Still blessed

Ok, ok, I know it looks like I gave up on DD and fell off the face of the earth, but I promise that’s not what happened! I’ve just been crazy busy lately. As far as DD, well, there’s been some small mention of it on my part with some small not-completely-oppositional response on Nick’s part, so here’s hoping, anyway.

Something VERY cool happened yesterday. Well, to back up just a bit – on Christmas Eve we went to celebrate with Nick’s extended family, and Nick’s cousin B was there. Now B used to weigh somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 pounds, but a couple of years ago he had gastric bypass and lost a ton of weight. He’s even had the surgery to remove his excess skin, and he looks just great.

Anyway, we started talking about my photography business, and he said that he’d be interested in booking a portrait session, because the only formal pictures anyone has of him are pre-weight loss. Now I would have been happy to do this for free, just because he’s family, and it would make me happy to do something to help him celebrate his transformation to a healthy weight. But what he offered instead was to bring me his copy of Photoshop CS5, the very newest version and way up high on my wish list of things we really can’t afford but that would make my life so much easier! Yesterday he brought it by and installed it for me, and I’ve had so much fun playing with it!

In other news, I’ve been playing around a lot with different craft projects, and I’ve decided to open an Etsy shop just as soon as I can get some inventory built up. There are so many easy, inexpensive things I can make, from hair bows to magnets to coasters, and maybe I can bring in a little money that way. My friend R loved the coasters I made for some of my family for Christmas, and today she met me with some supplies to make a set for her to give as a birthday gift. I’m not charging her to make them, but the supplies she brought me will make many more than just hers, so I’m still coming out ahead.

This week is pretty tight money-wise, so I’ve not been able to go out and load up on supplies like I’d like, but I’ve got enough to make a few things anyway. Nick didn’t get to go to school last week because of the snow, which also caused his work to be closed for one day and open late another day. It also kept most of the customer’s away, and the New Year’s holiday hurt us too, so his check was a lot smaller than we needed. BUT, that just gives God a chance to really shine in taking care of us. In fact, we were in this same position this time last year, and this happened.  

Anyway, I’m off to bed – church in the morning!