Happy Thoughts on a Sunny Day

Ever look around you and totally get that you're doing pretty good, all things considered?
Here's the short list of things that I'm more than a little grateful for:

*sleeping in until 6h18!!! Hey, I've had 2 weeks of 4h30 until midnight, except when I collapsed and crawled up to bed at 21h00 one night - this extra few hours was most appreciated

*Starting the day with my dogs, my guy and some strong Osterlich caffe (that's "strong coffee that can melt your spoon" to the rest of the world)

* Visiting a secluded garden for a heritage plant sale, hosted by the most lovely Yuko and her husband - thank you so much for the druzhba tomatoes. My Russophile heart soared to walk away with 'friendship' tomatoes

* Dim sum with my 'family by choice, not birth' - hey you guys know how special you are to me. I hope that you like your new title. Here's to Rita, Francois & Marie-Claude!!!

* Having a safe drive into and out of 'the city' - no accidents, wildlife (deer,turkey, horses, bison, bear, or rollers (da popo, to you urbanites)

* Shopping for summery things - who has time to stop and shop leisurely? I never do - this was a real treat. Finding massive sales where ever I went was a blessing, too

* Running into an old friend who I had lost touch with and realizing that she's finding her way and is healthy and happy. Looking at her 2 beautiful daughters and seeing her glow when she talks about them - it doesn't get any better than that! Saundra, Bella and Thalia - so good to have our paths cross again!!!

* Coming home and seeing Jack in his crate, sleeping off his meds, with only a thumping of his tail to acknowledge that I'm home

* Finding a ton of quilt scraps at the thrift store and a flowered sheet that is begging to be part of my dining room blind replacement project - bliss, thy name is fabric (and yarn)

* Stopping for a few minutes to acknowledge that I've been able to add a few more friendly faces to my little corner of the universe (Hi Tina & Christine!!). You'll have to hang on for a little while (some things are still 'secrets') but just you wait and see what these 2 ladies will be doing in our local business community!!! Prepare to be amazed!!!!


What really blows my mind is that the day is still young. Who knows what other joys the day will send my way? At least my eyes are open for their arrival

thought so...

GREEN

You are a very calm and contemplative person. Others are drawn to your peaceful, nurturing nature.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

Just a typical afternoon (absorbing life lessons all the way)

* work butt off, trying in vain to ignore participant who can't seem to shut up...EVER! - hard work is good for the soul and patience? Well, patience is a virtue
*Drive, drive and drive some more - ah the rural life! Isn't nice to leave the city and drive, drive, drive all the way home!?! Watch out for the deer...the wild tom turkey...the loose bison who escaped from that farm...deep breath, deep breath
*come home later than planned, carrying laptop, tote, day shoes (I wear driving mocs so that I don't spend more on heel repair than shoes), mail, purse, etc. etc - strength training is highly recommended
*stagger through 36" deep sand left by construction crew, slipping, sliding, pulling weakened back muscles - pain makes you grow
* fight off overwhelmed dogs who declare 'the construction workers were playing soccer in our yard AGAIN and didn't invite us, mummy - fix it!' - it's so nice to be greeted by loving faces
*make supper, using only the freshest organic vegetables and high protein, local free range meat on the market (who am I kidding - call DH to tell to order pizza - sausage and pepperoni) - nutrition is important
*change from suit to real clothes in order to relax - changing clothes is a signal to the body to release tension - now I can get some real work done!
*bring laptop outside to finish writing proposal number 18 - ahhh, fresh air is so rejuvenating
*recover patio chairs from all over the yard - it's so nice to share with those (filthy) construction people - I'm sure that they're all lovely individuals. Please help yourself to a drink while you're making yourself comfortable
*Smell heavy manure smell of local farmers' soy bean and corn fields - ok, not so pretty but it's natural. Isn't rural life so ... ah who am I kidding?!? It smells like every cow in the county took a dump in my backyard. My search for zen is starting to clunk along
*lose server connection 12 times - ahhhh technology. Patience is a virtue
*return inside to office to complete proposal - home should be about family, not silly proposals or this 'earning a living' joke
*attend to squealing DH, standing on hall landing and looking frantically out landing window- oh my goodness! Did you break a limb? Lose a toe? Let me sew it back on for you
*follow panicked gaze of DH and check out marmot, 'sleeping' in the dog run - ahh, rural life is wonderful! Look how we can commune with wildlife!
*go outside to encourage "sleeping" marmot to take off - communing with nature is so important in our hectic times but it's really time to get your own yard, dude
*gently poke said marmot with dust broom - we must respect our animal neighbours so gentle is best
*poke marmot harder - respect is important - why isn't he respecting me and leaving?
*realize that your forestry engineer, wild man husband is deathly afraid of a former marmot, a deceased marmot - A D*E*A*D* marmot and start laughing hysterically - laughter feeds the soul
*arouse the suspicion of your neighbours, who come to investigate - neighbours are so important in these impersonal times
*watch their faces as you try to explain why it's all so funny and realize that maybe it's just not that funny - it's important to be sensitive to others
*realize that no work will be done tonight and that you'd better get up at 4h30 to complete the proposal - be flexible like the willow

AH CRAP!

