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April 29, 2004
The Trouble With Silverware
"It touched my eye and now the end of the spoon is sticky." quote from nine year old son. What is there to say to that?
"Mom, I accidently touched my eye with the fork." quote from my seven year old son, two days later (he wasn't part of the first conversation).
"BAD FORK, STUPID FORK, STUPID FORK MOM BAD, BAD" quote from my two year old son today after he stepped on the fork that he had just dropped on the floor (drawing blood and nearly incoherent wailing).
A couple of new pictures in the photo gallery.
Posted by DebC at 10:47 PM | Comments (5)
April 14, 2004
I know what I want to do when I retire.
I want to own a fiber arts shop (that mainly sells wool for spinning and finished yarn/stuff for knitting). It has been a dream for many years now. I am researching small business stuff online - the government actually has a huge website for women in small business. Tons of tutorials. My ex father-in-law (there really ought to be a nicer term for that) is the master of small business so I think I will recruit him as my mentor - he doesn't know this yet hahahahahahaha. I have quite a bit of experience being a *customer* of fiber arts stores but I don't know very much about running a business. I have about two years before I start this scheme so I am going to edu-ma-cate myself as fast as possible.
I have to make up a business plan pretty soon (I am at least two years out on this idea by the way). I think it will be incredibly hard work, but that isn’t foreign to me. They say that if you do what you love, the money will follow. I am going after that philosophy hahahahahaha. I need to do some market research but I think that the shop should be in or just South of Carbondale (Illinois). Carbondale is a great little college town with a fair share of arty folk and people who appreciate the arts. I have looked through the Southern Illinois phonebook that my dad sent me and there is almost nothing listed in the way of yarn shops. It is all that cheap craft crap. I am going after the crowd that appreciates quality material that isn’t afraid to pay more than they would for the cheap plastic yarn from Kmart.
I have a harebrained scheme concocted to start collecting inventory now and put it into storage. That way, when the time comes, I will rent a place and have at least 50% inventory in stock (I will still have to buy the current in-season stuff then). There are several huge sheep farms right there in Anna/Cobden that I can get fleeces from. I would like to have the sort of shop that offers tons of classes on spinning and knitting as well as scrumptious yarn to cuddle. I would love to be known as the neighborhood hangout with a constant pot of coffee. The Carbondale area has lots of cool pseudo old houses that would be perfect. Unless I win the lottery, I will rent for awhile because I want to buy a home for my family first.
Anyway, doing lots of thinking/dreaming/scheming. I am not looking to be rich. I just want to do something I love. I plan to work one or two days a week as an RN until my finances are safe with the new arrangement. They say that it takes two years to start turning a profit and that the first year you can expect to lose money. I think I am in a great position with my retirement pay and RN degree. What do you think? I don't know, maybe I can convince a few of my fiber art friends to sell their stuff at my shop or even come teach (really, Massachusetts isn't THAT far from Illinois LOL).
Posted by DebC at 08:37 AM | Comments (6)
April 12, 2004
It is too beautiful here to get on the computer
Really. Sicily is absolutely GORGEOUS in the Spring. The days are mostly sunny and mostly 70's. We are enjoying this while it lasts. Soon it will be like opening an oven door to go outside. Last year the temps went over 110 degrees F. Last weekend was the boys first ballgame and of course, I took lots of pictures. You can see them in my photo gallery.
Click on the colored link above and it will take you right to the pictures. Once you get there, click on the pictures themselves to see the full size pictures. DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT (you can only see how to comment if you click on the full size picture).
Posted by DebC at 10:14 PM | Comments (2)
April 07, 2004
Happy Birthday
to Kim
Here are some fun facts for you
Posted by DebC at 11:43 AM | Comments (1)
April 06, 2004
Question: How do you know you are getting old?
Answer: Three out of four of your younger sister's kids go to prom at once.
Seriously, they looked gorgeous. I put together an album in my photo gallery, so go take a look. And while you are at it, leave some comments (just click on the pictures themselves and you will see what to do). If you want to print any of the pictures, you can either save them to your desktop or you can:
Step one: Click on the picture you want to print
Step two: At the top right of the screen, click on "print this photo to Shutterfly"
Step three: You will be taken to the Shutterfly website where you will see how to order the print.
Kim resized the pictures to be small enough to email to me which makes it so that Shutterfly will only print them wallet size. Hopefully Kim will be able to put the original files up so that you can order big pictures if you want to.
Click on the picture below to go to the photo album.
Posted by DebC at 07:18 AM | Comments (2)