the Blethering Spot

Woke up this morning feeling frightful. I’ve been moderately ill for a couple days, but this morning there was no more denying it: I am about to die. It’s official.

“I’ll do anything, just make it stop!”

Splitting headache? Check.
Sore achy body? Check.
Dull, glassy eyes? Most definitely.
Low grade fever? Check.

Meh.

In other news, I have been using loose leaf tea rather than bags. I am not happy with this. It’s too much work faffing around with strainers and tea balls and murky tea leaf dust in the bottom of the pot. And while I am on the subject of tea, I must tell you all that I have purchased the most wonderful teas (on sale!) during a moment of weakness the other day. Have a gander:

Blackberry Sage Tea for Wisdom,

Organic Huckleberry Red and
Pomegranate Green Tea.
That’s what I’m talking about!

I have been practising the piano, oh, a lot. It actually feels great to be practising again after ABOUT TWELVE YEARS. I’m being careful, though, not to wreck my fingers by going on a practise binge, playing three hours a day after years of inactivity. I’m limiting myself to one hour per day. Most reasonable.

Right. Let me see, what else can I tell you?

My kids have begun their own onslaught of adoption fundraising — entirely of their own volition, I’ll have you know, and despite my repeated reassurances that they don’t need to worry their pretty little heads about fundraising. No, they think it’s great fun, and they’ve started with a bang:

It’s all the rage!
Curbside hot chocolate stands are the new black!
Hot chocolate: 50 cents.
With marshmallows: 65 cents.
They have actually made over $16.
I had no idea there were still people in the world
(like this friendly garbage man)
who would stop to buy hot chocolate from
a bunch of grubby kids,
and stand there drinking it while the kids look on.
My faith in humankind is renewed.

That’s all I can think of, my pain-wracked mind is aching fit to burst.

Over and out.

Gwen, you guys drive a little Mazda Protege. Are you going to have to buy a mini van or something?

Yes, we are, and thanks for rubbing salt in that wound.

NOTE: To make things easier for us all, I’ve consolidated all the merchandise onto one big post, on my new and shiny blog, The Blethering Shop. Don’t worry…. I haven’t gone totally green eyed and money hungry. It’s just that over the next 2 to 3 years, we might have some things to sell every now and then. They may as well be all neat and tidy on a separate blog! I’ll update the merchandise here, but list it all neatly on The Shop.

I’ve found a supplier for the totes! Unfortunately, though, I could not push the price any lower for a custom-printed bag. I didn’t know a thing about them, and after minimum purchases, digitizing logos, paying per ink colour, etc, the price was right back up there. Still, though… I really like these ones.

No Borders tote bag – $20

12 oz. 100% cotton canvas
20″ x 14.5″ x 4.5″
Natural colour
gusset bottom

SOLD OUT

No Borders Apron – $24

35% cotton/65% polyester twill
20″ width x 24″ height
Tie neck and waist straps
Two 6″ high bottom pouches
SOLD OUT

I’m going to hold off on buying these until I have at least 12 orders, since my credit card is wheezing in pain from too much internet buying. If you’re interested in purchasing these, please let me know, as ever, in a comment or email. Sadly, I am unable to get the original design on the totes just now.

Oh, you guys are just the best. Thanks for your support.

(Click to enlarge)

Oh, my word, the magnets have already been a resounding success, and they’ve been on sale less than 24 hours. In fact, I’ve sold out of one style, and I’ve only got one tote bag left. Oh happy day!

I have ordered more magnets from a Canadian supplier, all with different designs. The new ones will be the soft-type vinyl magnet, rather than the stronger ones I’ve already got. I can only order the heavy ones from a company in the States, and the shipping and duty costs are offsetting profits. These new magnets will be suitable for, say, holding up a shopping list, whereas the stronger ones could hold up a child’s art project, library receipts, coupons, a silly photo, your work schedule and a church phone list, all at once. Alas. We all have to make sacrifices.

I also COULD NOT RESIST designing some sticky notes, which, while environmentally not so friendly, are awfully handy to have around.

