Six Months!

Home now for 6 months....let's see....
Started my accessories line, Nan's Nook, have been involved in 2 shows, with more to come.
Started blog page and FB page for Nan's Nook
Built and have opened a garden stand for Hourglass Fields, selling our organic plants/produce and eggs
Started a FB for Hourglass Fields
Working on updating the Anderson St. Soap & Nutrition Co. website, with pics and more listings
Preparing for Benson Mule Days in September, DH says that I need to come up with something along the 'mule' theme!
Met with TWC-Media...about advertising...commercial, on-demand video, online ads...biting the bullet and making the move to grow the business!
Oldest granddaughter turned 4 this past weekend.
Youngest granddaughter is being a redhead in ever sense!  LOL!
Grandson is plugging along in the middle and having a blast with both an older sister and a younger sister!
They are probably making the move to ND sometime early next summer, maybe by that time we'll have a motor home and can visit for an extended time!
well, off to the craft studio for some more work!

4 months already!

I can't believe it, it's already been 4 months being home.  let's see...for some history....took the month of November to just relax and get used to being home.  Then the end of November we found a place to rent a booth for our Anderson St. Soap & Nutrition products.  Unique Boutiques & Marketplace in Clayton...there are 70+ vendors within one huge space...all different, all 'unique'...LOL!  anyway, had a good December there, and managed to make money, although not as much in January, and we'll find our for February tomorrow.
UB&M also sponsors 2 craft fairs a year, so I'm going to have my first craft fair with my sewing and knitting items.  been working like gangbusters on several items, and trying to figure out exactly how much to make/take/prepare to sell! 
 With the Grace of God and dominion over the weather, the craft fair should have great success.  and the 'afterwards'...i'm looking at some sort of shopping cart on Facebook and a 'department' within our Anderson St. Soap webstore!
and the property at Cleveland School...we are making into a nursery/plant sales...we have the property on the market, but no need to not do something with it in the meantime!
Oh, had a 'sweet' surprise from my previous job...rec'd a packet in the mail in December...I was eligible for a 'small'.....very small retirement, that I could start drawing on right away!  and continue until the Lord takes me from this world!...It's a blessing that was a complete surprise!  not much, but it's is better than nothing!
The chickens are now fully grown...and laying 18 to 20 eggs everyday!  know any good recipes that use lots of eggs!????....help!
oh, just thought about it also..guess I could go ahead and set up a FB page for Nan's Nook....and see where we go from there!
enough for now, need to get back to sewing!....

8 more working days!

I have 8 more working days at my 'public' job, then it's home to start the new life, the new path, the new direction....Etsy here I come!  been gettting the studio space set up and compiling a list of what I would like to put in the etsy shop.  Since I enjoy doing several aspects of arts & crafts, I think I'll put in a variety, with some seasonal stuff and once sales get started, I'll follow the desires of my customers. I look forward to seeing how a long prayed for opportunity takes shape.  As long as we keep our eyes on the ultimate priority, we will have a bright future.  As we wait upon the Lord, when we move according to his plans for us, we will have prosperity and our strength in Him, from Him will continue to grow.
Have been working on a tentative schedule for my new life...journaling, exercising, creative time, household and all important, a deeper, more studying of the Bible, the mainstay of my life.  As D says, it may take a few weeks to settle into a 'work from home' life..will probably work harder, but enjoy it more, and will find a pace that's right for me.  It's fantastic to have such a loving and supportive husband at this stage of my journey.  My first husband (rip) was a good man and supported me, but it never seemed to work out for me to have this opportunity.  and now with a second chance at love, and a husband that has already been through some of the same journey, knows how to really support me and help me see the opportunity that was already there, just under the surface.
Enough for now...getting excited...so much mulling over in the head/heart, it's hard to concentrate on one thing for very long..
PTL until next time
Nan

down to the last 15 working days at the 'public' job.  the days are rolling by faster and faster!  The excitement growing more and more.  Now I'll have more time to figure out this blogging stuff and start posting pictures and such!  have a few things in the works for an Etsy store...be nice to possibly make alittle $ for all the things that I'm always working on and giving away!  a couple names for the biz are rolling around in the head...now to decide, must select one that will last through any changes in the 'store format' that may occur.  Started working on getting my daily journal set up.  I will start this on my first day of my new life...will start the day with Bible reading, exercise, journaling.  I am following the journal plan of Lil Blue Boo...a fantastic way to get kickstarted into journaling, if you've never done it!  I have been making a daily diary in my daily prayer (conversation with God) notebook...so by the time I'm 'home'...there will be 38 days of 'how-to' pages to work on...LBB is only putting them M-F...but I'll be working on the wknds also..woo-hoo!
Have a couple ideas mulling around about some paintings for the house....we haven't sold our house yet, after the 'Southport/Leland' episode, we have prayed about it and decided that Patience is a Virtue and that one Should Wait on God...so that's what we are doing....'waiting on God'...
who knows, maybe the 'angry delivery' of Go Back to JoCo...from the lips of S were a more blunt way of God telling us to go home!  OK...we're home!  now to wait!  ok, back to subject---painting, so now that the house is remodeled and 'ready for viewing' by removing all the personal stuff, I'll put in some new 'personal' stuff...in the form of paintings.
enough for now, as I am at 'work' and is getting on to being lunchtime!
cya.....

