Made hats last year with macrame cord which made them a little stiff. And I think I made them too large so nobody bought one. This time I made hats with yarn and came out well as a shorter version than last year. Hope people like them. I don't want to make very many from people not buying much this year. I fear I will be forced to close up shop at the end of the year if people don't buy anything.
Got up early to shovel the driveway. About 6 inches so no big deal. My hips hurt from leaning over to make ornaments the past 2 days and trying to get over a cold. Finished half the drive when neighbor came by snowblowing the street (my dead-end street doesn't get plowed until 24 hours after it stops snowing). He finished the rest. Now I can watch church online since I didn't go today from the snow.
PS. I did order an 18-inch snowblower on Black Friday, but it hasn't been delivered yet. Hopefully arrives tomorrow.
Tried to make a macrame bell. Suppose to turn this thing inside out. The hole at bottom is too small to push the bunch at the top through. Have to toss this into the garbage too. I have wasted 18 hours to produce not one ornament I can sell. Try again tomorrow. Tomorrow morning I have shovel my driveway before I start working on ornaments. I may have no new ornaments to sell this coming Saturday if this keeps up.
My 2nd and
And still snowing. I'm toasty warm in my new designed by me sweatshirt and Target sweatpants. I have not worn sweatpants for several years once they changed to the bell bottom yoga pants style and stretchy knit instead of fuzzy inside. Found these elastic cuff on the bottom and fuzzy inside so grabbed them.
am so upset. Not just about trying to make ornaments for the craft fair. It finally snows so they can offer to shovel driveways and sidewalks for money. They planned to shovel my driveway for money. He announced at 5 PM on Thanksgiving he needs to go to the chiropractor. He has headaches and shoulder muscles are tight and hurt. Explained the chiropractor is closed on Thanksgiving. OK, tomorrow. Checked and they are closed Black Friday too. He has to wait until Monday. Forget about shoveling my driveway. Girlfriend won't do it by herself even though I can. OK, so as long as we go before Dec 1 cause that is when he Medicaid ends cause he refused to fill out a survey to keep it. And he refused to pay $8 for a sling when he fell off his scooter and tore tendons in his shoulder. I explained Monday is Dec 1. So guess who is paying for the chiropractor on Monday after I get off work. Me. I hate saying this but I am reaching a breaking point. I'm getting tired of being Mommy.
Forgot to mention he tried to get insurance through the government marketplace, but they can't verify his identity so he can't get that either.
I think I'm having a nervous breakdown from all the stress. I plan to close my shop for good after Christmas, but I can't tell people that cause then they definitely won't buy anything. It is breaking my heart. I dreamed of making a catalog and selling my items in gift shops at tourist spots or local retail stores. I thought of opening my own gift shop in Valley Junction or East Village selling souvenirs or greeting cards I create. But none is going to happen cause I can't sell things. I created the cutest stuff with Printful and nobody wants them. My heart is broken. Then have to deal with Roommate losing his Medicaid and can't get a insurance, can't get a job. Then deal with trying to make ornaments in a hurry and each one takes 3 to 4 hours with difficult directions in these kits. I'm hurting and then Roommate complains I don't help with the dishes or clean the house.
My first attempt at making a beaded bell. I can see why my Grandma used wire instead of sewing thread. I bought a kit to learn how to make them. Ran out thread twice so next time add 3 more feet. Directions were so hard to understand and bottom row didn't look like the photo in package. At least the technique is in my brain and can do better next time. And use different colors cause this blue and silver is hideous.
I want my Mommy. I'm so stressed and depressed that I don't want to put up my Christmas decorations. I can't find the energy to make my ornaments for my vendor fair next week. Will anyone buy anything? Will I go to all this trouble making things, spending money on supplies, and not sell anything. I designed the cutest Halloween sweatshirts, pillows, and cards. All I sold was 3 cards to an advisor and couple bracelets to the chiropractor's receptionist. I created the cutest Christmas Collection of clothes, accessories, etc. Got over 1000 views of my shop Facebook page the past 30 days. Over 300 views in one day after making reels of my designs. A couple sales to people I know. I want to cry. Did a Black Friday coupon offering 20% off, offering free shipping for orders over $50. Not 1 sale. I'm so depressed. I can't find the drive to make these ornaments. I think they will be cute and gladly put them on my tree, which I can't put up until after the vendor fair, but will others like them enough to pay for them. People gladly spend $50 on a Stanley Tumbler, but not $28-32 for my adorable tumblers. What do people want?
