to get serious about displaying all of the local arts and crafts that I’ve collected from various people in the area. It’s all piling up in the corner with nothing to attract attention or show it off to its best advantage.

I need Beautiful Girl With Long Blonde Hair to come and wave her magic wand, but sadly, she can’t get here til Christmas.

It was getting close to 3pm when we locked the shop and I did nothing until dinner time. We had easy tacos.

Time for sleep because I have an early start with meditation tomorrow morning.

Nite all.

Brain Overload

Today, I began teaching myself how to create an app.

😳

After 45 minutes, and three different teachers, I realised that, while apps are much easier to create these days than they were five years ago, they are still quite complex and will require my fully focused attention, so I have set it aside until I finish everything else ... signage, website, filing system, bookkeeping system, local art & craft display area etc.

The app will be placed at the bottom of my current priority list.

Oh and I still have two courses in progress, one of which is teaching me how to create an e-course and I hope to incorporate that with an app as well.

Who knows if my brain and my motivation levels will remain active enough to complete any of these things! Wait and see.

It’s midday as I write this and Adoring Husband is preparing to go to the SES shed for their weekly maintenance day.

I need to bathe psychotic dog Ruby’s eye, make some lunch and do some more studying.

It’s midday as I type this, so I’ll add more later.

It’s now later.

I’ve been up and about for around seven hours. Took my washing off the line, watched a movie with AH, prepared dinner, watched Big Brother, made a long ‘to do’ list for next week, packaged up 16 containers of bone broth for the freezer, packed my stuff for work tomorrow and returned to bed.

Found this in a memory on Facebook. I was flower girl for my Uncle and Aunty’s wedding in 1964. The dress was made out of a pink shimmery material and I thought I was a princess ...

Have a great Tuesday!

Nite all.

Something Special

I found this on Facebook today and it drew me in ...

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard
box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive
through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug.She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY
WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID ~BUT~THEY WILL
ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM
FEEL.

At the bottom of this great story was a request to forward this - I deleted that request because if you have read to this point, you won't have to be asked to pass it along you just will...
Thank you, my friend...

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance..
-unknown

I spent my day in bed.

I studied, I read, I played, I wrote, I listened, I took notes, I researched, I planned and I made lists.

I got out of bed to cook dinner - Peking duck with veg smash (cauliflower, broccoli, potato, creamy Brie, loads of butter and salt n pepper all smashed together. It was really delicious!

Now it’s time to sleep.

Nite all.