Thanks for checking in on me my wonderful friends!

Hello to all my wonderful friends!

I have been a little quiet on Spark lately...not because I don't miss ALL of you...I DO..but because I am putting long hours of computer time in on getting my little consignment gallery on more media sites. This takes FOREVA to upload pictures, fill out profiles, update my website..but it's the total wave of the future for retail brick n mortar stores...so I do what I have to do.

I'm FAR from a computer whiz but I perservere. What might take a really computer literate person an hour probably takes me twice as long. So you understand why I'm not on Spark as much as I'd like to be.

Nevertheless you wonderful and amazing friends continue to check up on me and make sure I'm okay. You text, you e-mail, you call, you goodie me...thank you, thank you, thank you!

I reopened the consignment gallery June 10th and was open for 15 days until Florida started spiking like crazy again. I was lucky because most of my customers wore masks but several renegades did not. I can't even IMAGINE how people think that this virus is a hoax by now. Numbers don't lie...when we see the numbers spiking up and up they are the truth. No one is going to make those numbers up as a political sham. No one wants to see those numbers and no one would ever post them if they weren't the truth!

I also noticed that people are NOT buying. They use the gallery as a means to get out of the house...to stave off boredom of being cooped up at home for too long. I was basically sitting at the store exposing myself for the entertainment pleasure of bored people. That is NOT smart business. That is not smart personal exposure since I'm all alone in this world right now since I've lost my beautiful hubby of almost 45 years.

For once I have to be selfish and think of myself. If I get sick I'm on my own. I do have friends but friends are not blood...they do not have the obligation that most family members have in cases of emergency. You can't fault them for this...it just is what it is. So you have to be smart and take good care of yourself...to be your own best friend in essence.

I have been super busy getting my consignment gallery on social media. I made my website more user friendly with a check out register. I've started an Instagram account. I have joined a ton of local platforms that promote small business within our geographical area.

I've applied for small business loans and grants and have doggedly hung in there until I got the applications right. These are NOT easy to apply for..there is a TON of documentation requried and it's almost if you really NEED the loan it's close to impossible to acheive it. One site had 20 documents that I needed to upload and if ONE document was missed or not to their liking you had to reapply from THE BEGINNING. They didn't tell you which was insufficient or incorrect..back to square ONE. It took me THREE times of approximately an hour's time each time to get the docs in and in acceptable form.

BUT I DID it! I recieved 3 grants through sheer grit and determination. I'm SO happy and proud of my bad self!

This has all taken a ton of time but when you are an entrepreneur this is what you do...you just keep on plugging..night and day...day and night one foot in front of the other!

In the meantime I have also been doing lots of cooking...and unfortunately EATING! I HAVE to get that under control because when I'm horribly overweight I'm just so depressed.

I don't need that stress on top of the business stress, on top of the financial stress, on top of the lock down stress.

I will find a plan that will help me and I just need to get it in action! Thank you Margaret for supporting me and sharing what has worked for you!

I have gotten together with my grief group in small get togethers and those are restorative to my soul! I find if I don't have human interaction I just go right down the rabbit hole. I need that diversion and I make sure I get my fix every so often.

No offense to my little Mackelemore cat...he is very good company. He meows, I talk, we understand each other. BUT...he somehow doesn't quite hit all of the topics of conversation I'd like to cover ha..ha.



My online efforts have paid off some. I had a couple contact me that had seen a few pictures and were in town for only a few days furnishing their vacation condo.

I arranged to open the gallery and told them I'd do so if they were EXTREMELY interested. Turns out I had a very good sale in about 15 minutes. Now that's MY kind of retail..YAY!

They purchased this lovely dining set and brought a truck along to load it up and take it to it's new home!



I am still receiving items into the gallery letting my customers know that their contracts will be extended beyond the normal 3 months I normally give. Most people are fine with that..they just want the stuff out of their house for the most part.

Here are some items coming in soon.





Life moves on...I hope you are all staying safe and aren't going stir crazy with this horrible virus...it has really thrown FL for a loop as our crazy Governor opening up everything too quickly. Plus...I hate to say it but people are idiots...