Well, well, well. So much to talk about, so little time. Since getting past the flu, I’ve been working non-stop on filling orders for bears that are due. But, for every two orders I fill, I take up working on another bear, a different bear from my previous designs. I have to keep selling bears, but from now on, no more made to order bears. Sadly, I won’t be doing anymore custom orders either, least not for a couple of months. I have to get caught up AND continue bringing the funds in so I can stay afloat. So, if you see a bear on Etsy for sale, then it’s a ready to go bear. Not a made to order little guy. I really enjoyed the bunny and look forward to doing other animals and such soon.
My mom has taken to Etsy. Being retired, she feels there isn’t much more for her to do. She made me a blanket for Christmas, the year before whipping them up for all sorts of people and charities. I suggested she start selling them for a sense of purpose, for something to do. It was frightening to watch her spend much of her time discussing the last episode of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” I showed her the ropes, helped her get her shop up, and now she has two items for sale. I took some photographs for her and even posed in one! She’s going to be focusing only on crocheted blankets at the moment, but they really are nice, soothing, and tender. Check out HER shop!
I love my little studio apartment. For $500 a month, it includes everything. I couldn’t ask for a better deal. Electric, internet, and water. For a poor man like me, it’s quite the luxury. Private entrance, a little balcony, a great view, and I’m only a mile and a half from everything I need. Grocery store and post office. I don’t have a kitchen, but I do have my trusty crock-pot that I’ll be cooking out of again. I found this awesome website: crockplot365.blogspot.com. I’m sure many of you have heard of it already, for the author seems rather famous! And with some delicious recipes! SO! I’m truly looking forward to spending my days finding creative ways to cook with ONLY a crock-pot thanks to that website.
While many people are gearing up for Valentine’s Day, it’s a touch bittersweet for me. Last year I was living alone in the middle of the woods…..waiting patiently for my partner to show up. I spent some many days working up a teddy bear for him, a gift, the only thing I could afford to do. Some Fisherman’s Wool and a set of needles. On Valentine’s Day, it was realized he wasn’t going to come. He didn’t say it matter of fact, but the distance in his voice was even more unbearable than the physical distance that challenged us. On the 16th of February, with a broken heart, and realizing I was now abandoned out in the middle of nowhere, I had to find a way to feed myself, and get back into society. I had $2 in my bank account, and with $1.20 I opened up my shop on Etsy and sold his teddy bear.
So, here it is a year later, my first year anniversary on Etsy and I celebrate not the romanticism of Valentine’s, but rather the marking of the birth of my little teddy bear. I can’t imagine what would have happened to me had I not risked spending my last $2 on a website I had never heard of before. But, needless to say, I’m glad I did.
So, to celebrate, I’ll spend the next couple of blogs writing about where the bear came from, how to make one of your own (yes! I finished writing the pattern! You can buy it in my shop!), and where I hope the bear to take me and little Mario.
Ok, it’s just shy of 9am. Time to get busy. I’ve got orders to fill!
madmanknitting.wordpress.com 
Congrats to your mum! Her blankets look beautiful! You can’t go wrong using any of those crock pot recipes!! They are delicious & a favorite for my family. CONGRATS to you on opening your shop & I wish you continued success.
Did you know you can also cook many things other than rice in a rice cooker? I have a friend who is in kind of a similar situation to yours. She is living in an artist’s studio, no kitchen, no bathroom, no running water. The bathroom is down the hall. She says she cooks pork chops and all kinds of meat and other things in her rice cooker.
Congratulations on coming so far in just one year! I admire your pluck and tenacity. Losing people you love has to be the absolute hardest thing to come through, but sometimes, much later, you find out that your Higher Power had a better plan for you. So all the best! Your view is fantastic. I too, finally landed in a place with a million-dollar view. No palm trees 🙂 but I look right out on Georgian Bay. The marina is just down the street and I ride my bike through it when I ride downtown.
I’ll be heading over to your shop soon to buy the pattern for the bear. Been looking forward to it!
Yours is truly a story of inspiration! You are virtually unlimited as to what you can make in your crockpot my friend! I once baked a tur-duc-en in mine while on the road in a semi-truck with my hubs! I’ve made candy and breads, too. [Google will open a whole new world to crockpot recipes for you!] Love, love, love your blog. Best wishes. I’ll be looking forward to more from you!
BAH HA! Wow! Being from Georgia, I’m awfully familiar with the tur-duc-en 🙂 I LOVE the idea you did it en route in the back of semi. THAT is some work! I’m gonna branch out of the norm and try some Indian food first! (I love ethnic cuisine 🙂 )
Gregory
I read your blog posts, bought one of your wonderful bears (the diamond one) and am so very proud of you! Keep on going, as they say, the only way is up!
This morning, I was sitting at work (teaching preschool) listening to a story about a little boy going on his first sleepover. He and his friend are both too embarrassed to admit that they both have bears they sleep with – as the story proceeds, they both (happily!) admit to each other that they have a bear, both bears appear at the sleepover, and they all live happily ever after. I was thinking about you and your bears and that one is never too old to need a good bear friend! Then I sneaked a peek at my phone and saw you had a new blog post. Coincidence? Probably not!
I’m looking forward to my new bear friend coming to live with me, and I know he’s going to appear on a day I really need him – and I’ve never had any doubt that he will show up when needed :-)) I went ahead and bought your pattern – more for support than any immediate need to knit a bear – I’m in a mad sock phase, and I have a good friend (a new knitter) chasing me with all sorts of great projects we need to do together ;-)) It’s all good!
Enjoy the crockpot! I’m a hot plate and frying pan girl myself – probably from all my camping trips, and cooking on the Coleman when the power goes out during snow storms!
Hang in there – so glad you have a new place – you are an inspiration with your determination and great attitude!
Kay in NC
I have to say REALLY quickly, I’ll send you an email shortly, saw you bought the bear and is it a coincidence on MY part that I’m also working up socks???? Thank you so much for your support and your patience. The scruffy one will be out tomorrow. Your other bear not long after….Incidentally, when I was a boy my father wouldn’t allow a doll or such. He’s a bit crude like that. However, I was allowed to have a little E.T. doll made of leather. I took it everywhere…..until his little beans spilled out all over the place…..
Gregory 🙂
I was so, so very excited to see that you’re selling your pattern! I will be buying it VERY soon!