On Wednesday the 17th took a short ride to some friends home after a day of computer work. Here we shared a Mexican based meal we each create a part of and drink margaritas. Ended with Cherry Pie and ice cream. Then on to the entertainment of watching the Survivor Finale together. Glad to have this down time that is just relaxing and time to catch up with all of our lives.

These last few weeks are kind of a blur in my mind. Been in my studio some, working on Commonwheel marketing and holiday gifting and celebrating. And working on some Festival tasks.

I had ordered gift certificated for a restaurant my family in Oregon loves to eat at. It took until Saturday for them to show up in my email for me to be able to print them. I finished wrapping presents and making up packages on Friday, then added the Gift Certificates in cards and closed up the boxes. The Post Office wasn’t very busy, so was able to get them sent off in time to arrive before Christmas. Next week my brother sent me an email saying he had put $ in our joint account for me to spend on something I would enjoy as a family gift back to me. I am going to put it as “mad money” to spend on meals and/or a movie in a real theater.

Continued to work on Marketing pieces for Commonwheel and trying to catch up with my business world. Discussing ways to look at how to get marketing done in the next year beyond the first few shows that I and our President can handle. The idea of having a manager who would also do most of the marketing and use that salary as the base pay is being discussed. How to sell it to the membership or just the Board will be a challenge. But it is time to look at this very seriously.

I also did some major clearing of the laundry room that is also my walk-in closet area. I was able to get rid of some items and cleared 3 shelf spaces that I thought I could use to put some items in my roommate’s room into that are hidden on shelves that I could use if I could get at them more easily. And I do remember watching the finale for “Amazing Race” that evening and being so proud of the girls that won.

On Saturday the 20th I went into my studio to make some FantaFaces masks, but instead got into sorting out feathers in a couple of big tubs. There were some real treasures there. And I moved some bags of feathers that had more treasures. On Sunday, I created some masks and earrings from those finds. I had done some curling of the long Ringneck Pheasant tails not too long ago and finished those masks with these feathers.

When 8pm approached, I quickly changed and headed to the Townhouse to dance to Starburn with Deja Vu Singles. Here I treated myself to a burger with Calsitrate beef and French Fries. Having worked all day in my studio, I needed an easy meal. Lots of people showed up and we danced until about midnight. My knee began to give out and my leg felt a bit swollen, so I headed home. And for some reason the next day my shoulder was sore. Took a few days to get that unkinked.

Began to feel a bit down as Christmas approached. Missing family and friends a bit I think. And it has been cold and I haven’t gotten out for a hike recently.

Still, I worked very hard and got both versions of “How To Plan A Sustainable Event” finished and back on CreateSpace and Kindle. I have about 15 copies with all the errors in it to do something with. Will be giving them away with the caveat of not a perfected version, but ask for a review on Amazon of the concept.

I had asked my dreamer friend to help me with some wording for my Blank Book Dream Journals. She gave me lots of feedback, but with the twist in my world for the gallery marketing, and being so determined to get “Sustain” updated and republished, I haven’t had a chance to even look at that. Maybe tomorrow . . .

Took some inventory, including the newly made FantaFaces masks and earrings, down to Commonwheel on Monday when the Prez was being interviewed for the CS Business Journal. Now, I had gotten that interview to happen, and brought our history books down, but wasn’t invited into the conversation. Seemed a bit odd, but didn’t want to force myself into it. Our accountant had brought in checks, including one for me. I handed mine to the Prez to sign and realized later she hadn’t given it back to me. She had given it to the accountant who left with it. Annoying challenge. I called and texted for her to mail me my check so I could have it by the weekend.

Decided I needed some play time in PhotoShop and looked for more clouds to be used in the Dream Journals, but also did some marketing work, looking for things needed for ads for Pottery By the Pound and found the
Display It Again” ads from last year on my personal computer. Then got lost for awhile in Facebook.

Continued on catching up in other ways leading up to working at the Gallery all day on Christmas Eve.

And I did drive to Costco one more time when saw how little eggs and Rice milk we had. Lunched there and bought myself a couple of treat foods for the Holiday.

