Officially I'm a half century old..me, the big kid at heart..is actually 50. That is so wrong..but better than the alternative. Time flies so fast! Anyways, it's been a beautiful, cool and sunny day. My parents stopped by and we went to a nice restaurant for lunch in Chardon. It means so much to all three of us that we are all happy, healthy and together. I never, ever take my parents for granted..as an "only child" it's always been the three of us. We've had our hard times relating but we still love one another and get along better now than ever before. I am fortunate to have my parents nearby. Living down in Florida I would call every day, and did get homesick after awhile. Family is important. Always was, always will be, no matter what.
The restaurant we went to served both breakfast and lunch, so I chose breakfast. The best meal of the day, especially when it's cooked by other people! They served a great caramel latte, along with my bacon and eggs. Mom and dad had big, nicely done turkey Club sandwiches. It was great to sit at the table in the window, overlooking Chardon square and enjoy the atmosphere. It's like stepping back in time to live out here in the country. Much kinder and gentler than living in hurried, overcrowded Beachwood or Largo, Florida. All of us like the country much better..not too far from city, but with the feeling of a slower pace of life.
We then stopped over to the car mechanic to see how my car is doing. It's going to be very expensive to fix, over $1000, which is no surprise. He will let me make payments and I'll get it back in a few days. Cookes Auto Service, you are awesome! I told him to put locking hubcaps on my wheels, too. When I get the car back, it will be safe again to drive. With winter coming, it has to be done. It had a very bad coolant leaak, rotted brake lines and thanks to the idiot who stole my lugnuts, hardly any lugnuts to hold the wheels on. It will be worth all the money to feel safe in my car again. I am keeping this car, even when I get another. It is going to be my backup eventually, but for now it's the main car. It's been good to me in the past and it has a nice style.
Business has been down lately, due to Zazzle taking away our volume bonuses,website changes and other things. I am currently making 1/3 of what I normally make per month..but then, late summer is not the best for retail sales for me historically. I am praying that sales get back to normal with the holidays coming. From September things should improve. Time will tell, but I just keep working and hoping for the best. Go with the flow and never give up. This business is good but it's not for the faint of heart. My charts and graphs tell the tale, zigging and zagging. But business goes on. If the car is really dependable once I get it back, I may start doing shows again, to talk to customers and get feedback, etc. Whatever it takes to live a comfortable life. I'm a worrier by nature, so I just need to take it easy, work and block out the stress.
Tonight I'm working on my store, watching the news and eating my favorite Australian licorice. No birthday cake pigout this year for me, since I've been losing weight and don't want to hinder my progress. My pants are baggier than ever before. My appetite is very low and that's ok. My parents and I stopped by the grocery store today, and I bought a bunch of peaches and raspberries. I'll make a pie later in the week, and have the raspberries for snacks. Mom and dad like to have fruit desserts too this time of year. Mom made an excellent Tarte Tatin (apple pie-like dessert)last week. Love those. I plan on making a peach crumb pie with maybe a few raspberries stirred into it.
Well, back to designing more wallets. If my brain is in gear later for it, I might even do a drawing. Time to focus and get work done. Depression and anxiety have to take a backseat, time to focus. Please, Zazzle..make sales grow and grow. The new products are wonderful (love these wallets), and whatever new products that come, I'll be making those, too. Help my anxiety level, Zazzle, and make this a great holiday season. I will think posiive. It's not to far away now!