The Last Month

It's my last month of work at my 'outside of the home' job.  Then it will be on to a new journey.  This last month will be a cleaning out period...of both the work desk and the studio space at home.  Work desk in preparation for leaving a clean slate for the next worker, the studio space in preparation for beginning a new career.  a Stay-at-Home Artist...hmm, saha...say ha!  That's it, HA for finally to have the opportunity to being a life I have only dreamed about since a youth.  and if I go back to my beginnings, I would say an artist in the form of pencil/watercolor/oils/acrylic....with a fallback of sewing, knitting/crochet, beadwork.  It was as a child in church that I drew.  I remember the family that sat behind us in church, the Smith.  I don't know what Mr. Smith did for a living, but I remember every Sunday receiving a pad of paper and a pencil from him, with which I would draw all during the service...I was ages 6 to 10...I guess the 'rents didn't mind or care as long as we (bro and I) were quiet.  I was asked to draw the posters for special services at the church, so I feel led that I should really pursue that.  Life with E&S got in the way...as the Bible state, Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Pro. 22:6)...E&S didn't understand the concept of Train...I think they misunderstood it to mean...Control.  as long as S had control then all was good with the world.  Now here it is 40 years later, and I've come into the awareness of the true situation with E&S and know that I have moved on.  Now is the time for me to find out who/what I am all able.  To listen to my own voice in matters of my life...and so far, the the love and support of my husband, I haven't been wrong.  Honor your parents and I've done that, and ready to move on, they are to live with the consequences of their actions, just as I will.  I have forgiven and asked for forgiveness, now to the next step.  Cleaning out the house and the studio have been therapeutic in the resolution of moving on...dumping the old, adopt the new, experience life and love from a fresh perspective!
Tonights chores...color this hair...one more time! maybe!  LOL!, an hour in the studio, an hour on the computer and then the rest of the night checking out The Voice!
till later
N

new update....with little to no sales for the last 2 months at the new 'brick & mortar' store, we have made the decision to close the store.  We've gone through our 'seed' money and now is the time to stop the flow, sine nothing is coming back in.  the store should at least maintain itself..cover rent/utilities/payroll...if not, must regroup...rethink!  had an inquiry from a potential wholesale customer, so if this is where the Lord opens the door, we'll be walking through. 
I'm down to 6 weeks left on the 'public' job..then it's off and running into the unknown world of building a business with my 'artistic' endeavors and 'craft' talents.  now to decide which ecommerce to base it in....volusion, big cartel, open cart...

Let's Try This Again!

we'll try this again!  alot has changed since the first of the year.  Losing public job due to merger with another company.  our work group has 5, counting me, to leave.  the first is leaving this week and then I leave the end of October with the rest to other every couple months.  with the 'lay-off' pending, we are selling our house and making a move to Southport, NC.  Closer to water for DH, his pontoon and his love of fishing.  Closer to the 'beachy' way of life for me! 
New move calls for new life.  getting rid of the old and starting off fresh.  Went through the craft studio and came up with loads of yarn to donate.  When I say loads, it was actually 15 large kitchen sized garbage bags!  and I was fortunate to find a fantastic home for it.  I thought about craigslist and placing an ad--'free for the asking'...when I opened craigslist, I felt the need to check in the 'wanted' column.  Pay dirt...there is a group of ladies in the Cary area that make blankets for the sick...crocheted afghans and crocheted edging on fleece blankets.  They rely solely on the donations of others their yarn stash.  Hopefully my donation will help them for awhile.  I feel blessed knowing how the yarn will be used.
the past 7 months have been a growing/learning experience for me and DH.  we made our decision for the move and discovered the condition of my parents'.  after 6 months of hard work and then having the backfire in our faces and be thrown out at the hands of the law.  maybe one day i'll write the long version, but the end result...I have been able to come to terms with my childhood and movedpast the heartache and gained my voice.  I have now walked away from the situation and can put head to pillow without losing any sleep...Praise the Lord!
More later...
N