Have a look at the designs and let me know if you’d like any of these bad boys! Email me (address is under my profile) with quantity and type you’d like, and – if you live out of town – your shipping address. Shipping costs depend on how much you order, but rest assured, O Reader, that I won’t get all ridiculously extortionate. (As ever, click on the images to enlarge.)

If you have left a comment on the last post indicating that you’d like to purchase a magnet or two (or the remaining tote bag), please comment, phone or email and let me know which style you want, and how many. Oh! what a lovely, lovely time we are having.

I don’t expect this shipment to arrive until the middle of April, but don’t worry! Help is on the way.

* note * Having received the shipment and examined the merchandise, I’ve realized the pricing was too high! I’ve lowered the prices listed here and on the Shop. If you’ve paid in advance for your order, I will add extra items to make up the difference!

Support Adoption sticky notes
(3 x 3 – 50 sheets)
$3

God’s Idea magnet: $1

Nowhere on Earth magnet: $1

So I got my first shipment of hey-I-have-a-great-idea! merchandise today. My husband will not believe, will not believe his eyes when he sees this stuff and hears my brilliant fundraising scheme. In fact, anyone visiting us this week may very likely see him wandering around the house, head absently shaking back and forth, mouth hanging open. Poor man. But I KNOW somebody will want to buy these valuable and attractive, yet very reasonably priced, magnets.

Yes, I said magnets.

You know? Magnets? Like, for your fridge?

So I was poking around online and ran across this place where you can custom design your own, um, magnets. Immediately the heavens opened with the sound of trumpets, and I realized that I could probably get a bunch, then sell them to my friends and family, to raise money to help offset the cost of paperwork. (This was during a night of insomnia, and it was about 2:15am. Just so you know.)

I did. Readers, I filled that virtual cart so full it was hard to steer it down the virtual aisles. Not only did I get a bunch of SERIOUSLY GREAT AND VALUABLE magnets, I also slapped my own design on some environmentally friendly, sturdy and highly useful tote bags. The tote bags turned out to be enormous, suited more for groceries than for, say, taking your lunch to work. They’re great quality, though, very thick. Here they are, hot off the press:

(click on photo to closely examine the wares)

Unexpectedly rather large tote bag: $18 Cdn. SOLD OUT
Magnets: $2.50 Cdn. SOLD OUT

If you live here, I can take cash, cheque or PayPal. (Yes! We deliver!)

If you are from out of town, and you are actually, truly going to buy these, and you’re not just pulling my leg, you can use PayPal or just send me a cheque. Email your address to me (my address is in the sidebar under my profile) and I will send you my PayPal info, and mail the items to you. (Shipping varies with size of order. )

It’s hard to see the words in the pictures, so here are the designs up close:

SOLD OUT

SOLD OUT

SOLD OUT

SOLD OUT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You know you want one. Order yours today!

Gwen, what kind of time frame are you looking at for the adoption?

A long one. We’re thinking 2-3 years, which is about 2-3 years too long for me. There’s the small matter of raising an almost inconceivable amount of moolah to pay for the paperwork. (But who’s worried about that tiny little detail?) Once we have saved up a hefty chunk of the cost, we’ll begin: but then the real waiting begins, as the adoption process itself will take anywhere from 9 to 20 months.

I feel a huge sense of urgency about this, as I picture someone dying every three seconds. I know we can only adopt two children out of millions, but…. I feel like their mother already, and I’m stressing about what these children are dealing with while we are fundraising.

We’re going to need to decide — at what point do we take the leap of faith and just start the paperwork, even if we haven’t met our financial goals? We’re not sure. But we’ll keep you posted.

Paul and Lisa have a new baby boy! 7lbs 4oz, mother and baby are doing well after a short labour. They’ve got a name, but it’s still classified until they’re positive it’s the right one….. congratulations Paul and Lisa!

The date of Lisa’s baby shower has changed, due to an uncooperative infant. The new date is March 27, 7:00 @ Moe’s house. Be there or be square!