Tony’s training on Tuesday was about creating backgrounds and patterns. This was something I really wanted to watch and learn as that is what I had decided I wanted to do with some of my texture photos I have been taking the last few years. He had said he would include some marketing tips, but the training in PhotoShop went long and he just glazed over some ideas of where to sell these types of items. Still, it was a good lesson and I better understand how to create patterns. One he worked on was creating “marbled” patterns. I have dozens of marbled pieces of paper I created years ago. So am inspired to make these into digital images and play with them in various ways to offer for sale. AFTER I finish the Dream Journals!

I was scheduled to work all day on Christmas Eve day at the Gallery. A couple of people said they might show up for back-up shifts, but neither did. A couple of people had said they would come and work as back-ups, but neither did show up. Luckily a recently ex-member showed up when there was a rush of people and helped me out by packing items, getting bags from the back and showing some jewelry pieces when I was tied up making other sales. He even replaced some burnt out light bulbs. He invited me to the family “Shrimp Boil” that I have attended a few times in years past. It is his cat that I am fostering while he and his lady are building a new home in the San Luis Valley.

Then a couple of new members who wanted to add inventory came in and helped to move things along by showing jewelry and packing items for me. They needed to use the same computer as sales are done on to add inventory, so made themselves useful when sales were being done. Later I was told I did as much in sales almost alone as they did on Sunday with two sets of 2 people working each shift. And my sales were many “stocking stuffers”, as in small items. Many a person shopping that day gave me a great big smile and huge “thanks!” when I offered them gift bags or boxes for their purchases.

During my Christmas Eve gallery shift, Commonwheel’s Prez called to tell me that our marketing person’s husband had called her and let us know she was resigning. He wanted us to get things from their home and off her computer on Saturday before she came home from the hospital so she wouldn’t have to watch things leave. I said I could do that on that day with the Prez.

When the ex-member was there, I had talked about feeling rather depressed the night before due to no relationship and missing family, etc. He said he had all those things in his life, but was also feeling blue the night before. Perhaps it was just in the air.

Soon after the ex-member left, My roommate showed up with early Christmas gift for me. It was a gift certificate to a restaurant I consider a “date” restaurant. It took a lot of strength to not answer her question, “Do you know this place?” with “Yes, it is a date place” and  not burst into tears. Instead, I was able to step back and breath, then thank her for it. She was in a rush and I had customers, so I would have time to get past that reaction. And, when I thought about it, I decided I wanted to take my friend who is helping me with the Dream Journals and we have tried to get together for drinks and food at least a couple times a year. So this should work for that type of relaxing time together if I can just pin her down for a time after the new year begins.

The Shrimp Boil meal was fun as always. Lots of shrimp, potatoes, onions and carrots to enjoy while conversing and catching up with each other. And way too many desserts afterwards. I brought up some catnip for his sister’s Mane Coon Cat who is so very beautiful and huge. Got to see some photos of the new house under construction and just relaxed for the night. Talked about when Little One could move to her new home. Probably not until mid-January when the walls are up inside.

On Christmas morning, I decided to clear out some of my sculptural art work from my roommates space to give her more shelf space. Started with one, then discovered more things I could remove from the shelves I was moving them to, and cleared all the shelves. Then did a bit of rearranging in my bedroom, but decided that needed more time another day. Feeling exhausted, I discovered the fish I had taken from the freezer was still solidly frozen. Had the not so tasty, but easy to reheat gluten-free pizza I had made 2 of a couple of nights before. Caught the “Grinch” on TV, then watched another movie, ate some chocolate from my roommate and rested into the night.

I made some phone calls and did a bit of computer work on Thursday. But was still in a bit of a funk and called on another friend to try to make a movie “date” for “Wild”. She wasn’t up for the movie, but let me talk through my funk. Went to take some items into the basement and decided to tear down the metal shelf unit that had collapsed. Something from my Dad I had moved many times. When taking it apart, realized the bottom 2 shelves could be rebuilt and used. Did that. Took me about 1.5 hours and about midway through wondered why I was doing that. When finished. it was very useful in getting things off the floor and making space to store some other items. So was glad I had done that. Even brought some other items down out of the hallway so I could put more things in their place there. Sort of efficient, but the hallway is still filled with things that narrows it down a bit. I fixed a very “snacky” meal with my smoked salmon and special cheese. Then went to bed early to do a “coning” that I had meant to do on Christmas night, but hadn’t.

