Digging for Dollars

It's that time of year, job is over and there is a month or so between paychecks...it gives me time to read, catch up on the Master's degree, and commissions for work. I do portraiture as a sideline, but not too often as it is like running fingernails over slate to get it so that it looks like the subject and not a near relative. This midsummer season of no incoming money is the time when you take a serious look at the canned goods you squirreled away just like your parents did.

This year, even the farmer's market vegetables are expensive, for example, Brussels sprouts are going for $2.79 a pound. Peaches, in season here, are bringing $1.99 a pound--I paid $1.23 for one peach the other day. It was a good one, but for that price I can go to the Sav-a-Lot and get two cans. Not the juice runs down your face kind of peaches that you eat over the sink, but still peaches. Sort of.

Stretching that old dollar means you excavate every winter pocket and go twice through dirty laundry looking for change. You are lucky if you have a man in the house, for they flop on that couch and lose coins every time they shift their rumps. Dig, sister, dig! Believe it or not, and you really have to be hard up for this, check clothes pockets at the thrift shop. Go to the self-service car wash and look on the ground near the vacuum hoses, you would be stunned at what kind of money people throw out.

Today, after choking up a hefty payment to Sallie Mae, I did a review of what kind of jewelry do I have, and is it worth selling? Most of my stuff looks like it came out of the bottom of a cereal box, I am easy to please. One of my favorite necklaces is an orange and yellow fishing bobber on a yellow cord. There are those stamped out metal bugs, I have a cicada; earrings made of varied glass beads, cheesy cha-cha rhinestone pins, sterling silver rings, a lovely Tibetan bracelet that turns my arm green and some of mom's old doodads.

What else could I sell? What other venues would bring in cashola? Just enough so I don't have to cook up the aquarium fish for the protein. I always get skitzy this time of year, and usually it turns out okay. Of course last year I forgot to pay September's rent, so maybe that's the reason there was money available.

I can't rely on finding money at the car wash, maybe you will see me selling my little Klaus Nomies on eBay. It would be like selling a miniature part of the family, but the cats told me to hell with attachments or we'll eat your nose off while you sleep.

I have clean sheets for tonight and two appointments in the morning. One dentist for the human, one rabies update for Princess Snowbelle. Let your worries float by if only for a moment. Rest your head, let it sink down into the pillow. Auntie 2seahorses is watching you dream.