PS. That was fast. I go downstairs to do laundry and had a vision of Mom. She said to go make my ornaments. Maybe people will buy them and maybe they won't. Whatever people don't buy I can put on my tree and I will have a pretty tree. Then she says she taught me well to make things. I agree, she did teach me well to make things. Working on beaded bells I love so much. The hard part is understanding the directions 1st time I make it. Sometimes I need a video to see what they are talking about.
It started snowing. I just got home from the grocery store when it started. Maybe we will have a white Christmas this year.
Goldie and Rosie climbed the tree today. Goldie came down first. Rosie came down ungracefully when we all went inside. I looked out the window, and she was dangling from a branch, letting go, plopping onto the grass. The branch was just above my reach, so I guessed about 6-7 feet. I went out to grab her, and she ran right inside. It is cold outside today. Everybody got treats.
Funny how people think I can't drive in snow. I've driven in white out, barely can see car in front of me, on no street lights dark highway, in a tiny Cavalier. My current FWD SUV can handle up to 14 inches of snow before I start getting stuck on unplowed streets. Learned this the hard way and even got stuck in my driveway. Neighbor came out to help shovel snow so I could get the car in the garage.
Cooked a turkey last night so roommates could have turkey for Thanksgiving while I am at my brother's house. I got other food too, so they may have a good meal whenever they wake up. Roommates were confused why I was cooking it the night before. Because it takes 6 hours to cook a turkey. I will be gone most of the day, so I cooked it the night before, so it is ready tomorrow, so they can have a nice Thanksgiving dinner without me. Instead of saying thank you for cooking them a turkey, he brushes off how he doesn't celebrate holidays cause Thanksgiving is just another day of the week, and he didn't know it would be Thanksgiving tomorrow. Well, now he knows, and I have food for them to have a nice meal while I am at my brother's house. Well, better pack up and go.
Took Rosie to the emergency vet. Little white worm came out of her butt when roommates were petting her. Emergency vet don't do fecal tests when I brought in poop. Said they think it was tape worm or rice worm we saw. Gave her an injection of dewormer and said one dose was enough. Will see what comes out of her poop the next few days. Purchased some dewormer for the other pets just in case. Have to take poop to regular vet to confirm the parasite in her.
Get ready to make macrame angels to find a hoop is missing. Anna was gnawing on something before I noticed the hoop missing. While I'm searching, Anna moves to me walking around the room. Then I see a strange object like a bone where Anna was. I deduced she chewed up my missing hoop.
Miserable macrame yard unraveled to make my knots impossible. Try again tomorrow.
So Rosie climbed her 1st tree and Roommate gets upset she could fall. My reply, She's a cat. Cats are supposed to climb trees. I had 4 cats before these 2. I know how they operate. Cats are notorious for falling from heights and not get hurt. Rosie will be just fine and can figure out on her own how to get down.
Interesting. Anna's collar is missing off her neck. She goes to groomer for her baths so probably in the backyard.
PS. Took dogs out for a pee. Found the collar next to a raised part of the fence she likes to put her head through. Collar caught in the fence to slide off her head.
Wow, I was informed I am not to buy anymore pizza. Too greasy for their bodies to handle. OK, I said, I will eat the pizza. He also said to stop giving food/treats to the kittens on a table. I prepare the dog food on the table and give kitty treats on the table to keep the dogs from eating them. I have their cat food and water bowls on a cat tower. I give them treats on the cat tower. I can't control the kittens when I am at work. Kittens will go anywhere when he is not looking.
Oh cool, they have Wicked on TV. Never seen it before. Does this mean I must watch Part 2?
Took dogs outside to pee last night to have kittens escape out the door. Got all 4 animals inside, shut the door, and heard a loud KABOOM!! Thank you God for letting us get inside before it rained. Heard rain on the roof as I fell asleep in my nice, warm bed.
Blessed my house again. Dogs both started barking like crazy facing the same direction. Then while they were barking a lamp that was turned off flickered on then off. Roommates were outside came back inside and explained what happened. They went to clean up their room before I blessed it.
Used different method this time. Last time used olive oil mixed in holy salt water and said "Evil shall pass". Air felt different, but maybe non-evil ghosts are getting through. This time I used only water I blessed with salt and said "I bless this house in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit". Air feels different.
Saw a reel asking if working a lot/not being home, but having money, or staying home/not working so much and being poor, was better for children. Yeah, well, neither one is better than the other.
My Dad worked on the railroad and Air National Guard to be away a lot, but we had money. Then he was laid off from the railroad for 7 years and retired from the military after 25 years of service. He rented the farmland he owned and sold seed corn from the garage for money, so we were on the poor side.
My childhood memories are not of him being gone nor being poor. They are riding in his beat-up pickup truck to the hardware store, him reading the newspaper to me, or hearing him laugh while watching TV. Those memories are ones I hold dear.