Friday the Prez got back to me about Saturday and that 10 am would work for everyone. And I learned by and eamail that our Web Master was also resigning without giving 30 days notice. She also does many high quality photos of member’s art for the web and marketing purposes. That will be a challenge to replace her in both capacities. I emailed a friend whose son does web sites to set up a discussion about him helping us get the site moved into WordPress so other people could work on it and what his fee is for doing this work. He’ll talk with me when he gets back from a trip to California.

After my marketing check arrived in the mail, I took a drive to the bank with the Apartment Rent check and got my “mad money” for future fun. It got sunny enough to lunch on the porch, but then took a turn for the cold again. Started clearing some space in my bedroom and putting things away that have hung out in piles for quite some time. Breathing space and maybe even stretching space was created. Put the ceramic heart on my heater that acts as a humidifier when I fill it with water. That felt really good!

Saturday I met the Prez at our marketer’s home at 10am. She had thought it would take an hour or two to download the info from the computer. At 1:30 we encountered files saying it would take 2 hours to download. We set the computer to work and went to lunch. I rationalized that it would be better for the Co-op to buy us lunch than just have us sit there getting paid to watch files download and she agreed. We discussed ideas for how to grow the Gallery sales and how having a manager could be very helpful. Returned and did another 45 minutes of file transfers and left with what we hoped was everything we would need on the little hard disc.

I was really tired and laid down to nap for a few minutes and woke up more than an hour later. Tried to get some work done by checking emails, but got lost on Facebook and then had some sweet popcorn and watched another movie. Just didn’t have any energy.

Sunday got up and took a little walk through town and to the shop to see if I had sold anything I could relace when I worked on New Year’s Eve. It felt so good to be walking in the sunshine that I headed up to Waltham and took the long way home. Had a snacky lunch, then I started working on getting my studio space cleaned up and more workable. Put away all the holiday gift wrapping items and created 2 shelves on the long table. Found boots in the storage area that I decided to take down and see if any fit, and if not, they were headed to the ARC. I discovered 2 boxes with inventory of pendants and earrings that I had totally forgotten about. Some can go on Etsy and some can go down to the Gallery without my having to create more. And I have decided my “stone” pins can go to Pottery By The Pound Sale next month along with all the Hat Clips I discovered in the boxes and the ones at the Gallery. I then took a TV and dinner break. After that, I headed into my side of the office to clear it up that out a bit. I got lost in that project and looked at the clock and it was 12:19 am. And I wasn’t totally finished! Well, Monday would be another day.

At 8:05 am on Monday, my phone rang and the shop worker could not get her car started and it was snowing. She asked if I could work the shop for pay, and I said “yes.” So I hurriedly got dressed and grabbed some food to eat there. People showed up to shop just as soon as I opened the doors. I was fairly busy all day long with customers and getting some things unpacked that arrived and cleaning up a mess left from the Sunday worker. I had brought the Festival computer, which was very lucky. I didn’t get much work done on it, but got into the conversation about the Board meeting that was scheduled and got canceled due to bad snow. I am not happy with the time the Board meeting is rescheduled to, but it seems set-up against my reasoning of why it is a bad time and that 2 people will not be able to attend – one’s last meeting and another’s first Board meeting. And right before the general meeting which makes it hard to have an agenda created and let the new President, who ever that will be have time to prepare to run the meeting. Maybe the current Prez will handle all that . . .

When the afternoon shift person arrived, we got into conversations about marketing for PBP which she coordinates and then ideas for rearranging the front room of the shop. Time passed swiftly and it was 4pm. My roommate had called and wanted to fix us dinner before she had to go to work if I would be home. I said I was trying to leave, and yes, I would love to share a meal with her.

Came home and got the trash out. Had a call from one of the places with a deadline for an ad in early January for the Gallery. We have a plan to make sure that deadline is met. Shared a meal and listened to what my roommate had been up to and her plans for a future trip she was to take in a couple of weeks. Then sat down on the computer. Checked my emails, bought the next Tony Laidig course on using miniatures to illustrate books. Got a little lost in Facebook and then writing here.

Now it is time to head off to sleep so I can work on marketing ads for Pottery By The Pound tomorrow and catch up with that before the Expert Media Show Tuesday evening.