Back to work......

.....But I just can't seem to get enough steam to start my routine again.  Monday before Christmas was my last shipping day, and the last firing for any special orders.  Now I have wrestled with special orders over the years, and made the decision to end that practice for 2010.  The worst part of the deal for me is being the person in the middle taking orders, and then making sure Paul makes it, and then praying for it to turn out using various kilns, and firing methods.  I soooo hate disappointing my customers, and it is me that has to tell them when the piece they have been waiting for did not turn out.
   Besides the kiln problems, we had 2  deer/van incidents that finally put our van out of commission.  At the same time, I needed dental work and that is so costly. 
   The online sales had slipped, rather than built up as I expected them to at this time last year.  
    Midway through the December selling , my new computer crashed,  very costly repairs on that, and I think I probably voided my warranty in order to have it fixed here locally, but not before hours with tech support.

So on that Monday of the last day of shipping, I totally shut down.  I took the past two weeks to just shut off the computer, and not worry about stuff.  The trouble is now, I don't want to go back to it.  Especially the worrying.  It is now when I tend to beat myself up for the career choices I have made.  I do not know of many couples who work together the way we have,  but with Paul and I at this point in our lives have no other choice but to keep building on our skills, and keep being creative.  

Well with all that said, I am planning to stay away from the computer a bit longer, and focus on more varied selling venues, and give myself more time to do what I do all of this for, so I CAN WORK WITH CLAY!!

 I am confident that a couple of new ventures might pan out, and help our situation.  I will be posting my new work closer to February, and there will be new functional work offered soon.



Denise