It's Been a Week!

I started out the week with good intentions in writing something daily, and then stuff happened. These every two week markets really roll around quickly, and it seems like I hardly have time to plan my event, prep for said event and get anything else accomplished! The plan was to bring you along with me as I was doing the other soups...

Picture taken by Claudia Cleveland, husband Jess & son

No, I never got to them. This guy...this guy happened. He's the husband of a friend of mine. Not a close friend, but someone I've done fundraiser events with, and as broke as they are, they've got hearts of gold, and would give you the shirts off their backs to anyone in need! Just good folks! My friend, Claudia, and hubby, Jess, have a couple of teenage sons, and a daughter. And Claudia had her hands full, already, between chauffering one or the other to work, to school, to practice, whatever. Jess had been working, but was experiencing dizziness and throat irritation problems. Now all of that was stressful enough, before Jess' last doctors appointment with the VA.

Jess has had lung cancer for years, I guess it had kind of remissed a bit for several years. Well, he'd been having problems, and they made his appointment at the VA, waiting months, of course, cos that's how we value our men and women who fight to protect our liberties...but, hey, that's a whole 'nother rant! Friend, Claudia suffers from social anxiety, and this has been tearing her up for weeks, as the appointment drew nearer and nearer.

Her local friends and facebook support system held her up as she endured, and waited...stressed and mama-beared as best she could, to be the advocate for her partner in life. The Stage Four diagnosis on the cancer, with it having spread to his throat and moved upwards infecting two places on the brain, which are pretty much inoperable. I cannot imagine the pain she's enduring. With no family locally, we've been her collective 'shoulder' to cry on, rant on, worry on.

One of her other FB friends set up a Gofundme for them, for their living expenses and some repairs that'll have to be done on their house, like ramps so Jess can get up and down better. I volunteered to use my Gemini Gardens Candles stand and Bakery stand for a fundraiser, so that's where I've been. Baking up a storm, promoting like crazy, and trying to come up with something that'll really hit the "I've got to have this!" emotion in the local buyers.

Photo by Claudia Cleveland of hubby Jess

So, Claudia sends me this picture, says they had a better day at the VA, that they'd been stopped by at least 20 people absolutely loving this shirt! Well, I busted out laughing, and knew that was what I wanted to do! I found this online fairly easily, it's too quick notice to have a design done locally, but I can get these! So that was today, in between baking cookies and brownies! I'm hoping to get some pre-paid orders!

Of course, you know me! I million ideas that pay pennies each! sigh Anyway, I've got them advertised on my page. http://www.facebook.com/geminigardenscandles if anyone is feeling the need for this shirt for their 'asshole' ! Father's Day IS comin up, after all!

I've been baking and freezing, as Market Day isn't until Friday and Saturday...gosh, did I even mention I was trying out the Friday evening thing? See??? Too much going on! So, this picture is from last season. I'm waiting to frost the items I've done until Friday, so they really aren't ready for their photo shoot just yet.

Anyway, with this, I'll leave you, my friends...life is precious, love one another! And, always, Steem on! Hugggzzzz!