Crazy busy lately

Heading to bed. It's been a long, hard day at work - things kept breaking, lots of boobs coming along with skin still on them so had to pull a lot by hand, which means my wrists hurt from the extra work. Had some extra work after the lines were done, so I was among the last folks out of the department. Not too bad getting half an hour towards overtime, but it still bites because I still hurt. I will be so glad when the business picks up and I make enough every single month to NOT have to have an outside job off the homestead. So much needs doing here that keeps having to be put off or done in pieces because the J.O.B. takes up all the time there is for those things with extremely little to spare.

Did get some work done on the business tonight after work, though, and that is good. The main lines of the business as far as finished crafts will be the jewelry (earrings, necklaces, bracelets and pins), Christmas ornaments and other holiday decorations (kind of cheesy in a way as most are foam or otherwise look quite a lot like stuff your kids might bring home from school, but these are done professionally, so not THAT bad), and magnets (just because I love sticking the things on the fridge, never mind that I haven't had little ones making artwork for me in years).

Other goodies will be things like jar mixes, my little ebooks, and eventually candles and soaps. All of that will go on Etsy and the website if I keep the site. Considering how the choice of back office software for a webstore that I can afford is either a - easy to install but does not share items to FB with a photo much of the time, if it even agrees to do the share at all or b - is more difficult to work with and I am not sure if it will share properly to FB ... well, I may have to bite the bullet and consider the website idea a loss.

Other goodies, like the less-expensive decor items for home and garden will be going on Amazon (yay, I get to compete with everybody else for similar products there) and eBay (again, competing with everybody else for similar products). All will give more exposure than the webstore has been getting, despite my promoting like mad with business cards and FB and other social media outlets. I am going to have to seriously consider the next batch of business cards getting a change to the URL listed on them from the standalone webstore to the FB page, which gets way more traffic, according to stats from both.

But it is time for some sleep so I can go kill myself with the chickens again tomorrow. Go, me.

More heat ... ugh.

Been a long, hot day so far. Most chores are done. Had an issue with the van. Hubby got started tearing into it, and the way he thought he had to get at the plugs turns out wasn't how to get to them at all. (Even though this is an E-150 and the white van we had was, also, apparently the plugs are in different spots.) So I find a video on youtube on how to change them.

When a dealer mechanic is cheerfully saying things like "If they are the original plugs, they came in 2-3 pieces and sometimes break when you go to change them. Let's hope one of these puppies breaks so I can show you how to use this special $100 tool to get it out," you start saying things like, "Oh, h**l no. Not doing this tune up in the driveway. Parts are going back for return and the cash goes to whatever is next on the vehicle repair list."

In this case, a tire. The van still needs the tune up, so we don't blow out the catalytic converter or crack the block or something, but we will either trade it back for something else that isn't broke, or drive it till it dies, whichever comes first. Thank you to dear friend Kathy​, who came and got us again today to go get the tire replaced, because it was not going much of anywhere - there was a bad spot where the steel belts were starting to poke through and no way were we driving on it if we didn't have to. Well worth giving her money for a tank of gas for her help yesterday and today.

Next project - get the Escort back on the road with a new tensioner pulley and serpentine belt, so we have a backup vehicle. I don't really LIKE it, but at least it drives good. Then it's all the other stuff that has to get done. And y'all think I have an exciting life? HA! I only wish it was as exciting as some of y'all think, lol. Chores and gardening and housework and cutting firewood and clearing brush and kudzu and needlework are not NEARLY as exciting or entertaining as they sound, lol!! Some days, I envy y'all for living in cities with all the amenities!

Sad Sunday

Homesteading day around here. Dinner is in the crockpot, chores are done, business is being worked on. What got done? A LOT. Trash out and burnt, litter boxes completely changed out and refilled, got all the nasty cases of hubby's soda that have been sitting around undrunk for MONTHS (and thus are just evaporating in the cans) out of the house, that area cleared up (ants all over the place due to leaking soda), lunch eaten, laundry put away, finished up putting away non-perishable groceries, bed made, Smudge got buried first thing, and gardening done for tomorrow's customers at work ... good night, all that in four hours. I am so pooped but still have to get in a shower, eat dinner, and call Mom. That last is the most important, with her health the way it is lately. We will know more after she talks to the surgeon on the 10th. Life is rough, but in general, going on day by day towards better things.

It is just extremely quiet here with Bouncer gone on the 23rd after getting so sick, and then this past Thursday, coming home from work to find Smudge in his favorite spot behind the toilet, dead from a broken heart. He just missed his pal far too much to want to go on, and literally grieved himself to death. Granted, I have the kittens, but it isn't the same. So it's really sad and quiet here.