Funny. I fall asleep on couch and wake up around 11 PM. Take dogs out for final pee before I jump into jammies and go to bed. Well, not tired so read things on my phone. Dogs keep barking. Hush them cause at night time I can't sleep with them barking. Car lights, kittens playing in hallway, or my roommate sneezes and they have to bark. Anna in hallway or living room won't stop barking which set off Rufus barking. I move to get out of bed. Anna stops to whine to return to the bedroom to go under the bed. She usually sleeps under the bed or on the floor near bed. Likewise Rufus stopped. Heard roommate's voice in kitchen asking what they are barking at. I wondered if one episode was from my phone light reflecting in the mirror. Few minutes later roommates are the kitchen complaining the dogs woke them up. They said a lotion bottle fell over when the dogs were barking to startle them awake. Roommate said that wasn't him earlier asking what the dogs were barking at. He thinks the house needs another blessing. I already blessed the house once.
Well, corporate is heavily encouraging us (Use it cause we told you to and love it as much as we do) to use AI for clerical work, such as taking notes about meetings and writing meeting summary letters for clients. Oh, are they trying to replace the staff like me? Well, after using AI for the advisor's notes and letters, I conclude that I will not be replaced. AI takes the verbally dictated notes to create a series of bullet points, separating them into sections. OK, advisor likes the format I just have to check for spelling, cause a visor and an advisor are not the same thing. Then I put those bullet points into an AI letter and got the bullet point notes exactly the same. AI added an intro paragraph and a goodbye paragraph. Choppy, no flow, and don't change the notes into a professional letter. The advisor likes my letter better. Ha!
Save those pennies. Vendors can change their prices to end with a 0 or 5 instead of rounding during cash transactions. Someday, they will be worth something.
Funny. Saw Rosie kitten when I came home. Took pets outside. No Rosie. Rosie would never miss out going outside so where is she? Walked the house calling her name and heard a small squeak several times. Figured out I locked her in the closet when I put my jacket away. Getting fresh air now.
I read the most amazing article about how difficult it would be to invade the United States. First, we are the 3rd largest country behind Russia and Canada with 4 time zones and variable environments so invaders would have to go through deserts, mountains, swamps, forests, and farmlands, not counting Alaska or Hawaii which would be easier to invade by themselves (Remember Japanese did attack those areas first, but not the Continental Coast). 2nd is we have 2 long coastlines and all land is bordered by Canada and Mexico who are our allies when Trump is not president. If D-Day is evidence of difficulty of a coastal invasion, remember that British Isles were 3-hour boat ride across the English Channel from Normandy. 3rd would be our weapons and technology: like computers, smartphones, GPS, Interstate Highways, drones, nuclear arsenal, satellites, stealth bombers, and don't forget all the forts, naval bases, aircraft carriers, ships, and submarines guarding the coastlines. We track hurricanes for days, detect solar storms and asteroids, and can detect the location of earthquakes in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to warn the west coast of tsunamis, so we would be ready for any great force coming to invade. And finally 4th, the American People. We have skilled military returned from wars in other countries. Then we have gun bearing private citizens thanks to the 2nd Amendment. And finally, we come together under stress like during Covid and 9-11 proving the American spirit. Probably explains why we haven't been invaded since 1812, unless you count the Civil War which took 4 years to end when America was half the size it is now.
Got to love news article headlines crying the retail apocalypse is here and (Insert Store) is closing stores nationwide. Yeah, they are closing for Thanksgiving. Not exactly the end of the world. But they got me to read the story. Since Covid, they started opening Black Friday at 5 AM or 6 AM instead of midnight or 9 PM on Thanksgiving night trying to be the 1st store open like when I worked retail years ago.
Finally found the magic button to calm down Rufus to get him to eat. Start singing. He takes a few seconds of petting and singing to calm down.
Sweet. My Mom's financial advisor is giving away pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. That reminds me. I need to get my Thanksgiving French Silk Pie ordered. Let's just say I made one from scratch. That was fun. My chocolate curls were more like sprinkles than curls. The whipped cream came from a can.
PS. Got pie ordered.
Roommate lost his Medicaid coverage cause he failed to return a survey. That's what the letter said. I asked why didn't he just fill out the survey. He doesn't do surveys and they were harassing him with surveys. OK, then.
This means if he needs a doctor then I am paying for it.
Got collars for the cats, reflective. Then GPS trackers for all 4 pets. Roommate has made comments how Anna as a Corgi would be highly prized for dognappers. But then, if someone takes off the collar or gets caught on something to have dog or cat squirm out of it. GPS stays with the collar. I keep explaining their microchips are not a GPS and have to have a microchip scanner that gives a number by radio signal the person has to search for online to find my contact info. Regular people don't have microchip scanner on them. I don't know how much they cost. GPS is connected to my phone.
