Friday, January 02, 2004

A New Year...

Well, my husband Chas and myself have been caring for his ailing mother. I quit my job of 9 years back in April so that someone could stay home with her, as she could only afford to pay someone for a short time before having to sell everything she's ever owned just for the privilage of having someone she doesn't know care for her basic needs. As time has gone on, we have realized that she's probably not going to get any better... her 6 brain surgeries that she endured last year have left her confused and physically incapable. We have also realized that it really takes two people to care for her... one to do the work, and one 'just in case'. Walking is major trouble for her and she has fallen before... One person assisting her can pretty much only slow the fall... once she's on the ground it takes two people to get her back up. One day I had to call Chas to come home early so that he could help me lift her. It's a 45 minute drive, so I just had to sit with her and make her comfortable until he arrived. It's not something that any of us wish to go through again.

In other news, Chas' work has been really bad for him. He works for a large health food store chain, and as the economy has been getting worse, so have the treatment of the employees. I suppose that's par for the course, but we really expected more out of them with all of their talk about caring for their employees. Chas has had to take time off of work in order to deal with his mom's afairs... between the surgeries, the follow-up visits, the moving details, the banking, etc... and his work is not too pleased. But what can we do about it?

Chas and I have decided that it is perhaps time to live one of our dreams. We have always wanted to start our own business, selling our art. So, towards that end, he is taking a leave of absence from his work in a little over a week, and we are going to start the process of setting-up a home business. It's scary, but oh so time. I am hoping that between his art and my own, that we can make enough to pay the bills. I'm just begining to see *some* activity in my online store, and so I am encouraged that after awhile it may catch on. Chas does sculptures in various themes, and has been experimenting with making molds so that he can produce product on a larger scale. We have had some success selling his work on eBay before.

The name that we have chosen is "Carnivalia" to reflect the celebratory theme that runs through a lot of our shared work. I just purchased the domain name and am looking forward to having another web-project to keep me busy. ;)

UPDATE: Check out his website at Carnivalia.com.

I'm very excited that we are taking this next step. Hopfully it will prove a healthy thing for us.

So... please keep us in your prayers and thoughts. We could use some encouraging energy right about now as we jump into the Void...

Look out below!

7 comments:

cangelo said...

Freefalling into that void can be one of the scariest and most magickal times.. and remember babe - both of you gots wings, Use Em! Dont fall, SOAR!!!
Many blessings upon the both of you and your work.
Im still trying to work out details with my job about time off in march.. they're being pains. *sigh*

faerywolf said...

and remember babe - both of you gots wings, Use Em! Dont fall, SOAR!!!
Yes! It's just like I told Chas the other night: "Let's not just start a business... let's start a wonderfully successful business."
In the next week we will go and apply for our business license and make it official. In the meantime I have been working out designs and ideas for our products. The channels seem pretty open to me right now... I just designed a logo for my own website, and then turned around and did one for our shared business. I've been having some intense dreams lately, too... a good time, me thinks.
Im still trying to work out details with my job about time off in march.. they're being pains. *sigh*
Bastards! ;) Keep me posted.

fattest said...

I'm so glad you guys are taking matters into your own hands. I wish you wild success!
xoxoxo

heartssdesire said...

Good fortune to you. I've done a bit of that myself, getting by on independent business gigs and prayer while getting through school. ;-> The thing I learned from it is: Diversify! If you want to make a living on independent, artsy stuff, it works best if you have a lot of irons in the fire so you aren't too dependent on the success any one of them.

myburningviolin said...

A kiss passed from star to star...
Storm,
I too care for my ailing and aged father.
I understand how scary this is, and how sometimes it seems like choices
are the very last things that you have...
N'amaste and bravo to you that you can see an opportunity for new
life and change in a place where the unknown has become so manifest.
I wish you well.
Congratulations on your amazingly successful venture!
Your words and your art have always inspired me...
-A little sister from a far-away branch of the tree ;>

faerywolf said...

Re: A kiss passed from star to star...
Thank you for that. :)

faerywolf said...

it works best if you have a lot of irons in the fire so you aren't too dependent on the success any one of them
This is exactly our thought... thank you for the validation. :) I also don't want to get stuck doing just one thing or else I'll go mad.