The Late, Great Marmotska

He's a lumberjack and it's ok...he sleeps all night and pokes marmots by day

Yes, that is my swiffer that he's using. Be proud of dear K - this is the closest he's ever gotten to a marmot. Don't get me started about our resident skunk


What makes it all worthwhile - my salvaged jonquils, shining like the sun. I love you all

Ah poop - now I'm late for my commute

Possibly

the most annoying, yet compelling video ever
Badgers
yeah, IF YOU'RE A TWEAKER
Holy Moley Cow

Listen guys - not exactly erudite, I know but...
it's 6h30
I woke up to a cat sitting on my pillow
I've got wet hair (and I hate wet hair)
I've got to sit in a stuffy classroom all day
My brain hurts
I haven't touched my coffee yet

"When life gives you lemons, squeeze them in other peoples' eyes - if you must suffer, so must they"
Ren

"Happy Happy Joy Joy"
Stimpy

How I know that I'm

OLD

Well, I still watch Henry Rollins rant and rave but it's on syndicated television, not some grotty stage in a club of questionable repute, in a bad neighbourhood. Oh yeah, and that I go right to bed afterwards...cuz it's 9 pm and I'm old & tired

What happened, man!?!

"D" for Done!

Finally, a little (completed) knitting to crow about. I finished up my second "Zia" sock last evening. I had bought a little Harrisburg from Mississippi Black Sheep in a beautiful deep periwinkle blue (with tiny flecks of a deep purple hiding in it). The vintage sock strechers that I use make the cuffs look wider than they really are but I found that they fit nicely. Living in a relatively cold climate, I tend to make my sock cuffs longer but these are perfect for cool summer nights spent by the fire outside. I can almost smell the marshmallows melting - YUM!


Many, many thanks to the lovely Zia for letting me test drive this pattern!

To Fair or not to Fair...

That's the big question looming on my horizon today; to take a risk and do a few fairs (besides my stand-bys, the farmer's markets) or to play it safe and stay home and read.

I've done quite a few local fairs in my day; ranging from the blue haired grandma/ church basement events all the way to radical feminist, bitch slap you if you don't bitch slap me first events, I've done 'em all. Some have been surprisingly successful. Some have been dismal failures. Like the time that I took a risk on a new festival organized by a friend of mine - billed as the premier feminist event of the year, I thought it would be a cool opportunity. Disorganized was bad enough but I really didn't anticipate the lack of vendor concern that I would find. Here's the picture - I haul my stuff in (1 hour drive, one way), set up tables and jewelry displays and wait. And wait. No one showed up except the organizers. Ok, so they didn't do the advertising that they promised us they would. Things happen, especially during the first year of any event... Then,finally a few customers trickled in. Then - yes it gets better - he showed up. A guy with a tray of jewelry. He stood right in front of the few minglers/ customers that had showed up at my booth and every time, they picked up a piece of my jewelry, he asked them, 'how much is that one?". Then, because he was such a twat, uh, I mean competitive businessman, he offered one of his pieces for less 'because (you) really don't want to buy that,do you?', pointing at my piece. Ok, patience is a virtue. Took a deep breath and called one of the organizers over, pointing out that he wasn't a vendor and that he was actually scaring off the few customers that were there. Her response to me was 'well, what do you want me to do about it?'. Um, let's see... it's a closed event on private property - escort the dumbass off! I've paid for my booth; he hasn't paid you a thing. Think about it! After about an hour of this, I walked out.

Then there was the art fair that was really well organized and wonderful (profitable, too - some days). A 'shopper' decided that she was going to photograph all of the pieces of jewelry that she liked so she - get this - make them herself. She even had the nerve to hint that she might sell them, if they were nice enough. Yeah, some people were born with their heads firmly planted up their.... never mind. So with any fair, there's opportunity and there's risk. The trick is deciding which one will work for you as a vendor. It's all about fit. If the event fits your style, ethics and personality - then go for it. If it doesn't toss out the invitation and run away.

The reason that I'm so focused on this topic is that I'm debating joining up with Ravenswing this year. From the outside it looks good - the correspondence that I've had with their team has been polite, professional, personal (in a good way) and ...well, nice. I like nice. I thought that they were still doing monthly events so thought it best not to vend in the 'first one'. Then, I found out that it was a once-a-year thing. Hmmm that changes everything. I had planned on going as a shopper and feeling it out to see if it would a good fit and then (if it was) doing the next one, in June. Now, the decision is sort of 'do it (go on, you know you want to)' vs. 'danger, danger, run away' (actually, considering how nice they seem, I don't think that it would be that bad). I'm seriously considering setting up and taking the day as it comes. The problem is that I still have that little person sitting on my shoulder trying to talk me out of it. Once burned, twice shy, I suppose...

What about you? How do you choose events? How do you know if you'll 'fit' with the event? How do you know what merch. to bring? Have any of you been to this event (Ravenswing) before?
As my craft business has branched out away from just jewelry, it's becoming more of a thinking game when it comes to deciding what I should run up for an event. I'd love a little of your bloggi-goodness right about now - let me know how you figure this stuff out

You'll have my never-ending appreciation and affection, if you do ;)
As an added incentive, I bring you Pat