I'm touched. Took out the pets, and the kittens approached the fence with the neighbor's dog on the other side. Both dogs got between the kittens and the dog. They are protecting the kittens.
Anna Mae is a mother hen with everybody growling and barking at misbehavior (like sneaking out the door I am walking through). She went berserk when Rosie tried to climb the tree. She isn't strong enough and only managed to make it a few feet up. Yeah, she needs to learn to climb a tree and climb back down (climbing down backwards) on her own.
Had my 9-month Review. I am improving since the secretary got fired, but I still have a few things to learn. The review got delayed cause an advisor got a call to deduce that the caller was being scammed. Had to call the family to get over to their home. My fellow assistant blocked all withdrawals from our accounts. The assistant saw someone logging into the website, and the caller said it was them.
If you have people with fuzzy brains, make sure you check up on them. I was sad that this caller contacted the advisor and not their own family first.
I am beside myself. Had a terrible 9-month review at work cause I have been trying to learn my job without much guidance. Then I come home to find a kitten missing. They let her outside, and she hasn't returned yet. Yes, they let a 6-month-old kitten outside by herself. She can get hit by a car or killed by a raccoon. I don't know how long she's been out there. I hope she returns safe and sound, meowing by the door. I put jeans outside, praying she finds her way home. I want to cry. Roommate was so passive, like, well, she wants outside so bad, and we let her. Yeah, I started letting the kittens outside into the yard recently, but I am with them the entire time. I let Goldie outside today, and she was acting fearful and going back inside and coming back out again. Which was strange behavior. I have no idea how long Rosie has been outside. I'm going on vacation in December and now might need a new pet sitter. And the other day, he lectured me about getting collars for the kittens and said some homeless people can carve out their microchips from their bodies so they need collars to show they belong to somebody. Collars can be removed by people and animals. I had 4 cats before my kittens and never had collars on them cause they rarely got out and meowed at the door hours later. Rosie escaped out of the front door once about a month ago and she came back meowing at the sliding door. Roommate was so mad he put her in a carrier. I let her out after he left cause she needed food/water not punishment. I hope Rosie is okay. My hope is that she is hanging out with the neighbor cats across the street. They let their cats run loose. PS. Rosie came back meowing at the glass sliding door around 11 PM. I was in bed so roommate let her in. She jumed on the bed to rest with me and the dogs.
Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
Took dogs out for a walk and some neighbor had Christmas lights on their outdoor tree. Come home and view Christmas commercials. Ok, they have been playing Christmas commercials before Halloween. I still have my Halloween stuff out. I'm not ready for Christmas. I have ornaments, greeting cards, and beaded stuff to organize and make before Milo's vendor fair. I know: Breathe, one step at a time. I can do it.
Roommate informed me they plan to go to a food pantry to help with food situation this weekend. They don't watch the news and don't know about SNAP funds not getting delivered. Their news station is YouTube and convinced the world will end soon cause the signs are there. Today they present a shopping list of things they want since I get paid today. I am sorry that my mortgage took 90%of my paycheck and 1st day of month stuff is taking the rest. I don't have much to shop with while I wait for the next paycheck in 2 weeks. Dipping into savings takes time to sell stocks and get funds deposited. I went grocery shopping twice last week. Learn to live on cheap tuna and hot dogs if they want meat instead of pasta and bread. I can't afford prime rib steak or a pot roast he wants.
Roommate came up with a wonderful idea to stop the fighting over dirty dishes in sink, which are mostly theirs not mine. Paper plates and plastic silverware would save on my water bill. Yeah. Somehow I think I will spend more on paper plates and plastic silverware than what I pay on water and soap.
Well, roommate has decided to start mowing lawns for money, in November when the grass will be going dormant soon. Yeah, he has said multiple times he is going to do a lawncare business using my yard tools and mower. And yet he can't get my yard mowed. He said he would mow it when it stops raining, which was a month ago. He can't get hired abywhere. Then he thought of shoveling snow of my neighbors for money. He can't finish my driveway with a shovel. He does 3 feet of snow on my driveway, gets cold and I have to finish it. Besides most of my neighbors have snow blowers so my neighbors aren't going to make him rich. They have leaf blowers too so won't make much raking leaves either.
Sweet. Rufus was licking Goldie's head and playing with her a little bit. Then he looked at me as if asking permission. Yes, he may play with the kittens, just not roughly enough to hurt them. They are fragile babies still growing up. 4 and 5 Months old now to be able to jump up on the cupboards. They are ready to play with the pups.
